BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is desirable to package and sell confectionery in a container which is reusable and which adds value to the purchase of the confectionery. Confectionery is often targeted at children and it would be advantageous to package the confectionery in containers which can also be used as a toy.

One toy which is popular with children is interlocking construction blocks. These blocks have a series of nibs projecting from one end and complementary receptacles or other receiving devices at the opposing ends for frictionally engaging the nibs of adjoining blocks. The blocks may be used by children to construct a variety of structures.

However, such interlocking construction blocks are generally formed without a hollow interior to contain confectionery or other items. Instead, the nibs extend upwardly from the upper side of the upper surface and the complementary receptacles extend downwardly from the lower side of the upper surface.

In this manner, the blocks cannot contain an interior area.

U. S. Patent 3,496,670 discloses a hollow interlocking construction block. It has a hollow interior area and hinged ends to access this area. However, the hinged ends must be forced closed into frictional engagement with the sides of the block and are not easily opened. As well, the hinged ends are biased outwardly by the hinge element. This arrangement, therefore, does not provide easy access to the interior of the block while reliably maintaining the contents

in the interior area.

U. S. Patent 3,774,339 issued November 27,1973 discloses a prism-shaped interlocking block. It is divided across its diagonal and hinged along one end. It forms a block when the two sides are closed and forms two triangular sections joined along one edge when the two sides are open. This block also does not reliably retain its contents.

There therefore remains a need for a container shaped as an interlocking block and which will reliably retain items in its interior area while providing easy access to these items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention provides for an interlocking toy construction block which may interlock with other toy construction blocks. The interlocking block of the present invention includes a hollow interior for storing items and will reliably retain these items in its interior area while providing easy access to them when desired.

There, therefore, is provided a container designed as a child's toy. The container is a toy interlocking block having a hollow interior area for containing items. The block is generally rectangular in shape having six panels.

One of the panels is hinged to the block along one edge and may be moved between an open and closed position to allow or prevent access to the interior area. The hinge is preferably flush with or recessed from the surface of the block to avoid any protruberance which would interfere with the efficient stacking of multiple containers. The hinged panel or lid is preferably a single, unitary piece but may be split into two or more hinged portions if desired. The hinged portion or portions include a locking means for maintaining the lid in a closed position. The lid may include a lip extending over

the upper edge of the block and having a projection extending outwardly from the inner surface of the lid for engaging the panels of the block to maintain the hinged portion in a closed position. The block is preferably integrally formed by plastic moulding. Where the lip meets the adjoining front panel, the front panel may include a round indentation similar to a thumbprint for allowing a user to easily open the lid and gain access to the interior area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described and may be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block of the present invention with the hinged lid in a closed position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the block of figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the block of figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the block of figure 1 with the lid in an open position.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail of the lip and turret engagement for maintaining the hinged lid in a closed position.

Figure 6 is an end view of the block of Figure 1 with the lid in an open position.

Figures 7a and 7b are cross-sectional views of the hinge construction shown in figure 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the Figures, there is provided a toy interlocking construction block which may be used as a container. These blocks may be interlocked with each other or with other interlocking blocks available on the market.

The toy interlocking construction block 1 comprises a

hollow block having a hinged upper panel 3, a series of nibs 9 extending upwardly from the surface of panel 3, and means located on the underside of the block for frictionally engaging the nibs of an adjoining block.

The block shown in the figures is generally rectangular in shape having six sides or panels, 3-8. It has a hollow interior area defined by the panels.

The block has opposing flat side panels 5,8 and end panels 6,7. The inner surface 10 of the side 5,8 and end 6,7 panels may include ribs 11 extending laterally along the panels. These ribs 11 generally extend to the lower edge of the side 5,8 and end 6,7 panels but do not necessarily extend to the upper edge of the panels.

The upper panel 3 forms a lid which is flat with a series of nibs 9 projecting upwardly from its upper surface. Two rows of four nibs are shown in the figures. These nibs 9 are used to interlock with adjoining blocks. The lower panel 4 of the block is generally flat and is recessed upwardly from the lower edges of the side 5,8 and end 6,7 panels so as to form a skirt 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a surrounding the panel 4. Located on the lower surface of the lower panel 4 are a number of generally circular receptacles 13 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the lower panel 4 a distance slightly less than the depth of the skirt. These receptacles 13 are positioned on the lower surface of the lower panel 4 between the lower edges of the side 5,8 and end 6,7 panels. The nibs 9 of adjoining blocks are frictionally engaged between the outer edge of the circular receptacles 13 and the inner edge of the lower portion of the side 5,8 and end 6,7 panels. The lower ends lla of the ribs 11 may also act to frictionally engage the nibs 9. This lower surface arrangement allows the lower panel 4 to frictionally engage one or more nibs of one or more adjoining blocks. It is not necessary for all eight nibs of one adjoining block to engage the entire lower

surface arrangement of the lower panel, which permits the blocks to be stacked in a staggered arrangement.

The container may be dimensioned to receive toy blocks from other sources already on the market and which a child may have in his or her possession. In that case, the ribs 11 also serve to provide a snug interference fit with another block placed within the container.

The lid 3 is hinged along one of its side edges to the upper edge of side panel 8 of the block 1 to allow access to the interior of the block. The lid also includes a lip 15 extending around three sides of its perimeter which overlap the upper edge of the side panel 5 and end panels 6,7.

Extending from the upper edges of the side panel 5 and the end panels 6,7 are turrets 31. These turrets 31 are separated by spaces 32. The inner surface of the lid 3 includes two inner rails 33 spaced apart from and extending parallel to the lip 15 and also extending back along parallel portions 34. The inner rails 33 are spaced apart from the lip 15 by ribs 35, which stabilize the lip 15. This spacing 15a creates an area between the lip 15 and each inner rail 33 for receiving the turrets 31 in frictional engagement when the lid 3 is closed. When the lid is in the closed position, the ribs 35 extend into the spaces 32 between the turrets 31.

Immediately behind the inner rails 33 and extending downwardly from the inner surface of the upper panel 3 are semicircular guides 36. The guides 36 extend downwardly past the inner rail 33 and lip 15 to help in the alignment of the turrets 31 with the space 15a and consequently smooth closure of the lid 3. Each turret 31 may also include a ridge 37 extending forwardly to increase the frictional engagement of the turrets 31 with the lip 15, as shown in Fig. 5.

Additionally, the lip 15 may include a series of ridges 25 in registry with the turrets 31 which engage the ridges 37 on the turrets 31 for ensuring a more secure closure.

The side panel 5 includes a semi-circular indentation 29 on its surface near its upper edge corresponding to the shape of a portion of a thumbprint. The upper edge of the indentation 29 is positioned at or near the upper edge of the side panel 5. This"thumbprint"indentation 29 is positioned towards one end of the panel 5. The indentation 29 allows a user to gain a purchase on the lip 15 of the lid 3 and easily open the lid. The hinge 19 is preferably a living hinge and is formed such that it does not interfere with the stacking of the containers, as is described below. The end edges of the hinge near the end panels 6,7 are preferably rounded as a safety feature against injury to a child. As well, the block has no sharp edges and the radius on all of the edges are designed for the block to be safe for use by children. The back corner inner edge 21 of the lip and the corresponding edge 23 of the end panel 6,7 are mitred to allow the hinged panel 3 to close tightly without interference (see Figures 1 and 6).

Figure 6 shows the container in its open position with the lid 3 extending outwardly at 180 degrees. This is the orintation in which the container is molded, which greatly simplifies the molding operation, because it results in the nibs 9 being formed in a vertically downward orientation within the mold. As a consequence, the mold sections can be separated simply by parting them in a vertical direction, without the necessity for cams or other complex arrangements in order to retract portions of the mold section or sections to clear the nibs 9 before the sections can be parted-which would be the case if the container were molded with the panel 3 extending upwardly at 90 degrees and the nibs 9 extending horizontally.

Figures 7a and 7b are details showing the hinge in cross- section in its open and closed positions, respectively. In the open position in which the hinge is molded, the web of

material is typically about. 015 inch in thickness T. The corner of the panel 3 is rounded with a radius R of about 0.031 inch. In its closed position, (i. e. 180 degrees from the molded orientation), the thickness T, decreases slightly to about 0.013 inch and the hinge radius R1 about 0.005 inch.

This is an especially desirable feature of the invention, since it enables the hinge to be flush with the panels 3 and 8 with no protruberances which would interfere with the stacking of the containers. The material from which the container is molded is selected to provide high torque strength (especially to the hinge) and impact resistance. A preferred combination is a dry-blended combination of commercially available high impact and clarified random polypropylene copolymers.

A further advantage of the hinge construction which allows the lid to be opened to an angle of 180 degrees is that further arrangements of interlocking containers can be realized. For example, referring to Figure 6, the nibs 9 can be engaged with the recesses of a second container, so that the second container is alongside the first container rather than above or beneath it. Of course, the living hinge allows the lid to swing open more than 180 degrees, the extent of opening being limited only by the nibs 9 contacting the panel 8 when the lid is fully open.

As described above, the inner surface of lip 15 preferably has a small ridge 25 extending inwardly along the length of the lip 15. This is shown more clearly in Figure 5.

The ridge also extends part way along the side portions of the lip 15 which meet the side panels 6,7. When the hinged panel 3 is in its closed position, this ridge 25 not only engages the ridge 37 on the turrets but also frictionally engages the upper edges of the side panels 6 and 7 to help maintain the hinged portion 3 in its closed position.

The block of the present invention is shown in the form

of preferred embodiments. However, various modifications may be made. For example, the block may incorporate fewer or more nibs and these may be arranged in a different manner.

The only limitation is that a surface of one of the panels would need to be altered accordingly to provide a complementary area to frictionally engage the nibs of adjoining blocks. Further, the nibs and the complementary area for engaging the nibs may be positioned on any panel of the block and any of the panels may be hinged.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims.