Background of the Invention Toy vehicle playsets are well known in the art and have assumed substantial long term popularity among generations of consumers. In addition to the basic toy vehicle which may be powered or unpowered, present day playsets often provide a continuous looped trackway in which other activities such as jumps or inverting loops are provided. In such trackways, it is not uncommon to also provide some form of launcher or vehicle booster to add velocity to the toy vehicle.

Other playsets use multiply tiered structures which replicate structures such as parking garages, car washes, and repair garages. The fabrication of such structures varies substantially as practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide different appearances and function. However, all generally include a support structure having a base and a plurality of tiers and ramps connecting each tier, all of which is supported by the support structure.

Another variant of such toy vehicle playsets utilizes structures similar to the above-mentioned parking garages, car washes, and repair garages further enhanced by one or more lifting devices such as simulated elevators. In such toy vehicle playsets, the plurality of tiers are commonly coupled to a lift or elevator which is of sufficient size to accommodate a toy vehicle. In most of such toy vehicle playsets, the lifting devices and elevators are unpowered and are moved using a crank mechanism or a sliding lever.

U. S. Patent 3,653,146 issued to Goldfarb sets forth a MODULAR TOY which can be used to form parking garages, service stations, and the like for play with toy vehicles. The toy comprises a plurality of flat solid panels, each having a top support surface and a plurality of apertures formed therethrough about its periphery. A plurality of separate columns may be used by insertion into the apertures to support the panels above a base surface and above each other in a stacked relationship. Each layer includes one or more downwardly inclined ramps.

U. S. Patent 2,817,914 issued to Schrader sets forth a MULTI-STORIED BUILDING TOY having a generally cylindrical building forming a plurality of stories and having a hand operated lift at the center core thereof.

U. S. Patent 3,106,038 issued to Patton, Jr. sets forth a TOY PARKING DEVICE having an endless belt supporting a plurality of pivotally hanging car receptacles. As the belt moves under the force of a drive motor, a"ferris wheel like"action is provided.

U. S. Patent issued to Tomiyama sets forth a TOY PARKING GARAGE having an electrically operated rotatable parking tower of multi stage structure and an elevator system supported within a housing and including a vertically movable elevator.

U. S. Patent 3,789,538 issued to Spengler et al sets forth an ELEVATOR FOR TOY PARKING GARAGE which includes a vertically movable car guided in a shaft and an endless drive means for moving the car up and down in the shaft. The endless drive means is powered by a hand crank.

U. S. Patent 3,281,985 issued to Einfalt sets forth a TOY VEHICLE TRACK ELEVATING DEVICE having a base supporting a toy vehicle track and an elevator coupled to one end of the track for changing the inclination thereof.

U. S. Patent 3,457,668 issued to Genin sets forth a TOY PARKING GARAGE having a movable slide and elevator combination for moving into alignment with a selected one of toy vehicle housing cells to place toy vehicles into or remove toy vehicles from a selected cell.

U. S. Patent 3,483,653 issued to Genin sets forth a MULTILEVEL TOY PARKING GARAGE having two vehicle supporting towers extending upwardly on either side of an elevator, allowing a common elevator to service both towers.

U. S. Patent 3,593,454 issued to Einfalt sets forth a TOY PARKING GARAGE having a support base, a parking tower, and an elevator for toy vehicles.

U. S. Patent 3,949,516 issued to Gronert and U. S.

Patent DES. 256,811 issued to Crawford as well as U. S.

Patent DES. 269,360 issued to Ng and U. S. Patent DES.

366,290 show various aesthetic themes for toy vehicle playset structures.

French Patent 1,181,914 issued to Depreux sets forth a GARAGE FOR TOY VEHICLES while French Patent 1,168,822 issued to Desquirol sets forth an ELEVATOR LIFT SYSTEM FOR A TOY VEHICLE STRUCTURE.

While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art, and in some instances been commercially successful, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore versatile and interesting toy vehicle playset structures.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved toy vehicle playset. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved toy vehicle playset which facilitates reconfiguring of the playset in a dramatic fashion using a relatively simple configuration mechanism.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toy vehicle playset comprising: a plurality of modules each having one or more generally planar tiers supported by a support column segment therebetween, and cooperating snap-fit attachment means for providing snap-fit attachment between a support column segment of one module to a support column segment of another module, the modules being assembled in an interchangeable stack in which the

support column segments of the modules form a vertical support column.

Brief Description of the Drawings The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in which: Figure 1 sets forth a perspective view of a toy vehicle playset fabricated in accordance with the present invention in a first configuration; Figure 2 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the separate and interlockable modules of the present invention toy vehicle playsets; and Figure 3 sets forth a side elevation view of the present invention toy vehicle playset having the upper two modules interchanged and interlocked to form a different configuration from that seen in Figure 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Figure 1 sets forth a toy vehicle playset constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral 10. In accordance with the present invention, playset 10 is fabricated of a plurality of stackable interlocking and interchangeable modules 11,12, and 13. In further accordance with the present invention and by way of overview, modules 12 and 13 may be interchanged or

alternatively additional similarly fabricated modules may be used in place of modules 12 or 13 as seen in Figure 3 in which a new module 14 replaces module 12 and in which module 13 is directly coupled to module 11. In other words, the present invention playset utilizes a plurality of modules which are vertically stacked and which interlock in an interchanging attachment to add flexibility to the structure by producing multiple configurations.

More specifically, module 11 forms a base module having a base tier 20 which rests upon the play surface together with a pair of raised spaced apart tiers 21 and 22. Tiers 21 and 22 are supported within module 11 by a pair of support column segments 30 and 31. In further accordance with the present invention, the uppermost support column segment within each module includes a socket and groove for interlocking to the next higher module. In the case of module 11, support column segment 31 defines a socket 50 having a groove 51 formed therein. A ramp 40 extends downwardly from tier 22 to base tier 20.

Module 12, which is assembled to module 11 for purposes of illustration in Figure 2, includes a tier 23 supporting a downwardly extending support column segment 32. Support column segment 32 includes a snap-ring 62 which encircles a substantial portion of support column segment 32 together with a snap-tab 63 which completes the attachment apparatus of module 12.

Module 12 includes a tier 23 supporting a support column segment 33 which in turn supports a tier 24.

Module 12 further includes a ramp 42 and a ramp 41 providing connection to tiers 24 and 23. In addition, module 12 includes a vertically movable elevator 45 for moving toy vehicles between tiers 24 and 23. In

accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, module 12 further includes a socket 52 having a groove 53 formed therein.

Module 13 includes a downwardly extending support column segment 34 having a snap-ring 65 and a snap-tab 66. Support column segment 34 supports a tier 25 having a vertically extending support column segment 35 supported thereon. Module 13 further includes a tier 26 supported by support column segment 35. In further accordance with the present invention, module 13 includes a socket 54 having a groove 55 formed therein.

In operation, module 11 is typically used as the base module resting upon the play surface. In accordance with the invention, module 11 having socket 50 defining groove 51 is configured to receive the lower end of support column segment 32 of module 12 in a snap-fit attachment in which snap-ring 62 and snap- tab 63 cooperate with groove 51 in socket 50 to releasably secure module 12 to module 11 in the configuration shown in Figure 1. This assembly is accomplished by simply aligning support column segment 32 with socket 50 and pressing module 12 downwardly in the manner indicated by arrow 60. Once support column 32 snap-fits to socket 50, it will resist separating forces unless tab 63 is pressed inwardly allowing the release of snap-ring 62. However, for play purposes, the snap-fit attachment of support column segment 32 within socket 50 is intended to be sufficiently strong to make separation occur solely in response to efforts which are deliberate rather than accidental.

The combination shown in Figure 1 is completed by assembling module 13 to module 12. In this assembly,

support column segment 34 is aligned with socket 52 of module 12 such that snap-ring 65 and snap-tab 66 are forced into socket 52 and snap-fit within groove 53.

This assembly is accomplished in a similar fashion to that described above in that support column segment 34 is aligned with socket 52 and module 13 is pressed downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow 61.

In further accordance with the present invention, the stacked modules include both plural tiers and plural ramps for interconnecting the tiers in the resulting structure. The result of this assembly places playset 10 in the configuration shown in Figure 1. It will be noted that each module, with the exception of module 11 which forms a base module, is configured with both male and female connection to facilitate attachment to any other module. In further accordance with the present invention, each module is fabricated to be cooperative with and to work properly with the remaining modules thereby allowing a variety of playsets to be assembled by different combinations and arrangements of modules.

Figure 3 sets forth a side elevation view of an alternate configuration of the present invention toy vehicle playset generally referenced by numeral 80.

By way of overview, Figure 3 shows important advantages of the present invention toy vehicle playset in that module 11 is retained from the structure of Figures 1 and 2 as the base module while the modules stacked thereon are changed to provide a new configuration for playset 80. More specifically, module 11 rests upon a play surface (not shown) and includes a pair of tiers 21 and 22 connected by a pair of support column segments 30 and 31. A plurality of

ramps such as ramps 46 and 48 provide toy vehicle connection between tiers 20,21, and 22 of module 11.

In further accordance with the present invention, module 13 is coupled directly to module 11 to show the interchangeable stacking advantages of the present invention. As described above, module 11 defines a socket 50 and a groove 51 while module 13 defines a support column segment 34 having a snap-ring 65 and a snap-tab 66. In the arrangement of Figure 3, this coupling takes place as support column segment 34 is pressed downwardly into socket 50 to engage groove 51 (seen in Figure 2). Thus module 13 rests directly upon module 11 and includes tiers 25 and 26. Tier 25 is supported by support column segment 34 while tier 26 is supported by support column segment 35.

In further accordance with the flexibility of the present invention, toy vehicle playset 80 further includes a new module 14 which is fabricated in general accordance to modules 12 and 13 seen in Figure 1 in that it utilizes a support column segment 36 which is substantially identical to support column segment 34 and which is configured in accordance with the structure of support column segment 34 to be received within socket 54 and groove 55 of module 13 (seen in Figure 2) in a snap-fit attachment which secures module 14 upon module 13. Module 14 includes a tier 27 supported by support column segment 36 and an elevator 47. Tier 27 of module 14 further supports a support column segment 37 which in turn defines a socket 56 having a groove 57 formed therein. In accordance with the present invention, the fabrication of module 14, so as to have both an engaging lower support column segment and a socket for receiving a

similar support column segment from above, allows modules such as module 14 to be interchangeably placed within the vertical array supported by module 11.

Thus in accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, a variety of modules may be vertically configured in a stacked array which may be interchanged and which may accommodate new and different models by simply providing the cooperating attachment structures and sockets within each module.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that while modules having two or three tiers are used as typical modules in the above description of the invention, the number of tiers within a given module may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What has been shown is a toy vehicle playset formed of a plurality of interchangeable interlocking vertically stacked modules each having plural tiers and each having connecting ramps between their respective tiers which may be assembled in a variety of arrangements to provide a corresponding variety of playset configuration. The modules within each playset include a plurality of modules, each having connecting apparatus for securing the module to a lower module and socket apparatus for receiving connection to a higher module in the stacked array.

The entire playset may readily be fabricated of molded plastic material and is compatible with high volume mass production.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and

modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.