Claims
- 1. A sectional toy figure having articulate limbs with detachable elements, the toy comprising:
- (a) a body having a joint-forming ball, and a limb attached to said ball, said limb including first and second connector elements;
- (b) said first connector element having first and second ends aligned along an axis, and having a ball socket on said first end and a post extending from said second end;
- (c) said ball socket being defined by a first pair of opposed, spaced-apart gripping arms and an end wall, said first pair of gripping arms each having an integral gripping pad with a partially-spherical recess sized and shaped to retain said ball, said ball being removably insertable in said ball socket, in a snap-fit assembly, and said first connector being easily detachable from said ball;
- (d) said post of said first connector element extending outwardly from said end wall of said ball socket, said post including a substantially cylindrical base portion, an annular groove portion and an end flange;
- (e) said second connector having a second pair of opposed integral, outwardly-extending and spaced-apart gripping arms and an end wall, forming an open-ended socket, outer portions of said second pair of gripping arms having partially cylindrical contours in center portions thereof and having inclined surfaces on either side thereof, an intermediate portion of said second pair of gripping arms having opposed, transversely-extending locking ribs, said second pair of gripping arms being sized and shaped to connect to said rod segment in a lateral, snap-fit assembly;
- (f) said partially cylindrical contours of said second pair of gripping arms closely receiving said substantially cylindrical base portion of said post to maintain said post in axial alignment with said second connector, and said locking ribs extending into said annular groove in said post to maintain said post in mechanical locking engagement against axial movement with respect to said second connector; and
- (g) said second pair of gripping arms substantially abutting said end wall of said ball socket of said first connector, and permitting substantially unrestrained rotation of said first connector about said axis thereof.
- 2. A sectional toy figure according to claim 1, wherein:
- (a) said second connector has first and second ends, said gripping arms of said second connector being located on said first end;
- (b) said second connector having a ball socket on said second end; and
- (c) said ball socket of said second connector comprising an opposed pair of gripping arms and an interior wall, and comprising a groove in said opposed arms and said interior wall.
- 3. A sectional toy figure as in claim 2, further comprising:
- (a) a third connector having first and second ends, and having a ball on said first end thereof engageable with said ball socket of said second connector, said ball of said third connector being easily detachable from said second connector;
- (b) said third connector having a pair of opposed gripping arms on said second end thereof; and
- (c) a rod releasably engageable with said gripping arms of said third connector.
- 4. A sectional toy figure as in claim 1, wherein:
- (a) said second connector has first and second ends, said gripping arms of said second connector being located on said first end;
- (b) said second connector having a ball on said second end; and
- (c) a third connector having a ball socket engageable with said ball of said second connector, said ball socket of said third connector being easily detachable from said ball of said second socket.
- 5. A sectional toy figure as in claim 4, wherein:
- (a) said third connector has first and second ends, said ball socket of said third connector being on said first end; and
- (b) said third connector has a pair of gripping arms located on said second end.
RELATED CASES
Certain aspects of the present invention incorporate subject matter of one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,061,219, 5,137,486, 5,199,919 and/or 5,350,331, owned by K'NEX Industries, Inc., Hatfield Pa., USA.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2748677 |
May 1979 |
DEX |
92169 |
Dec 1921 |
CHX |