Patent Application
20160074767
The present invention relates to the field of card-like toy blocks, bricks, structures and/or connectors for building.
It is a popular activity for individuals, particularly children, to use toy elements and/or structures for constructing and/or erecting houses and/or buildings and/or villages and/or any desired object. There are, therefore, a wide variety of toy building sets readily available ranging from simple stacking elements to complex connecting and/or interlocking parts. Such sets often comprise a plurality of pieces with connection means used to form toy buildings and/or other miniature structures.
Certain of these types of building sets employ card-like structures, including but not limited to cards and connector pieces, or flat structures with surface protrusions or holes or sheet elements with corresponding grooved coupling studs.
While toy building sets having cards or card-like or flat structures or sheet or panel elements and corresponding connector parts are readily available and may be found, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,761,609 B1; 2,883,764 A; 3,119,154 A; 2,204,319 A; 298,633 A; 2,131,349 A; 3,747,262 A; 5,215,490 A; 5,895,045 A; 5,015,149 A; 6,997,771 B1; 6,149,485 A; 6,443,798 B1; United States Application Numbers 2002/0090881 A1; 2003/0162374 A1; and 2007/0252332 A1; European Application Number 0761272 A2; and International Application Number WO 1997018875 A1; none of these references disclose the embodiments of the card-like structures and connectors disclosed herein.
Therefore, a toy building set with card-like structures for slotting into corresponding connector pieces provides a simple yet unique and entertaining option for fulfilling an individual's desire to construct buildings and/or objects. Additionally, the toy building set disclosed herein may be advantageously used in conjunction with existing Lego® or other similar building bricks.
All documents and references cited herein and in the referenced patent documents, are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present inventors have designed a toy building set with card-like structures for fitting and/or slotting into corresponding connector pieces providing a simple yet unique and entertaining option for fulfilling an individual's desire to construct miniature buildings and/or objects.
Disclosed herein is a set of card-like structure and connector toys for building; the set comprising: one or more card-like structures and one or more end cap connectors, wherein the one or more end cap connectors comprise one or more slots for inserting the card-like structures.
In another embodiment, the one or more slots are on the one or more end cap connectors in a configuration selected from the group consisting of bottom, top, side, sides, and a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, the one or more card-like structures are flat.
In another embodiment, the one or more end cap connectors comprise a connection pattern.
Also disclosed herein is a connector toy for building with card-like structures; wherein the connector toy is an end cap connector comprising one or more slots for inserting card-like structures.
In another embodiment, the one or more slots on the end cap connectors are in a configuration selected from the group consisting of bottom, top, side, sides, and a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, the end cap connector comprises a connection pattern.
Also disclosed herein is a kit of connector toys for building with card-like structures; the kit comprising one or more end cap connectors comprising one or more slots for inserting card-like structures.
In another embodiment, the one or more slots on the one or more end cap connectors are in a configuration selected from the group consisting of bottom, top, side, sides, and a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, the one or more end cap connectors comprise a connection pattern.
In another embodiment, the kit comprises card-like structures.
In other embodiments, the set of card-like structure and connector toys in the preceding paragraphs may additionally comprise Lego® building bricks and/or other similar building bricks.
In other embodiments, the set of card-like structure and connector toys in the preceding paragraphs may additionally comprise one or more character figures, one or more designs and/or graphics, and/or one or more character figures corresponding to a design or graphic on the one or more card-like structures and/or end cap connectors.
In other embodiment, the set of card-like structure and connector toys in the preceding paragraphs may incorporate any of the preceding or subsequently disclosed embodiments.
In other embodiments, the connector toy or connector toys in the preceding paragraphs may additionally incorporate any of the preceding or subsequently disclosed embodiments.
The Summary of the Invention is not intended to define the claims nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following Drawings, Detailed Description, and the Claims.
The present invention is illustrated in the drawings and description in which like elements are assigned the same reference numerals. However, while particular embodiments are illustrated in the drawings, there is no intention to limit the present invention to the specific embodiment or embodiments disclosed. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, the drawings are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this technology belongs.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are depicted in
The card-like structures and end cap connectors disclosed herein provide a unique yet simple means for building miniature objects in both horizontal and vertical configurations.
For the purposes of the present invention, the terminology “corresponds to” means that there is a functional and/or mechanical relationship between objects which correspond to each other. For example, the card-like structures and end cap connectors disclosed herein correspond to each other or mechanically connect with each other when the card-like structure is inserted into the slot or elongated groove on the end cap connector designed to accommodate an end or edge of the card-like structure.
For the purposes of the present invention, the terminology “card-like” means a geometrically shaped sheet or panel such as, without limitation, in the shape of a square or rectangle. The terminology “card-like structure” may be used interchangeably with the terms “card” or “plate” or “plate-like structure” or “sheet” or “sheet-like” or “panel”. In certain embodiments, card-like structures will have a flat surface or surfaces or face or faces and will be in a corresponding thickness to fit into a slot or elongated groove of an end cap connector designed for receiving the card-like structure. In an embodiment of the card-like structures disclosed herein, the card-like structures are made of 20 point card stock. As is well established knowledge in the art of paper products, a point is equal to 0.001 inches and is used to indicate a thickness of the paper. In general, the higher the point, the thicker and therefore firmer the paper product.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “slot” may be interchangeable with the terms “slit” or “groove”. In certain embodiments, the card slot is an elongated groove which corresponds to an end or edge of the card-like structure. In one embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, a card-like structure such as a 20 point card stock or the like fits snuggly into a corresponding card slot.
The 10 card-like structures can be inserted into corresponding 24, 26, and/or 28 slots of the 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connectors. The 24, 26, and/or 28 card slots correspond in dimension and/or length to the dimension and/or length of the 10 card-like structure. The 10 card-like structures fit snugly into the corresponding 24, 26, and/or 28 card slots. The frictional force resulting from placement of the 10 card-like structure into a corresponding 24, 26, and/or 28 card slot of an 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector provides stabilized positioning of the building set components for constructing objects.
The 10 card-like structures and/or 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connectors may be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. In one embodiment, the card slots have a depth of about 2.8 millimeters. In another embodiment, 24, 26, and/or 28 card slots are about 2.52 inches wide, the 10 card-like structures are about 2.5 inches wide so that there is about 0.2 inches of clearance to fit a 10 card-like structure into a corresponding 24, 26, and/or 28 card slot. In another embodiment, 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector width (not including the protruding nodes or concentric connection pattern) is about 2.8125 inches. In another embodiment, the 24, 26, and/or 28 card slots on the 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connectors have a depth of about 3/16 inches. In another embodiment, 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connectors are provided in a square shape and measure about 3 inches by 3 inches. In another embodiment, the width of an 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector is about ¼ of an inch. In another embodiment, the length of a 24, 26, and/or 28 card slot on the 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector is about 2 and 9/16 inches and the distance between one 24, 26, and/or 28 card slot to its opposite 24, 26, and/or 28 card slot on the 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector is about 2 and ½ inches. In another embodiment, the width of an 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connector is about ½ of an inch. In another embodiment, the 10 card-like structures are provided in a rectangular or square shape and have ends or edges which correspond to the 24, 26, and/or 28 card slots on the 12 and 14 and/or 16 end cap connectors in dimension and/or length and/or width.
The 10 card-like structures and/or 12 and 14 and/or 16 connectors may comprise graphics, designs, and/or accompanying character figures. Such character figures may correspond to the provided graphics and/or designs. Graphics, designs and/or characters may include any desired graphic, design, or character whether already known or newly created. Many graphics, designs, and/or characters are well known and may include and/or be inspired from, without limitation, anime, Disney animations, Pixar animations, sports teams, brand names and/or combinations thereof.
The 10 card-like structures and/or 12 and 14 and/or 16 connectors are made of materials well known and readily available to the toy-making industry. Materials may range from a wide variety of available materials such as, without limitation, plastics, laminates, molded plastics, pasteboard or layered pasteboard, paperboard, cardstock, cover stock board stock, paper substrate, foil board, Sintra® PVC foam board, acrylonitrile-butadien-styrene-copolymer (ABS), phlalate-free polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), and/or combinations thereof.
The 10 card-like structures and/or 12 and 14 and/or 16 connectors disclosed herein may additionally incorporate Lego® bricks or other similar compatible building bricks for use in conjunction therewith.
The 10 card-like structures and/or 12 and 14 and/or 16 connectors of the present invention may incorporate reasonable design parameters, features, modifications, advantages, and variations that are readily apparent to those skilled in the art in the field of toy building sets.
Without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, reasonable features, modifications, advantages, and design variations of the claimed invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art by following the guidelines set forth in the preceding detailed description and embodiments.
