Patent Application
20220047959
The present patent application claims priority to Russian Patent Application Ser. No. 2020126939, filed Aug. 12, 2020 said application and its disclosures being incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
This invention relates to the field of educational toys, namely to constructor sets equipped with elements for producing sound.
A learning toy is known (CN209828274—EDUCATIONAL BUILDING BLOCK JOINTED BOARD TOY, filing date Apr. 11, 2019, publication number 209828274, publication date Dec. 24, 2019). This utility model contains H-shaped connectors and wood blocks, the bottom and all side faces of the block being provided with two mutually symmetrical insertion holes. Two mutually symmetrical inserted cylindrical protrusions are located on the upper surface of the block. Two symmetrical rectangular slots are formed on the two parallel side surfaces of the block. H-connector fastens a pair of adjacent wooden blocks located in the same horizontal plane.
A disadvantage of the utility model is that it is not possible to create toys in three mutually perpendicular planes by shifting the blocks.
A musical play kit is known (WO2001052959—MUSIC TOY KIT, international filing date 10 Aug. 2000, publication number WO/2001/052959, publication date 26 Jul 2001), containing a body and a set of building toy blocks, stored in it. The device is provided with connecting elements similar or compatible with elements of building toy blocks containing a set of keys corresponding to different notes, and each of the keys is provided with a means of identification and is connected to a sound generator built into the device body to produce a corresponding sound when the key on the lid of the block is pressed.
The disadvantage of the known solution is that it is not possible to create a constructor in three mutually perpendicular planes (in this solution, only in the form of a piano or a drum) because of the uniformity of the parts and the possibility of fixing only in one plane, the presence of a sound generator, as well as playback of a limited number of tunes.
A musical constructor is known (US20160030854 CONSTRUCTIVE MUSIC, filing date 22 Aug. 2014, publication number 20160030854, publication date 4 Feb. 2016), consisting of a set of base blocks provided with means for attaching to another similar base block. The base blocks are made of four walls and two covers. The base blocks are provided with means for mounting various musical instruments, including elements of a xylophone (musical instrument).
The disadvantages of this invention should include:
due to the uniformity of parts and the possibility of fixing only in one plane and the multiplicity of the interval of movement of the base block relative to each other, it is not possible to create designs of large musical models and, accordingly, the sounding of only short melodies;
to play a melody on this constructor requires a large number of base blocks at a smaller number of sounding plates of different sizes;
The assembled base blocks of the construction set are not held together securely;
a small range of parts of the constructor, which does not allow you to create the possibility of connecting them in different ways depending on the required task of building models and creating melodies, because the parts cannot be attached on all sides.
the design of the base blocks is made in such a way that they can be used for assembly only in the specified constructor.
The known technical solution is the closest to the claimed invention and is taken as a prototype.
The invention provides a compact musical construction set, with a wide range of parts of different configurations, providing the possibility of joining them in different manners depending on the task required—from simple products, consisting of a minimum number of parts, to three-dimensional structures, while ensuring a reliable holding of the assembled base blocks of the construction set together, including the construction of large models. Each resulting construction must contain a set of sounding bodies capable of playing back at least one melody. Besides, the constructor base blocks should have such a construction, which allows combining them with the base blocks of other commonly known constructors, such as Lego constructor base blocks.
The task set is solved by the fact that the music constructor is made in the form of an at least partially hollow three-dimensional structure comprising one or more base blocks having mutually perpendicular sides, the one or more base blocks being provided with varying types of connectors and protrusions for connecting various plates or connecting structures. The base block is made with the possibility of connecting via mating surfaces with mating elements of mating pieces by means of connecting means and fixing elements. On one of the longitudinal walls of the base block (e.g., the upper wall of the base block) along its longitudinal axis, an indentation is provided, in which connecting means are adjustably installed with the possibility of their movement within the indentation and thereby along the longitudinal axis of the base block. The connecting means allow for sounding bodies to be installed along the indentation, and fixing elements are provided to fix the sounding body to a given indentation. At least one of the longitudinal walls of the base block other than the wall with the indentation has at least one longitudinal groove along the entire length of this wall. An acoustic hole is made in the center of each transverse wall of the base blocks. Each connecting means is made in the form of a stud, the stud having a pair of cylindrical protrusions located equidistant from its axis in an upper portion of the stud, an axial hole, and a bottom portion having a tapered end for fixing the stud in the indentation of the base block.
In some aspects, on the longitudinal wall of the base block opposite the longitudinal wall having the indentation, there are two rectangularly shaped longitudinal grooves positioned symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the base block, for the entire length of that wall of the base block.
Alternatively, on the longitudinal wall of the base block opposite the indentation, there are two longitudinal connection slots located symmetrically about the longitudinal axis for the entire length of this wall, and on the other two longitudinal walls of the base block on their longitudinal axes there is one U-shaped longitudinal connection slots on each wall of the base block for the entire length of the base block wall.
Alternatively, on the longitudinal wall of the base block opposite the indentation, there are two longitudinal connecting slots symmetrically to the longitudinal axis for the entire length of the base block wall, and on the other two longitudinal walls of the base block symmetrically to the longitudinal axis there are two rectangular longitudinal connecting slots on each wall of the base block for the entire length of the base block wall.
The musical construction set may be additionally equipped with connecting D-shaped plates, of which the outer side walls comprise guides to create a spatial configuration of the constructor model for fitting U-shaped plates, which have matching inner grooves on inner portions of the U-shaped plate. Both D-shaped and U-shaped plates may also be positioned in connection with cylindrical protrusions located on either connecting means or the upper portions of U-shaped plates. Varying constructions of base blocks with D-shaped and/or U-shaped plates result in varying potential structures and sounds produced.
In some aspects, the sounding body is made in the form of a plate, in which there are holes for fastening.
In some aspects, the sounding body is made in the form of a hollow cylinder.
In some aspects, the fixing elements are made in the form of a T-shaped stud, the upper part of which comprises a pair of cylindrical protrusions located equidistant from the axis of the stud, and a lower part which is made with a taper to the base.
In some aspects, the fixing element for a sounding body comprising a plate is made in the form of a stud with a cylindrical protrusion in its upper part.
In some aspects, the fixing element for a sounding body in the form of a cylinder is a stud with a hollow cylinder placed in its upper part, the inner diameter of which corresponds to the outer diameter of the sounding body.
In some aspects, on one of the end-faces of the D-shaped plate, in its center, there is a projection of a rectangular section for connection with a mating opposite end of another D-shaped plate.
In some aspects, the musical constructor is further provided with a base plate having rectangular recesses for connecting base blocks onto the base plate.
In some aspects, the musical constructor is additionally equipped with a note duration marker, made in the form of a rod with a cylindrical head, on the front side of which is printed information about the duration of the note.
In some aspects, the musical constructor is additionally equipped with a duration marker made in the form of an oval plate with a circular hole, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the note duration marker rod, on the front side of which information about the duration of the interval between the notes is printed.
In some aspects, the musical constructor is additionally equipped with a magnetic board, made in the form of a metal staple, as well as magnetic letters, numbers, and a marker.
In some aspects, the musical constructor is additionally equipped with drumsticks made of plastic or wood with percussion spherical tips.
The present invention will now be discussed in further detail below with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific examples are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required in order to practice the present invention. The same techniques can easily be applied to other types of similar systems.
The present invention has the following essential distinguishing features:
On one of the longitudinal walls of the base block 1, e.g., an upper wall, along its longitudinal axis, an indentation (i.e., a slot) 3 is made in which connecting means 2 are mounted with a possibility of their movement (i.e., adjustably) within the indentation 3;
at least one longitudinal wall of the base block 1 other than the wall with the indentation 3 has at least one longitudinal groove 4 along the entire length of this wall;
in the center of each transverse wall of the base block 1, an acoustic hole 5 is provided;
each connecting means 2 is made in the form of a stud with an upper part 29, axis 30, and lower part 31, the upper part which comprises a paired cylindrical protrusion 27, wherein the two cylinders 28 making up the pair are positioned equidistant from the axis 30 of the stud, and on the axis 30 itself there is a hole 6, the lower part 31 of the stud comprising a shaft, the shaft being tapered for fixing the stud in an indentation 3.
the three-dimensional base blocks 1 are non-dismountable (i.e., solid) polyhedrons having varying configurations, the outer walls/surfaces of which further comprise side grooves (rectangular grooves 25 or L-shaped grooves 26), the side grooves providing a fastening location for connecting U-shaped or D-shaped plates;
additional connecting D-shaped plates 8, either on top/bottom of base blocks or on the lateral walls of the base block via a connection between the various grooves of the base block and a mating groove 32 on a bottom face of the D-shaped plate;
additional connecting U-shaped plates 10, which have inner grooves 11 on the inner parts of parallel walls, with single cylindrical protrusions 12 in the center of their upper surface, and with through holes 13 along the vertical axial line to fix U-shaped plates; and
fixing elements of varying types for attaching one or more sounding bodies to the base block, to produce varying melodies.
This combination of common and distinctive essential features provides a technical result unavailable in the prior art. It is this combination of essential features of the claimed musical constructor module, containing a set of these elements, which performs the following functional tasks to achieve the required technical result:
compactness is provided in the claimed invention by the fact that the number of placed sounding bodies does not depend on the number and size of base blocks;
reliable holding assembled base blocks of the constructor together, including for constructions of large models, due to the large assortment of parts of different configuration (base blocks with different numbers of grooves, U-shaped plates, and D-shaped plates);
to assemble different constructions by volume and to play long melodies on them, thanks to the execution of the connecting elements with the possibility to move in the base block aperture, which allows you to perform fixing on all sides of the construction set;
to transform one model into another, using repeatedly an unlimited number of times.
The present invention promotes creativity and imagination in consumers, allowing the user to create various musical constructions, such as a musical Christmas tree, and compose music with its own original sounds.
On the basis of the stated above it is possible to conclude, that the set of essential distinctive features of the claimed devices has a causal relationship with the achieved technical result. Therefore, the claimed devices are new, inventive, and usable.
The drawings use the following symbols. The base block 1 (
Optionally, as shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
The dimensions of the optional/additional side grooves of the base block are identical to the dimensions of the inner grooves 11 located on the inside of the parallel walls of U-shaped plates 10 and/or the varying cylindrical protrusions discussed herein.
The musical constructor, in one embodiment, thus comprises a set of base blocks 1, each base block 1 comprising a three-dimensional (3D) and at least partially hollow block, the constructor further comprising connecting means 2, each base block 1 further comprising an indentation 3, wherein one or more sounding bodies 7, either in the form of a plate (see
The module is built by connecting base blocks 1 using connecting means 2 and fixing elements 14, 15, or 16, and optionally further connecting D-shaped plates 8 (
The module is provided with fixing elements 14 (
The module may further be provided with secondary fixing elements 15 for fixing sounding bodies 7 in the form of a plate (
The base block 1 may additionally be equipped with a marker for the duration of a note, made in the form of a rod with a cylindrical head on the front side of which is printed information about the duration of the note (not shown in the Drawings).
The base block may additionally be equipped with a note duration marker, made in the form of an oval plate with a circular hole, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the note duration marker rod, on the front part of which information about the duration of the interval between the notes is provided (not shown in the Drawings).
The base block may additionally be equipped with a magnetic board, made in the form of a metal staple, as well as magnetic letters, numbers, and/or a marker (not shown in the Drawings).
The base block may additionally be equipped with drumsticks or other percussive rods, made of plastic or wood and comprising percussion spherical tips (not shown in the Drawings).
Such a performance of the musical constructor base blocks, provides the ability to connect different options, depending on the task required to build models. Thus, the relative simplicity of connecting the mating base blocks (
As an illustration of the assortment of parts assembly, examples of detailing of polyhedrons of different configurations of the set of base blocks of the constructor and its elements,
The proposed invention provides a technical result, which is the creation of a musical, compact constructor with a large range of parts of different configurations, providing a reliable retention of the assembled base blocks of the constructor together, including designs for large models. In the claimed invention, the number of placed sounding bodies does not depend on the number and size of base blocks, thus, an opportunity to create various musical constructions with different melodies is provided due to the use of different sized sounding bodies in the form of plates and cylinders.
The description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
Moreover, the words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020126939 | Aug 2020 | RU | national |
