Patent Application
20210060449
The figures depict various embodiments of the described methods and system and are for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the methods and systems illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the methods and systems described herein.
A construction block unit 2 of the construction block kit 1 has a first side wall 3. The first side wall 3 has an outer side 4, an inner side 5, a proximal edge 6; a tongue 7 extending from the inner side 5, a bottom edge 8, a distal edge 9 and a top edge 18. In one embodiment, the tongue 7 is positioned midway between the bottom edge 8 and the top edge 18 and faces inward. In another embodiment, the tongue 7 is positioned near the proximal edge 6. In one embodiment, the proximal end of the tongue is rounded. The advantage of this will become evident, infra.
The construction block unit has a second side wall 10, which similarly has its own outer side 11, an inner side 12, a proximal edge 13, a tongue 14 extending from the inner side 12, a bottom edge 15, a distal edge 16, and a top edge 19. As in all cases, the tongue 10 is positioned between the bottom edge 15 and the top edge 19.
There is also a distal wall, 20. The distal wall 20 contains an outer side 21, an inner side 22, a top edge 23, a bottom edge 24, a first side edge 25; and a second side edge 26. A double receiving clip 27 extends along part of the height of the inner side of the distal wall 20 which captures and releasably retains the tongue of the first side wall and the tongue of the second side wall of a second construction block unit when the second the construction block is rotated ninety degrees to releasably mate with the first construction block.
Specifically, in one embodiment, the double receiving clip 27 has an upper clip 28 and a lower clip 29. In one embodiment, the upper side clip 28 and the lower side clip 29 are bounded or formed by a first clip wall 30 and a second clip wall 31. In another embodiment, the distal edges 32, 33 of the first clip wall 30 and the second clip wall 31 are attached or integral with the inner side of the distal wall 20.
A cross wall or cross section 34 integrally positioned between the first clip wall 30 and the second clip wall 31 is positioned at the proximal end of the first clip wall 30 and the second clip wall 31.
In one embodiment, the cross wall 34 does not extend along the full height of the first clip wall 30 or the second clip wall 31 but instead the top and bottom ends 35, 36 of the cross wall 34 terminates before reaching the ends of the first and second clip walls 31, 32. In another embodiment, the ends or lips 35, 36 of the cross wall are inwardly but roundedly beveled. This allows the rounded tongue 7 to be easily pushed in when two block units are mated.
In yet another embodiment (shown in
In yet another embodiment of the disclosure and as shown in most of the figures, there are a first connecting corner wall 43 and a second connecting corner wall 44. The first connecting corner wall 43 is positioned between the first side wall 3 and the distal wall 20, with the proximal edge 44 of the first connecting wall 43 integrally formed with or attached to the distal edge 9 distal end first side wall 3, and the distal edge 45 of the first connecting wall 43 integrally formed with or attached to the first side edge 25 of the distal wall 20. Of course, the first connecting corner wall also has a top edge 46 and a bottom edge 47.
Similarly, the second connecting corner wall 44 is positioned between the second side wall 10 and the distal wall 20, with the proximal edge 49 of the second connecting corner wall 48 integrally formed with or attached to the distal edge 16 of the second side wall 10 and the distal edge 50 of the second connecting corner wall 48 integrally formed with or attached to the second side edge 26 of the distal wall 20. As with all of the walls, in one embodiment, the edges are beveled.
In another embodiment of the connecting corner walls the corners created by the edges of the connecting corner walls are rounded.
In another embodiment, the construction block unit 51 does not have connecting corner walls. Instead, the side walls 3, 10 are connected directly to the ends of the distal wall 20.
It should be noted that in one embodiment, the first side wall, the second side wall, and the distal wall are identical in shape and size.
In another embodiment, the side wall, the second side wall, and the distal wall, along with the connecting walls are beveled along the edges.
Referring to
In most of the pieces of the construction block kit 1, the pieces are combination pieces. In other words, in addition to the construction block unit 2 itself, there are a number of pieces where different construction block units 2 are combined in different ways.
In one embodiment (
In another embodiment, a first sidewall 62 of the first construction block unit 63 is affixed to distal wall 64 of the second construction block unit 65 (
It should be noted at this point that there are many ways that two sides of two or more blocks can be connected. They can be molded together, hot fused together, glued together, or put together by any other means known in the art.
There are many other combinations of pieces.
Referring to
In yet another embodiment, the distal wall 73 of the first the construction block unit 66 is integral with the distal wall 74 of the construction block unit 75.
In yet another embodiment, shown in
This spacer cube 76 is used to increase the number of connections of the construction block unit kit 2. In the embodiment of
In another embodiment, shown in
The blocks in any combination may be of any color and the only true limitations are those of a child's imagination. For instance, as shown in
In another embodiment, a wheel can be attached to whatever is being constructed.
A snap cap 412 fits over the wheel, the diameter of the cap 413 of which exceeds the width of the center 401 of the wheel such that the cap 413 holds the wheel in place. The distal end of the snap cap 412 comprises two walls 414, 415 each of which has a tongue 416, 417 extending inward. Positioned at the proximal end between the two walls 415, 416 is a double receiving clip 418.
The axle assembly 405 is fitted through the center 401 of the wheel 400. The snap cap 412 is then snapped on to the proximal end of the axle assembly, and the wheel 400 is held on the axle assembly 405.
In another embodiment, a rotary block unit 420 is used to rotate linear or other structures about a center point. The rotary block unit 420 contains a circular hollow ring 421 fitted to a construction block unit 422. In one embodiment, the circular hollow ring 421 is integral with the construction block unit 422.
In one proposed usage the axle assembly 405 of the axle block unit 403 the hollow ring 421 (See
While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
