A method for assisting a building block toy to emit light

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for assisting building block toys in emitting light. The method involves setting mounting components corresponding to the specifications of the building block pieces at the desired lighting positions, which can be fitted onto the protrusions of those pieces. Connecting components are provided based on the positional relationship between the building block pieces at the desired lighting positions. During assembly, the mounting components are installed on the corresponding building block pieces. The mounting components and connecting components combine to form a flexible circuit board with a width no greater than the width of the building block piece. The mounting components have mounting through holes that match the protrusions of the building block pieces. At least one LED light is provided on the mounting components, and at least one electrical connection interface is provided on at least one mounting component. This invention enables building block toys to emit light without altering the structure of the building block pieces themselves, meeting the need for adding light-emitting structures to existing building block pieces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of building block toys, and in particular to a method for assisting building block toys in emitting light. Background Technology

[0002] Building blocks are toys that develop intelligence and improve manual dexterity. LEGO bricks are currently the most widely used building block toys, and their bricks are all of standard size. In pursuit of novel experiences, people have considered adding lighting to existing building block toys, giving them a light-up function. However, since existing LEGO bricks are of standard size, modifying the structure of the bricks themselves to achieve light emission is clearly unsuitable for these standard bricks. Therefore, people have adopted the method of installing LED lights in different locations within the interior of the building block toy, and then connecting these LED lights with wires. This method requires space within the building block toy to install the LED lights and wires. Furthermore, installing LED lights within the interior requires either adhesive bonding (which is not secure enough and easily detaches) or breaking the inner walls of the bricks to create the mounting structure. Additionally, this method is not suitable for solid building block toys. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing methods, this invention provides a method for assisting building block toys in emitting light.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a method for assisting building block toys in emitting light, comprising: setting an mounting component corresponding to the specifications of the building block piece at the position where the light is to be emitted and capable of being fitted onto the protrusion of the building block piece; setting a connector for connecting the mounting component according to the positional relationship between the building block pieces at the position where the light is to be emitted; during assembly, installing the mounting component onto the corresponding building block piece; the mounting component and the connector are combined to form a flexible circuit board with a width not greater than the width of the building block piece; the mounting component is provided with mounting through holes that can match and fit onto the protrusion of the building block piece; the number of mounting through holes is... The number of protrusions on the building block particles is the same; the mounting component is provided with at least one LED light and at least one electrical connection interface; the mounting component and the connector are integrally formed, or the mounting component and the connector are formed by splicing two flexible FPC boards through the form of particle protrusions and grooves, and both flexible FPC boards involved in the splicing have positive and negative electrode plates. When the two flexible FPC boards are spliced, the two sets of positive and negative electrode plates are pressed and connected to make the mounting component and the connector electrically connected; the LED light is provided on the mounting component and / or on the first extension extending from the edge of the mounting component.

[0005] Preferably, when the light-up positions of the building block toy are arranged on the same layer, the mounting pieces are spaced apart and / or without spacing, and the length of the mounting pieces matches the length of the building block pieces at the desired light-up position or the sum of the lengths of the building block pieces at the desired light-up position.

[0006] Preferably, when the light positions of the building block toy are arranged side-by-side in the same layer and row, the connector is positioned between the outer wall of the protrusion of the building block and the edge of the top surface of the building block, or passes through the gap between two adjacent protrusions on the building block; when the light positions of the building block toy are spaced apart in the same layer and arranged at a certain angle and not parallel, the connector is provided with a bending angle of the same angle at the corresponding position; when the light positions of the building block toy are spaced apart and parallel in the same layer, the connector is connected to the mounting piece in a manner perpendicular to the mounting piece.

[0007] Preferably, when the light positions of the building block toy are set in different layers, the mounting parts are spaced apart and the length of the mounting parts matches the length of the building block pieces at the light positions on the building block toy; the connecting parts are set at a certain angle to the mounting parts.

[0008] Preferably, the thickness of the flexible circuit board is no more than 0.3 mm.

[0009] Preferably, the flexible circuit board is also provided with creases for bending.

[0010] Preferably, the electrical connection interface is disposed on a second extension extending from the edge of the mounting component.

[0011] Preferably, the width of the connector is smaller than the width of the mounting component.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting element is a mounting element with one or more structures selected from strip, circle or arc.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention uses a method of mounting the mounting parts by fitting them onto the protrusions of the building block pieces. This does not damage or require damage to the existing structure of the building block pieces. The connectors combined with the mounting parts can be placed in the gaps between adjacent building block pieces. The combination of the mounting parts and the connectors forms a flexible circuit board, which means that in building block toys, they can be bent and installed according to the desired lighting position. The installation is convenient and does not affect the stability of the structure of the building block toy after assembly. The structure after the light-emitting device is installed is also more stable. It can also be applied to the existing structure of building block toys, whether hollow or solid, thus having a wider range of applications. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first light-emitting device produced according to the method of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of light-emitting device produced according to the method of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a third type of light-emitting device produced according to the method of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the unconnected state of the fourth type of light-emitting device produced according to the method of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection state of the fourth type of light-emitting device generated according to the method of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the unconnected state of the fifth type of light-emitting device produced according to the method of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection state of the fifth type of light-emitting device generated according to the method of the present invention;

[0021] The component names and serial numbers in the figure are as follows: 1-mounting part, 2-connector, 3-LED light, 4-electrical connection interface, 5-crease, 10-mounting through hole, 11-first extension, 12-second extension, 13-positive electrode, 14-negative electrode, 15-flexible FPC board. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is clear and complete that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0023] Examples of embodiments of the present invention Figures 1 to 7As shown, a method for assisting a building block toy in emitting light involves setting up mounting pieces 1 corresponding to the specifications of the building block pieces at the positions where lights are to be emitted, and which can be fitted onto the protrusions of the building block pieces. In other words, on a building block toy (a toy assembled from building blocks), the protrusions of the building block pieces are the small cylindrical protrusions on top of the building block pieces. The number of mounting pieces 1 corresponds to the number of positions where lights are to be emitted. Furthermore, the mounting pieces 1 can be fitted onto the protrusions of the building block pieces; that is, the mounting pieces 1 have mounting through holes 10 that match the protrusions of the building block pieces. The diameter of the mounting through holes 10 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the protrusions of the building block pieces. The protrusions of the building block pieces pass through the mounting through holes 10, and the mounting pieces 1 are then positioned accordingly. The mounting holes 10 are fitted onto the protrusions of the building block pieces. Simultaneously, the length and width of the building block piece at the location where the light is to be emitted are determined by the dimensions of the mounting component 1, which is equivalent to the size of that building block piece. The number of mounting holes 10 on the mounting component 1 corresponds to the number of protrusions on the building block piece. Since standard building blocks are strip-shaped, round, or arc-shaped, the mounting component 1 is selected based on the shape of the building block piece to be installed, choosing one or more of the following: strip (long strip or square), round, or arc-shaped. Connecting components 2 are provided to connect the mounting components 1 according to the positional relationship between the building blocks at the locations where the light is to be emitted. These connecting components 2 are used to connect mounting components 1 on the same layer or different layers. The length of connector 2 is determined by the distance between the two mounting pieces 1 to be connected. When the building block toy is solid, connector 2 can be placed in the gap between the building blocks. When the building block toy is hollow, connector 2 can be bent to fit into the cavity of the building block toy, or it can be placed in the gap between the building blocks. Multiple placement methods are provided to meet different usage needs. During assembly, mounting pieces 1 are installed on the corresponding building blocks. Connector 2 is installed in the gap between adjacent building blocks, in the cavity of a hollow building block toy, between the outer wall of a protrusion on the building block and the edge of the top surface of the building block, or between two adjacent protrusions on the building block, depending on the situation. The gap passes through without altering the structure of the building blocks, and it is also suitable for solid building block toys. The mounting part 1 and the connector 2 combine to form a flexible circuit board with a width no greater than the width of the building block. Using the flexible circuit board, the connector 2 can be bent to change its direction when assembling the building blocks, thereby achieving the connection of mounting part 1 in different directions. For example, if the position where the light needs to be lit on the building block toy is a 1x4 LEGO brick, since a basic unit of LEGO is a 1x1 brick with dimensions of 8*8*9.6mm, the length, width, and height of the brick are 8mm, 8mm, and 9.6mm respectively. For a 1x4 brick, the length, width, and height are 32mm, 8mm, and 9.6mm respectively.The width of mounting part 1 is set to no more than 8mm, so that it will not protrude from the assembled building block toy when installed on the building block pieces, thus not affecting the appearance of the assembled building block toy. The length of mounting part 1 is set according to the length of the building block piece at the position where the light is to be lit. To facilitate bending, creases 5 are provided on the flexible circuit board for bending. Creases 5 also serve as a reminder that the flexible circuit board needs to be bent during installation to avoid installation errors. Creases 5 are set at the connection between connector 2 and mounting part 1. When the first extension 11 and the second extension 12 extend from the mounting part 1, the first extension 11 and the second extension 12 are connected to the mounting part 1. A crease 5 can also be provided at the connection point, allowing the LED light 3 on the first extension 11 and the electrical connection interface 4 on the second extension 12 to be bent in the desired direction. The width of the connector 2 is smaller than the width of the mounting piece 1, facilitating the installation of the connector 1 on the building block toy. At least one LED light 3 is provided on the mounting piece 1, and at least one electrical connection interface 4 is provided on at least one mounting piece 1. That is, LED lights 3 are provided on the mounting piece 1, and the same or different LED lights can be selected according to usage requirements. When there are multiple lighting positions on the building block toy, there are multiple mounting pieces 1. In this case, an electrical connection interface 4 is provided on at least one mounting piece 1 to connect to an external power supply or to other light-emitting devices.

[0024] Further improvements include: when the light-up positions of the building block toys are arranged on the same layer, the mounting parts 1 are spaced apart and / or without gaps, and the length of the mounting part 1 matches the length of the building block at the desired light-up position or the sum of the lengths of the building block at the desired light-up position. That is, when the light-up positions of the building block toys are two adjacent building blocks on the same layer, the mounting parts 1 are placed close together without gaps. When the two building blocks are arranged side-by-side along their length, the mounting part 1 can be set as one with a length equal to the sum of the lengths of the two building blocks. Alternatively, two mounting parts 1 can be set, with each mounting part 1 corresponding to one of the two building blocks, and the length of each mounting part 1 being equal to the length of its corresponding building block. However, when the light-up positions of the building block toys are located at... When two building blocks are on the same layer, perpendicular, and adjacent to each other, the length of mounting piece 1 is equivalent to the length of its corresponding building block. For example, if the light-up position is on a 1x8 block and a 1x3 block that are perpendicularly joined together on the same layer, then the length of one mounting piece 1 is equivalent to the length of the 1x8 block, and the length of the other mounting piece 1 is equivalent to the length of the 1x3 block. The two mounting pieces 1 are adjacent and perpendicular to each other. When the light-up position of the building block toy is on building blocks that are spaced apart on the same layer, the mounting pieces 1 are also spaced apart. Adjacent mounting pieces 1 are connected by a connector 2, and the length of the mounting piece 1 is equivalent to the length of its corresponding building block. The length of the connector 2 is equivalent to the distance between the light-up positions. When the light-up positions of the building block toy are on different layers, the length of the mounting piece 1 matches the length of the building block at the desired light-up position.

[0025] Further improvements include: when the light-up positions of the building block toys are arranged side-by-side in the same layer and row with intervals, this means that there is also a certain distance between the mounting parts 1. The connecting parts 2 are then designed as long strips, positioned between the outer wall of the protrusion of the building block and the edge of the top surface of the building block, or passing through the gap between two adjacent protrusions on the building block. When the light-up positions of the building block toys are spaced apart in the same layer and arranged at a certain angle without being parallel, this angle can be obtuse, right, or acute. The connecting parts 2 are provided with a bend angle at the corresponding position, the angle of which is different from the light-up position. The angles of the two parts are the same, which means that the connector 2 is a V-shaped structure, and its apex angle is the bending angle. The two ends of the connector 2 are connected to the ends of the building blocks at the positions where the lights are to be lit on the building block toy. When the bending angle is 90 degrees, the connector 2 becomes an L-shaped structure. When the lighting positions of the building block toy are spaced apart and parallel to each other on the same layer, the connector 2 is connected to the mounting part 1 in a way that is perpendicular to the mounting part 1. That is to say, the mounting part 1 corresponding to the lighting position is also parallel to it. The connector 2 is connected to the mounting part 1 at the end or middle in a way that is perpendicular to the mounting part 1.

[0026] Further improvements include setting the light positions on different layers of the building block toy, with mounting pieces 1 spaced apart and their lengths matching the length of the building block pieces at the desired light positions; and connecting pieces 2 positioned at a certain angle to mounting pieces 1. For example, if the light positions are a 1x8 block on the lower layer and a 1x3 block on the upper layer, the length of mounting piece 1 corresponding to the lower layer is roughly equivalent to the length of the 1x8 block, and the length of mounting piece 1 corresponding to the upper layer is roughly equivalent to the length of the 1x3 block. After installing the lower layer mounting piece 1 onto the lower layer building block piece, the connecting piece 2 is bent upwards to the height of the upper layer building block piece. Then, the upper layer mounting piece 1 is bent upwards onto the upper layer building block piece and fitted onto its protrusion. If the upper layer building block piece is directly above the lower layer building block piece, then the connecting piece 2 is positioned perpendicular to the upper layer mounting piece 1. The upper layer of building blocks is set up in the same way as the lower layer of mounting parts 1. If the upper layer of building blocks is diagonally above the lower layer of building blocks, the connector 2 is set at an angle, that is, at a certain angle with the mounting parts 1. The angle is the angle by which the upper layer of building blocks deviates from the lower layer of building blocks. If the assembled building block toy is hollow, the connector 2 can be placed in the cavity, and the mounting parts 1 are bent relative to the connector 2 and fitted onto the protrusions of the building blocks. If the assembled building block toy is solid, the connector 2 extends from bottom to top from the gap between two adjacent building blocks in the same layer.

[0027] Further modifications are made so that the thickness of the flexible circuit board is no greater than 0.3mm, meaning that the thickness of mounting part 1 and connector 2 is no greater than 0.3mm, preferably less than 0.2mm. This will not affect the assembly between the building blocks or the stability of the assembled structure.

[0028] Further improvements, such as Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the LED light 3 is disposed on the mounting member 1 and / or disposed on the first extension 11 extending from the edge of the mounting member 1. That is, one way is to place the LED light 3 on the edge of the mounting member 1, another way is to place it between two adjacent mounting through holes 10 on the mounting member 1, and a third way is to extend the first extension 11 from the edge of the mounting member 1 and then place the LED light 3 on the first extension 11. One or more of the three methods can be selected as appropriate.

[0029] Further improvements, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the electrical connection interface 4 is provided on the second extension 12 extending from the edge of the mounting member 1. The second extension 12 extends from the mounting member 1, and after the mounting member 1 is installed on the building block, the second extension 12 can be exposed to facilitate connection with an external power supply or with other light-emitting devices.

[0030] Figures 1-3 The image shows a configuration where mounting component 1 and connector 2 are integrally molded.

[0031] The following describes the case where the mounting parts and connectors are formed by splicing two flexible FPC boards 15 together with granular bumps and grooves. It should be noted that the granular bumps and grooves can be implemented by setting granular bumps and grooves on the two flexible FPC boards 15 respectively, or by setting through holes on both flexible FPC boards 15, and the detachable pressing is completed by the pressing force of the two external building blocks.

[0032] like Figures 4-7 As shown, both flexible FPC boards 15 involved in the splicing have positive electrode plates 13 and negative electrode plates 14. Simultaneously, the two sets of positive electrode plates 13 and negative electrode plates 14 are pressed together to conduct electricity, thus electrically connecting the mounting component 1 and the connector 2. Connections between different blocks are made and energized through the pressing of the flexible FPC boards 15, making operation more convenient and reducing operational difficulty. The number of sets of particle bumps and grooves involved in the splicing can be one set, or... Figures 4-7 The number of groups shown can be two or more, and there is no limitation on this.

[0033] It should be noted that the flexible FPC board 15 involved in splicing can have a set of positive electrode 13 and negative electrode 14 on one side, or it can have a set of positive electrode 13 and negative electrode 14 on both sides. The double-sided setting is more reasonable and more applicable. Both of these setting methods are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] To increase the area size of the positive electrode 13 and the negative electrode 14, clearance grooves can be provided on the positive electrode 13 and the negative electrode 14 to avoid the particle protrusions or grooves on the flexible FPC board 15, i.e. Figures 4-7 The arrangement shown is such that the positive electrode 13 and the negative electrode 14 are arranged around the particle protrusions or grooves;

[0035] In summary, the new integrated solution of this application has at least the following advantages compared with the old component-based solution:

[0036] 1. All components (LED beads, resistors, capacitors, main control IC, etc.) are integrated on several large FPC boards, greatly reducing the number of accessories in a lighting fixture;

[0037] 2. FPC boards replace most of the wires, reducing the tangled and redundant wires and making them less prone to breakage;

[0038] 3. The circuit is less prone to short circuits, making it safer;

[0039] 4. The large quantity and limited number of small parts reduce the loss rate and lower the risk of accidental ingestion;

[0040] 5. From a product manufacturing perspective, the new solution can be processed using professional surface mount equipment, making the production line safer and increasing efficiency by at least 50% compared to the previous solution. It can also achieve batch and mechanized gluing operations, resulting in higher component durability.

[0041] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for assisting building block toys in emitting light, characterized in that, Based on the specifications of the building blocks at the positions where lights are to be illuminated, mounting components are designed to correspond to and fit onto the protrusions of the building blocks. Connecting components are provided to connect the mounting components based on the positional relationship between the building blocks at the illuminated positions. During assembly, the mounting components are installed on the corresponding building blocks. The mounting components and connecting components combine to form a flexible circuit board with a width no greater than the width of the building block. The mounting components have mounting through holes that match the protrusions of the building blocks, and the number of mounting through holes is the same as the number of protrusions on the building block. The mounting component is provided with at least one LED light and at least one electrical connection interface; the mounting component and the connector are integrally formed, or the mounting component and the connector are formed by splicing two flexible FPC boards in the form of granular protrusions and grooves, and both flexible FPC boards involved in the splicing have positive and negative electrode plates. When the two flexible FPC boards are spliced, the two sets of positive and negative electrode plates are pressed together to conduct electricity, so that the mounting component and the connector are electrically connected; the LED light is provided on the mounting component and / or on a first extension extending from the edge of the mounting component.

2. The method for assisting building block toys in emitting light according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the light-up positions of the building block toy are set on the same layer, the mounting parts are spaced apart and / or without spacing, and the length of the mounting part matches the length of the building block piece at the desired light-up position or matches the sum of the lengths of the building block pieces at the desired light-up position.

3. The method for assisting building block toys in emitting light according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the light-up positions of the building block toy are arranged side-by-side at intervals in the same layer and row, the connector is located between the outer wall of the protrusion of the building block and the edge of the top surface of the building block, or passes through the gap between two adjacent protrusions on the building block; when the light-up positions of the building block toy are spaced apart in the same layer and arranged at a certain angle and not parallel, the connector is provided with a bending angle of the same angle at the corresponding position; when the light-up positions of the building block toy are spaced apart and parallel in the same layer, the connector is connected to the mounting piece in a manner perpendicular to the mounting piece.

4. The method for assisting building block toys in emitting light according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the light positions of the building block toy are set in different layers, the mounting parts are arranged at intervals and the length of the mounting parts matches the length of the building block pieces at the light positions on the building block toy; the connecting parts are arranged at a certain angle to the mounting parts.

5. The method for assisting building block toys in emitting light according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board also has creases for bending.

6. The method for assisting a building block toy to emit light according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrical connection interface is located on a second extension extending from the edge of the mounting component.

7. The method for assisting building block toys in emitting light according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the connector is smaller than the width of the mounting component.

8. The method for assisting a building block toy to emit light according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting component is a mounting component with one or more structures, such as strip, circle, or arc.

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