Building block system, assembling and disassembling building block structure, and female head building block

Abstract

Provided is a building block system, a connectable / separable building block structure, and a socket building block (2). The socket building block (2) includes a socket portion (200), where in a direction from an orifice (209) towards an interior of the socket portion (200), the socket portion (200) comprises a first bore section (201) and a second bore section (202) that are coaxially arranged; a maximum inner diameter of the second bore section (202) minus an inner diameter of the first bore section (201) is less than or equal to 0.2 mm; and the socket portion (200) is an integrally formed part. The structure of the socket building block is formed integrally by injection molding, enabling a plug building block (1) and the socket building block (2) to provide the user with an audible click feedback and a tactile feedback during assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of building block toys, and specifically relates to a building block system, a connectable / separable building block structure, and a socket building block, in particular to a building block system with a socket building block integrally formed by injection molding, which produces an audible click and a tactile feedback upon assembly, thereby facilitating user assembly and disassembly.BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, a plug building block and a socket building block are respectively provided with a protrusion and a groove matching with each other to enable axial limiting when the plug building block and the socket building block are assembled.

[0003] A socket building block with a groove is divided into two parts by a plane defined by a central axis. The two parts are separately molded and then are combined by means such as bonding.

[0004] However, the building block having such a combined structure obtained by this method has a seam at the combination position, resulting in insufficient realistic appearance at smooth surfaces of armors and skins on anthropomorphic building block toys, thereby impairing the visual effect of the building block toy.CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In view of the defects in the prior art, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a building block system, a connectable / separable building block structure, and a socket building block.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a socket building block 2, including: a socket portion 200, where in a direction from an orifice 209 towards an interior of the socket portion 200, the socket portion 200 includes a first bore section 201 and a second bore section 202 that are coaxially arranged; a maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 minus an inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is less than or equal to 0.2 mm; and the socket portion 200 is an integrally formed part.

[0007] Preferably, the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.

[0008] Preferably, the second bore section 202 is formed with an annular groove 2020; and alternatively, the second bore section 202 includes a first groove and a second groove respectively located at two ends in a diameter direction.

[0009] The present disclosure provides a connectable / separable building block structure, including the socket building block 2 and a plug building block 1, where the plug building block 1 includes a plug portion 100; the plug portion 100 includes a shaft portion 102 and a boss 101 located on a side surface of the shaft portion 102; a maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 is greater than the inner diameter of the first bore section 201; and after the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 are assembled, the boss 101 is accommodated in the second bore section 202.

[0010] Preferably, the maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 is less than or equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202.

[0011] Preferably, in the direction from the orifice 209 towards the interior of the socket portion, the socket portion 200 includes the first bore section 201, the second bore section 202, and a third bore section 203 that are coaxially arranged; an inner diameter of the third bore section 203 is greater than or equal to an outer diameter of a portion of the shaft portion 102 located on a distal end side of the boss 101; and after the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 are assembled, the portion of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101 is accommodated in the third bore section 203.

[0012] Preferably, the boss 101 includes a first protrusion 1011 and a second protrusion 1012 respectively located at two ends in a diameter direction; and alternatively, the boss 101 is annular.

[0013] The present disclosure provides a building block system, including the connectable / separable building block structure, where the connectable / separable building block structure forms a joint.

[0014] Preferably, the building block system is an anthropomorphic building block system.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: The socket building block of the present disclosure allows integral forming by injection molding, enabling the plug building block and the socket building block to provide the user with an audible click feedback and a tactile feedback during assembly.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Other features, objectives, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a joint portion in a building block system provided by the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship before assembly between a plug building block 1 and a socket building block 2 provided by the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship after assembly between the plug building block 1 and the socket building block 2 provided by the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a dimensional relationship between a plug portion 100 and a socket portion 200 provided by the present disclosure; where, a dimension 1 is a maximum outer diameter of a boss 101; a dimension 2 is an outer diameter of a portion A of a shaft portion 102 located on a distal end side of the boss 101; a dimension 3 is an inner diameter of a first bore section 201; a dimension 4 is a maximum inner diameter of a second bore section 202; a dimension 5 is an inner diameter of a third bore section 203; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing principle of the socket portion 200 provided by the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a principle where a slider insert pin does not scratch the first bore section 201 of a building block product; and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a principle where demolding of the slider insert pin scratches the first bore section 201 of the building block product. Reference Numerals:

[0017] 1. plug building block;2. socket building block;801. shoulder joint;901. front mold;802. elbow joint;902. rear mold;100. plug portion;200. socket portion;803. wrist joint;903. slider insert pin;101. boss;201. first bore section;804. proximal end;904. rear mold slider insert pin;1011. first protrusion;202. second bore section;805. distal end;A. portion of shaft portion located on distal end side of boss;905. slider insert; and1012. second protrusion;2020. annular groove;906. building block product.203. third bore section;102. shaft portion;2030. close-fit portion;209. orifice; SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATIONS

[0018] The present disclosure is described in detail in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will be conducive to further understanding of the present disclosure by a person of ordinary skill in the art, but does not limit the present disclosure in any form. It should be noted that several variations and improvements can also be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the conception of the present disclosure. These variations and improvements shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a joint portion in a building block system provided by the present disclosure. The building block system shown in FIG. 1 is an arm of an anthropomorphic building block system. The arm includes shoulder joint 801, elbow joint 802, and wrist joint 803. The anthropomorphic building block system may further include joints such as a thigh, a knee, and an ankle. These joints employ a connectable / separable building block structure provided by the present disclosure, thereby allowing a user to complete joint assembly and disassembly by hand without tools. That is, the user is allowed to assemble and disassemble plug portion 100 of the plug building block 1 and socket portion 200 of the socket building block 2 in the joint by hand. After the joint is assembled, the coaxially arranged plug portion 100 and socket portion 200 are rotatable relative to each other about a central axis, achieving a degree of freedom for joint rotation. Meanwhile, after the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 are assembled, boss 101 of the plug portion 100 cooperates with second bore section 202 forming annular groove 2020 in the socket portion 200 to restrict relative displacement between the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 in an axial direction. Thus, the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 do not separate from each other due to gravity, thereby achieving an anti-detachment purpose.

[0020] Furthermore, anthropomorphic building block toys utilize a particularly large number of joints. Anthropomorphic building blocks include building blocks shaped like realistic or fictional creatures such as humans, animals, and monsters. For anthropomorphic building block toys, visual effect is very important. The objects to be simulated include skeletons, muscles, skins, armors, weapons, etc. Besides involving overall shape, the simulated objects also involve the visual effect of smooth surfaces on the simulated objects. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid seams on the building blocks.

[0021] The present disclosure solves the seam problem through an assembled building block structure. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, a connectable / separable building block structure provided by the present disclosure includes socket building block 2 and plug building block 1. The plug building block 1 and the socket building block 2 both are integrally formed parts formed by injection molding. The plug building block 1 includes plug portion 100. The plug portion 100 includes shaft portion 102 and boss 101 located on a side surface of the shaft portion 102. The socket building block 2 includes socket portion 200. In a direction from orifice 209 towards an interior of the socket portion, the socket portion 200 includes coaxially arranged first bore section 201 and second bore section 202. After the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 are assembled, the boss 101 is accommodated in the second bore section 202. The plug portion 100 is assembled into the socket portion 200 through the orifice 209. In a preferred embodiment, the first bore section 201 and the second bore section 202 are adjacently arranged, and walls of the first bore section 201 and the second bore section 202 are non-smoothly connected. A maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 of the plug portion 100 is greater than an inner diameter of the first bore section 201, causing interference between the first bore section 201 and the boss 101 during assembly of the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200.

[0022] Furthermore, the socket portion 200 is an integrally formed part formed by injection molding. A maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 of the socket portion 200 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is less than or equal to 0.2 mm. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the integrally formed building block part is manufactured using a mold. For a building block with a recessed structure in shape, such as the building block with the socket portion 200, a front mold and a rear mold are needed in the manufacturing process. Additionally, a slider insert pin is required to occupy an accommodation space inside the recessed structure, thereby shaping the internal space of the recessed structure. For example, a space occupied by the slider insert pin forms an opening of the socket portion 200, and a shape of a wall of the opening is formed according to a shape of a side surface of the slider insert pin. Thus, walls of the first bore section 201 and the second bore section 202 are formed. During demolding, a forced demolding process is adopted to separate the front mold, the rear mold, and the slider insert pin from the building block. When the slider insert pin is separated, the slider insert pin is pulled out from the recessed structure of the building block. The maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 is greater than the inner diameter of the first bore section 201, meaning a maximum outer diameter of protruding portion A of the slider insert pin forming the second bore section 202 is greater than an outer diameter of portion B forming the first bore section 201. The stiffness of metal molds such as the slider insert pin is greater than that of the building block product (the plug building block and the socket building block are made of the same material and have identical stiffness). Therefore, it is generally believed that when the slider insert pin is pulled out, the protruding portion A interferes with the portion B, thereby preventing demolding. Alternatively, if the slider insert pin is forcibly pulled out, the building block product will be scratched, causing the first bore section 201 to be defective and its inner diameter to be enlarged. Comparison of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 shows that, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when a scratch occurs, the first bore section 201 is undesirably widened, and the second bore section 202 fails to form the annular groove. Thus, the second bore section cannot cooperate with the boss of the plug building block, and cannot produce audible click and a tactile feedback.

[0023] In this regard, in the present disclosure, the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 of the socket portion 200 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is less than or equal to 0.2 mm. When the difference is less than or equal to 0.2 mm, the stiffer slider insert pin will not scratch the building block product when pulled out of the mold, thereby achieving successful demolding and obtaining the socket portion 200 as an integrally formed part. In a preferred embodiment, the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 of the socket portion 200 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is less than or equal to 0.19 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.17 mm, 0.16 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.13 mm, 0.12 mm, or 0.11 mm.

[0024] Furthermore, the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 minus the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 is greater than or equal to 0.11 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.13 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.16 mm, 0.17 mm, 0.18 mm, or 0.19 mm. This design provides the user with an audible click feedback accompanied by a tactile feedback. Under the condition that upper and lower limit values of the difference between the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202 and the inner diameter of the first bore section 201 of the socket portion 200 do not conflict, those skilled in the art can obtain various embodiments corresponding to different combinations of upper and lower limit values based on combinations of the aforementioned preferred embodiments, which will not be detailed here.

[0025] The present disclosure is described in more detail below through further preferred embodiments.

[0026] The second bore section 202 is formed with the annular groove 2020, and the maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 is less than or equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section 202. This allows rotation between the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 about the central axis, achieving joint rotation of the anthropomorphic building block through a degree of freedom. More preferably, the boss 101 includes first protrusion 1011 and second protrusion 1012 located at two ends in a diameter direction. In the diameter direction of the plug portion 100, the first protrusion 1011 and the second protrusion 1012 are arranged back-to-back, and the first protrusion 1011 and the second protrusion 1012 are uniformly distributed in a circumferential direction, enabling smooth joint rotation of the anthropomorphic building block. The maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 is a distance between a vertex of the first protrusion 1011 and a vertex of the second protrusion 1012, represented by dimension 1 shown in FIG. 4. If the boss 101 includes an even number of (four or more) protrusions, the maximum outer diameter of the boss 101 is a distance between vertices of each pair of protrusions arranged back-to-back in the diameter direction of the plug portion 100. In a variant, the boss 101 extends continuously in a circumferential direction of the plug portion 100 and is annular. Correspondingly, the annular groove 2020 of the socket portion 200 cooperates with the annular boss 101.

[0027] In the direction from the orifice 209 towards the interior of the socket portion, the socket portion 200 includes coaxially arranged first bore section 201, second bore section 202, and third bore section 203.

[0028] An inner diameter of the third bore section 203 is greater than or equal to an outer diameter of a portion of the shaft portion 102 located on a distal end side of the boss 101. After the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 are assembled, the portion A of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101 is accommodated in the third bore section 203.

[0029] When the inner diameter of the third bore section 203 equals the outer diameter of the portion of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101, the third bore section 203 is formed with a close-fit structure. After a wall of the third bore section 203 contacts the portion of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101, it fits against the portion of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101, thereby providing damping force to help the user achieve stable assembly.

[0030] When the inner diameter of the third bore section 203 is greater than the outer diameter of the portion of the shaft portion 102 located on the distal end side of the boss 101, the third bore section 203 does not constitute a close-fit structure, making the clicking sound louder.

[0031] In one variant, the second bore section 202 includes a first groove and a second groove located at two ends in a diameter direction, cooperating with the first protrusion 1011 and the second protrusion 1012, respectively. This only allows the plug portion 100 and the socket portion 200 to be assembled at two opposite angular positions.

[0032] In the description of the present disclosure, it needs to be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by terms, such as "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", and "outside", are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, are merely for facilitating the description of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that an apparatus or element referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore shall not be interpreted as limiting the present disclosure.

[0033] The particular embodiments of the present disclosure are described as above. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the above specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which does not affect the essence of the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure and features in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined with each other in a non-conflicting situation.

Claims

1. A socket building block (2), comprising: a socket portion (200), wherein in a direction from an orifice (209) towards an interior of the socket portion (200), the socket portion (200) comprises a first bore section (201) and a second bore section (202) that are coaxially arranged; a maximum inner diameter of the second bore section (202) minus an inner diameter of the first bore section (201) is less than or equal to 0.2 mm; and the socket portion (200) is an integrally formed part.

2. The socket building block (2) according to claim 1, wherein the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section (202) minus the inner diameter of the first bore section (201) is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.

3. The socket building block (2) according to claim 1, wherein the second bore section (202) is formed with an annular groove (2020); and alternatively, the second bore section (202) comprises a first groove and a second groove respectively located at two ends in a diameter direction.

4. A connectable / separable building block structure, comprising the socket building block (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a plug building block (1), wherein the plug building block (1) comprises a plug portion (100); the plug portion (100) comprises a shaft portion (102) and a boss (101) located on a side surface of the shaft portion (102); a maximum outer diameter of the boss (101) is greater than the inner diameter of the first bore section (201); and after the plug portion (100) and the socket portion (200) are assembled, the boss (101) is accommodated in the second bore section (202).

5. The connectable / separable building block structure according to claim 4, wherein the maximum outer diameter of the boss (101) is less than or equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second bore section (202).

6. The connectable / separable building block structure according to claim 4, wherein in the direction from the orifice (209) towards the interior of the socket portion, the socket portion (200) comprises the first bore section (201), the second bore section (202), and a third bore section (203) that are coaxially arranged; an inner diameter of the third bore section (203) is greater than or equal to an outer diameter of a portion of the shaft portion (102) located on a distal end side of the boss (101); and after the plug portion (100) and the socket portion (200) are assembled, the portion of the shaft portion (102) located on the distal end side of the boss (101) is accommodated in the third bore section (203).

7. The connectable / separable building block structure according to claim 4, wherein the boss (101) comprises a first protrusion (1011) and a second protrusion (1012) respectively located at two ends in a diameter direction; and alternatively, the boss (101) is annular.

8. A building block system, comprising the connectable / separable building block structure according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the connectable / separable building block structure forms a joint.

9. The building block system according to claim 8, wherein the building block system is an anthropomorphic building block system.

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