ASSEMBLY BLOCK BASE PLATE WITH CONNECTOR CLIP - Patent application

Abstract

The assembly kit includes a base plate and a connector clip. The base plate includes a planar plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of nodes protruding from the top surface, and a plurality of barrels protruding from the bottom surface. The connector clip includes a first head portion and a second head portion, both having a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of slots, the protrusions and slots being sequentially arranged in a protrusion-slot-protrusion order. The connector clip has a maximum thickness that substantially corresponds to a height that the barrels protrude from the bottom surface of the base plate, and at least one of the first and second head portions of the connector clip is configured to matingly engage with a number of barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate in a press-fit connection for use in joining the base plate to a second base plate.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to products and methods in the field of interlocking building bricks, and in particular to base plates for use with interlocking building bricks, connector clips for connecting a plurality of such base plates to one another, and kits including such base plates and connector clips. [Background technology]

[0002] Interlocking building bricks have been well known for a long time, perhaps the best known of which is the LEGO brick sold under the trademark LEGO® by the LEGO Group. The LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and the LEGO brick is its most important product, having twice been voted "Toy of the Century". Although the LEGO Group's products have evolved extensively over the years, their foundation remains the traditional LEGO brick. The LEGO brick in its current form was created in 1958 and was granted U.S. Patent No. 3,005,282, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The interlocking principle of LEGO bricks, with protruding studs on one side and recessed tubes on the other, offers infinite building possibilities. Any number of LEGO bricks can be joined together to build increasingly complex structures. The support base of a LEGO brick structure is known in the art as a baseplate. A baseplate is a relatively flat planar plate with several studs on one side for interlocking engagement with the tubes of the LEGO bricks. Due to its relatively flat planar shape, the baseplate can provide increased stability to a LEGO brick structure that engages with the studs of the baseplate.

[0004] However, conventional base plates are generally mass-produced only in limited sizes with fixed dimensions, such as 8" x 8" or 15" x 15" plastic sheets. The LEGO brick market has not expanded with building base plates in sizes larger than 15". This limits the usefulness of conventional base plates. For example, a consumer who wants to build a relatively large LEGO brick structure needs to utilize multiple base plates to achieve adequate support for the structure. Also, conventional base plates do not have a structure for directly interconnecting or mating separate base plates with each other, so a consumer needs to join separate base plates, such as by using a separate engagement structure, for example, by placing one or more building blocks on the seam between two adjacent plates, or by attaching separate base plates to each other or to a common backing material via nails, staples or adhesives.

[0005] However, these practices are not convenient because the use of additional building blocks on top of the base plate may interfere with the intended assembly of the build on the base plate.Similarly, the use of additional means to attach the base plate together is undesirable because it may complicate disassembly and transportation of the base plate.

[0006] Thus, there remains a need in the art for a convenient means for joining multiple baseplates together to form a larger composite baseplate, while still allowing the baseplates to be easily disassembled. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention encompasses a base plate, a connector clip, and a kit including at least one base plate and at least one connector clip. The base plate includes a planar plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of nodes protruding from the top surface, and a plurality of barrels protruding from the bottom surface. The connector clip includes a first head portion and a second head portion, both of which include a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of slots, the protrusions and slots being arranged consecutively alongside one another in a protrusion-slot-protrusion order. The connector clip has a maximum thickness that substantially corresponds to a height that the barrels protrude from the bottom surface of the base plate, and at least one of the first and second head portions of the connector clip is configured to matingly engage with a number of barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate in a press-fit connection.

[0008] The connector clip is configured to matingly engage the several barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate, with slots in a head of the connector clip received in a press-fit connection against the periphery of the several barrels and protrusions in the head positioned between adjacent barrels, and at least one slot in the head of the connector clip is formed with a curvature of about 180° or less.

[0009] The connector clip further includes a neck portion joining the first and second head portions together, the neck portion having a length less than the length of the first and second head portions. The head portions of the connector clip include outer and inner edges, respectively, the slot and the projection are positioned on the outer edges of the head portions, and the neck portion is positioned to join the inner edges of the head portions. The base plate includes a lower peripheral ridge extending around the periphery of the bottom surface of the planar plate, a number of connector recesses spaced along the peripheral ridge to form openings in the peripheral ridge, at least one connector recess having a length approximately equal to or greater than the length of the neck portion of the connector clip. The lower peripheral ridge extends from the bottom surface of the planar plate to a height substantially corresponding to the height the barrel extends from the bottom surface of the planar plate and the overall thickness of the connector clip.

[0010] In some examples, the base plate includes an interlocking mechanism extending along a periphery of the planar plate including a first interlocking mechanism along at least a first edge and a second interlocking mechanism along at least a second edge. The first interlocking mechanism is in the form of a two-stage annular ledge including a top ledge and a bottom ledge, the top ledge extending horizontally further from the planar plate than the bottom ledge, and the second interlocking mechanism is in the form of a two-stage annular ledge including a top ledge and a bottom ledge, the bottom ledge extending horizontally further from the planar plate than the top ledge. The first interlocking mechanism of the base plate is configured to matingly engage with a second interlocking mechanism of a similarly constructed base plate, and the second interlocking mechanism of the base plate is configured to matingly engage with the first interlocking mechanism of a similarly constructed base plate. The connector clip is configured such that when the interlocking mechanism of the base plate is matingly engaged with the interlocking mechanism of the second base plate, the first head portion is adapted for press-fit engagement with the barrel on the base plate and the second head portion is adapted for press-fit engagement with the barrel on the second base plate, and the neck portion of the connector clip extends through aligned connector recesses in the base plate and the second base plate, thereby locking the base plates together with the interlocking mechanisms matingly engaged.

[0011] In examples where the base plate includes an interlocking mechanism, the connector clip may be formed with an area of ​​reduced thickness in a portion of the neck, at least one portion of the head, or both, such that the reduced thickness of one or more portions of the connector clip substantially corresponds to an area of ​​increased thickness on the base plate, and the sum of the reduced thickness on the connector clip and the increased thickness on the base plate is substantially equal to the height that the barrel extends from the bottom surface of the planar plate.

[0012] In use, the connector clip can be used to join first and second base plates together by engaging a first head of the connector clip with a bottom surface of the first base plate and engaging a second head of the connector clip with a bottom surface of the second base plate. When joining the first and second base plates with the connector clip, the base plates are aligned to register the connector recess of the first base plate with the connector recess of the second base plate, and the connector clip is engaged to both base plates by positioning the connector clip such that the neck extends through the connector recess of the aligned base plates.

[0013] If the base plates include interlocking features, the base plates are aligned to engage the interlocking feature of a first base plate with the interlocking feature of a second base plate, and the connector clip is engaged with the base plates to secure the engaged interlocking features in place relative to one another. When engaging the connector clip to secure the engaged interlocking features, the connector clip is oriented such that an area of ​​reduced thickness of the connector clip aligns with an area of ​​increased thickness of the interlocking feature of one of the base plates.

[0014] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention can be seen from the following detailed description, provided in conjunction with the drawings, which are listed below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 shows a base plate according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the base plate of FIG. 1; [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 shows a first bottom view of the base plate of FIG. 1; [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 shows a second bottom view of the base plate of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of the bottom view of the base plate of FIGS. 3A-3B. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a connector clip according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the connector clip of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 shows a top view of the connector clip of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the connector clip of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] 6 shows two base plates according to FIG. 1 connected by two connector clips according to FIG. 5. [Figure 10] 10 shows a close-up view of the connector clip of FIG. [Figure 11] 11 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of the base plate and connector assembly of FIG. 10 in an exploded state. [Figure 12] 11 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of the base plate and connector assembly of FIG. 10 in an assembled state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The following disclosure will discuss the invention with reference to examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings, without, however, limiting the invention to these examples.

[0018] The use of any examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended merely to better clarify the invention and does not limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise stated. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unrecited element as essential or critical to the practice of the invention unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0019] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "or" is to be understood as an inclusive "or" unless the context dictates otherwise. Terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc., when used to describe multiple devices or elements, are used only to convey the relative action, position and / or function of the separate devices and do not require a particular order of such devices or elements, nor do they require a particular quantity or hierarchy of such devices or elements.

[0020] The term "substantially" as used herein with respect to a property or circumstance indicates a degree of deviation that is small enough so as not to materially impair the specified property or circumstance. The exact degree of deviation that is permissible in a given situation will depend on the particular context, as can be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0021] Use of the term "about" or "approximately" is intended to describe values ​​above and / or below a specified value or range, as would be understood by one of skill in the art in the respective context. In some instances, this may encompass values ​​in a range of approximately ±10%, in other instances, values ​​in a range of approximately ±5%, in yet other instances, values ​​in a range of approximately ±2%, and in yet other instances, values ​​in a range of approximately ±1%.

[0022] It is understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context.

[0023] The term "building brick" is understood to encompass building elements that can be connected to a supporting base plate and / or other building elements by joining nodes / studs with mating barrels / tubes to create a multi-element assembly of such building elements. Examples of building bricks include, but are not limited to, building elements sold under the names LEGO®, DUPLO® and Mega Bloks®.

[0024] The recitation of ranges of values ​​herein, unless otherwise indicated, serves as a shorthand for referring individually to the endpoints of the range, each separate value within that range, and each separate value falling within each range within all intermediate ranges encompassed by the overall range, and is incorporated herein as if each were individually set forth herein.

[0025] Unless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by context, methods described herein can be practiced by carrying out the individual steps in any suitable order, including: the exact order disclosed, with no intermediate steps between the disclosed steps or with one or more intervening steps, carrying out the disclosed steps in an order other than the exact order disclosed, carrying out one or more steps simultaneously, and omitting one or more disclosed steps.

[0026] The present invention encompasses a base plate 100, a connector clip 200 adapted to join two base plates 100 together, and a kit including such a base plate 100 and connector clip 200. The connector clip 200 is adapted to join two base plates 100a / 100b side-by-side to one another. Any number of connector clips 200 can be used to join the base plates 100 together, including two or more connector clips on each side of the base plate 100.

[0027] 1-4 show an example of a base plate 100 according to the present invention. The base plate 100 includes a planar plate 101 having a top side 102 having a plurality of nodes 103 projecting therefrom, and a bottom side 104 having a plurality of cavities 105 formed therein and a plurality of barrels 106 projecting therefrom. The bottom side 104 also includes a lower peripheral ridge 107 that extends around the entire lower periphery of the planar plate 101, except that a number of connector recesses 108 are provided at discrete locations along the peripheral ridge 107.

[0028] The nodes 103 and barrels 106 of the base plate 100 are sized and shaped for mating engagement with studs and tubes of a building brick (not shown) intended for use with the base plate 100, with the base plate nodes 103 adapted for press-fit reception with the building brick tubes and the base plate barrels 106 adapted for press-fit reception with the building brick studs. In this manner, the base plate 100 can be used as an interlocking building brick in assembling a multi-layered structure, such as a structure simulating an office building, a parking garage, and the like. The nodes 103 and barrels 106 of the base plate 100 are also adapted for press-fit engagement with each other, such that a first base plate 100a can be matingly stacked on top of a second base plate 100b. Advantageously, the inclusion of the barrels 106 also increases the rigidity and durability of the base plate 100.

[0029] The base plate 100 according to the invention can be made with any number of nodes 103, cavities 105 and barrels 106. Each cavity 105 on the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100 corresponds to a node 103 on the top side 102 of the base plate 100. Some cavities 105 are surrounded by barrels 106. In the example shown, the barrels 106 are provided only in selected cavities 105 (e.g., presenting a cross pattern within a square pattern on the bottom side 104). However, it will be understood that, except for explicit exceptions described below, the barrels 106 can be provided in any number of cavities 105 listed less or more than the number shown in the example shown. The exception is for all cavities 105 or selected cavities 105 of the first row 109 of the cavity matrix that continues along the lower peripheral ridge 107. In some examples, such as the examples shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4, all cavities 105 in the first row 109 are provided without barrels 106. In other examples, barrels 106 may be provided in some cavities 105 in the first row 109, provided that the cavities 105 adjacent the connector recess 108 (e.g., within one to three cavity spaces thereof) are made devoid of barrels 106. The cavities 105 in the second row 110 of the cavity matrix are spaced one cavity space from the lower peripheral ridge 107 and provided with barrels 106. In some examples, such as the examples shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4, all cavities 105 in the second row 110 are provided with barrels 106, except for the cavities 105 in the second row 110 directly adjacent the lower peripheral ridge 107. In other examples, some cavities 105 in the second row 110 may lack barrels 106, except that the cavities 105 adjacent the connector recess 108 (e.g., within two to four cavity spaces thereof) are provided with barrels 106.

[0030] In addition to the lower peripheral ridges 107, the bottom side 104 may also include several interior ridges 111 arranged in a square grid and extending along an interior region of the bottom side 104. In other examples, the interior ridges 111 may take other shapes and / or include fewer or more ridges (e.g., diagonally oriented interior ridges arranged in a truss-like fashion within the illustrated square grid). The inclusion of the interior ridges 111 provides the base plate 100 with improved rigidity and durability.

[0031] The barrel 106, peripheral ridge 107 and internal ridge 111 protrude to equal heights H2 from the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100. In a preferred embodiment, the barrel 106 and ridges 107 / 111 protrude 0.077 inches from the bottom side 104 and the base plate 100 has an overall height H1 of approximately 0.227 inches measured from the bottom side of the barrel 106 to the top of the node 103. By constructing the barrel 106 and ridges 107 / 111 at equal heights, the base plate 100 is provided with increased stability for supporting a building brick structure and increased durability for withstanding the application of increased forces such as the weight of an adult walking and standing on the base plate 100.

[0032] In some examples, the base plate 100 includes an interlocking mechanism 112 in the form of two annular shelves that extend around the periphery of the base plate 100. The two-tiered form of the interlocking mechanism 112 includes a bottom shelf 113 and an upper shelf 114 that extend different lengths horizontally across the base plate 100.

[0033] In the illustrated example, the bottom ledge 113 extends horizontally further along two peripheral edges 115a / 115b of the base plate 100 than the top ledge 114, which extends horizontally further along the other two peripheral edges 115c / 115d than the bottom ledge 113. As shown in FIG. 11, both the bottom and top ledges 113 / 114 have a height H3 of 0.076 inches, and the further extending ledges, in both examples, at their respective peripheral ridges protrude a horizontal distance D1 of 0.1 inches beyond the other corresponding ledges of the two-tiered configuration. When discussing the interlocking mechanism 112, the further protruding ledge (whether bottom ledge 113 or top ledge 114) may be referred to as the male member and the recessed, i.e., less protruding ledge (whether bottom ledge 113 or top ledge 114) may be referred to as the female member.

[0034] Figure 9 shows an assembly of a first base plate 100a and a second base plate 100b with two connector clips 200 joining the first and second base plates 100a / 100b. Figure 10 shows a close-up view of the connector clip 200 of Figure 9, with a first head 201a of the connector clip 200 engaging the first base plate 100a and a second head 201b of the connector clip 200 engaging the second base plate 100b, and a neck 202 of the connector clip 200 extending through aligned connector recesses 108 of the first and second base plates 100a / 100b.

[0035] 11-12 show cross-sectional elevation views of the base plate and connector clip assembly of FIGS. 9-10. As shown in FIGS. 11-12, the interlocking mechanism 112 facilitates alignment of two separate base plates 100a / 100b to improve the stability and durability of the combined base plates while reducing the appearance of a seam between the two base plates. This can be accomplished, for example, by aligning a peripheral edge 115a / 115b of a first base plate 100 having a further protruding bottom shelf 113 with a mating peripheral edge 115c / 115d of a second base plate 100b having a further protruding top shelf 114, as shown in FIGS. With the two base plates aligned in this manner, the extending bottom shelf 113 of the first base plate 100a is positioned to provide structural support to the extending top shelf 114 of the second base plate 100b while at the same time minimizing the appearance of a seam between the two base plates.

[0036] The interlocking mechanism 112 allows a user to align multiple base plates 100 to provide a larger support area. For example, four separate base plates 100, each measuring 12×12 inches, can be aligned with one another via the interlocking mechanism 112 to provide a larger support area measuring 24×24 inches. The interlocking mechanism 112 can be used to releasably align any number of base plates 100 in this manner, such that multiple base plates 100 can be aligned for use together while remaining individually storable.

[0037] 5-8 show an example of a connector clip 200 for use in joining base plates 100. The connector clip 200 has two heads 201a / 201b connected by a neck 202. The heads 201a / 201b are adapted for press-fit reception in the space between a number of barrels 106 and a lower peripheral ridge 107 on the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100, and the necks 202 are adapted to extend through two connector recesses 108 aligned side-by-side on two separate base plates 100a / 100b.

[0038] Each head 201 of the connector clip 200 is formed in a quadrilateral shape having an outer edge 203, an inner edge 204, and two side edges 205 joining the outer edge and the inner edge. The outer edge 203 is provided with four projections 206 and three semicircular slots 207, and the inner edge 204 is provided as a straight surface. In each head 201, the semicircular slots 207 are each dimensioned to receive a barrel 106 on the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100, the projections 206 are dimensioned to insert between adjacent barrels 106, and the straight surface of the inner edge 204 is aligned to abut the lower peripheral ridge 107. In the example shown, the connector clip 200 is formed with a semicircular slot 207 of about 180°, but it will be understood that the semicircular slot 207 may be generally referred to as a slot 207, and the slot 207 may be provided in the shape of a small arc having a curvature less than 180°.

[0039] In the example shown, the connector clip 200 is provided with two head portions 201a / 201b and a neck portion 202. In this example, the connector clip has a maximum length L1 defined by the length of the head portion 201. The neck portion 202 has a second length L2 that is shorter than the maximum length L1. The second length L2 of the neck portion is made substantially equal to or less than the length of the connector recess 108 provided in the base plate 100, thereby allowing the neck portion 202 to pass through the connector recess 108 and the connector clip 200 can be used to join two separate base plates 100 via engagement of the separate head portions 201a / 201b.

[0040] In the example shown, the heads 201a / 201b of the connector clip 200 are asymmetric, with one head 201a having a larger width Wa relative to a smaller width Wb of the other head 201b (Wa>Wb). The connector clip 200 is provided with this asymmetric configuration to accommodate the dimensions of the base plate 100 having the interlocking mechanism 112. When using a base plate 100 having the interlocking mechanism 112, side-by-side alignment of the two base plates 100a / 100b is achieved by positioning the periphery 115a / 115b of a first base plate 100a having a further protruding bottom shelf 113 to mate with the periphery 115c / 115d of a second base plate 100b having a further protruding top shelf 114. In periphery 115a / 115b having a further protruding lower shelf 113, the lower peripheral ridge 107 is positioned a first distance Da from the barrel 106 of the second row 110 with the lower peripheral ridge 107 positioned to align with the outer edge of the protruding bottom shelf 113, while in periphery 115c / 115d having a further protruding upper shelf 114, the lower peripheral ridge 107 is positioned a second distance Db from the barrel 106 of the second row 110 with the lower peripheral ridge 107 inserted from the outer edge of the protruding upper shelf 114. A first distance Da between the barrels 106 of the second row 110 and the lower peripheral ridge 107 adjacent the protruding bottom shelf 113 is greater than a second distance Db (Da>Db) between the barrels 106 of the second row 110 and the lower peripheral ridge 107 adjacent the protruding top shelf 114. The head portions 201a / 201b of the connector clip 200 are sized for a press-fit reception between the barrels 106 and the lower peripheral ridge 107 on the respective base plates 101a / 101b and are therefore made with different widths Wa / Wb to correspond to the different distances Da / Db.

[0041] The neck portion 202 of the connector clip 200 joins the inner edges 204a / 204b of the two head portions 201a / 201b and is dimensioned to extend through a pair of aligned connector recesses 108 on the first and second base plates 100a / 100b positioned adjacent to each other for mating engagement.

[0042] In the example shown, the connector clip 200 is made with a first overall thickness T1 that corresponds to a height H2 (e.g., 0.077 inches) that the barrel 106 and ridges 107 / 111 extend from the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100. In this manner, the connector clip 200 is sized to fit within the space on the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100 between the barrel 106 and the peripheral ridges 107 without interfering with the overall height H1 of the base plate 100 such that the base plate 100 can rest flat on another supporting surface (e.g., the ground, a tabletop, another base plate, etc.) while the connector clip 200 is secured therebelow.

[0043] As seen in Figures 5-7 and 11, a portion of the head portion 201a having the greater width Wa and a portion of the neck portion 202 extending therefrom are provided with a reduced thickness T2. These portions of the connector clip 200 are provided with a reduced thickness T2 to accommodate the increased thickness of the base plate 100 in the corresponding regions. Specifically, the periphery 115a / 115b of the base plate 100 having the further protruding bottom shelf 113 is increased in thickness due to the presence of the bottom shelf 113, and thus the connector clip 200 is provided with a reduced thickness in these regions that are adapted to align with such increased thickness regions on the base plate 100 such that the connector clip 200 remains within the bottom side 104 of the base plate 100 without interfering with the overall height H1 of the base plate 100. It will be appreciated that in some examples, the connector clip 200 lacks an interlocking mechanism 112 such as those disclosed herein but may be used with a base plate 100 having a connector recess 108, and in such examples, the connector clip 200 may have a generally uniform thickness T1 without areas of reduced thickness T2.

[0044] In use, two base plates 100a / 100b, both having lower peripheral ridges 107 with connector recesses 108 formed therein, are placed side by side with the corresponding connector recesses 108 aligned, and the connector clip 200 is inserted with the first head 201a positioned in the space below the first base plate 100a and the second head 201b positioned in the space below the second base plate 100b, with the neck 202 extending through the aligned connector recesses 108, thereby connecting the two base plates to each other. Preferably, more than one connector clip 200 is used to join the two base plates 100a / 100b to each other in this manner. In the example shown, each base plate 100 is provided with eight connector recesses 108, two connector recesses 108 on each peripheral edge 115, as shown in Figs. 3A / 3B. With this arrangement, each base plate 100 can be directly joined to four other base plates 100, allowing any number of base plates 100 to be joined in total.

[0045] In the illustrated example, the connector clip 200 cooperates with the interlocking mechanism 112 to achieve and maintain seamless alignment of the two base plates 100a / 100b, where the two-tier annular shelf structure of the interlocking mechanism 112 forms seamless alignment between the base plates 100a / 100b, and the connector clip 200 locks the base plates 100a / 100b in place in such seamless alignment. In this manner, a user may connect multiple base plates 100 in seamless alignment to effectively form a larger composite base plate for supporting a larger building block assembly.

[0046] While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing disclosure addresses only exemplary embodiments, and that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but may encompass additional embodiments that encompass various changes and modifications to the examples disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

[0047] For example, while the above examples show base plates having equally sized circular barrels and connector clips having corresponding arcuate slots (e.g., semicircular slots), it will be understood that the base plates may be made with barrels having any selected shape, optionally of different sizes, and the connector clips may similarly be made with arcuate slots having shapes and sizes corresponding to the barrels of the base plates.

[0048] The disclosed methods can be practiced by performing all of the disclosed steps in the exact order disclosed, with no intervening steps therebetween; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods can also be practiced by intervening additional steps between the disclosed steps, by performing the disclosed steps in an order other than the exact order disclosed, by performing one or more disclosed steps simultaneously, and by omitting one or more disclosed steps.

[0049] To the extent necessary to understand or complete the disclosure of the present invention, all publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned herein are expressly incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each were individually incorporated. No license, express or implied, is granted to any patent incorporated herein. The ranges expressed in this disclosure include the endpoints of each range, all values ​​between the endpoints, and all intermediate ranges subsumed by the endpoints.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown herein, but is instead characterized by the appended claims, which in no way limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. An assembly kit comprising: a base plate including a planar plate having a top surface from which a number of nodes protrude and a bottom surface from which a number of barrels protrude; and a connector clip including a first head and a second head, both of which have a number of protrusions and a number of slots, the protrusions and slots being successively arranged alongside one another in a protrusion-slot-protrusion order, wherein the connector clip has a maximum thickness substantially corresponding to a height that a barrel protrudes from the bottom surface of the base plate, and at least one of the first and second head portions of the connector clip is configured to matingly engage with a number of barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate in a press-fit connection.

2. 2. The assembly kit of claim 1, wherein the connector clip is configured to matingly engage with a number of barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate, slots in a head portion of the connector clip are received in a press-fit connection against the outer periphery of the number of barrels, and protrusions in the head portion are positioned between adjacent barrels.

3. 3. The assembly kit of claim 2, wherein the slot in the head of at least one of the connector clips is formed with a curvature of less than about 180 degrees.

4. 2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the connector clip further includes a neck portion joining the first and second head portions to one another, the neck portion having a length that is less than a length of the first and second head portions.

5. 5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the base plate includes a lower peripheral ridge extending around a periphery of the bottom surface of the planar plate, several connector recesses spaced along the peripheral ridge to form openings in the peripheral ridge, and at least one connector recess having a length approximately equal to or greater than a length of the neck portion of the connector clip.

6. 6. The kit of claim 5, wherein the lower peripheral ridge extends from the bottom surface of the plate to a height that substantially corresponds to the height that the barrel extends from the bottom surface of the plate.

7. 5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the first and second head portions of the connector clip each include an outer edge and an inner edge, the slot and protrusion are positioned on the outer edges of the head portions, and the neck portion is positioned to join the inner edges of the head portions.

8. the base plate includes an interlocking mechanism extending along a periphery of the planar plate and having a first interlocking mechanism along at least a first edge and a second interlocking mechanism along at least a second edge; the first interlocking mechanism is in the form of a two-tiered annular ledge including an upper ledge and a bottom ledge, the upper ledge extending horizontally further from the planar surface than the bottom ledge; the second interlocking mechanism is in the form of a two-tiered annular ledge including an upper ledge and a bottom ledge, the bottom ledge extending horizontally further from the plate than the upper ledge; the first interlocking feature of the base plate is configured to matingly engage with a second interlocking feature of a similarly constructed base plate and the second interlocking feature of the base plate is configured to matingly engage with the first interlocking feature of a similarly constructed base plate; 5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the connector clip is configured such that when an interlocking feature of the base plate is matingly engaged with an interlocking feature of a second base plate, the first head portion is adapted for press-fit mating engagement with a barrel on the base plate and the second head portion is adapted for press-fit mating engagement with a barrel on the second base plate, and the neck portion of the connector clip extends through aligned connector recesses in the base plate and the second base plate, thereby locking the base plates together with the interlocking features matingly engaged.

9. 5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the connector clip is formed with an area of ​​reduced thickness in a portion of the neck, at least one portion of the head, or both, the reduced thickness substantially corresponding to an area of ​​increased thickness on the base plate, and the sum of the reduced thickness on the connector clip and the increased thickness on the base plate is substantially equal to the height that the barrel extends from the bottom surface of the planar plate.

10. A method of using the kit of claim 1, comprising: engaging the first head portion of the connector clip with the bottom surface of a first base plate; engaging the second head portion of the connector clip with the bottom surface of a second base plate; The method includes:

11. aligning the base plates to position a connector recess on the first base plate and a connector recess on the second base plate; positioning the connector clip such that a neck portion of the connector clip joining the first and second head portions extends through the connector recesses of the aligned base plates when the connector clip is engaged with both the first and second base plates; The method of claim 10 further comprising:

12. engaging an interlocking feature of the first base plate with an interlocking feature of the second base plate when the first and second base plates are aligned; engaging the connector clip with the first and second base plates to secure the engaged interlocking mechanisms in place relative to one another. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising orienting the area of ​​reduced thickness of the connector clip to align with the area of ​​increased thickness of an interlocking feature of one of the base plates when engaging the connector clip to secure the engaged interlocking features.

14. A connector clip comprising a first head portion and a second head portion, both of said first and second head portions including a plurality of projections and a plurality of slots, said projections and slots being arranged consecutively alongside one another in projection-slot-projection order; the connector clip is configured to engage an underside of a base plate, the base plate including a planar plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of nodes protruding from the top surface of the base plate, and a plurality of barrels protruding from the bottom surface of the base plate; A connector clip, wherein the connector clip has a maximum thickness substantially corresponding to a height that a barrel protrudes from the bottom surface of the base plate, and at least one of the first and second head portions of the connector clip is configured to matingly engage with a number of barrels on the bottom surface of the base plate in a press-fit connection.

15. A kit comprising the connector clip of claim 14 and at least one base plate.

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