Toy building block set made from elastomer material.

Abstract

The toy assembly block (12) is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer. This allows the block (12) to be elastically stretched in any direction. Each toy assembly block (12) has a body (26) having an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (16). A male connector projection (18) extends from the upper surface (14). A female connector receptacle (20) extends into the lower surface (16) of the body (26). At least one internal chamber (30) is molded within the body (26). The internal chamber (30) is separate and independent from the female connector receptacle (20). The internal chamber (30) extends into the male connector projection (18). Each internal chamber (30) may be empty or filled with a filler material (46). The filler material (46) may be a liquid, gel, or lubricating particles and is preferably visible through the molded thermoplastic elastomer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In general, the present invention relates to a structure of toy blocks designed to interconnect with each other so that various structures can be created. More specifically, the present invention relates to a structure of toy blocks and materials used for manufacturing the toy blocks.

Background Art

[0002] There are many types of toy blocks designed to interconnect with each other. One of the most popular toy block sets is sold under the LEGO® trademark, and was originally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282 issued to Kirk. While such toy blocks are extremely popular, they have certain problems inherent to the structure of the toy. Most interconnecting toy blocks are made of hard plastic. This gives the toy blocks the ability to "snap" fit with each other and remain firmly interconnected until manually pulled apart. However, making interconnecting toy blocks from hard plastic presents certain issues with regard to product safety. Toy blocks made of hard plastic have hard edges and corners, and are painful to step on with bare feet. As a result, if a person steps on such a product, they may injure their foot or even fall. Furthermore, hard plastic blocks can become lodged in a child's throat and / or intestines if the toy block is accidentally swallowed. Furthermore, hard plastic blocks, and larger structures made from such blocks, can break and fracture when stepped on, dropped, or otherwise subjected to impact.

[0003] In addition to product safety concerns, hard plastic toy blocks have male and female parts that connect to each other with only slight interlocking. This necessitates the application of very tight tolerances to the raw materials used in the manufacture and molding of such toy blocks. Variations in tolerances or materials can make it difficult for the toy blocks to connect to each other and / or separate. This complicates manufacturing and supply chain processes, making the production of such products difficult and expensive.

[0004] In conventional technology, toy blocks have been made from softer materials than hard plastic. In such products, the blocks are typically made from open-cell or closed-cell foam. The blocks are made to be too large to swallow and too hard to chew. In this way, even if the blocks, or structures made from blocks, are dropped, thrown, or chewed by children, no injury will occur.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2019 / 0381417 to Koppel describes toy building blocks made from molded polymer foam. The polymer foam makes the building blocks soft and compressible to a limited extent. The main problem with polymer foam is that, although it can be compressed elastically, it has low tensile strength and even lower shear strength. As a result, such foam material can only be used in large blocks where the mass of the foam provides strength. If such foam material were used in small blocks, the male protrusions formed on the blocks would easily break off from the blocks when the blocks are connected and manipulated.

[0006] Given the state of prior art, there is a need for improved toy building blocks that allow the blocks to be made from soft materials while still enabling the blocks to connect well with each other and withstand breakage, even when made in small sizes. This need is met by the present invention, described and claimed below. [Disclosure of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention relates to a set of toy building blocks and the structure of at least some of the blocks within the set. All toy building blocks in the set are molded from a thermoplastic elastomer. This allows each block to be elastically stretched by at least 10 percent in any direction without damage. Each toy building block has a body having a top and a bottom surface. One or more male connector projections extend from the top surface. Similarly, one or more female connector receptacles extend into the bottom surface of the body. In the set, the blocks may be provided in various shapes and sizes. In some blocks, the body is molded with empty reliefs. In other blocks, at least one internal chamber is molded. The internal chamber is separate and independent from the female connector receptacles. However, one or more internal chambers extend into the male connector projections.

[0008] Each internal chamber may be empty or filled with a filler material that does not impede the flexibility of the main body. The filler material is selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, and lubricating particles and is preferably visible through a molded thermoplastic elastomer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] For a better understanding of the present invention, the following description of exemplary embodiments is to be referenced together with the accompanying drawings, in which the drawings show:

[0010] Figure 1 shows an exemplary set of toy building blocks.

[0011] Figure 2 shows an upward perspective view of the first type of block from a set of toy building blocks.

[0012] Figure 3 shows a downward perspective view of the block shown in Figure 2.

[0013] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the block shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0014] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of two blocks joined together under compression.

[0015] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the two blocks separated under tension.

[0016] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a toy assembly block filled with filler material.

[0017] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a thin toy assembly block, and Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the thin toy assembly block shown in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] While the assembly toys of the present invention can be embodied in many ways, only a few exemplary embodiments are illustrated. These exemplary embodiments are shown for illustrative and descriptive purposes. They have been selected to illustrate some of the best modes intended for the present invention. However, the illustrated embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be considered as limitations in interpreting the appended claims.

[0019] Referring to Figure 1, a set 10 of toy building blocks 12 is shown. The toy building blocks 12 come in various shapes and sizes. Each toy building block 12 has a top surface 14 and a bottom surface 16. Male connector protrusions 18 extend vertically from the top surface 14 at evenly spaced positions. The male connector protrusions 18 are molded and sized to be received by female connector receptacles formed on the bottom surface of each toy building block 12, as will be shown later. The female connector receptacles are spaced to receive and hold the male connector protrusions 18. In this way, the top surface 14 of any one toy building block 12 can be connected to the bottom surface 16 of any other toy building block 12.

[0020] Each toy assembly block 12 is made entirely or partially from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material 22. The TPE material 22 can be prepared by mixing it with a plasticizing oil, such as mineral oil, to make it more flexible and elastic as needed. The selected TPE material 22, whether unmixed or mixed with a plasticizing oil, has the ability to stretch elastically by at least 10% in all directions without damage. In this way, the dimensions of each toy assembly block 12 can be increased by at least 10 percent when stretched. Similarly, the toy assembly block 12 can be twisted elastically without damage.

[0021] Referring to Figures 2 and 3 in conjunction with Figure 1, it can be seen that at least a portion of the toy assembly block 12 has a body 26 having a top surface 14, a bottom surface 16, and side walls 24. The top surface 14 includes a male connector projection 18. The bottom surface 16 includes a female connector receiving portion 20 sized to receive the male connector projection 18 in an interlocking fit. The body 26, the male connector projection 18, and the female connector receiving portion 20 are all integrally molded from a prepared TPE material 22. Thus, each of these surfaces and feature portions is elastic and has the ability to be compressed, stretched, and twisted in an elastic manner. Since the male connector projection 18 is made from the TPE material 22, the male connector projection 18 is flexible. Furthermore, since the female connector receiving portion 20 is made from the TPE material 22, the female connector receiving portion 20 can expand when compressed. Therefore, the flexible male connector projection 18 can be received by the flexible female connector receiving portion 20 over a very wide tolerance range, provided that the applied force causes the male connector projection 18 to come into contact with the female connector receiving portion 20.

[0022] Referring to Figure 4 in conjunction with Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that the male connector projection 18 has a cylindrical shape. The female connector receiving portion 20 is a relief shape of the male connector projection 18. Furthermore, the female connector receiving portion 20 is set to be slightly smaller in size to create an interlocking fit between the male connector projection 18 and the female connector receiving portion 20. Both the male connector projection 18 and the female connector receiving portion 20 may be provided with a slight camber angle C1 to allow the male connector projection 18 to move smoothly in and out of the female connector receiving portion 20. However, the connection between each male connector projection 18 and each female connector receiving portion 20 can be very strong. When the male connector projection 18 is pushed into the female connector receiving portion 20 as shown in Figure 5, it expands slightly due to the applied compressive force. This increases the interlocking fit between the male connector projection 18 and the female connector receiving portion 20, thereby forming a strong interconnection. This strong interconnection is maintained even when various toy building blocks 12 are interconnected to a larger structure. However, when the male connector projection 18 is pulled away from the female connector receiving portion 20 as shown in Figure 6, the male connector projection 18 extends. This causes the male connector projection 18 to become thinner, releasing the tight fit and allowing the toy building blocks 12 to be separated without damage. As a result, connections between the toy building blocks 12 can be easily formed, are strong once formed, and can be easily released when desired.

[0023] The toy assembly blocks 12 are molded from TPE material 22. The toy assembly blocks 12 can be molded solid. However, to reduce weight and the amount of material used, at least a portion of the larger toy assembly blocks 12 in the set 10 can be made hollow. In the larger toy assembly blocks 12, an internal chamber 30 can be molded into the body 26. The internal chamber 30 is located within the toy assembly block 12 between the top surface 14, the bottom surface 16, and the side walls 32. The presence of the internal chamber 30 makes the toy assembly block 12 more easily compressed when it is stepped on or manipulated by hand. The internal chamber 30 can be filled with air or an inert gas. Other filling materials can also be used. The internal chamber 30 can also partially extend into the male connector projection 18. In this way, the flexibility of the male connector projection 18 is increased, but the air pressure maintained within the internal chamber 30 prevents the male connector projection 18 from inverting when compressed.

[0024] Referring to Figure 7, a filled toy assembly block 40 is shown, which has the same molded structure as described earlier. Thus, the filled toy assembly block 40 has a body 42 made from the same TPE material 22 as discussed earlier. In the filled toy assembly block 40, an internal chamber 44 is formed within the body 42, and this internal chamber 44 is filled with a filler material 46. The filler material 46 can take the form of a liquid, gel, and / or loose lubricating particles. In this way, the filled toy assembly block 40 is filled, but can still freely expand, contract, and deform. The body 42 of the filled toy assembly block 40 is molded with sufficient wall integrity to maintain its shape while holding the filler material 46. When the filled toy assembly block 40 is compressed or twisted with sufficient force, the TPE material 22 may temporarily thin and bulge. As soon as the force is removed, the filled toy assembly block 40 returns to its original shape. The TPE material 22 used can be translucent, thereby allowing the filler material 46 to be observed within the body 42.

[0025] Some toy building blocks are large enough to include an internal chamber. However, smaller or thinner toy building blocks can also be included in building block sets. Referring to Figure 1 in conjunction with Figures 8 and 9, a thin toy building block 50 is shown. The thin toy building block 50 has an upper surface 52 having a male connector projection 54 and a lower surface 56 having a female connector receptacle 58. The upper surface 52 and the lower surface 56 are part of a narrow body 57. In the thin toy building block 50, the space required to accommodate the female connector receptacle 58 does not leave any extra space in the body 57 for a single sealed internal chamber. This is due to the fact that the female connector receptacle 58 extends from the lower surface 56 to near the upper surface 52. There is no room for internal space above the female connector receptacle 58, but there is some available space between the female connector receptacles 58. To increase flexibility and reduce both material and weight, a relief 60 is formed in the body 57 between the female connector receptacles 58. The relief 60 extends from the lower surface 56 into the main body 57 and is open along the lower surface 56.

[0026] The illustrated and described embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications can be made to those embodiments. For example, the shape and size of the toy building blocks can be modified to meet the needs of a particular set of toy building blocks intended for constructing a specific structure. Furthermore, different described types of toy building blocks, such as air-filled, gel-filled, and recessed, can be packaged together as a set. All such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Toy assembly blocks (10), A body (26) having an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (16), the body (26) being molded from a thermoplastic elastomer material that allows the body (26) to be elastically stretched, At least one male connector projection (18) extending from the upper surface (14), At least one female connector receiving portion (20) is formed on the lower surface (16) of the main body (26), The main body (26) comprises at least one internal chamber (30) formed therein, The at least one internal chamber (30) is separate and independent from the at least one female connector receiving portion (20). Toy building blocks (10).

2. The at least one internal chamber (30) is sealed inside the main body (26). The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

3. The at least one internal chamber (30) extends into the at least one male connector projection (18), The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

4. The at least one internal chamber (30) is filled with a filler material (46) selected from the group including liquids, gels, and lubricating particles. The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

5. The at least one internal chamber (30) is a single internal chamber formed within the main body (26), The at least one male connector projection (18) and the at least one female connector receiving portion (20) are arranged on opposite sides of the internal chamber (30). The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

6. The at least one female connector receiving portion (20) includes a plurality of female connector receiving portions (20) extending into the main body (26), The at least one internal chamber (30) includes a plurality of internal chambers (30) interposed between the plurality of female connector receiving portions (20), The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

7. The thermoplastic elastomer forming the main body (26) is mixed with a plasticizing oil. The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 1.

8. The thermoplastic elastomer forming the main body (26) is semi-transparent so that the filler material (46) can be seen through the thermoplastic elastomer. The toy assembly block (10) according to claim 4.

9. It comprises a plurality of interconnectable blocks (12) molded from a thermoplastic elastomer material, At least a portion of the plurality of interconnectable blocks (12) includes at least one internal chamber (30) that holds a filling material (46), The filler material (46) is selected from the group including liquids, gels, and lubricating particles. Toy building block set.

10. Each of the plurality of interconnectable blocks (12) has a body (26) having an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (16), At least one male connector projection (18) extends from the upper surface (14), At least one female connector receiving portion (20) is formed on the lower surface (16) of the main body (26). The toy assembly block set according to claim 9.

11. The at least one internal chamber (30) is separate and independent from the at least one female connector receiving portion (20). The toy assembly block set according to claim 10.

12. The at least one internal chamber (30) extends into the at least one male connector projection (18), The toy assembly block set according to claim 10.

13. The at least one internal chamber (30) is a single internal chamber (30) formed within the main body (26), The at least one male connector projection (18) and the at least one female connector receiving portion (20) are located on opposite sides of the single internal chamber (30). The toy assembly block set according to claim 10.

14. The at least one female connector receiving portion (20) includes a plurality of female connector receiving portions (20) extending into the main body (26), The at least one internal chamber (30) includes a plurality of internal chambers (30) interposed between the plurality of female connector receiving portions (20), The toy assembly block set according to claim 10.

15. The thermoplastic elastomer forming the main body (26) is semi-transparent so that the filler material (46) can be seen through the thermoplastic elastomer. The toy assembly block set according to claim 9.

Images