Three-dimensional design toy

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toy system which, in the toy industry, develops children's three-dimensional thinking and design abilities, enables the production of new and larger structures by joining parts with other parts of the same or a different type, and, depending on the types of the parts and their joining characteristics, makes it possible to develop countless different designs.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN TOY

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention relates to a toy system which, in the toy industry, develops children’s three-dimensional thinking and design abilities, enables the production of new and larger structures by joining parts with other parts of the same or a different type, and, depending on the types of the parts and their joining characteristics, makes it possible to develop countless different designs.

[0005] The present invention relates to basic pieces such as triangular, square, regular pentagonal and regular hexagonal pieces, and to parallelogram, rectangular, isosceles trapezoidal, irregular equilateral pentagonal and irregular equilateral hexagonal pieces formed by combining these basic pieces. Connection points are present on all edges of the pieces; by means of these connection points, pieces having the same or different shapes can be joined to one another in a movable or fixed manner.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In order to be able to develop children’s three-dimensional thinking ability, visual reading and analytical way of thinking at an early age, toys of many different types and technologies have been developed and are being developed. Toys having an interlocking feature are one of the types of toys developed for this purpose.

[0008] Toy types (17) in the form of a rectangular prism, which have circular interlocking parts on the vertical axis, have been developed in this field and are among the toys in widespread use. Since this type of toy has only the feature of joining vertically upwards and downwards, the range of designs that can be developed is limited, there are no movable parts, and additional parts having different characteristics are required in order to acquire these capabilities.

[0009] Toys having the ability to move, which, by removing the restriction of vertical joining, allow more varied part combinations, have been developed at a later stage and offered to users.

[0010] Practices that have been developed by using basic geometric shapes and that are based enjoining parts through their edges are classified into different groups.

[0011] Inventions developed by using magnets and employing basic geometric shapes have three-dimensional modelling capability.

[0012] In the invention with publication number “CN201969351U” and title “Magnetic body and building block toy with same”, the mutual joining of the pieces is achieved by magnets placed at the midpoints of the edges of geometric shapes formed of plastic frames. In this patent, triangular and square pieces are given as examples.

[0013] In the invention with publication number “CN204864981U” and title “Magnetic force building blocks toy”, magnets placed at the midpoints of the edges of geometric shapes formed of plastic frames by a different method are likewise used, and a pentagonal piece has been added.

[0014] In the invention with publication number “CN204543574U” and title “Magnetic force concatenation toy”, two magnets have been placed inside each edge.

[0015] In addition to basic geometric pieces, inventions that include auxiliary joining pieces can also be considered as another group.

[0016] In the invention with publication number “CN201242820Y” and title “Teaching aid or toy of combined space geometric body”, different edge structures have been developed for triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal and 30 octagonal pieces, and simple auxiliary joining tools of different types matching these structures have been developed. In the invention with publication number “CN213285656U” and title “Building block piece capable of containing cards”, simple auxiliary joining pieces have been designed so as to connect two or three pieces to each other.

[0017] In the invention with publication number “US2008066393A1” and title “INSTANT, PRE-TENSIONED, TOOL FREE, POLYHEDRAL, ENCLOSURE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM”, auxiliary joining pieces have been designed in five different forms in order to be able to join two, three, four, five and six different pieces.

[0018] In the invention with publication number “W02021141504A1” and title “A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL BUILDING BLOCK TOY”, auxiliary joining pieces are present. However, the structure of these auxiliary joining pieces is much more complex than in the three previous examples.

[0019] Inventions that do not require an auxiliary connecting piece and in which the basic pieces have the capability of being joined to one another have been evaluated as the last group. The present invention is included in this group.

[0020] The invention with publication number “WO2015126322A1” and title “BUILDING BLOCK” consists of solid basic geometric shapes having connection pieces on their edges. The connection pieces are designed in two different types, male and female, so as to extend along the edge. In order to complete the symmetry that is broken in geometric shapes having an odd number of edges, pieces having two different connection pieces on each edge, one male and the other female, have been designed. The angular rotation capability of the connection pieces is limited.

[0021] The invention with publication number “WO2017209344A1” and title “BUILDING BLOCK TOY SET” is a toy having basic geometric shapes, having very diverse usage capabilities but at the same time containing pieces of quite a complex structure, with two connection pieces, one female and one male, present on its edges. The thickness of the pieces does not allow flexible movement along the joining axes. The invention with publication number “US2017340981A1” and title “CONSTRUCTION TOY WITH INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS” consists of basic geometric shapes having spherical connection pieces on their edges. Since the number of spheres present on each edge is fixed, the size of the spheres affects the thickness of the pieces and therefore also their volume. In this invention, the connection pieces in an interlocking structure have been adapted only for a single type of rectangular piece, and no example is presented that covers the basic geometric shapes.

[0022] The invention with publication number “CN2813040Y” and title “Movable geometric sheet” is a product having geometric shapes with different types of connection pieces on each edge. The connection pieces have the ability to move on the connection axis. The connection pieces on the edges are located along the edge and are of a complex structure.

[0023] The invention with publication number “CN2403473Y” and title “Block structural unit” is a toy having basic geometric shapes with two different connection pieces on each edge, one male and one female. The connection pieces are located along the edge.

[0024] The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet at the same time functional toy which can help children develop three-dimensional perception and thinking abilities, has three-dimensional modelling capability, offers unlimited different joining options, has low production cost and can be easily accessible to everyone.

[0025] The present invention provides better solutions in different areas compared with the inventions listed above.

[0026] The above-mentioned inventions having magnetic properties are quite capable in terms of angle of movement. However, it is necessary for the magnetic poles of the magnets to be properly arranged. When the production cost of both the magnets and the plastic parts housing these magnets is taken into consideration, the present invention provides a very great advantage in terms of cost. Furthermore, on account of the weight of the magnetically functional parts, it is not possible to construct very large structures. The present invention is also advantageous in terms of constructing larger and more durable models with a greater number of pieces.

[0027] The greatest advantage of the present invention over existing inventions that acquire modelling capabilities by means of auxiliary joining pieces is that it does not require any additional piece for connection. The small number of part types provides an advantage both in terms of production and in terms of the use and storage of the toy.

[0028] Inventions that do not require an auxiliary connecting piece and in which the pieces have the capability of being connected to other pieces have similar characteristics to the present invention. However, the present invention has one or more advantages over the other inventions in terms of simplicity, ease of use, movement capability and production cost. The advantages of the present invention over the inventions falling within this group have been examined separately in items:

[0029] For the invention with publication number “WO2015126322A1” and title “BUILDING BLOCK”, only the most capable toy version, which has two connection points on each edge, has been taken into consideration. In this connection structure, the angular movement of the two joined pieces is limited. By means of the connection points proposed in the invention, it does not appear to be possible to obtain an angle of 45° in both directions between the two pieces. The present invention has advantages in terms of movement capability and production cost.

[0030] The invention with publication number “WO2017209344A1” and title “BUILDING BLOCK TOY SET”, on account of having very different capabilities, has been designed in a very complex manner. The present invention has advantages in terms of ease of use, ease of manufacture and production cost.

[0031] In the invention with publication number “US2017340981A1” and title “CONSTRUCTION TOY WITH INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS”, basic geometric shapes having spherical connection points on their edges are used. The present invention has advantages in terms of ease of use, ease of manufacture and production cost. In the other toy having an interlocking structure, only rectangular shapes are present. The connection point pieces in the interlocking structure are very wide. Compared with this toy, the present invention has advantages in terms of movement capability, variety of parts, production cost and ease of use.

[0032] The invention with publication number “CN2813040Y” and title “Movable geometric sheet” is a toy having similar capabilities. However, only square and triangular pieces have been developed, and no detailed examples are given regarding the joining of different pieces with one another. When the technical drawings are examined, due to the fact that the connection axes of the edges of the snub cuboctahedron in the given example and of the triangle placed thereon do not match exactly, it is considered that, with the method developed, it is not possible for different types of geometric shapes to be joined to one another seamlessly. Considering also the complexity of the pieces belonging to this invention, the present invention has advantages in terms of movement capability, production cost and ease of use.

[0033] In the invention with publication number “CN2403473Y” and title “Block structural unit”, there are two different connection pieces, namely one male and one female, on each edge. The fact that the connection pieces are in a continuous structure along the edge, with no gaps between them, eliminates the ability of the pieces to flex along the edge-parallel axis and makes the use of the interlocking structure difficult. When repeated attaching and detaching operations are applied, there is a risk that the projections of the male connection pieces will wear and that the efficiency of the connection pieces will decrease within a short period of time. The present invention has an advantage in terms of ease of use.

[0034] In order to be able to solve the problems encountered in existing inventions and to reduce the production cost, basic geometric shapes have been taken as a starting point, the edges of these basic geometric shapes have been treated as a connection axis (13.3), and the edges (13.1) of the shapes belonging to the toy have been positioned at a certain distance (13.2) from this connection axis. With this method, which is considered as a new approach, by increasing the distance (13.2) between the connection axis and the edge, it is possible to reduce the minimum angle (10.1) between two parts that are joined and acquire the ability to move about the joining axis to below 30°, and to increase the total angle of movement (14.1) that can be achieved to above 300°.

[0035] When the geometric pieces having connection points thereon are designed as solid, semi-solid or in a hollow frame form, they also have the same modelling capabilities. Taking into consideration the factors of ease of use, ease of manufacture and production cost, the hollow frame form has been selected as the most suitable version.

[0036] The present invention, at the designated intermediate and complex level, has the capability of modelling convex bodies formed by the combination of more than one different type of regular polygon, namely the snub cube (19), the truncated octahedron (21), the icosidodecahedron (23) and the rhombicosidodecahedron (25) (20, 22, 24, 26).

[0037] The present invention does not allow more than two parts to be joined in the same line on a single connection axis. It may be possible for a third part, which can be joined by a new connection method to one of these two parts that are joined in a fixed or movable manner on the connection axis, also to be joined in the same line and on the same connection axis. For this, a new connection method and, if necessary, new and special parts suitable for this connection method must be developed.

[0038] In addition, by developing supplementary parts such as wheels, propellers and doors, and intermediate parts that will ensure the compatibility of these parts with the present invention, it may be possible to accelerate children’s adaptation and attract their interest.

[0039] By means of the developed connection point method, it becomes possible for basic pieces having 2 connection points on each edge and small pieces having 1 connection piece on each edge also to be used together.

[0040] Description of the Figures

[0041] Figure 1 : Equilateral triangular base piece with connection points on its edges

[0042] Figure 2: Square base piece with connection points on its edges

[0043] Figure 3: Regular pentagonal base piece with connection points on its edges Figure 4: Square pyramid formed by 4 equilateral triangular pieces and 1 square piece

[0044] Figure 5: Regular hexagonal piece with connection points on its edges

[0045] Figure 6: Parallelogram piece that can be formed by triangular base pieces with connection points on their edges, and assembled triangular pieces equivalent to this piece

[0046] Figure 7: Rectangular piece that can be formed by square base pieces with connection points on their edges, and assembled square pieces equivalent to this piece

[0047] Figure 8: Detailed view of the connection points and the locking mechanism

[0048] Figure 9: Top view of two joined square pieces

[0049] Figure 10: Minimum angle of movement of the interlocking structure formed by the connection points

[0050] Figure 11 : Example structure formed by square, pentagonal and hexagonal pieces

[0051] Figure 12: Detailed view of the connection point

[0052] Figure 13: Detailed view of the triangular piece

[0053] Figure 14: Movement capability of the movable one of two pieces joined by the connection points

[0054] Figure 15: Pentagonal piece that can be formed by square and triangular base pieces with connection points on their edges, and assembled square and triangular pieces equivalent to this piece

[0055] Figure 16: Hexagonal piece that can be formed by square and triangular base pieces with connection points on their edges, and assembled square and triangular pieces equivalent to this piece

[0056] Figure 17: A toy having interlocking block features

[0057] Figure 18: Geometric shapes on which the pieces of the invention are based Figure 19: Snub cube or snub cuboctahedron: a convex polyhedron having 38 faces, composed of 6 square and 32 equilateral triangular faces, with 60 edges and 24 vertices

[0058] Figure 20: Snub cube formed with the invention

[0059] Figure 21 : Truncated octahedron: a convex polyhedron having 14 faces, composed of 6 square and 8 hexagonal faces, with 36 edges and 24 vertices

[0060] Figure 22: Truncated octahedron formed with the invention

[0061] Figure 23: Icosidodecahedron: a convex polyhedron having 32 faces, composed of 12 pentagonal and 20 equilateral triangular faces, with 60 edges and 30 vertices

[0062] Figure 24: Truncated icosidodecahedron formed with the invention

[0063] Figure 25: Rhombicosidodecahedron: a convex polyhedron having 62 faces, composed of 12 pentagonal, 30 square and 20 equilateral triangular faces, with 120 edges and 60 vertices

[0064] Figure 26: Rhombicosidodecahedron formed with the invention

[0065] Figure 27: Structure allowing different connection options

[0066] Figure 28: Isosceles trapezoid piece that can be formed by triangular base pieces with connection points on their edges, and assembled triangular pieces equivalent to this piece

[0067] Figure 29: Small equilateral triangular pieces having one connection point on each edge

[0068] Figure 30: Small square piece having one connection point on each edge

[0069] Figure 31 : Small hexagonal piece having one connection point on each edge

[0070] Figure 32: Interaction between small and large pieces

[0071] Figure 33: Small parallelogram piece that can be formed by small triangular base pieces having one connection point on their edges, and assembled small triangular pieces equivalent to this piece Figure 34: Small rectangular piece that can be formed by small square base pieces having one connection point on their edges, and assembled small square pieces equivalent to this piece

[0072] Figure 35: Small isosceles trapezoid piece that can be formed by small triangular base pieces having one connection point on their edges, and assembled small triangular pieces equivalent to this piece

[0073] Reference List

[0074] 1 : Equilateral triangular base piece

[0075] 2: Square base piece

[0076] 3 : Regular pentagonal base piece

[0077] 4: Square pyramid formed with the invention

[0078] 5: Regular hexagonal base piece

[0079] 6: Parallelogram composite piece

[0080] 6.1 : Parallelogram piece

[0081] 6.2: Assembly of two equilateral triangular pieces equivalent to the parallelogram piece

[0082] 7: Rectangular composite piece

[0083] 7.1 : Rectangular piece

[0084] 7.2: Assembly of two square pieces equivalent to the rectangular piece

[0085] 8.1 : Top view of the projection at the edge of the male connection point

[0086] 8.2: Top view of the projection at the edge of the male connection point

[0087] 8.3: Body width of the male connection point

[0088] 8.4: Three-dimensional view of the projection at the edge of the male connection point

[0089] 8.5: Three-dimensional view of the projection at the edge of the male connection point

[0090] 8.6: Top view of the recess at the edge of the female connection point 8.7: Top view of the recess at the edge of the female connection point

[0091] 8.8: Distance between the parts forming the female connection point

[0092] 8.9: Three-dimensional view of the recess atthe edge of the female connection point

[0093] 8.10: Three-dimensional view of the recess at the edge of the female connection point

[0094] 8.11 : Top view of the connection formed by the male and female connection points locked together by application of force

[0095] 8.12: Three-dimensional view of the connection formed by the male and female connection points locked together by application of force

[0096] 8.13: Top view of the male connection point

[0097] 8.14: Three-dimensional view of the male connection point

[0098] 8.15: Top view of the female connection point

[0099] 8.16: Three-dimensional view of the female connection point

[0100] 8.17: Distance between the apexes of the projections at the tip of the male connection point

[0101] 9.1 : Edge of the square piece

[0102] 9.2: Connection axis on which the connection points are seated

[0103] 9.3: Direction of the force to be applied to the male connection point for locking of the connection points

[0104] 9.4: Direction of the force to be applied to the female connection point for locking of the connection points

[0105] 10: Movement of the joined pieces

[0106] 10.1 : Minimum angle between two pieces

[0107] 11 : Joining of different pieces

[0108] 12.1 : Female connection point detail

[0109] 12.2: Male connection point detail 12.3: Active connection detail

[0110] 12.4: Distance from the edge to the centre of the recess of the female connection point

[0111] 12.5: Distance from the edge to the centre of the projection of the male connection point

[0112] 12.6: Edge on which the male connection point is formed

[0113] 12.7: Edge on which the female connection point is formed

[0114] 12.8: Connection axis on which the male and female connection points are seated

[0115] 13.1 : One edge of the triangular piece

[0116] 13.2: Distance between the edge and the connection axis

[0117] 13.3: One of the connection axes forming the triangular piece

[0118] 14.1 : Maximum angle of movement of one of the pieces

[0119] 15: Irregular equilateral pentagon composite piece

[0120] 15.1 : Irregular equilateral pentagon piece

[0121] 15.2: Assembled square-and-triangle piece equivalent to the irregular equilateral pentagon

[0122] 16: Irregular equilateral hexagon composite piece

[0123] 16.1 : Irregular equilateral hexagon piece

[0124] 16.2: Assembled two-triangle-and-one-square piece equivalent to the irregular equilateral hexagon

[0125] 17: Interlocking block toy

[0126] 18: Basic geometric shapes

[0127] 18.1 : Equilateral triangle

[0128] 18.2: Square

[0129] 18.3: Regular pentagon

[0130] 18.4: Regular hexagon 18.5: Parallelogram

[0131] 18.6: Pentagon

[0132] 18.7: Rectangle

[0133] 18.8: Hexagon

[0134] 18.9: Isosceles trapezoid

[0135] 19: Snub cube

[0136] 20: Snub cube formed with the invention

[0137] 21 : Truncated octahedron

[0138] 22: Truncated octahedron formed with the invention

[0139] 23: Icosidodecahedron

[0140] 24: Truncated icosidodecahedron formed with the invention

[0141] 25: Rhombicosidodecahedron

[0142] 26: Rhombicosidodecahedron formed with the invention

[0143] 27.1 : Connection axis at which two square pieces are joined

[0144] 27.2: Common connection axis on which the two edges of the two joined square pieces, which are perpendicular to the connection axis at which the joining is realised and face the same direction, are seated

[0145] 27.3 : Distance between the centres of the male and female connection points on the edge of one of the joined square pieces that uses the common axis

[0146] 27.4: Minimum distance between the centres of the male and female connection points, each located on a different one of the two adjacent edges that are located on the common axis of the two joined square pieces

[0147] 27.5: Edge of one of the joined square pieces which is parallel and close to the common connection axis that is perpendicular to the connection axis at which the joining is realised 27.6: Edge of the other of the joined square pieces which is parallel and close to the common connection axis that is perpendicular to the connection axis at which the joining is realised

[0148] 27.7: Edge of one of the joined square pieces which is parallel and close to the connection axis at which the joining is realised

[0149] 27.8: Edge of the other of the joined square pieces which is parallel and close to the connection axis at which the joining is realised

[0150] 28: Isosceles trapezoid composite piece

[0151] 28.1 : Isosceles trapezoid piece

[0152] 28.2: Assembly of three triangular pieces equivalent to the isosceles trapezoid

[0153] 29.1 : Small equilateral triangular piece, having one connection point on each edge, with two male and one female connection points

[0154] 29.2: Small equilateral triangular piece, having one connection point on each edge, with one male and two female connection points

[0155] 30: Small square piece, having one connection point on each edge, with two male and two female connection points

[0156] 31.1 : Small regular hexagonal piece, having one connection point on each edge, with three male and three female connection points

[0157] 31.2: Assembly of six small triangular pieces equivalent to the small hexagonal piece

[0158] 31.3: Small regular hexagonal piece, having one connection point on each edge, with three male and three female connection points

[0159] 31.4: Assembly of six small triangular pieces equivalent to the small hexagonal piece

[0160] 32.1 : Small square piece

[0161] 32.2: Small square piece whose parallel edges share the same connection axis with the square piece to which it is joined

[0162] 32.3: Edge of the small square piece that is perpendicular to the joining axis 32.4: Edge which is parallel to, and shares the same connection axis with, the edge of the square piece to which it is joined that is perpendicular to the joining axis

[0163] 32.5: Connection axis on which the upper edges of the joined small square pieces are seated

[0164] 32.6: Large basic square piece

[0165] 32.7: Joining realised on the connection points of the large square piece and the small square piece

[0166] 32.8: Small square piece

[0167] 32.9: Small square piece

[0168] 32.10: Basic equilateral triangular piece

[0169] 32.11 : Small triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0170] 32.12: Small triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0171] 32.13: Small triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0172] 32.14: Small triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0173] 33.1 : Small parallelogram piece

[0174] 33.2: Small equilateral triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0175] 33.3 : Small equilateral triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0176] 34.1 : Small rectangular piece

[0177] 34.2: Small square piece 1

[0178] 34.3: Small square piece 2

[0179] 35.1 : Small isosceles trapezoid piece having male connection pieces on the equal sides and a female connection piece on the upper edge

[0180] 35.2: Small isosceles trapezoid piece having female connection pieces on the equal sides and a male connection piece on the upper edge 35.3: Small equilateral triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0181] 35.4: Small equilateral triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0182] 35.5: Small equilateral triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0183] 35.6: Small equilateral triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0184] 35.7: Small equilateral triangular piece having two male and one female connection points

[0185] 35.8: Small equilateral triangular piece having one male and two female connection points

[0186] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0187] In this detailed description, the three-dimensional design toy that is the subject of the invention, together with its preferred alternatives, is explained solely for the purpose of enabling a better understanding of the subject and in a manner that does not create any limiting effect.

[0188] The present invention relates to basic pieces such as an equilateral triangular base piece (1), a square base piece (2), a regular pentagonal base piece (3) and a regular hexagonal base piece (5), and to pieces having edges (13.1) configured so as to form the shapes of a parallelogram (6.1), a rectangle (7.1), an isosceles trapezoid (28.1), an irregular equilateral pentagon (15.1) and an irregular equilateral hexagon (16.1), which are formed by combining these basic pieces; each edge (9.1) having one female connection point (12.1) and one male connection point (12.2); by means of an interlocking connection (12.3) established by the mating of the male and female connection points, acquiring the ability to rotate through more than 270° (14.1) about the connection axis (9.2); for the purpose of increasing the angle of rotation, the edges being located inward of the connection point (13.2), thereby enabling an angle (10.1) of less than 45° to be formed between two movable parts; and pieces having the same shape (4) or pieces of different shapes (11) being interlocked (12.3) via their connection points (12.1, 12.2) and connection axes (9.2) to come together and form larger and more complex structures (20, 22, 24, 26).

[0189] The connection axes (13.3) of the pieces belonging to the invention have been determined as the basic geometric shapes of an equilateral triangle (18.1), a square (18.2), a regular pentagon (18.3) and a regular hexagon (18.4), and, from these basic shapes, using equilateral triangles and squares, a parallelogram (18.5), an irregular equilateral pentagon (18.6), a rectangle (18.7), an isosceles trapezoid (18.9) and an irregular equilateral hexagon (18.8); subsequently, edges (13.2) located further inward from the connection axes (13.3) have been formed, and female (12.1) and male (12.2) connection points, which, by mating with one another (12.3), provide the interlocking connection structure, have been placed on these edges.

[0190] By using the basic pieces belonging to the invention, a parallelogram piece (6.1) with two joined equilateral triangular pieces (6.2), a rectangular piece (7.1) with two joined square pieces (7.2), a pentagonal piece (15.1) with one joined equilateral triangular piece and one square piece (15.2), a hexagonal piece (16.1) with two joined equilateral triangular pieces and one square piece (16.2), and an isosceles trapezoid piece (28.2) with three joined equilateral triangular pieces (28.1) have the same outer edge characteristics and connection points.

[0191] The invention also comprises small equilateral triangular pieces (29.1, 29.2, 32.11, 32.12, 32.13, 32.14), which, when joined together, have the same outer connection points as the basic equilateral triangular piece (32.10), and small square pieces (30, 32.1, 32.2, 32.8, 32.9), which, when joined together, have the same outer connection points as the basic square piece (32.6); as well as other small composite pieces formed by using these small basic pieces. On each edge of the small square basic piece (30), one male or female connection point is located in mutually opposing positions, and no two adjacent edges have the same type of connection point. The small triangular pieces are of two different types, namely a type having two male and one female connection point (29.1) and a type having one male and two female connection points (29.2).

[0192] By using the small basic pieces belonging to the invention, a small parallelogram piece (33.1) formed by two joined small equilateral triangular pieces (33.2, 33.3), a small rectangular piece (34.1) formed by two joined small square pieces (34.2, 34.3), an isosceles trapezoid piece (35.1) having a female connection point on its top edge formed by three joined equilateral triangular pieces (35.3, 35.4, 35.5), an isosceles trapezoid piece (35.2) having a male connection point on its top edge formed by three joined equilateral triangular pieces (35.6, 35.7, 35.8), and a small regular hexagonal piece (31.1, 31.3) formed by six joined small equilateral triangular pieces (31.2, 31.4) have the same outer edge characteristics and connection points.

[0193] The male connection point has a structure (12.2) having circular projections on both sides at its tip, and the distance from the edge (12.6) of the piece to the connection axis (12.8) is such (12.5) that the centre of the circular projection lies on the connection axis (12.8). The female connection point, formed as two parts, each having a circular recess at its tip side (12.1); the gap between the two parts is configured so as to be wider than the body portion of the male connection point and narrower than the width of the protruding portion of the male connection point; and the bottom points of the recesses (12.1) on both parts extend from the edge (12.7) to the connection axis (12.8) (12.4) in such a manner that the bottom points of the recesses (12.1) lie on the connection axis (12.8). By being designed as two separate elongate parts, the female connection point, by the flexibility thus obtained, facilitates the operations of detaching and attaching the connection points and at the same time allows the joined parts to move. The connection is established by bringing together the connection points on the two edges of the parts to be joined such that a female and a male connection point face one another and applying physical force (9.3, 9.4).

Claims

CLAIMS1. A toy having an interlocking structure and capable of forming three- dimensional models, characterized in that it comprises:- straight edges (9.1) forming geometric shapes,- at least one female connection point (8.15, 8.16) on at least one edge, said female connection point being formed of two parts (8.6, 8.7, 8.9, 8.10) arranged side by side and having circular recesses on their inner sides,- at least one male connection point (8.13, 8.14) on at least one edge, having circular projections (8.1, 8.2, 8.4, 8.5) on both sides at its tip,- a gap (8.8) between the two parts of the female connection point, which gap is wider than the body portion (8.3) of the male connection point and narrower than the width (8.17) of the protruding portion of the male connection point;- recesses (8.6, 8.7, 8.9, 8.10) in the portions of both parts of the female connection piece that face each other, the bottom points (12.1) of said recesses being located at a distance (12.4) from the edge (12.7) to the connection axis (12.8) such that the bottom points (12.1) lie on the connection axis (12.8);- circular projections (8.6, 8.7, 8.9, 8.10) on both sides of the tip (12.2) of the male connection point, the centres of said circular projections being located at a distance (12.5) from the edge (12.6) of the piece to the connection axis (12.8) such that their centres he on the connection axis (12.8);- an active connection (12.3) formed (8.11, 8.12) by the mating of the male and female connection points upon application of force (9.3, 9.4) to the male and female connection points, the active connection having the capability (10.1) of allowing one of the parts to rotate through more than 270° (14.1) about the connection axis (9.2) on which the connection points are seated and of forming an angle of less than 45° between the two movable parts.

2. A toy according to claim 1, which is capable of forming three-dimensional models, is characterized in that:- it has edges containing an even number of connection points such that each edge has an equal number of male and female connection points,- and that the distance (27.3) between the centres of the male and female connection points located on one edge (27.5), and the distance (27.4) between the centres of the nearest male and female connection points on an edge (27.6) of an adjacent piece (27.8), with which the piece is interlocked via the connection axis (27.1) belonging to said edge (27.5) and to the side edge (27.7) adjacent to said edge (27.5), which edge shares the same connection axis (27.2) as the aforesaid edge (27.5), are equal.

3. A toy according to claim 1, which is capable of forming three-dimensional models, is characterized in that it comprises the following parts:- a small equilateral triangular piece (29.1) having one connection point on each edge and having two male and one female connection points,- a small equilateral triangular piece (29.2) having one connection point on each edge and having one male and two female connection points,- a small square piece (30) having two male and two female connection points and having the same type of connection point on opposite edges,- a piece in the form of a regular hexagon (31.1, 31.3) having the same outer edge connections as six joined small equilateral triangular pieces (31.2, 31.4),- a parallelogram-shaped piece (33.1) having the same outer edge connections as two joined small triangular pieces of different types (33.2, 33.3), and in which the connection points on neighbouring edges are of different types,- a rectangular piece (34.1) having the same outer edge connections as two joined small square pieces (34.2, 34.3), and in which adjacent connection points are of different types,- an isosceles trapezoid piece (35.1) having a female connection point on its top edge and having the same outer edge connections as three joined small equilateral triangular pieces (35.3, 35.4, 35.5),- an isosceles trapezoid piece (35.2) having a male connection point on its top edge and having the same outer edge connections as three joined small equilateral triangular pieces (35.6, 35.7, 35.8).

4. A toy according to claim 2, which is capable of forming three-dimensional models, is characterized in that it comprises parts such as:- a basic triangular piece (1) (32.10) having the same outer edge characteristics as four joined small equilateral triangular pieces (32.11, 32.12, 32.13, 32.14),- a basic square piece (2) (32.6) having the same outer edge characteristics as four joined small square pieces (32.1, 32.2, 32.8, 32.9),- a piece (3) in the form of a regular pentagon having five equal edges,- a piece (5) in the form of a regular hexagon having six equal edges,- a parallelogram piece (6.1) having the same outer edge connections as two joined basic triangular pieces (6.2),- a rectangular piece (7.1) having the same outer edge connections as two joined basic square pieces (7.2),- a pentagonal piece (15.1) having the same outer edge connections as a pentagon(15.2) formed when one basic triangular piece (1) and one basic square piece (2) are joined,- a hexagonal piece (16.1) having the same outer edge connections as a hexagon(16.2) formed when two basic triangular pieces (1) and one basic square piece (2) are joined,- an isosceles trapezoid piece (28.1) having the same outer edge connections as an isosceles trapezoid (28.2) formed when three basic triangular pieces (1) are joined.

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