Arc Toy Building Element Geometry for Seamless Modular Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular toy building elements with curved surfaces face compatibility issues, leading to uneven gaps or inability to fit together due to mismatched dimensions and transitions, affecting aesthetic appeal and assembly feasibility.
Innovation Solution
The design of toy building elements with arc surfaces featuring a specific modular distance ratio and combination of vertical planar and curved surface portions, allowing for improved fit and compatibility with other elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If curved surface toy building elements are designed to cooperate with earlier elements having small vertically oriented surfaces, then compatibility with existing elements is improved, but uneven gaps or inability to fit together occurs due to varying modular distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing specific dimensional relationships between the arc surface length (L2) and height (H2), where H2/L2 ratio is constrained to specific values (5/2, 7/2, 10/2, etc.). This parameter optimization ensures that curved surfaces fit precisely with existing modular elements while maintaining compatibility across the toy building system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved surfaces (arcs) instead of flat surfaces to create smooth transitions between different modular elements. The arc surfaces with specific curvature ratios eliminate sharp edges and create aesthetically pleasing connections, while the curvature is mathematically constrained to ensure precise fitting with the modular coupling system.
2Shape
If toy building elements have curved surfaces to improve aesthetics, then visual appeal is enhanced, but compatibility issues arise leading to uneven gaps or assembly failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of curved surfaces by defining specific relationships between arc length (L2) and height (H2), where the ratio H2/L2 must equal specific values (5/2, 7/2, 10/2, 12/2, 15/2, 17/2, or 20/2). This mathematical constraint ensures that aesthetically pleasing curved surfaces remain compatible with the modular coupling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses curved surfaces with controlled curvature to achieve both aesthetic appeal and system compatibility. The arcs are not arbitrarily shaped but are mathematically constrained to specific curvature ratios that enable them to fit precisely with existing modular elements while maintaining visual beauty.
3Ease of operation
If modular distance between coupling elements is standardized, then ease of assembly is improved, but flexibility in creating diverse structures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the toy building system into standardized modular units with fixed coupling element patterns. The first modular distance (M) and second modular distance (P = 2/5 M) create a hierarchical segmentation that allows simple assembly rules while enabling diverse structures through combination of these standardized units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal coupling elements that can connect different types of building elements (flat, curved, arched) through a standardized interface. The knobs and knob receiving openings work universally across all element types, allowing one coupling mechanism to serve multiple structural purposes while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular toy system comprising toy building elements including an arc toy building element. The arc toy building element has at least one knob receiving opening formed in a bottom surface or at least one knob formed in a top surface configured for coupling to complimentary coupling elements of another toy building element in a first direction. The arc toy building element also has an arc surface formed as a convex surface on the arc toy building element and extending over a length in a direction parallel to the top surface or to the bottom surface of the arc toy building element, the length is an integer multiple of a modular distance defining the spacing of a regular two-dimensional pattern for the toy building elements.