Building block
A building block includes three serially connected square frames, each of which has an outer frame portion and an inner cross-shaped located within the outer frame to divide a space enclosed in each square frame into four equal parts. The cross-shaped rib portion has a thickness at least twice as large as that of the outer frame portion. All the three square frames have two diagonally opposite cavities provided thereon, while one of the three square frames further has two connecting protrusions diagonally located at two sides of the two cavities, so that multiple pieces of the building blocks could be assembled together in different manners to form changeful shapes via engagement of the cavities with corresponding connecting protrusions.
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The present invention relates to a building block, and more particularly to a building block that allows multiple pieces of which to be assembled or stacked in different directions and manners to show changeful shapes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONU.S. Pat. No. 6,679,780 discloses a cubic building block formed from a plurality of connected frame portion shaving a predetermined thickness. The building block is provided at each side with a cross-shaped rib portion having a thickness smaller than that of the frame portion, so that a space enclosed in each frame portion is divided into four squared cavities. The building block is also provided in the frame portion on at least one side thereof with two diagonally opposite round connecting posts, so that the two round connecting posts respectively have a center just located at a center of a corresponding square cavity on any other side of the building block, and a diameter equal to each side of the squared cavity. When any two of the above-described building blocks are vertically or horizontally juxtaposed for two complete sides on the two building blocks to face each other, the round connecting posts on a first building block could always be aligned with the square cavities on another building block. Therefore, the two building blocks could always be effectively connected or stacked at two complete sides facing each other through engagement of the round connecting posts on one building block with corresponding square cavities on another one building block.
Since the building blocks disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,780 must be connected or stacked through full contact of two complete sides on two different building blocks, only limited connecting manners could be employed and only very limited shapes could be formed from assembling of these building blocks. The building blocks of U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,780 are therefore less attractive and less competitive in the existing commercial environments. It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a building block to overcome the drawbacks existed in the conventional building blocks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved building block that includes three serially connected square frames, each of which has an outer frame portion and an inner cross-shaped located within the outer frame to divide a space enclosed in each square frame into four equal parts. The cross-shaped rib portion has a thickness at least twice as large as that of the outer frame portion. All the three square frames have two diagonally opposite cavities provided thereon, while one of the three square frames further has two connecting protrusions diagonally located at two sides of the two cavities, so that multiple pieces of the building blocks could be assembled together in different manners to form changeful shapes via engagement of the connecting protrusions with corresponding cavities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
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Alternatively, the first and the second building block A, B may be connected together by attaching the first square frame 1a of the first building block A to the first square frame 1b of the second building block B, so that the round connecting posts 12a and 12b are engaged with corresponding cavities 13b and 13a, respectively.
The building blocks according to the second and the third embodiment of the present invention could be assembled and/or stacked in different manners to show different shapes just as the building blocks of the first embodiment.
In the above-mentioned first, second, and third embodiments, all the building blocks are provided on the regular triangles at two lateral sides thereof with an opening each, so as to save the material for forming the building blocks and reduce the weight of the formed building blocks.
Claims
1. A building block, comprising three serially connected square frames, namely, a first, a second, and a third square frame; each of said three square frames having an outer frame portion and a cross-shaped rib portion located within said outer frame portion to divide a space enclosed in said square frame into four equal parts, and said cross-shaped rib portion having a thickness at least twice as large as that of said outer frame portion; said first, said second, and said third square frame being provided with two diagonally opposite cavities, and said first square frame being further provided with two connecting protrusions diagonally located at two sides of said two cavities provided thereon; and each of said connecting protrusions having an outer diameter slightly smaller than an inner diameter of each said cavity, allowing multiple pieces of said building blocks to be linearly connected together and/or vertically stacked in changeful manners simply by engaging said connecting protrusions on one said building block with corresponding cavities on other said building blocks.
2. The building block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cross-shaped rib portion having a thickness twice as large as that of said outer frame portion.
3. The building block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting protrusions are in the shapes selected from the group consisting of round posts, cross-shaped protrusions, and regular polygonal posts.
4. The building block as claimed in claim 2, wherein said connecting protrusions are in the shapes selected from the group consisting of round posts, cross-shaped protrusions, and regular polygonal posts.
5. The building block as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an opening provided on each lateral side of said serially connected first, second, and third square frames.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 22, 2005
Publication Date: Aug 24, 2006
Applicant:
Inventor: Fu-Chi Lin (Taipei Hsien)
Application Number: 11/061,030
International Classification: E04C 2/04 (20060101); E04B 5/04 (20060101);