Toy building set with a vibrator sensor
A building set comprising building elements with coupling means for interconnection of building elements, wherein the building set comprises a vibrator building element with a device for generating vibrations and with coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set, wherein the coupling means are the only interface for outputting generated vibrations. The building set also comprises a sensor building element, and by the building set structures can be built for illustrating the propagation of vibrations through solid structures. Thus, the building set can be used both as a toy and for teaching purposes.
The invention relates to a building set with building elements that have coupling means for interconnection of building elements.
Such building sets are known eg in the form of toy building sets for children and the following patent publications are examples of such: U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282, U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,756 and P 490 033 showing toy building elements with various coupling means for interconnection of building elements, and toy building sets with other coupling means are known. These and other prior art building sets are used primarily as toys for children, but also for the construction of models of buildings and machinery.
The toy building set as described in the above patent publications area also available with movable elements, such as motors and wheels, and with other functional elements of which some are able to generate audible sound. In neither of these publications the vibrations are used to advantage for mechanical purposes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a building set for use as toy and for teaching purposes, and whereby it is possible to build models with novel functions that are useful—both when used for toys and when used for the construction of models for teaching purposes, where it is possible to build illustrative models for demonstrating the influence of vibrations on static and dynamic structures.
This object is accomplished with a building set according to the invention comprising a vibrator building element with a device for generating vibrations and having coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set.
By such building set it is possible to build structures and models, wherein the vibrator building element can be arranged in various places in the structure. Depending on the size of the structure, its rigidity, etc, and the nature of the vibrations, such as intensity and frequency, the vibrations will influence the structure in different ways. In case of relatively powerful vibrations, the structure will be caused to move across its support, and different positions of the vibrator building element on the structure will result in different movement patterns and, likewise, constructions of different sizes and rigidities will react differently to vibrations. Moreover, when one touches the structure with one's hand or finger, one will experience a sensory impression of the intensity of the vibrations.
By a building set that also comprises a sensor building element with a vibration sensor configured for emitting signals representing vibrations and with coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set, it is possible to obtain signals for objective measurements and registrations of vibrations in structures built with the building set for illustrating the propagation of vibrations through solid structures. Thus, the building set can be used both as toy and for teaching purposes. The sensor building element may be configured for emitting signals that represent vibration rate or vibration acceleration.
The configuration of the vibrator building element for generating vibrations may conveniently comprise a motor with a rotatable shaft and an eccentric mass on the shaft that will generate two-dimensional vibrations, or a magnetisable mass and an electric solenoid for magnetic cooperation with the magnetisable mass that will generate one-dimensional vibrations. Preferably the motor is an electromotor, but it is also an option to use a purely mechanical motor that is driven by a spring that can be wound or by a flywheel that the user may cause to rotate.
The building set may also comprise a building element with two mutually movable parts that each has coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set, and which are mutually connected by means of a flexible element. Such element can be arranged as a vibration deadening or absorbing element in the structure, and the user may experiment with the effects it has.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
On their top faces the coupling means thus have contact faces of metal on a part of their cylindrical faces; and two of the four walls that define the cavity of the element have corresponding contact faces of metal in those places that will, upon interconnection with other elements, be in contact with the contact faces on their coupling studs. Such interconnected elements are able to transmit electric power and electric signals.
The prior art building elements are mere examples of building sets for which the invention lends itself for use. In the following the invention will be described and exemplified by use of the prior art building elements shown in
When the motor in
The electric signals from the sensor building element 23 are conveyed to an analyser or a measurement instrument 24 configured for indicating or measuring the amplitude of the vibration signals or optionally analysing these signals.
In the shown configuration, vibrations from the vibrator building element 10 will be transmitted through the structure to the sensor building element 23, and the measurement instrument 24 will indicate the amplitude of the transmitted vibrations.
In
Claims
1. A building set comprising building elements with coupling means for interconnecting building elements, characterised in that the building set comprises a vibrator building element with a device for generating vibrations, and coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set; wherein the coupling means constitute the sole interface for outputting generated vibrations.
2. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the building set comprises a sensor building element with
- a vibration sensor configured for emitting signals representing sensed vibrations; and
- coupling means for interconnection with remaining building elements of the building set.
3. A building set according to claim 2, characterised in that the vibration sensor of the sensor building element is configured for emitting a signal that represents vibration rate.
4. A building set according to claim 2, characterised in that the vibration sensor of the sensor building element is configured for emitting a signal that represents the vibration acceleration.
5. A building set according to claim 2, characterised in that the building set comprises an instrument for recording the signals representing vibrations from the vibration sensor.
6. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the coupling means of the vibrator building elements are the only means of the vibrator building element that are configured for transmitting mechanical energy from the vibrator building element.
7. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the device of the vibrator building element for generating vibrations comprises a motor with a rotatable shaft and an eccentric mass on the shaft.
8. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the device of the vibrator building element for generating vibrations comprises a magnetisable mass and an electric solenoid for cooperating magnetically with the magnetisable mass.
9. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the building set comprises a building element with two mutually movable parts that each separately has coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set; and that are connected to each other by means of a flexible element.
10. A building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the building set comprises a building element with coupling means for interconnection with the remaining parts of the building set, and having bristles on an outer surface of the building element, wherein the bristles face essentially in the same direction that forms an angle different from zero degrees to the normal to the surface.
11. A vibrator building element for a building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the vibrator building element has a device for generating vibrations and coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set; wherein said coupling means are the only interface for outputting generated vibrations.
12. A vibrator building element according to claim 11, characterised in that the coupling means of the vibrator building element are the only means of the vibrator building elements that are configured for transmitting mechanical energy from the vibrator building element.
13. A vibrator building element according to claim 11, characterised in that the device of the vibrator building element for generating vibrations comprises a motor with a rotatable shaft and an eccentric mass on the shaft.
14. A vibrator building element according to claim 11, characterised in that the device of the vibrator building element for generating vibrations comprises a magnetisable mass and an electric solenoid for cooperating magnetically with the magnetisable mass.
15. A sensor building for a building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor building element has
- a vibration sensor configured for emitting signals representing vibrations; and
- coupling means for interconnection with the remaining building elements of the building set.
16. A sensor building element according to claim 15, characterised in that the vibration sensor of the sensor building element is configured for emitting a signal that represents the vibration rate.
17. A building element according to claim 15, characterised in that the vibration sensor of the sensor building element is configured for emitting a signal that represents the vibration acceleration.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 29, 2003
Publication Date: Nov 9, 2006
Inventors: Erik Bach (Billund), Kaj Svejstrup (Billund)
Application Number: 10/541,136
International Classification: A63H 33/08 (20060101);