Children's building and construction kit based on interlocking crossbars and support columns
The unique interfacing of all parts allows for the construction or assembling of a toy building that achieves a physical look closely approximating the structural design of a real life building. To achieve this desired structural effect, injection molded plastic parts with specific polymer characteristics have been developed. Dovetailing has been utilized to meet the objective of support column parts and crossbar parts interlocking to form a three dimensional vertical and horizontal framework or grid. Dovetailing also provides good structural stability between these two parts. Hanging posts, insert posts, and insert holes have also been utilized to achieve parts interfacing. The technical requirements of the exterior panel parts require a polymer that provides for greater flexibility as opposed to the rigidity needed for support column parts and crossbar parts. The base, roof panel, and roof anchor parts also required specific polymer characteristics and attributes to achieve the total interfacing of parts.
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIXNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention is applicable to the children's toy industry falling within a range of products that can be categorized as children's construction toys. The USPC Classification that best fits this categorization is Class 446 AMUSEMENT DEVICES: TOYS, Subclass 85, CONSTRUCTION TOY.
The concept behind this invention is formulated from the belief that there is no commercially available children's construction kit that allows a child to conceptualize and construct a toy building that is similar in nature and image to the construction of an actual building in real life.
There are no specific references to documents relating to this invention. One cannot refer to specific problems in prior art (or state of technology) with this particular invention. There are other attempts with patented inventions that present a system of interlocking parts that allow a child or person to assemble some type of structure. However, the functional design of these other interlocking parts and systems are significantly different from the dovetailing and interlocking being achieved with this invention. The invention, categorized as a children's construction toy is unique and differentiated when compared to any other construction toy product in the marketplace. This invention looks to take advantage of injection molding techniques so that parts can be molded allowing for the dovetailing or interlocking of specifically developed parts so that they fit together to form a building structure.
Three primary questions presented themselves during development:
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- Can the invention be manufactured in a cost effective manner?
- Is the invention easy to understand and use?
- Does the invention's manifestation lend credence to a structure or structures found in the real world?
This invention looks to streamline the manufacturing process, simplify the process of assembly, and present an assembled structure that has a resemblance to a real world structure.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention consists of eight plastic (six of which are injection molded) parts that allow a child or person to construct a toy building that is similar in nature and image to the construction of an actual building in real life. In the future new parts will be developed and added to the product line. The eight parts are as follows:
1) Base
2) Support Column
3) Crossbar
4) Exterior Panel A
5) Exterior Panel B
6) Roof Panel A
7) Roof Panel B
8) Roof Anchor
The building is constructed by virtue of interlocking Support Column parts (approximately 80 mm in vertical length) and Crossbar parts (approximately 80 mm in horizontal length) that form a three dimensional vertical and horizontal structural grid pattern similar to what one would envision with an actual building being constructed. The bottom portion or insert post of each vertical Support Column part fits into a specially constructed plastic Base part (also injection molded). Four Support Column parts will allow the user to begin to construct the basis of a building by virtue of the fact that each series of four Support Column parts will be connected by horizontal Crossbar parts that fit into the upper dovetail section of the Support Column parts. A dovetail design has been incorporated so that the parts can slide easily into place.
The Exterior Panel A and B parts represent the exterior skin or windows of a constructed building. The Exterior Panel A and B parts are very thin and flexible plastic polymers. Each Exterior Panel part (approximately 87 mm×80 mm×0.5 mm) will slide onto small protruding hanging posts that are a component of the vertical Support Column part.
The roof of a constructed building will consist of either Roof Panel A or Roof Panel B parts. The Roof Panel A and B parts are thicker (approximately 11.0 mm) as compared to the Exterior Panel A and B parts. The Roof Panel A and B parts also contain supporting strips placed on the underside of the Roof Panel A and B parts. These strips provide strength and stability.
Inserted into the top end (insert hole) of a vertical Support Column part (representing the last and uppermost Support Column part in a series of Support Column parts placed one atop another) is the Roof Anchor part. The Roof Anchor part enhances the visual appeal of a constructed and completed building as well as provides structural integrity to the Roof Panel A and B parts.
The creative and imaginative essence of this invention is predicated on 1) the ability of a user to expand the size and scope of a building to a theoretically infinite size in both width and height and 2) on the ability of the user to fabricate multiple building designs with the eight manufactured parts.
The manufacturing and functional design of the parts provides for a cost effective and easy to use Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Columns.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
A Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Columns is comprised of eight (8) specific and identifiable parts:
1) Base
2) Support Column
3) Crossbar
4) Exterior Panel A
5) Exterior Panel B
6) Roof Panel A
7) Roof Panel B
8) Roof Anchor
Each Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Columns contains over two hundred pieces (200) derived from the eight (8) specific and identifiable parts. Each part is unique with a corresponding and unique relationship to the other parts.
For a child or user to enjoy the benefits of this invention the child or user needs to have an understanding of the parts and how such parts interface with each other.
With the possible exception of the Exterior Panels (A&B), all parts shall be manufactured through the process of injection molding. Each part requires different material characteristics and thus different polymers will be selected to meet the material characteristics needed for a particular part.
The Base part (approximately 291 mm×291 mm×9 mm or 11.46″×11.46″×0.35″) is needed to begin the process of assembling or constructing a building. As evidenced in
The Support Column part (
The Crossbar part (
The Exterior Panel A part is the “skin” or “window” that covers the exterior of a constructed building. The Exterior Panel A part is approximately 97 mm (horizontal length), 80 mm (vertical length), and 0.5 mm in thickness or depth (97 mm×80 mm×0.5 mm or 3.82″×3.15″×0.02″).
The Exterior Panel B part is a variation of the Exterior Panel A part. This variation allows for greater building design configurations.
The Roof Panel A part dimensions are approximately 87 mm×87 mm×1 mm (3.43″×3.43″×0.04″). A Roof Panel part is thicker than an Exterior Panel part because of the need to prevent any possible sagging of the part as well as allowing for the placement of an object onto the roof of a constructed building. The Roof Panel A part, as intuitively inferred, is placed at the top portion of a constructed building and lies on a horizontal plane. As illustrated in
The Roof Panel B part has virtually all of the same properties as the Roof Panel A part except for the Section Cut-A-Way (25) as illustrated in
The Roof Anchor part is the smallest Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Column's part. The Upper Section of the Roof Anchor is approximately 10 mm×10 mm×5 mm (0.39″×0.39″ 0.2″). The portion of the Roof Anchor that is the Anchor Insert Post and which slides into the Support Column part's Insert Hole is 7 mm in length (0.28″).
Claims
1. The Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Columns, utilizing molded plastic parts, allows the user to construct a toy building that resembles the structural nature and image of an actual building in real life.
2. The Children's Building and Construction Kit based on Interlocking Crossbars and Support Columns allows the user to construct a toy building based on a three dimensional vertical and horizontal structural grid of Crossbars and Support Columns.
3. The Base part (of the kit recited in claim 1) allows for the vertical insertion of Support Column parts.
4. The Base part (as recited in claim 3) has connecting insert holes (1) which allows for additional Base parts or other future fabricated parts to be connected to the Base part.
5. The Support Column part (of the kit recited in claim 1) has a sc insert post (8), a sc insert hole (4), hanging posts (6), an upper dovetail section (5), and a main body (7).
6. The Crossbar part (of the kit recited in claim 1) has two dovetail insertion sections (10).
7. The Crossbar part's (as recited in claim 6) dovetail insertion sections slide into the upper dovetail sections of Support Column parts (as recited in claim 5).
8. The Support Column parts (recited in claim 5) and the Crossbar parts (recited in claim 6) form a three dimensional vertical and horizontal frame or structural grid.
9. The Exterior Panel A part (of the kit as recited in claim 1) is attached vertically to two adjacent Support Column parts (recited in claim 5) by the Exterior Panel A hanging holes (18) which are slid onto the Support Column part's hanging posts.
10. The Exterior Panel B part (of the kit as recited in claim 1) has panel B hanging holes (21) and a hanging assembly (19).
11. The Exterior Panel B part's (as recited in claim 10) hanging assembly performs the function of hanging holes.
12. The Exterior Panel B part's (as recited in claim 10) hanging holes slide onto hanging posts of a single Support Column part.
13. The Exterior Panel B part's (as recited in claim 10) hanging assembly slides onto hanging posts of a single Support Column part (as recited in claim 5).
14. The Roof Panel A part (of the kit as recited in claim 1) covers the top surface or rooftop section of a constructed building.
15. The Roof Panel B part (of the kit as recited in claim 1) covers the top surface or rooftop section of a constructed building.
16. The Roof Anchor part (of the kit as recited in claim 1) has an upper section (26) and an anchor insert post (27).
17. The Roof Anchor part's (as recited in claim 16) anchor insert post slides into the sc insert hole of a Support Column (as recited in claim 5).
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 12, 2005
Publication Date: Mar 15, 2007
Inventor: Dana Richdale (Hilton Head, SC)
Application Number: 11/222,652
International Classification: A63H 33/04 (20060101);