Magnetic edifice construction toy
This invention relates to a construction toy for building an edifice by utilizing magnetic coupling between a superstructure and the sidewall panels and roof members to form the exterior surface of the edifice. The superstructure is formed by a plurality a horizontal frame members and vertical frame members coupled to each other by two, three, four, five, and six-way couplings. Each horizontal frame member carries intermediate its ends, a magnetizable member. Each sidewall panel carries a magnet adjacent an upper or lower edge for magnetically coupling with the magnetizable member. The roof members consist of planar panels, outside and inside corner members, truncated prism members, regular pyramid shaped members, and comparable shapes to form the exterior surface of the roof. Each of the roof members is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit a magnet to be carried by an interior surface for magnetically coupling with a magnetizable member to form at least a part of the roof.
This invention relates to an edifice construction toy utilizing magnetizable frame members to form the superstructure of the edifice and to permit magnetically the coupling of roof and sidewall panels carrying magnets to form the exterior of the edifice.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to the building of toy edifices that have a superstructure containing magnetizable frame members to which sidewall panels and roof members magnetically couple to form the exterior of the edifice. In the prior art, edifices were erected by the exterior members or pieces screwed or snapped to each other. The exterior members or pieces were not readily demonstrated to be used for an alternate edifice design. Erector sets of the prior art required the structural members to be screwed together and generally were limited to a single design. It would therefore be advantageous to create a superstructure having magnetizable elements that would permit sidewall panels and roof pieces to magnetically couple to the superstructure to form the edifice and to be easily demountable for use with superstructures of alternate edifice designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment, there is, therefore, provided according to the present invention, an edifice construction toy for building a toy edifice having a superstructure, side walls, and a roof. The superstructure consists of a plurality of frame members that have a longitudinal axis and a first and second end. At least a multiplicity of the frame members carry a magnetizable member intermediate the first and second ends for magnetic coupling with a plurality of side wall and roof members to form the exterior of the edifice. The sidewall members in the preferred embodiment are planar with an upper and lower edge and of parallelogram shape. Each of the sidewall members contains a plurality of magnets so disposed in the sidewall member to permit the magnetic coupling of a sidewall member with the magnetizable members carried respectively by the frame members thereby forming at least a part of the side wall. A multiplicity of outside roof corner members having an oblique pyramid shape comprising two intersecting lateral faces each face having a base substantially the same lateral dimension as the upper edge of a sidewall member. A lateral face magnet is carried by one of said lateral faces adjacent the base for magnetically coupling with at least one of said frame member magnetizable members to form at least a part of the roof. The superstructure may be so assembled such that the lateral faces of the roof corner members are in abutting relationship after magnetically coupling with respective frame members thereby forming a closed roof of the edifice.
In another embodiment, the superstructure of the above embodiment may be so assembled to permit the roof of the edifice to be modified by a multiplicity of planar roof insert members having an upper edge, a lower edge, and lateral sides where the lateral sides have substantially the same lateral dimension as a lateral face of a roof corner member and where the planar roof insert members have a magnet carried on a lower edge for magnetic coupling with a frame member. The planar roof insert member lateral sides, after magnetic coupling with a frame, are in abutting relationship with the edge of lateral faces of a roof corner member thereby forming a closed roof of the edifice.
In yet another embodiment, the superstructure of the edifice may be so assembled to permit the roof of the edifice to be comprised of at least one inside roof corner member and a multiplicity of outside roof corner members where the inside roof corner member has an inverted oblique pyramid shape comprising two intersecting lateral faces. Each of the lateral faces has an upper edge (base of inverted oblique pyramid) having substantially the same lateral dimension as a horizontally mounted frame member where each of the upper edges of the inverted oblique pyramid has a magnet associated therewith to permit magnetic coupling with a respective frame member.
These and other features and advantages will become appreciated as the same become better understood with reference to the following specification, claims and drawings wherein:
One embodiment of an assembled toy edifice, utilizing the superstructure and roof and sidewall panels of this invention, is shown in
Referring again to
As can further be seen in
The various types of couplings used to form superstructure 11 are illustrated in
To magnetically attach the sidewall elements and roof elements to superstructure 11, a magnet or a pair of magnets may be carried on the interior surface of the sidewall element or roof element for coupling with magnetizable body 19. By referring to
A modification of superstructure 11 is illustrated in
In
Another roof construction panel element, or roof element, is illustrated in
Roof construction elements of edifice 46 are further illustrated in
Other assembly elements of edifice 46 are shown in
Further illustration of roof panel elements are shown in
While I have shown and described embodiments of an edifice magnetic construction toy having a superstructure, sidewall panel elements, and roof elements that magnetically couple with the superstructure, it is to be understood that the invention is subject to many modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims as recited herein.
Claims
1. A toy edifice structure having a superstructure, sidewalls, and a roof, comprising:
- a) a plurality of frame members where each said frame member has a longitudinal axis and a first end and second end;
- b) a magnetizable member carried by each of a multiplicity of said plurality of frame members intermediate said first and second ends;
- c) said superstructure comprising a plurality of coupling joints for captively holding a first end or a second end of each said frame member;
- d) said sidewall comprising a plurality of planar panel members having an upper edge and a lower edge and having an exterior surface and an interior surface and having a parallelogram shape, each said planar panel members further having a magnet so disposed on said interior surface to permit magnetic coupling of said planar panel member with at least one of said magnetizable members
- e) said roof comprising a roof corner member having an oblique pyramid shape formed by the intersection of two lateral faces at a dihedral angle of substantially ninety degrees, each said lateral face having an exterior surface and an interior surface and a base of substantially the same length as said upper edge of said planar panel member, and a lateral magnet carried by each said interior surface where said lateral magnet is so disposed on said interior surface to permit said interior surface to magnetically couple with at least one of said frame members.
2. The toy edifice structure recited in claim 1 where said multiplicity of said plurality of frame members are horizontal frame members.
3. The toy edifice structure recited in claim 1 where said plurality of frame members comprise horizontal frame members and vertical frame members where each said horizontal frame member carries a said magnetizable member.
4. The toy edifice structure recited in claim 1 where said roof further comprises an inside corner roof member, said inside corner roof member comprising two intersecting planar elements having exterior and interior surfaces forming an oblique pyramid shape, said planar elements further having bases of like dimension and a lateral edge formed by the intersection of said planar elements, said inside corner roof member further comprising a magnet carried on said interior surface adjacent said base.
5. The toy edifice recited in claim 1 where said roof further comprises a roof peak panel member comprising two intersecting planar panel elements where said intersection forms the peak of said roof peak panel, said planar panel elements further having an exterior surface and an interior surface where each said planar panel element has a bottom edge substantially parallel to said intersection, and further comprising a magnet carried by said interior surface adjacent said bottom edge.
6. The toy edifice recited in claim 1 where said roof further comprises a cornice roof panel member comprising three intersecting planar panel elements forming a truncated right triangular prism shape having a peak lateral edge and a pair of opposing lateral edges where said opposing lateral edges are of substantially the same length, said planar panel elements having interior surfaces and a magnet carried by said interior surface for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member.
7. The toy edifice recited in claim 1 where said roof further comprises a pyramid roof member comprising four intersecting planar panel elements, said intersecting planar panel elements forming a regular pyramid shape where the lateral dimension of each base segment of said pyramid is substantially of equal length, said pyramid roof member having an interior surface and a magnet carried by said interior surface for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member.
8. The toy edifice recited in claim 1 further comprising roof panel means for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member and forming at least a part of said roof.
9. In combination, construction elements for building a toy edifice structure having a superstructure, sidewalls, and a roof, comprising:
- a) a plurality of frame members where each said frame member has a longitudinal axis and a first and second end;
- b) a magnetizable member carried by at least a multiplicity of said frame members intermediate said first and second ends;
- c) a plurality of coupling joints for directionally connecting said frame members to form said superstructure;
- d) a plurality of planar panel members having an upper edge and a lower edge, each said planar panel member having a parallelogram shape;
- e) a plurality of magnets so carried by each of said planar panel members to permit magnetic coupling of said planar panel member with at least one of said frame members to from at least a part of said sidewall;
- f) a roof corner member having an oblique pyramid shape comprised of two intersecting lateral faces where the base of each said lateral face has substantially the same dimension as said upper edge of said planar panel member; and
- g) a lateral magnet carried by one of said lateral faces adjacent said base for magnetically coupling with at least one of said frame members to form at least a part of said roof.
10. The combination recited in claim 9 where said roof further comprises an inside corner roof member, said inside corner roof member comprising two intersecting planar elements having exterior and interior surfaces forming an oblique pyramid shape, said planar elements further having bases of like dimension and a lateral edge formed by the intersection of said planar elements, said inside corner roof member further comprising a magnet carried on said interior surface adjacent said base.
11. The combination recited in claim 9 where said roof further comprises a roof peak panel member comprising two intersecting planar panel elements where said intersection forms the peak of said roof peak panel, said planar panel elements further having an exterior surface and an interior surface where each said planar panel element has a bottom edge substantially parallel to said intersection, and further comprising a magnet carried by said interior surface adjacent said bottom edge.
12. The combination recited in claim 9 where said roof further comprises a cornice roof panel member comprising three intersecting planar panel elements forming a truncated right triangular prism shape having a peak lateral edge and a pair of opposing lateral edges where said opposing lateral edges are of substantially the same length, said planar panel elements having interior surfaces and a magnet carried by said interior surface for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member.
13. The combination recited in claim 9 where said roof further comprises a pyramid roof member comprising four intersecting planar panel elements, said intersecting planar panel elements forming a regular pyramid shape where the lateral dimension of each base segment of said pyramid is substantially of equal length, said pyramid roof member having an interior surface and a magnet carried by said interior surface for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member.
14. The combination recited in claim 9 further comprising roof panel means for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member so as to form at least a part of said roof.
15. In combination:
- a) a superstructure comprising a plurality of frame members where each said frame member has a longitudinal axis and a first and second end, said frame member further having a magnetizable member carried intermediate said first and second ends, and a plurality of coupling means for captively receiving said first end or said second end of said frame member;
- b) sidewall members for removable attachment to said superstructure comprising a plurality of planar panel members having an upper edge and a lower edge, an exterior surface and an interior surface where each of said planar panel members has a parallelogram shape; said sidewall member further comprising a magnet carried by each said planar panel adjacent said upper or lower edge and so adapted to said interior surface to permit said planar panel member to magnetically couple with said magnetizable member whereby said planar panel member may be removably mounted to said superstructure; and
- c) a plurality of roof elements for removable attachment to said superstructure comprising a roof corner member having an oblique pyramid shape formed by two intersecting lateral faces, said lateral faces intersecting at a dihedral angle of substantially ninety degrees where each said lateral face has an exterior surface and an interior surface and a base of substantially the same length as said upper edge of said planar panel member, said roof corner member further comprising a lateral magnet so adapted to said interior surface to permit said lateral magnet to magnetically couple with said magnetizable member.
16. The combination recited in claim 15 further comprising roof panel means for magnetically coupling with said magnetizable member so as to form at least a part of said roof.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 6, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 10, 2008
Inventor: Steven H. Balanchi (Altadena, CA)
Application Number: 11/481,673