Connectable blocks

Abstract

Connectable blocks are described. The invention includes a plurality of connectable blocks. Each block has a male part and corresponding female part, such that the male part on one block can be connected with the female part of another block, thereby being stackable. Additionally, each of the blocks includes a surface that is textured. An adhesive-backed material is included for detachably attaching with at least one of the connectable blocks. The connectable block can include an adhesive-backed surface so that it may be connected with another surface, such as a wall.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a non-provisional patent application, claiming the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/859,579, filed on Nov. 15, 2006, titled, “Connectable blocks.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of Invention

The present invention relates to stackable blocks and, more particularly, to a collection of connectable blocks that are made of a foam material and that can be stacked and/or connected to form a variety of shapes.

(2) Description of Related Art

Stackable blocks have long been known in the art. As an improvement over simple stackable blocks, Lego™ blocks were conceived that are connectable using male and female corresponding parts. Lego™ blocks are produced by the Lego Company, located at DK-7190 Billund, Denmark. Such connectable blocks have long been used to create a variety of miniature configurations. A problem with existing blocks is that they are small and do not allow a user to easily build large creations. Another problem with existing blocks is that should a user decide to position a sticker or otherwise adhesive backed material to the blocks, they will likely stick permanently and cannot be easily removed.

Thus, a continuing need exists for large, connectable blocks that allow a user to easily attach and detach adhesive backed items.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to connectable blocks. The invention includes a kit that comprises a plurality of connectable blocks. Each block includes a frame with a plurality of surfaces. Each frame also has a male part and a corresponding female part such that the male part on a first connectable block is formed to mate with a female part on another connectable block. Additionally, at least one surface of the frame of each block is textured to include a plurality of protrusions, with the protrusions providing contact points along a plane that lies upon the surface.

In another aspect, an adhesive-backed material (e.g., sticker) is included for detachably attaching with the frame of at least one connectable block, whereby a user can detachably attach and remove the adhesive-backed material to and from the frame.

In yet another aspect, the frame is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

Additionally, an adhesive backing is formed on at least one surface of the frame, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

In another aspect, the male parts and corresponding female parts are Z-shaped.

In yet another aspect, the present invention also includes a wall mount having male and female parts that are formed to connect with the corresponding male and female parts of the connectable blocks.

Finally, as can be appreciated by one in the art, the present invention also comprises a method for forming and using the connectable blocks described herein. The methods comprising a plurality of acts of forming and connecting the various parts described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the various aspects of the invention in conjunction with reference to the following drawings, where:

FIG. 1A is a top-side, perspective view of a connectable block according to the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a bottom-side, perspective-view of a connectable block according to the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a top, orthogonal-view of a connectable block according to the present invention;

FIG. 1D is a bottom, orthogonal-view of a connectable block according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of connectable blocks according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side-view of stacked connectable blocks according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom, orthogonal-view of connectable blocks according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a connectable block and its surface according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of different-shaped connectable blocks according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of adhesive-backed materials and a shaped aspect of a fire truck formed by connectable blocks according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side, perspective-view of connectable blocks according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is an illustration of connectable blocks according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to stackable blocks and, more particularly, to a collection of connectable blocks that are made of a foam material and that can be stacked and/or connected to form a variety of shapes. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and to incorporate it in the context of particular applications. Various modifications, as well as a variety of uses in different applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to a wide range of embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without necessarily being limited to these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. All the features disclosed in this specification, (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

Furthermore, any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. Section 112, Paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” or “act of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6.

Please note, if used, the labels left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise and counter clockwise have been used for convenience purposes only and are not intended to imply any particular fixed direction. Instead, they are used to reflect relative locations and/or directions between various portions of an object.

(1) Description

The present invention relates to connectable blocks 100. The top-side perspective, bottom-side perspective, top-orthogonal and bottom-orthogonal views of a connectable block are shown in FIG. 1A through FIG. 1D, respectively. The blocks include a frame 101 with both male 102 and corresponding female 104 parts that allow them to be connected with each other. For example, the male part 102 can be a raised circle-shape and the corresponding female part 104 can be a hollowed-out circle shape, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Although depicted as circle-shapes, as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto as there are numerous male and corresponding female shapes that allow for connection of two components.

As shown in FIG. 2, the male 102 and female 104 parts can also be interlocking Z-shapes, or any other shape in which the male 102 and female 104 parts can be attached and detached with one another and create stacked embodiments 200. Although depicted as interlocking blocks, one skilled in the art can appreciate that other shapes can be devised to accomplish the same purpose. As depicted in FIG. 2, the blocks are vertically and horizontally stackable blocks.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a plurality of blocks 100 can be provided in a kit 110, where the kit 110 contains connectable blocks 100 of varying sizes. For example, single 112, double 114, and triple-sized 116 blocks can be provided, according to the number of male 102 and corresponding female 104 parts placed horizontally or vertically on each block. The blocks can also be provided in larger sizes, for example, a two-by-five block will have ten male 102 and ten corresponding female 104 parts. The larger-sized blocks can be used as bases to build upon.

Unlike existing and traditional stackable blocks, which are small and have smooth sides, the blocks 100 of the present invention are large and include surfaces 106 which are textured. The blocks 100 are made of any suitably durable and rigid material, non-limiting examples of which include expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. The blocks 100 can be formed in multiple colors and can be made of shiny or glittery materials. As shown in FIG. 5, the surfaces 106 are textured sufficiently to allow an adhesive-backed material 108 (such as a sticker) to be detachably attachable with the blocks 100. In other words, the surfaces 106 are textured (as a textured surface) to reduce the contact points between the block 100 and an attached material 108. By reducing the contact points, the adhesive-backed materials 108 can be easily attached and removed, thereby allowing a user to easily replace the adhesive-backed material 108 with another adhesive-backed material 108. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the surfaces 106 includes any suitable texture for reducing the contact points. In other word, the surfaces 106 are not completely flat such that there are a plurality of protrusions and recessions, with the protrusions providing the contact points 109 along a plane 111 that lies upon the surface 106 (the plane 111 is depicted as being removed from the surface 106 for illustrative purposes), a non-limiting example of which includes an indented grid pattern. A non-limiting example of such an indented grid pattern includes numerous pyramid-shaped protrusions 110. Each pyramid-shaped protrusion provides a contact point 112 at the tip of the pyramid-shaped protrusion that acts as the surface for attachment with the adhesive-backed material 108. The protrusions 110 can be equally spaced or formed at random locations. Further, the protrusions can be as few as three per side and up to millions per side. In a desirable aspect, there are between ten and a few thousand protrusions formed on the surface 106.

Additionally, the blocks 100 can be formed in different shapes and connect with each other to form different-shaped toys. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the blocks 100 can be connected to form animal 600, truck 602, airplane 604 shapes. Other examples of shapes include train, spaceship, people, car and building shapes (not shown). The blocks 100 can be packaged in a kit so that all the blocks 100 necessary to form the shape are present.

As mentioned above, an adhesive-backed material 108 (such as a sticker) can be provided with the blocks to be detachably attached with the blocks to increase the aesthetic look of the blocks and enhance the image of the shape formed by the connected blocks. As shown in FIG. 7 and as a non-limiting example, when the blocks are connected to form the shape of a fire truck 700, stickers (i.e., adhesive-backed material 108) that portray parts of a fire truck can be provided. In this and other aspects, the surface of the blocks 100 can be textured (as described above) to reduce the number of contact points between the surface and the adhesive-backed material. Also, other materials can be included with the kit of blocks to add to the functionality of the blocks. For example, if a kit of blocks is packaged to create a fire truck shape, wheels 702 can be included in the package to detachably attach with a larger-sized base block, allowing the block stacked on the base to roll like a truck.

Additionally, the connectable blocks 100 can be formed to include a side with a surface that has an adhesive backing 802 formed on the surface. Thus, using the adhesive backing 802, the blocks can connect with another object 800, such as a wall, and the user can build shapes with the blocks off of that object. Such blocks can be attached to a wall (or stacked up) and extend out horizontally, as shown in FIG. 8. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the adhesive backing 802 is any suitably adhesive material, non-limiting examples of which include glue and other sticky substances.

Further and as shown in FIG. 9, to facilitate stacking the blocks 100 on a wall 900, the blocks 100 can be formed to include male 102 and female 104 parts that provide support in both the horizontal 902 and vertical 904 directions, a non-limiting example of which includes the interlocking Z-shapes. Additionally, a wall mount 906 can be included that allows the blocks 100 to be attached with and hang from the wall mount 906. Due to the interlocking Z-shaped male 102 and female 104 parts, the blocks 100 can be extended horizontally from the wall mount 906 (which also includes Z-shaped male 908 and female 910 parts).

In summary, the present invention relates to connectable blocks 100 with male 102 and female 104 parts that allow for connection of the blocks 100. In some aspects, the blocks 100 include a textured surface to reduce the number of contact points between the blocks 100 and a detachably attachable adhesive-backed material. Additionally, the blocks 100 can be formed in a variety of shapes such that when connected, they collectively form different-shaped toys. Finally, in some aspects, the blocks 100 include male 102 and female 104 parts that provide support in both the horizontal 902 and vertical 904 directions.

Claims

1. A connectable block, comprising:

a frame with a plurality of surfaces, the frame also having a male part and a corresponding female part, wherein the male part is formed to mate with a female part on another connectable block; and

wherein at least one surface of the frame is textured to include a plurality of protrusions, with the protrusions providing contact points along a plane that lies upon the surface.

2. The connectable block as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an adhesive-backed material for detachably attaching with the frame, whereby a user can detachably attach and remove the adhesive-backed material to and from the frame.

3. The connectable block as set forth in claim 2, wherein the frame is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

4. The connectable block as set forth in claim 3, further comprising an adhesive backing formed on at least one surface of the frame, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

5. The connectable block as set forth in claim 4, wherein the male part and corresponding female part are Z-shaped.

6. The connectable block as set forth in claim 1, wherein the frame is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

7. The connectable block as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an adhesive backing formed on at least one surface of the connectable block, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

8. The connectable block as set forth in claim 1, wherein the male part and corresponding female part are Z-shaped.

9. A kit of connectable blocks, comprising:

a plurality of connectable blocks, each block having a frame with a plurality of surfaces, each frame also having a male part and a corresponding female part, such that the male part on a first connectable block is formed to mate with a female part on another connectable block, and wherein at least one surface of the frame of each block is textured to include a plurality of protrusions, with the protrusions providing contact points along a plane that lies upon the surface.

10. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an adhesive-backed material for detachably attaching with the frame of at least one connectable block, whereby a user can detachably attach and remove the adhesive-backed material to and from the frame.

11. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 10, wherein the frame is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

12. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 11, further comprising an adhesive backing formed on at least one surface of the frame, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

13. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 12, wherein the male parts and corresponding female parts are Z-shaped.

14. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a wall mount having male and female parts that are formed to connect with the corresponding male and female parts of the connectable blocks.

15. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 9, wherein the frame is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

16. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an adhesive backing formed on at least one surface of the frame, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

17. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 9, wherein the male parts and corresponding female parts are Z-shaped.

18. The kit of connectable blocks as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a wall mount having male and female parts that are formed to connect with the corresponding male and female parts of the connectable blocks.

19. A method for forming a kit of connectable blocks, comprising an act of:

forming a first connectable block to include a frame with a plurality of surfaces, the frame also having a male part and a corresponding female part, such that the male part on the first connectable block is formed to mate with a female part on another connectable block, and wherein at least one surface of the frame of the connectable block is textured to include a plurality of protrusions, with the protrusions providing contact points along a plane that lies upon the surface.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19, comprising an act of:

forming a second connectable block to include a frame with a plurality of surfaces, the frame also having a male part and a corresponding female part, such that the male part on the second connectable block is formed to mate with a female part on the first connectable block, and wherein at least one surface of the frame of the connectable block is textured to include a plurality of protrusions, with the protrusions providing contact points along a plane that lies upon the surface.

21. A method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising an act of forming an adhesive-backed material for detachably attaching with the frame of at least one connectable block, whereby a user can detachably attach and remove the adhesive-backed material to and from the frame.

22. A method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising an act of forming the frame from a material selected from a group consisting of expanded polypropylene foam and expanded polystyrene foam.

23. A method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising an act of forming an adhesive backing on at least one surface of the frame, whereby a user can attach the connectable block with another object.

24. A method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising an act of forming the male parts and corresponding female parts to be Z-shaped.

25. A method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising an act of forming a wall mount having male and female parts that are formed to connect with the corresponding male and female parts of the connectable blocks.