SET OF BUILDING COMPONENTS FOR BUILDING A PLURALITY OF PREDEFINED STRUCTURES
A building set includes a plurality of building components. The components may be configured so that one or more predefined structures may be constructed with a set of the components. For example, the set of components may be configured any number of predefined structures may be constructed, such as a table and chairs, a boat, a plane, and so on. The components may be made from a composition including polyolefin. The polyolefin may have a density in the range of about 1 pound per cubic foot (lb/ft3) to about 9 lb/ft3. As such, the components are compressible, resilient, and elastic. One or more of the components may include a first retaining element, and one or more of the components may include a second retaining element. The retaining elements are configured to engage together for securing or coupling the components together. For example, the retaining elements may be defined by one or more dimensions, with at least one of the dimensions of one of the retaining elements being greater than a corresponding dimension of the other retaining element. The retaining element with the greater size may be urged or inserted into the other retaining element, thereby being compressed. When received within the other retaining element, the compressed retaining element exerts a spring force, thereby causing the components to be retained by friction between abutting surfaces.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to building components, such as toy blocks. The present invention relates in particular to a set of building components that may be used to build one or more predefined structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Examples of conventional toy building components include wood blocks and wooden Lincoln Logs®. Each of these examples includes a predetermined number of components which may be stacked upon each other and next to each other to build a structure. Gravity essentially keeps the components together.
Other examples of conventional building components are the Lego®-type components. In these building systems, individual components include two types of complementary attachment structure or engagement means. Accordingly, one component can be snapped together with another compatible component. Like the wooden building components, the Lego®-type components are made from material that is inelastic, non-compressive, and non-resilient.
Given the current state of the art, conventional building blocks are designed to attach to each other by predetermined attachment structures (e.g., the Lego®-type attachment structure). Accordingly, such conventional building blocks are unable to be attached to other structurally incompatible building blocks, that is, a Lego® cannot be attached to a wood block. Further, the size of the building components is on the order of a few inches such that a large number of components need to be used to construct a large structure.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a number of embodiments, a building set may include a plurality of building components. The components may be configured so that one or more predefined structures may be constructed with a set of the components. For example, the set of components may be configured so that any number of predefined structures may be constructed, such as a table and chairs, a boat, a plane, and so on. In a number of embodiments, the components may be configured so that the predefined structures are able to support the weight of a person.
One or more of the components may have a first retaining element, and any number of the components may have a second retaining element. One or more of the first retaining elements may include resilient material such that when retaining elements are engaged together, the first retaining element is compressed and applies a spring force against the second retaining element, thereby securing the retaining elements together. The components may be made from a composition including polyolefin. In some of the embodiments, the polyolefin may have a density in the range of about 1 pound per cubic foot (lb/ft3) to about 9 lb/ft3. Accordingly, the components are compressible, resilient, and elastic.
The retaining elements may be defined by one or more dimensions, with at least one of the dimensions of one of the first retaining elements being greater than a corresponding dimension of the second retaining element. Accordingly, the first retaining element compresses while being urged or inserted into the second retaining element. When received within the second retaining element, the compressed retaining element exerts the spring force while under compression, thereby retaining the components together with friction between abutting surfaces. To decouple, the retaining elements may be pulled apart.
One of the advantages of the invention is that because of the resiliency of the material and the configuration of the retaining elements, the components may be connected together by any number of methods. For example, if one of the retaining elements is a rectangular peg, then it can be compressed and urged into a curvilinear socket. When the peg is received in the socket and expands, the two components are secured together. Accordingly, the building components of the invention allow people to utilize their imaginations to build any type of random structure in addition to a predefined structure.
Furthermore, in embodiments in which the components are made from a composition including polyolefin, because of the physical properties of this material, the components may be made relatively large (e.g., on the order of several feet) while still being easy to handle. In addition, the predefined structures made from such components are able to support the weight of a person. Accordingly, people can utilize the predefined structures as furniture and as play structures.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring particularly to
For example, as shown in
In a number of embodiments, the components 102 may be made from a composition including polyolefin. In some of the embodiments, the polyolefin may have a density in the range of about 1 pound per cubic foot (lb/ft3) to about 9 lb/ft3. Accordingly, the components 102 possess a number of physical properties that enable the components 102 to be coupled together, including compressibility, resiliency, and elasticity. In many of the embodiments, the composition may include polyethylene.
For example, as shown in
More specifically, as shown in the embodiments represented in
According to some of the embodiments, the peg 108 may have at least one dimension that is greater than a corresponding dimension of the socket 110. For example, the width of the peg 108 may be greater than the width W of the socket 110 by a predetermined amount α, such that the width of the peg 108 is indicated by W+α. In other embodiments, the height of the peg 108 may also be greater than the height H of the socket 110 by a predetermined amount β, such that the height of the peg 108 is indicated by H+β.
With the greater size in at least one dimension and because of the compressibility of the composition comprising the components 102, while being urged or inserted into the socket 110, the peg 108 is compressed inwardly. In addition, the socket 110 may be compressed outwardly. Accordingly, when received within the socket 110 under compression as shown in
In alternative embodiments, the peg 108 and the socket 110 may be substantially curvilinear as shown in
Because of the compressibility of the composition, the curvilinear peg 108 of
Regarding the composition of the components 102 in more detail, reference is made to
In other embodiments, such as shown in
In some of the embodiments, one or both of the polyolefins 114 and 116 may be colored. Having a greater density than the first polyolefin 114, the second polyolefin 116 may be colored more vibrantly or with a greater saturation than the first polyolefin 114. As shown in
With continued reference to
Referencing
According to some of the embodiments, the composition of the components 102 may include an adhesion layer 122 as shown in
Accordingly, as shown in
In other embodiments, heat may be applied by inserting a thin resistive element 124 as shown in
With further reference to
According to some of the embodiments, one or more of the retaining elements 106 may be configured to be engageable with not only one but a plurality of other retaining elements 106 each having a different configuration. For example, retaining element 106a of component 102b may be compressed to engage with at least retaining elements 106c, 106d, and 106e of component 102a. Accordingly, in addition to constructing the predefined structures 104, the components 102 may be attached together in any number of random configurations.
EXAMPLE 1As mentioned above,
To construct a chair, components 102g may be coupled together as shown in
To construct a table, components 102a to 102f may be laid out as shown in
To reconfigure or reconstruct the predefined structure of a table and chairs 104a into another one of the predefined structures, reference is made to
As shown in
Because of the resiliency of the components, additional objects may be coupled to the structures 104, such as flashlights 126 as shown in
Those skilled in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments of the present invention provide the foundation for numerous alternatives and modifications thereto. For example, as shown in
Claims
1. A building set comprising a plurality of building components;
- a first one of the components having a first retaining element and a second one of the components having a second retaining element; and
- at least the first retaining element including resilient material such that when the retaining elements are engaged together, the first retaining element is compressed and applies a spring force against the second retaining element, thereby securing the retaining elements together.
2-10. (canceled)
11. The building set of claim 2 wherein the composition includes an adhesion layer.
12. The building set of claim 11 wherein the adhesion layer includes adhesive.
13. The building set of claim 11 wherein the adhesion layer includes material that is activated by heat.
14. The building set of claim 13 wherein the adhesion layer includes a polyolefin with a melting point of at least about 180° Fahrenheit (F).
15-17. (canceled)
18. The building set of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the components is made from a composition excluding polyolefin.
19. The building set of claim 18 wherein at least one of the components made from a composition excluding polyolefin includes a retaining element that is substantially non-resilient.
20-36. (canceled)
37. A method for building structures, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of building components each being made from a composition including a polyolefin that has a melting point of at least about 180° F.;
- positioning two of the components together such that the components abut along an interface;
- applying heat at or near the interface that is sufficient to cause the polyolefin to melt;
- removing the heat such that the polyolefin cools, thereby adhering the two components together.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein:
- the step of the applying heat comprises:
- positioning a resistive element between the components at the interface; and applying power to the resistive element.
- the step of removing the heat comprises:
- disconnecting the power from the resistive element.
39. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of applying heat comprises: directing hot air at or near the interface.
40-42. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 14, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 26, 2009
Applicant: SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNER, LLC (Fontana, CA)
Inventors: Arturo A. Maniquis (West Covina, CA), Terry M. Grill (Fontana, CA), Eduardo G. Gomez (Los Angeles, CA), Jill M. Karrenbrock (Studio City, CA)
Application Number: 11/674,945
International Classification: A63H 33/08 (20060101); E04B 1/14 (20060101);