SET OF BLOCKS FOR CONSTRUCTION GAME
A set of blocks for constructing game assemblies for children includes basic block members (10) and complementary block members (11) that can be magnetically anchored and assembled each other; each basic block member (10) has a hollow body (18) including lateral faces having flat and/or shaped coupling surfaces. In turn, the complementary block members (11) include a hollow body (16) having lateral coupling surfaces matching with the coupling surfaces of the basic block members (10). Magnetic elements (14, 20) are fixedly or movably positioned in each basic and complementary block member (10, 11) to enable the anchorage and the assembling of the block members (10, 11) during the construction of the game. The block members (10, 11) have dimensions suitable to be easily gripped with the hands by a children, and may be provided with differently coloured surfaces to offer different tactile, visual and sound sensations during the game.
This invention refers to the children games field, and in particular relates to a set of magnetically anchorable game block members, variously shaped and conformed to enable them to be easily assembled and to construct structurally simple games, capable of providing different visual and/or tactile and/or sound sensations, also contributing towards enabling a child to develop manual skills and acquire elementary information, during the construction of a game.
In the field of game construction, for some time it has been suggested to make use of magnetically anchorable modular elements, substantially consisting of bars and ball shaped elements of limited dimensions, which can be assembled in various ways to create simple and/or complex reticulated structures; magnetic modules of this type are illustrated for example in EP-A-1,370,334, U.S. Pat. No. 1,535,035, U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,388 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,727.
While on the one hand these modular elements offer a firm magnetic anchorage and enable the construction of structures of any shape and size, stimulating creative abilities during the game, they are not wholly suitable for use by very young children, who do not yet possess sufficient manual skills and sufficient creative abilities; in fact, in the construction of a game with modules of this type, it is necessary to ensure a precise positioning and a correct orientation of the magnetic polarities of the various elements which make up the game, in order to obtain a structurally stable assembly having the desired shape.
For these and other reasons, the modular magnetic elements of this type prove to be unsuitable for use by children of ages equivalent to or less than three or four years, or slightly older.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,236,234, U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,236, EP-A-0,051,576, WO-A-03/063993, WO-A-04/062760 and EP-A-1,559,464 suggest the use of various types of magnetic blocks comprising a hollow body, incorporating one or more magnets capable of allowing an easy anchorage in correspondence with one or more coupling surfaces.
In general, they suggest the use of magnetically anchorable modular elements substantially consisting of cubes or blocks having three-dimensional shapes delimited exclusively by substantially flat coupling surfaces, which require a precise positioning between modules and a correct orientation of the magnetic polarities, or are provided with fixed or movable magnets shaped and disposed to enable the coupling substantially between identically shaped modular blocks.
The possibilities of composition and of magnetic coupling between blocks is therefore extremely limited and conditional upon the same geometrical shape of the blocks, as well as upon the characteristics of the coupling surfaces.
The manual skills and gripping of the blocks are poorly stimulated; moreover, the flat shape of the coupling surfaces and the disposition of the magnets are such as to make it difficult to correctly position and magnetically couple the blocks, in particular by children devoid of experience and specific knowledge.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONThe main object of the invention is to provide a set of magnetically assemblable block members, having geometrically simple shapes and appropriately conformed coupling surfaces, capable of allowing a facilitated magnetic anchorage, and the utmost freedom and versatility in the construction of simple or complex game assemblies, by assembling modular block members of a same and/or of different types.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a set of block members that can be magnetically anchored to one another, as mentioned previously, having such geometrical shapes and dimensions as to facilitate and stimulate the clamping with the hands.
A still further object is to provide a set of block members comprising a system of magnetic elements conformed and disposed to allow a stable anchorage and a different positioning between blocks, without requiring particular expedients and/or skills.
A still further object is to provide a set of block members for the construction of assemblies for games, whereby it is possible to transmit a plurality of educational information and visual, tactile and/or sound stimuli to children, also enabling them to learn shapes, colours and/or other elementary characteristics of the blocks, during the game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThese and still further objects can be achieved by means of a set of block members, magnetically anchorable to one another, according to claim 1.
In particular, according to the invention, a set of magnetically anchorable blocks for the construction of game assemblies is provided, in which each block comprises a hollow body having peripheral wall surfaces, and magnetic anchoring elements inside a seat of the hollow body, the magnetic elements being arranged close to the wall surfaces to generate magnetic anchoring forces in an assembled condition of the blocks, characterised in that the set of blocks comprises:
basic block members having a hollow body provided with at least one lateral face conformed with at least one flat coupling surface, and at least one shaped coupling surface; and
complementary block members having a hollow body provided with coupling surfaces matching with the coupling surfaces of basic block members;
in that the hollow bodies of the basic and complementary block members, in correspondence with said coupling surfaces, comprise at least one magnetic anchoring element in a respective housing seat.
According to a further feature of the invention, both the basic block members and the complementary block members may have flat coupling surfaces which entirely extend on corresponding lateral faces.
The block members of the set, or some of them, may also be provided with a covering of soft elastomeric material, or have faces and/or coupling surfaces of a same and/or different colours. Each of the magnetic elements can be fixedly or freely movable, and/or rotatingly housed in its own seat, thereby providing particularly stable and extremely versatile magnetic coupling conditions, as well as the possibility of generating a pleasant sound or noise by shaking the block members themselves.
The use of additional block members, variously conformed and shaped to imitate an animal, a living creature and/or an object in general, associable with the complementary block members, increases the possibility of creating different combinations and configurations of assemblies during the game.
For the purpose of the present invention “magnetic element” indifferently means either a magnetically active element, such as a permanent magnet, or an inductively magnetisable element, such as a ferromagnetic piece.
These and further features of the set of blocks according to the invention, will be more clearly evident from the following description of several preferential embodiments, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
As mentioned previously, the invention concerns a set of modular block members magnetically anchorable to one another for constructing game assemblies for children, comprising basic block members 10 and complementary block members 11, appropriately shaped with suitable wall surfaces comprising flat and/or shaped coupling surfaces, whereby it is possible to create any game assembly, in an extremely easy and creative way.
The basic block members can have a hollow body of any geometrical shape, for example cubic, prismatic, polyhedral or other types, provided they are delimited by one or more lateral faces having flat and/or shaped wall surfaces for matching with coupling surfaces of block members of a same or different type.
In turn the complementary block members can have any geometrical shape having flat or shaped coupling surfaces which match with the coupling surfaces of one or more types of basic block members of the set according to the invention.
The basic block members can have a modular dimension, or be a multiple of a modular dimension, for example ranging from 5 to 10 cm or more to be easily grasped by the hands.
With reference to the
In the example under consideration, the basic modular block member, indicated as a whole by the reference number 10.1, comprises of a hollow body, of a substantially cubic shape, having lateral faces each of which, or part thereof, have a first flat wall surface 12 and a second shaped wall surface 13 for coupling with the wall surfaces of lateral surfaces of block members forming part of a same set.
In the example of
In the case of
The basic block member 10.1 is also provided with a system of magnetic elements, variously disposed and housed in corresponding seats inside the hollow body 18 of the basic block member, close to the wall surfaces to generate magnetic attraction and/or repulsion forces with respect to magnetic elements inside other basic block members 10 and/or complementary block members 11 in an assembled condition as shown further on.
In particular, as shown in the example of
The magnetic element 14 can be fixedly housed in its seat 15 or freely movable, as shown, with the possibility to rotate around itself and in space, to automatically orientate any one of the two N and S polar faces towards the coupling wall surface 13, depending upon the polarity of the magnet of another block member 10 or 11 brought into contact; in this connection, it is necessary to point out that the space between the seats housing the magnets must be such as to prevent a reciprocal influence between magnets belonging to a same block.
Also in the case of
The hollow body 18 of the block member 10.2, in correspondence with the shaped coupling surfaces 13, will have internal seats for housing magnetic elements, in a way wholly similar to that shown in the cross-section of
In fact, while in the example of
The examples taken into consideration up till now substantially concern basic block members 10 of two specific types, one with a hollow body 18 of a substantially cubic shape, and the other one in the form of a square-based parallelepiped block. However, the shape and/or dimensions of the basic block members 10 can vary and be of any type, for example of prismatic or polyhedral type or of any other geometrical shape, provided that part or all of the lateral faces comprises the combination of at least one flat coupling surface, and at least one concave and/or convex or differently shaped coupling surface, according to need.
The form of the shaped coupling surfaces can also be of any kind, other than the cap of the previous figures. It is also pointed out that one or more basic block members 10 of the set may have shaped coupling surfaces of a same type on all or part of their lateral faces; likewise, the basic block members may have shaped coupling faces of different types, concave and/or convex, in any way disposed and/or combined in a same block. As mentioned previously, this invention also comprises the case in which a basic block member has one or more lateral faces having a flat coupling surface which extends over the entire face.
The complementary block member 11.1 comprises a disk-shaped hollow body 16 having an annular flat surfaces 17′ on peripheral edges; the body 16 on the two lateral faces is provided with a convex shaped coupling surface 17, for example in the form of a spherical cap coaxially arranged to annular surface 17′, which perfectly matches with a concave coupling surface 13 of a basic block member 10.
To allow a magnetic anchorage between basic block members 10 and complementary block members 11, the latter also comprise magnetic elements which can consist either of permanent magnets or of ferromagnetic elements, magnetisable by induction by a magnet of another block member closely brought in contact to the previous one.
Again, the magnetic elements can be shaped and disposed in any way in the hollow body 16 of the complementary block member 11, and in any number in relation to the shape and dimensions of the block itself, or for other specific requirements.
In the example of
Optionally, the complementary block member 11.1 can comprise an elongated magnet 20 of another type, for example in the form of a cylinder to allow the magnetic anchorage to other blocks by the same magnet 20 in at least two diametrically opposite points, or in several angularly spaced apart points along the cylindrical wall surface of the hollow body 16.
In the example of
As an alternative to, or in substitution of the linearly-shaped magnetic element 20, the latter could be of any geometrical shape, of such kind as to allow a magnetic anchorage in a plurality of points of the cylindrical surface; for example it could be cross-shaped or star-shaped, suitable for allowing the magnetic coupling to other block members in several angularly spaced apart points of the cylindrical wall surface of the body 16.
The magnetic element 20 can also consist of a single magnet, or one or more magnets having magnetic poles in contact with a ferromagnetic core element suitable for conducting the flux; for example may comprise an intermediate ferromagnetic core between two magnets, or in the form of a polar extension at one end of a magnet; other possible conformations of the magnetic element 20 cannot be excluded.
In the example of
Therefore, once again in
The solution of
In this second case, as shown, the magnet 20 is disposed in a respective seat 21 which extends, coaxially to the body 16, between the two convex coupling surfaces 17. The length of the magnet 20 can be equivalent to that of the seat 21 to enable it to be fixedly housed, without any possibility of movement; al the magnet 20 can be shorter in length than the seat 21, to allow it to perform a certain axial movement.
Still in the case of
As a further development of the various examples of the figures from 8 to 11, it is possible to eliminate the central magnet 20, providing in its place the two central magnets 14 of the example of
The examples of figures from 6 to 11 have always shown disk-like complementary block members 11.1 and 11.2 having a circular shape; however, other possible disk-shapes for the complementary block member 11 cannot be excluded; for example, the body 16 could have the shape of a polygonal disk. Consequently, for the purposes of this description, the term “disk-shaped” is understood to mean a substantially flat body having circular or polygonal peripheral walls tangent to a reference circle.
In this case the block member 11.3 comprises a semi-spherical hollow body 16, having a first flat coupling surface 22, forming the base of the semi-sphere, and a second semi-spherical coupling surface 23.
More precisely, in correspondence with pre-established angular positions of the semi-spherical coupling surface 23, the body 16 of the block comprises seats 15 for housing fixed or freely movable magnets 14, in the way previously mentioned.
The block member 11.3 also comprises a central magnet 20 of elongated shape, housed in a seat 21 which axially extends between the two coupling surfaces 22 and 23.
Once again, the complementary block member 11.5 comprises a hollow body 16 having a plurality of seats 15 for housing an equivalent number of magnets 14.
In the case shown, the spherical block member 11.5 comprises eight seats 15 for a corresponding number of magnets 14, disposed in angularly spaced apart positions along two different meridian lines; however, the number of magnets 14 and/or their disposition could be any, always maintaining an angular space between seats 15 of such length as to prevent any interference between adjacent magnets.
The block member 11.6 also comprises a hollow body 16 delimited by a cylindrical peripheral surface, which axially extends between two flat wall surfaces 25 and 26 on the lateral faces of the cylinder. Magnets 14 are housed fixedly or freely movable in respective seats 15 inside the hollow body 16, in central positions axially aligned with the body 16.
Similarly to the case of
The basic block members 10 and the complementary block members 11, taken into consideration up till now, have been described purely by way of example and do not exhaust all the numerous possible forms, for the purposes of this invention.
It was pointed out that the geometrical shapes of the basic block members 10 can be any, as long as they are provided with one or more lateral faces having flat coupling surfaces and concave and/or convex shaped coupling surfaces, which conform to similarly shaped coupling surfaces of basic block members 10 of the same or of different types, and/or of complementary block members 11 as previously defined.
In the same way, the complementary block members 11 can be of any shape, different from that of the examples shown, as long as they are provided with one or more coupling surfaces, which conform to similarly shaped coupling surfaces of complementary block members 11 of a same or other type, and/or of basic block members 10.
It is also pointed out that the disk, cylindrical, semi-spherical and spherical shapes of the complementary block members 11 of the previous examples can have polyhedral peripheral surfaces having faces tangent to a reference circle and/or to a hypothetical reference sphere, for the same purposes previously mentioned.
In particular, the assembly of
Magnetically anchored above the upper cubic block member 10.1 is a disk-shaped block member 11.1. Conversely, magnetically anchored on one side of the lower cubic block member 10.1 is a composition comprising two semi-spherical block members 11.3 and an intermediate cylindrical block member 11.7.
The assembly could be implemented by adding other basic and/or complementary block members of a same or of different types, variously positioned in relation to one another; a characteristic common to all the possible assemblies, deriving from the features of each individual block member, or from the presence of several coupling surfaces and of several magnetic anchoring elements, consists in the possibility of moving and/or differently orienting the block members of the assembly in relation to one another, in order to change the shape and characteristics of the construction. This stimulates creativity and promotes useful learning of different geometrical shapes and of certain basic principles of magnetism. In fact, in the event of block members comprising fixedly housed magnets, with one of the two N and S polarities orientated towards a coupling surface, whenever another block member with fixed magnets is brought close to them, the latter could be subject to attraction or repulsion forces, depending on whether different or identical facing polarities are opposed to one another.
With reference to the remaining figures from 26 to 34, a description will now be given of other possible forms of basic block members 10 and of complementary block members 11.
The basic block member 10.4 also comprises a hollow body having lateral coupling faces, and a plurality of magnets 14 housed in respective seats 15 in correspondence with and close to the various coupling surfaces.
In particular, as shown in
The basic block member 10.5 differs from the basic block member 10.4 in that the previous flat surfaces 27 on the two opposite faces orthogonally arranged to the longitudinal axis of the body have now been replaced by two flat surfaces 28 and by a concave surface 29 which extend parallel to a cross axis in a direction at right angle to the longitudinal axis or direction of the concave surfaces 29 of the remaining four faces of the block.
The basic block member 10.6 of
It is also pointed out that in all these examples, one or more concave surfaces 29 can be replaced by flat or convex surfaces; lastly, the length of the basic block members 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6 in the direction of the longitudinal axis parallel to the concave coupling surfaces 29 of the lateral faces, could be shorter or longer than that of the other two axes.
According to the example under consideration, the hollow body of the block member 10.7 is provided exclusively with flat coupling surfaces 30 on all the faces, except one; the latter in turn comprises four flat coupling surfaces 31 at the corners, coplanar with one another, and shaped coupling surfaces 32, for example concave shaped surfaces, crossing one another according to two orthogonal directions.
An elongated magnetic element 20 extends centrally between the shaped coupling surface 32 on one face of the block, and a flat coupling surface 30 on the opposite face.
Optionally, in addition to the magnetic element 20, the block member 10.7 can comprise one or more magnetic elements 14, in respective seats 15, on the remaining lateral faces 30, or part thereof, as shown.
The complementary block member 11.8 comprises a semi-cylindrical hollow body 16, delimited by a flat coupling surface 33 on one side, by flat coupling surfaces 34 at both ends, and by a semi-cylindrical coupling surface 35 on the other side, having for example the same radius of curvature as the concave surface 32 of the basic block member 10.7 of
Again in the example under consideration, the block member 11.8 comprises a plurality of magnets 14, movably or fixedly housed in respective seats 15 disposed in one or more positions of its coupling surfaces 33, 34 and 35, or part thereof, as shown.
The subsequent figures from 36 to 39 show other examples of basic block members 10 and complementary block members 11, comprising further characteristics according to the invention.
In particular,
The cup-shaped elements defining the shaped coupling surfaces 13, according to a complementary characteristic of the invention, can all be of the same colour and/or of different colours, as indicated by numerical references 13′ and 13″ in
Lastly, figures from 36 to 39 show a further characteristic, consisting in providing both the basic block elements 10 and the complementary block elements 11, or part thereof, with a covering 36 of soft material, for example rubber or elastomeric material over moulded to the rigid plastic material of the hollow body of each block; in this case too, the covering 36 can be of the same colour for all the blocks of the set or of different colours.
In particular, in the case of the cubic block member 10.1 of
Lastly, in the case of the example of the cylindrical complementary block member 11.6 of
What has been described for the examples of
The figures from 40 to 45 show some possible examples of auxiliary block members, that can be used as decorative elements for the basic and complementary block members previously described, to construct the shape for example of an animal, a doll, a living creature or in general a generic object.
In particular, the
In the case of
The auxiliary block member 40.1 also comprises a magnet 20, or as an alternative a magnet 14 (not shown) for anchoring to the magnet 20 or 14 (not shown) of the complementary block member 11.3.
As shown in
In this case, the auxiliary block member 40.2 has a hollow semi-spherical body 41, open towards the bottom, having a semi-spherical body coupling surface 43, provided with a magnetic anchoring element, for example a magnet 14 or of magnetisable material, capable of magnetically anchoring with a magnet 20 or 14 of a complementary block member, which in the example of
Also in the case of
From what has been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be clear that the invention is primarily addressed to a set of block members, comprising basic block members 10 and complementary block members 11, magnetically anchorable and combinable with one another, in the construction of game assemblies for children.
The basic block members 10 and the complementary block members 11 can be of any desired shape, provided it is suitable for allowing the reciprocal magnetic anchorage between corresponding flat and/or shaped coupling surfaces.
The invention also comprises auxiliary block members 40 for decorative purposes, appropriately shaped to imitate animals, dolls, living creatures or objects and/or imaginary creatures, provided with suitable magnetic and/or mechanical anchoring means for anchoring to basic and/or complementary block members.
Consequently, other modifications or changes may be made to the shape and/or structure of the various blocks, and to the shape, disposition and/or characteristics of the magnetic and/or mechanical anchoring means, and to other characteristics of the blocks themselves, without thereby departing from the claims.
Claims
1-54. (canceled)
55. A set of magnetically anchorable blocks for the construction of game assemblies, comprising:
- basic block members and complementary block members, in which each block comprises a hollow body including side walls having coupling surfaces;
- magnetic anchoring elements inside seats of the hollow body of said basic and complementary blocks, the magnetic elements being arranged close to the wall surfaces to generate magnetic anchoring forces in an assembled condition of the blocks;
- each basic block member comprises a flat coupling surface totally extending on at least one side wall, and a shaped coupling surface on remaining side walls;
- each complementary block member being provided with flat and/or shaped coupling surfaces matching respectively with a flat and a shaped coupling surfaces of basic block members of the set.
56. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the shaped coupling surfaces of the basic and complementary block members comprise concave and/or convex coupling surfaces.
57. The set of blocks according to claim 56, wherein the basic block member comprises a concave coupling surface having a partially cylindrical shape, on at least one side wall.
58. The set of blocks according to claim 57, wherein said partially cylindrical coupling surface is oriented according to an axis of the basic block member.
59. The set of blocks according to claim 57, wherein said partially cylindrical coupling surface is oriented according to a longitudinal and/or transversal axis of the basic block member.
60. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein each of the magnetic anchoring elements is fixedly fastened in its housing seat.
61. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein each of the magnetic anchoring elements is freely movable and/or rotatable.
62. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the complementary block comprises a first flat coupling surface and a second semi-spherical coupling surface, and wherein the elongated magnetic element extends between said flat and semi-spherical coupling surfaces.
63. The set of blocks according to claim 62 comprising a plurality of additional magnetic anchoring elements, in correspondence with said semi-spherical coupling surfaces, said additional magnetic elements being angularly spaced apart and peripherally disposed around the elongated magnetic element.
64. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the complementary block comprises a first flat coupling surface and a second semi-spherical coupling surface, and a plurality of magnetic anchoring elements in correspondence with said flat and semi-spherical coupling surfaces.
65. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the complementary block comprises a spherical body having a spherical coupling surface, and a plurality of magnetic anchoring elements peripherally arranged in different angular positions of the spherical coupling surface.
66. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the complementary block comprises a cylindrical peripheral surface.
67. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein the complementary block comprises a flat coupling surface and a semi-cylindrical coupling surface extending along a longitudinal axis, between two flat end coupling surfaces, and magnetic anchoring elements arranged in correspondence with said coupling surfaces.
68. The set of blocks according to claim 55, wherein comprising auxiliary decorative block members in combination with complementary block members, and wherein the auxiliary block members and the complementary block members comprise engageable and disengageable anchoring means.
69. The set of blocks as claimed in claim 68, wherein the auxiliary block members and the complementary block members comprise magnetic anchoring means.
70. The set of blocks according to claim 68, wherein the complementary block members and the auxiliary block members comprise mechanical anchoring means.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 10, 2007
Publication Date: May 13, 2010
Inventor: Claudio Vicentelli (Sassari)
Application Number: 12/445,334
International Classification: A63H 33/04 (20060101);