TOY CONSTRUCTION SET

Abstract

A toy construction set includes a toy figure set that includes toy figure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figure building elements including at least two core toy figure building elements, each of the core toy figure building elements including at least a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each other by a distance that is an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing, where the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elements to repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, and each of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/986,161, filed Apr. 30, 2014 and titled TOY CONSTRUCTION SET, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a toy construction set that includes at least one building element.

BACKGROUND

Persons of all ages enjoy playing and interacting with toys and building elements. Toy construction sets are made up of a plurality of building elements, which include coupling mechanisms such as studs or recesses of specific heights and placement to enable interconnection with other building elements.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, a toy construction set includes a building element including coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by a center-to-center spacing; and a toy figure set including toy figure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figure building elements including at least two core toy figure building elements, each of the core toy figure building elements including at least a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each other by a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing, where the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elements to repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, and each of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The toy figure can be configured to be arranged in a human-like form.

The at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane can be one of the coupling elements in the first set of coupling elements.

The coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on at least one of the core toy figure building elements can be identical. The coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on one of the core toy figure building elements can include identical balls, the centers of the balls being separated by the center-to-center spacing, and the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on another one of the core toy figure building elements can include identical recesses, the centers of the recesses being separated by the center-to-center spacing. The core toy figure building element that includes the identical recesses can also include at least one ball. The toy figure set also can include a second building element that includes a line of studs, each stud being separated from the center of the closest stud by a second center-to-center distance, different from the center-to-center distance, where the center of the at least one ball of the core toy figure building element that includes the identical recesses is spaced from a surface of the core toy figure building element by an integer multiple of half of the second center-to-center distance.

The core toy figure building elements can include a torso building element and a pelvis building element, the first set of coupling elements of the torso building element including two recesses, the centers of the recess being separated by the center-to-center spacing, and the first set of coupling elements of the pelvis building element can include two balls, the centers of the balls being separated by the center-to-center spacing.

The toy construction set also can include at least two leg building elements, each of the leg building elements including a socket that connects to one of the balls of the pelvis building element with a snap fit. In some implementations, when one leg building element is connected to each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected leg building elements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of at least 90 degrees in at least two different planes. In some implementations, when one leg building element is connected to each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected leg building elements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of at least 180 degrees in at least two different planes.

The toy construction set also can include a head building element and arm building elements.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figure set including a first toy figure building element and a second toy figure building element, the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at a core toy assembly, each of the first and second toy figure building elements including at least two coupling elements configured to connect the toy figure building element to other building elements; and a connection building element configured to connect to one or more of the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the connection building element including: a first surface in a first plane, the first surface including coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by a center-to-center spacing, a second surface in a second plane different from the first plane, where, when the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of at least some of the coupling studs on the first surface are aligned with the centers of the coupling elements of the first toy building element and the coupling elements of the second toy building elements.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The centers of some of the coupling studs on the first surface of the connection building element can be aligned with the coupling elements on the first toy figure building element, and the centers of all of the coupling studs on the first surface of the connection building element can be aligned with the coupling elements on the second toy figure building element.

A coupling stud on the first surface of the connection building element can be aligned with a coupling element on the first or second toy figure building element when the center of the coupling stud and the center of the coupling element form a line parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the toy building element.

In some implementations, when the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure building element or the second toy figure building element are spaced from the coupling studs on the connection building element in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance.

The connection building element also can include a third surface in a third plane, the third plane being different from the first plane and the second plane, and the third surface defining an opening. The second and third planes can be parallel to each other, and the second plane is orthogonal to the first and third planes. The first and third surfaces can extend from the second surface, and the connection building element is rigid such that the first and third surfaces do not articulate relative to the second surface. The connection building element also can include a fourth surface in a fourth plane, the fourth surface including coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by the center-to-center spacing, and when the connection building element is connected to the first and second toy figure building elements, the centers of some of the coupling studs on the fourth surface can be aligned with the centers of the coupling elements of the first toy building element and the coupling elements of the second toy building elements.

When the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure building element or the second toy figure building element can be spaced from the coupling studs on the first and fourth surfaces of the connection building element in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance.

The first toy figure building element can be a torso building element, and the second toy figure building element can be a pelvis building element.

In another general aspect, a hub building element includes a body defining a longitudinal axis and a recess, the recess being configured to receive and hold two different types of coupling elements, the two different types of coupling elements including a single coupling stud of another hub building element that, when connected to the body element along the longitudinal axis forms a portion of a toy figure, and two coupling studs that form part of a grid on a surface of a separate building element, the coupling studs being spaced with a center-to-center spacing; a coupling stud extending from a surface and along the longitudinal axis toy figure building element; and a plurality of coupling elements extending outward from the body, each of the coupling elements being configured to allow rotation of a connected building element in more than one plane, and each of the coupling elements being spaced from the surface by a distance that is half of a center-to-center spacing of the coupling studs arranged in a grid pattern that are received in the recess.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The hub building element can include a torso of the toy figure, and the other hub building element can include a pelvis of the toy figure.

The plurality of coupling elements can extend outward from the body in opposite directions.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figure set including interconnectible toy figure building elements, each of which includes a coupling element to enable the toy figure building elements to connect to other building elements of the construction set, the toy figure building elements including at least one hub building element, the hub building element including at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements, where the hub building element is configured to be connected in system with building elements of the construction set.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The hub building element can include a pelvis including a pair of ball coupling elements that are sized to frictionally engage with socket coupling elements of leg building elements of the toy figure building elements and to frictionally engage with sockets of building elements of the construction set, and a stud on a surface of the pelvis, the stud having a standard stud size. At least one of the building elements can include studs arranged on a surface in a grid pattern. At least one hub building element can include a torso building element. The at least one hub building element can include a pelvis building element including ball elements that are spaced apart by an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing of the studs.

In some implementations, legs that attach to the ball elements of the pelvis are included in the toy construction set, each leg including a socket that receives and holds a ball of one of the legs, and a recess that receives and holds a stud of the building element, and where, when each of the legs are connected to one of the balls of the pelvis and to one of the studs of the building element, the legs extends between the pelvis and the building element in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface on which the studs are arranged.

The at least one hub building element can include a torso building element, the torso building element including at least two recesses formed in a bottom side, at least two of the recesses having a spacing that is an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing of the studs.

Each of the at least two recesses can have a diameter that is sized to receive and hold one of the studs in frictional engagement. The torso building element can include three recesses formed in the bottom side. The at least one hub building element can include a torso building element, the torso building element including a ball extending outward from a surface, the ball being positioned at a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing of the studs.

Some of the studs can include cavities configured to receive and hold the ball of the torso in frictional engagement.

The construction set includes a plate including a corner and a plurality of studs arranged in a pattern, and the at least one hub building element connects to the plate with two sides of the hub being flush with the corner. When assembled, the building elements of the toy figure set can form a human-like figure. The at least one hub building element can include a torso building element and a pelvis building element.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figure set including interconnectible toy figure building elements, each of which includes a coupling element to enable the toy figure building elements to connect to other building elements of the construction set, the toy figure building elements including at least one hub building element, the hub building element including at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements, where the hub building element includes two or more identically-shaped coupling elements that align with coupling elements of the grid associated with the other building elements of the construction set, where the identically-shaped coupling elements are configured to interconnect with coupling elements of other building elements.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements can have centers that are in different planes. The at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements can each have centers, at least two of which are the same plane. At least two of the at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements can be at different sides of the hub building element. The at least one hub building element can include one or more of a torso building element and a pelvis building element. The identically shaped coupling elements can include balls. The identically shaped coupling elements can include recesses.

Implementations of any of the techniques described above can include a toy construction set, a joint that removably connects a torso and a pelvis of a toy figure, a process, or a device. The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary toy construction set and a perspective view of an exemplary toy figure set that is included in the toy construction set.

FIGS. 2A-2D is a block diagram of an exemplary toy construction set.

FIG. 2E is a perspective view of an exemplary building element that can be included in the toy construction set of FIGS. 2A-2D.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary core toy figure building element.

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of another exemplary core toy figure building element.

FIG. 4B is a side perspective view of the building element of FIG. 3C.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another exemplary core toy figure building element.

FIG. 5B is a bottom view of the building element of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6A is a bottom view of an exemplary core toy figure building element with another building element.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the core toy figure building element of FIG. 5A connected to the other building element.

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of an exemplary build made from building elements, including a core toy figure building element.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional side view of the build of FIG. 6C.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of an exemplary build made from building elements.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional side view of the build of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an exemplary connection building element.

FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a top view of the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary foundational building assembly that includes the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9B is a partially exploded view of the foundational building assembly of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the foundational building assembly of FIG. 9A.

FIGS. 10A-10C are front, back, and side views, respectively, of an exemplary assembly that includes the foundational building assembly of FIG. 9A.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views of another exemplary foundational building assembly that includes the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 11C is a partially exploded perspective view of the foundational building assembly of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIG. 11D is an exploded perspective view of the foundational building assembly of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective views of another exemplary connection building element.

FIGS. 12C and 12D are front and perspective views, respectively, of a foundational building assembly that includes the connection building element of FIGS. 12A and 12B.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are perspective views of an exemplary assembled toy figure.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary toy construction set 100 arranged as a toy figure in a human-like form. The toy construction set 100 includes a toy figure set 103 and a set of building elements 130. The toy figure set 103 includes a head 105, a pelvis 107, a torso 109, arms 111, hands 112, and legs 113, all of which are building elements. The building elements of the toy figure set 103 and the set of building elements 130 can be connected to and disconnected from each other repeatedly and without harming the building elements.

As discussed below, the building elements of the toy figure set 103 can be connected to the building elements of the set 130 “in system.” The ability to connect the building elements of the toy figure set 103 “in system” with the building elements of the set 130 enhances play value and increases the versatility of the toy construction set 100. A building element is “in system” with other building elements, or is configured to be connected “in system” with other building elements, if the building element is, or can be, built into a grid or an assembly that is formed with the other building elements. For example, making the height, thickness, and/or width of the building elements the same as that of the other building elements can allow an “in system” connection. Some of the building elements can have a plurality of coupling elements. Spacing the coupling elements on such building elements to correspond with the spacing of the coupling elements on other building elements also can allow the building elements to be connected “in system.” The coupling elements on a building element that is configured to allow an “in system” connection can correspond with the spacing of the coupling elements on other building elements, by, for example, being an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing between the coupling elements on the other building elements or an integer multiple of half of the center-to-center spacing between the coupling elements on the other building elements.

FIGS. 2A-2E are block diagrams of building elements that are included in an exemplary toy construction set 200. The toy construction set 200 includes a toy figure set 203 (FIG. 2A) and a set of building elements 230 (FIGS. 2B-2E). The toy figure set 203 includes a plurality of building elements: a head 205, a torso 209, a pelvis 207, arms 211, hands 212, and legs 213. The head 205, torso 209, pelvis 207, arms 211, hands 212, and legs 213, which are collectively referred to as toy figure building elements, can be connected to form a toy figure that has a human-like form (such as shown in FIG. 1). Additionally, the toy figure building elements can include core toy figure building elements that form a core assembly that can be connected to other building elements of the toy construction set 200 to build other toy assemblies besides a human-like toy figure. For example, the pelvis 207 and the torso 209 are core toy figure building elements that can be connected to form a core assembly.

The set 230 also includes additional building elements, such as bricks 232 and a plate 234. The building bricks 232 and the plate 234 have extents 232a and 234a, respectively, in the z direction. The extent 232a is an integer multiple of the extent 234a. For example, the extent 232a can be three times greater than the extent 234a. The extent 232a can be, for example, 3.2 millimeters (mm), and the extent 234a can be, for example, 9.6 mm.

Like the toy figure building elements, the building elements are designed to be repeatedly connected and disconnected from each other so that the toy construction set 200 can be used to build forms and structures of the user's choosing. Despite having a variety of designs, the height, width, and/or placement of the coupling elements on the building elements of the toy construction set 200 allows the building elements to be connected to each other “in system.” Additionally, some or all of the toy figure building elements can be used interchangeably with other building elements to build assemblies other than a human-like toy figure. In other words, the toy figure building elements have a dual purpose and can be used to construct a human-like figure but can also be used as building elements in other assemblies that can take forms other than a human-like forms. Additionally, the core toy figure building elements can be connected to each other to form a core assembly or central portion of a more complex toy assembly made from building elements, such as a toy assembly that is capable of transformation from one form into another distinct form. The “in system” quality of the toy figure building elements enables these more complex and varied arrangements. Additionally, the “in system” nature allows particular building elements to be repurposed, and, thus, leads to enhanced building opportunities even with relatively few building elements. Thus, the toy construction set 200, which includes core toy figure building elements with the “in system” capability, allows enhanced play value by providing for the possibility of constructing a wider variety of figures and structures.

The building elements in the toy figure set 203 and the set of building elements 230 include a variety of types of coupling elements. The coupling elements include balls 215, 216 sockets 214, 217, which receive the balls 215, 216, respectively, with a snap fit connection, c-clips 212, which receive and hold posts (not shown) with a snap fit connection, and studs 219 and recesses 220, which that receive and hold the studs 219 with an interference fit. In some implementations, the balls 215, 216 are identical, and the sockets 214, 217 are also identical. In these implementations, the balls 215 and 216 can be received and held in either a socket 214 or a socket 217. In other implementations, the balls 215, 216 are different sizes, and the respective sockets 214 and 217 are also sized differently to receive and hold the respective ball 215 or 216.

The studs 219 have a diameter 218 (FIG. 2C), and cavities 221 are formed in at least some of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). The cavities 221 have a diameter 222 that is slightly larger than a diameter of the diameter of the ball 216 (which have a surface that forms at least part of a sphere), allowing the cavity 221 to receive and releasably hold one of the balls 216.

Thus, a building element that includes a stud 219 that has a cavity 221 can connect to a building element that has a recess 220 and to a building element that has a ball 216. Individual building elements of the construction set 200 can include one or more of the different types of coupling elements.

Referring also to FIGS. 2B and 2C, the plate 234 has a surface 235 from which studs 219 protrude. The studs 219 are arranged on the surface 235 in a grid pattern 238 (FIGS. 2C and 2E). The grid pattern 238 is a grid of squares having sides of a length that is equal to the spacing 240 and a center 219a of a stud 219 at each vertex. In other words, the studs 219 are equally spaced from each other along the surface 235 in the “x” and “y” directions, and the center-to-center spacing of any two of the studs 219 in the “x” or “y” direction is the distance 240. The distance 240 can be, for example, 8 millimeters (mm).

The underside (not shown) of the plate 234 also includes instances of the recesses 220 arranged in the grid pattern 238. The building bricks 232 also include the studs 219 arranged in the grid pattern 238 on a surface 231. Having the same grid pattern 238 on the building bricks 232 and the plate 234 allows the plate 234 and the building bricks 232 to connect to each other by inserting studs 219 into corresponding recesses 220.

The set of building elements 230 also can include building bricks that have a grid pattern that is different from the grid pattern 238. Referring to FIG. 2D, an exemplary building brick 241 is shown. The building brick 241 has studs 242 that extend outward from perpendicular surfaces 241a and 241b. The perpendicular surfaces 241a and 242b meet at an edge 258 that forms a straight line, and the centers of the studs 242 fall on lines that are parallel to a line that coincides with the edge 258. The studs 242 have a diameter 242a that can be the same or different than the diameter 218 of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). The cavities 243 have a diameter 243a that can be the same or different than the diameter 222 of the cavities 221 (FIG. 2C).

The studs on the surfaces 241a and 241b that are nearest to the edge 258 are spaced at a distance 244 from the edge 258. The center-to-center spacing of the studs 242 is twice the distance 244.

The building brick 241 can be repeatedly connected to and disconnected from other building elements by inserting one or more of the studs 242 into a recess that holds the stud with a frictional engagement. In this example, each of the studs 242 defines a cavity 243 that can receive a corresponding coupling element to allow the brick 241 to repeatedly connect to and disconnect from other building elements through a connection other than a stud-recess connection. In other examples, none or fewer than all of the studs 242 can include the cavity 243.

In this example, the building brick 241 is formed by joining two separate building bricks, a stud brick 245 and a plate 246. The plate 246 has an extent 246a in the z direction, and the extent 246a can be the same as the extent 234a in the z direction of the plate 234. The plate 246 also has an extent 246b in the y direction. The plate 246 includes studs that connect to recesses on the underside of the stud brick 245 to form the building brick 241. The building brick 241 has an extent 247 in the z direction.

Some of the building elements of the toy construction set 200 include at least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements. These building elements can be referred to as hubs or hub building elements, and the hub building elements can be core toy figure building elements. The coupling elements of the hub building elements are positioned to allow the hubs to connect “in system” with at least some of the other building elements in the toy construction set 200, including other hub building elements. The coupling elements of a particular hub building element can be distinctly located but part of the same building element by, for example, being in different locations on the building element. The coupling elements can be in the same plane or in different planes. The at least three coupling elements of a hub building element can all be the same type of coupling elements or the at least three coupling elements can include a variety of different types of coupling elements, with some or all of the coupling elements being different from each other.

The pelvis 207 (FIG. 2A) is an example of a hub building element that is also a core toy figure building element. Exemplary implementations of the pelvis 207 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a pelvis 307, which includes three coupling elements: two balls 315 and a stud 323. The pelvis 307 has mirror symmetry about the “x” and “z” directions. The stud 323 includes an outer wall 325 and a cavity 327 formed in the outer wall 325. The outer wall 325 has a circular cross-section in the x-y plane and a diameter 318. The diameter 318 is the same as the diameter of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). The cavity 327 has the diameter 322. The diameter 322 is the same as the diameter of the cavity 221 formed in some of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). In the exemplary pelvis 307, the cavity 327 has an inner surface 324 that is faceted, resulting in a hexagonal cross-section in the x-y plane. However, in other examples, the inner surface 324 can be smooth, resulting in the cavity 327 having a smooth inner wall and a circular cross-section in the x-y plane. In some examples, the stud 323 does not include the cavity 327.

The stud 323 extends a distance 323a from a surface 328 along the longitudinal axis 326, which is perpendicular to the directions in which the balls 315 extend. In the example of FIG. 3, the surface 328 is a surface of a flange that has an extent 328a in the y direction and an extent 328b in the x direction. The extents 328a and 328b are such that the extent of the surface 328 in the x-y plane is greater than greatest extent of the balls 315 in the x-y plane.

Referring also to FIGS. 2A-C and 2E, the centers of the balls 315 of the pelvis 307 are spaced apart along the x direction by a distance 329, which is an integer multiple of the distance 240 (FIGS. 2C and 2E). As discussed below with respect to the legs 213 of the construction set 200 (FIG. 2A), this relative spacing between the balls 315 allows items that connect to the balls 315 of the pelvis 307 to be connected “in system” with the plate 234, the building bricks 232, and any other building elements having the studs 219 arranged with the grid pattern 238. Additionally, in some implementations, the centers of the balls 315 are spaced from the surface 328 by a distance that is an integer multiple of the thickness of a plate in the z direction (the extent 234a of FIG. 2C) and the thickness (height) of a stud. For example, the centers of the balls 315 can be spaced in the z direction at a distance of 5 mm from the surface 328.

Referring again to FIG. 2A, each of the legs 213 includes a recess 220 at one at end and a socket 217 at an opposite end. As discussed above, the recesses 220 are sized to connect to a stud 219 with an interference fit. Further, each of the sockets 217 on the legs 213 forms a snap fit with one of the balls 215 on the pelvis 207. When the legs 213 are connected to the balls 215 of the pelvis 207, the recess 220 of each of the legs 236 can also connect to one of the studs 219. Because the centers of the balls 215 are spaced by a distance 229, which is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing of the studs 219 in the grid 238, when the legs 213 are connected to the pelvis 207 and the plate 234, the legs 213 extend vertically in the “z” direction between the plate 234 and the pelvis 207. This design allows these components to be connected “in system” and can improve the stability and appearance of an assembly made with the pelvis 207, plate 234, and legs 213. The centers of the recesses 220 are also spaced by an integer multiple of the distance of the center-to-center spacing of the studs 219.

The pelvis 307 is similarly configured for “in system” connections. Referring also to FIG. 3, due to the separation of the balls 315 by the spacing 329, building elements attached to the balls 315 of the pelvis 307 are also able to connect to the plate 234 (FIG. 2C) such that the building elements connected to the balls 315 are also “in system” with the plate 324 and other elements with coupling studs having a center-to-center spacing that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing 240.

FIG. 4A shows a front perspective view of another exemplary pelvis 407, and FIG. 4B shows a side plan view of the pelvis 407. The pelvis 407 includes two balls 415, the centers of which are spaced from each other at a distance 429, a surface 428, and a stud 423 that extends a distance 423a in the z direction from the surface 428. The distance 429 can be the same as the distance 329 or 229, or an integer multiple of the distance 240. Thus, the pelvis 407 is also capable of “in system” connection.

The pelvis 407 can be used in place of the pelvis 207 and is similar to the pelvis 307, except that the surface 428 of the pelvis 407 has an extent in the x-y plane that is less than the extent of balls 415 in the x-y plane. Additionally, the balls 415 of the pelvis 407 can be larger or smaller than the balls 315 of the pelvis 307. For example, the balls 315 can have a diameter of 4.88 mm, and the balls 415 can have a diameter of 4.88 mm. The distance 423a (the height of the stud 423) can be the same as the distance 323a (the height of the stud 323 on the pelvis 307) or different.

The torso 209 (FIG. 2A) is another example of a core toy figure building element. Referring to FIG. 5A, a perspective view of an exemplary torso 509 is shown. FIG. 5B shows a bottom plan view of the torso 509 from a bottom side 550 of the torso 509. The torso 509 includes six coupling elements: two balls 516, a stud 523, two recesses 520, and a recess 548. The recesses 520 and the recess 548 are within an opening 551 that is at the bottom side 550 of a body 552 of the torso 509. The centers of the recesses 520 are spaced apart along the x direction by a distance 529 that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance 240 between the studs 219 of the grid 238 (FIG. 2C). As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the spacing of the recesses 520 allows the torso 509 to connect to the plate 234 (FIG. 2C) “in system.”

The stud 523 extends from a surface 553 along a longitudinal axis 554 of the torso 509. The longitudinal axis 554 is parallel to the z direction. In the example shown, the surface 553 slopes away from the stud 523 and a line 555 is tangent to the surface 553 where the stud 523 meets the surface 553. The stud 523 extends from the surface 553 a distance 523a (measured from the tangent line 555) along the longitudinal axis 554. The distance 523a on the stud 523 can be the same as the distance 523a on the stud 323 of the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3).

The torso 509 also includes the balls 516, the centers of which are positioned a distance 556 from the tangent line 555 along the z direction. The distance 556 is an integer multiple of the distance 244 between the centers of a stud 242 and the edge 258 of the building brick 241 (FIG. 2D). In this manner, the torso 509 includes coupling elements that are positioned relative to the spacing of three different stud arrangements. These coupling elements are: the recesses 520, which accept two studs on the plate 234 (FIG. 2C), the recess 548, which accepts a single stud of, for example, a core toy figure building element, and the balls 516, which are positioned in the z direction relative to the tangent 553a at a spacing that is relative to the spacing of the studs on the building brick 241 (FIG. 2D). This results in further flexibility for using the torso 209, 509 as a building element.

The extent of the torso 509 along the longitudinal axis 554 (from the tangent line 555 to the bottom 550) is a distance 557. The distance 557 is an integer multiple of the thickness of the plate 234 (FIG. 2C). As discussed with respect to FIGS. 6C and 6D, the distances 557 and 556 allow the torso 509 to be connected “in system” with building bricks such as the brick 232, 234, and 241 to form a wall-like assembly.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of the torso 509 being connected to the plate 234 “in system.” In the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the distance 529 between the centers of the recesses 520 on the torso 509 is the same as the spacing 240 (FIG. 2C), thus allowing the torso 509 to connect to the plate 234 in the same manner as a standard 2×1 building brick. Thus, each of the recesses 520 couples to one stud 219 on the plate 234 such that the opening 551 couples to two studs 519 on the plate 234. Due to this arrangement of the recesses 520, the sides of the body 552 of the torso 509 can align with an edge of the plate 234 as shown in FIG. 6B.

Additionally, the torso 509 can connect to the pelvis 307 (or the pelvis 407) by receiving and holding the stud 323 (or the stud 423) in the recess 548. Thus, the opening 551 is a recess that is configured to receive two different configurations of studs, allowing the torso 509 to connect to a variety of other building elements (including other toy figure building elements and other core toy figure building elements) in a variety of ways. In this example, the opening 551 is configured to allow the torso 509 to connect to the pelvis 307 or 407 via a single stud 323 or 423, respectively, or to two studs on the plate 234 via the recesses 520.

Referring to FIGS. 6C and 6D, an example of the torso 509 connected “in system” with several building elements is shown. FIG. 6C, is a perspective view of the torso 509 placed “in system” in a build 600 formed with the torso 509 and other building elements in the set of building elements 230 (FIGS. 2A-2E). FIG. 6D shows a side cross-sectional view of the build 600.

In the example of FIGS. 6C and 6D, the other building elements include a plate 602, a brick 604, two plates 606, and two building bricks 608. All of these other building elements except for the two building bricks 608 include studs 219. The building bricks 608 are similar to the stud building brick 245 (FIG. 2D) and include studs that are arranged with center-to-brick edge and center-to-center spacing similar to the studs 242. The plate 602 and the brick 604 have six studs 219 arranged in a single row, the plates 606 have two studs 219 arranged in a single row, and the building bricks 608 have studs 242 on a plurality of surfaces that are each in different planes. The studs 242 on the building bricks 608 include the cavity 243.

The heights of the building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 in the z direction are integer multiples of the extent of the plate 602 in the z direction. This allows a configuration in which a stud 219 on a particular building element in a stack of connected building elements lines up with a stud on another stack of connected building element in the “z” direction even if a different number of building elements is used to build the two stacks.

The torso 509 is connected “in system” with the building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 by connecting the recesses 220 of the torso 509 to the studs 219 on the plate 606 and by connecting the stud 523 of the torso 509 to a recess of the brick 604. As discussed above, the balls 516 of the torso 509 are positioned relative to the tangent 553a of the torso 509 at a distance 556 that is an integer multiple of the distance 244 (FIG. 2D). Thus, when the building bricks 608 are connected to the plates 606 and the brick 604, and the torso 509 is connected to the plate 602 as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the balls 516 line up with the centers of the cavities 243 of the studs 242, which are on the bricks 608. Further, the stud 523 of the torso 509 is received in a recess of the brick 604 such that the portion of the surface 553 of the torso is flush and smooth against the brick 604. This arrangement of the ball 516 relative to the tangent line 555 of the torso 509 allows the torso 509 to be connected “in system” with the other building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 and used as a building element that builds a wall (the build 600) with other building elements.

Thus, the building elements of the toy construction set 200 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) can be used to make a build, such as the build 600, and/or a figure, such as the toy figure assembled from the toy figure set 103 (FIG. 1). The ability to use the building elements that are used to construct a human-like toy figure interchangeably with other building elements of the toy construction set 200 enhances play value and the flexibility of the construction set 200.

Referring also to FIGS. 7A and 7B, perspective and cross-sectional views of an exemplary build 700 are shown. In the build 700, the torso 509 is connected to the brick 608 by inserting one of the balls 516 into the cavity 243 of the stud 242. The ball 516 is held in frictional engagement in the cavity 243.

The flexibility increases the build configurations that are possible from a single toy construction set. For example, in the build 600 (FIGS. 6A and 6B) the ball 516 of the torso 509 can be connected to the building brick 608 by inserting the ball 516 directly into the cavity 243 while the torso 509 is connected to the plate 606.

Referring to FIGS. 8A-8C, an exemplary connection building element 860 is shown. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the connection building element 860, FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the connection building element 860, and FIG. 8C is a top view of the connection building element 860.

The connection building element 860 is removably coupled to one or more core toy figure building elements that have “in system” coupling elements (such as the torso 509, the pelvis 307, and/or the pelvis 407) to form a foundational building assembly that is also “in system” and can be used as a foundation of a larger and/or more complex structure that is built from building elements. Because the configuration of the connection building element 860 allows the connection elements of the core toy figure building elements to be connected to other building elements while the connection building element 860 is connected to the core toy building elements, the foundational building assembly can be a part of an assembly made with additional building elements of the user's choosing.

The connection building element 860 includes first, second, and third sides 861a, 861b, 861c. The surfaces of the sides 861a and 861c are in planes that are parallel to each other, and the sides 861a and 861c extend from the side 861b. The side 861b has a thickness 862b, and the side 861c has a thickness 862c. Studs 862 extend from the surface of the side 861b in a direction opposite the direction in which the sides 861a and 861b extend from the side 861b. The studs 862 are arranged in a grid in the x-z plane with the center-to-center distance 240 (FIG. 2C). The center-to-center spacing of the studs 862, the thicknesses 862b and/or 862c, the location of the studs 862 relative to the other portions of the connection building element 860, and/or the extent of the side 861b in the z direction are such that the studs 862 are “in system” with the coupling elements on the core toy building elements to which the connection building element 860 connects.

The connection building element 860 also includes coupling elements 864 and 865 that enable the connection building element 860 to repeatedly connect to and disconnect from the core toy figure building elements. The coupling elements 864 and 865 are openings through which a coupling element of a core building element can pass. The coupling element 864 is defined by the side 861a, which, in this example includes two arms 866a, 866b that extend from the side 861b and form the coupling element 864. The coupling element 864 can hold the coupling element of a core toy figure building element with a frictional engagement. The coupling element 864 can receive a coupling element of another building element in the z direction and in the y direction. Thus, another building element can connect to the connection building element 860 by connecting to the coupling element 864 in a direction opposite to the z direction, in the z direction, or in the y direction. The arms 866a, 866b deform when a stud is inserted into them along the y direction and the arms 866a, 866b snap back in place after the stud is in the opening formed by the arms 866a, 866b.

The coupling element 865 is defined by the surface 861c. In this example, the coupling element 865 includes facets 865b that hold a smooth-walled coupling element of a core toy figure building element (such as the stud 223 of the pelvis 307) in frictional engagement. The facets 865b are part of an inner wall that surrounds the opening that forms the coupling element 865. The inner wall can have portions that are curved and portions that are faceted with a facet 865b. The curved and faceted portions can alternate, and there can be any number of facets 865b. For example, the inner wall can include four facets 865b to form an eight-sided inner wall (with four curved portions and four faceted portions). Other numbers of facets can be used. When a stud is inserted into the coupling element 865, the facets 865b make contact with an outer surface of the stud to create a frictional engagement. Thus, the facets 865b can be the portions of the coupling element 865 that hold the stud.

The opening that forms the coupling element 865 is surrounded in the x-y plane by the inner wall, thus, the coupling element 865 can receive a coupling element of another building element in the z direction or in a direction opposite to the z direction. In other implementations, the coupling element 865 can be open in more than one direction (similar to the coupling element 864).

Referring also to FIGS. 9A-9C, the connection building element 860 can be connected to the torso 509 and the pelvis 407 “in system” to form a foundational building element 970 (FIG. 9C). FIG. 9A shows an exploded perspective view of the connection building element 860, the torso 509, and the pelvis 407. FIG. 9B shows a perspective side view of the connection building element 860 connected to the torso 509. The connection building element 860 slides onto the body 552 of the torso 509 in the y direction such that the side 861b of the connection building element 860 is parallel to a plane that includes the centers of the balls 516. Attaching the connection building element 860 to the torso 509 in this manner results in the coupling element 865 (FIGS. 8A-8C) aligning with the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509 along the z direction and the coupling element 864 receiving the stud 523 of the torso 509 in the y direction. The alignment of the coupling element 865 of the connection building element 860 and the recess 548 of the torso 509 provides a space into which the stud 423 of the pelvis 407 can be inserted to connect the pelvis 407 to the torso 509 and the connection building element 860.

The connection building element 860 is rigid in that none of the sides 861a, 861b, 861c articulate relative to each other aside from nominal deflection that typically occurs in molded plastic parts. Thus, the connection building element 860 is pressed onto the torso 509 and connects to the stud 523 and is held in place until a force is applied to remove the connection building element 860.

After the connection building element 860 and the torso 509 are connected, the stud 423 of the pelvis 407 is connected, in the z direction, to the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509 and the coupling element 865 of the connection building element to form the foundational building assembly 970, a perspective view of which is shown in FIG. 9C. The building element components of the foundational building assembly 970 (the torso 509, the pelvis 407, and the connection building element 860) are “in system” with each other once connected and can be used to construct a variety of different toy assemblies.

FIGS. 10A-10C are front, rear, and side views of the foundational building assembly 970, respectively. FIGS. 10A-10C show the “in system” nature of the foundational building assembly 970. In particular, in the z direction, the center of the ball 516 on the torso 509 and the center of the ball 415 on the pelvis 407 are spaced by an integer multiple (2 in this example) of the center-to-center spacing 240 of the studs 862. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 10C, the centers of two of the studs 862 coincide with the centers of the balls 415 in the y direction. Further, the longitudinal center line of the stud 523 of the torso 509 is positioned between two of the studs 862.

In addition to illustrating the “in system” nature of the foundational building assembly 970, FIGS. 10A-10C also show that the assembled foundational building assembly 970 is able to connect to additional building elements. In the example shown, an appendage toy figure building element 1013 includes a socket 1017 that connects to the ball 415 of the pelvis 407 with a snap fit connection. Due to the shape of the pelvis 407 and the type of connection between the appendage toy figure building element 1013 and the pelvis 407, when connected to the balls 415 of the pelvis 407, the building element 1013 is able to articulate in more than one plane. When an identical building element 1013 is connected to the other ball 415 of the pelvis 407, the two building elements 1013 are able to form an angle that is greater than 90 degrees and an angle that is greater than 180 degrees in more than one plane. In other words, when each of the two balls 415 of the pelvis 407 are connected to an appendage toy figure building element 1013, the toy figure building elements 1013 can be positioned relative to the pelvis 407 and each other in a manner that resembles legs of a human-like toy figure that are in center “splits” or front “splits.”

Referring also to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the appendage toy figure building elements 1013 are arranged relative to the pelvis 407 in the center “splits” (FIG. 13A) and the side “splits” (FIG. 13B). The building elements 1013 are able to rotate relative to the balls 415 to form an angle that is greater than 180 degrees in two different planes. In FIG. 13A, with the building elements 1013 arranged in the center “splits,” the angle is in the x-z plane. In FIG. 13B, with the building elements 1013 arranged in the side “splits,” the angle is in the y-z plane.

Similarly, appendage toy figure building elements can be connected to the balls 516 of the torso 509 and, when connected, these building elements can be rotated relative to the torso 509 in more than one plane.

Thus, the connection building element 860 acts, together with the torso 509 and the pelvis 407, to provide an “in system” assembly that can also connect to other building elements.

The connection building element 860 can be connected to other core toy figure building elements. FIGS. 11A-11D show the connection building element 860 with the torso 509 and the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3). The pelvis 307 is similar to the pelvis 407 except the pelvis 307 includes the surface 328 that has the same extent in the x and y directions as the body 552 of the torso 509 has at the bottom end 550.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show perspective views of another exemplary connection building element 1260. The connection building element 1260 connects to the torso 509 and the pelvis 407 to form a foundational toy building assembly 1270. A front view of the foundational building assembly 1270 is shown in FIG. 12C, and a perspective view of the foundational building assembly 1270 is shown in FIG. 12D.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the connection building element 1260 includes four sides 1261a, 1261b, 1261c, and 1261d. The sides 1261a and 1261c are parallel to each other and the sides 1261b and 1261d are parallel to each other. The edges of the sides 1261a, 1261b, 1261c, 1261d form a rectangular perimeter 1266, which defines an open region 1267b in the y-z plane. On an opposite side of the connection building element, the sides 1261a, 1261b, 1261c, 1261d form another open region 1267a. The open regions 1267a, 1267b allow the connection building element 1260 to connect to the torso 509 while still exposing the balls 215 for connection to other building elements. The sides 1261b and 1261d include studs 1262 that are arranged in a grid pattern with the center-to-center spacing 240. The side 1261a and the side 1261c define coupling elements 1264 and 1265, respectively. Thus, the connection building element 1260 has coupling elements on sides 1261b and 1261d.

Referring also to FIGS. 12C and 12D, to connect the connection building element 1260 to the torso 509, the bottom side 550 of the torso 509 is slid into the connection building element 1260 through the open region 1267a in the x direction and the stud 523 of the torso 509 is received in the coupling element 1264. When connected in this manner, the coupling element 1265 and the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509 align, and the stud 223 of the pelvis 307 is inserted through the coupling element 1265 and held by the facets 1265a and the walls that define the recess 548 (FIG. 5B). Similar to the coupling element 865 (FIGS. 8A-8C), the coupling element 1265 can include alternating curved and faceted portions.

Thus, when assembled into the foundational building assembly 1270, the connecting building element 1260 provides studs 1262 on more than one side of the torso 509 and also allows the coupling elements of the torso 509 and the pelvis 407 to connect to other building elements. Additionally, the foundational building assembly 1270 made from the torso 509, the pelvis 507, and the connection building element 1260 is “in system,” with the centers of the studs 1262 being aligned with the centers of the balls 415 and 516 in the x and y directions, and the centers of the balls 415 and the balls 516 being separated in the x direction by a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing 240.

Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

For example, any of the building elements discussed above can include one or more coupling elements. Coupling elements of standard building elements can include male coupling elements, for example, in the form of a coupling stud, and female coupling elements, for example, in the form of a coupling recess that is sized to receive the coupling stud. The studs 219 can be standard building elements. The male and female coupling elements can have a first coupling size. For example, the first coupling size of a standard coupling stud (that is on a surface of a building element, such as a plate or brick) is defined by an outside diameter of 4.88 mm and a height of 1.80 mm, and the coupling recesses are sized to have an interference fit with the coupling studs of the same size. The studs 219 can be standard coupling studs. The diameter 218 of the stud 223 can be the same as the outside diameter of a standard coupling stud. There can be different types and configurations of female recesses that mate with the first coupling size. For example, in some configurations, the recesses may be circular, partially circular with flats on multiple sides, square, or pronged to name a few. The recesses may have varying depths; however, a minimum depth may be provided to ensure proper coupling with the male stud via an interference fit. Additional configurations for recesses that provide different alignment possibilities between building elements are described below in greater detail.

Coupling elements, for example, a male stud of a standard building element of the toy construction system, can be arranged in a uniform two-dimensional array structure (that is in an x-z plane) on the surface of a building element which allow for easy coupling (and de-coupling) with the similarly arranged female recesses of another building element. Typically, the building elements are referred to by the array formed on the surface of the building element. Thus, a 3×4 building element has 12 male coupling elements, for example, studs, arranged in four columns by three rows. The distances between centers of the coupling elements taken along a direction that is parallel with either the x or the z axis in the x-z plane are a standard unit, which is an integer multiple of a base unit, BU. The distance 240 is an example of a BU. For example, a 1×3 standard building element (brick or plate) has three studs A, B, and C whose centers are arranged along a center axis of the element (for example, a z axis) where the center of stud A is 1BU from the center of stud B and 2BUs from the center of stud C. In the implementations described, the base unit or BU of such a toy construction system is 8 mm. The distances are within a standard tolerance.

In the example shown, the assembled toy figure set 103 resembles a human-like figure. However, the building elements of the toy figure set 103 can be arranged in other ways and can include other building elements. Furthermore, in other examples, the toy figure assembled from the building elements can have another form, such as a vehicle or robot.

The building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 can have different configurations. For example, these building elements can have different numbers of studs than shown in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

The balls 516 on the torso 509 can be the same size and shape as the balls 315 on the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3) and the balls 415 on the pelvis 407 (FIG. 4A). However, in other examples the balls 516 on the torso 509 can be a different size than the balls on the pelvis.

In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the centers of the balls 516 on the torso 509 are not spaced from each other along the x direction at a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing 240. However, in other examples, the centers of the balls 516 on the torso 509 can be spaced from each other in the x direction at a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing 240.

The connecting coupling element 860 can include coupling elements other than or in addition to the studs 862. For example, the coupling element 820 can include a grid of recesses.

Claims

1. A toy construction set comprising:

a building element comprising coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by a center-to-center spacing; and

a toy figure set comprising toy figure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figure building elements comprising at least two core toy figure building elements, each of the core toy figure building elements comprising at least a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each other by a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing, wherein

the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elements to repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, and

each of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane.

2. The toy construction set of claim 1, wherein the toy figure is configured to be arranged in a human-like form.

3. The toy construction set of claim 1, wherein the at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane is one of the coupling elements in the first set of coupling elements.

4. The toy construction set of claim 1, wherein the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on at least one of the core toy figure building elements are identical.

5. The toy construction set of claim 4, wherein

the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on one of the core toy figure building elements comprise identical balls, the centers of the balls being separated by the center-to-center spacing, and

the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on another one of the core toy figure building elements comprise identical recesses, the centers of the recesses being separated by the center-to-center spacing.

6. The toy construction set of claim 5, wherein the core toy figure building element that comprises the identical recesses further comprises at least one ball.

7. The toy construction set of claim 6, further comprising a second building element comprising a line of studs, each stud being separated from the center of the closest stud by a second center-to-center distance, different from the center-to-center distance, and wherein

the center of the at least one ball of the core toy figure building element that comprises the identical recesses is spaced from a surface of the core toy figure building element by an integer multiple of half of the second center-to-center distance.

8. The toy construction set of claim 1, wherein the core toy figure building elements comprise a torso building element and a pelvis building element, the first set of coupling elements of the torso building element comprising two recesses, the centers of the recess being separated by the center-to-center spacing, and the first set of coupling elements of the pelvis building element comprising two balls, the centers of the balls being separated by the center-to-center spacing.

9. The toy construction set of claim 8, further comprising at least two leg building elements, each of the leg building elements comprising a socket that connects to one of the balls of the pelvis building element with a snap fit.

10. The toy construction set of claim 9, wherein, when one leg building element is connected to each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected leg building elements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of at least 90 degrees in at least two different planes.

11. The toy construction set of claim 9, wherein, when one leg building element is connected to each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected leg building elements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of at least 180 degrees in at least two different planes.

12. The toy construction set of claim 9, further comprising a head building element and arm building elements.

13. A toy construction set comprising:

a toy figure set comprising a first toy figure building element and a second toy figure building element, the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at a core toy assembly, each of the first and second toy figure building elements comprising at least two coupling elements configured to connect the toy figure building element to other building elements; and

a connection building element configured to connect to one or more of the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the connection building element comprising: a first surface in a first plane, the first surface comprising coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by a center-to-center spacing, a second surface in a second plane different from the first plane, wherein, when the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of at least some of the coupling studs on the first surface are aligned with the centers of the coupling elements of the first toy building element and the coupling elements of the second toy building elements.

14. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein the centers of some of the coupling studs on the first surface of the connection building element are aligned with the coupling elements on the first toy figure building element, and the centers of all of the coupling studs on the first surface of the connection building element are aligned with the coupling elements on the second toy figure building element.

15. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein a coupling stud on the first surface of the connection building element is aligned with a coupling element on the first or second toy figure building element when the center of the coupling stud and the center of the coupling element form a line parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the toy building element.

16. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein, when the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure building element or the second toy figure building element are spaced from the coupling studs on the connection building element in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance.

17. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein the connection building element further comprises a third surface in a third plane, the third plane being different from the first plane and the second plane, and the third surface defining an opening.

18. The toy construction set of claim 16, wherein the second and third planes are parallel to each other, and the second plane is orthogonal to the first and third planes.

19. The toy construction set of claim 18, wherein the first and third surfaces extend from the second surface, and the connection building element is rigid such that the first and third surfaces do not articulate relative to the second surface.

20. The toy construction set of claim 18, wherein

the connection building element further comprises a fourth surface in a fourth plane, the fourth surface comprising coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the center of the nearest stud by the center-to-center spacing, and

when the connection building element is connected to the first and second toy figure building elements, the centers of some of the coupling studs on the fourth surface are aligned with the centers of the coupling elements of the first toy building element and the coupling elements of the second toy building elements.

21. The toy construction set of claim 19, wherein, when the connection building element is connected to the first toy figure building element and the second toy figure building element, the centers of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure building element or the second toy figure building element are spaced from the coupling studs on the first and fourth surfaces of the connection building element in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance.

22. The toy construction set of claim 14, wherein the first toy figure building element comprises a torso building element, and the second toy figure building element comprises a pelvis building element.

23. A hub building element comprising:

a body defining a longitudinal axis and a recess, the recess being configured to receive and hold two different types of coupling elements, the two different types of coupling elements comprising a single coupling stud of another hub building element that, when connected to the body element along the longitudinal axis forms a portion of a toy figure, and two coupling studs that form part of a grid on a surface of a separate building element, the coupling studs being spaced with a center-to-center spacing;

a coupling stud extending from a surface and along the longitudinal axis toy figure building element; and

a plurality of coupling elements extending outward from the body, each of the coupling elements being configured to allow rotation of a connected building element in more than one plane, and each of the coupling elements being spaced from the surface by a distance that is half of a center-to-center spacing of the coupling studs arranged in a grid pattern that are received in the recess.

24. The hub building element of claim 23, wherein the hub building element comprises a torso of the toy figure, and the other hub building element comprises a pelvis of the toy figure.

25. The hub building element of claim 23, wherein the plurality of coupling elements extend outward from the body in opposite directions.