Method For Attaching Toys To Each Other Using Retrofitted Accessory

Abstract

A method is provided for attaching two objects, generally toys such as building blocks, to each other. The attachment is enabled by a first attachment means to a planar surface of a first object and a second attachment means to a planar surface of a second object. The first attachment means and second attachment means can be bonded to the corresponding object by an adhesive material such as glue, by traversing a corresponding insert into the object (resulting in an interference fit), and ultimately by any means applied by a manufacturer. The first attachment means serves as a male interface that can be engaged with a female interface of the second attachment means. By engaging the first male interface with the female interface, two objects can be attached to each other. An object can be provided with both a male interface and female interface in order to attach multiple objects.

Description

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/989,572 filed on May 7, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method for attaching two toys together by first retrofitting them with the appropriate means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Construction based toys and playthings have been a favorite of children and adults alike for decades. They offer a creative outlet for expression, and can inspire a passion for building. Existing construction toys are typically composed of a single material, a common example being plastic. Plastic toys are great in their versatility, but lack the appearance and feel of wooden toys, or the soft touch of fabric. There exists a need for a construction toy which can easily be attached to other toys while providing different tactile sensations as compared to traditional plastic-based construction toys.

The present invention is a plastic end cap attached to a wood or fabric block at one or more ends so that two or more blocks can be temporarily connected together to build a construction toy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart outlining the process of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first object with connected first attachment means.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second object with a second attachment means.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a first object and a second object which are attached to each other.

FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom perspective view showing a first object and a second object which are attached to each other.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a first object and second object connected to each other.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing how multiple attachment means may be connected to the same object.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a first attachment means with inserts.

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view showing a first attachment means with inserts.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second attachment means with inserts.

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view showing a second attachment means with inserts.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing attachment means being connected to an object through the use of inserts.

FIG. 13 is an exploded bottom perspective showing attachment means being connected to an object through the use of inserts.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a first attachment means connected to a wheeled object.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a first attachment means connected to a wheeled object.

FIG. 16 is an exploded lateral view showing an elephant-shaped object attached to a wheeled object.

FIG. 17 is an exploded lateral view showing a giraffe-shaped object attached to a wheeled object.

FIG. 18 is an exploded lateral view showing a triangle-shaped object attached to a wheeled object.

FIG. 19 is an exploded lateral view showing a car-shaped object attached to a wheeled object.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a system for retrofitting existing objects in order to allow said objects to be attached and detached from each other. Non-exhaustive examples of objects that can be retrofitted via the present invention include blocks, figurines, and any number of objects that can be classified as a toy. Provided a first object 1 and a second object 2, the present invention allows attaching the object to other by connecting a first attachment means 3 to the first object 1 and a second attachment means 4 to the second object 2. The first attachment means 3 and the second attachment means 4 are capable of engaging with each other, thus allowing the first object 1 to be attached to the second object 2 via their connected first attachment means 3 and second attachment means 4. The first object 1 and second object 2 are each provided with a planar surface 5. These planar surfaces 5 are necessary to allow the first object 1 and second object 2 to be joined to each other, the attachment point being part or all of the corresponding planar surfaces 5. When connected to a toy block, for example, the attachment means act as the top layers or bottom layers of the respective objects to which they've been connected. A single object can be provided with multiple attachment means in order to allow it to be connected to multiple objects. For example, a block can be provided with attachment means on both a top and bottom surface, allowing said block to be connected between another pair of blocks. The process of the present invention is outlined in FIG. 1 while supporting illustrations are provided in FIG. 2-FIG. 19. It is noted that multiple attachment means additionally allow large assemblies to be constructed from appropriately retrofitted objects. For example, a block can be provided with an attachment means for both a top surface and a bottom surface, allowing the block to connect to two other objects with the appropriate attachment means.

The first attachment means 3 and the second attachment means 4 must be connected to the corresponding first object 1 and second object 2 before said first object 1 and second object 2 can be attached to each other. This connection can be accomplished in a variety of ways, two examples of which are provided. It is noted that these examples are not exclusive and do not limit the manner in which the connections can be achieved.

In a first example connection, a first insert 31 is provided as part of the first attachment means 3 and a second insert 41 is provided as part of the second attachment means 4. The first insert 31 and second insert 41 allow the corresponding accessories to be connected to an object by traversing the insert into the object. The inserts effectively act similar to a nail, screw, or other fastener. Once the inserts have been forced into the corresponding objects, they connect the corresponding attachment means to said corresponding object. The two objects are then ready to be attached to each other by engaging the first attachment means 3 with the second attachment means 4. In an embodiment where the insert is placed into a corresponding cavity of the object, the object can prepared for the insert by first drilling a hole into the object in order to create the cavity. The insert is then placed into the cavity, where it can be held in place via a bonding agent such as glue or through a simple interference fit. In another embodiment, where the insert is a threaded body, e.g. a screw, it can simply be screwed into the object, negating the need to drill a cavity into the object. Additional inserts, beyond the first insert 31 and the second insert 41, may be provided for each attachment means as shown in the figures illustrating an embodiment with inserts. The use of additional inserts provides a more secure connection between an attachment means and corresponding object. Illustrations of the attachment means and the connected objects of this first example connection are provided in FIG. 8-FIG. 13.

In a second example connection, an adhesive material is used to bond the first insert 31 to the first attachment means 3 and the second insert 41 to the second attachment means 4. Likewise, the second insert 41 is bonded to the second insert 41 via said adhesive material. In order to initiate this bonding, the attachment means are pressed against a planar surface 5, the planar surface 5 having received a coating of the adhesive material. Pressing the attachment means against the planar surface 5 helps create a strong and secure bond between said attachment means and corresponding object.

The adhesive material, examples of which include glue and double-sided tape, secures an insert to the corresponding attachment means. As with the inserts, the use of the adhesive material allows the first attachment means 3 and the second attachment means 4 to be connected to the first object 1 and the second object 2, respectively. The first object 1 and second object 2 can then be attached to each other by engaging the first attachment means 3 with the second attachment means 4. Illustrations detailing an embodiment using this second connection method are provided in FIG. 2-FIG. 7.

The provided examples of how the attachment means are connected to the objects are not meant to limit the present invention. Other methods are suitable for use with the present invention as long as they connected the first attachment means 3 to the first object 1 and the second attachment means 4 to the second object 2.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the first attachment interface is provided with a male interface 32 while the second attachment interface is provided with a female interface 42. The male interface 32 and female interface 42 are designed to easily engage with each other, allowing for attaching and detaching of the first object 1 and the second object 2. More specifically, the male interface 32 comprises a plurality of nubs 33 while the female interface 42 comprises a lateral surface 43 and a plurality of protrusions 44. A plurality of nub-receiving volumes 45 are defined as the areas between the lateral surface 43 and the plurality of protrusions 44 of the female interface 42.

The nubs 33 of the male interface 32 are positioned into the plurality of nub-receiving volumes 45 of the female interface 42 in order to attach the first object 1 and the second object 2. The nubs 33 are sized to be coincident with the lateral surface 43 and the plurality of protrusions 44 or with multiple protrusions 44 from the plurality of protrusions 44. The nubs 33 effectively press against the lateral surface 43 and the protrusions 44, with the resulting force securing the nubs 33 in the nub-receiving volumes 45.

The use of a male interface 32 and female interface 42, along with nubs 33 and nub-receiving volumes 45, is just one example of how the first attachment means 3 and second attachment means 4 may engage with each other. Potentially, other embodiments can use alternative attachment means in place of the described male interface 32 and female interface 42.

As earlier referenced, the method of the present invention is applicable to a large number of objects. Some common examples that benefit from the present invention include toys such as blocks, figures (e.g. animal figurines as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17), people, and even wheeled objects such as vehicles (FIG. 14-FIG. 19). The only requirement for the objects is the presence of a planar surface 5, which is necessary to allow two objects to be attached to each other. Examples of different objects that comprises a planar surface 5 are provided in FIG. 14-FIG. 19.

The construction of the objects used in conjunction with the present invention is variable. Several examples of potential objects include blocks which are rigid bodies, e.g. made from wood, as well as blocks which are pliable bodies, e.g. made from a fabric material. Other example materials include plastic wood or other organic composite materials, preferably which are capable of being used for injection molding. These wood substitutes can be mass produced while maintaining a similar look and feel to natural wood. The objects can be plain or decorated such as with a printed graphic such as an apple. The attachment means themselves can likewise be made from a number of materials, preferably a rigid material such as plastic that will allow for attaching of a first object 1 to a second object 2 via their corresponding attachment means. Ultimately, the present invention allows different objects to be easily attached to each other, even when said objects were not originally designed for such.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A method for attaching toys to each other using retrofitted accessories comprises the steps of:

providing a first object and a second object, wherein the first object and the second object each comprise a planar surface;

connecting a first attachment means to the planar surface of the first object in order to retrofit the first object;

connecting a second attachment means to the planar surface of the second object in order to retrofit the second object; and

attaching the first object to the second object by engaging the first attachment means with the second attachment means.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a first insert of the first attachment means and a second insert of the second attachment means;

traversing the first insert into the planar surface of the first object in order to connect the first attachment means to the first object; and

traversing the second insert into the planar surface of the second object in order to connect the second attachment means to the second object.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

applying an adhesive material to the planar surface of the first object and to the planar surface of the second object;

pressing the first attachment means against the planar surface of the first object in order to bond the first attachment means with the adhesive material of the first object, wherein the first attachment means is connected to the planar surface by the adhesive material of the first object; and

pressing the second attachment means against the planar surface of the second object in order to bond the second attachment means with the adhesive material of the second object, wherein the second attachment means is connected to the planar surface by the adhesive material of the second object.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the step of:

providing a male interface of the first attachment means and a female interface of the second attachment means; and

engaging the male interface with the female interface in order to attach the first object to the second object.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the male interface comprises a plurality of nubs;

the female interface comprises a lateral surface and a plurality of protrusions; and

a plurality of nub-receiving volumes being delineated by the lateral surface and the plurality of protrusions.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 comprises the step of:

interfacing the male interface with the female interface by positioning at least one of the plurality of nubs into a selected nub-receiving volume from the plurality of nub-receiving volumes.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first object and the second object each being a rigid body.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the rigid body being wooden.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first object and the second object each being a pliable body.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the pliable body being fabric.