Releasably interlocking units having a snap connection

Claim 2

A toy unit for toy construction sets comprising a generally cylindrical hub support and connecting means radiating out in a common plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said support on said support for connection with other similar toy units, said connecting means including a plurality of connectable members projecting outwardly from said support, each connectable member terminating in an outer enlarged end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, adjacent of said areas being spaced a predetermined distance between one another and from said hub support for simultaneously engaging a pair of enlarged end portions and hub support of other similar toy units.

Claim 3

A toy unit for toy construction sets comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hub support, connecting means radiating out in a common plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said support on said support for connection with other similar toy units, said connecting means including a plurality of connectable members projecting radially outwardly from the hub support, each connectable member terminating in an enlarged outer end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, adjacent of said surface areas being spaced a predetermined distance from one another and from said hub support for simultaneously engaging a pair of enlarged end portions and hub support of other similar toy units.

Claim 4

A toy unit for toy construction sets comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hub support, connecting means radiating out in a common plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said support on said support for connection with other similar toy units, said connecting means including a plurality of connectable members projecting radially outwardly from the hub support, each connectable member terminating in an enlarged outer end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, adjacent of said surface areas being spaced a predetermined distance from one another and from said hub support for simultaneously engaging a pair of enlarged end portions and hub support of other similar toy units.

Claim 5

A toy unit for toy construction sets as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said connectable member includes a narrower spokelike portion extending from the support to the enlarged end portion.

Claim 6

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the distance between the centers of a pair of adjacent surface areas to that of the radius of each of these surface areas is about 2.77.

Claim 7

A toy unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein the ratio of the distance from a midpoint between the centers of said pair of adjacent surface areas to the nearest common surface of the hub support to that of each of the radius dimensions of the adjacent surface areas is about 1.4.

Claim 8

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support and connectable members are composed of a slightly resilient, hard-surfaced plastic material formed as an integral body.

Claim 9

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said enlarged end portions has a pair of opposed concave recesses on opposite sides thereof adapted to releasably interlock between adjacent of the enlarged end portions of a corresponding set of connectable members turned at right angles thereto.

Claim 10

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enlarged end portions are generally elongated in shape and have a semispherical section along each side, said semispherical sections being of the same radius dimension and each is spaced a predetermined distance from an adjacent semispherical section.

Claim 11

A toy unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said hub extends to a selected distance beyond the center of the unit, whereby, in said simultaneous engagement, said hub engages and forms a support surface area for an adjacent Pair of end portions on a second similar unit releasably interlocked thereto at right angles.

Claim 12

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said enlarged end portions has a radial slot extending through an outer surface and beyond its center toward the support for releasable connection of the unit with other toys.

Claim 13

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said enlarged end portions are essentially hollow.

Claim 14

A toy unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hub is hollow and has an external diameter which is substantially the same dimension as the enlarged end portions and slotted at one end for releasable connection of the unit with other toys.

Claim 15

A toy unit for toy construction sets comprising an integral body composed entirely of a slightly resilient and hard-surfaced plastic material including an inner generally cylindrical hub, and connecting means radiating out in a common plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the hub, said connecting means including a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from the hub at equally spaced angular intervals with each spoke terminating in an outer enlarged end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, said end portions being essentially identical in size, each said spherical surface area having its center an equal distance from the center of the hub, each pair of spherical surface areas on adjacent end portions being spaced a predetermined distance from one another and from the hub for simultaneously engaging a pair of enlarged end portions and hub of other similar toy units disposed at right angles thereto.

Claim 16

A toy unit for toy construction sets comprising an integral body composed entirely of a slightly resilient and hard-surfaced plastic material including an inner generally cylindrical hub, and connecting means radiating out in a common plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the hub, said connecting means including a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from the hub at equally spaced angular intervals with each spoke terminating in an outer enlarged end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, said end portions being essentially identical in size, each said spherical surface area having its center an equal distance from the center of the hub, each pair of spherical surface areas on adjacent end portions being spaced a predetermined distance from one another and from the hub for simultaneously engaging a pair of enlarged end portions and hub of other similar toy units disposed at right angles thereto.

Claim 17

In a construction set, first and second toy units, each unit including coupling means adapted to interlock when said units are disposed at right angles to one another, said first unit having a cylindrical hub support, said first unit coupling means including a plurality of connectable members projecting outwardly from the associated hub support with each connectable member terminating in enlarged outer end portions having generally convexly spherical surface areas, adjacent of said end portions being slightly yieldable one from the other and the adjacent surface areas thereof supported a predetermined distance one from the other, said second unit coupling means having connectable members similar to the first unit, the spacing between an adjacent pair of said surface areas on the first and second units being less than sufficient to permit the end portions to slide past one another when turned at right angles, the yieldable support permitting end portions of the two pairs to forcibly expand and slide past and then contract one toward the other to releasably interlock one unit with the other, said hub support extending to a selected distance from the center of the first unit to engage a pair of the end portions of the second unit and provide another support surface area for the first and second interlocking units.

Claim 18

In a construction set, first and second toy units, each unit including coupling means adapted to interlock when said units are disposed at right angles to one another, said first unit having a cylindrical hub support, said first unit coupling means including a plurality of connectable members projecting outwardly from the associated hub support with each connectable member terminating in enlarged outer end portions having generally convexly spherical surface areas, adjacent of said end portions being slightly yieldable one from the other and the adjacent surface areas thereof supported a predetermined distance one from the other, said second unit coupling means having connectable members similar to the first unit, the spacing between an adjacent pair of said surface areas on the first and second units being less than sufficient to permit the end portions to slide past one another when turned at right angles, the yieldable support permitting end portions of the two pairs to forcibly expand and slide past and then contract one toward the other to releasably interlock one unit with the other, said hub support extending to a selected distance from the center of the first unit to engage a pair of the end portions of the second unit and provide another support surface area for the first and second interlocking units.

Claim 19

In a construction set, first and second toy units, each said unit including coupling means adapted to interlock one with the other when said units are disposed at right angles to one another, said first unit having a support member, said first unit coupling means comprising a plurality of connectable members projecting radially outwardly from the associated support member, each said connectable member terminating at its outer end in an enlarged end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, said surface areas of adjacent end portions being spaced a predetermined distance one from the other, said second unit coupling means having similar connectable members having an enlarged end portion with a pair of opposed spherically shaped concave recesses in the end portions thereof to forcibly fit between a pair of adjacent end portions of the first unit when the units are turned at right angles to one another and permit relative rotational movement between said first and second units toward and away from one another.

Claim 20

In a construction set, first and second toy units, each said unit including coupling means adapted to interlock one with the other when said units are disposed at right angles to one another, said first unit having a support member, said first unit coupling means comprising a plurality of connectable members projecting radially outwardly from the associated support member, each said connectable member terminating at its outer end in an enlarged end portion having generally convexly spherical surface areas, said surface areas of adjacent end portions being spaced a predetermined distance one from the other, said second unit coupling means having similar connectable members having an enlarged end portion with a pair of opposed spherically shaped concave recesses in the end portions thereof to forcibly fit between a pair of adjacent end portions of the first unit when the units are turned at right angles to one another and permit relative rotational movement between said first and second units toward and away from one another.

Claim 21

In a construction set as set forth in claim 15 wherein the opposed recesses are joined by a cylindrical hole of a lesser diameter extending through the associated end portion to make it essentially hollow.