US3603025A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Elements with plural surfaces having uniformly spaced interfittable projections
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1968-09-30
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Granted: 1971-09-07
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Expires: 1988-09-30
Abstract
Abstract Structural elements for construction toys, particularly made of synthetic resin material, these structural elements consisting of a core or body with mutually orthogonal rows of connecting projections located on at least one outer side thereof, the projections being capable of engaging with those of other structural elements so as to form an interlocking, frictional connection. Many types of such of structural are known. These structural elements usually have a basic shape which enables them to be assembled together to form larger structures; for example the basic shape of these structural elements may be that of a cube, a square, a segment or a circle or the like, some of the outer surfaces of the structural elements having suitable connecting means enabling a number of structural elements to be combined together, usually by snap engagement. In one of these prior art elements humplike protuberances and recesses located therebetween are so provided that they cooperate with portions of complementary shape of the other structural element so as to allow two structural elements to be connected together by snap engagement.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter Heubl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 19:05
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H33/00; A63H33/04; A63H33/06; A63H33/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A structural element for toys and the like which comprises a generally flat body having at least one broad planar surface extending over a major face of the body and a multiplicity of mutually orthogonal rows of uniform-cross section individual projections, each extending perpendicularly directly from said surface and fixed to said body, said projections substantially completely covering said surface within the outline thereof and providing a uniform lattice of projections, each of said projections being substantially cylindrical and of a length exceeding the diameter thereof, said projections being equispaced from one another by a distance enabling the space between a pair of neighboring projections in each of two neighboring rows to receive a similar projection on another such element between them with said pairs of projections contacting and frictionally retaining the same, said element having at least one additional surface with mutually orthogonal rows of projections thereon, said latter projections having the same shape and spacing as said first-mentioned projections and extending directly from said additional surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A structural element for toys and the like which comprises a generally flat body having at least one broad planar surface extending over a major face of the body and a multiplicity of mutually orthogonal rows of uniform-cross section individual projections, each extending perpendicularly directly from said surface and fixed to said body, said projections substantially completely covering said surface within the outline thereof and providing a uniform lattice of projections, each of said projections being substantially cylindrical and of a length exceeding the diameter thereof, said projections being equispaced from one another by a distance enabling the space between a pair of neighboring projections in each of two neighboring rows to receive a similar projection on another such element between them with said pairs of projections contacting and frictionally retaining the same, said element having at least one additional surface with mutually orthogonal rows of projections thereon, said latter projections having the same shape and spacing as said first-mentioned projections and extending directly from said additional surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The structural element defined in claim 1 wherein said body has substantially uniform thickness coRresponding approximately to the diameter of the projections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
107 words
The structural element defined in claim 2 wherein said body has a pair of flat parallel surfaces provided with said mutually orthogonal rows of spaced-apart projections and the projections of each of said pair of surfaces extending in a direction opposite the direction of the projections of the other surface of said pair, said pair of surfaces being circumscribed by flanges extending from said body in the directions of the respective projections of said pair of surfaces and defining faces perpendicular to said surfaces, said faces being further provided with cylindrical projections perpendicular thereto and of a configuration corresponding to those of the projections of said surfaces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
327 words
A structural element for toys and the like which comprises a generally flat body having a pair of parallel broad planar surfaces, each said surface extending over a major face of the body and having a multiplicity of mutually orthogonal rows of individual projections, each extending perpendicularly from its respective surface and fixed to said body, said projections substantially completely covering said surfaces within the outline thereof, each of said projections being substantially cylindrical and of a length exceeding the diameter thereof, said projections on said respective surfaces being equispaced from one another by a distance enabling the space between a pair of neighboring projections in each of two neighboring rows to receive a similar projection on another such element between them with said pairs of projections contacting and frictionally retaining the same, said body having substantially uniform thickness corresponding approximately to the diameter of the projections, the projections of each said surface extending in a direction opposite the direction of the projections of the other surface, said surfaces being circumscribed by flanges extending from said body in the direction of the respective multiplicities of projections and defining at least one pair of opposite faces perpendicular to said surfaces, said faces defined by said flanges being further provided with cylindrical projections perpendicular thereto and of a configuration and spacing corresponding to those of the projections of said surfaces, the projections on one of said surfaces being offset from the projections of the other of said surfaces to enable the projections of said one surface and the projections of said other surface of two such elements to be frictionally interfitting with the elements being in mutual alignment, one of the flange faces having at least two rows of said projections and the other flange face having a lesser number of rows of said projections, thereby enabling the projections of the flange faces of similar structural elements to frictionally interfit and to interfit with the projections of said surfaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
327 words
A structural element for toys and the like which comprises a generally flat body having a pair of parallel broad planar surfaces, each said surface extending over a major face of the body and having a multiplicity of mutually orthogonal rows of individual projections, each extending perpendicularly from its respective surface and fixed to said body, said projections substantially completely covering said surfaces within the outline thereof, each of said projections being substantially cylindrical and of a length exceeding the diameter thereof, said projections on said respective surfaces being equispaced from one another by a distance enabling the space between a pair of neighboring projections in each of two neighboring rows to receive a similar projection on another such element between them with said pairs of projections contacting and frictionally retaining the same, said body having substantially uniform thickness corresponding approximately to the diameter of the projections, the projections of each said surface extending in a direction opposite the direction of the projections of the other surface, said surfaces being circumscribed by flanges extending from said body in the direction of the respective multiplicities of projections and defining at least one pair of opposite faces perpendicular to said surfaces, said faces defined by said flanges being further provided with cylindrical projections perpendicular thereto and of a configuration and spacing corresponding to those of the projections of said surfaces, the projections on one of said surfaces being offset from the projections of the other of said surfaces to enable the projections of said one surface and the projections of said other surface of two such elements to be frictionally interfitting with the elements being in mutual alignment, one of the flange faces having at least two rows of said projections and the other flange face having a lesser number of rows of said projections, thereby enabling the projections of the flange faces of similar structural elements to frictionally interfit and to interfit with the projections of said surfaces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The structural element defined in claim 4 wherein said body is elastically yieldable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The structural element defined in claim 1 wherein said body is generally round and has a rim free from projections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The structural element defined in claim 1 further comprising an opening formed in said body, said broad planar surface framing said opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-06 | 1975-03-08 | 1975-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-06 | 1979-03-08 | 1979-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-06 | 1983-03-08 | 1983-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |