JPH0453555B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Claim 1: The column has the shape of a single elongated rectangular column with four square side branches arranged in pairs on each side of the column, and the width of the column is equal to the length of the column. one fifth, and characterized in that the side branches are arranged with openings corresponding to the width of the column trunk and the width of each side branch, and that each side branch is also spaced at the same distance from each end of the column trunk. An assembly unit for assembly sets suitable for toys.

2. The assembled unit according to claim 1, wherein the height of the unit is equal to the width of the column trunk of the unit.

3. The assembled unit according to claim 1, which is made of a suitably elastic material, for example a thermoplastic such as polyethylene, and wherein the opening between the two side branches is wider than the width of the side branches, the distal ends and the central part. An assembly unit characterized in that it is suitably somewhat narrow and hollow, for example by blow molding or by fusing two identical parts.

4. The assembled unit according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the side branches, end portions, and central portion are slightly bulged outward and have a convex shape.

5. The assembled unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls of the unit can be connected by having protrusions or patterns, such as ridges parallel to the sides of one or both walls. assembly unit.

6. An assembled unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls of the unit are impermeable to water.

7. In the assembled unit according to claim 1, the unit can be made of a less elastic, hard material, such as tile, brick or concrete, in which case the opening between the two side branches is located at the side branch, at the end, at the center. An assembly unit characterized by being somewhat wider than the width of the parts.

8 In the assembled unit according to claim 1, the narrow space between the walls of each assembled unit
An assembled unit characterized in that the intervening parts have something providing a suitable bond between the units, such as, for example, cardboard, plastic foam, plastic film, glue and/or cement flakes.

9 It has the shape of one elongated rectangular column trunk with four square side branches arranged in pairs on each side of the column trunk, and the width of the column trunk is one-fifth of the length of the column trunk. 1, and the side branches are arranged with openings corresponding to the width of the column trunk and the width of each side branch, and each side branch is also arranged at the same distance from each end of the column trunk. An assembly unit characterized in that the unit includes a supplementary assembly unit.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an assembly unit particularly suitable as a toy, having four square side branches arranged in pairs on each side of an elongated rectangular column trunk.

(Technical Background) Up to now, assembly units have been known in various forms, such as for toys, ornaments, hobbies, and other purposes. However, only in a few of these cases can a large number of identical units be assembled in close contact with each other to form a continuous (planar) surface. Moreover, among those assembled units,
There are even fewer that can assemble stable three-dimensional structures using the same unit.

(Structure and Effects of the Invention) The assembly unit according to the present invention has a structure in which the width of the column trunk is one-fifth of the length of the column trunk, and the side branches are spaced at intervals corresponding to the width of the column trunk and the width of each side branch. It is characterized by the fact that each side branch is also arranged at the same distance from each end of the column trunk.

The bottom of the assembled unit is a double cross with an elongated rectangular mandrel, the width of which is modular one-fifth of the mandrel length. Attached to each side of the mandrel are two square side branches. The length and width of the square are equal to the width of the mandrel. The squares are located on the mandrel at intervals equal to the width of the mandrel and at a distance from each end of the mandrel equal to the width of the mandrel.

The four side branches, the part at each end of the column stem up to the side branches (hereinafter referred to as the terminal part), and the central part of the mandrel between the side branches (hereinafter referred to as the central part) are congruent, and each It is practically the same size and shape as the space between the side branches (hereinafter referred to as the opening).

Therefore, any of the two openings in each assembly unit can receive one side branch or end of the same assembly unit when each assembly unit is placed parallel or perpendicular to the bottom surface of the other. .

The openings of two assembly units placed perpendicular to each other also remain, although other assembly possibilities remain.
They can be pressed over each other's central parts.

It is therefore possible to obtain tightly assembled structures using any number of the same assembly units of the present invention, which have both bonded flat surfaces and an infinite variety of conformations.

In particular, an advantageous form of the assembly unit according to the invention is
It consists of one assembled unit with a height, the distance between two parallel bases, equal to the width of the column trunk. In this form, the side branches, distal portions, central portion, and opening are virtually identical and cuboidal.
This makes the assembled structure highly stable, especially when it is three-dimensional, and also makes the assembled unit easier to use for assembled sets of only identically shaped assembled units according to the invention.

In order to have a stable assembly with assembled units, it is necessary to make all the units to exact dimensions, otherwise the units will not only not be assembled, but will fall apart. For easy assembly, the edges and corners of the unit must be reasonably rounded. Also, the unit must be made of a fairly smooth medium.

When the unit is used as a toy, it is important that the unit can be easily removed.

In order to meet all of the above requirements, materials and shapes must be carefully chosen and accurate dimensions used.

The unit may be made of a suitably resilient material, such as a thermoplastic such as polyethylene. In that case, the cubes forming the side branches, ends and central part may be only slightly larger than the opening to create tension for better assembly stability.
Cavity units can be manufactured to increase elasticity and save material. For example, it can be made by blow molding. In particular, the method of blow molding, which leaves the entire surface of the unit, is preferred because it allows the unit to remain afloat even after being submerged in water. This will expand the range of uses of the unit, for example playing in the bathtub or on the beach.

In order to improve the elastic connection of the unit, the unit should be constructed in such a way that the unit has the largest cross-sectional area midway between the two bases, and the connected walls of the side branches, ends and central part bulge outward. can be manufactured. Also, the walls to which the lateral branches, ends, and central portions are connected may be provided with ridges parallel to one or both sides of the walls, or with small wide-bottomed grooves that improve the connection without making removal unduly difficult. Units can also be manufactured by creating protrusions or patterns.

Prefabricated units can also be made from less resilient materials such as wood, tile, brick, or concrete. In that case, the cubic shapes forming the terminal portion, side branches, and central portion should be appropriately made somewhat smaller than the opening. In these cases, in order to obtain a suitable bond,
It is also possible to place objects between the walls of each assembled unit to secure the units together. It may be, for example, a flat piece of cardboard, plastic foam, plastic filter, or similar material, all square with a length equal to the width of the shaft. If the assembled structure is to remain intact without being disassembled, it may be glue or cement.

The set of assembled units of the present invention can be assembled in a variety of ways and structures, especially when a large number of units in various colors are obtained.

Also, the set of assembled units of the present invention is different from the assembled units of the present invention in that the units have the same height as the units of the present invention and have protrusions and openings of the same size and type as the units of the present invention. It is better to have , but they can be used together. When assembling a rectangular plan, we have illustrated some examples of supplementary units that may be used appropriately to complete the composition.

The invention also relates to an assembly unit which includes supplementary units in addition to the original assembly unit. In this case, if an assembled set is created from assembled units, supplementary units will be included in that set, but due to their area, quantity, importance, etc., more original units may be included in the set. become.

(Description of Examples) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the bottom side of one unit 1 according to the invention. In this figure, the column trunk 2 is placed horizontally.
is the same 4 as the two end parts 4 and the central part 5 of the column trunk.
It has 3 side branches. The side branch 3 is placed at a distance equal to the width of the column stem 2 from the nearest end 6 of the column stem 2. The width of the column stem 2 is one-fifth of the length of the column stem 2.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective a particularly preferred form of the unit 1, the height of which is equal to the width of the shaft. Due to this relationship, the side branch 3, the distal part 4, the central part 5,
and the two openings 7 are all cubic in shape and have the same dimensions. This is also clear in FIG. 3, which shows the unit 1 from the side. While FIG. 3 shows the typical shape, FIG. 4 also shows the units 1 from the side, but when the wall 8 is placed in the opening 7, An example is shown in which the walls 8 are slightly inflated to increase the elastic bond between them. Furthermore, FIG. 4 also shows an example in which the unit 1 may consist of two identical parts 9 and 10.

FIG. 5 shows two identical units 1 assembled at right angles to each other, for example as a first step in a larger three-dimensional structure.

FIG. 6 shows the most common assembly of the unit 1, which is joined to form a continuous plane. Also shown are examples of complementary units 11 and 12, each shaped like an F and T, included in the assembly set. Such a supplementary unit may in fact be in the form of several cubes connected together, with a cube side length equal to the width of the module, which is the width of the trunk.

FIG. 7 shows another type of assembly of the unit 1 creating a plane by joining. In this figure, the units marked 13 forming a row are attached to each other. The units marked 14 forming the row are also attached to each other, but the two rows 13 and 14 are not attached to each other, but are merely placed close to each other. In this case, as well as in other cases, units with other shapes may be used to advantage.

The invention is not limited to the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 7; the unit may also be made of other materials, such as metal, plastic foam, or by methods other than those already described. For example, methods include injection casting and thermoforming. The unit may deviate somewhat from the ideal shape described above, and one of the bottom walls may be missing. For those units, thermoforming is the simpler method. The supplementary unit may also have a completely different shape from the supplementary unit described above, such as having a head and arms.

The unit according to the invention can also be used for purposes other than those mentioned above. In addition to being used as toys,
Two-color units can be used in various types of games, such as Gomoku. An advantage of using units in board games is that they can be used both as boards and as pieces. Units may be decorated or covered with glued pictures so that they can be used as puzzles. Decorative units can be used in various combinations both in shops and at home. for example,
These include Christmas decorations and mobiles.

For craftsmen and hobbyists, units are made of completely different materials, including tiles, floor tiles,
Can be used for shelves, etc. Units can also be used for educational purposes, ranging from atomic models to educational tools to develop spatial thinking, creativity, combinatorial sensory abilities and a sense of color. The plane of the assembled unit can also be used for isolation purposes.

To extend the use of the unit of the invention as a toy, the dimensions of the unit may be adjusted to fit other construction toys on the market so that other toys fit snugly into the opening of the unit of the invention. You can also adapt it in any way that you can. By combining different assembly toys in this way, the value of each can be mutually increased. For example, structures made from assembled sets of combinations can float on water due to the properties of the units of the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows the unit viewed from above. Figure 2 shows the unit in perspective. Figure 3 shows the unit viewed from the side. Figure 4 is a side view of the same unit with a different design. Figure 5 is 2
FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the assembled unit viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a top view of another plan view of the assembled unit.

1...Unit, 2...Column trunk, 3...Side branch, 4
...End part, 5...Central part, 7...Opening part, 8...
...Wall, 11, 12...Supplementary units.