Patent ID: 6616499
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: A63H

Abstract:
A building element for a set of toy building elements that are capable of being interconnected in a releasable engagement, comprisinga top, a bottom and side walls; wherein at least one of the side walls includes at least one groove having an entry opening of a given predominant width and a base region of a greater width; wherein at least one of the side walls includes at least one tongue having an indented portion and a distal portion, with the distal portion having a predominant width that is greater than the width of the indented portion and greater than the given predominant width of the groove entry opening for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a said groove in a side wall of another said building element with the distal portion of the tongue residing in the base region of the groove; and wherein the tongue is flexible and split longitudinally into two parallel sections, each of which includes part of the indented portion and part of the distal portion of the tongue so that the distal portion of the tongue can be compressed laterally in order to effect said restraining engagement by frontally pressing the tongue into a said groove in another said building element; wherein the uncompressed width of one of said portions of the tongue is greater than the predominant width of the portion of the groove that is adjacent said one portion of the tongue when the distal portion of the tongue resides in the base region of the groove so that said one portion of the tongue is then compressed between and thereby frictionally engages the portions of the side wall that define said adjacent portion of the groove.