Patent ID: 8221183
Filing Date: 2012-07-17
Classification: A63H

Abstract:
1. An adaptive construction toy kit comprising plural edible, adaptive interlocking, interconnecting, press-fit, snap-fit, tongue-in-slot and/or tab-in-recessed retainer toy connectors that expand during use, the adaptive toy connector comprising: a. a rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible material that expands when exposed to a predetermined condition during use, the material being selected from the group consisting of a heat expandable material, water expandable material, oil-based composition expandable material, non-aqueous composition expandable material, acidic composition expandable material, alkaline composition expandable material, organic solvent expandable material, and a combination thereof; b. a shape independently selected at each occurrence from the group consisting of a square, rectangle, circle, oval, ellipse, trapezoid, parallelogram, pentagon, starburst, cross, multi-pointed star, intersecting geometric shapes, hexagon, heptagon, polygon, geometric shape, irregular shape, regular shape, symmetric shape, asymmetric shape; fanciful figure, person, place, or thing; silhouette thereof; and a combination thereof; and c. interlocking, interconnecting, press-fit, snap-fit, tongue-in-slot and/or tab-in-recessed retainer engagement means; d. wherein during use an adaptive connector expands upon exposure to a predetermined condition, selected from the group consisting of heat, cold, moisture, an aqueous composition, an oil-based composition, a non-aqueous composition, acidic composition, alkaline composition, an organic solvent, and a combination thereof, such that a first adaptive connector is adapted to interlock and/or interconnect with a second adaptive connector before and/or after exposure to the predetermined condition, and wherein the adaptive connector maintains its physical integrity during use; and wherein the connector does not consist solely of resilient plastic, inflexible hard sugar candy, or semi-flexible, gelatin-containing sugared candy; and wherein the adaptive connector is edible.