Toy building set and building elements therefor

A toy building set has building elements which can be interconnected in a releasable frictional engagement. The building set comprises building elements having a first type of coupling means arranged in a two-dimensional modular pattern, and building elements having a coupling means of a second type dimensioned to touch coupling means of the first type. The building set moreover comprises building elements having a third type of coupling means, which are arranged in the two-dimensional modular pattern, but offset with respect to coupling means of the first type and dimensioned not to touch coupling means of that type, as well as building elements having at least one coupling means of a fourth type dimensioned to touch coupling means of the third type. Further, building elements for the building set are described.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention concerns a toy building set with building elements which can 
be built together in a releasable frictional engagement, comprising 
building elements which have a first type of coupling studs arranged in a 
two-dimensional modular pattern, and building elements which have at least 
a second type of coupling stud dimensioned to touch coupling studs of the 
first type, and moreover building elements for such a toy building set. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Such toy building sets and building elements therefor are available in many 
different embodiments, wherein the coupling studs of the first type either 
have a circular or polygonal cross-section and are arranged on a face so 
as to form a two-dimensional modular pattern. The modular pattern 
frequently consists of a first type of coupling studs arranged in rows at 
right angles to each other and equidistantly spaced in the directions of 
the rows. This spacing is here called the modular measure or modular 
spacing. The prior art also includes toy building sets wherein coupling 
studs are arranged in rows forming angles of 60.degree. with each other. 
Such known building elements are frequently in the form of a right-angled 
box, two or more building elements being interconnected by means of 
elements having a second type of coupling means which are complementary to 
the first type of coupling studs, and which are adapted for 
interconnection by a releasable frictional engagement. The known coupling 
means of the second type comprise a tubular coupling stud, which is 
dimensioned to touch a plurality of coupling studs of the first type. 
Danish patent 92683 describes such building elements. 
SE-C1-226 906 shows a toy building set in which elements have a first type 
of coupling studs for interconnection with other building elements having 
a second type of coupling studs. The second type of coupling studs 
comprise the side walls of the elements and studs of tubular, cruciform 
and other shapes for engaging the studs of the first type. 
GB-A-2 118 447 shows a toy building set with building elements having 
coupling studs for interconnection with other elements by receiving the 
studs in a cavity. One cavity can receive either one large stud or four 
small studs on another building element. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
There is a wish for a toy building set in which the coupling force between 
interconnected building elements is greater than in the known toy building 
sets. Coupling force is here taken to mean the frictional force between 
the respective coupling studs of two interconnected building elements, by 
means of which the building elements are retained with respect to each 
other, and which is to be overcome when the building elements are 
interconnected and separated. Of course, an increased coupling force may 
be obtained with larger building elements, the number of the coupling 
studs and thus their contact area being correspondingly increased. 
However, this solution takes up much space and is not always expedient, 
because such a new toy building set should simultaneously be compatible 
with the known toy building sets, so that any building element from the 
new toy building set must be capable of being connected with any building 
element from the known toy building sets to achieve the known coupling 
force. This wish is fulfilled with a toy building set as defined in claim 
1 and with toy building elements as defined in claims 11 and 15, 
respectively. 
The toy building set of claim 1 thus comprises building elements having 
four different types of coupling studs, the first and second types of 
which being present on known building elements, while the third and fourth 
types of coupling studs are new. 
Claims 11 and 15 define independent building elements according to the 
invention. When a building element according to claim 11 is connected with 
a building element according to claim 15, the desired increased coupling 
force is achieved. Simultaneously, each of these building elements is 
fully compatible with the known building elements as defined in the 
introductory portion of claim 1, and the known coupling force is achieved 
when these building elements of the invention are interconnected with 
known building elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIGS. 1-4 show a building element 1 in the form of a right-angled box 
having vertical side walls 2 and a square horizontal cross-section. The 
bottom of the element is open. The upper side of the building element 1 
has four cylindrical projections 10 which are arranged with their centres 
in the corners of a square. Between each adjacent pair of cylindrical 
projections 10, the building element 1 has projecting intermediate members 
31 which connect cylindrical adjacent projections 10 in pairs. 
Interiorly, the building element 1 has a tube 20 which extends from the 
center of the interior upper side down to the level of the lower edges of 
the walls 2. In positions directed outwards toward the four outer walls 2 
of the element, the tube 20 has four vertically extending, projecting ribs 
40. 
FIG. 10 shows a building element 3 which, like the building element 1, has 
walls 2 and an interior tube 20 having projecting ribs 40 in just two 
diametrically opposite positions with respect to the outer wall 2. The 
element 3 in FIG. 10 differs from the element 1 only in that its tube 20 
just has two ribs 40, whereas the element 1 has four ribs. 
FIGS. 15 and 16 show a known building element 4 with the same box shape as 
the elements 1 and 3. Its upper side is provided in a known manner with 
cylindrical projections 10 without intermediate projections between 
adjacent pairs of projections 10. Interiorly, the element has a tube 20 of 
circular-cylindrical shape. 
The cylindrical projections 10 on the building element 4 serve as a first 
type of coupling means, and the cylindrical tube 20 serves as a second 
type of coupling means, and the two building elements 4 may be 
interconnected in a known manner by placing them on top of each other. 
Thus, the first type of coupling means consisting of the cylindrical 
projections 10 on one of the building elements will thus be received in 
the hollow bottom of the second building element. The cylindrical 
projections 10 will then be in contact with the inner side of the walls 2 
and with the outer side of the cylindrical tube 20 on the other building 
element, and the cylindrical tube 20 then serves as a second type of 
coupling means. The shown building element 4 here has both the first type 
of coupling means consisting of the projections 10 and the second type of 
coupling means consisting of the tube 20. Thus, when building elements 4 
are interconnected, the tube 20 contacts four projections 10, which gives 
four points of contact on the tube 20. 
It is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 how a building element 1a is built on top of a 
building element 1b, both of which are of the type shown in FIGS. 1-4. The 
cylindrical projections 10 and the projections 31, which connect the 
projections 10 in pairs, are here seen to define a first type of coupling 
means and a third type of coupling means, respectively, each of said 
projections having a coupling function by cooperation with corresponding 
coupling means on the building element 1a. The building element 1a touches 
each of the cylindrical projections 10 on the building element 1b with the 
inner side of its walls 2, so that these walls 2 provide a coupling force 
upon the engagement with the cylindrical projections 10. Further, the 
cylindrical tube 20 of the building element 1a contacts each of the 
cylindrical projections 10 on the building element 1b with its outer 
surface. Like the known building element 4 in FIGS. 15-16, the cylindrical 
projections 10 on the building elements 1 and 1b constitute a first type 
of coupling studs, and similarly the cylindrical tube 20 constitutes a 
second type of coupling studs in a known manner. 
It is moreover apparent from FIG. 5 that the projections 31 on the building 
element 1b constitute a third type of coupling means, said projections 31 
being in contact with the ribs 40 on the outer side of the cylindrical 
tube 20 of the building element 1a. The ribs 40 thus constitutes a fourth 
type of coupling means. 
FIG. 4 shows coupling positions 21 on the tube 20 at which the tube 20, in 
the connected state, is in contact with the cylindrical projections 10, 
and moreover shows coupling positions 41 on the ribs 40 at which the ribs 
40 are in contact with the projections 31. It will be seen that the 
coupling tube 20 with its ribs 40, when connected with a building element 
with projections 10 and 31, has eight coupled positions 21 and 41, which 
results in an increased coupling force over the building elements 4 in 
FIGS. 15 and 16. 
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show coupling means of the first type and three different 
embodiments of coupling studs of a third type on a building element 
according to the invention, e.g. a building plate. 
Four cylindrical projections 10 arranged in a square are connected in pairs 
by projections 31 in FIG. 7 in the same manner as on the building element 
1 in FIGS. 1-4 so as to create a pattern which is repeated in two 
dimensions. 
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the cylindrical projections 10 of the 
first type and the projections 31 of the third type. Here there are just 
half as many projections 31 as in FIG. 7. Here too, each of the 
projections 31 is arranged in spaces between adjacent pairs of cylindrical 
projections 10. Also this pattern may be varied, since, as shown, 
projections 31 may be provided between pairs of projections 10 in both 
dimensions. Each of the projections 31 is contiguous with two projections 
10 in FIG. 7 as well as in FIG. 8. 
FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the third type of coupling studs. In the 
same manner as in FIG. 7, independent projections 32 are provided between 
adjacent pairs of cylindrical projections 10 in FIG. 9; the projections 32 
are cylindrical here, but may have any other shape which is suitable for 
the purpose, and also the projections 32 serve as coupling studs of the 
third type. Less material is to be used in FIG. 9 in relation to the 
embodiment in FIG. 7. 
FIG. 10 shows a building element 3 of square horizontal section and 
vertical walls 2. The element 3 has a cylindrical tube 20, projecting ribs 
40 being provided in two diametrically opposite positions. In contrast to 
the building element 1 in FIGS. 1-6, the building element 3 just has two 
ribs 40. 
It is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 how the building element 3 may be coupled 
with another building element having coupling studs 10 and 31 arranged 
like in FIG. 8. In FIG. 11, both projections 40 on the tube 20 of the 
element 3 are in contact with a projection 31. Further, the cylindrical 
tube 20 and the walls 2 are in contact with the four cylindrical 
projections 10. The contact between the ribs 40 and the projections 31 
here gives an increased coupling force over the known building elements of 
FIGS. 15-16, since the tube 20 with the ribs 40 has six coupling positions 
21, 41 in contact with the coupling studs 20 and 31 of the other building 
element. 
FIG. 12 shows an alternative assembly of the two building elements of FIG. 
11. In FIG. 12, the building element 3 has been rotated 90.degree. with 
respect to the position in FIG. 11, and it will be seen that the ribs 40 
and the projections 31 are no longer in contact with each other or with 
any other structure on the respective other building element. In FIG. 12, 
the contact between the two interconnected building elements exclusively 
takes place in a known manner in that the four walls 2 and the tube 20 are 
in contact with the cylindrical projections 10, thereby providing the 
ordinary coupling force, as is the case with the elements 4 in FIG. 15-16. 
Thus, with one and the same building element 3 the user may thus choose 
between having the known coupling force like in FIG. 12 or an increased 
coupling force like in FIG. 11. 
In FIG. 13, a building element 1, like in FIGS. 1-4, is built on top of a 
known building element 4 like in FIG. 15. The building element 1 is in 
contact with the four cylindrical projections 10 on the building element 4 
with its walls 2 and the tube 20, while the projections 40 on the 
cylindrical tube 20 are not in contact with the building element 4. Thus, 
in the same manner as with known building elements 4, the tube 20 contacts 
the cylindrical projections 10 with just four points of its surface, 
resulting in the known coupling force. 
It is shown in FIG. 14 how a known building element 4 like in FIG. 16 is 
built on top of a building element 1 like in FIGS. 1-4. The known building 
element 4 is in contact with the cylindrical projections 10 on the 
building element 1 with its walls 2 and its cylindrical tube 20. The tube 
20 on the known building element 4 has no ribs on the outer side, and 
therefore there is no contact between the tube 20 and the four projections 
31 on the building element 1. Here too, the tube 20 is just in contact 
with the four cylindrical projections, and the known coupling force is 
obtained here too. 
All of the building elements mentioned here have at least coupling studs of 
the first type, viz. the cylindrical projections 10, and at least one 
coupling stud of the second type, viz. the tube 20. According to the 
invention, some of the building elements moreover have a third type of 
coupling studs, viz. the projections 31 or 32, yet other building elements 
have a fourth type of coupling means, viz. the ribs 40 on the tube 20. 
Interconnection of building elements where one building element has 
coupling studs of the third type and the other building element has 
coupling studs of the fourth type, results in the desired increased 
coupling force, while interconnection of building elements which do not 
have coupling means of the third type or the fourth type, always results 
in the known coupling force, no matter whether they are connected with 
building elements which have coupling means of the third type or the 
fourth type, or whether they just have known coupling means of the first 
and second types. 
It is noted that the known building elements in FIGS. 15 and 16 have 
coupling means of both the first type and the second type, and the 
building element in FIGS. 1-4 has coupling means of all four types. As 
stated in claim 11, there may also be building elements which just have 
coupling means of the first type and the third type, and, as defined in 
claim 15, building elements which just have coupling means of the second 
type and the fourth type; however, such building elements can only be 
connected with a single other building element.