Building plaything primarily for creating rolling tracks

A building plaything comprising building elements, connected in a known way and produced in module size or in any multiple thereof, for creating rolling tracks, upon the building elements a rolling groove is shaped and directrix of the rolling groove is straight or arched or slanting, and the plaything comprising connecting elements to be joined to the building elements in the known way, and the building elements are shaped as at least one of the following elements: as straight element, as slanting element, as arched element, the plaything furthermore comprising a rolling element wherein the rolling groove is shaped with slanting sides having an obtuse angle to one another, further, for the purpose that the slanting element can be placed also at right angle to any of the building elements gradient of the slanting side of the rolling groove of the building elements is the same as the gradient of the directrix of the slanting element.

The invention relates to a building plaything for creating primarily 
rolling tracks out of which building plaything several types of rolling 
tracks can be made through utilizing building elements of various forms. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
These days, numerous types of different building playthings are known. The 
common feature of all these is that through assembling identical or 
several types of different building elements various objects can be 
assembled. One of the most widespread playthings of this kind is the 
building plaything known as "LEGO". With that, and with playthings of 
similar kind, particular objects can be assembled out of several kinds of 
minute building elements which elements are, however, identical by sort. 
With this sort of building playthings the point of the playing is the 
assembling that develops the combinatory skills of children to a major 
extent. However, the assembled objects are suitable for further playing, 
with a very few exceptions, only to a limited extent, and further use is 
not a target upon assembly either. 
In addition to the building elements, generally additional accessories have 
to be used for proper shaping of the various objects, the accessories 
usually being prefabricated pieces. Through their application, children 
will learn how to use building elements as modules but it will provide no 
genuine construction experience because no more has to be performed in 
each instance than inserting the particular piece prefabricated at the 
module level. 
With other types of building playthings through assembly a structure or 
object suitable for further utilization is created. Here the aim of the 
game, in addition to assembling, is shaping a serviceable structure to be 
suitable for further playing. Such a building plaything is shown in the 
patent specification and drawings of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,143, which is 
a marble run game comprising building elements used as block elements. 
Each of the block elements has a top surface and at least one side surface 
and these surfaces define the groove for travel of a marble. The groove, 
as shown in the figures, can determine straight, curved, spiral, sloped 
etc. runs of the marble. In such playthings the main problems are that the 
run of the marble is either too slow or too fast, further the marble has 
sometimes an unwanted tottering sideways motion which in fact spoil the 
play and cause the complete failure of the plaything. The same 
disadvantage occurs with the plaything shown in the figures of the U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,344,143. Here, the shape of the cross-section of the groove is 
a semicircular arch. The marble is supported on one point of the groove 
and, for this reason, it can have an unrequired to-and-fro sideways motion 
which results in a drop in speed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to implement a building plaything and with 
the plaything rolling tracks of various shapes in optional forms can be 
implemented through fitting various building elements and accessory 
elements side by side and which plaything is free from the drawbacks above 
mentioned. 
It has been recognized that, with a rolling groove shaped with slanting 
sides having an obtuse angle to one another, the problem above mentioned 
can be solved. A further recognition of the invention is that, with the 
use of such a shape of the rolling groove, much more interesting 
combinations of assemblings can be made, than with the use of other shapes 
of the groove. 
The invention is, therefore, a building plaything, primarily for creating 
rolling tracks comprising building elements connected in a known way, 
produced in module size or in any multiple thereof, a rolling groove is 
shaped on the building elements and directrix of the rolling groove is 
straight or arched and/or slanting, and the building elements are shaped 
as straight elements and/or arched elements and/or slanting elements, and 
the plaything, in a given case, comprising connecting elements to be 
joined to the building elements in the known way, the plaything 
furthermore comprising a rolling element wherein the rolling groove is 
shaped with slanting sides having an obtuse angle to one another. The 
joining in the known way means for example that the connecting elements 
are supplied with a connecting point, in a given case, a connecting pin, 
and a nest to accept the point or pin, and the building elements are 
supplied with connecting points for being connected to one another and/or 
to the connecting elements and/or with a nest to accept the points. 
The material of the building elements and the connecting elements is 
preferably plastic or wood. 
The solution according to the invention will be hereinafter described and 
illustrated in the attached figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1, the building element 1 shaped in module size as the straight 
element 6 of the building plaything according to the invention can be 
seen. The sides 4 at an obtuse angle to one another of the upper part of 
the building element 1 constitute the rolling groove 3, the directrix 5 
situated in the bottom part of the rolling groove 3 is straight in this 
exemplary embodiment, subsequently the rolling groove 3 is also straight. 
The straight element 6 is further characterized by the rolling groove 3 
being at the same level at both ends of the building element 1. As it 
produces no fall, it can be fitted side by side several times at the same 
level as a continuation of such elements. The sides 4 are slightly curved 
surfaces as shown in the figure, deviating from the plane which allows the 
secure lead of the rolling element 10 and hold to the direction. 
In FIG. 2 the building element 1 is shown shaped as a straight element 6 of 
the building plaything according to the invention, elongated in multiple 
module size. In this exemplary embodiment the directrix 5 situated at the 
bottom part of the sides 4 and, jointly with the directrix 5, the rolling 
groove 3 itself are also straight while their length is equal to the 
multiple, preferably to the double, triple or quadruple of the module 
size. With such a long straight element 6, both ends of the rolling groove 
3 are at identical level. That allows proper fitting of further elements. 
In FIG. 3, the building element 1 shaped as an arched element 7 of the 
building plaything according to the invention can be seen. The directrix 5 
situated at the bottom part of the rolling groove 3, and subsequently the 
sides 4 themselves, are arch shaped. In the figure, the rolling groove 3 
turns 90.degree. within the module size. As a matter of fact, other turns 
of angle, e.g. 45.degree., may also occur. In this case, the rolling 
groove 3 has to be assembled carefully to make sure that the properly 
fitting building element 1 be put beside the arched element 7, also that 
the rolling groove 3 properly fit between the building elements 1. 
In FIG. 4, the building element 1 shaped as a slanting element 8 of the 
building plaything according to the invention can be seen in module size. 
The directrix 5, and jointly with the directrix, the rolling groove 3 
bordered by sides 4 are, in this case, shaped within the module size in 
slanting form. The rolling groove 3 is one connecting element 2 height 
higher at one end than at the other end. At assembling this allows the 
shaping of slanting parts of shorter or longer length, as well as, 
locating the slanting element 8 in front of or behind a straight element 
6, or arched element 7. 
In FIG. 5, the connecting element 2 for joining to the building elements 1 
is shown. The module size of the connecting element 2 is equal to that of 
the building element 1. However, it is supplied at its upper part with 
connecting point 9, or in the given case, connecting pin, and at its 
bottom part nest to take the point or pin. Through the points or pins, it 
can be connected to the building elements 1 or to one another. 
In FIG. 6, the connecting element 2, elongated in multiple module size, for 
joining to the building element 1 is shown. Such shaping of the connecting 
element 2 allows forming the rolling groove 3 in a highly stable and 
secure way. The length of the connecting element 2 is preferably equal to 
the multiple, preferably to the double, triple or quadruple of the module 
size. 
In FIG. 7, an exemplary assembly of the rolling track can be seen with the 
application of the building elements 1, according to the invention. In the 
figure, the short and long straight elements 6, arched elements 7, 
slanting elements 8, and the short and long connecting elements 2 to join 
the elements, and the rolling elements 10 put in the rolling groove 3 are 
shown. In the figure, it can be seen that there are plenty of various 
forms of both putting the building elements 1 side by side and shaping the 
specific form of the rolling groove that allows forming rolling tracks of 
various subtly subject to the playing child's fantasy. 
The first part of the use of the building plaything according to the 
invention is assembling. At this point, through the given connecting form 
the joining of the building elements 1 is performed, and the rolling track 
is shaped in a specific form. It is subsequent to that that the actual use 
is performed during the course of the use the rolling element 10 rolls 
along the rolling groove 3. Rolling elements 10 of various sizes may also 
be used because the sides 4 will provide proper lead and support with 
several diameters. Between the sides 4, the angle is obtuse. 
For the plaything, rolling elements 10 of the widest range of kinds and 
material can be used, for example steel, plastic, glass, wood bails, and 
also their size may vary to a great extent. 
In a particular embodiment, as the plaything is produced primarily for 
little children, it is important that the building elements 1 have no 
sides with an edge or border, also that the corners, tips are made blunt. 
Therefore, at the side of the rolling groove 3, the building elements 1 
have preferably a blunt border and the border will not affect the rolling 
of the rolling elements 10. 
The advantage of the plaything according to the invention is that in 
addition to developing the constructing skills of children, it also 
provides direct experience of playing, and success. The shaped rolling 
track can be actually tested. Thus the property of the assembly can be 
directly ascertained by children. The connectibility of the building 
elements 1, on the other hand, allows numerous options for making changes. 
The rolling of the rolling element 10 facilitates encountering the laws of 
physics which makes children's playing experience more intensive.