A TOY BUILDING ELEMENT

Abstract: The invention concerns a toy building set for construc­ tion of various forms of electric detectors, in particular for providing positional information for steering movable models constructed by means of a toy building set. The build­ ing set of the invention comprises a toy building element having on an upper side coupling studs (2) for mechanical connection of the element with an adjacent el­ ement and on the underside complementary coupling means . The complementary coupling means are preferably provided on the underside of an insert (7), which is adapted to be introduced into a cavity in the building el­ ement. The insert (7) comprises an energy transmitting and energy receiving element (12), which is preferably a light diode and a light detector. The latter element is connected via a circuit (11) to terminals (13), to which also electric leads may be connected. In addition to the combined element (12), the building element comprises coupling means for coupling of said element with energy reflecting elements. The coupling means may be the coupling means already mentioned, or a bushing (9) for receiving a shaft extending through a pair of opposite holes (5). The com­ bined detector element (12) and the mechanical coupling possibilities of the building element involve well-defined re­ flection conditions in combination with various types of en­ ergy reflecting elements.

Description: The invention concerns a toy building set in accordance with the introductory part of claim 1. Such a toy building set is disclosed in DK-B-123388. The prior art does not mention anything about a light sensitive receiver, since the object is to achieve a building set for electrical components in which loose cables are avoided as far as possible. It may be possible to include a light detector instead of a lamp and then build a construction which, however, does not at all achieve flexibility. The object of the invention is to provide a toy building set with improved means with respect to the prior art for providing positional information. This object is achieved in that the toy building set comprises an element of the type defined in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Thus, the invention comprises the use of an integrated electric circuit known per se which both contains a source and a detector, preferably for light, and the special advantages of the invention are obtained by using a detector of this type in a housing which is partly connectible with other elements belonging to the building set and is partly adapted for coupling with various forms of energy reflecting means. Preferably, the circuit is of the type where the transmitted light intensity is automatically increased if the received light signal weakens, which entails that it is sufficient with two leads to the circuit as the circuit will draw a supply current which is dependent upon the light reflection conditions (see e.g. Electronic Design, March 1982, p. 255). It is observed that the energy radiating source and energy receiving detector defined in claim 1 were stated as being a light source and a light receiver above, which is a preferred embodiment and does not prevent the use of something else than ordinary light, such as microwaves. Claim 2 provides an example of an energy reflecting means for cooperation with the building element of claim 1. The disc may e.g. be a tachometer disc having changing reflection properties as stated in claim 3. As stated in claim 4, the disc may be provided with wind cups and thus serve as an anemometer. Claim 5 provides another example of an energy reflecting means in the form of a light conductor which may be coupled mechanically with the building element, so that the region sensitive to detection may be moved away from the immediate vicinity of the building element. The mentioned examples, which will be described more fully later, indicate various situations where special advantages are obtained by positioning both the light source and the light receiver in a housing having mechanical coupling means, which involve pre-determined positioning of both the transmitter and the receiver with-respect to other energy reflecting building elements of the toy building set. The invention will be explained more fully by the following description of some embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 shows a known element from a toy building set, figs. 2 and 3 schematically show the essential parts of an embodiment of the toy building set of the invention, figs. 4-7 show various embodiments of energy reflecting means. Fig. 1 shows a known building element comprising a hollow body 1 having on its upper side a plurality of coupling studs 2 and on its underside complementary coupling means for connection with the coupling studs on an adjacent element. The embodiments of the building element of the invention described below are adapted to cooperate with the building element in fig. 1, but it will be appreciated that the building element of the invention may be arranged to cooperate with other known forms of interconnectible toy elements. Figs. 2 and 3 show the main components of an embodiment of the building element of the invention. Thus, fig. 2 shows a hollow box 3 having four coupling studs 2 on its upper side, two of the coupling studs from fig. 1 being replaced by a pair of through holes 4 for reception of an electric plug. Further, the housing 3 has two holes, partly a large hole 5 and a small hole 6. Fig. 3 shows an insert generally designated by 7 and comprising a plate 8 whose base is formed with the complementary coupling means mentioned in connection with fig. 1. The plate 8 is contiguous partly with a bushing 9 and a holder 10 adapted to retain an electric circuit board 11, which, in addition to electronic circuits, comprises a combined light source and light detector 12 as well as two electric coupling bushings 13 for cooperation with the plug pins which can extend through the holes 4 in fig. 2. It will be appreciated that the insert 7 may be received in the housing 3 so that the through hole in the bushing 9 is flush with the hole 5 (and an aligned hole in the opposite side of the housing 3), and so that the light element 12 is flush with the hole 6. The bushing 9 is adapted to serve as a bearing for a shaft 14 with a disc 15, which is provided with reflecting and non-reflecting sections, respectively, preferably on both sides. Thus, the disc 15 may serve as a tachometer disc so that the rotary speed of the shaft 14 can be detected by means of the light element 12. The element may serve as an ordinary switch by rotation of the disc between two positions in which the reflection properties differ. As shown in fig. 5, the disc 15 may also be provided with wind cups 16 so that the disc and the cups in combination serve as an anemometer. Fig. 6 shows another element for the building set of the invention, said element consisting of a light conductor rod 17, whose one end 18 is adapted to be received and retained in the hole 6 (fig. 2). In fig. 6, the light conductor rod 17 is shown in connection with a liquid vessel 19, the reflection conditions at the other end of the light conductor rod being highly dependent upon whether the liquid surrounds the end of the light conductor or is present at a lower level. The liquid level in the vessel 19 may thus be detected-by means of the building element of the invention. Fig. 7 shows an additional reflecting building element for the building set of the invention. The building element in fig. 7 consists of an element corresponding to fig. 1, but with line codes 20 on one side of the element. It is noted that, as previously mentioned, the line codes might consist of depressions in the element if laser light means are used.

Claims: 1. A toy building set comprising building elements, with means for mechanical coupling of the element with other elements belonging to the building set by means of coupling studs and complementory coupling means with elements for providing positional information by detection of radiated, reflected energy, such as light, characterized in that the building set comprises a building element forming a housing (3) which contains both an energy radiating source and an energy receiving detector (12) arranged in parallel and having access through a bore (6) in said housing, the building element further contains coupling bushings (13) for cooperation with plug pins of another element extending through holes (4) of the housing (3). 2. A toy building set according to claim 1, characterized by comprising as an energy reflecting element a disc (15) which is journalled transversely to a shaft (14), said building element having a through hole (7) to receive the shaft substantially in parallel with the radiation direction of the energy radiating source (12). 3. A toy building set according to claim 2, characterized in that the disc (15) as seen along a circle around the shaft, has changing reflection properties. 4. A toy building set according to claim 3, characterized in that the disc (15) is provided with radially outwardly extending wind cups (16). 5. A toy building set according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a light conductor rod (17) whose one end (18) is formed to be received in said bore (6) in the housing (3) in alignment with the energy radiating source and energy receiving detector (12) of said building element.

Inventors: BACH, ERIK, TOFT, ALLAN
Applicants: INTERLEGO A.G., LEGO A/S
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A63H33
IPC codes: A63H33, G09B23, A63H29, G09B9