Abstract:
A toy building element has sidewalls that include grooves and tongues by which the toy building element can be interconnected with a like building element. Each groove is formed between a pair of outwardly extending flexible ridges. The tongue does not extend outward beyond the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue. The virtual plane is defined as a plane that passes through a midpoint of a line that connects a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall that includes the at least one tongue to a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall of the other building element that includes the at least one pair of ridges and is perpendicular to a line that passes through the central points of said interconnected building elements when said building elements are interconnected in a centered configuration.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a division of co-pending application Ser. No. 11/181,262 filed Jul. 14, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally pertains to assembly toys and is particularly directed to toy building elements for a set of toy building elements. 
     Examples of prior art toy building elements are described in European Patent No. 0,766,585 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,132,757; Des. 249,232; 4,253,268; 6,250,986; 6,296,541; 6,447,360; 6,616,499; 6,648,715, 6,702,642 and 6,824,440. 
     The toy building elements described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,715 includes a top, a bottom and side walls that include grooves and/or tongues. Some of the sidewalls include at least one pair of ridges extending outward from the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the ridges. The ridges form a groove therebetween with an entry opening of a predominant minimum width. The ridges extend beyond the primary surfaces of the respective sidewalls that include the grooves. Some of the sidewalls include at least one tongue having a distal portion of a predominant maximum width that is greater than the predominant minimum width of the groove entry opening for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a said groove in another said building element. Each tongue extends outward beyond the primary surface of the respective sidewall that includes the tongue. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a building element for a set of toy building elements that are capable of being interconnected in a releasable engagement, comprising: a top, a bottom and sidewalls; wherein at least one of the sidewalls includes at least one pair of ridges forming a groove therebetween with an entry opening of a predominant minimum width; wherein said at least one of the sidewalls also includes at least one tongue having a distal portion of a predominant maximum width that is greater than the predominant minimum width of the groove entry opening for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a said groove in a said at least one sidewall of another said building element, in which the disposition of the at least one tongue and the at least one groove is the same as in said at least one sidewall of the building element such that when said building elements are interconnected said at least one tongue of the building element is interconnected with said at least one groove in said at least one sidewall of the other building element and said at least one tongue of the other building element is interconnected with said groove in said at least one side wall of the building element; and wherein the at least one tongue does not extend outward beyond a virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the at least one tongue, with said virtual plane being defined as a plane that passes through a midpoint of a line that connects a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall that includes the at least one tongue to a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall of the other building element that includes the at least one pair of ridges and is perpendicular to a line that passes through the central points of said interconnected building elements when said building elements are interconnected in a centered configuration. 
     Additional features of the present invention are described with reference to the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a top and two-sided perspective view of one embodiment of a building element according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the building element of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged partial top view illustrating a releasable restraining engagement between the tongue and the ridge portions of the side wall that form the groove in accordance with the embodiment of the building element shown in  FIG. 2  when the distal portion of the tongue of one such building element resides in the groove of another such building element. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of another embodiment of a building element according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged partial top view illustrating a releasable restraining engagement between the tongue and the ridge portions of the side wall that form the groove in accordance with the embodiment of the building element shown in  FIG. 3  when the distal portion of the tongue of one such building element resides in the groove of another such building element. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of still another embodiment of a building element according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged partial top view illustrating a releasable restraining engagement between the tongue and the ridge portions of the side wall that form the groove in accordance with the embodiment of the building element shown in  FIG. 4  when the distal portion of the tongue of one such building element resides in the groove of another such building element. 
         FIG. 5  is a top and two-sided perspective view illustrating the interconnection of a set of the building elements shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of yet another embodiment of a building element according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged partial top view illustrating a releasable restraining engagement between the tongue and the ridge portions of the side wall that form the groove in accordance with the embodiment of the building element shown in  FIG. 6  when the distal portion of the tongue of one such building element resides in the groove of another such building element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A, a toy building element  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a top  11 , a bottom  12  and four sidewalls  13 . The top  11  of the building element  10  includes a primarily cylindrical projection  14  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10  is open. In alternative embodiments (not shown) more than one projection extends above the top broad surface. 
     The interior (not shown) of the building element  10  has contact surfaces that are accessible through the open bottom and are adapted for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with an interconnectable projection on a second toy-building element. In alternative embodiments (not shown) the interior contact surfaces are adapted for effecting releasable restraining engagements with a plurality of interconnectable projections on another toy-building element or on a combination of other toy building elements. In the preferred embodiments, the projection  14  and the interior contact surfaces are configured as described in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,360, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Other configurations may be used in other embodiments. 
     Each of the sidewalls  13  includes a primary surface  15 , at least one groove  16  and at least one tongue  17 . In this embodiment, the primary surface  15  is within both the virtual plane of the sidewall  13  that includes the groove  16  and the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue  17  when building elements respectively including a groove  16  and a tongue  17  are interconnected in a centered configuration. The coincident ridge-sidewall virtual plane and tongue-sidewall virtual plane are indicated by dotted line  18  in  FIG. 2A . In some alternative embodiments (not shown) in which the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the ridges and/or the tongue is non-planar, the respective ridge-sidewall virtual plane and/or tongue-sidewall virtual plane might include all of the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the groove and/or the tongue. 
     Each groove  16  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a tongue  17  in a sidewall of another toy-building element; and each tongue  17  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  16  in a sidewall of another toy-building element, as shown in  FIG. 2A . 
     In the preferred embodiments, the grooves  16  and the tongues  17  are configured and relatively dimensioned as described in aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,250,986 and 6,616,499, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference. Preferably, the relative dimensions of the groove  16  and the tongue  17  are such that when the distal portion  25  of the tongue  17  resides in the base region  22  of the groove  16 , part of the tongue  17  is compressed between and thereby frictionally engages the ridges  19 . The degree of the frictional engagement provided by the compression of the tongue  17  when the distal portion  25  of the tongue  17  resides in the base region  22  of the groove  16  is such as to enable a stationary relative disposition of a pair of so engaged building elements  10  to be varied precisely by smoothly sliding the tongue  17  of one of the pair of engaged building elements  10  within the groove  16  of the other of the pair of engaged building elements  10 , and also is such as to provide enough resistance to such sliding as to maintain the stationary relative disposition when one of the pair of engaged building elements has the top of its engaged side wall  13  disposed at a greater height than the top of the engaged side wall  13  of the other of the pair of building elements  10 . 
     Other configurations and relative dimensions of the grooves and tongues may be used in other embodiments. 
     Each groove  16  is formed between a pair of ridges  19  that extend outward to and thence beyond the virtual plane  18  of the sidewall  13  that includes the ridges  19 . 
     Each groove  16  has an entry opening  21  of a predominant minimum width W 1  and a base region  22  of a greater width than the predominant minimum width W 1 . The predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  21  is the minimum width of the groove  16  that predominates over the length of the groove  16  between the top  11  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10 . 
     Each tongue  17  has an indented trunk portion  24  and a distal portion  25 . The distal portion  25  has a predominant maximum width W 2  that is greater than the width of the indented trunk portion  24  and greater than the predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  21  for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  16  in a side wall  13  of another such building element  10  so that the distal portion  25  of the tongue resides in the base region  22  of the groove  16 , as shown in  FIG. 2A . The predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion  23  is the maximum width of the distal portion  23  that predominates over the length of the tongue  17  between the top  11  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10 . 
     Each of the ridges  19  is flexible in a lateral direction to thereby facilitate engagement of the distal portion  25  of the tongue  17  in the groove  16  of another building element by frontally pressing the tongue  17  into the groove  16  of another building element. Such a restraining engagement can also be effected by sliding the tongue  17  of one building element into the open end of the groove  16  of another building element. 
     The tongue  17  extends outward to but not beyond the primary surface  15  of the sidewall that includes the tongue  17 . 
     The groove-forming ridges  19  and the tongues  17  extend between the top  11  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10 . Preferably, the maximum width of the distal portion  25  at the ends of the tongue  17  adjacent the top  11  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10  is the same or smaller than the given predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  21  to thereby facilitate initiation of interconnection of the building elements  10  when sliding the tongues  17  into either end of the grooves  16 . Initiation of the interconnection of the building elements  10  that is effected by sliding the tongues  17  into the ends of the grooves  16  is also facilitated by the minimum width of the entry opening  21  at the ends of the grooves  16  adjacent the top  11  and the bottom  12  of the building element  10  being the same or greater than the given predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  21 . 
     In other embodiments in which the grooves and tongues are disposed and respectively extend in relation to the primary surface  15  and the respective virtual planes  18 , as shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A, any particular sidewall may include none, one or more than one such groove  16  and/or tongue  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 3A , a toy building element  30  according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a top  31 , a bottom (not shown) and four sidewalls  32 . The top  31  of the building element  30  includes a primarily cylindrical projection  33  and the bottom (not shown) of the building element  30  is open. In alternative embodiments (not shown) more than one projection extends above the top broad surface. 
     Each of the sidewalls  32  includes a primary surface  34 , at least one groove  35  and at least one tongue  36 . In this embodiment, the primary surface  34  is within both the virtual plane of the sidewall  32  that includes the groove  35  and the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue  36  when building elements respectively including a groove  35  and a tongue  36  are interconnected in a centered configuration. The coincident ridge-sidewall virtual plane and tongue-sidewall virtual plane are indicated by dotted line  37  in  FIG. 3A . In some alternative embodiments (not shown) in which the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the ridges and/or the tongue is non-planar, the respective ridge-sidewall virtual plane and/or tongue-sidewall virtual plane might include all of the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the groove and/or the tongue. 
     Each groove  35  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a tongue  36  in a sidewall of another toy-building element; and each tongue  36  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  35  in a sidewall of another toy-building element, as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     Each groove  35  is formed between a pair of ridges  38  that extend outward to and thence beyond the virtual plane  37  of the sidewall  32  that includes the ridges  38 . 
     Each groove  35  has an entry opening  40  of a predominant minimum width W 1  and a base region  41  of a greater width than the predominant minimum width W 1 . The predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  40  is the minimum width of the groove  35  that predominates over the length of the groove  35  between the top  31  and the bottom of the building element  30 . 
     Each tongue  36  has an indented trunk portion  43  and a distal portion  44 . The distal portion  44  has a predominant maximum width W 2  that is greater than the width of the indented trunk portion  43  and greater than the predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  40  for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  35  in a side wall  32  of another such building element  30  so that the distal portion  44  of the tongue resides in the base region  41  of the groove  35 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . The predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion  44  is the maximum width of the distal portion  44  that predominates over the length of the tongue  36  between the top  31  and the bottom of the building element  30 . 
     The tongue  36  is flexible and split longitudinally into two laterally flexible parallel sections  36 ′. Each of the parallel sections  36 ′ of the tongue  36  includes part of the indented trunk portion  43  and part of the distal portion  44  of the tongue  36  so that the distal portion  44  of the tongue  36  can be compressed laterally in order to effect the restraining engagement in the groove  35  by frontally pressing the tongue  36  into the groove  35  in another building element. Such a restraining engagement can also be effected by sliding the tongue  36  of one building element into the open end of the groove  35  of another building element. 
     Each of the ridges  38  is flexible in a lateral direction to thereby further facilitate the engagement of the distal portion  44  of the tongue  36  in the groove  35  of another building element by frontally pressing the tongue  36  into the groove  35  of another building element. 
     The tongue  36  extends outward to but not beyond the primary surface  34  of the sidewall that includes the tongue  36 . 
     In other respects, the building element  30  described in relation to  FIGS. 3 and 3A  preferably is configured and dimensioned in the same manner as the building element  10  described above in relation to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A. 
     In other embodiments in which the grooves and tongues are disposed and respectively extend in relation to the primary surface  34  and the respective virtual planes  37 , as shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 3A , any particular sidewall may include none, one or more than one such groove  35  and/or tongue  36 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 4A , a toy building element  47  according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a top  48 , a bottom (not shown) and four sidewalls  49 . The top  48  of the building element  47  includes a primarily cylindrical projection  50  and the bottom (not shown) of the building element  47  is open. In alternative embodiments (not shown) more than one projection extends above the top broad surface. 
     Each of the sidewalls  49  includes a primary surface  51 , at least one groove  52  and at least one tongue  53 . In this embodiment, the primary surface  51  is within both the virtual plane of the sidewall  49  that includes the groove  52  and the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue  53  when building elements respectively including a groove  52  and a tongue  53  are interconnected in a centered configuration. The coincident ridge-sidewall virtual plane and tongue-sidewall virtual plane are indicated by dotted line  54  in  FIG. 4A . In some alternative embodiments (not shown) in which the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the ridges and/or the tongue is non-planar, the respective ridge-sidewall virtual plane and/or tongue-sidewall virtual plane might include all of the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the groove and/or the tongue. 
     Each groove  52  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a tongue  53  in a sidewall of another toy-building element; and each tongue  53  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  53  in a sidewall of another toy-building element, as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     Each groove  52  is formed between a pair of ridges  55  that extend outward from a location in the virtual plane  54  of the sidewall  49  that includes the ridges  55 . 
     Each groove  52  has an entry opening  57  of a predominant minimum width W 1  and a base region  58  of a greater width than the predominant minimum width W 1 . The predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  57  is the minimum width of the groove  52  that predominates over the length of the groove  52  between the top  48  and the bottom of the building element  47 . 
     Each tongue  53  has an indented trunk portion  60  and a distal portion  61 . The distal portion  60  has a predominant maximum width W 2  that is greater than the width of the indented trunk portion  60  and greater than the predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  57  for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  52  in a side wall  49  of another such building element  47  so that the distal portion  61  of the tongue resides in the base region  58  of the groove  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4A . The predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion  61  is the maximum width of the distal portion  61  that predominates over the length of the tongue  53  between the top  48  and the bottom of the building element  47 . 
     The tongue  53  is flexible and split longitudinally into two laterally flexible parallel sections  53 ′. Each of the parallel sections  53 ′ of the tongue  53  includes part of the indented trunk portion  60  and part of the distal portion  61  of the tongue  53  so that the distal portion  61  of the tongue  53  can be compressed laterally in order to effect the restraining engagement in the groove  52  by frontally pressing the tongue  53  into the groove  52  in another building element. Such a restraining engagement can also be effected by sliding the tongue  53  of one building element into the open end of the groove  52  of another building element. 
     Each of the ridges  55  is flexible in a lateral direction to thereby further facilitate the engagement of the distal portion  61  of the tongue  53  in the groove  52  of another building element by frontally pressing the tongue  53  into the groove  52  of another building element. 
     The tongue  53  extends outward to but not beyond the primary surface  51  of the sidewall that includes the tongue  53 . 
     In other respects, the building element  46  described in relation to  FIGS. 4 and 4A  preferably is configured and dimensioned in the same manner as the building element  10  described above in relation to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A. 
     In other embodiments in which the grooves and tongues are disposed and respectively extend in relation to the primary surface  51  and the respective virtual planes  54 , as shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 4A , any particular sidewall may include none, one or more than one such groove  52  and/or tongue  53 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , three building elements  10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c , are interconnected with one another. The building elements  10   a ,  10   b    10   c  are the same as the building element  10 , which is described above with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A. The building element  10   a  is interconnected with the building element  10   b  by engaging the projection on the top of building element  10   b  with the interior surfaces of the building element  10   a . The building element  10   c  is engaged with both of the building elements  10   a  and  10   b  by engaging the tongues and grooves in one sidewall of the building element  10   c  with the respective grooves and tongues in the sidewalls of the building elements  10   a  and  10   b  by either frontally pressing the tongues into the grooves or by sliding the tongues into the grooves from the open ends of the respective grooves. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 6A , a toy building element  64  according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a top  65 , a bottom (not shown) and four sidewalls  66 . The top  65  of the building element  64  includes a primarily cylindrical projection  67  and the bottom (not shown) of the building element  64  is open. In alternative embodiments (not shown) more than one projection extends above the top broad surface. 
     Each of the sidewalls  66  includes a primary surface  67 , at least one groove  68  and at least one tongue  69 . In this embodiment, the primary surface  67  is within both the virtual plane of the sidewall  66  that includes the groove  68  and the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue  69  when building elements respectively including a groove  68  and a tongue  69  are interconnected in a centered configuration. The coincident ridge-sidewall virtual plane and tongue-sidewall virtual plane are indicated by dotted line  70  in  FIG. 6A . In some alternative embodiments (not shown) in which the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the ridges and/or the tongue is non-planar, the respective ridge-sidewall virtual plane and/or tongue-sidewall virtual plane might include all of the primary surface of the sidewall that includes the groove and/or the tongue. 
     Each groove  68  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a tongue  69  in a sidewall of another toy-building element; and each tongue  69  is configured and dimensioned for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  68  in a sidewall of another toy-building element, as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
     Each groove  68  is formed between a pair of ridges  71  that extend outward to and thence beyond the virtual plane  70  of the sidewall  66  that includes the ridges  71 . 
     Each groove  68  has an entry opening  73  of a predominant minimum width W 1  and a base region  74  of a greater width than the predominant minimum width W 1 . The predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  73  is the minimum width of the groove  68  that predominates over the length of the groove  68  between the top  65  and the bottom of the building element  64 . 
     Each tongue  69  has an indented trunk portion  75  and a distal portion  76 . The distal portion  76  has a predominant maximum width W 2  that is greater than the width of the indented trunk portion  75  and greater than the predominant minimum width W 1  of the groove entry opening  73  for interconnecting in a releasable restraining engagement with a groove  68  in a side wall  66  of another such building element  64  so that the distal portion  76  of the tongue resides in the base region  74  of the groove  68 , as shown in  FIG. 6A . The predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion  76  is the maximum width of the distal portion  76  that predominates over the length of the tongue  69  between the top  65  and the bottom of the building element  64 . 
     The predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  73  is less than the predominant minimum width W 1  of the entry opening  21  in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A; and the predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion  76  is less than the predominant maximum width W 2  of the distal portion in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A. 
     Each of the ridges  71  is flexible in a lateral direction to thereby facilitate engagement of the distal portion  76  of the tongue  69  in the groove  68  of another building element by frontally pressing the tongue  69  into the groove  68  of another building element. Such a restraining engagement can also be effected by sliding the tongue  69  of one building element into the open end of the groove  68  of another building element. 
     The tongue  69  extends outward but not all the way to the primary surface  70  of the sidewall  66  that includes the tongue  69 . 
     Each tongue  69  has an indented trunk portion  75  and a distal portion  76 . The distal portion  76  has a predominant maximum width W 2   
     In other respects, the building element  64  described in relation to  FIGS. 6 and 6A  preferably is configured and dimensioned in the same manner as the building element  10  described above in relation to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A. 
     In other embodiments in which the grooves and tongues are disposed and respectively extend in relation to the primary surface  67  and the respective virtual planes  70 , as shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 6A , any particular sidewall may include none, one or more than one such groove  68  and/or tongue  69 . 
     Although the primary surfaces of the sidewalls that include ridges and/or tongues are approximately planar in the embodiments of the present invention shown and described herein, in some embodiments not shown herein one or more of such primary surfaces are not planar. 
     Preferably, the toy building elements described herein are made by an injection molding process. The preferred material is polypropylene. 
     In at least some embodiments, the part of the distal portion of the at least one tongue having the predominant maximum width does not extend outward beyond the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the at least one tongue. 
     In at least some embodiments, the part of the entry opening of the at least one groove having the predominant minimum width is situated outward beyond the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the at least one pair of ridges. 
     Regarding the incorporation by reference of disclosures from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,250,986, 6,447,360 and 6,616,499, the meaning of the terms that are used both herein and in such patents should be interpreted within the context of the present specification and drawing. 
     The advantages specifically stated herein do not necessarily apply to every conceivable embodiment of the present invention. Further, such stated advantages of the present invention are only examples and should not be construed as the only advantages of the present invention. 
     While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the present invention, but rather as examples of the preferred embodiments described herein. Other variations are possible and the scope of the present invention should be determined not by the embodiments described herein but rather by the claims and their legal equivalents. The claims require no implicit limitations. Each claim is to be construed explicitly as stated, or by its legal equivalent.