Abstract:
A children&#39;s self-contained toy fort building apparatus has a malleable rod terminated at both ends with a connector. In one embodiment, the connectors couple directly with like connectors to form a multi-point connection with one or a plurality of rods. In a different embodiment, each rod is terminated with spuds, and a separate connector is provided which is operative to couple with and secure the spuds thereto. A method of constructing a structure such as a fort includes engaging a plurality of like longitudinally extensive elements together at terminations thereof, and forming at least one of said plurality of like longitudinally extensive elements into a non-linear shape.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/225,895 filed Jul. 15, 2009 of the same title, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to amusement devices or toys, and more particularly to construction toys that comprise a plurality of parts for assembling, disassembling, or relatively arranging the parts. More particularly, the present invention pertains to cushioned, pliable building construction materials which may be connected to a plurality of such building construction materials to form more complex structures such as toy forts or buildings that may be constructed, occupied for play, learning, and imagination, and then later disassembled. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Youth are imaginative in their play and interactions. A fort can be used for a shelter, a play house, a castle, a dog house, and much more. Forts of many varieties are found in prior art, including U.S. Pat. No. Des. 34,354 by Miller, entitled “Toy Fort”; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 245,640 by Powell, Jr., entitled “Toy Fort”; U.S. Pat. No. 294,589 by Crandall, entitled “Toy Building Block”; U.S. Pat. No. 570,544 by Flye, entitled “Toy or Game Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,282,358 by Arden, entitled “Toy Fort”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,323 by Feigelman, entitled “Folding Toy”; the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference. These patents all provide sets for building a toy fort, but are intrinsically limited to one design, limiting the possibilities of use. 
     Customizable design is found in kits, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,420 by Nelson, entitled “Building Toy Kit, Component Thereof, Method of Enhancing the Glow, Method of Packaging, and Package Thereof”, the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a building material in which the materials are connected by stacking. A more complex, interlocking, method of stacking is shown using serpentine building elements in U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,761 by Zohar, entitled “Interlocking Construction Elements,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Stacking is improved upon by providing a more secure method of attachment, as seen in patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,282 by Ernst, entitled “Toy Cube Set,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a cube created with an interior and exterior wall, connected to other cubes with a peg that connects through holes, allowing for a vast assortment of possible arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,634 by Chang, entitled “Soft Brick Modular Building Construction Set,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, improves on this by offering a softer version made out of brick shaped foam blocks which connect together using Velcro™ brand or equivalent hook and loop strips on the fuzzy exteriors. The foam block construction increases the safety of the toy for all age groups. 
     An alternative is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,888 by Litzka, entitled “Deflectable Beam for Forming Curved Structures,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which illustrates plastic beams that can be secured in any number of locations, allowing for more freedom in determining the exact size and shape of a curved structure when building. However, the twists and turns are necessarily limited by the material, and the construction allows for damage to the set as well as the child if one were to accidentally fall into the structure. 
     Another method of construction is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,960 by Bombaci, entitled “Rods and Tubular Connectors Having Means for Limiting Rod Insertion,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which shows a method of construction using rods and connectors which accept a plurality of rods at various angles. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,598 by Lock, entitled “Toy Construction Set,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a building method comprised of tubes and a variety of connectors, allowing for different numbers of tubes to be connected at a variety of angles. A safer option is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,581 by Podgaiz, entitled “Building Toy,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a flexible tubular building toy connected using fitted pegs that fit into the ends of the flexible tubular building unit as well as a connector unit. Undesirably, these patents each use multiple small pieces, which are readily lost. 
     The present invention seeks to provide an alternative which improves upon prior art by providing a cushioned, flexible building unit with a built in connector unit that allows for a plurality of connections at multiple angles. 
     Cushioned wire, enabling soft, customizable shaping is seen in early patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,392,024 by Couri, entitled “Article of Manufacture,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which illustrates a material with a soft, pliable core and a cushioned outside, such as a rubber sponge sheath. Another approach is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,809 by Spencer, entitled “Hair Curler and Method of Treating Hair,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which illustrates a wrapped, padded wire curler for delivery of shine enhancing oils. 
     Foam embodied wire is often known for use with the hair as early as U.S. Pat. No. 2,542,601 by Cleef, entitled “Hair Curler,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes what may be the origins of the toy “tuber” technology, old hair curlers with foam and wire. Additional patents illustrate alternate embodiments and methods of manufacturing, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,006 by Collis, entitled “Hair Roller”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,414 by Fox et al., entitled “Bendable Lightweight Article for Personal Grooming and Method of Making”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,458 by Hollenberg et al., entitled “Foam Bodied Hair Curler”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,103 by Vick et al., entitled “Bendable Permanent Wave Rod Apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,428 by Stohr, entitled “Deformable Foam Curler”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,152 by Dutch, entitled “Hair Roller,” the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,968 by Rivera, entitled “Permanent Wave Rod,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, is not only a cushioned, shapeable article for use in the hair, it provides fibers on the ends to engage each other, holding the wave rod engaged. U.S. Pat. No. 2,757,676 by Hamilton, entitled “Hair Curling Assembly,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, attempts a similar thing by having a strap to secure one end of the curler to the other, holding the hair engaged. 
     The flexible, form-retaining material in toys has a long history as well, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,687 by Munro, entitled “Form Retaining Stuffed Figurine,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which can be stretched and will spring back to its original form. U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,431 by Richardson et al, entitled “Resilient Action Figure Toy,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, allows for stretching and compressing on all planes, making it more interesting and entertaining for youth. However, such devices lack the options for creativity and diverse uses found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,130 by Herrmann, entitled “Toy and Display Figure,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, which allows the user to readily configure the position of the figure of a gumby-esque wire core flexible toy. U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,484 by Smith, entitled “Doll Figures Having an Internal Wire Skeleton,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, illustrates an alternative flexible core toy. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,417 by Hillman, entitled “Flexible Tubular Toy,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, is a cushioned wire which allows the user to alterably configure the shape. 
     Even more user creativity and choice is found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,616 by Windle, entitled “Tube toy,” the contents which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes liquid filled tubes which can be manipulated, twisted, or knotted during play. This design does not readily hold all manipulations, however. U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,190, entitled “Flexible Foam Construction Toy and Method of Manufacturing Same,” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,006, entitled “Flexible Foam Construction Set,” both by Ganson, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, illustrate a foam construction set which allows for shaping and twisting of the flexible toy pieces. Connections and building using the foam construction toy is done through twisting together and/or around other units, or passing the variously sized and shaped components through holes in certain units. These, too, lack a connector which can solidly hold in place, regardless of rough play which can happen in instances where the fort is “under attack.” 
     Webster&#39;s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is additionally incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a first manifestation, the invention is a children&#39;s fort building apparatus. The apparatus has a malleable longitudinally extensive member; and a connector terminating the malleable longitudinally extensive member at a first end. 
     In a second manifestation, the invention is a children&#39;s building toy, comprising a plurality of longitudinally extensive structural members each terminated with spuds; and a connector operative to couple with said spuds and secure said spuds thereto. 
     In a third manifestation, the invention is a method of constructing a structure. According to the method, a plurality of like longitudinally extensive elements are engaged at terminations thereof. At least one of said plurality of like longitudinally extensive elements is then formed into a non-linear shape. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention solve inadequacies of the prior art by providing a cushioned, flexible building unit with a built in connector unit that allows for a plurality of connections at multiple angles which can be used to create virtually any construction. In different embodiments, the connector may be complete, meaning it may couple directly with other like connectors, or the connector may couple to a connector box. 
     A first object of the invention is to provide a construction unit which is lightweight and cushioned for easy and safe use. A second object of the invention is to provide a construction unit which can be directly interconnected without any additional pieces or connectors. Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction unit which can be bent, twisted, or otherwise shaped into virtually any desirable shape. A further object of the invention is to reduce or eliminate small parts that may be potentially harmful or lost. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide intuitive and easily assembled construction units that may readily be assembled without instruction by users of nearly all age. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention can be understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the invention from front plan view. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a first preferred embodiment connector end used in the first preferred embodiment of the invention from front view. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates combinations of the first preferred embodiment connector ends from disassembled view. 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the combinations of the preferred embodiment connector ends illustrated in  FIG. 3  from assembled view. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the further combination of the first preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in  FIG. 1  with a like component. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a second preferred embodiment connection, with only connector components illustrated. 
         FIGS. 8   a - 8   d  illustrate the components of the second preferred embodiment, while  FIG. 8   e  illustrates a single connector pair from enlarged view. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Manifested in the preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a children&#39;s building apparatus  1  comprised of a soft, pliable bar  5  with multi-faceted connectors  10  on either end. Most preferably, bar  5  is a malleable material such as, but not limited to, malleable metal wire coated with a soft covering. The wire will desirably be sufficiently malleable to allow for shaping during play. In this preferred embodiment aluminum wire has been used, though other metals and other materials will be understood to be suitable as well. Most preferably, this material is sufficiently rigid to support sheets and blankets, while still being sufficiently malleable to permit a child to bend the wire into desired shapes. To enhance feel, safety, and utility, preferred embodiment bar  5  further includes a soft covering or cushion such as, but not limited to foam. Connectors  10  are multi-faceted, allowing a plurality of like apparatus  1  to be interconnected to each other at different angles, lending children&#39;s building apparatus  1  to be formed into a variety of structures where size and shape are only limited by the quantity of children&#39;s building apparatus  1  available. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates preferred embodiment multi-faceted connector  10  in more detail. While any number of alternative designs are possible and included herein by reference, preferred embodiment multi-faceted connector  10  is a six-sided cube with grooves  11 ,  14 ,  15  and ridges  12 ,  13 ,  16  on five sides. The sixth side is attached to bar  5  in any number of ways, including, but not limited to a piece bound to the wire inside bar  5  that would bite into the inside of multi-faceted connector  10 , or other suitable connection through means such as a loop, or adhesives known to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to glue. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 3-5 , multi-faceted connectors  10  are designed to lock into place together by interlocking the grooves  11 ,  14 ,  15  and ridges,  12 ,  13 ,  16 . In the most preferred embodiment, ridge  12  interlocks with groove  11 , ridge  13  interlocks with groove  14 , and ridge  16  interlocks with groove  15 . Furthermore, ridges  12 ,  13  are most preferably tapered out to form dovetails which, when engaged with grooves  11 ,  14 , improves the durability of the connection between multi-faceted connectors  10 . Another feature of preferred embodiment multi-faceted connectors  10  is that any of the five grooved faces can be used to connect to another multi-faceted connector  10 . As a result, any one multi-faceted connector  10  can connect to as many as five other multi-faceted connectors. Additionally, in constructing a structure, children&#39;s building rods  1  can connect together from a variety of directions. 
     Finally,  FIG. 6  shows two children&#39;s building rods  1  connected together. As can be seen in the illustration, bar  5  can be arced or kept relatively straight to create the structural form desired. Upon the completion of the structural frame, a child or other person will have the option of adding sheets, blankets, pillows, or other common household materials to create walls around the frame. Additionally, the structure is light weight, and so can be readily moved. Alternatively, a resulting structure may be easily disassembled for clean-up. The light weight of the individual components is beneficial with regard to safety, since a less massive component is also less likely to cause harm, even when misused. 
     The children&#39;s building apparatus  1  is fully self-contained, meaning there are no other apparatus required to build a fort or other structure, other than any coverings that a person may choose to apply. A variety of building methods may be applied to children&#39;s building apparatus  1 , the combinations which will have many benefits associated therewith. As noted, soft, cushioned bar  5  will most preferably be easily molded during play to form any variety of contours, which may then be used to form an endless variety of structures which are only limited by a person&#39;s imagination, including but not limited to forts, tunnels, and other play structures of children&#39;s choosing. 
     A second preferred embodiment connector box  100  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 , operatively coupled with a plurality of spuds  130 . In this second embodiment, cushioned wire bar  5  has a spud  130  attached to both ends. Spuds  130  then engage with connector box  100 . When more than one spud  130  engages with connector box  100 , a connection is formed between the spuds, and consequently between the corresponding bars  5 . In such a system, as many as six spuds  130  may engage with connector box  100  in a secure manner. While this second embodiment connector box  100  requires both a plurality of cushioned wire bars  5  each terminated with spuds  130  and at least one separate connector box  100 , meaning there are at least two distinct apparatus required to construct a structure, the second preferred embodiment benefits from less mass and smoother geometries at each termination of wire  5 , and also from simpler and more rapid assembly and disassembly, as will become more apparent from the following description. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 8   a - 8   e , second preferred embodiment connector box  130  is comprised of a frame  101 , side clips  105 , top and bottom plates  115 , and spuds  130 . Most preferably, frame  101  is comprised of four sides  103  which give it a cube shape. Each side  103  has two right angles protruding out from the corners to form guides  102 . Guides  102  face toward the center of each side  103  in such a manner that a square object can slide into the gap  104  formed by side  103  and guides  102  and will thereby be reasonably held in place. In this second preferred embodiment, four side plates  105  then engage with frame  101  by sliding into gap  104  and are then further held into place by plates  115  which are welded, adhered, or otherwise connected to the top and bottom of frame  101 . Each side plate  105  has wings  106  for the purpose of sliding in between sides  103  and guides  102 , whereas each plate  115  has extended sides  116  for the purpose of covering the ends of side plates  105  and, therefore, holding side plates  105  in place once plates  115  are connected to frame  101 . 
     In this second preferred embodiment, all plates  105 ,  115  have a slot  110 ,  120  to engage spud  130 . The slot  110 ,  120  is formed by having a raised surface  108 ,  118  with an opening formed by tabs  112 ,  122 . Each slot  110 ,  120  has a resilient member  111 ,  121  which protrudes at a slight angle into the bottom of slot  110 ,  120 . Resilient member  111 ,  121  has raised grips  109 ,  119  for interaction with spud  130 . 
     Most preferably, spud  130  has a base  132  from which neck  134  extends and bells out into engaging member  136 . In this preferred embodiment, engaging member  136  is octagonal, though it is contemplated herein to construct this member with any number of sides, as will be discussed further herein below. Engaging member  136  has the additional feature of a protruding grip  138 . Protruding grip  138  can be any variety of shapes, including, but not limited hereto, a cross, zig-zags, bumps, straight lines, and the like, and may further comprise either protrusions, indentations, or some combination thereof. In the present embodiment, protruding grip  138  is contemplated as a cross. In the actual engagement between spud  130  and plates  105 ,  115 , engaging member  136  slides into slot  110 ,  120 . As engaging member  136  slides into place, it would most preferably apply pressure to resilient member  111 ,  121 , which in turn would apply pressure to engaging member  136 , holding it into place against raised surface  108 ,  118 . Additionally, protruding grip  138  would click into place with raised grips  109 ,  119  in such a manner that arms of the cross shape would engage with raised grips  109 ,  119  and prevent sliding and limit rotation. 
     Furthermore, in the process of sliding spud  130  into slot  110 ,  120 , neck  134  slides through the gap between tabs  112 ,  122 . Most preferably, the gap between tabs  112 ,  122  is smaller than the diameter of neck  134 , requiring tabs  112 ,  122  to flex to allow the passage of neck  134  therebetween. This configuration provides an additional catch to hold spud  130  in place. 
     When a fort or other toy structure is assembled from the foregoing components, it is generally desirable that the components hold the shape formed by the builder, and not sag, droop or bend out of shape without a reasonably large force to cause such change. In order to prevent unintended shape changes, it is desirable that spud  130  will not accidentally rotate within slot  110 ,  120 . This is accomplished in several ways herein, though not limited solely thereto. First, protruding grip  138  preferably clicks into place with raised grips  109 ,  119 , and any rotation therebetween causes tab  112 ,  122  to flex and snap, providing positive rotational holding. In addition, and with proper design, engaging member  136  may be provided with a plurality of flat sides, such as illustrated in  FIG. 8   d . If the dimension of slots  110 ,  120  is close to the diameter of engaging member  136 , such that the space therebetween is minimal, then as the junction between flats is rotated, it will engage with the side walls of the slots and inhibit free rotation. With proper materials and dimensions, it is possible to provide a coupling having a large number of possible rotational orientations, that will hold in desired rotational orientation when assembled. With flexible materials, the slot may be designed to expand when force is applied to rotate engaging member  136 , allowing an intentional rotational adjustment to be made. 
     The geometry of tabs  112 ,  122  as illustrated is from top view in the general form of a keyhole, where  124  identifies an enlarged receiver region where the spud neck  134  will operatively rest. 
     While fabrication from resilient materials will ordinarily be sufficient to provide necessary resilience, such as when plastic is used as the material, it is further contemplated herein to provide additional resiliency when desired. To this end, tabs  112 ,  122  have increased resiliency provided by either thinning the material, providing openings, or providing a material of increased resiliency in region  107 ,  117 . 
     From these figures, several additional features and options become more apparent. First of all, children&#39;s building apparatus  1  in either embodiment and in accord with the present invention may be manufactured from a variety of materials, including metals, plastics or other resins, ceramics and cementitious materials, and composites, alloys, laminates, or even combinations of the above. The specific material used may vary, though special benefits are attainable if several important factors are taken into consideration. Firstly, the children&#39;s building apparatus  1  should be sufficiently light to enable even a relatively young child to be able to readily manipulate and adjust the toy. It is also preferable that children&#39;s building apparatus  1  be sufficiently cushioned to prevent injuries in the case of collision with an individual. Furthermore, it is preferable that bar  5  be sufficiently malleable to enable easy adjustment but rigid enough to maintain the contours it is shaped into. Additionally, it is preferable that connector  10  is rigid enough to prevent interlocking grooves  11 ,  14 ,  15  and ridges,  12 ,  13 ,  16  from slipping apart unintentionally. Most preferably, children&#39;s building apparatus  1  will also be sufficiently durable and water resistant to withstand wear and tear from regular use, collision with other objects, and accidental spills. 
     The actual engagement between connectors  10  is dependent somewhat upon the materials. The most preferred materials for connectors  10  are plastics, which may or may not include various reinforcing fibers or particles, and other ingredients known to enhance the properties of the composition and resulting product. The plastics may be modified to have adequate resistance to environment, and are accompanied by low cost and ready manufacture to custom geometries. 
     A variety of designs have been contemplated for connectors  10 ,  100 , including any number of and suitable geometries for grooves  11 ,  14 ,  15  and ridges,  12 ,  13 ,  16 , and the similar interconnecting structures found in connectors  100 . 
     Further contemplated herein is the incorporation of additional components into plates  105 ,  115 . For exemplary purposes only, and not limited thereto, a rubber pad or Velcro™ brand or equivalent hook pad could be affixed to a plate  105 ,  115  distal to slot  110 ,  120  and spud  130 . This modified plate would be provided separate from connector box  100 , and so could be affixed to a spud and then, for exemplary purposes, anchored to the floor through the rubber pad, such as a for a hard or wood floor, or to carpet using the hook pad. Many other materials could be similarly affixed, including temporary or permanent adhesives such as double sided tape when it might be desirable to affix to a wall, ceiling or other object. Furthermore, other objects may be provided within on or more plates about connector box  100 , and can be incorporated with or provided instead of couplings for spuds  130 . One example is the incorporation of an LED light with power source and switch into connector box  100 , such that instead of six spud connection locations, there could optionally be one light and five connections, again for exemplary purposes. 
     While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, no material limitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended. Further, features and design alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be incorporated herein. The scope of the invention is set forth and particularly described in the claims herein below.