Patent Publication Number: US-2013242615-A1

Title: Water-Proof Light-Emitting Decoration Building Block

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a light-emitting building block, and in particular to a water-proof light-emitting building block that are assembled to the a top end or a bottom end of light-emitting building block, so as to prevent first and second two-way conductive members from being exposed to the exterior environment and prevent water from entering the interior of the assembled building blocks. 
     2. The Prior Arts 
     Building blocks are a popular toy which allows players to construct anything, ranging from robot to airplane. Not only Children of all ages enjoy playing daily, but also playing the building blocks can improve hand-eye coordination of young children. 
     Generally, the conventional building blocks are classified into two categories: basic interlocking bricks and accompanying decoration bricks, such as gears and minifigures. The player can fit together the basic interlocking bricks to construct anything, such as buildings and vehicles. The decoration bricks are used to decorate the forms or shapes of the assembled basic interlocking bricks to provide an attractive appearance. For example, the decoration brick can provide a driver figure to a bus made by the basic interlocking bricks. Referring to  FIG. 8 , a conventional light-emitting building block comprises a light transmittable basic interlocking brick  70 , a plurality of first two-way conductive members  80  and a plurality of second two-way conductive members  90 . The basic interlocking brick  70  includes a circuit board  71  disposed therein and a plurality of connection portions  72  disposed on a top end and a bottom end thereof The circuit board  71  has a light  74  and a plurality of through holes  711 . Each of the through holes  711  is defined between the connection portion  72  of the top end and the connection portion  72  of the bottom end. 
     Each of the first two-way conductive members  80  has a sleeve  81 , two conductive rods  82  and a spring  83 . The sleeve  81  respectively defines a through holes  811  in the top and bottom thereof The bottom of the sleeves  81  are inserted into the through holes  711  of the circuit board  71  and located corresponding to the connection portions  72  at the bottom of the brick  70 . The top of the sleeves  81  is located corresponding to the connection portions  72  of the top end of the brick  70 . The two conductive rods  82  are respectively located at the top and bottom of the sleeve  81  and protrude out of the sleeve  81 . The spring  83  is disposed between the two conductive rods  82 . The spring  83  is connected with a wire (not shown) which extends through the sleeve  81  and is connected with the circuit board  71 . 
     Each of the second two-way conductive members  90  is mounted to outside of the sleeve  80  and has a wire  91  at the bottom thereof The wire  91  extends through the circuit board  71  and then forms a bent portion  92  corresponding to the edge of the connection portion  72 . Then a free end of the bent portion  92  is connected with the circuit board  71 . 
     Generally, the connection portions  72  at the top end of the brick  70  are studs and the connection portions  72  at the bottom end of the brick  70  are tubes, or vice versa. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , when multiple light-emitting basic interlocking bricks  70  are assembled, the connection portions  72  on the top end of one brick  70  (the lower brick) are connected with the connection portions  72  at the bottom end of another brick  70  (the upper brick). The conductive rods  82  in the connection portions  72  at the top end of one brick  70  (the lower brick) are in contact with the conductive rods  82  in the connection portions  72  at the bottom end of another brick  70  (the lower brick). The second two-way conductive member  90  of one brick  70  (the lower brick) is in contact with the bent portion  92  of the wire  91  of another brick  70  (the upper brick) to electrically connect the multiple bricks  70 . 
     Because the player can assemble as many basic interlocking bricks  70  as he wishes, the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90  have to be exposed to the exterior so that the circuits of the unlimited bricks  70  can be electrically connected together. However, if the bricks  70  are played at outdoors or on a wet surface and the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90  of the bricks  70  are damped by water, a short circuit would occur. Thus, it is necessary to develop a water-proof light-emitting building block to prevent the occurrence of short circuit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block that overcomes the disadvantages of conventional designs which can not prevent water from entering the interior of the connected building blocks. 
     In order to achieve the objective, a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block according to the present invention comprises a light-transmittable brick having a top end and a bottom end. One of the top and bottom ends has a water-proof decoration portion, and the other end has a plurality of connection portions. A circuit board is located in the brick and a light is connected to the circuit board. A plurality of insertion holes are defined in the circuit board and located corresponding to the connection portions. 
     A plurality of first one-way conductive members are respectively connected to the circuit board and each of the first one-way conductive members has a sleeve, a conductive rod and a spring. The sleeve is inserted into the insertion hole and extends into the connection portion of the brick. The conductive rod is received in the sleeve and extends through a through hole of the sleeve. The spring is located in the sleeve and biased between an inside of the sleeve and the conductive rod. The spring has a wire connected thereto and the wire is connected to the circuit board. 
     A plurality of second one-way conductive members are respectively located in the connection portions of the brick and connected with the circuit board. 
     The water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks according to the present invention can be connected to the top or bottom ends of assembled light-emitting basic interlocking bricks. Therefore, the water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks provide water-proof feature. The water-proof decoration portion can be in any shape to provide decoration feature. The first and second one-way conductive members of the water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks are respectively connected to the first and second two-way conductive members of the basic interlocking bricks. Thus, the water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks provide light-emitting feature. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective bottom view showing a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective top view showing a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view to show that the water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks in accordance with the present invention are connected with a conventional light-emitting basic interlocking brick; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view to show the connected conventional light-emitting basic interlocking bricks. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a light-transmittable brick  10 , a plurality of first one-way conductive members  20  and a plurality of second one-way conductive members  30 . The brick  10  has a top end and a bottom end opposite to the top end. The brick  10  includes a water-proof decoration portion  101  disposed at the top end thereof, a plurality of connection portions  11  disposed at the bottom end thereof and a circuit board  12  disposed therein. A light  13  is connected to the circuit board  12 , and a plurality of insertion holes  121  are defined in the circuit board  12  and located corresponding to the connection portions  11 . The water-proof decoration portion  101  can be in any shape and may be integrally formed with the brick  10 . According to the first embodiment, the connection portions  11  are tubes and the water-proof decoration portion  101  is shaped as a house roof Therefore, when assembling the building blocks to construct a house or a castle, the decoration portion  101  can serve as a roof. 
     The first one-way conductive members  20  are connected to the circuit board  12  and each of the first one-way conductive members  20  has a sleeve  21 , a conductive rod  22  and a spring  23 . The sleeve  21  has a through hole  211  defined in a bottom thereof The bottom of the sleeve  21  is inserted through the insertion hole  121  of the circuit board  12  and projected into the connection portion  11  of the brick  10 . The conductive rod  22  is received in the bottom of the sleeve  21  and extended out of the sleeve  21 . The spring  23  is axially disposed in the sleeve  21  and biased between an inside of the sleeve  21  and the conductive rod  22 . The spring  23  has a wire  231  connected thereto. The sleeve  21  has a side hole  212  defined in a wall thereof The wire  231  extends through the side hole  212  of the sleeve  21  and connects with the circuit board  12 . The conductive rod  22  has a wide portion  222  received in the sleeve  21  and a narrow portion  221  passing through the through hole  211  of the sleeve  21  and extending out of the sleeve  21 . 
     The second one-way conductive members  30  are fixed to the circuit board  12 . The second one-way conductive members  30  are respectively disposed in the connection portions  11  of the brick  10  and electrically connected with the circuit board  12 . The second one-way conductive member  30  according to the first embodiment is a U-shaped metal wire. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , a water-proof light-emitting decoration building block in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The brick  10  includes a plurality of connection portions  15  disposed at the top end thereof and a water-proof decoration portion  102  disposed at the bottom end thereof. Each of the connection portions  15  is a hollow cylinder. The insertion holes  121  of the circuit board  12  are located corresponding to the connection portions  15  of the brick  10 . The water-proof decoration portion  102  is made of a non-conductive material. Moreover, the water-proof decoration portion  102  according to the second embodiment is shaped in a circular disk but the water-proof decoration portion  102  may be made into any shape. The circular disk can serve as the wheel when the building blocks are assembled to create a car. Because the water-proof decoration portions  102  is made of non-conductive water-proof material and with closed end at bottom, the water-proof decoration portions  102  can be put on wet surfaces directly. 
     The sleeve  21  of the first one-way conductive members  20  has a through hole  213  defined in the top thereof so that the conductive rod  22  is received in the sleeve  21  and projected out of the sleeve  21 . The bottom of the sleeve  21  is inserted into the insertion hole  121  of the circuit board  12  and the top of the sleeve  21  is disposed in the connection portion  15  of the brick  10 . The spring  23  is biased between the inside of the sleeve  21  and the conductive rod  22 . The sleeve  21  has a side hole  212  defined in a wall thereof and the wire  231  extends through the side hole  212 . Each of the conductive rods  22  has a wide portion  222  received in the sleeve  21  and a narrow portion  221  passing through the through hole  213  of the sleeve  21  and extending out of the sleeve  21 . 
     Each of the second one-way conductive members  30  is fixed to the outside of the top of the sleeve  21  and located in the connection portion  15 . The wire  31  is connected to the bottom of the second one-way conductive member  30  and electrically connected to the circuit board  12 . According to the second embodiment, the second one-way conductive member  30  is a cone-shaped spring. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention are respectively connected to the top end and bottom end of a conventional light-emitting basic interlocking brick  70  that has the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90 . As shown in the upper portion of  FIG. 7 , when the water-proof light-emitting decoration building block according to the first embodiment connects with the basic interlocking brick  70 , the connection portions  72  (studs) on the top of the basic interlocking brick  70  are inserted into the connection portions  11  (tubes) in the bottom of the brick  10 . The conductive rod  82  on the top of the first two-way conductive member  80  electrically connects with the conductive rod  22  on the bottom of the first one-way conductive member  20 . The second two-way conductive member  90  electrically connects with the second one-way conductive member  30 . Therefore, the brick  10  according to the first embodiment of the present invention electrically connects with the basic interlocking brick  70  having the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90 . In addition to emitting light and serving as decoration, the brick  10  has the water-proof decoration portion  101  disposed at the top end to keep water from entering the interior of the connected bricks, thereby protecting the circuit from short circuit. 
     As shown in the lower portion of  FIG. 7 , the water-proof light-emitting decoration building block according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used to connect with the bottom end of the conventional basic interlocking brick  70 . When assembling the brick  10  according to the second embodiment with the basic interlocking brick  70 , the connection portions  15  (studs) on the top end of the brick  10  are inserted into the connection portions  72  (tubes) in the bottom of the basic interlocking brick  70 . The conductive rod  22  of the first one-way conductive member  20  on the top of the brick  10  is electrically connected with the conductive rod  82  of the first two-way conductive member  80  on the bottom of the basic interlocking brick  70 . The second one-way conductive member  30  of the brick  10  according to the present invention electrically connects with the bent portion  92  of the second two-way conductive member  90 . Therefore, the basic light-emitting brick  70  having the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90  electrically connects with the brick  10  according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition to emitting light and serving as decoration, the brick  10  has the closed-ended water-proof decoration portion  102  disposed at the bottom end to keep water from entering the interior of the connected bricks, thereby protecting the circuit from short circuit. 
     The water-proof light-emitting decoration building block according to the present invention provides the water-proof decoration portion  101 ,  102  respectively disposed at the top end and bottom end of the brick  10 , and the first and second one-way conductive members  20 ,  30  disposed in the brick  10  to be respectively connected to the first and second two-way conductive members  80 ,  90  of the conventional light-emitting basic interlocking brick  70 . The water-proof light-emitting decoration building blocks according to the present invention can be used to be connected to the top ends and/or the bottom ends of the connected basic interlocking bricks  70 . The water-proof decoration portions  101 ,  102  of the brick  10  prevent water from entering the interior of the light-emitting blocks form top or bottom to protect the circuit. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.