Patent Publication Number: US-2009233516-A1

Title: Construction Pieces for 3D-Assembly Toys

Description:
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is related to a new model of construction pieces for 3D-assembly toys totally different from those known until now. This new model is characterized by its novel practical design and improvements which provide it with a peculiar and unique look. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Presently, construction pieces for 3D assembly toys are characterized by its rigidity during the development, and, when the designs are finished, they have no mobility due to their own nature. Examples of them are Interlego, which has registered more than a hundred models including those with register numbers: 3572, 3571, 3570, 3568, 3583, 4335 2823 3877, 3870, 3804, 4250, 5324, 5325, or the German Anton Meyers&#39; models of pieces for assembling toys with model register numbers 4104, 4103, 4102, 4093, 4092, 4091. 
     The pieces intended to be protected by the present invention have been conceived with movement and gradable stability provided by its own nature. Through a grooved-toothed system the final result can be transformable or it can have mobility. This transformable mobility is carried on by manipulation and not by the effects of instability and collapse of pieces. This characteristic is a different proposal from the previous art because, by having movement through manipulation when the toy is being constructed as well as at the final result, there are much more possibilities of creation and other options for toy constructions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To complement the description and to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the following drawings with an illustrative non-limiting character are herein attached: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one connection-fastening, able to be connected-assembled on the internal diameter and the external diameter of its tubular end and on the internal diameter of its semicircular end. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a connection-fastening, able to be connected-assembled on the internal diameter and the external diameter of its tubular end, which has a grooved-channeled finishing to permit to grade its mobility and stabilize the development and completion of the figure created. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a connector-fastener, based on two semicircles, joined by their middle external portion in a parallel direction, able to be connected-assembled on the internal diameter of the two semicircles. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a connector-fastener based on two semicircles, joined by its middle external portion in a parallel direction, able to be connected-assembled on the internal diameter of the two semicircles. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a connection-fastening, able to be connected-engaged on the external diameter of the tubular end and connected on the internal diameter of its semicircular end. 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a connection able to be connected-engaged on the external diameter of its tubular end and to be connected on the internal diameter of its semicircular end. 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of a connector-extensor with a circular butt in its middle external portion, able to be connected-assembled on its two external diameters. 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a connector with a double capacity to be connected-assembled: on the external diameter of the smaller diameter end of its tubular portion, and the other portion on the larger diameter end of its tubular portion, on the external diameter in a perpendicular direction to the small tubular portion. 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of a connector with a double capacity to be connected-assembled, on the external diameter of its tubular portion of the smaller-diameter end, and the other, on the tubular portion of larger diameter, on the external diameter in a perpendicular direction to the small tubular portion and that has channeled grooves lengthwise. 
         FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of a tube joined on their two ends forming a tubular wheel. 
         FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of two semicircles joined on the external middle portion of their curves, in a perpendicular direction one to another, able to connect and fasten on the internal diameter of the two semicircles. 
         FIG. 12  shows a perspective view of two semicircles joined on the external middle portion of their curves, in a perpendicular direction one to another, able to connect and fasten on the internal diameter of the two semicircles. 
         FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of a circular tube with a 90 degree curve, able to be connected-engaged on its two external reduced diameters of its two ends. 
         FIG. 14  shows a perspective view of a circular tube able to be connected-engaged on the internal diameters of its ends, and able to be connected and fastened all along its external diameter. 
         FIG. 15  shows a perspective view of a circular tube, able to be connected-engaged on the internal diameters of its ends and able to be connected and fastened along its external diameter which will have channeled grooves in a parallel direction lengthwise. 
         FIGS. 16 to 30  show perspective views of how the different construction pieces for 3D assembling toys of the present invention can interact among them and interact with circular, smooth and grooved, tubes of different longitudinal sizes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 1 , the first piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 1 ) joined, on the middle of its external curve ( 2 ), to a circular tube with a large diameter ( 3 ) at one of its two ends. As it is depicted in  FIG. 2 , the second piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 4 ) with an edge-butt along the width of one of its two internal ends ( 5 ), joined, on the middle portion of its external curve ( 6 ), to a grooved circular tube ( 7 ). As it is observed in  FIG. 3 , the third piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 8 ) joined to another tubular semicircle ( 9 ) on the middle portions of their external curves ( 10 ). 
     As it is noticed in  FIG. 4 , the fourth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 11 ), with an edge-butt all over the width of one of its two internal ends ( 12 ), joined to another tubular semicircle ( 13 ), with an edge-butt all over the width of one of its two internal ends ( 14 ) on the middle portion of their external curves ( 15 ). As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 5 , the fifth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 16 ) joined at the middle portion of its external curve ( 17 ) to a cylindrical tube of small diameter ( 18 ) which will engage, interiorly, perfectly well to the tubular portion of the pieces depicted on  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15 . As it is illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the sixth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 19 ), with an edge-butt all over the width of one of its two internal ends ( 20 ), joined, in the middle portion of its external curve ( 21 ), to a cylindrical tube of small diameter ( 22 ), which will engage, interiorly, perfectly well, to the tubular portion of the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15 . 
     As it is observed in  FIG. 7 , the seventh piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a cylindrical tube ( 23 ) which has a fixed “ring-butt” ( 24 ) in the middle. As it can be noticed in  FIG. 8 , the eighth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a semicircle ( 25 ) which in its two internal ends a cylindrical tube ( 26 ) is joined, leaving at sight, from one side to another, the cavity of the circular tube ( 27 ) in a perpendicular direction to a circular tube ( 28 ) which is in the middle external portion of its curve ( 29 ), where the tubular ends of the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15  will be able to be engaged. As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 9 , the ninth piece of 3D assembly toy is constituted by a semicircle ( 30 ) which at its two internal ends a cylindrical tube ( 31 ) is joined with lengthwise parallel grooves ( 32 ) leaving at sight, from one side to another, the cavity of the circular tube ( 33 ) in a perpendicular direction to a circular tube ( 34 ), which is in the external middle portion of its curve ( 35 ), where the tubular ends of the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15  can be engaged. 
     As it can be illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the tenth piece of the 3D-assembly toy is constituted by a cylindrical tube joined at its two ends, forming a wheel ( 36 ). As it is observed in  FIG. 11 , the eleventh piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 37 ), joined, at the middle part of its external curve ( 38 ) to another tubular semicircle ( 38 ), in a perpendicular direction one to another. As it can be noticed in  FIG. 12 , the twelfth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tubular semicircle ( 40 ), with an edge-butt all over the width of one of its two internal ends ( 41 ), joined, on the middle portion of its external curve ( 42 ), to another tubular semicircle ( 43 ) with an edge-butt all over the width of one of its two internal ends ( 44 ) in a perpendicular direction one to another. 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 13 , the thirteenth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a tube with a 90 degree curve ( 45 ), with its two reduced ends ( 46 ), this reduction allowing the connection-engagement to the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15 . As it is illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the fourteenth piece of the 3D assembly toy is constituted by a circular tube ( 47 ) where the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  13  are engaged with on their internal diameter and the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  11  and  12  on their external diameter. The fifteenth piece of the 3D-assembly toy is constituted by a cylindrical tube, grooved in a parallel direction lengthwise ( 48 ) where the internal diameter is connected-engaged with the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  13  on the internal diameter, and with the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  11  and  12  on the external diameter. 
     The connecting pieces for cylindrical tubes are constituted by 13 distinct pieces, as it has been illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 13 , to connect cylindrical tubes, which will constitute in different lengths the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 ; connecting them among themselves inducing couples, turns, slides, fastenings, grading, stabilizations and sound “clicks”. 
     As it can be observed in  FIGS. 16 to 30 , the 13 illustrated pieces in  FIGS. 1 to 13  interact among them and with circular, smooth and grooved, tubes of different lengths or with the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . The 13 pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 13  serve as connections-connectors-fasteners, engaging the smaller diameter ends ( 49 ) into the larger diameter ends ( 50 ). The tubular semicircles ( 51 ) fasten the pieces and the circular, smooth or grooved, tubes of different lengths ( 52 ). All semicircles, smooth or toothed, can be opened and then closed because they are manufactured with flexible material which also allows the free displacement all over the length of the circular tubes, smooth or grooved, and provides a 360 degree free rotation over all the external circumference of the pieces and circular tubes, on their external diameter; the grooved pieces ( 53 ), in conjunction with the toothed pieces ( 54 ) will bring gradation to stabilize the development and final results in creating figures. The rotation movement also is present when a smaller diameter ( 49 ) engages—gets into another of larger diameter ( 50 . In the case of the wheel, the central circumference of the wheel ( 55 ) allows the pieces illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  14  and  15  to engage—get inside.