Patent Publication Number: US-11020683-B2

Title: Building block and building block kit

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910899948.8, filed Sep. 23, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to building blocks, and particularly to a building block kit including building blocks that are connected to one another by snap fit connection. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A wide variety of block toys presently exist, including those permitting connection of individual blocks by mutually snapping concave portions and convex portions formed in and on the individual blocks and those making use of a magnet arranged on a block and a magnetic member arranged on another block so that these blocks can be connected together by magnetic force. Although these block engagement means can work well for connecting the blocks together, it is still desirable and useful to provide a building block kit including building blocks that are connected to one another by a new connection mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of two building blocks according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of one of the building blocks of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the building blocks of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the other building block of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the building blocks of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a building block kit including building blocks of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but differs in the number and perspective of the building blocks. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of a first engaging portion engaged with a second engaging portion of two building blocks. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean “at least one” embodiment. 
     The terms “upper”, “lower”, “left” and “right”, indicating the orientational or positional relationship based on the orientational or positional relationship shown in the drawings, are merely for convenience of description, but are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or elements must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. The meaning of “multiple” is two or more, unless expressly stated otherwise. 
     The present disclosure provides a building block including at least one of a plug portion and a socket portion. For example, in one embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , a building block  10  includes only a plug portion, and a building block  20  includes both a plug portion and a socket portion. A person having ordinary skill in the art will realize that a building block according to the present disclosure may include only a socket portion according to need. The building block  10  may also be referred to as a male building block. The building block having a socket portion may also be referred to as a female building block. 
     In one embodiment, the building block  10  includes a plug portion  101  that includes a cuboid main body  11  and two cantilevered tongues  12  that are spaced apart from and deflectable toward each other. Each of the two cantilevered tongues  12  includes a first engaging portion  13  at an end thereof. The second building block  20  includes a plug portion  201  and a socket portion  202 , each of which includes a main body. In the embodiment, the plug portion  201  and the socket portion  202  share a same main body  21 . The plug portion  201  and the plug portion  101  have the same configuration. The socket portion  202  further includes two outer plates  22  protruding from an outer surface of the main body  21 . The two outer plates  22  define corporately a chamber  203  (see  FIG. 5 ) therebetween. The socket portion  202  further includes two second engaging portions  23  that are respectively arranged on the two outer plates  22 . In the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , one first engaging portion  13  protrude from an upper surface of one cantilevered tongue  12 , and the other first engaging portion  13  protrude from a lower surface of the other cantilevered tongue  12 . In the embodiment, each of the second engaging portions  23  define a recess (see  FIG. 5 ). In an alternative embodiment, the recesses may be formed in the first engaging portions  13  and the second engaging portions  23  may be protrusion protrude from the outer plates  22 . 
     The plug portion  101  and the socket portion  202  are configured in such a way that the plug portion  101  of the building block  10  is insertable into the chamber  203  of the socket portion  202  of the building block  20 , and the two cantilevered tongues  12  of the building block  10  deflect toward each other after insertion of the plug portion  101  into the chamber  203  of the socket portion  202 , which allows the first engaging portions  13  of the building block  10  to be engaged with the second engaging portions  23  of the building block  20  (see  FIG. 8 ), thereby detachably connecting the two building blocks  10  and  20  together. In the embodiment, the engagement of the first engaging portions  13  with the second engaging portions  23  means that the first engaging portions  13  are respectively received in the recesses of the second engaging portions  23 . 
     It should be noted that since the plug portion  201  and the plug portion  101  have the same configuration, two building blocks  20  can be detachably connected to each other by engagement between the plug portion  201  of one building block  20  with the socket portion  202  of the other building block  20 . The engagement between the plug portion  201  with the socket portion  202  are achieved the same way as the engagement between the plug portion  101  with the socket portion  202  described above. 
     With such configuration, two building blocks of the present disclosure can be firmly connected to each other, and will not be disengaged from each other without an external force from a user. In addition, the deflection of the cantilevered tongues is used to realize the engagement between the first and second engaging portions, which has low requirements on molds, reduces production cost, and greatly improves the competitiveness. Furthermore, the size and the number of the first engaging portions  13  and the recesses of the second engaging portions  23  can vary so as to provide different level of firmness of connection between two building blocks. 
     In one embodiment, the main body  11  includes three side walls  111 ,  112  and  113  that are connected to one another, and two inner plates  114  and  115  arranged within a space defined by the three side walls  111 ,  112  and  113  and connected to the three side walls  111 ,  112  and  113 . The two cantilevered tongues  12  protrude from the side wall  112  that are connected to both of the two side walls  111  and  113 . Each of the two inner plates  114  and  115  defines a through hole  16 , and the two cantilevered tongues  12  are respectively received in the through holes  16  of the two inner plates  114  and  115 . 
     The three side walls  111 ,  112  and  113  and the two inner plates  114  and  115  corporately define two receiving spaces  14  with an opening  15 . The two outer plates  22  of the building block  20  can be respectively inserted, through the openings  15 , into the two receiving spaces  14  of the building block  10  or another building block  20 . The two engaging portions  13  protruding from the two cantilevered tongues  12  are respectively located in the two receiving spaces  14 . During insertion of the outer plates  22 , they will first come into contact with the two engaging portions  13 . Since each engaging portion  13  has a curved surface, the outer plates  22  can continue moving after they come into contact with the curved surfaces. The cantilevered tongues  12  are then be pressed to deflect toward each other. After the outer plates  22  move to their desired positions, the engaging portions  13  are received in the recesses of the second engaging portions  23 , thereby connecting the building block  20  to the building block  10  or another building block  20 . 
     In one embodiment, a guiding structure is provided to guide the building block  10  to move with respect to the building block  20 . Specifically, the two inner plates  114  and  115  corporately define a hollow space  17  therebetween, and the socket portion  202  include a block  24  arranged between the two outer plates  22 . The block  24  is sized and shaped according to the hollow space  17 . The block  24  of the building block  20  can be fit in the hollow space  17  of the building block  10  or another building block  20 . With such arrangement, the block  24  of the building block  20  guides the building block  10  or another building block  20  when a user attempts to connect them together. 
     In one embodiment, the through holes  16  respectively communicate with the receiving spaces  14  and the hollow space  17 . During insertion of the outer plates  22  into the receiving spaces  14 , the outer plates  22  move in the receiving space  14  and the block  24  moves in the hollow space  17 . During their movement, the outer plates  22  will press the cantilevered tongues  12  to deflect and come into contact with the block  24 . Each cantilevered tongue  12  is then sandwiched between the block  24  and one outer plate  22 . 
     In one embodiment, the hollow space  17  has a rectangular, circular or trapezoidal cross section, and a cross section of the block  24  is shaped and sized according to the cross section of the hollow space  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , in one embodiment, the side wall  112  from which the cantilevered tongues  12  protrude defines a first orifice  18  extending therethrough, and the block  24  defines a second orifice  25  corresponding to the first orifice  18 . With such arrangement, a pin can be inserted through the first orifice  18  and into the second orifice  25 , and an external decoration member or an external extension member can be connected to the building blocks through the pin. 
     In one embodiment, the structure of the main body  21  of the building block  20  is the same as that of the building block  10 . It should be noted that the structure of the main body  21  may be different from that of building block  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the socket portion  202  further includes two additional outer plates  22   a  protruding from the main body  21 . The two additional outer plates  22   a  are shaped and sized in the same way the two outer plates  22 , and extend in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the two outer plates  22 , or in a direction opposite the extending direction of the two outer plates  22 . That is, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the two additional outer plates  22   a  may protrude from a surface of the main body  21  adjacent to or opposite the surface where the outer plates  22  protrude. It should be noted that the socket portion  202  may further include two pairs of outer plates  22   a  protruding from two surfaces of the main body  21  adjacent to and opposite the surface where the outer plates  22  protrude. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in one embodiment, a building block kit includes at least the building blocks  10  and  20 . It should be noted that the numbers of the building blocks  10  and  20  can be changed according to need. With such configuration, two building blocks of the present disclosure can be firmly connected to each other, and will not be disengaged from each other without an external fore from a user. In addition, the deflection of the cantilevered tongues is used to realize the engagement between the first and second engaging portions, which has low requirements on molds, reduces production cost, and greatly improves the competitiveness. Furthermore, the size and the number of the first engaging portions  13  and the recesses of the second engaging portions  23  can vary so as to provide different level of firmness of connection between two building blocks. 
     Although the features and elements of the present disclosure are described as embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in other various combinations within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.