Abstract:
The present invention is a toy that can be manipulated to form various configurations. The toy include a plurality of blocks, many of which have a combination of slots with or without holes and are held together by an elastic cord. The combination of slots and holes together with the elastic nature of the cord allows the user to change the relative relationship of any given block to the block adjacent to it.

Description:
This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/166,216 filed Nov. 18, 1999, and claims under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/166,216. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to toys. More specifically, the present invention relates to toys that children and adults can manipulate to form various configurations. The present invention is designed to be simple, while at the same time providing the user with a maximum number of options. for forming and reforming the toy into the those configurations. 
     The present invention is a toy made from wood shapes or blocks that are slotted and/or drilled and held together by an elastic cord. It should be understood that the blocks could be made from plastic, stone, metal or other suitable materials. The number and shape of the blocks can vary depending on the toy theme. Depending on the materials used the blocks may be clear coated, stained, or painted. While being held together by the elastic cord, the slotted/drilled blocks can be manipulated into a wide variety of structures, shapes, or animated poses that look like known or fanciful animals or things. 
     Some of the blocks may be designed to look like certain body parts, such as a dog&#39;s head, women&#39;s waist, and horse&#39;s neck. The number of blocks used can be sufficient to create multiple appendages and multiple joints for at least some of the appendages (See FIG.  1 ). By doing so the user can configure the toy of the present invention to include—for example—a hip joint, knee joint and foot. 
     Separate toys or groups of blocks can be placed together to construct larger structures or settings consisting of multiple animals. 
     The design and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the drawings and detailed description which follows: 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention with the blocks configured to represent a marching or walking person; 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the blocks of FIG. 1 reconfigured to create a fanciful representation of an ostrich; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the blocks of FIG. 1 reconfigured to create a fanciful representation of an airplane; 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the blocks of the present invention configured to form a generally solid block; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a side view of two blocks from FIG. 1 that have been cut in half and a portion of an elastic cord of the present invention showing a countersunk hole (to hide the knot in the cord) in an end of one block, a drilled hole, the slots and the relationship of the elastic cord to the slots and countersunk hole of the block when the blocks are aligned in a linear relationship; 
     FIG. 5 b  is a side view of two blocks from FIG. 1 with a portion of an elastic cord of the present invention pulled out of the blocks showing the relationship of the slots and holes to the blocks; 
     FIG. 5 c  is a side view of four blocks from FIG. 1 that have been cut in half to show the relationship of the elastic cord to the slots of the block when the blocks are aligned in a combined linear relationship and angular relationship; 
     FIG. 6 is view of the five different types of blocks of the present invention used to construct the articulating block toy depicted in FIGS. 7 a - 7   c  without any connecting elastic cord; 
     FIGS. 7 a - 7   c  are isometric views of the blocks of the present invention transformed in stages from the cubic formation depicted in FIG. 4 into a standing person; 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the blocks of the present invention configured to represent a human expressive state; 
     FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the blocks of the present invention configured to represent another human expressive state; 
     FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the blocks of the present invention configured to represent yet another human expressive state; 
     FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a different set of blocks of the present invention with modified torso blocks to depict a woman figure when configured as shown; 
     FIG. 12 is an isometric view of another set of different blocks of the present invention made to represent a horse when configured as shown; and 
     FIG. 13 is an isometric view of yet another set of different blocks of the present invention made to represent a dog when configured as shown. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The articulating block unit of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 consists of five main block types  20  as shown in FIG.  6 . The five main block types  20  include a head, or end block  22 , an upper torso block  24 , a lower torso, or base block  26 , an appendage block  28 , and a terminal block  30 . As will be noted in FIG. 6, the blocks  20  have various combinations and arrangements of slots  32  and countersunk holes  34  and holes  36 . 
     The head block  22  has a countersunk hole  34  that extends into a slot  32 . The upper torso block  24  has a hole  36  that connects with two slots  32 , and a third slot  32  that connects to a hole  36 . The lower torso block  26  has three slots  32  and three countersunk holes  34 . Each slot  36  of the lower torso block  26  is connected to one countersunk hole  34  of the lower torso block  26 . The appendage block  28  has two slots  32  at 90° angles to each other that—when cut—form a through-hole  40 . The terminal block  30  has one slot  32  and one countersunk hole  34  that connects to the slot  32 . 
     All blocks  20  that make-up an articulating block toy of the present invention are connected by an elastic cord or rubber binder  42  which allows each block  20  to be moved to different, but connected positions, in relationship to an adjacent block or blocks  20 . The relationship of the elastic cord  42  to a group of blocks  20  can be seen in FIGS. 5 a - 5   c . In particular, FIG. 5 c  shows how the elastic cord  42  maintains a group of blocks  20  in both linear and angular positions. The elastic quality of the cord  42  enables adjacent blocks  20  to be pulled apart a sufficient distance so that they can be rotated and/or moved in an angular direction relative to an adjacent block or blocks  20 . 
     With reference to FIG. 6, four elastic cords (not shown) would be used with the five types of blocks  20  shown, and with the additional appendage blocks  28  and terminal blocks  30  needed to build the articulating block toy invention shown in FIGS. 1,  4  and  7   a - 7   c . One elastic cord  42  would join the one terminal “hand” block  30  to the other terminal “hand” block  30  by passing through the upper torso hole  36  and slots  32 , through appendage “arm” blocks  28 , and through the terminal “hand” blocks  30 . The elastic cord  42  would be under sufficient tension so that when the ends were knotted they would be drawn into the countersunk holes  34  of the terminal “hand” blocks  30 , thus pulling the set of blocks  20  together in a moveable relationship. 
     A second elastic cord (not shown) would similarly interconnect the lower torso block  26 , upper torso block  24 , and head block  22 . This second elastic cord  42  also would be under sufficient tension so that when the ends were knotted, one knotted end would be drawn into the countersunk hole  34  in the head block  22  and the second knotted end would be drawn into the bottom middle countersunk hole  35  in the lower torso block  26 , thus pulling the three blocks  20  together in a moveable relationship. 
     Finally a third and fourth elastic cord (not shown) would be similarly used to interconnect two sets of appendage “leg” blocks  28  and terminal “foot” blocks  30  to the lower torso block  26 . More specifically, one elastic cord  42  would join the one terminal “foot” block  30  to the one side of the lower torso block  26  by passing through one of the lower torso&#39;s side countersunk hole  37  and slot  32 , through the appendage “leg” blocks  28 , and through a terminal “foot” block  30 . The elastic cords  42  would be under sufficient tension so that when the ends were knotted one knotted end of each elastic cord  42  would be drawn into one of the countersunk holes  37  in one side of the lower torso block  26  and the second knotted end of each elastic cord  42  would be drawn into each of the terminal “foot” blocks  30 , thus pulling the all the blocks  20  together in a moveable relationship. 
     In use, the articulating blocks  20  can be used to make animal and/or inanimate shapes as depicted in FIGS. 1-4 and  7   a - 7   c . The articulating blocks  20  enable a user to rearrange the blocks  20  to create an animate object (e.g. a person) from an inanimate object (e.g. a cube). For example, FIGS. 4 and 7 a - 7   c  show the transformation of the articulating block invention from an inanimate cube to a standing man. FIG. 7 a  shows the left arm swinging up 90° and the left leg rotating down away from the torso blocks  24 ,  26 , as indicated by the arrows. FIG. 7 b  shows the head rotating to the toy&#39;s right, the left arm swinging to the side of the torso, the left leg rotating 90° at the knee, the right arm swinging back 45° and then the right leg blocks becoming aligned so they are straight legged with the foot outward at a 45° angle, as shown by the arrows. FIG. 7 c  shows the head rotating to face straight ahead, the left arm and hand swing down along the torso blocks  24 ,  26 , the left leg pivoting at the thigh and knee to stand straight legged with the right leg, and the right arm and hand aligned with the side of the torso blocks  24 ,  26 , as shown by the arrows. 
     Not only can an articulating block toy be used to make various shaped objects as shown in FIGS. 1-3, but they can be used to depict a variety of expressions, and poses as shown in FIGS. 8-11. The blocks  20  can be manufactured in a variety of shapes to depict other specific animate or inanimate objects such as the woman gymnast shown in FIG. 11, the horse shown in FIG. 12, and the dog shown in FIG.  13 . 
     Other uses of the articulating block toy of the present invention include using the a brain teaser puzzle. For example, the challenge could be to manipulate the blocks  20  from the standing man shown in FIG. 1 to the cube shape shown in FIG. 4 in the shortest period of time. The articulating block toy also could be used as an aid in three-dimensional drawing as it can be set in almost any position that is possible by the human body. 
     The blocks  20  can be made of wood, plastic, metal or stone. The cord  42  can be made of nylon covered rubber strands or any other relatively thin elastic material. The preferred material for the blocks  20  is wood, because of its perceived quality, sound, feel, and warmth. The preferred material for cord  42  is multi-strand rubber covered with braided nylon because it has great strength while allowing flexibility. 
     Although a description of the preferred embodiment has been presented, it is contemplated that various changes, including those mentioned above, could be made without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.