Patent ID: 8597069

Claim:
A kit of parts comprising a plurality of race track sections for toy vehicles, wherein said track sections are each comprised of a one-piece molding of plastic material and comprise a substantially flat racing surface having first and second ends and opposite side edges, end wall sections integrally formed with and extending downward from each of said first and second ends, and lower side wall sections integrally formed with and extending downward from each of said opposite side edges, at least certain of said end wall sections and said lower side wall sections being functional to support said racing surface above an external support surface, upper side wall sections integrally formed with and extending upward from said opposite side edges at an obtuse angle with respect to said flat racing surface, each of said upper side wall sections having one or more integrally formed projections extending laterally outward from outer surfaces thereof, said projections having vertically oriented rod-receiving sockets therein for the optional acceptance and retention of vertically oriented rod elements, said kit of parts further including: a plurality of connector elements characterized by having a central hub and one or more rod-end receiving sockets disposed radially with respect to said hub and comprised of an end wall and spaced apart gripping arms extending from the end wall, said gripping arms having longitudinally grooved outer portions engageable with rod end portions and transverse ribs between said grooved outer portions and said end wall, the end walls of said connector element sockets being uniformly spaced radially with respect to an axial center of said central hub, a plurality of rod elements each having end portions comprised of an end flange arranged to seat against an end wall of a connector element socket, an annular groove adjacent to and partly defining said end flange and engageable by transverse ribs of a connector element, and portions adjacent to said annular groove engageable by said grooved outer portions of said connector element gripping arms, said plurality of rods having a predetermined length progression such that, when two rods of length L x are engaged in a connector element joining them at right angles to each other, they can be joined by a rod of the next longer length L (x+1) , serving as a hypotenuse, by connectors engaging the two rods of length L x , at least certain of the vertically oriented rod-receiving sockets of said track sections being spaced apart in accordance with a spacing matrix defined by said rod and connector elements, whereby rod and connector structures may be integrated with track assemblies.