Toy couplers including a plurality of block retaining channels
First Claim
1. A toy clip for frictionally engaging a thickness of one or more building blocks, the clip comprising:
- a planar u-shaped receiver formed entirely of contiguous planar surfaces, the planar u-shaped receiver including;
at least a base defining a planar floor surface; and
a pair of extensions extending from the base to a pair of lateral edges, the extensions each forming a planar interior surface, wherein the planar floor surface and the planar interior surfaces of the extensions combine to define a channel having a proximal portion adjacent to the planar floor surface and a distal portion adjacent to the lateral edges, the channel having a variable width according to a location along or between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the variable width of the channel configured to retain the thickness of at least one of the building blocks via only a frictional fit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Building sets including a plurality of blocks and a plurality of clips configured to engage a thickness of one or more of the blocks. Each clip includes a base and first and second substantially parallel extensions extending from the base and defining a channel therebetween into which a thickness of a block is receivable. The width of the channel is substantially equal to and slightly less than the thickness of the block receivable within the channel so that the thickness is frictionally retained therein. The clip may include a magnet enclosed within the base so that the base of a first clip may be magnetically coupled to the base of another clip, and each clip may in turn be frictionally coupled to a block received between the extensions of the respective clip. In one embodiment, the clip includes a plurality of channels.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A toy clip for frictionally engaging a thickness of one or more building blocks, the clip comprising:
a planar u-shaped receiver formed entirely of contiguous planar surfaces, the planar u-shaped receiver including; at least a base defining a planar floor surface; and a pair of extensions extending from the base to a pair of lateral edges, the extensions each forming a planar interior surface, wherein the planar floor surface and the planar interior surfaces of the extensions combine to define a channel having a proximal portion adjacent to the planar floor surface and a distal portion adjacent to the lateral edges, the channel having a variable width according to a location along or between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the variable width of the channel configured to retain the thickness of at least one of the building blocks via only a frictional fit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A toy clip for engaging one or more building blocks, comprising:
a number of planar u-shaped channels disposed about a central body, each of the channels formed entirely of contiguous planar surfaces and defined by a base forming a planar floor surface and by respective first and second extensions that form first and second planar interior surfaces extending outward from the planar floor surface to first and second lateral edges, wherein; a width separates the first and the second planar interior surfaces, the width configured for frictional retention of one or more of the building blocks; and the width separating the first and the second planar interior surfaces varies according to a location between the planar floor surface and the first and the second lateral edges. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A connecting joint for a toy building set, consisting of:
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a toy building block having a fixed thickness; and a toy clip defining a planar u-shaped channel formed entirely of contiguous planar surfaces, the planar u-shaped channel defined by a base forming a planar floor surface and respective first and second extensions that extend outward from the base to first and second lateral edges, the first and the second extensions having first and second planar interior surfaces, the planar u-shaped channel having a varying width that is configured to engage the toy building block via a frictional fit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification