Toy Construction Base Plate

• US 20120149275A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mega Brands Incorporated (Mattel Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mega Brands Incorporated (Mattel Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bertrand, Vic, Huneau, Alexandre, Tremblay, Yanick, Lanoix, Ral Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 8,790,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/85
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/046 comprising magnetic interaction means, e.g. holding together by magnetic attraction
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/086 with primary projections fitting by friction in complementary spaces between secondary projections, e.g. sidewalls

Abstract

A toy construction base plate configured to receive a toy construction and having a collapsible handle, which allows the construction to be built on the base plate on a flat play surface, after which the handle may be deployed from the base plate to allow a user to hold and play with the toy construction. The handle may be deployed by, for example, pivoting with respect to a support member of the base plate and pivoting above, below, or to the side of the toy construction. The handle may also be used as a stand to hold a construction above a play surface. The toy construction may be made of interlocking stackable blocks and the support surface of the base plate may be configured to receive the interlocking stackable blocks.

Claims

1. A toy construction base plate comprising:

a support member extending substantially along a plane and having a building surface on which to build a toy construction;

a first handle member and a second handle member, each pivotably attached to the support member so as to pivot from a first position substantially parallel to the plane of the support member to a second position at an angle to the plane, wherein in the second position, the first handle member and the second handle member mate to form a handle,

wherein in the first position, the base plate lies flat on a play surface, and

wherein in the second position, the handle of the base plate is configured to be held by a user to move the toy construction around.

2. The toy construction base plate of claim 1, further comprising for each of the first and second handle members an incremental stop that stops the pivoting of the each first and second handle member between the first position and the second position to hold the first and second handle members in an incremental stop position,

wherein the hold of the incremental stop may be overcome by application of an external force, and

wherein in the incremental stop position, the first handle member and the second handle member are configured to rest on a play surface spread apart from each other to support a toy construction above the play surface.

3. The toy construction base plate of claim 2, wherein the first handle member and the second handle member are biased to automatically move from the second position to the incremental stop position, and to remain in the incremental stop position when no external force is applied.

4. The toy construction base plate of claim 3, wherein a first spring member pushes the first handle member from the second position to the incremental stop position and a second spring member pushes the second handle member from the second position to the incremental stop position.

5. The toy construction base plate of claim 1, wherein the building surface of the support member is configured to receive interlocking stackable blocks.

6. The toy construction base plate of claim 1, further comprising a spacer member that separates outer edges of the first handle member and the second handle member from each other when in the second position.

7. The toy construction base plate of claim 1, further comprising a pad member pivotably attached to the support member so as to pivot from a first position substantially parallel to the plane of the support member to a second position at an angle to the plane, wherein distal ends of the first handle member, the second handle member, and the pad member are in a triangular configuration when in the second position.

8. The toy construction base plate of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second handle members is pivotable to a third position that is at an angle to the plane and on a side of the support member opposite to the second position, and wherein in the third position, the first handle member and the second handle member are configured to support the toy construction above the play surface.

9. The toy construction base plate of claim 8, wherein the first handle member and the second handle member are configured to pivot between the second position and the third position approximately 270 degrees.

10. The toy construction base plate of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second handle members are bent such that a distal portion of the first handle member mates flat with a distal portion of the second handle member when the first and second handle members are in the second position.

11. A toy construction base plate comprising:

a support member extending substantially along a plane and having a building surface on which to build a toy construction;

a handle pivotably attached to the support member such that the handle pivots from a first stowed position at which the handle is substantially parallel to the plane of the support member to a deployed position at which the handle is at an angle to the plane; and

an incremental stop that stops the pivoting of the handle between the stowed position and the deployed position to hold the handle in an incremental stop position, wherein the hold of the incremental stop may be overcome by application of an external force,

wherein in the stowed position, the base plate lies flat on a play surface,

wherein in the deployed position, the handle of the base plate is configured to be held by a user to move the toy construction around, and

wherein in the incremental stop position, the handle is configured to rest on the play surface and support the toy construction above the play surface.

12. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, wherein the handle is biased to automatically move from the deployed position to the incremental stop position, and to remain in the incremental stop position when no external force is applied.

13. The toy construction base plate of claim 12, wherein the base plate comprises a spring member that pushes the handle from the deployed position to the incremental stop position.

14. The toy construction base plate of claim 13, wherein the spring member comprises a cantilever spring having a fixed end and a free distal end, wherein the fixed end is attached to the support member, and wherein the distal end contacts a surface of the handle.

15. The toy construction base plate of claim 14, wherein the distal end of the cantilever spring is enclosed inside a spring chamber of the handle.

16. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, wherein the incremental stop comprises a resilient arm and a tab, wherein the resilient arm contacts the tab to prevent pivoting of the handle, and wherein upon application of an external force the tab deflects the resilient arm to permit pivoting of the handle.

17. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, wherein the handle comprises a first handle member and a second handle member, each pivotably attached to the support member, and wherein in the deployed position, the first handle member and the second handle member mate to form the handle.

18. The toy construction base plate of claim 17, further comprising a spacer member that separates outer edges of the first handle member and the second handle member from each other when in the deployed position.

19. The toy construction base plate of claim 17, wherein in the incremental stop position, the first handle member and the second handle member are spread apart to provide a foundation on which the toy construction is held above the play surface.

20. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, wherein the handle comprises only one handle member.

21. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, further comprising one of an electronic device and a mechanical device activated by one of pivoting movement of the handle and a trigger.

22. The toy construction base plate of claim 11, wherein the handle is removably attached to the support member.

23. A toy construction base plate comprising:

a base support member having a building surface on which to build a toy construction and a supported surface; and

a plurality of handle members secured to the supported surface of the base support member, the handle members being movable between a first position in which the handle members are adapted to provide stable support for the toy construction base plate on a play surface and a second position in which the handle members are adapted to be held by a user to carry and move the toy construction base plate around.

24. The toy construction base plate of claim 23, further comprising a spring for biasing the handle members toward the first position.

25. The toy construction base plate of claim 23, wherein the building surface of the support member includes a plurality of studs uniformly spaced apart in both longitudinal and transverse directions, so as to allow engagement with construction toy pieces.

26. The toy construction base plate of claim 23, wherein the building surface of the support member is provided with a ferromagnetic portion for engaging magnetic construction toy pieces.

27. The toy construction base plate of claim 23, wherein the building surface of the support member is provided with a plurality of openings for receiving complementary-shaped construction toy pieces.