BUILDING BLOCK FOR ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC CONSTRUCTION KITS

• US 3,594,689 A
• Filed: 07/12/1968
• Issued: 07/20/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hengstler Peter, Hopt Rudolf, Rudolf Mayer, Volkheimer Lothar
• Original Assignee: Hengstler Peter, Hopt Rudolf, Rudolf Mayer, Volkheimer Lothar
• Inventors: HOPT RUDOLF, Mayer, Rudolf, VOLKHEIMER LOTHAR, HENGSTLER PETER
• Application Number:
  US04/744,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• US Class Current: 439/292
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/185 for building block systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0021 Side-by-side or stacked arrangements

Abstract

A building block for electrical or electronic construction kit is formed of a boxlike member having electrical contacts disposed on the outer surface thereof and contains electrical or electronic components within its interior portion. A plurality of blocks may be slideably attached together by a engaging web which protrudes perpendicular to the surface of the sides of the block from a recessed portion in the surface of the block. The shape of a section of the recessed portion and the protruding web coincide so that the blocks may be interlocked with each other.

Claims

1. A building block for electrical or electronic construction kits comprising a boxlike member within which electrical or electronic components are disposed, said boxlike member being provided with conductive contacts and with connecting means for slideably engaging said boxlike member with another boxlike member, said connecting means comprising at least one slot formed in at last one of said surfaces of said boxlike member within which a web member is disposed, a section of said web member is disposed.

2. A building block according to claim 1, characterized in that said extending section of said web member includes a reinforced portion at its end and extends in the direction of the sliding motion.

3. A building block according to claim 1 characterized in that the end of said web member is bent-off parallel to said lateral surface of said boxlike member in the same peripheral direction.

4. A building block according to claim 1, characterized in that said web member is disposed so that the web members are of adjacent, assembled boxlike members lie back to back.

5. A building block according to claim 1, characterized in that said web member is disposed at the bottom of said slot serving to receive the web members of adjacent boxlike members.

6. A building block according to claim 1, characterized in that said boxlike member comprises a cylindrical basic body forming the lateral walls and sealed at both ends by a lid and in that said contacts comprise flexible blades formed by leaf springs bent into hairpin shapes which are slid over the rims of said cylindrical basic body and retained by said lids.

7. A building block according to claim 6, characterized in that said leaf springs include legs which are engaged, at last on the outside, by contact slots extending parallel to said connecting means, the ends of said leaf springs bearing against the bottom of the slots while their central sections cOnvexly project from said contact slots.

8. A building block according to claim 7, characterized in that said contact slots have relieved portions and in that said leaf springs are provided with enlarged ends which are engaged by the relieved portions.

9. A building block according to claim 7, characterized in that said lids are provided with flexible blades on their inner sides, said legs extending into the interior of the basic body and are provided with projections directed towards the inner wall of said basic body, said projections being engaged by corresponding projections on the inside of said basic body.

10. A building block according to claim 9, characterized in that projections for fixing the location of the lid with respect to the basic body are provided at the inner side of said lid, said projections extending into recesses of said basic body and/or bearing against its inner side.

11. A building block according to claim 6, characterized in that said lid is provided with recesses in the area of said leaf springs enabling said leaf springs to be scanned.

12. A building block according to claim 6, characterized in that the basic body and/or the lid is made of plastic.

13. A building block according to claim 1, wherein said conductive contacts comprise two contact spring tracks extending parallel to said connecting means on each of the lateral surfaces of said boxlike member and are each formed by a contact spring for a continuous positive bonding connection in one track and a contact spring for a continuous negative bonding connection in another track, and wherein said tracks are provided with additional contact springs for establishing functional connections.

14. A building block according to claim 13, characterized in that bonding contacts are disposed at the lower rim and the functional contacts at the upper rim of said boxlike member.

15. A building block according to claim 13, characterized in that said connecting means is disposed between the contact tracks provided on a lateral surface of the small box.

16. A building block according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one pair of opposite lateral surfaces includes a plurality of said connecting means.

17. A building block according to claim 6, characterized in that jacks for connecting the electrical or electronic components are disposed in the lid of said boxlike member, each of said jacks being conductively connected to one or more of said flexible blades.

18. A building block according to claim 17, characterized in that said jacks are designed for directly receiving and contacting wires, preferably with diameters ranging from approximately 0.3 to 1 mm. diameter.

19. A building block according to claim 17, characterized in that inside the building block one sleeve each, m de of insulating material, is disposed underneath a plug hole provided in a lid and in that one or more of said flexible blades are provided with collector strips projecting into said sleeve and connected to the flexible blade disposed on the lateral surface of said boxlike member by means of a web piece extending in parallel relation to the lid.

20. A building block according to claim 17, characterized in that a predetermined number of the existing flexible blades are associated with one jack each and in that said jacks are disposed along straight lines extending in parallel relation to the sides of said boxlike member.

21. A building block according to claim 19, further including interior sleeves joined together by means of connecting webs and recesses to an insert-type body in the lateral walls of said boxlike member.

22. A building block according to claim 21, characterized in that said insert-type body is formed by eight sleeves interconnected by a insert-type web and in that a projection perpendicularly extending towards, and up to, an adjacent wall of said boxlike member originates at the locations of each of said sleeves.

23. A building block according to claIm 22, further including collector strips whose lower ends project from said sleeves.

24. A building block according to claim 1, further including a socket for an electronic tube or transistor, the base contacts of said socket being connected with corresponding jacks within said block.

25. A building block according to claim 17, wherein said flexible blades are interconnected by means of a through connection characterized in that said through connection is formed by a sheet metal star with arms extending between the jacks.