Interlocking toy building blocks with interconnecting, releasable hinges
First Claim
1. A toy building block system, comprising;
- a plurality of blocks, each having first interconnection means extending from one exterior face thereof and second interconnecting means extending from an opposed exterior face, said first and second interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with second and first interconnecting means of other like blocks for stackable interconnection therebetween in a longitudinal direction, third interconnecting means disposed at one end of each block and fourth interconnecting means disposed at an opposite end, said third and fourth interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with fourth and third interconnecting means of other blocks for end-to-end interconnection therebetween, and means for providing substantial pivoting angular movement between said mutually engaged third and fourth interconnecting means about an axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal direction and offset laterally from said exterior faces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A toy building block system includes a plurality of blocks, each having an array of cylindrical projections extending from one surface thereof and a like array of socket-like receptacles in the opposite surface for stackable interconnection. In addition, one end of each block includes a pair of hinge arms extending therefrom, with a pair of detent knobs formed on the confronting interior surfaces of the arms. The opposed end of each block includes opposed recessed surface portions, each having a detent recess to receive the knob of a hinge arm of an adjacent block in snap-engaging, pivotting fashion. The blocks thus may be joined end-to-end in pivotting fashion by the hinge arms, as well as stackably in column fashion by the projections and receptacles, or any combination thereof.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A toy building block system, comprising;
- a plurality of blocks, each having first interconnection means extending from one exterior face thereof and second interconnecting means extending from an opposed exterior face, said first and second interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with second and first interconnecting means of other like blocks for stackable interconnection therebetween in a longitudinal direction, third interconnecting means disposed at one end of each block and fourth interconnecting means disposed at an opposite end, said third and fourth interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with fourth and third interconnecting means of other blocks for end-to-end interconnection therebetween, and means for providing substantial pivoting angular movement between said mutually engaged third and fourth interconnecting means about an axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal direction and offset laterally from said exterior faces.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A toy building block system, comprising:
- a plurality of blocks, each block comprising a generally rectangular solid form having a top, bottom, opposed side walls and first and second end walls extending therebetween, each block having first interconnection means at said top and second interconnecting means at said bottom, said first and second interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with second and first interconnecting means of other like blocks for stackable interconnection therebetween, third interconnecting means generally disposed directly adjacent to the intersection of said first end wall and said bottom of each block and fourth interconnecting means generally disposed directly adjacent to the intersection of said second end wall and said bottom, and said third and fourth interconnecting means being mutually engagable in freely pivoting, releasable frictional engagement with fourth and third interconnecting means of other blocks for end-to-end interconnection therebetween.
- View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A toy building block, comprising;
- a pair of spaced apart side walls, first and second end walls and a top wall extending therebetween to define a generally rectangular solid, said solid having a generally hollow interior and an open bottom, a plurality of projections extending upwardly from said top wall and disposed in a regular array, a plurality of interior panel members extending from the interior surface of said top wall toward said bottom opening, said interior panel members extending generally perpendicularly to said top wall and disposed to define a plurality of receptacles in conjunction with said side and end walls, said receptacles being dimensioned to receive said projections in releasable frictional engagement, a pair of arms coextensive with said side walls and extending outwardly of said first end wall, a pair of recessed surface portions disposed in said side walls adjacent to said second end wall, said recessed portions being adapted to receive said arms of a like block, a pair of detent recesses, each disposed in one of said recessed surface portions, and a pair of detent knobs, each extending from one of said arms and dimensioned to be received in one of said detent recesses of a like block in freely rotating, snap-engaging fashion.
- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A toy building block system, comprising;
- a plurality of blocks, each having first interconnection means extending from one exterior face thereof and second interconnecting means extending from an opposed exterior face, said first and second interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with second and first interconnecting means of other like blocks for stackable interconnection therebetween to form a stack extending in a nominal plane, third interconnecting means disposed at one end of each block and fourth interconnecting means disposed at an opposite end of each block, said third and fourth interconnecting means being mutually engagable in releasable frictional engagement with fourth and third interconnecting means of other blocks for end-to-end interconnection therebetween in said nominal plane, and means for providing substantial rotational angular movement within said nominal plane between said mutually engaged third and fourth interconnecting means.
- View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
Specification