Electrified toy building block with zig-zag current carrying structure

• US 4,883,440 A
• Filed: 01/29/1987
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interlego, AG (Kirkbi A/S)
• Original Assignee: Interlego, AG (Kirkbi A/S)
• Inventors: Bolli, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Charles H.
• Application Number:
  US07/008,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 446/91, 446/105, 446/108, 446/125, 446/128, 446/484, 446/91, 446/128, 446/484, 200/307, 339/210 R, 339/210 M, 439/752
• US Class Current: 446/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors

Abstract

A building block is provided comprising a support part, two zig-zag shaped conductive tapes connecting a series of coupling pins with conductive surfaces positioned on the support part, and a cover plate. The coupling pins which extend through openings in the cover plate define two separate electrical circuits with the coupling pins arranged in two rows and the pins of one row being displaced by one pin with respect to the pins of the other row. A prong extends from each of the coupling pins to the inner sidewall of the support part. The building block may be connected to another similar building block with the electrical circuits separated in a short-circuit proof fashion.

Claims

1. A building block for a toy construction set comprising:

a top wall having an outer surface and an inner surface;

a side wall extending from said top wall;

a plurality of coupling pins on the outer surface of said top wall;

said coupling pins each having electrically conductive means and said pins being arranged in at least two equally spaced rows forming at least two equally spaced columns of pins, the rows and columns being orthogonally directed;

means for electrically connecting alternate coupling pin conductive means of one row with alternate coupling pin conductive means of an adjacent row whereby no coupling pin is electrically connected to the coupling pin in neither the immediately adjacent row, nor the immediately adjacent column, thereby forming two separate electrical conductors; and

,

counter coupling means for engaging pins of another block, said counter coupling means being on said top wall inner surface and including said side wall.

2. The building block in accordance with claim 1 wherein said counter coupling means are arranged in at least one row and each said countercoupling means contains and is associated with a separate contact member electrically connected to one of said conductors;

and alternate contact members of said row are electrically interconnected and electrically insulated from the other contact members of the same row.

3. The building block in accordance with claim 2 wherein said coupling pins (7,8) are formed as metallic hollow bodies.

4. The building block in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metallic hollow bodies are metallic hollow cylinders.

5. The building block in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said contact members (19) comprises an elongated prong extending from said electrically conductive means of said coupling pin (7,8).

6. The building block in accordance with claim 2, wherein said conductive means of said coupling pins (7,8) and said associated contact members (19) of each conductor (15,16) are interconnected by strip segments (17,18) of conductive material, said conductive means of said coupling pins (7,8), said associated contact members (19) and said strip segments (17,18) of each conductor (15,16) being integrally formed from a strip of metallic material.

7. The building block in accordance with claim 6 wherein said associated contact members (19) are resiliently formed with respect to the conductive means of said coupling pins (7,8).

8. The building block in accordance with claim 6 wherein the strip segments (17 or 18) of one conductor are displaced upwardly and the strip segments of the other conductor are each displaced downwardly with respect to said outer surface.

9. The building block in accordance with claim 2, comprising a support part (9) having a top and a bottom face, said two separate conductors (15,16) and a cover plate (20) having a top and a bottom face, said electrically conductive means of said coupling pins (7,8) and said associated contact members (19) of each conductor (15,16) being interconnected by strip segments (17,18) of conductive material integrally formed therewith and said associated contact members (19) each comprising an elongated prong extending from said electrically conductive means of said coupling pin (7,8);

said support part (9) including thereon two parallel rows of spaced slots (11);

said cover plate (20) including two parallel rows of spaced openings (21);

said conductor (15,16) prongs (19) passing through said slots (11) and said coupling pins conductive means (7,8) passing through said openings (21).

10. The building block in accordance with claim 9 wherein the strip segments of one conductor are each displaced upwardly and the strip segments of the other conductor are each displaced downwardly with respect to said outer surface and wherein one of the top face of the support part and bottom face of said cover plate is provided with recesses and the other of said faces is provided with protrusions positioned to space said upwardly and outwardly displaced strip segments of the conductors apart from each other.

11. The building block in accordance with claim 10 wherein one of the top face of said support plate (9) and bottom of said cover plate (20) is provided with pins (22) and the other of said face is provided with holes (12) aligned with said pins (22);

said pins (21) being received and anchored within said holes (12).