Modular card construction toy

• US 5,895,045 A
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Serigraph Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Serigraph Incorporated
• Inventors: Vilar, Guillermo M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US08/978,922
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 273/153 R, 273/156, 273/157 R, 273/160, 446/102, 446/104, 446/111, 446/112, 446/113, 446/115, 446/488
• US Class Current: 273/160
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/06 to be assembled without the use of additional elements

Abstract

A construction toy includes a plurality of rigid die-cut laminated plastic modular cards having a plurality of sides. A first side of a first card has a plurality of cuts opposite and complementary to respective cuts of a first side of a second card, such that the cards may be assembled by interfacing sides in mating relation. The side of a card extends along an axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom. The cards have a first assembled condition with coincident axes providing two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures. A slit in the side enables a third assembled condition with noncoincident axes.

Claims

1. A construction toy comprising a plurality of rigid die-cut laminated plastic modular cards each having a plurality of sides, a first side of a first card comprising a plurality of cuts opposite and complementary to respective cuts of a first side of a second card, such that said first and second cards may be assembled by interfacing said sides in mating nested interlocking relation, wherein:

said first side of said first card extends along a first axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom, and wherein said first side of said second card extends along a second axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said first and second cards have a first assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, and said cards being coplanar, and an outer land of said first side of said first card facing an inner land of said first side of said second card, and an inner land of said first side of said first card facing an outer land of said first side of said second card, and wherein said first and second cards have a second assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, and said first and second cards lying in different planes, and an outer land of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than an inner land of said first side of said second card, and an inner land of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than an outer land of said first side of said second card;

said first side of said first card comprises first and second outer lands and first and second inner lands, said first side of said second card comprises first and second outer lands and first and second inner lands, and wherein the distance along said first axis between said first and second outer lands of said first side of said first card is equal to the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card, and wherein the distance along said second axis between said first and second outer lands of said first side of said second card is equal to the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card; and

the length along said first axis of said second inner land of said first side of said first card is less than the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card, and comprising a slit formed in said first side of said first card and extending inwardly from the outer edge thereof to a subland recessed further inwardly than said second inner land, wherein the length along said first axis of said subland of said first side of said first card plus the length along said first axis of said second inner land of said first side of said first card equals the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card, and wherein the length along said second axis of said second inner land of said first side of said second card is less than the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card, and comprising a slit formed in said first side of said second card and extending inwardly from the outer edge thereof to a subland recessed further inwardly than said second inner land of said first side of said second card, and wherein the length along said second axis of said subland of said first side of said second card plus the length along said second axis of said second inner land of said first side of said second card equals the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card, and wherein said first and second cards have a third assembled condition with said slits engaging each other and said first and second axes perpendicular to each other.

2. A construction toy comprising a plurality of rigid die-cut laminated plastic modular cards each having a plurality of sides, a first side of a first card comprising a plurality of cuts opposite and complementary to respective cuts of a first side of a second card, such that said first and second cards may be assembled by interfacing said sides in mating nested interlocking relation, wherein:

said first side of said first card extends along a first axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom, and wherein said first side of said second card extends along a second axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said first side of said first card has a slit formed therein between an outer land and an inner land and extending inwardly from the outer land to a subland recessed further inwardly than the inner land; and

said first side of said second card has a slit formed therein between an outer land and an inner land and extending inwardly from the outer land to a subland recessed further inwardly than the inner land, and wherein said first and second cards have a third assembled condition with said slits engaging each other and said first and second axes noncoincident.

3. A construction toy comprising a plurality of rigid die-cut laminated plastic modular cards each having a plurality of sides, a first side of a first card comprising a plurality of cuts opposite and complementary to respective cuts of a first side of a second card, such that said first and second cards may be assembled by interfacing said sides in mating nested interlocking relation, wherein:

said first side of said first card extends along a first axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of said side and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said first side of said second card extends along a second axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of said side and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a first side of a third card extends along a third axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer being along the outer edge of the side and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a first side of a fourth card extends along a fourth axis and is defined by a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said first, second, third, fourth cards having an assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident and said first sides of said first and second cards in said mating nested interlocking relation and with said third and fourth axes coincident with each other and said first sides of said third and fourth cards in mating nested interlocking relation, and with said first, second, third, fourth axes all coincident, with the interface of said first sides of said first and second cards facing the interface of said first sides of said third and fourth cards.

4. The construction toy according to claim 3 comprising a closed loop connector encircling said joint, said closed loop connector having a first leg extending along the side of said first interface opposite said second interface, a second leg extending along the side of said second interface opposite said first interface, and first and second ends connecting said sides and at distally opposite ends of said joint.

5. The construction toy according to claim 4 comprising a first enclosure formed by a first set of said cards assembled along respective sides in said mating nested interlocking relation, including said first sides of said first and second cards along said first interface, and a second enclosure formed by a plurality of said cards assembled along respective sides in said mating nested interlocking relation including said first sides of said third and fourth cards along said second interface, and wherein said first leg of said closed loop connector is interior to said first enclosure, said second leg of said closed loop connector is interior to said second enclosure, said ends of said closed loop connector are exterior to each of said first and second enclosures.

6. The construction toy according to claim 5 comprising a third enclosure formed by a third set of a plurality of said cards assembled at respective sides in said mating nested interlocking relation, wherein a respective pair of sides of said third enclosure form an interface coincident with an interface formed by a respective pair of sides of said first enclosure along a second joint different than said first joint, and comprising a second closed loop connector connecting said first and third enclosures at said second joint and including a first leg interior to said first enclosure, a second leg interior to said third enclosure, and ends at distally opposite ends of said second joint and exterior to said first and third enclosures.

7. The construction according to claim 6 wherein said second joint is perpendicular to said first joint.

8. A construction toy comprising:

a first modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a first axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a second modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a second axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said cards being assembled by interfacing said sides in mating relation, wherein

said first side of said first card has a slit formed therein between an outer land and an inner land and extending inwardly from the outer land to a subland recessed further inwardly than the inner land;

said first side of said second card has a slit formed therein between an outer land and an inner land and extending inwardly from the outer land to a subland recessed further inwardly than the inner land;

said first and second cards have an assembled condition with said slits engaging each other, and said first and second axes noncoincident.

9. The construction toy according to claim 8 wherein:

said first and second cards have a second assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, said first and second cards coplanar, an outer land of said first side of said first card facing an inner land of said first side of said second card, an inner land of said first side of said first card facing an outer land of said first side of said second card;

said first and second cards have a second assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, said first and second cards lying in different planes, an outer land of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than an inner land of said first side of said second card, an inner land of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than an outer land of said first side of said second card.

10. A construction toy comprising:

a first modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a first axis and having a varying height profile comprising first and second outer lands along the outer edge of the side and first and second inner lands recessed inwardly therefrom;

a second modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a second axis and having a varying height profile comprising first and second outer lands along the outer edge of the side and first and second inner lands recessed inwardly therefrom;

the distance along said first axis between said first and second outer lands of said first side of said first card being equal to the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card;

the distance along said second axis between said first and second outer lands of said first side of said second card being equal to the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card;

a slit formed in said first side of said first card and extending inwardly from the outer edge thereof to a subland recessed further inwardly than said second inner land of said first side of said first card;

a slit formed in said first side of said second card and extending inwardly from the outer edge thereof to a subland recessed further inwardly than said second inner land of said first side of said second card;

and wherein;

the length along said first axis of said second inner land of said first side of said first card is less than the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card;

the length along said first axis of said subland of said first side of said first card plus the length along said first axis of said second inner land of said first side of said first card equals the length along said second axis of said first outer land of said first side of said second card;

the length along said second axis of said second inner land of said first side of said second card is less than the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card;

the length along said second axis of said subland of said first side of said second card plus the length along said second axis of said second inner land of said first side of said second card equals the length along said first axis of said first outer land of said first side of said first card;

said first and second cards have an assembled condition with said slits engaging each other and said first and second axes perpendicular to each other.

11. The construction toy according to claim 10 wherein:

said first and second cards have a second assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, said first and second cards coplanar, said first and second outer lands of said first side of said first card facing said first and second inner lands of said first side of said second card, said first and second inner lands of said first side of said first card facing said first and second outer lands of said first side of said second card;

said first and second cards have a third assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident, said first and second cards lying in different planes, said first and second outer lands of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than said first and second inner lands of said first side of said second card, said first and second inner lands of said first side of said first card facing a different direction than said first and second outer lands of said first side of said second card.

12. A construction toy comprising:

a first modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a first axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a second modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a second axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a third modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a third axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

a fourth modular card having a plurality of sides including a first side extending along a fourth axis and having a varying height profile formed by inner and outer lands, an outer land being along the outer edge of the side, and an inner land being recessed inwardly therefrom;

said first, second, third, fourth cards having an assembled condition with said first and second axes coincident and said first sides of said first and second cards in mating relation, and with said third and fourth axes coincident with each other, and said first sides of said third and fourth cards in mating relation, and with said first, second, third, fourth axes all coincident, with the interface of said first sides of said first and second cards facing the interface of said first sides of said third and fourth cards.

13. The construction toy according to claim 12 comprising a closed loop cord encircling said joint, said cord having a first leg extending along the side of said first interface opposite said second interface, a second leg extending along the side of said second interface opposite said first interface, and first and second ends connecting said legs and at distally opposite ends of said joint.

14. The construction toy according to claim 13 comprising:

a first enclosure formed by a first set of said cards assembled along respective sides in mating relation, including said first sides of said first and second cards along said first interface;

a second enclosure formed by a plurality of said cards assembled along respective sides in mating relation including said first sides of said third and fourth cards along said second interface;

and wherein;

said first leg of said cord is interior to said first enclosure;

said second leg of said cord is interior to said second enclosure;

said ends of said cord are exterior to each of said first and second enclosures.

15. The construction toy according to claim 14 comprising:

a third enclosure formed by a third set of a plurality of said cards assembled at respective sides in mating relation, a respective pair of sides of said third enclosure forming an interface coincident with an interface formed by a respective pair of sides of said first enclosure along a second joint different than said first joint;

a second connector cord connecting said first and third enclosures at said second joint, said second cord having a first leg interior to said first enclosure, a second leg interior to said third enclosure, and ends at distally opposite ends of said second joint and exterior to said first and third enclosures.

16. The construction toy according to claim 15 wherein said second joint is perpendicular to said first joint.