Modular lattice substructure for a toy building set

• US 5,947,787 A
• Filed: 09/24/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parvia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Parvia Corporation
• Inventors: Gibson, Matt, Burns, William, Cyrus, Peter, Franko, Rich, Wicklander, David, Proctor, Steve, Franz, Gary, Brady, Chris, Cryan, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/936,269
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 446/127, 446/128, 446/124, 446/476, 446/478, 446/120, 446/121, 446/122, 446/105, 446/107
• US Class Current: 446/127
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/00 Highways or trackways for toys railway permanent way A63H19/30; for special railways A63H21/00; Propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/062 with clip or snap mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/42 Toy models or toy scenery not otherwise covered models or scenery for general purposes G09B

Abstract

The modular lattice substructure for a playing structure, such as a toy building set, includes elongate beams, elongate joists, and columns having a height greater than the height of the elongate beams and joists. The sides of the columns have a protrusion connector removably attachable to a slot connector in the ends of the elongate beams and the ends of the elongate joists.

Claims

1. A modular lattice substructure for a playing structure comprising:

(a) an elongate beam having an end, a height, and a length;

(b) a column having a side and a height greater than the height of said elongate beam, one of said end of said elongate beam and said side of said column having a protrusion connector removably attachable to a receptive connector on the other of said end of said elongate beam and said side of said column, wherein said receptive connector is a slot having a width, said protrusion connector is a protrusion having a shaft with a width less than said slot width, said protrusion having a head on said shaft with a length perpendicular to said shaft that is greater than said slot width and with a width less than said slot width such that said head of said protrusion can pass through said slot in a first position and cannot be removed from said slot when rotated to a second position; and

(c) a stop adjacent said slot, said stop limiting rotational movement of said head of said protrusion when said protrusion is oriented in said slot and rotated to the second position.

2. A modular lattice substructure for a playing structure comprising:

(a) an elongate beam having two ends and a length;

(b) a column having four sides, said sides of said column having a protrusion connector removably attachable to a receptive connector on said ends of said elongate beam, wherein said receptive connector is a slot having a width, said protrusion connector is a protrusion having a shaft with a width less than said slot width, said protrusion having a head on said shaft with a length perpendicular to said shaft that is greater than said slot width and with a width less than said slot width such that said head of said protrusion can pass through said slot in a first position and cannot be removed from said slot when rotated to a second position; and

(c) a stop adjacent said slot, said stop limiting rotational movement of said head of said protrusion when said protrusion is oriented in said slot and rotated to the second position.

3. A modular lattice substructure for a playing structure comprising:

(a) an elongate beam having an end and a length;

(b) a column having a side, one of said end of said elongate beam and said side of said column having a protrusion connector removably attachable to a receptive connector on the other of said end of said elongate beam and said side of said column;

(c) an elongate joist having an end and a length, said length of said elongate joist not being equal to said length of said elongate beam, said end of said elongate joist having one of a protrusion connector and a receptive connector for removable attachment to said side of said column, wherein said receptive connector is a slot having a width, said protrusion connector is a protrusion having a shaft with a width less than said slot width, said protrusion having a head on said shaft with a length perpendicular to said shaft that is greater than said slot width and with a width less than said slot width such that said head of said protrusion can pass through said slot in a first position and cannot be removed from said slot when rotated to a second position; and

(d) a stop adjacent said slot, said stop limiting rotational movement of said head of said protrusion when said protrusion is oriented in said slot and rotated to the second position.

4. A modular lattice substructure for a playing structure comprising:

(a) an elongate beam having an end and a length;

(b) a column having a side, one of said end of said beam and said side of said column having a protrusion connector removably attachable to a receptive connector on the other of said end of said elongate beam and said side of said column, wherein one of said column and said elongate beam has an edge, said receptive connector is a slot having an entrance in said edge and said protrusion connector is a protrusion on the other of said column and said elongate beam oriented to pass through said entrance of said slot to reside in said slot, wherein said receptive connector is a slot having a width, said protrusion connector is a protrusion having a shaft with a width less than said slot width, said protrusion having a head on said shaft with a length perpendicular to said shaft that is greater than said slot width and with a width less than said slot width such that said head of said protrusion can pass through said slot in a first position and cannot be removed from said slot when rotated to a second position; and

(c) a stop adjacent said slot, said stop limiting rotational movement of said head of said protrusion when said protrusion is oriented in said slot and rotated to the second position.