Expandable and changeable playset building system

• US 6,168,494 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Rey Hollis, Robert William Engel, Stephen George Fouke
• Original Assignee: John Rey Hollis, Robert William Engel, Stephen George Fouke
• Inventors: Engel, Robert William, Fouke, Stephen George, Hollis, John Rey
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik, Urszula M.
• Application Number:
  US09/368,539
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 446/477, 446/478, 446/107, 446/108, 446/109, 446/110, 446/91, 446/484, 446/387, 446/111, 446/112, 446/115, 446/487, 446/189, 104/DIG.1, 238/10.D, 238/10.E, 238/10.F
• US Class Current: 446/477
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/52 Dolls' houses, furniture or other equipment simulating liquid flow A63H33/3022; Dolls' clothing or footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/42 Toy models or toy scenery not otherwise covered models or scenery for general purposes G09B

Abstract

An expandable and changeable playset building system with at least one retained playset member, which may comprise a resiliently compressible panel, and at least one squeeze connector, which may be formed from a pair of opposed gripping surfaces, for selectively retaining the retained playset member by frictional engagement. An interactive base connector unit can be provided that simulates a structure, such as a bridge, a tree, a fence, a merry-go-round, or a parking gate, in miniature and in three dimensions. A plurality of squeeze connectors can be coupled to the interactive base connector unit for retaining a plurality of retained playset members. Also, first and second squeeze connectors could be rotatably coupled together. Further, a plurality of squeeze connectors with a plurality of different orientations could be fixedly joined to form a fixed universal connector.

Electrical current can be transmitted between the interactive base connector unit and the retained playset members by corresponding electrical contacts. The interactive base connector unit can have an electrical switch and an electrically powered element that is activated by a triggering of the switch. The switch could be a layer of electrically conductive ink applied to the interactive base connector unit with a gap therein wherein a user can close the gap to trigger the switch by application of an external electrically conductive element, such as a finger, that bridges the gap. Alternatively or additionally, such a switch could be provided on the retained playset members.

Claims

1. An expandable and changeable playset building system comprising:

at least one retained playset member with a surface and a given shape and size wherein at least a portion of the retained playset member is resiliently compressible;

an interactive base connector unit that simulates a structure in miniature and in three dimensions;

a plurality of squeeze connectors coupled to the interactive base connector unit for selectively retaining by frictional engagement the at least one retained playset member wherein each of the plurality of squeeze connectors comprises a means for exerting a frictionally-engaging pressure on the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member comprising a pair of opposed inner gripping surfaces for frictionally engaging the resilient compressible portion of the retained playset member whereby the interactive base connector unit can retain a plurality of retained playset members and whereby the plurality of squeeze connectors and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between at least one of the plurality of squeeze connectors and the retained playset member; and

a means for transmitting an electrical current between the interactive base connector unit and the at least one retained playset member wherein the electrical current transmitting means comprises corresponding electrical contacts on the at least one retained playset member and the inner gripping surfaces of at least one of the plurality of squeeze connectors.

2. The playset building system of claim 1 wherein the retained playset member comprises a panel of resiliently compressible material.

3. The playset building system of claim 1 further comprising an ornamental design applied to the surface of the retained playset member.

4. The playset building system of claim 1 further comprising an electrical switch operably associated with the interactive base connector unit, an electrically-powered element operably associated with the interactive base connector unit, and a means operably associated with the interactive base connector unit for activating the electrically-powered element in response to a triggering of the switch.

5. The playset building system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of squeeze connectors fixedly joined to form a fixed universal connector wherein the plurality of squeeze connectors have a plurality of different orientations for retaining a plurality of retained playset members in different orientations.

6. The playset building system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of squeeze connectors comprise two squeeze connectors fixed in an H configuration for retaining retained playset members in a butting relationship.

7. The playset building system of claim 1 further comprising a means for transmitting an electrical current across at least a portion of the at least one retained playset member.

8. An expandable and changeable playset building system comprising:

at least one retained playset member with a surface and a given shape and size wherein at least a portion of the retained playset member is resiliently compressible;

at least one squeeze connector for selectively retaining by frictional engagement the at least one retained playset member wherein the at least one squeeze connector comprises a means for exerting a frictional-engaging pressure on the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member whereby the squeeze connector and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between the squeeze connector and the retained playset member; and

a means for transmitting an electrical current across at least a portion of the at least one retained playset member wherein the means for transmitting an electrical current across at least a portion of the at least one retained playset member comprises a layer of electrically conductive ink applied to at least a portion of the surface of the at least one retained playset member.

9. The playset building system of claim 8 wherein the at least one squeeze connector comprises a pair of opposed inner gripping surfaces for frictionally engaging the resilient compressible portion of the retained playset member.

10. The playset building system of claim 9 further comprising an interactive base connector unit that simulates a structure in miniature and in three dimensions and wherein the at least one squeeze connector is coupled to the interactive base connector unit.

11. The playset building system of claim 10 wherein a plurality of squeeze connectors are coupled to the interactive base connector unit whereby the interactive base connector unit can retain a plurality of retained playset members.

12. The playset building system of claim 11 wherein the interactive base connector unit simulates a structure chosen from the group consisting of a bridge, a tree, a fence, a merry-go-round, and a parking gate.

13. The playset building system of claim 8 further comprising a means for transmitting electrical current between the at least one retained playset member and the at least one squeeze connector comprising corresponding electrical contacts disposed on the at least one retained playset member and the at least one squeeze connector.

14. The playset building system of claim 8 wherein the means for transmitting electrical current across at least a portion of the at least one retained playset member comprises a continuous first electrical path for transmitting electrical current and a second electrical path with a gap therein for acting as a switch for allowing electricity to pass along the first electrical path when the gap is closed.

15. The playset building system of claim 14 wherein at least the second electrical path comprises a layer of electrically-conductive ink applied to at least a portion of the surface of the at least one retained playset member and wherein a user can close the gap and allow electricity to pass along the first electrical path by application of an external electrically conductive element that bridges the gap.

16. An expandable and changeable playset building system comprising:

at least one retained playset member with a surface and a given shape and size wherein at least a portion of the retained playset member is resiliently compressible;

at least one squeeze connector for selectively retaining by frictional engagement the at least one retained playset member wherein the at least one squeeze connector comprises a means for exerting a frictionally-engaging pressure on the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member comprising a pair of opposed inner gripping surfaces for frictionally engaging the resilient compressible portion of the retained playset member whereby the squeeze connector and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between the squeeze connector and the retained playset member;

an interactive base connector unit that simulates a structure in miniature and in three dimensions wherein the at least one squeeze connector is coupled to the interactive base connector unit; and

an electrical switch operably associated with the interactive base connector unit an electrically-powered element operably associated with the interactive base connector unit and a means operably associated with the interactive base connector unit for activating the electrically-powered element in response to a triggering of the switch wherein the electrical switch comprises a layer of electrically conductive ink applied to at least a portion of the interactive base connector unit with a gap therein wherein a user can close the gap to trigger the switch by application of an external electrically conductive element that bridges the gap.

17. An expandable and changeable playset building system comprising:

at least one retained playset member with a surface and a given shape and size wherein at least a portion of the retained playset member is resiliently compressible;

at least one squeeze connector for selectively retaining by frictional engagement the at least one retained playset member wherein the at least one squeeze connector comprises a means for exerting a frictionally-engaging pressure on the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member comprising a pair of opposed inner gripping surfaces for frictionally engaging the resilient compressible portion of the retained playset member whereby the squeeze connector and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between the squeeze connector and the retained playset member;

an interactive base connector unit that simulates a structure in miniature and in three dimensions wherein the at least one squeeze connector is coupled to the interactive base connector unit; and

an electrical switch operably associated with the interactive base connector unit, an electrically-powered element operably associated with the interactive base connector unit, and a means operably associated with the interactive base connector unit for activating the electrically-powered element in response to a triggering of the switch;

wherein the interactive base connector unit simulates in miniature and in three dimensions a bridge and wherein the switch comprises a plank in the bridge that is triggered by a displacement of the plank.

18. The playset building system of claim 17 wherein the opposed inner gripping surfaces of the at least one squeeze connector terminate in arcuate outer edges that are inwardly angled whereby the outer edges exhibit a funnel-type configuration for better receiving and compressing the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member.

19. The playset building system of claim 18 wherein the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member has a given thickness and wherein the opposed inner gripping surfaces of the squeeze connector are closer together than the thickness of the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member.

20. An expandable and changeable playset building system comprising:

at east one retained playset member with a surface and a given shape and size wherein at least a portion of the retained playset member is resiliently compressible; and

at least two squeeze connectors for selectively retaining by frictional engagement the at least one retained playset member comprising a first squeeze connector and a second squeeze connector wherein the first squeeze connector is rotatably coupled to the second squeeze connector whereby the orientation of the first squeeze connector relative to the second squeeze connector can be varied readily and wherein each squeeze connector comprises a means for exerting a frictionally-engaging pressure on the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member whereby the at least two squeeze connectors and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between at least one of the at least two squeeze connectors and the retained playset member.