Toy building set

• US 6,585,553 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lego A/S (Kirkbi A/S)
• Original Assignee: Interlego, AG (Kirkbi A/S)
• Inventors: Smith, Peter, Fetridge, Keith, Pierre, Bryant
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik, Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US09/889,070
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 446/128, 446/125, 446/124, 446/118, 446/91, 446/90, 439/650, 439/651, 439/652, 320/127, 320/128, 320/135, 320/101, 320/166
• US Class Current: 446/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors

Abstract

A toy building set with interconnectible building elements and comprising an energy source, an energy accumulator and a consumer of energy as separate units which may be built together with the building elements, wherein the energy accumulator may be coupled to the energy source so that energy from the energy source is transferred to and accumulated to the energy accumulator, and the energy accumulator may be coupled to the consumer to supply energy accumulated in the energy accumulator to the consumer.

Claims

1. A toy building set with interconnectible building elements, said building set moreover comprising

an energy source;

an energy accumulator for accumulating energy, and

a consumer of energy,

wherein the energy source, the energy accumulator and the consumer are separate and separable units adapted to be built together with the building elements of the building set, and wherein the energy accumulator allows coupling to the energy source so that energy from the energy source is transferred to and accumulated in the energy accumulator, and the energy accumulator is releasable from the energy source to allow coupling to the consumer of energy in order to supply energy accumulated in the energy accumulator to the consumer of energy.

2. A toy building set according to claim 1, wherein the energy source is a source of electrical energy, wherein the energy accumulator comprises an electrical capacitor which accumulates the energy as electrical energy, and wherein the consumer is a consumer of electrical energy.

3. A toy building set according to claim 2, wherein the energy source comprises an electromechanical generator for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.

4. A toy building set according to claim 3, wherein the generator comprises a crank for manual operation of the generator.

5. A toy building set according to claim 3, wherein the generator comprises a flywheel for operation of the generator by means of wind power.

6. A toy building set according to claim 3, wherein the generator comprises a flywheel for operation of the generator by means of water power.

7. A toy building set according to claim 2, wherein the energy source comprises a device for converting electromagnetic energy into electrical energy.

8. A toy building set according to claim 1, wherein the energy source is a source of mechanical energy, wherein the energy accumulator accumulates the energy as mechanical energy, and wherein the consumer is a consumer of mechanical energy.

9. A toy building set according to claim 8, wherein the energy accumulator comprises a spring which tensions to accumulate the mechanical energy.

10. A toy building set according to claim 8, wherein the energy accumulator comprises a mass which raises against a gravitational force to accumulate the mechanical energy.