Illuminated toy building structures

• US 7,731,558 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Capriola Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jon Capriola
• Inventors: Capriola, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Niconovich; Alexander R
• Application Number:
  US11/839,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 439/581, 446/91, 446/92, 446/485, 446/124, 273/120.A, 273/120.R, 273/441
• US Class Current: 446/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/086 with primary projections fitting by friction in complementary spaces between secondary projections, e.g. sidewalls
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The present device is an illuminated building block device that mimics the look of a laser. The building block includes a non-opaque body comprising at least two mechanical connectors. At least two electrically independent conductors each traverse the body from each connector to each other connector. At least one LED is electrically connected to at least two of the electrical conductors. With at least two building blocks mechanically connected, a power source may be applied to one of the connectors of one of the building blocks to illuminate each LED. Preferably, the body of the building block is generally transparent and is capable of transmitting light from a colored LED to a connected block, thus mimicking the look of a laser. The invention also comprises a set of building blocks that permits light from an LED to pass from one connected block to an adjacent connected block.

Claims

1. A building block comprising:

a non-opaque body comprising at least two mechanical connectors, at least one of the connectors of the body comprising a male connector and at least one of the other connectors of the body comprising a female connector;

two electrical conductors each traversing the body from each connector to each other connector;

at least one LED within the body and electrically connected across the two conductors;

each connector having a housing coupled to the two conductors so as to close a circuit between the conductors and illuminate the LED upon application of a power source to the connector and also transmit power to each other connector of the body along the two conductors; and

whereby with at least two of the building blocks mechanically connected, a power source applied to any one of the connectors of either of the building blocks illuminates each LED.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body is generally transparent and is capable of substantially transmitting light to a mechanically connected adjoining block.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the body is generally transparent and is capable of substantially transmitting light via the mechanical connectors of two connected blocks.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body includes opposing first and second sides with the male connector extending outwardly from the body along the first side and the female connector extending inwardly into the body from the second side in a direction axial with the male connector.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the body is substantially cylindrical with the mechanical connectors at opposite ends thereof.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein the body is a rectangular box having male connectors on two sides thereof and female connectors on two other sides thereof, each of the female connectors axially aligned with a corresponding one of the male connectors.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body is cylindrical with an approximately 90-degree bend and the mechanical connectors at opposite ends thereof.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body takes the form of a wheel, with the male connector and the female connector on opposite sides along a rotational axis thereof.

9. The structure of claim 1 further comprising an external power source and an electrical switch electrically coupled with the connectors.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein the external power source and the external switch are fitted together in an external power source container, with an electrical connection coupled between the power source container and the connectors for the building block.

11. The structure of claim 10 further comprising the electrical switch electrically disposed between one end of the power source and each of the connectors.

16. The building block of claim 4 wherein the male connector extends generally orthogonally away from the first side, and the female connector extends inwardly into the body generally orthogonally from the second side.

17. The building block of claim 1 wherein the two conductors are electrically coupled with the male and female connectors and the LED so that uninterrupted power flows between the connectors irrespective of whether the LED is operational.

12. A building block set comprising:

at least two blocks each having a non-opaque body and each having at least two mechanical connectors, one of which is a male connector and the other of which is a female connector, at least two electrically conductors each traversing the respective body from each connector to each other connector and at least one LED disposed within each body and electrically connected to the two electrical conductors of the respective body;

a power source unit having at least one mechanical connector and at least two electrically conductors each traversing the power source unit from each connector of the power source unit to a battery, the battery connected at either end to one of the conductors;

an electrical switch electrically disposed between one end of the battery and one of the connectors of the power source unit;

each connector having a housing coupled to the two conductors so as to close a circuit between the conductors and illuminate the LED upon application of a power source to the connector and also transmit power to each other connector of the body along the two conductors; and

whereby when the blocks and the power source unit are connected at just one of the mechanical connectors of each block, the LEDs of all of the blocks are powered by the battery.

13. The set of claim 12 wherein at least one of the blocks being rectangular and having first and second opposing sides with the male mechanical connector attached to and extending laterally away from the first side and with the female mechanical connector attached with and extending inwardly into the rectangular block from the second side.

14. The set of claim 13 wherein the rectangular block further comprises third and fourth opposing sides, with a second male mechanical connector attached with and extending laterally away from the third side and with a second female mechanical connector attached with and extending inwardly into the rectangular block from the fourth side.

15. The set of claim 14 further comprising at least one of the blocks having a cylindrical shape with first and second opposing ends and with a male mechanical connector attached to and extending axially outwardly from a first end and a female mechanical connector attached at a second, opposing end and extending axially inwardly into the cylindrical block.

18. An illuminated toy building block set comprising:

at least one rectangular block having first and second opposing sides and third and fourth opposing sides, with an electrically conductive male mechanical connector attached with and extending laterally away from each of the first and third sides, and with an electrically conductive female mechanical connector attached with and extending inwardly into the rectangular block from each of the second and fourth sides;

at least one cylindrical block having first and second opposing ends with an electrically conductive male mechanical connector attached at and extending axially from the first end and an electrically conductive female mechanical connector attached at the second end and extending axially inwardly into the cylindrical block;

an LED fitted within each block;

each connector having a housing coupled to the two conductors so as to close a circuit between the conductors and illuminate the LED upon application of a power source to the connector and also transmit power to each other connector of the body along the two conductors;

means for conducting electrical current through the LED in each block and each of the electrically conductive mechanical connectors of each block; and

wherein

the electrically conductive male mechanical connectors and the electrically conductive female mechanical connectors of each block is dimensioned so that all of the male connectors are interconnectable with the female connectors of other blocks in an electrically conductive manner.

19. The toy building block set recited in claim 18 wherein the rectangular block comprises the mechanical connectors of the first and third sides are positioned in axial alignment and the mechanical connectors of the second and fourth sides are positioned in axial alignment.

20. The toy building block set recited in claim 18 wherein the means for conducting electrical current further comprises an external power source having an electrical switch for controlling electrical current flow to all of the electrically conductive mechanical connectors for all of the interconnected blocks.

21. The building block set recited in claim 20 wherein the means for conducting electrical current comprises an eternal power source unit having means for permitting interconnection between the power source container and all of the interconnected building blocks.

22. The building block set recited in claim 20 wherein the means for conducting electrical current comprises an external power source unit having means for permitting interconnection between the power source container and each of the building blocks.

23. The building block set recited in claim 18 further comprising at least one elongated block having at least one generally right angle bend and an electrically conductive mechanical connector at a first end and an electrically conductive female mechanical connector at a second end.

24. The illuminated building block set of claim 18 further comprising at least one wheel-shaped block having a rotational axis extending between first and second sides thereof and with an electrically conductive male mechanical connector extending outwardly from a first side of the wheel-shaped block axially along the rotational axis and an electrically conductive female connector extending axially inwardly into the wheel-shaped block along the rotational axis.

25. The illuminated toy building block set recited in claim 18 further comprising:

at least one elongated block having at least one generally right angled bend and an electrically conducted mechanical connector at a first end and an electrically conducted female mechanical connector at a second end; and

at least one wheel-shaped block having a rotational axis extending between first and second sides thereof and with an electrically conducted male mechanical connector extending outwardly from a first side of the wheel-shaped block axially along the rotational axis and an electrically conductive female connector extending axially inwardly into the wheel-shaped block from a second side along the rotational axis.

26. An illuminated building block comprising:

a non-opaque body comprising two mechanical connectors, one of the connectors comprising a male connector and the other connector comprising a female connector;

two electrical conductors traversing the body from each connector to each other connector with each connector having a housing coupled to the two conductors so as to close a circuit between the conductors and illuminate the LED upon application of a power source to the connector and also transmit power to each other connector of the body along the two conductors, with all of connectors electrically coupled together within the body;

an LED fitted within the body and electrically connected to the two conductors; and

wherein

a power source applied to any one connector illuminates the LED.

27. An illuminated building block as recited in claim 26 further comprising each connector receiving the two conductors and closing a circuit between the two conductors and illuminating the LED upon application of a power source to the connector and also transmitting power to each other connector of the body along the two conductors.