Construction system and applications thereof

• US 8,007,338 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saso Stevkovski
• Original Assignee: Saso Stevkovski
• Inventors: Stevkovski, Saso
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baldori; Joseph B
• Application Number:
  US12/142,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20090191784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 446/85, 446/97, 446/100, 446/101, 446118-122, 446124-128
• US Class Current: 446/120
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0022 played in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00735 Clamp or clip
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/062 with clip or snap mechanisms

Abstract

A construction system includes a plurality of construction elements having body member and a plurality of coupling members, each of said coupling members having an exterior portion and an interior locking device of hermaphroditic type. The interior locking device includes protrusions and a receiving block. A first coupling member belonging to one construction element can interlock with a second coupling member belonging to another element, so that the protrusions of the first coupling member resiliently deflect away from each other and subsequently retract, and settle, into provided recesses in the receiving block of the second element. Concurrently, the protrusions of the second coupling member settle into corresponding recesses in the receiving block of the first coupling member. Applications of the construction system in toy construction sets, construction puzzles and board games are provided.

Claims

1. A construction system, comprising:

a plurality of construction elements with each construction element of said construction elements including a body member and a plurality of coupling members, wherein said plurality of coupling members includes a first coupling member belonging to a first construction element of said plurality of construction elements and being interlockable with a second coupling member of said plurality of coupling members belonging to a second construction element of said plurality of construction elements, wherein;

each coupling member of said plurality of coupling members having a center-point and an orthogonal coordinate system XYZ associated thereto, said center-point being an origin of said coordinate system XYZ;

each said coupling member of said coupling members having a coupling direction associated thereto, said coupling direction being substantially the Y-axis of said coordinate system XYZ;

each said coupling member of said plurality of said coupling members comprising interior locking means disposed around said centerpoint and an exterior portion disposed peripherally relative to said interior locking means with said interior locking means having two protrusions and a receiving block, said two protrusions being substantially defined in the XY-plane of said coordinate system XYZ and being disposed on the negative side of the Y-axis of said coordinate system XYZ, said two protrusions being substantially symmetric to one another relative to the YZ-plane of said coordinate system XYZ, said receiving block further comprising two recesses being substantially defined in the YZ-plane of said coordinate system XYZ and being disposed on the positive side of the Y-axis of said coordinate system XYZ, said two recesses being substantially symmetric to one another relative to the XY-plane of said coordinate system XYZ with each recess of said two recesses having at least one concave surface portion complementary to a corresponding convex surface portion belonging to each protrusion of said two protrusions; and

,

said receiving block further comprising a tapered portion extending from said center-point and said recesses, said tapered portion including at least one control geometric parameter, so that, upon presenting said first coupling member to said second coupling member along said coupling direction and in mutually orthogonal orientations;

said protrusions of said first coupling member unobstructively transverse by, without requiring contact, said protrusions of said second coupling member towards said tapered portion for centering and aligning said first coupling member relative to said second coupling member;

said tapered portion of said second coupling member urges said protrusions of said first coupling member to resiliently deflect away from each other and subsequently retract and settle into said recesses of said second coupling member;

said tapered portion of said first coupling member urges said protrusions of said second coupling member to resiliently deflect away from each other and subsequently retract and settle into said recesses of said first coupling member; and

,

said exterior portion provides resilient means for said deflection and retraction of said protrusions;

whereby, said control geometric parameter defines and controls an amount of applied force needed to couple, or de-couple, said construction elements in said construction system, said tapered portion of said first coupling member and said tapered portion of said second coupling member, in a coupled position, substantially contact one another at said center-point for preventing over-engagement or unwanted deformation of said exterior portion if excessive coupling force is applied, and said protrusions and recesses, in coupled position, provide for full contact between said first coupling member and said second coupling member on at least four predetermined and controllable surface portions in two mutually orthogonal planes, thereby enabling a secure, stable and controllable connection.

2. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein:

said two protrusions are substantially defined by a first set of two nonintersecting spheres whose centers lie in the XY-plane of said coordinate system XYZ, said centers of said two intersecting spheres having a common negative Y-axis coordinate;

said two recesses are substantially defined by a second set of two nonintersecting spheres whose centers lie in the YZ-plane of said coordinate system XYZ, said centers of said spheres having a common positive Y-axis coordinate;

said negative Y-axis coordinate of said centers of said first set of said spheres and said positive Y-axis coordinate of said centers of said second set of spheres are of same absolute value; and

,

said exterior portion integrally connects to said protrusions and said receiving block for forming an open loop around said center-point, so that said loop is open in an area between said protrusions.

3. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein said receiving block comprises two block halves, said two block halves being divided one from another substantially at the YZ-plane of said coordinate system, wherein each of said block halves integrally connects to corresponding one of said protrusions, whereby said block halves deflect away from each other together with said protrusions.

4. The construction system according to claim 1, the diameter of said spheres defining said protrusions is bigger than 0.707 times the distance between the centers of said spheres defining said recesses, whereby said protrusions of said first coupling member urge said protrusions of said second coupling member to resiliently deflect away from each other, whereby said protrusions of said second coupling member urge said protrusions of said first coupling member to resiliently deflect away from each other.

5. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said construction elements resembles an animal, wherein said exterior portions of said coupling members of said animal-like construction element resemble animal body parts selected from the group consisting of a hand, a foot, a paw, a jaw, a trunk lip, an antler branch, a hoof, a tentacle and a curved torso segment.

6. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion has a shape selected from the group consisting of a C-shape and a U-shape.

7. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein said exterior portion of said coupling members comprises a substantially spherical exterior surface, wherein said exterior portions of said first and second coupling members substantially form a sphere in interlocked position.

8. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein each of said construction elements comprises at least one group of at least two coupling members, so that said group is coupleable with another group of coupling members belonging to any other one of said construction elements.

9. The construction system according to claim 1, each one of said construction elements has at least two defining orthogonal directions associated thereto, whereby said center-points of said coupling members of said construction element are disposed relative to said orthogonal directions in such a way that the distance between any two of said center-points measured along any one of said orthogonal directions is an integer multiple of a predefined distance unit value (“

a”

).

10. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein all of said construction elements interconnect one to another to form a structure resembling a predetermined shape, wherein all of said couplings members couple one to another and none remains uncoupled, whereby at least one unique combination of connecting said construction elements one to another leads to said predetermined shape.

11. The construction system according to claim 10, said construction elements form a structure resembling a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, a parallelepiped, a sphere and a cube.

12. The construction system according to claim 11, said center-points of said coupling members substantially coincide with geometric entities that define said geo-metric shape, said geometric entities being selected from the group consisting of a vertex, an edge and a face.

13. The construction system according to claim 1, further comprising a board element having a substantially planar portion suitable for placing on a horizontal playing surface and at least three coupling members arranged in a predetermined order, wherein said coupling members are coupleable with said coupling members belonging to said construction elements, so that said construction elements and said board element are interconnectable in a variety of different combinations, whereby at least one unique combination leads to a predetermined result.

14. The construction system according to claim 1, further comprising at least three board unit elements and a board base, each of said board unit elements comprising a substantially planar portion and at least one integrally attached coupling member, said coupling member being coupleable with said coupling members of said construction elements, wherein each of said board unit elements further comprises attaching means for removably attaching said board unit element to said board base, so that said board base said board unit elements and said construction elements are inter-connectable in a variety of different combinations.

15. The construction system according to claim 1, further comprising at least three interconnectable board elements having planar portions suitable for placing on a horizontal playing surface, each of said interconnectable board elements comprising a peripheral flange and at least one integrally attached coupling member, said coupling member being coupleable with said coupling members of said construction elements, each of said interconnectable board elements further comprising attaching means disposed along a length of said peripheral flange, whereby said interconnectable board elements is connectable one to another by means of said attaching means in a variety of different combinations, whereby said construction elements are capable of being further appended to said interconnectable board elements.

16. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said construction elements includes at least two removably attached coupling members.

17. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein said body member of at least one of said construction elements comprises at least one portion made of bendable material.

18. The construction system according to claim 1, wherein said body member of at least one of said construction elements comprises at least two portions, wherein each of said portions includes at least one coupling member, whereby said portions are rotatably connected one to another.