Illuminated toy construction kit

• US 8,371,894 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larose Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Larose Industries LLC
• Inventors: Daftari, Parviz, Rosen, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYLINSKI, ALYSSA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/365,907
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 446/85, 446/91, 446/111, 446/112, 446/122, 446/124, 446/125, 446/236, 446/484, 446/485, 446/102, 446/104, 362/104
• 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: A63H 33/108 with holes A63H33/101, A63H33/102 and A63H33/107 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• 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

An illuminated toy construction kit includes a plurality of illumination modules having various shapes and sizes, and a plurality of non-illumination modules having different shapes and sizes. Each of the illumination modules includes at least one light-emitting element, such as, for example, a color-varying LED. At least some of the non-illumination modules are in the form of couplers which function as mechanical linkages for interconnecting the illumination modules and enabling a user to form a variety of three-dimensional structural shapes. The couplers also function to transmit electric power between the interconnected illumination modules, whereby all of the interconnected modules may be simultaneously illuminated in response to the activation of a single power source connected to at least one of the illumination modules.

Claims

1. An illuminated structure made from a toy construction kit, said illuminated structure comprising a plurality of illumination modules, each of said illumination modules having a housing with an interior defined by a plurality of exterior surfaces, a light-emitting element mounted in said interior of said housing, a plurality of openings, each of said openings being provided in a corresponding one of said exterior surfaces of said housing and communicating with said interior thereof, a plurality of jack-like members positioned in said interior of said housing, each jack-like member being electrically connected to said light-emitting element and having a receiving end recessed within said housing and aligned with a corresponding one of said openings;

a plurality of non-illumination modules attached to said illumination modules, at least one of said non-illumination modules being a coupler element interconnecting one of said illumination modules with another of said illumination modules, said coupler element having a first plug-like end extending into said housing of said one illumination module through one of said openings therein and rotatably and releasably engaging said receiving end of one of said jack-like members of said one illumination module, said one jack-like member of said one illumination module being aligned with said one opening of said one illumination module to define a first axis about which said one illumination module is rotatable, in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, relative to said coupler element and relative to said another illumination module, said first plug-like end of said coupler element being disengageable from said receiving end of said one jack-like member of said one illumination module in response to the axial movement of said one illumination module along said first axis regardless of the rotational position of said one illumination module relative to said coupler element, and a second plug-like end extending into said housing of said another illumination module through one of said openings therein and rotatably and releasably engaging said receiving end of one of said jack-like members of said another illumination module, said one jack-like member of said another illumination module being aligned with said one opening of said another illumination module to define a second axis about which said another illumination module is rotatable, in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, relative to said coupler element and relative to said one illumination module, said second plug-like end of said coupler element being disengageable from said receiving end of said one jack-like member of said another illumination module in response to the axial movement of said another illumination module along said second axis regardless of the rotational position of said another illumination module relative to said coupler element, said coupler element electrically connecting said one jack-like member of said one illumination module to said one jack-like member of said another illumination module; and

an electric power source in direct electric contact with another of said jack-like members of said one illumination module to thereby illuminate said light-emitting element of said one illumination module and said light-emitting element of said another illumination module.

2. An illuminated structure according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting element of said one illumination module has a first electric contact and a second electric contact;

and wherein each jack-like member of said one illumination module has a first electric conductor, which is electrically connected to said first electric contact of said light-emitting element of said one illumination module by a first electric conducting pathway, and a second electric conductor, which is electrically connected to said second electric contact of said light-emitting element of said one illumination module by a second electric conducting pathway.

3. An illuminated structure according to claim 2, wherein said light-emitting element of said another illumination module has a first electric contact and a second electric contact;

and wherein each jack-like member of said another illumination module has a first electric conductor, which is electrically connected to said first electric contact of said light-emitting element of said another illumination module by a third electric conducting pathway, and a second electric conductor, which is electrically connected to said second electric contact of said light-emitting element of said another illumination module by a fourth electric conducting pathway.

4. An illuminated structure according to claim 3, wherein said coupler element has an inner sleeve, which is made from electric conducting material and, which is electrically connected to said first electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said one illumination module and to said first electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said another illumination module, and an outer sleeve, which is made from electric conducting material and which is electrically connected to said second electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said one illumination module and to said second electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said another illumination module, said outer sleeve being electrically insulated from said inner sleeve.

5. An illuminated structure according to claim 4, wherein said housing of said one illumination module includes first mounting means for mounting said light-emitting element of said one illumination module within said housing thereof;

and wherein said housing of said another illumination module includes second mounting means for mounting said light-emitting element of said another illumination module within said housing thereof.

6. An illuminated structure according to claim 5, wherein each of said first and second mounting means includes an electric insulator interposed between a pair of electric conducting plates, one of said plates of said first mounting means forming at least a portion of said first electric conducting pathway, while the other of said plates of said first mounting means forms at least a portion of said second electric conducting pathway, and one of said plates of said second mounting means forming at least a portion of said third electric conducting pathway, while the other of said plates of said second mounting means forms at least a portion of said fourth electric conducting pathway.

7. An illuminated structure according to claim 6, wherein said first electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said one illumination module includes a first pin-like element, which is mechanically and electrically connected to said one plate of said first mounting means, said first pin-like element being releasably received within said first plug-like end of said coupler element so as to be electrically connected to said inner sleeve of said coupler element, and wherein said second electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said one illumination module includes a first spring-like clip, which is mechanically and electrically connected to said other plate of said first mounting means, said first spring-like clip being positioned about and resiliently engaging said first plug-like end of said coupler element so as to be electrically connected to said outer sleeve of said coupler element.

8. An illuminated structure according to claim 7, wherein said first electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said another illumination module includes a second pin-like element, which is mechanically and electrically connected to said one plate of said second mounting means, said second pin-like element being releasably received within said second plug-like end of said coupler element so as to be electrically connected to said inner sleeve of said coupler element, and wherein said second electric conductor of said one jack-like member of said another illumination module includes a second spring-like clip, which is mechanically and electrically connected to said other plate of said second mounting means, said second spring-like clip being positioned about and resiliently engaging said second plug-like end of said coupler element so as to be electrically connected to said outer sleeve of said coupler element.

9. An illuminated structure according to claim 8, wherein said housing of each of said illumination modules is made from a material that is an electric insulator, at least some of said exterior surfaces of said housing being transparent such that said interior of said housing is visible through said at least some of said exterior surfaces.

10. An illuminated structure according to claim 9, wherein said coupler element includes a collar-like member that is snugly, but removably, received within said one opening of said one illumination module and said one opening of said another illumination module to thereby stabilize said illuminated structure.

11. An illuminated structure according to claim 10, wherein said first and second plug-like ends of said coupler element are oriented coaxially relative to each other, whereby said first and second axes are coaxial.

12. An illuminated structure according to claim 10, wherein said first and second pluq-like ends of said coupler element are oriented obliquely relative to each other, whereby said first and second axes are not coaxial.

13. An illuminated structure according to claim 10, wherein said coupler element has a length selected so that said one illumination module is positioned in proximal to said another illumination module whereby said one illumination module and said another illumination module are proximal to each other.

14. An illuminated structure according to claim 10, wherein said coupler element has a length selected so that said one illumination module is positioned remote from said another illumination module.

15. An illuminated structure according to claim 14, wherein said collar-like member extends radially outward from said coupler element, said collar-like member having an outer peripheral surface that is engageable with a portion of said housing of said one illumination module that surrounds said one opening of said one illumination module and with a portion of said housing of said another illumination module that surrounds said one opening of said another illumination module.

16. An illuminated structure according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said exterior surfaces of said one illumination module includes mating means for mating with a complementary mating means on a compatible module, said mating means of said one illumination module including a plurality of spaced-apart projections arranged on said at least one exterior surface of said one illumination module.

17. An illuminated structure according to claim 16, wherein said compatible module is one of said plurality of non-illumination modules.

18. An illuminated structure according to claim 17, wherein said complementary mating means includes a plurality of spaced-apart projections arranged on a surface of said compatible module and a plurality of receptacles formed between said plurality of spaced-apart projections on said surface of said compatible module, each of said receptacles on said surface of said compatible module releasably receiving a selected one of said plurality of projections of said one illumination module.

19. An illuminated structure according to claim 13, wherein said exterior surfaces of said housing of said one illumination module include a plurality of side surfaces and a pair of opposed faces, each of said openings in said housing of said one illumination module being centrally located in a corresponding one of said side surfaces of said one illumination module, and said mating means of said one illumination module being provided on one of said opposed faces of said one illumination module.

20. An illuminated structure according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of illumination modules includes at least one other illumination module;

and wherein said plurality of non-illumination modules includes another coupler element interconnecting said one illumination module with said one other illumination module, said another coupler element having a first plug-like end extending into said housing of said one illumination module through another of said openings therein and rotatably and releasably engaging said receiving end of one other of said jack-like members of said one illumination module, said one other of said jack-like members of said one illumination module being aligned with said another opening of said one illumination module to define a third axis which is arranged at an angle relative to said first axis and about which said one illumination module is rotatable, in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, relative to said another coupler element and relative to said one other illumination module, said first plug-like end of said another coupler element being disengageable from said receiving end of said one other jack-like member of said one illumination module in response to the axial movement of said one illumination module along said third axis regardless of the rotational position of said one illumination module relative to said another coupler element, and a second plug-like end extending into said housing of said one other illumination module through one of said openings therein and rotatably and releasably engaging said receiving end of one of said jack-like members of said one other illumination module, said one jack-like member of said one other illumination module being aligned with said one opening of said one other illumination module to define a fourth axis about which said one other illumination is rotatable, in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, relative to said another coupler element and relative to said one illumination module, said second plug-like end of said another coupler element being disengageable from said receiving end of said one jack-like member of said one other illumination module in response to the axial movement of said one other illumination module along said fourth axis regardless of the rotational position of said one other illumination module relative to said another coupler element, said another coupler element electrically connecting said one other jack-like member of said one illumination module to said one jack-like member of said one other illumination module to thereby illuminate said light-emitting element of said one other illumination module, and said another coupler element having sufficient flexibility such that it is bendable into a number of different positions.