WO2008078942A1

WO2008078942A1 - Angle-adjustable assembling toy

Info

Publication number: WO2008078942A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/006784
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sun Woo Chun
Original assignee: Sun Woo Chun
Priority date: 2006-12-26
Filing date: 2007-12-24
Publication date: 2008-07-03
Also published as: KR100853490B1; KR20080059894A

Abstract

The invention relates to an angle-adjustable construction toy which includes a toy member and a coupling member, and in which the coupling member can be coupled to the toy member at a variety of angles so that the construction toy can express a variety of structures. The angle-adjustable construction toy includes a toy member having an assembly opening portion with a plurality of assembly grooves arranged along an outer surface thereof and a female coupling portion provided by the assembly opening portion, which is penetrated; and a coupling member having a plurality of coupling protrusions that can be selectively coupled to the coupling grooves at a variety of angles and a male coupling portion with a holding portion which holds the coupling protrusion when the coupling protrusion is attached to or detached from the female coupling portion.

Description

Description ANGLE-ADJUSTABLE ASSEMBLING TOY

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an angle-adjustable construction toy, and more particularly to an angle-adjustable construction toy which includes a toy member and a coupling member, and in which the coupling member can be attached to the toy member at various angles so that the coupling member can be freely combined with the toy member, and it is possible to construct a toy in a variety of postures. Background Art

[2] In the past, various construction toys, such as chain-type construction toys and block-type construction toys, have included assembly parts consisting of male pieces and female pieces or assembly parts, each with both a male portion and a female portion, so that it is possible to express what a user wants using the construction toys.

[3] However, when using the above-mentioned conventional construction toys, the assembly parts are combined with each other at a fixed angle or within a small angular range, so that it is difficult to construct a structure in a variety of postures. Accordingly, the constructed structure is static, and thus a user easily tires of the toys.

[4] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, Korean Utility Model Registration

No. 0378813 (hereinafter, referred to as the first related art) discloses a construction toy in which assembly parts can be combined in both directions, and a male portion of the assembly part can be combined with a female portion of another assembly part in the state in which it penetrates through a penetration hole of a rotating assembly plate, so that the assembly parts can move freely thanks to the rotating assembly plate, and thus it is possible to construct a structure in a variety of postures.

[5] The first related art is disadvantageous in that it includes the rotating assembly plate in addition to assembly parts consisting of male pieces and female pieces.

[6] There is another related art, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0401684

(hereinafter, referred to as the second related art) which was filed by the present applicant. The second related art discloses a construction toy which can construct a desired structure by assembling a plurality of blocks, which can be connected in a male and female coupling manner. The block includes a first element, provided with a first coupling portion, and a second element, provided with a second coupling portion, and the first element and the second element are coupled detachably and rotatably by predetermined coupling means. That is, according to this technique, the first element and the second element are not coupled in a manner such that two coupling portions are integrally attached to one block, but are coupled in a manner such that the first element, provided with the first coupling portion, and the second element, provided with the second coupling portion, are coupled detachably and rotatably so as to form a unit block.

[7] In the coupled structure, an elastic coupling protrusion is elastically inserted into a coupling groove, and a locking protrusion of the second element is inserted into one of the locking grooves provided to the first element at regular intervals. After that, the first element and the second element are rotated relative to each other so as to be temporarily locked. Accordingly, the coupling state is maintained as long as pulling force is provided to the coupled structure.

[8] The second related art is disadvantageous in that the number of assembly parts is decreased to half of the total number of pieces, because the construction toy is used in the state in which the first element and the second element are coupled, and thus it is difficult to form a structure in a variety of postures. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] The invention is provided in order to solve the above-described problems, and thus the invention provides an angle-adjustable construction toy in which a female coupling portion is provided with a plurality of assembly grooves arranged at regular intervals and which includes a coupling member provided with a plurality of coupling protrusions that can be coupled to the assembly grooves at a variety of angles so that the construction toy of the invention can express a structure in a variety of forms. The invention provides an angle-adjustable construction toy in which a coupling member is provided with a holding portion so that the coupling member can be attached to a toy member with a weaker force. The invention provides an angle-adjustable construction toy, which is advantageous in that it is compatible with conventional construction toys. Technical Solution

[10] In order to achieve the objects of the invention, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an angle-adjustable construction toy including a toy member having an assembly opening portion with a plurality of assembly grooves arranged along an outer surface thereof, and a female coupling portion provided by the assembly opening portion, which is penetrated; and a coupling member having a plurality of coupling protrusions that can be selectively coupled to the assembly grooves at a variety of angles, and a male coupling portion with a holding portion which is used when the coupling protrusion is attached to or detached from the female coupling portion.

Advantageous Effects

[11] The angle-adjustable construction toy of the invention is advantageous in that parts of the construction toy can be coupled at a variety of angles, and thus it is possible to express a more natural structure, and the parts can be easily detached from and attached to each other thanks to the holding portion.

[12] The angle-adjustable construction toy of the invention is also advantageous in that it is possible to construct a variety of structures with basic toy members, and thus it is possible to reduce the number of toy members, which leads to easy manufacture, management, and use of the toy.

[13] The angle-adjustable construction toy of the invention is still further advantageous in that it is compatible with known construction toys, so that it is possible to prevent the situation where the toy cannot be used because a couple of toy members have gone missing. Yet further, since a user can assemble the toy members in many directions and can easily adjust the coupling angle, the construction toy is helpful in encouraging the creativity of a user. Brief Description of the Drawings

[14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a toy member and a coupling member of a construction toy according to one embodiment of the invention;

[15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the coupled structure of the construction toy of FIG. 1;

[16] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the construction toy of FIG. 1, which is coupled at a variety of angles;

[17] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a construction toy according to another embodiment of the invention; and

[18] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a constructed structure formed by using the toy members and the coupling members of the construction toy according to the invention.

[19] <Brief description of key elements in the drawings>

[20] 10: Toy member 11: Female coupling portion

[21] 12: Assembly opening portion 13: Assembly groove

[22] 15: Coupling surface 20: Coupling members

[23] 21: Coupling portion 22: Male coupling portion

[24] 23: Coupling protrusion 24: Coupling edge

[25] 25: Corresponding coupling surface

[26] 26: Holding portion

[27] 27: Anti-slipping protrusion

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[28] The features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Terms used in the specification and claims of the invention may not be intended to adhere exclusively to dictionary definitions, but may refer to meanings and concepts in accordance with the technical spirit of the invention on the ground that an inventor can act as his or her own lexicographer in order to explain his or her invention in the best way.

[29] Accordingly, the structure described in this specification and the drawings is for illustrative purposes only, but does not fully represent the spirit of the invention, and thus it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

[30] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a toy member and a coupling member of a construction toy according to one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the coupled structure of the construction toy of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the construction toy of FIG. 1, which is coupled at a variety of angles, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a construction toy according to another embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a constructed structure formed by using the toy members and the coupling members of the construction toy according to the invention.

[31] As shown in the drawings, the construction toy of the invention includes a toy member 10 and a coupling member 20. The toy member 10 is provided with a female coupling portion 11, which is formed to penetrate the toy member. The female coupling portion 11 is provided with assembly grooves 13, arranged at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of an assembly opening portion 12 of the female coupling portion 11.

[32] The assembly grooves 13 are arranged at regular intervals along the outer circumferential surface of the assembly opening portion 12, and are adjacent to coupling surfaces 15, each having a predetermined width and coming into contact with the coupling member 20, which will be described later.

[33] The coupling surface 15 is combined with a corresponding coupling surface of the coupling member 20, so that it enhances the coupling force between the toy member 10 and the coupling member 20. Thus, it is possible to prevent the toy member 10 and the coupling member 20 from being decoupled by an external shock.

[34] The toy member 10 is coupled to the coupling member 20 by the assembly grooves

13 of the female coupling portion 10 and the coupling surfaces 15. The coupling angle between the toy member 10 and the coupling member 20 is adjusted by the angle at which the coupling member 20 is coupled to the assembly grooves 13, and the toy member 10 and the coupling member 20 have a strong coupling force therebetween due to the coupling surfaces 15.

[35] The coupling member 20, provided with a male coupling portion 22, which is coupled to the female coupling portion 11, has a coupling portion 21 which has a plurality of coupling protrusions 23 arranged at regular intervals, so that the coupling protrusions 23 are coupled to the assembly grooves 13. The coupling portion 21 is formed on one side of the coupling member 20, or is provided to the coupling member 20 in a laterally or vertically symmetric manner, so that it is possible to construct a variety of forms of structures.

[36] In addition, the coupling portion 21 is further provided with a holding portion 26, which facilitates coupling and decoupling between the coupling portion 21 and the female coupling portion 11. The holding portion 26 is disposed at a center portion of the coupling portion 21, and it is preferable that the holding portion 26 be disposed on a central axis extending in a coupling direction in which the female coupling portion 11 and the coupling portion 21 are coupled to each other, in order to prevent the coupling portion from being moved to one side of the coupled structure when coupling and decoupling the coupling portion 21 to and from the female coupling portion 11.

[37] The assembly grooves 13 of the female coupling portion 11 and the coupling protrusions 23 of the male coupling portion 22 are provided with inclined surfaces 13a and 23a having a predetermined angle therebetween. Accordingly, even if the coupling protrusions 23 approach the assembly grooves 13 in a mismatched state, the coupling protrusions 23 and the assembly grooves 13 can be coupled to each other because the coupling protrusions 23 are guided by the inclined surfaces 23 a. Further, since the inclined surfaces 13a and 23a are in tight contact with each other when the coupling protrusions 23 and the assembly grooves 13 are coupled to each other, the inclined surfaces 13a and 23a increase the coupling force between the toy member and the coupling member.

[38] The coupling portion 21 is disposed between the coupling protrusions 23, to which a plurality of coupling edges 24 is adjacent, so that the coupling edges 24 are coupled to the assembly grooves 13 of the female coupling portion 11. Each of the coupling edges 24 has an angle of 90 degrees, and the assembly grooves 13 have an angle in the range of 100 to 120 degrees. Accordingly, the coupling edge 24 is not in surface contact with the assembly groove 13, but is in line contact with the assembly groove 13. Accordingly, a contact portion 24a of the coupling edge 24 is inserted relatively deeply into the female coupling portion 11 in comparison with the coupling protrusion 23, so that it is possible to prevent the coupling member 20 and the toy member 10 from swaying, and to decouple the toy member 10 and the coupling member 20 from each other with relatively little force.

[39] The holding portion 26 of the coupling member 20 is further provided with an anti- slipping protrusion 27, which prevents a user's hand from slipping from the coupling member 20 when a user attaches the coupling member 20 to the toy member 10, and thus it improves the safety of the construction toy, which is generally used by children.

[40] As shown in FIG. 4, the toy member 10 has a polygonal shape. The toy member 10 is provided with the female coupling portion 11, and is further provided with a male coupling portion 22' having the same shape as the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20 on one surface thereof. The male coupling portion 22' plays the same role as the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20 when the toy member is coupled to a different toy member.

[41] Further, a toy member 10' in a triangular form is provided with a female coupling portion 11' in an inside thereof. The female coupling portion 11 ' is coupled to the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20.

[42] Further, by installing the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20 on one surface of a toy member 10" of a conventional chain-type construction toy, the toy member 10' can be coupled to the toy member 10" of the conventional chain-type construction toy at a variety of angles.

[43] That is, since it is possible to combine the toy member of the invention and the toy member of the conventional construction toy without using additional coupling members, it is possible to construct a variety of forms of structures using both the construction toy of the invention together with a conventional construction toy. The construction toy of the invention can be used together with a variety of toy members by using the coupling member 20 provided with the male coupling portion 22.

[44] Hereinafter, the use of the construction toy of the invention will be described.

[45] First, the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20 is coupled to the female coupling portion 11 of the toy member 10. At this time, it is possible to easily and conveniently couple the coupling member to the toy member by holding the holding portion 26 provided to the coupling member 20.

[46] When the coupling protrusions 23 formed on the male coupling portion 22 are inserted into the assembly grooves 13 in the female coupling portion 11, the coupling edges provided to the male coupling portion 22 are first inserted into the assembly grooves 13 before the coupling protrusions 23 are inserted into the assembly grooves 13 in order to set the coupling angle and enhance the coupling force.

[47] When the coupling protrusions 23 are coupled to the assembly grooves 13, the inclined surface 23 a of the coupling protrusion 23 is smoothly guided along the inclined surface 13a of the assembly groove 13. Accordingly, the coupling member and the toy member can be attached to or detached from each other with weak force.

[48] Since the assembly grooves 13 of the female coupling portion 11 and the coupling protrusions 23 of the male coupling portion 22 are provided with the inclined surfaces 13a and 23a, the coupling protrusions 23 are guided by the inclined surfaces 13a so as to be coupled to the assembly grooves 13, even though the coupling protrusions 23 approach the assembly grooves 13 in a mismatched state. Further, the coupling force between the toy member and the coupling member is enhanced thank to the inclined surfaces 13a and 23a, because the inclined surfaces 13a and 23 come to be in tight contact with each other.

[49] It is preferable that the coupling protrusions 23 of the male coupling portion 22 and the coupling edges 24 be coupled to the assembly grooves 13 of the female coupling portion 11 at regular angular intervals, but they may be coupled at different angular intervals, according to a user's intention or in order to diversify the product design.

[50] Since the holding portion 26 of the coupling portion 21 is provided with the anti- slipping protrusion 27, it is possible for a user to more safely use the construction toy and to attach and detach the toy member to and from the coupling member using little force.

[51] In addition, when the male coupling portion 22 of the coupling member 20 is integrally formed with a variety of types of construction toys, it is possible to construct a variety of structures by combining the male coupling portion 22 with the female coupling portion 11. Conversely, the female coupling portion may be integrally formed with a variety of types of construction toys.

[52] That is, since it is possible to construct a variety of structures by integrally forming the female coupling portion 11 or the male coupling portion 22 with a couple of types of construction toys and combining them therewith, the construction toy of the invention is advantageous in that it can be compatible with conventional construction toys, which are already popular, and it is possible to express a variety of forms of structures.

[53] The conventional block-type construction toys can be assembled in one direction, for example in a vertical direction. However, the construction toy of the invention can be assembled in many directions according to a user's intension. Further, since it is possible to easily adjust the coupling angle when assembling the construction toy, the construction toy of the invention increases the creativity of a user.

Claims

[1] An angle-adjustable construction toy, comprising: a toy member having an assembly opening portion with a plurality of assembly grooves arranged along an outer surface thereof and a female coupling portion defined by the assembly opening portion, which is penetrated; and a coupling member having a plurality of coupling protrusions that can be selectively coupled to the coupling grooves at a variety of angles and a male coupling portion with a holding portion which holds the coupling protrusion when the coupling protrusion is attached to or detached from the female coupling portion, wherein the female coupling portion has a plurality of assembly grooves arranged at regular intervals along an outer surface thereof, and the assembly opening portion penetrates through the toy member, and wherein the assembly opening portion further includes a coupling surface having a predetermined width, which is disposed in front of the assembly grooves.

[2] The angle-adjustable construction toy according to claim 1, wherein the male coupling portion is structured in a manner such that the coupling portions provided with the coupling protrusions are symmetrically arranged, and wherein the coupling portion further includes the holding portion, which is disposed between two coupling protrusions, to which a plurality of coupling edges is adjacent, and is provided on a central axis thereof.

[3] The angle-adjustable construction toy according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the toy member has a polygonal shape and has a male coupling portion having the same shape as the male coupling portion of the coupling member on one surface thereof.

[4] The angle-adjustable construction toy according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion further includes an anti-slipping protrusion.