Construction Toy Set

This invention relates to construction toys and, more particularly, to toys adaptable for releasable connection with tubes.

Examples of construction toys of this general type may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,808,737 and 3,648,404.

The devices of the prior art, and particularly that shown in the above-referenced patents, employ connectors having a plurality of arms extending radially therefrom with bulbous or spherical portions formed thereon for receiving pivotally thereover a deformable tubular member. However, in the prior art the connection between the tubular member and the bulbous portion on the radial arm has been performed by slitting the bulbous portion to permit compressive deformation thereof. Another known construction toy provides for controlling the dimensions of the bulbous portion and the inside diameter of the tubular member so as to create a slight interference fit upon assembly. In either of these prior art types of pivotal connection, and particularly in the latter mentioned type, close control of the tolerances on the transverse diameter of the bulbous portion and the inside diameter of the tubular member have been required in order to provide the interference fit which causes frictional engagement of the tubular member with the bulbous portion. This close control of the tolerances of the connector or spider member and the tubular member has resulted in unnecessary and costly manufacturing procedures.

The present invention provides a solution to the above-described problem of providing a spider-type connector in a construction toy set of the type having a bulbous portion formed on the end of the arms radiating from the spider element with a tubular member received over the arm. The present invention provides the bulbous portion formed on each of the radiating connector arms with a slightly elongated cross section in a direction transverse to the arm. This elongated cross section of the bulbous portion permits a plastic tubular member to be assembled thereover in a frictional engagement by deforming the transverse cross section of the plastic tube, and thereby exerting friction between the inside diameter of the tube and the bulbous portion of the spider arm.

The present invention also employs a slightly oval aperture formed in the central disk portion of the spider connector, which aperture also has received therein in slightly transversely deformed manner, a plastic tubular member which is frictionally retained therein.

The present invention thus provides a substantially planar spider-like connector element which receives tubular members over the ends of its radiating arms and also receives a tubular member therethrough in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane formed by the radiating arms; and, thus serves as a connector for tubular members arranged in orthogonal position. The present invention permits ease of manufacture of the spider element by virtue of its substantially planar configuration, and also permits ease of manufacture of the tubular members by virtue of not requiring close control of the tolerances on the inside diameter thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention showing the tubular members assembled thereto over the bulbous portions of the radiating arms and also through the central aperture provided in the spider connectors;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spider connector of FIG. 1 with tubes assembled thereon, and shows the tubes with portions thereof broken away to illustrate the radial connection to the spider member and the oval engagement of the central aperture;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along section lines 3--3 of FIG. 2, and shows the elongated configuration of the bulbous portion of a typical spider arm;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the end of one of the tubular members showing the optional slit formed therein;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the spider member having one of the tubular elements received over the bulbous portion of an arm in an alternative arrangement and at substantially right angles to the central portion of the connector;

FIG. 6 is a partial section view taken along section indicating lines 6--6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along section indicating lines 7--7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 1, the plural piece construction toy set 10 has a connector or spider member 11, which connector has a central disk-like portion 12 which central portion has a plurality of arms 13 extending therefrom in radially outwardly arrangement and preferably in the plane of the central portion 12. Each of the arms 13 has a bulbous portion 14 formed on the free end thereof, with the bulbous portion 14 preferably formed of spherical configuration and truncated by a pair of spaced parallel planes passed therethrough parallel to the plane of the central portion 11. The truncated faces 15 of each bulbous portion 14 thus provide the bulbous portion 14 with the slightly elongated configuration in a direction transverse to the arm 13 as is illustrated in somewhat greater detail in FIG. 3. The connector portion 11 is preferably molded on plastic material and, for convenience in manufacture; however, the connector 11 may also be formed of other suitable materials, as, for example, metal or wood. It has been found desirable for convenience of manufacture to provide an aperture 16 through each of the bulbous ends 14 with the apertures 16 being disposed generally at right angles to the truncated face 15.

At the root, or base, of each arm 13 is formed a shoulder portion 12a integral therewith and integral with the central portion 12 of the connector 11 with each shoulder 12a having generally the same thickness as the central disk-like portion 12. Each shoulder portion 12a has the width thereof in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the arm 13 the same, or substantially the same, as the width of the bulbous portion 14 in a direction transverse to the arm 13. The connector 11 has an aperture 17 formed centrally through the central portion 12, which aperture 17 is slightly elongated or oval in configuration for receiving therein a tubular member 20 in frictional engagement therewith. The tubular member 20 has its wall thickness generally thin with respect to the outside diameter thereof and is formed of deformable, preferably plastic, material. In the unassembled, of free state, the tubular member 20 has the outside diameter thereof slightly larger than the minor diameter of aperture 17, but less than the largest diameter of aperture 17. When pushed through the aperture 17, the tubular member 20 is deformed slightly transversely with the wall of the tubing being elongated in the direction of the major diameter of the aperture 17, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The slight transverse deformation of the tubular member 20, upon insertion into the aperture 17, creates frictional forces between the outside diameter of the tubular member 20 as it tends to spring back to its original round configuration. The tubular member 20 is thus frictionally retained in the apertures 17 and connector 11.

With reference now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a second tubular member 24 is provided and is formed of resiliently deformable, preferably plastic, material. Tubular member 24, in the undisturbed state, has the inside diameter thereof slightly smaller than the elongated or largest dimension of the spherical surface 14 in a direction transverse to arm 13, and the tube 24 has the wall thickness thereof generally thin with respect to its diameter. The tubular member 24 may be assembled over any one of the bulbous portions 14 provided on the end of the arms 13 by pushing the tubular member 24 thereover such that same is deformed in its transverse configuration, from a substantially circular cross section, to a deformed oval cross section as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The tubular member 24, when assembled over the bulbous portion 14 to a first position noted by the letter A in FIG. 2, is frictionally retained over the bulbous portion 14, but may be pivoted thereabout as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 1. When the tubular member 24 is pushed further over the bulbous portion 14 to a second position denoted by the letter B in FIG. 2, the inside diameter of the tube 24 engages the shoulder 16 provided at the base of arm 13 as illustrated in FIG. 2. When the tubular member 24 is installed in position B in FIG. 2, the tubular member is prevented from being pivoted about the arm 13 in a direction transversely thereof. However, The tubular member 24 may be rotated about the radial axis of the arm 13 if a sufficient torque is applied thereto to overcome the friction between the bulbous portion 14 and the deformed inside diameter of tubular member 24. It will, of course, be understood that a tubular member 24 may be installed over each of the arms 13 of the connector 11, and that in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tubular members have been omitted from some of the arms for clarity of illustration.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, an alternate arrangement of the tubular member 24 is shown in the form of the tubular member 30 having a slit 32 formed diametrally through one end thereof as illustrated in FIG. 4. The tubular member 30 may be assembled over the bulbous portion 14 on any of the arms 13 in a manner such that the longitudinal direction of the tube is generally at right angles to the arm 13. In this arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the slot 32 engages the arm 13, intermediate the bulbous portion and the shoulder 16, such that the tubular member 30 may be pivoted about the bulbous portion 13 but may not be rotated about its own longitudinal axis.

The present invention thus provides a unique combination construction toy set in which a central spider-like connector having a plurality of arms with bulbous portions formed on the end thereof has each of the bulbous portions transversely elongated for receiving thereover resiliently deformable end of a plastic tubular member. In one position the plastic tubular member is made to pivot about the bulbous portion, and in a second position the tubular member is locked to prevent pivotal movement thereof about the arm of the connector. If desired, the tubular member may include a slot formed in the end thereof to permit assembly of the tubular member over the bulbous portion of the arm at generally right angles to the arm and permit pivotal movement of the tubular member thereabout in a plane generally at right angles to the arm. The spider member has an oval aperture formed in the disk-like central portion such that a resiliently deformable tubular member may be received therethrough and transversely deformed for frictional engagement therewith. The present invention thus permits assembly of one tubular member onto the bulbous portions on the end of each arm and/or through a central aperture and disposed generally at right angles to the direction of the arms. The present invention permits the tubular members to be made without close control of the tolerances of the diameters thereof and permits the bulbous portions of the connectors to be made without close tolerance control of the transverse dimensions of the bulbous portions. The construction of the present invention permits ease of assembly and assured frictional engagement between, respectively, the arms and the tubular members and between the central aperture and the tubular member by relying on oval deformation of the transverse section of the tubular member.

Modifications and variations of the present invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art having read the above teachings and the present invention is thus limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.