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This invention relates in general to toys and is more particularly
concerned with separably connective flexible toys.
Numerous and varied toys have heretofore been proposed or provided,
generally of a rigid or semi-rigid construction and having various means
for separable connection. Various materials have been used in prior toys,
including various plastics. Some toys have required application thereto of
special connecting means. Other toys have had integral connecting means
generally requiring special, and often several forming dies, special
machining, and the like. Insofar as I am aware, no prior toy has been
constructed from flexible, molded or sheet-like extruded material carrying
integral fastener means on each edge of the toy members, which can be
easily pressed together for connecting the toy members together and which
can be easily separated to disconnect the members from one another, in a
large variety of combinations.
It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide
new and improved separably connective flexible toys and method of making
the same.
Another object of the invention is to provide separably connective
separable toys which are provided with rib and groove fastener means which
are easily pressed together into retaining engagement and can be readily
separated to disconnect the members from one another.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved flexible
toy which can be produced in a large variety of geometric shapes.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved
flexible toy whose members can be readily connected to themselves or to
one another to produce a wide variety of combinations, in a flat plane or
in a three dimensional structure.
According to features of the invention a separably connective flexible toy
is provided comprising a plurality of generally flat geometric flexible
toy members each of which has a plurality of edges, such edges having
resiliently flexible interlocking rib and groove separable fastener means
therealong, the fastener means being complementary along all of the edges
of the members, and the ribs and grooves of the fastener means being
easily pressed together into interhooked relation for connecting the
members to themselves or to one another and being readily separable to
disconnect the members from one another. The flexible toy members are
adapted to be economically produced by molding or from extruded plastic
sections.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily
apparent from the following description of certain representative
embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
although variations and modifications may be effected without departing
from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts embodied in the
disclosure, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a toy member embodying features of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line II--II of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 2a is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modification;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the toy member;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a plurality of the toy members connected together
in a generally coplanar or two-dimensional relationship;
FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing a plurality of the toy members
connected together in a three-dimensional relationship;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a toy member embodying features of the invention
and showing a different geometric configuration;
FIG. 7 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along the line
VII--VII of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially
along the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a modified configuration of a generally triangularly shaped toy
member of the type illustrated in FIG. 6;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a two-dimensional assembly of toy members of FIG.
6;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken
substantially along the line XI--XI of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a three-dimensional assembly of the generally triangular toy
members of FIG. 6;
FIG. 13 is a plan view of a further modified generally triangular toy
member;
FIG. 14 is a plan view of a generally square toy member configuration
embodying features of the invention;
FIG. 15 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along the line
XV--XV of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified generally square toy
member;
FIG. 17 is a two-dimensional assembly of toy members of the form of FIGS.
14 and 16;
FIG. 18 depicts a generally cubical assembly of toy members of FIG. 14;
FIG. 19 depicts a three-dimensional assembly of a combination of the toy
members of FIGS. 6 and 14;
FIG. 20 is a fragmentary plan view of an extruded blank from which
separably connective flexible toy members such as represented in FIGS. 1
and 3 are adapted to be made;
FIG. 21 is a plan view showing how elements derived from the blank of FIG.
20 may be assembled to produce the toy of FIGS. 1 and 3;
FIG. 22 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating how the toy elements
assembled as in FIG. 21 may be secured together;
FIG. 23 is a fragmentary plan view of an extruded blank from which elements
are derived for producing the flexible toy of FIG. 6;
FIG. 24 is an assembly view showing how elements derived from the blank of
FIG. 23 can be assembled to produce the toy member of FIG. 6;
FIG. 25 is a plan view of an extruded blank from which elements are derived
to produce the toy member shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 26 shows how the elements of FIG. 25 can be assembled to produce the
toy member;
FIG. 27 is a fragmentary plan view of an extruded blank from which elements
are derived for producing the toy member of FIG. 14; and
FIG. 28 is an assembly view showing how elements derived from the blank of
FIG. 27 may be put together to produce the toy member.
A variety of different forms or modifications of the present invention have
been depicted as representative, but it will be appreciated that the
principles of the invention may be embodied in still other geometric
forms, modifications, patterns, and permutations in view of the
versatility of the simple, unique structural features of the separably
connective flexible toy and the new and improved method of making the
same.
FIGS. 1-5 are representative of generally star-shaped geometric forms
according to the invention. Each star-shaped toy member 30 (FIG. 1) may
have as many generally radial projections or arms 31 as desired within the
limits of separably connective feasibility. In the illustrated instance
there are eight of the arms 31 equidistantly circumferentially spaced and
radiating from a central body 32. The generally flat geometric toy member
30 is made from a suitable flexibly resilient material, desirably
comprising a synthetic thermoplastic such as polyvinyl chloride or
polyethylene, which can be readily molded or extruded.
Along each of the edges of the toy member 30 incorporating the arms 31 are
provided resiliently flexible interlocking rib and groove separable
fastener means 33 by which a plurality of the toy members can be easily
connected to one another to provide various toy configurations and can be
disconnected at will. For this purpose, each of the fastener means 33
comprises at least one, but preferably a plurality in the illustrated
instance two, fastener ribs 34 and complementary grooves 35, which extend
parallel to the respective edges. Each of the fastener ribs 34 is of
generally hook-like profile providing an undercut tooth facing into the
contiguous groove. Through this arrangement, the fastener means 33 can be
easily pressed together into interlocked relation for connecting a
plurality of the members 30 to one another and are separable for
disconnecting the members from one another, by moving the interlocked
members in opposite directions so that they slide by each other. That is,
by placing that fastener means areas 33 of any two of the members 30 into
fastening registration of the complementary ribs and grooves and pressing
the thus registered fastening areas together, the resiliently flexible
hook-like ribs 34 will readily deform and drop into the complementary
grooves 35 wherein the ribs assume their unrestrained configuration and
become interlocked at the undercut teeth 37. Depending on the resilient
stiffness of the material, and the dimensions of the ribs and grooves, the
interlocked engagement will persist with substantial resistance to pulling
apart separation, so that the toy members 30 will be effectively held
together in the preferred connected orientation. However, when it is
desired to disconnect the members 30 from one another, the ribs and
grooves of the fastener means areas 33 can be separated by moving one
interlocked member in one direction and the other member in the opposing
direction, thereby sliding them past each other into a disengaged mode.
Another method of separation can be provided by attaching an integrally
formed opening lip 33a as in FIG. 2a to the edge of the fastening area 33'
and using this lip to peel apart the interlocking ridges from the grooves
containing them. These methods of engagement and disengagement allow the
fastening means 33, 33' to be securely interlocked yet remain relatively
flat and have an engaged thickness of under 100 mils.
In one preferred form, each of the arms 31 in longitudinal alignment with
one another have the ribs 34 and grooves 35 of their respective fastener
areas 33 facing toward the respective opposite faces of the toy member 30.
Although the facing orientation of the fastener areas 33 may be alternated
about the circumference of the member 30, they may be oriented in any
other preferred arrangement, such as shown wherein four of the adjacent
areas 33 face in one direction and the remaining four adjacently located
areas face in the opposite direction.
Although the arms 31 may be thin and easily flexible, the fasteners 33 are
preferably of a stiffer resilient flexibility to enhance the interlocking
retention of the ribs 34 in the grooves 35. This relative stiffness
relationship provides a resilient hinge 38 at juncture of each of the
fastener areas 33 with its associated arm 31, permitting relative hinging
movement of the fastener area as represented by the dash outline in FIG.
2.
Instead of having the ribs and grooves of the fastener areas 33 of the
aligned arms facing in respectively opposite directions, the fastener
areas may be oriented to face in the same direction as represented in FIG.
3 wherein the generally flat geometric flexible toy member 30' has arms
31' radiating from a body 32' and along the edges provided by the arms 31'
has respective fastener means areas 33' in which the interlocking ribs 34'
and grooves 35' face in the same direction, that is toward the same face
plane of the member 30' on each of the aligned arms 31'. Although the
arrangement may be such that all of the ribs and grooves face in the same
direction, any other preferred relationship may be provided such, for
example, as shown wherein the fastener areas 33' are alternately reversed
circumferentially about the member 30'.
Various toy configurations can be constructed by fastening a plurality of
the toy members together, a two-dimensional arrangement being depicted in
FIG. 4 wherein a plurality of the toy members 30 have been interconnected.
It will be understood that similar toy configurations can be produced with
the toy members 30'. By virtue of the hinged connection of the fastener
areas 33 to the arms 31, various three-dimensional configurations can be
attained by connection of the members 30 to one another, as represented in
FIG. 5 where a generally cubical configuration is shown. This
configuration can be expanded to provide a ring or spherical shaped
configuration having more than four of the members 30.
Various pleasing effects can also be attained by bending the aligned arms
31 of the member 30 toward one another and securing the fastener means 33
thereof together, as depicted in dash outline in FIG. 5 wherein two of the
arms 31 are looped over the body 32 and fastened to the other. If desired
any remaining two aligned arms 31 may be looped over the connected arms
and fastened together. Other ornamental effects can be attained by, for
example, interlooping the connected arms loops of a plurality of the
members 30.
In FIGS. 6-13 separably connective flexible toy configurations involving
generally triangular basic units are provided represented by the toy
member 40 in FIG. 6, the toy member 40' in FIG. 9, and the toy member 40"
in FIG. 13 as examples of this geometric configuration. The toy member 40
is shown as having a generally flat body 41 of regular triangular outline
provided along each of its three edges with a respective fastener means
area 42 having generally hook-shaped profile fastener ribs 43 and
contiguous complementary grooves 44 (FIGS. 7 and 8) adapted to receive the
ribs of another of the members 40 in interlocked relation (FIGS. 10 and
11). By virtue of flexible hinge connection 45 of the fastener areas 42
with the member bodies 41, three-dimensional connection of the members 40
may be effected as depicted in FIG. 12, as well as the two-dimensional
arrangement represented in FIG. 10. Relatively easy pressure coupling of
the fastener areas 42 is afforded similarly as described in connection
with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5. Separation is effected by peeling apart
the fastener areas from their free ends or as indicated in FIG. 2a.
While in one preferred arrangement, the opposite ends of the fastener areas
42 are substantially squared off as shown in FIG. 6, a generally dove tail
slightly elongated arrangement of the fastener end areas 42' along the
edges of the body 41' of the member 40' may be provided as shown.
Instead of having the sides of the member 40" straight as in the members 40
and 40', an arcuate formation of the edges of the body 41" may be
provided, wherein the interhooking rib and groove fastener areas 42" along
the edges follow the same arcuate contour. To enable attaching one of the
members 40" to another of the members 40", every alternate one of the
members to be attached must have the connective fastener areas 42"
complementally oppositely arched, that is where one is convexly curved as
shown in full outline, the other must be concavely curved as represented
in dash outline.
To provide more interesting appearance, the bodies, 41, 41' and 41" may be
provided with interesting ornamental treatment which may be embossed or,
as shown, perforated therein, herein shown as an ornamental, in this
instance triangular opening 47 in FIG. 6, 47' in FIG. 9 and 47" in FIG.
13.
FIGS. 14-18 depict a separable connective flexible toy embodying
substantially rectangular, in this instance square, toy members 50 each of
which comprises a body 51 having along its edges resiliently flexible
interlocking rib and groove separable fastener means areas 52. Each of the
fastener areas 52 has hook shaped profile ribs 53 and contiguous
complementary rib-receiving interlock grooves 54. A resiliently flexible
hinge juncture 55 is provided between each of the fasteners 52 and the
body 51. As shown in FIG. 14 the fastener areas 52 may all have the ribs
and grooves facing toward one face of the toy member 50, or as shown in
FIG. 16 one or more of the fastener areas may be reversed so that the toy
member 50' has along the edges of the body 51' rib and groove fastener
means areas 52' in which the ribs and grooves face is alternately opposite
directions.
The members 50, or 50', as the case may be, may be connected together
through interlocking of the fastener areas 52 or 52' to produce various
two-dimensional arrangements wherein the toy members may be aligned or
relatively offset as preferred. Where a pair of the members 50, 50' are
aligned, another of the members 50 may be connected thereto as shown at
the top of FIG. 17 with one of its fastener areas 52 spanning between and
connected to the aligned fastener areas of the aligned members. By virtue
of hinge connections 55 between the fastener areas 52 and the body 51 of
the member 50, three-dimensional toy configurations are readily built up
as shown in FIG. 18 where a generally cubical shape is shown and wherein
all of the contiguous edges of the members 50 are fastened together by
means of the pressure interlocking fastener means 52. For ornamental
purposes and to facilitate manipulation, the members 50 may be provided
with apertures 57 in the body 51. These apertures also have a functional
purpose in that they provide a means of getting behind the fastener areas
inside the closed shapes such as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 to permit the
application of the closing pressure required from both sides of the
fastener areas so as to press the ribs and grooves into interlocking
relationship.
Interesting and varied toy configurations are attainable by combining the
various basic unit members. For example, in FIG. 19 there is shown
combination of the generally triangular toy members 40 and generally
rectangular toy members 50 to produce a three-dimensional toy
configuration. Of course, larger and more complex three-dimensional
figures can also be built by using more members.
Economical mass production of the various toy members may be by forming the
members from extruded sections of the thermoplastic material. For example,
the toy members 30 and 30' of FIGS. 1 and 3 may be constructed from
sections derived from a continuous extruded blank 60 having the fastener
means 33 formed continuously along opposite edges of the continuous web of
the blank. To produce the toy member, the extruded blank 60 is severed
along parallel lines 61 to produce strips 62 each of which has one of the
fastener areas 33 at each opposite end, and said fastener areas may face
in the same direction or in opposite directions. Although the strips 62
may be used of themselves as toy members to be assembled with other like
toy members or with other geometric forms of toy members, and in a kit
having a selection of toy members where there may be a number of the
strips 62, assembling of the strips 62 as elements to form parts of
respective toy members 30, in the manner depicted in FIG. 21 is an
important and generally predominant use for the strips 62. In this method
of making the members 30, the desired plurality of the strips 62 is
assembled in crossing relation as shown and with the strips uniformly
spaced circumferentially, but the center portions of the strips disposed
in laminar relation. Then, by electronic or heat welding technique as
depicted in FIG. 22, the overlapping central portions of the strips 62 are
fused together between an anvil 63 and a fusing head or die 64 which
presses the assembly against the anvil 63 while applying the fusing heat.
The end result is the toy member 30.
In similar method, the toy members 40 are efficiently produced from an
extruded plastic strip 70 (FIG. 23) which has the rib and groove fastener
means 42 along each longitudinal edge so that when the extruded web strip
70 is severed into generally triangular elements 71, each of the elements
will have a section of the fastener means 42 along one edge. Then, by
assembling the sectional elements 71 in superposed, laminar relation, with
one of the fastener areas 42 along each side of the triangular assembly,
and bonding the elements 71 as by fusing into a single member, the
triangular member 40 is the result. Before assembly of the element 71, or
after the assembly has been completed, the hole 47 may be punched therein.
To make the toy member 40' of FIG. 9, the method steps represented in FIGS.
25 and 26 may be followed. For this purpose, a continuous thermoplastic
strip 72 is extruded having along one longitudinal edge the fastener means
42'. The strip blank 72 is severed at predetermined intervals into
sectional elements 73 by removing suitable triangular portions 74 having
an apex at the fastener means edge of the strip, thereby providing the
sections 73 with convergently oblique opposite ends as shown. Then, by
assembling three of the sectional elements 73 in the manner depicted in
FIG. 26, with the fastener means 42' along the outer edges of the
triangular assembly, and bonding the overlapping flat end portions of the
elements 73 to one another as by fusing them together, the resulting
object is one of the toy members 40' wherein the central opening 47' may
be automatically formed within the outline of the three section
configuration.
To the same effect, making of the separably connective flexible toy member
50' of FIG. 16 may involve the use of the extruded strip blank 72 which
for this purpose will be cut into sectional elements along lines normal to
the axis of the strip blank so that four of the square end elements with
the fastener means along the outer edges of the rectangular assembly, may
be suitably oriented in lapping relation at their ends and then said
lapping end portions being bonded together as by fusing to produce the
unitary member 50'.
Production of the separably connective flexible toy member 50 may be
effected by employing substantially the same method, as represented in
FIGS. 27 and 28. A continuous strip blank 80 of the plastic material is
extruded and provided along both longitudinal edges with the fastener
means 52. The strip blank is then severed along severence lines 81 into
uniform sections 82 of a width substantially the same as the distance
between the inside edges of the fastener means areas 52. Before,
simultaneously with, or after severing along the lines 81, central
portions of the sections 82 may be punched out as indicated at 83 to
produce the opening 57 in the finished member 50. By assembling pairs of
the elements 82 into superposed laminar relation as represented in FIG.
28, with the severed edges of the elements 82 along the insides of the
fastener means areas 52 of the companion element in each instance, and
bonding the elements together as by fusing, the completed member 50 will
be provided wherein each edge of the member will have one of the fastener
means areas 52. All of the ribs and grooves 53 and 54 may be oriented
toward one face of the member or by relatively reversing the elements 82
before fusing them together, the fastener areas 52 along two opposite
edges may face one direction and the other two areas 52 may face in the
opposite direction. In the completed member 50, the preformed openings 83
in the elements 82 will register in alignment to provide the opening 57 in
the member 50. If preferred, of course, the opening 57 may be omitted, or
it may be punched in the member 50 after assembly of the elements 82 has
been effected.
It will be understood that for fusing the elements 71 of FIG. 24, or the
elements 73 of FIG. 26, or the elements 82 of FIG. 28, similar electronic
or heat sealing apparatus such as the apparatus 63, 64 of FIG. 22 may be
employed, suitably dimensioned to accommodate the particular geometric
configuration of the member being made.
In order to produce the toy member 40" of FIG. 13 substantially similar
method steps as described in connection with FIGS. 25 and 26 may be
employed except that the strip blank from which elements are derived for
building up the member will be extruded in a generally helical form to
provide the convex or concave fastener means edges on the elements to
provide the corresponding curved shape for the edges of the member 40".
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides
a unique toy capable of numerous and varied geometrical configuration
embodiments wherein individual separably connective flexible toy members
of various geometric shapes will provide two or three-dimensional forms by
connecting the same geometric shapes to one another or by mixing various
shapes in a built-up form. By selection of various colors for the basic
toy member units monochromatic or multi-color basic toy members or units
may be produced, and by provision of different colors in different member
units varicolored assemblies can be produced. Although a few
representative assembled forms have been depicted, numerous and varied
other forms can be made up according to the ingenuity of the user. The toy
provides not only an interesting amusement device for pure pleasure, but
also provides an educational device such as for various learning
activities by providing manual dexterity training, perceptual
differentiation training, artistic ability and imagination development. It
may serve as a device for therapeutic activity.
It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected
without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this
invention.
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