Building block and building block kit

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910899948.8, filed Sep. 23, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in its entirety.

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to building blocks, and particularly to a building block kit including building blocks that are connected to one another by snap fit connection.

2. Description of Related Art

A wide variety of block toys presently exist, including those permitting connection of individual blocks by mutually snapping concave portions and convex portions formed in and on the individual blocks and those making use of a magnet arranged on a block and a magnetic member arranged on another block so that these blocks can be connected together by magnetic force. Although these block engagement means can work well for connecting the blocks together, it is still desirable and useful to provide a building block kit including building blocks that are connected to one another by a new connection mechanism.

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of two building blocks according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of one of the building blocks of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the building blocks of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the other building block of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the building blocks of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a building block kit including building blocks of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 , but differs in the number and perspective of the building blocks.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first engaging portion engaged with a second engaging portion of two building blocks.

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean “at least one” embodiment.

The terms “upper”, “lower”, “left” and “right”, indicating the orientational or positional relationship based on the orientational or positional relationship shown in the drawings, are merely for convenience of description, but are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or elements must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. The meaning of “multiple” is two or more, unless expressly stated otherwise.

The present disclosure provides a building block including at least one of a plug portion and a socket portion. For example, in one embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1-4 , a building block 10 includes only a plug portion, and a building block 20 includes both a plug portion and a socket portion. A person having ordinary skill in the art will realize that a building block according to the present disclosure may include only a socket portion according to need. The building block 10 may also be referred to as a male building block. The building block having a socket portion may also be referred to as a female building block.

In one embodiment, the building block 10 includes a plug portion 101 that includes a cuboid main body 11 and two cantilevered tongues 12 that are spaced apart from and deflectable toward each other. Each of the two cantilevered tongues 12 includes a first engaging portion 13 at an end thereof. The second building block 20 includes a plug portion 201 and a socket portion 202 , each of which includes a main body. In the embodiment, the plug portion 201 and the socket portion 202 share a same main body 21 . The plug portion 201 and the plug portion 101 have the same configuration. The socket portion 202 further includes two outer plates 22 protruding from an outer surface of the main body 21 . The two outer plates 22 define corporately a chamber 203 (see FIG. 5 ) therebetween. The socket portion 202 further includes two second engaging portions 23 that are respectively arranged on the two outer plates 22 . In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , one first engaging portion 13 protrude from an upper surface of one cantilevered tongue 12 , and the other first engaging portion 13 protrude from a lower surface of the other cantilevered tongue 12 . In the embodiment, each of the second engaging portions 23 define a recess (see FIG. 5 ). In an alternative embodiment, the recesses may be formed in the first engaging portions 13 and the second engaging portions 23 may be protrusion protrude from the outer plates 22 .

The plug portion 101 and the socket portion 202 are configured in such a way that the plug portion 101 of the building block 10 is insertable into the chamber 203 of the socket portion 202 of the building block 20 , and the two cantilevered tongues 12 of the building block 10 deflect toward each other after insertion of the plug portion 101 into the chamber 203 of the socket portion 202 , which allows the first engaging portions 13 of the building block 10 to be engaged with the second engaging portions 23 of the building block 20 (see FIG. 8 ), thereby detachably connecting the two building blocks 10 and 20 together. In the embodiment, the engagement of the first engaging portions 13 with the second engaging portions 23 means that the first engaging portions 13 are respectively received in the recesses of the second engaging portions 23 .

It should be noted that since the plug portion 201 and the plug portion 101 have the same configuration, two building blocks 20 can be detachably connected to each other by engagement between the plug portion 201 of one building block 20 with the socket portion 202 of the other building block 20 . The engagement between the plug portion 201 with the socket portion 202 are achieved the same way as the engagement between the plug portion 101 with the socket portion 202 described above.

With such configuration, two building blocks of the present disclosure can be firmly connected to each other, and will not be disengaged from each other without an external force from a user. In addition, the deflection of the cantilevered tongues is used to realize the engagement between the first and second engaging portions, which has low requirements on molds, reduces production cost, and greatly improves the competitiveness. Furthermore, the size and the number of the first engaging portions 13 and the recesses of the second engaging portions 23 can vary so as to provide different level of firmness of connection between two building blocks.

In one embodiment, the main body 11 includes three side walls 111 , 112 and 113 that are connected to one another, and two inner plates 114 and 115 arranged within a space defined by the three side walls 111 , 112 and 113 and connected to the three side walls 111 , 112 and 113 . The two cantilevered tongues 12 protrude from the side wall 112 that are connected to both of the two side walls 111 and 113 . Each of the two inner plates 114 and 115 defines a through hole 16 , and the two cantilevered tongues 12 are respectively received in the through holes 16 of the two inner plates 114 and 115 .

The three side walls 111 , 112 and 113 and the two inner plates 114 and 115 corporately define two receiving spaces 14 with an opening 15 . The two outer plates 22 of the building block 20 can be respectively inserted, through the openings 15 , into the two receiving spaces 14 of the building block 10 or another building block 20 . The two engaging portions 13 protruding from the two cantilevered tongues 12 are respectively located in the two receiving spaces 14 . During insertion of the outer plates 22 , they will first come into contact with the two engaging portions 13 . Since each engaging portion 13 has a curved surface, the outer plates 22 can continue moving after they come into contact with the curved surfaces. The cantilevered tongues 12 are then be pressed to deflect toward each other. After the outer plates 22 move to their desired positions, the engaging portions 13 are received in the recesses of the second engaging portions 23 , thereby connecting the building block 20 to the building block 10 or another building block 20 .

In one embodiment, a guiding structure is provided to guide the building block 10 to move with respect to the building block 20 . Specifically, the two inner plates 114 and 115 corporately define a hollow space 17 therebetween, and the socket portion 202 include a block 24 arranged between the two outer plates 22 . The block 24 is sized and shaped according to the hollow space 17 . The block 24 of the building block 20 can be fit in the hollow space 17 of the building block 10 or another building block 20 . With such arrangement, the block 24 of the building block 20 guides the building block 10 or another building block 20 when a user attempts to connect them together.

In one embodiment, the through holes 16 respectively communicate with the receiving spaces 14 and the hollow space 17 . During insertion of the outer plates 22 into the receiving spaces 14 , the outer plates 22 move in the receiving space 14 and the block 24 moves in the hollow space 17 . During their movement, the outer plates 22 will press the cantilevered tongues 12 to deflect and come into contact with the block 24 . Each cantilevered tongue 12 is then sandwiched between the block 24 and one outer plate 22 .

In one embodiment, the hollow space 17 has a rectangular, circular or trapezoidal cross section, and a cross section of the block 24 is shaped and sized according to the cross section of the hollow space 17 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 , in one embodiment, the side wall 112 from which the cantilevered tongues 12 protrude defines a first orifice 18 extending therethrough, and the block 24 defines a second orifice 25 corresponding to the first orifice 18 . With such arrangement, a pin can be inserted through the first orifice 18 and into the second orifice 25 , and an external decoration member or an external extension member can be connected to the building blocks through the pin.

In one embodiment, the structure of the main body 21 of the building block 20 is the same as that of the building block 10 . It should be noted that the structure of the main body 21 may be different from that of building block 10 .

In one embodiment, the socket portion 202 further includes two additional outer plates 22 a protruding from the main body 21 . The two additional outer plates 22 a are shaped and sized in the same way the two outer plates 22 , and extend in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the two outer plates 22 , or in a direction opposite the extending direction of the two outer plates 22 . That is, as shown in FIG. 1 , the two additional outer plates 22 a may protrude from a surface of the main body 21 adjacent to or opposite the surface where the outer plates 22 protrude. It should be noted that the socket portion 202 may further include two pairs of outer plates 22 a protruding from two surfaces of the main body 21 adjacent to and opposite the surface where the outer plates 22 protrude.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , in one embodiment, a building block kit includes at least the building blocks 10 and 20 . It should be noted that the numbers of the building blocks 10 and 20 can be changed according to need. With such configuration, two building blocks of the present disclosure can be firmly connected to each other, and will not be disengaged from each other without an external fore from a user. In addition, the deflection of the cantilevered tongues is used to realize the engagement between the first and second engaging portions, which has low requirements on molds, reduces production cost, and greatly improves the competitiveness. Furthermore, the size and the number of the first engaging portions 13 and the recesses of the second engaging portions 23 can vary so as to provide different level of firmness of connection between two building blocks.

Although the features and elements of the present disclosure are described as embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in other various combinations within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.