EP2629866B1

EP2629866B1 - A toy building set

Info

Publication number: EP2629866B1
Application number: EP11785305.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank HØHRMANN PEDERSEN
Original assignee: Lego AS
Current assignee: Lego AS
Priority date: 2010-10-21
Filing date: 2011-10-18
Publication date: 2016-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2031-10-18
Also published as: DK2629866T3; WO2012052028A1; JP2013540530A; PL2629866T3; US20130324000A1; EP2629866A1; ES2594494T3; BR112013009548A2; KR20130129948A; CA2814824A1; MX2013004451A; CN103269759A

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a toy building set according to claim 1.

STATE OF THE ART

EP patent no. 1 146 042 discloses a toy building set comprising at least one building element having a surface on which at least two coupling studs are arranged that extend from the surface, and wherein those coupling studs are configured in a pattern by which there is an mutually fixed distance between adjacent coupling studs. This toy building set also comprises a further element in the form of a motor.
Perforators for punching holes in paper, foil, fabric and other sheet materials are known today in many configurations. Such perforators can be used in connection with toy building sets of the above-mentioned type with the purpose of building a given structure by use of a plurality of building elements that are interconnected by use of the coupling studs on the building elements, and wherein, on such structure, sheets of paper and the like sheet material can be mounted if, by means of the perforator, one or more holes have been punched through which the coupling studs can be introduced to the effect that the sheet of paper will, after having been mounted on the coupling studs of a given building element, be secured in an efficient manner thereon when another building element is mounted on the same coupling studs.
Toy building sets often containing building elements with more than one coupling stud, today, a perforator is known having an associated template which, along with the perforator, can be used to ensure that the individual holes are punched at the same mutual distance as the distance between two adjacent coupling studs on the building elements.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In the light of this, it is the object of the present invention to provide a toy building set by which it is considerably easier to punch holes in eg a sheet of paper, to the effect that it is subsequently easier to mount that sheet on a given structure built from several of the building elements forming part of the toy building set.
This is accomplished in that the perforator comprises at least two punching tools arranged at a distance from each other to the effect that there is a clearance between the outer faces of two adjacent punching tools that corresponds to or is smaller than the clearance between two adjacent coupling studs on the building element.
Thereby it is enabled that it is possible to simultaneously punch at least two holes at the correct mutual distance to the effect that it is thereby considerably easier to mount the sheet on a building element having a given number of coupling studs.
By a preferred embodiment of the invention, the perforator comprises four punching tools arranged in a square pattern. Thereby it is possible to punch, in one and the same operation, four holes at precisely the correct distance to the effect that a building element having four coupling studs can easily be arranged in the same pattern.
The term "square pattern" is intended to designate, in this context, that the holes and the coupling studs are arranged at the corners of a square, but the same principle may apply if the holes and the coupling studs are arranged at the corners of a rectangle, a trapeze, a triangle, or another pattern.
It is possible to configure the perforator in such a way that the perforator is configured such that each individual punching tool in the perforator has such expanse that makes it possible, in each hole that can be punched by means of the perforator, to introduce two or more coupling studs. According to a preferred embodiment, however, the punching tools are configured such that they precisely punch a hole of such expanse that it allows only one coupling stud to be introduced into the hole to the effect that the number of holes that can be punched by the perforator corresponds precisely to the number of coupling studs on the building element.
In this context, both the coupling studs and the punching tools conveniently have a circular cylindrical cross section with essentially the same diameter.
According to a preferred embodiment, the perforator is moreover provided with means for activating at least one of the punching tools independently of at least one other of the punching tools, to the effect that the number of holes punched in the same operation can be varied as needed.
To that end, the perforator may advantageously comprise one single manual operating handle which is configured such that it may effect a simultaneous activation of at least two of the punching tools, and wherein, between the operating handles, a switch is arranged which is configured in such a manner that it is capable of occupying at least two different positions, viz a first position in which only one of the punching tools is activated and a second position in which two or more of the punching tools are activated simultaneously by manual operation of the operating handle.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the perforator has a total of four punching tools, and the switch has a total of three different positions, viz. one in which it is capable of activating only one punching tool, a second position in which it is capable of activating only two punching tools simultaneously, and a third position in which it activates all four punching tools essentially simultaneously.
In order to facilitate correct positioning of the punched holes on the sheet, the perforator comprises, in a preferred embodiment, a housing wherein a slot is configured; wherein the punching tools are configured so as to be displaceable transversally of the slot; and wherein the housing is configured with a number of coupling means that are complementary to the coupling studs to the effect that the housing can be mounted on a building element.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, whereby the perforator is suitable for use in a commonly known toy building set, the perforator then comprises at least two punching tools, each of which has a cross section in which a centre can be defined to the effect that the distance between centres on the two punching tools is 8 mm, and wherein the distance from centre to the outer face of the punching tool is equal to or larger than 2.4 mm and smaller than 5.6 mm to the effect that the clearance between the outer faces of the punching tools is equal to or smaller than 3.2 mm.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, whereby the perforator is suitable for use in another commonly known toy building set, the perforator then comprises two punching tools, each of which has a cross section in which a centre can be defined to the effect that the distance between centres on the two punching tools is 16 mm, and wherein the distance from centre to the outer face of the punching tool is equal to or larger than 4.8 mm and smaller than 11.2 mm to the effect that the clearance between the outer faces of the punching tools is equal to or smaller than 6.4 mm.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: is a perspective view of a perforator according to the present invention, seen in an inclined view from above and from the front;
Figure 2: is a perspective view of a building element for a toy building set according to the present invention, seen in an inclined view from above;
Figure 3: is a perspective sectional view showing a part of the perforator shown in figure 1, in a section longitudinally of the perforator and seen in an inclined view from above and from the front;
Figure 4: is a perspective view of the perforator shown in figure 1, seen in an inclined view from above and from the front, and wherein the uppermost cover of the housing has been removed;
Figure 5: is a perspective view of the perforator shown in figure 1, seen in an inclined view from above and from behind, and wherein the upper cover, the operating handle, and the handle for operating the hole selector have been removed.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Thus, figure 1 shows a perforator 1 according to the present invention, said perforator 1 comprising a housing 2, wherein a slot 3 is configured wherein a sheet of a (not shown) thin material, such as paper, plastics, fabric, or other material can be introduced, and an operating handle 4 which, when operated, is pressed downwards in a direction towards the housing 2 of the perforator, and thereby activates a number of punching tools that are driven to shift transversally of the slot 3, whereby the punching tools are driven through the not shown sheet of a thin material and produce one or more holes in the paper depending on the number and configuration of the punching tools.
The punching tool shown in figure 1 having several separate punching tools, it further comprises a second operating tool 5 which is used to change how many of the punching tools that are activated at the same time when the operating handle 4 is depressed.
According to the invention, it is part of a toy building system or a toy building set, by which is intended a number of building elements or building blocks of the type which is shown eg in figure 2 showing a building element 6 having a surface 7 which is provided with a total of four coupling studs 8. It will thereby be obvious to the person skilled in the art that the perforator can be a separate product suitable for use in existing products or as a tool sold along with a number of building elements.
Moreover, it will be obvious to the person skilled in the art that the building element shown in figure 1 is one of many embodiments of building elements, and that the invention can be used in connection with building elements having more or fewer coupling studs 8 than is shown in figure 1 and optionally having studs of other configurations or mutual distances than the one shown in figure 1.
The perforator 1 as shown being provided with a number of indentations 9 on its essentially plane bottom face, said indentations being configured such that they each form a number of coupling means that are complementary relative to the coupling studs 8 on the building element 6, it is possible to mount the perforator on a building element of a toy building set, if that building element is provided with coupling studs having the same shape and mutual distance as the one shown in figure 2. If the perforator 1 is mounted eg on a building element or a building plate having many more coupling studs 8 than the building element 6 shown in figure 2, such building plate will be able to serve as a kind of boring template for accurate mutual positioning of several groups of holes on a sheet.
Now, figure 3 shows a part of the same perforator 1 as the one shown in its entirety in figure 1. Herein it is primarily the frontmost end of the perforator that is shown, in a sectional view, wherein the sectional plane is arranged in parallel with and slightly displaced relative to the plane of symmetry of the housing 2. As will appear, the operating handle 4 is journalled, relative to the housing 2, about a shaft 11, and upon depression of the operating handle 4 in the direction of the housing 2, the operating handle 4 will press the piston 12 downwards towards a selector disc 13 that subsequently presses one or more of the punching tools 14 downwards transversally to the slot 3 to the effect that the punching tools 14 are, in a known manner, pressed through a not shown sheet that has been shifted into the slot 3 and extends below the punching tools.
According to an embodiment of the invention, it is possible to vary the number of punching tools 14 that are activated simultaneously by depression of the operating handle 4. Thus, figures 4 and 5 will show the frontmost part of the perforator shown in figure 1, wherein the upper shell that constitutes a part of the housing 2 in figure 1 has been removed in figure 4, and wherein the operating handle 4 and the second operating handle 5 have moreover been removed in figure 5.
Herein, it will thus appear that the second operating handle 5 is, via the piston 12, connected to a hole selector 15, herein shown in the form of a circular disc with a number of cut-outs that are configured such that, when the hole selector, when positioned as shown in figure 5, is pressed downwards towards the punching tools 14, all four punching tools 14 will be pressed simultaneously down towards the slot 3, and in this manner all four punching tools are activated to punch a hole in the sheet.
If the hole selector 15 is subsequently rotated a small distance in the counter-clockwise direction, the two pointers 16 on the hole selector 15 will be precisely clear of two of the four punching tools 14, and if the hole selector is rotated a further distance in the counter-clockwise direction, it will further be capable of occupying a position in which only one of the four punching tools is activated when the operating handle 4 is depressed.
It will be obvious to the person skilled in the art that embodiments of perforators may be suggested that are different from the one described above and shown in the drawing. Thus, the principle of the invention can also be used in an embodiment where the perforator is configured as a pair of thongs having two operating handles that can be pressed towards each other and more or fewer punching tools than the four provided herein can be provided.

Claims

A toy building set comprising at least one building element (6) having a surface (7) on which at least two coupling studs (8) are provided that extend from the surface (7), and wherein those coupling studs (8) are configured in a pattern by which there is a mutually fixed distance between adjacent coupling studs (8), characterised in that the toy building set further comprises a perforator (1), said perforator (1) comprising means (14) for punching material from a sheet element configured from a thin material such as a sheet of eg paper, plastics or fabric, in such a manner that the perforator (1) is capable of punching a hole in the sheet, which hole has such expanse that one or more coupling studs (8) can be introduced into the punched hole, and where the perforator (1) comprises at least two punching tools (14) that are arranged at a distance from each other to the effect that there is a clearance between the outer faces of two adjacent punching tools (14) that correspond to or is smaller than the clearance between two adjacent coupling studs (8) on the building element (6).
A toy building set according to claim 1, characterised in that the perforator (1) comprises four punching tools (14) that are arranged in a square pattern.
A toy building set according to claim 2, characterised in that each of the punching tools (14) is configured such that they punch one hole having an expanse that allows that only one coupling stud (8) may be introduced into the hole.
A toy building set according to claim 3, characterised in that both the coupling studs (8) and the punching tools (14) have circular cylindrical cross sections of essentially the same diameter.
A toy building set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the perforator (1) comprises means (15) for activating at least one of the punching tools (14) independently of at least one other of the punching tools (14).
A toy building set according to claim 5, characterised in that the perforator (1) comprises one single manual operating handle (4) configured such as to cause a simultaneous activation of at least two of the punching tools (14); and wherein, between the operating handles, a switch (15) is arranged which is configured in such a way as to be able to occupy at least two different positions, viz a first position in which only one of the punching tools (14) is activated and a second position in which two or more of the punching tools (14) are activated simultaneously upon manual operation of the operating handle (4).
A toy building set according to claim 6, characterised in that the perforator (1) comprises a total of four punching tools (14); and in that the switch (15) has a total of three different positions, viz. a first position in which it is capable of activating only one punching tool (14), a second position in which it is capable of activating only two punching tools (14) simultaneously, and a third position in which it activates all four punching tools (14) essentially simultaneously.
A toy building set according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the perforator (1) comprises a housing (2) wherein a slot (3) is configured; and wherein the punching tools (14) are configured such as to be displaceable transversally of the slot (3); and wherein the housing (2) is configured with a number of coupling means (9) that are complementary to the coupling studs (8) to the effect that the housing (2) can be mounted on a building element (6).