GB2451624A - Construction kit with edge connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

A construction kit comprises a plurality of planar Maraldi rhombi <B>10</B> and a plurality of connecting rods <B>20</B>. The rhombi may have "U" shaped recesses <B>13A, B, C, D</B> along at least two sides in which the connecting rods <B>20</B> fit enabling the joining of two or more rhombi <B>10</B>. Opposing sides of the recesses may have lugs <B>14A</B> which engage with the connecting rod <B>20</B> which may have a concave domed end. The kit may further comprise other structures such as rectangles or triangles. The triangles when used may be half Maraldi rhombi having a minor Maraldi angle of 70.529{ (figure 4A) or major angle of 190.471{ (figure 4B).

Description

Title: Construction Kit The present invention relates to a construction kit.

According to the present invention there is provided a construction kit comprising: a) a plurality of substantially planar Maraldi rhombi, and b) connection means to connect two sides of Maraldi rhombi together.

The construction kit may further comprise one or more Maraldi rhombi dissected into triangles.

Such half Maraldi triangles may be in minor or major Maraldi angle.

The construction kit may further comprise other shaped structures such as rectangles, triangles or pentagons.

The connection means may form an axis of rotation about which the Maraldi rhombi can swivel.

When two Maraldi rhombi are connected, the joined edges of the rhombi may be the axis of rotation.

In one embodiment the connection means comprises a U-shaped recess in at least one side edge of each Maraldi rhombi which receives a tubular connector shaft about which the Maraldi rhombi can swivel. Preferably the arms of the U-shaped recess support opposing Jugs which engage over the wall of the tubular shaft at each end of the tubular shaft. Preferably the wall at the ends of each tubular shaft is domed and each lug is domed. Preferably the U-shaped recess has opposing concave domed cavities domed to accommodate the domed ends of the tubular shaft when the shaft is received in a recess. Each recess may be integrally formed with the Maraldi rhombi. Preferably a U-shaped recess is formed in each side edge of each Maraldi rhombi.

The Maraldi rhombi may each be in the form of a frame or may be solid.

A Maraldi rhombus is one in which the larger angle is the Maraldi angle of 109.4710 (or the angle whose tangent is minus root 8).

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying in which: Figure JA shows a perspective view of a Maraldi rhombus and tubular shaft, Figure lB is an enlarged perspective view of the connection means of Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows a cross section view of the connection means, Figure 3 shows a perspective view of two Maraldi rhombi joined together by a tubular shaft.

Figure 4A and 4B show plan views of half Maraldi rhombi.

Referring to Figures IA, lB and 2 there is shown a substantially planar Maraldi rhombus 10.

Rhombus 10 has the larger angle of the Maraldi angle of 109.4710 (or the angle whose tangent is minus root 8).

Rhombus 10 is a frame with four sides I 1A,1 IB,J 1C,1 ID each with a 450 bevelled edge 12A,12B,12C,12D. Each side hasa U-shaped recess 13A,13B,13C,13D adapted to receive a tubular connector shaft 20 about which the Maraldi rhombi can swivel. The axis of the shaft 20 forms a rotational axis for the rhombus 10 with the end of the bevelled edge being in line with the axis of rotation.

Connector shaft 20 has circular end walls 21 which are domed or semi-circular in cross section.

The arms of each U-shaped recess 13A,13B,13C,131) support opposing lugs 14A,14B and opposing domed concave cavities ISA! 5B. When a tubular shaft 20 is received in a recess, the Jugs I 4A, I 4B pass over the domed end walls 21,22, and the domed end walls 21,22 engage in the domed concave cavities 15A,15B. Each recess may be integrally formed with the Maraldi rhombi.

The tubular shaft and a U-shaped recess in each of two Maraldi rhombi 10 form a connection means to join the edges of two Maraldi rhombi together. As shown in Figure 3 two Maraldi rhombi may be joined together and can rotate around the tubular shaft 20. When two Maraldi rhombi are connected, the joined edges of the rhombi lie on the axis of rotation "X-X".

It is envisaged that a construction kit would have a numerous Maraldi rhombi 10 and numerous tubular shafts 20. Different geometric shapes can be created by joining different edges of Maraldi rhombi together. With a 450 bevelled edge, up to eight Maraldi rhombi 10 can be connected together by a single tubular shaft 20.

The construction kit may further comprise one or more Maraldi rhombi dissected into triangles.

Such half maraldi triangles may be in minor or major Maraldi angle. A minor angle half Maraldi 3Ois shown in Figure 4A, and a major angle half Maraldi 40 is shown in Figure 4B. A half Maraldi has three sides each with a bevelled edge and a U-shaped recess identical to recesses 13A-131) described above and each recess can receive and connect to a tubular shaft 20.

The construction kit may further comprise other shaped structures such as rectangles or triangles.

The Maraldi rhombi may each be in the form of a frame (a shown above) or may be solid.

The invention may take a form different to that specifically described above. For example, the connection means could take a different form.

The Rhombi or other structures in a kit may be of the same or different colours.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. A construction kit comprising: a) a plurality of substantially planar Maraldi rhombi, and b) connection means to connect two sides of Maraldi rhombi together.

2. A construction kit according to claim I, further comprising one or more Maraldi rhombi dissected into triangles adapted to be connected on a side to a side of a Maraldi rhombi.

3. A construction kit according to claim 2, wherein the half Maraldi triangles are in minor or major Maraldi angle.

4. A construction kit according to claim 1,2 or 3, further comprising other shaped structures such as rectangles or triangles adapted to be connected on a side to a side of a Maraldi rhombi.

5. A construction kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the connection means may form an axis of rotation about which the Maraldi rhombi can swivel.

6. A construction kit according toy preceding claim, wherein when two Maraldi rhombi are connected, the joined edges of the rhombi form the axis of rotation.

7. A construction kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the connection means comprises a U-shaped recess in at least one side edge of each Maraldi rhombi which receives a tubular connector shaft about which the Maraldi rhombi can swivel.

8. A construction kit according to claim 7, wherein the arms of the U-shaped recess support opposing lugs which engage over the wall of the tubular shaft at each end of the tubular shaft with slots and lugs along a side edge of one maraldi rhombus to connect two rhombi together.

9. A construction kit according to claim 8, wherein the wall at the end of each tubular shaft is domed and each lug is domed.

10. A construction kit according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the U-shaped recess includes a domed concave cavity to accommodate the domed end of the tubular shaft when the shaft is received in a recess.

II. A construction kit according to any of claims ito 10, wherein each recess may integrally formed with the Maraldi rhombi.

12. A construction kit according to any of claims 7 to ii, wherein a U-shaped recess is formed in each side edge of each Maraldi rhombi.

S

13. A construction kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the Maraldi rhombi may each be in the form of a frame or may be solid.

14. A construction kit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.