Plastic link toy

Abstract

 A plastic link toy comprising a plurality of geometrically shaped elements (11, 15, 16) having a series of equally spaced slots (12, 15A, 17), formed by a series of equally spaced protrusions, having a thickness equal to the width of the slots; said elements being mounted on a solid base; so that when two of said slotted elements are placed next to each other having their respective slots facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of protrusions penetrate the opposite slot cavities; and said linked elements can be swivelled around the axis (21), formed by said linked elements.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a plastic link to be used as a toy.

[0002] Several toys are known in the prior art involving linking together of different types of geometric elements to form differently shaped objects. One such toy is the series of building elements known as "Lego" toys. These comprise a series of building elements linked together by a specifically shaped protrusion on one element to be inserted into a similarly shaped cavity in an other element.

[0003] Other forms of linkage known in the prior art describe different attachment means between all kinds of shaped elements enabling children to form all sorts of imaginary multi-linked shapes. However, none of these known toys enable children to both link the elements together and simultaneously swivel them in the form of a hinge.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new kind of link element, suitably made of rigid plastics material, to be in the form of any geometric shape and to be either mounted on a carrier element, or on an other link element, to enable children to link the elements together and simultaneously swivel them on their axis in a similar manner as a hinge.

[0005] The plastic link toy of the present invention comprises a plurality of geometrically shaped elements having a series of equally spaced slots, formed by a plurality of equally spaced protrusions, having a thickness substantially equal to the width of the slots, said elements being mounted onto a solid or rigid base, so that when two of said slotted elements are placed adjacent to each other having their respective slots facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of protrusions penetrate the opposite slot cavities, and said linked elements can be swivelled around the axis formed by said linked elements.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the surfaces of the protrusions are roughened to prevent slippage of said elements from one another.

[0007] In a further preferred embodiment, the geometrical shape of said elements may be in the form of a sphere, cube, cylinder or a prism, preferably having rounded corners.

[0008] In a further preferred embodiment the toy comprises a plurality of said slotted elements mounted on a carrying element, provided with slotted elements. In such preferred embodiment, said carrying element is a ring which is particularly suitable for carrying spherical shaped slotted elements. In a further preferred embodiment, the number of slotted elements mounted on said carrying element is six.

[0009] The present invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section of two spherical elements having slots;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of two cube-shaped elements.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of a prism-straw element having slots; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of spherical elements mounted on a pair of carrier elements each in the form of a ring, said two rings being linked to each other.

[0010] Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate different shapes of slotted elements all having the same general features. Each spherical element 11 has a plurality of rigid plates or slots 12, joined together by a solid spherical section 13, forming slot cavities 14. The surface of the plastics material in slots 14 are roughened to improve the linkage and reduce slippage of the plastics material when two elements are joined together.

[0011] When two such spherical elements 11 are linked by entering the plates 12 of one element into the cavities 14 of the opposite element, the two linked elements can swivel around the axis formed by such linkage.

[0012] Fig. 2 illustrates two cube-shaped elements 15 each having basically the same structure with slots 15A. Fig. 3 illustrates a prism-shaped element 16 having slots 17 on the triangular front, and having child safety rounded off apexes or corners 18.

[0013] Fig. 4 illustrates a plurality of slotted spherical elements 11 mounted on a carrier ring 20, and two such elements are linked to each other, and the two linked elements swivel around the axis 21 formed by the linkage.

[0014] While the invention has been described in detail in reference to the attached drawings it should be appreciated that the invention could be carried out utilising a large variety of shaped elements, mounted on a variety of carrying elements. In all of such arrangements the distinction is the form of linkage between the elements and the ability to swivel around the axis formed by the linkage.

Claims

1. A plastic link toy comprising a plurality of geometrically shaped elements (11, 15, 16) having a series of equally spaced slots (12, 15A, 17), formed by a series of equally spaced protrusions, having a thickness equal to the width of the slots; said elements being mounted on a solid base; so that when two of said slotted elements are placed next to each other having their respective slots facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of protrusions penetrate the opposite slot cavities; and said linked elements can be swivelled around the axis (21), formed by said linked elements.

2. A plastic linked toy as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the surfaces of the protrusions of said elements (11, 15, 16) are roughened to prevent slippage of said elements from one another.

3. A plastic link toy as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the geometrical shape of said element is in the form of a sphere, cube, cylinder or a triangular prism, preferably having rounded corners.

4. A plastic link toy as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said slotted elements are mounted on a carrying means (20) provided with slotted elements.

5. A plastic link toy as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said carrying means is a ring, and in that said slotted elements are in the form of spheres.

6. A plastic link toy as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the number of slotted elements mounted on said carrying means is six.

Drawing