Brick System for Forming Globe and Spherical Shaped Structures

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/470,412 filed on Jun. 1, 2023.

The present device relates to a building block system for toys and modeling. More particularly, the device and method herein relate to a building block system configured with a plurality of differently curved blocks configured to engage layers of other such blocks to form globe and other spherical shapes. The building block system is employable for forming curved and globe type structures as well as for forming three dimensional globe puzzles.

Toy bricks for building structures have been enjoyed by children and adults alike for decades. Brick systems, such as those by LEGO, provide brick pieces in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, which are adapted on two or more side surfaces to form removable engagements with bricks having a mating engagement of adjacent blocks. Through the employment of such removably engageable brick systems, users build many differing types of structures which are limited in type and scope only by the imagination of the builder.

Conventionally, such brick pieces are configured primarily for the formation in substantially linear configurations. That is to say such conventional engageable toy brick systems use linear brick-like components which have sequentially aligned mating connectors and receptors on adjacent blocks. So configured, such are best adapted to form wall-like and planar structures in a linear configuration. Such conventional, self-engaging toy brick systems are also not configured for engagements which, when stacked, will form globes and spherical and structures with curved exterior walls.

The forgoing examples of engageable toy bricks for model and toy structure building and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various other limitations of the related art are known or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.

The toy brick device and system herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in prior art and achieves the above noted objects through the provision of a toy brick system configured to form globes and other spherical shaped structures when the bricks are stacked and engaged.

The disclosed and shown in the figures the brick system provides bricks of varying curves which are configured to be removably engaged using mating connectors in respective individual layers. A plurality of differently shaped bricks having differing exterior curved surfaces are configured for stacked engagement. In this engagement, bricks are stacked upon each other such that circular layers are formed using respective differently sized bricks for each layer. In a particularly preferred mode of the device and system herein for ease of construction each brick may be formed in a manner extending 45° of latitude along the circular layer of the sphere which the bricks form. Thus, bricks forming layers closer to the top and bottom of a formed globe will be narrower and bricks forming layers toward or within the equator of a formed globe will be wider and provide a longer length of a curved portion which is substantially 45° of latitude along the circular layer area of the globe formed thereby.

In all modes of the system, the upper surfaces of each formed circular layer of toy bricks are configured to engage with an adjacent layer of engaged bricks. Each layer is formed by a plurality of bricks which are configured to at least engage a lower larger circular layer. The layers are formed of bricks having exterior curves to form a circular layer which is concentric to or surrounding an adjacent formed brick layer.

Each such layer of bricks in a particularly preferred mode herein for ease of construction and strength when formed, attach vertically to two bricks with a one half brick or 45° latitudinal overlap for bricks both above and below.

An exterior curved surface of each brick configured to form one layer of the sphere or globe is curved horizontally and vertically so that it will be level or even with the horizontal and vertical curve of adjacent circular layers of brick. The user thus may forms a globe or sphere or other curved or circular object by engaging layers of bricks forming circular layers to adjacent layers of bricks which are configured to form circular layers of a larger or smaller circumference.

At the top and bottom positions on the formed globe or sphere, where the circumference of the exterior surface of a formed ring is smallest, a curved end cap, having a curved surface will engage to cover the interior of the last formed brick circle. The curved surface of the end cap, once engaged, mates with and is substantially even or level to the horizontal and vertical curves of the adjacent formed ring of bricks.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed brick system for forming globes and spherical structures in detail, it is to be understood that the brick system or invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The toy brick invention herein described and shown is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other toy brick systems which when engaged forms layers and spheres, and for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements. Finally, by the term “substantially” is meant plus or minus five percent, unless respectively otherwise defined.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy brick system which enables the user to form globes, spheres, and portions thereof through the formation of layers of engaged bricks.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide such a toy brick system which also enables the user to form portions of spheres and globes using the same engaged bricks. It is a further object of this invention to provide such an interlocking toy brick system for forming globes which employs successive round layers formed of interlocked bricks which are easy to construct by having them attach vertically to one half of two bricks forming respective layers above and below.

It is another object of this invention to provide an interlocking toy brick system for forming globes which employs successive round layers formed of interlocked bricks to form hemispheres which are engaged at the end of the assembly thereof to form a globe.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present toy brick system, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only and such are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

Now referring to drawings in, there are depicted and described similar components of the toy brick systemwhich are identified by like reference numerals.

The system herein is configured of a plurality of respective individually configured bricks, such as shown in. Each brickis sized to form a segment in a circular layerwhich, when stacked, form a globeor sphere or a section thereof, such as the half globe or hemisphere shown in. Each such layerof bricks in a particularly preferred mode of the systemherein for ease of construction and strength when the globe is formed, attaches vertically to half portions of two bricks above and below, with a one half brick or 45° of longitude of overlap in the respective layerand for bricksboth above and below.

As can be seen in, the respective individual bricksin the respective individual sizes and dimensions, shown herein, are configured to engage and form circular layersin a globe or spherical shape. As shown in, the globe is formed in two hemispheres such as a first hemisphere Hand second hemisphere H, which are formed of the layersof engaged bricks. Once each hemisphere Hand Hhas been formed, they may be engaged at an equator or center line to form the globewhereupon the end capsmay be attached. It is preferred to make the end capsas separate top and bottom pieces which may be engaged at the end of assembly, so that the globemay be supported on a flat surface and not roll.

The layer of bricks, sized to form the largest diameter layer of each of the hemispheres Hand H, form adjacently positioned equator layers Eand E, which are configured to engage with both the adjacent smaller diameter layers, as well as to engage with the largest diameter layerof the other hemisphere of Hand H. This configuration allows for the easy construction of each of the two hemispheres Hand H, whereupon those two hemispheres can be connected by engaging the equator layers Eand Eto each other to form the majority of the structure of the globe, as in, whereupon end capsare engaged at the end of assembly.

As noted above, in a particularly preferred mode of the device and system herein, for ease of construction and rendering the puzzle of assembly more intuitive, each brickforming a layermay be formed with a width of the curved edgebetween two side edgesthereof, where that width fills 45° of latitude of the formed globealong the respective layerof the globewhich the bricksform. Thus, bricksforming layerscloser to the top and bottom of a formed globewill be narrower in width. Bricksforming layerscloser to or within the equator layers Eand Eof a formed globewill be wider and provide a longer length of a curved portion which is substantially 45° of longitude along the area of the globeformed thereby.

This construction, in a preferred mode, also divides each layerinto eight individual brickswhich, when their exterior surfaceis covered by portions of a depicted jigsaw puzzle, such as a map of the Earth (), allows a user to visualize the portion of the puzzle on each of the different exterior surfacesto help assemble a layer. Such allows the user to better determine which bricksengage each other to form the area of the puzzle depiction, such as the Earth, in that layerof the depicted puzzle image. This configuration is especially preferred in the modes of the system which are configured as globejigsaw puzzles formed of individual exterior surfaceswhich form individual sections of an image, such as in.

As shown in the sectional view of, layersadjacent the two “poles” or top sections of the globehave a smaller circular footprint and sit atop or adjacent layerswhich form successively larger circular layersin the globe. Each circular layeris formed by a brickof the same dimensional characteristics. For example, the circular layerclosest to the upper end capinis formed of brickssimilar to that shown in. Each brickis positioned adjacent another brickuntil a circular layeris formed. But for the end layers adjacent the end caps, each formed circular layerengages at least one adjacent circular layerwhich has a larger circumference or a circumference substantially equal at the equator of the formed globe.

As noted, each brickhas a body formed with side edges which angle outward from a narrower first edgeto a curved outer edge. An exterior surfaceof each brickextends in the horizontal curve between the first side edgeand opposite side edge. The exterior surfaceextends in a vertical curve between a first edge adjacent the first edgeand the outer edge.

In all modes of the system herein, where a globeis formed of rings or circular layersof engaged bricksof similar dimensions, the exterior surface of the formed globeis made up primarily of the individual exterior surfacesof adjacently positioned bricks. The vertical curvature of each exterior surfacewill be level or even with the vertical curvature positioned on adjacently engaged bricks. The horizontal curvature of each brick, forming a circular layerin a globe, will be level or even with the others in the circular layer. This configuration, thus, forms a globeor sphere or the like, where the entire exterior surface of the formed globe, but for the end caps, is formed of individual exterior surfacesof the respective bricksengaged in the circular layers, which are stacked on each other.

Also shown in, for example, and included with all the brickconfigurations shown herein, are a projectionextending from one angled side edgewhich will engage within a slotformed in a mating side edgeof an adjacently positioned brickforming any one circular layer. This projectionand slotengagement system helps to hold the bricks in the circular layerthey form.

Also included in the body of the bricksinare a recessin the upper surfaceof the body of the brick. This recessis positioned to allow engagement of lower projectionsextending from the bottom of bricksin an adjacent engaged circular layerwhere the lower surface is stacked on an underlying circular layer.

Shown inis a depiction of the engagement of the body of the bricksof one formed circular layerto an underlying or adjacent circular layer, such as inwhich shows the initial engagement of the two equator layers Eand E. The postson the surface of the body of the bricksof one circular layerare positioned and sized to form a connection with mating recessed areason the bricksof the adjacent circular layer. Where a circular layeris positioned to surround the end capat the top or bottom end of the formed globe, the end capis configured to engage within layersurrounding it, such as the engagement of the interior circumference of the formed circular layer. This may be accomplished using side edges forming the edge of the end capwhich are configured to engage with positions on the interior circumference of the formed circular layersurrounding the end cap. Where each formed layeris formed of eight bricksthe perimeter edge of the capis formed in the shape of an octagon, where each of the eight sides will fractionally engage against the first edgeof a respective brickforming the layer.

Shown inis the typical assembly of a globe or sphere or portion thereof using the bricksof the system herein. As shown, the bricksare assembled to form circular layerswhich reduce in diameter as smaller bricksare engaged to form smaller diameter layers. The largest diameter layerof each hemisphere Hand His formed of the largest width brickswhich are configured to connect and form a circular equator area of the formed globe.

In forming the hemispheres Hand Hin layers, one formed circular layeris positioned atop a smaller diameter circular layerformed of bricksof a smaller width. The circumference of each formed circular layer, formed of bricks, is sequentially reduced in size to form layersin sequentially smaller respective diameters. This allows a globeor sphere structure, such as in, to be formed first of a first hemisphere Hand second hemisphere H, where the circumference of each formed circular layer, in each formed hemisphere, reduces as they approach the end cap. Once formed, each of the two hemispheres Hand Hare engaged by connecting the equator layers

depicts a configuration of the structure, as in, but having an external surfaceof each brickwhich has a portion of a graphic depiction or photo or the like thereon. Each such external surfaceportion, thus, forms a piece of a globular jigsaw puzzle which, as shown, is the Earth. The jigsaw image may be any image that preferably is globe-oriented to allow for reproduction thereof on the exterior of the formed globe. Shown inis a configuration of the structure herein as a globeforming a globe-shaped jigsaw puzzle similar tobut wherein the depicted image formed upon the external surface sections thereof on individual bricks is a sports team logo.

It should be noted that any of the different depicted and described configurations and components of the toy brick system for forming globes, spheres, and sections thereof herein, can be employed with any other configuration or component shown and described as part of the device herein. Additionally, while the present toy brick invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof and/or steps in the method of production or use, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated that in some instance some features, or configurations, of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.

Further, the purpose of any abstract of this specification is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Any such abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting, as to the scope of the invention in any way.