MAGNETIC BUILDING TILES FOR CREATING TWO-DIMENSIONAL AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES AND FLAT MAGNETIC PANELS FOR DECORATING THE BUILDING TILES

Abstract

The present invention comprises a set of tiles of any shape, including magnets placed in between a top and bottom portion allowing the tiles to be magnetically attached to each other, allowing a user to build 2D/3D structures. There are panel pieces, that have same shape and size as the tiles, and that have a ferrous base that allows for them to be attached flatly to the tiles. The panels have decorative portions placed on at least one side, which allows the user to decorate the tiles and/or the structure built out of the tiles in any way that captures their imagination. The decorative portions include the design, including but not limited to a road, a city/town, colors, patterns, or a writeable surface to allow for the ultimate level of customization.

Claims

1. A panel for decorating a flat building tile containing a plurality of magnets therein, the panel comprises a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile, the panel further comprises a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and configured to magnetically attract the panel to the plurality of magnets of the building tile to facilitate a removable attachment of the panel to the building tile, wherein the panel is sized to match the size of the building tile so as to cover thereof once magnetically attached thereto.

2. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, wherein the first side of the panel is decorated with a first graphics layer.

3. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 2, wherein the first graphics layer contains a graphic representation selected from a group consisting of: a straight road, a curved road, a Y-shaped road, a straight train track, a curved train track, a river, a lake, an ocean, a plant, a vegetation, at least one person, at least one character, at least one color, at least one shape, and at least one pattern.

4. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 3, wherein the first graphics layer is at least one shape selected from a group consisting of: at least one circle, at least one square, at least one rectangle, at least one triangle, at least one trapezoid, at least one hexagon, and at least one octagon.

5. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, wherein the first side is configured to be written on and erasable to facilitate changing the decorative appearance thereof.

6. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, further comprising a second side opposite the first side, the second side is configured to alter the appearance of the building tile with a second graphics layer that is different from the first graphics layer.

7. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, further comprising a transparent pocket at the first side of the panel, the transparent pocket is configured for removable placement of a flat carrier containing a first graphics layer.

8. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, wherein the ferrous magnetic material is located along a peripheral edge of the panel.

9. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 1, further comprising a first non-magnetic layer adjacent the first side of the panel and a second magnetic layer comprising a ferrous magnetic sheet.

10. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 9, further comprises a third core layer between the first non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein the third core layer is configured to provide rigidity for the panel.

11. The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in claim 10, wherein the third core layer is adhesively connected to the first non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

12. A building tile play system comprises: a plurality of identical building tiles, wherein each building tile is characterized by a length, a width, and depth, the depth is smaller than either the length or the width of the building tile, each building tile comprises a solid top piece and a solid bottom piece with a hollow space in between the solid top piece and the solid bottom piece when assembled together, the hollow space is sufficient for a plurality of magnets to be placed within the building tile adjacent at least one side thereof, wherein the building tiles of the plurality of the building tiles are configured to facilitate one building tile to be removably attached to another building tile via a magnetic attachment along one side thereof to facilitate building of tile play structures, wherein the building tile play system further comprises at least one panel comprising a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and sized to match the length and the width of the building tile, the at least one panel further comprises a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein.

13. The building tile play system, as in claim 12, wherein the plurality of magnets of each building tile comprises at least two magnets per each side of the building tile located adjacent the at least one side thereof, the at least two magnets having alternate polarity every other magnet, continuing around the entire periphery of the building tile.

14. The building tile play system, as in claim 13, wherein an even number of magnets is placed on each side of the building tile.

15. The building tile play system, as in claim 12, wherein the at least one panel is thinner than the building tile and is configured to attach thereto to rest flatly against the building tile.

16. A method of performing an amusement activity using a plurality of panels and a plurality of building tiles to create a tile play structure, the method comprising: a. providing a plurality of identical building tiles, wherein each building tile is characterized by a length, a width, and depth, the depth is smaller than either the length or the width of the building tile, each building tile comprises a plurality of magnets positioned along at least one side of the building tile, b. providing a first plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the first plurality of panels together corresponding to a first selected theme for the tile play structure, c. arranging and magnetically attaching the building tiles to form a base of the tile play structure; and d. arranging and magnetically attaching the first plurality of panels to the building tiles of the base of the play structure according to the first selected theme, thereby enabling to perform an amusement activity over the first plurality of panels.

17. The method of performing an amusement activity, as in claim 16, further comprising the following steps: e. providing a second plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising ferrous magnetic material configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the second plurality of panels together corresponding to a second selected theme for the tile play structure, and f. replacing the first plurality of panels with the second plurality of panels so as to switch the amusement activity from the first selected theme to the second selected theme.

18. The method of performing an amusement activity, as in claim 17, wherein in step (e) the first plurality of panels has a second side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile according to the second theme, so as switching from the first theme to the second theme is accomplished by flipping the panels to expose their respective second side in place of the first side.

19. The building tile play system as in claim 12, wherein panel thickness is less than building tile depth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings illustrate the best mode for carrying out the invention as presently contemplated and set forth hereinafter. The present invention may be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference letters and numerals indicate the corresponding parts in various figures in the accompanying drawings, and in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a magnetic building tile, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates the separated top and bottom parts of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates two building tiles attached to each other by magnetic attraction, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates the different shapes of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of horizontal building tiles attached to a plurality of vertical building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a structure created using the square building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a structure created using diamond, triangle, and hexagon building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of a panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] FIG. 12 illustrates various shapes of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG. 13 illustrates an exploded view of the assembly of the panel and the tile, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0048] FIG. 14 illustrates an exploded view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Embodiments of the present invention disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the figures, and in which example embodiments are shown.

[0050] The detailed description and the accompanying drawings illustrate the specific exemplary embodiments by which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention illustrated in the disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Embodiments of the claims may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0051] The building toys described here are magnetic building tiles that allow kids to build two-dimensional structures and three-dimensional structures by using magnets on the edges of each tile to allow for the building tiles to stick together in any combination that the kid can think of. The building tiles can be in any shape, such as square, rectangular, circular, triangular, octagon, etc., which will make it easier to create intricate and complex structures as well as simple ones.

[0052] The magnetic building tiles comprise a solid top piece and a solid bottom piece. Before the top and bottom pieces are placed together and are fastened to each other, for example using conventional fasteners or using ultrasonic weld points at the corners, the magnets are placed around the outside edge recesses of the top and bottom pieces. The two or more magnets are placed around each of the edges, dividing the recess space evenly among the magnets. The magnet poles are reversed with every additional magnet placed, so north/south is followed by south/north. Ideally, there would be an even number of magnets around each edge. In between each of the magnets, there may be an additional fastener or an ultrasonic weld point.

[0053] The building toys may also include one or more flat decorative panels. Each panel may include a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile. The panel may further comprise ferrous magnetic material configured to magnetically attract the panel to the magnets of the building tile to facilitate a removable attachment of the panel to the building tile. The panel may be sized to match the size of the building tile so as to cover thereof once magnetically attached thereto.

[0054] The panels can have any prefabricated decoration forming a first graphics layer on the first side of the panel. The first graphics layer may contain a graphic representation, such as a straight road, a curved road, a Y-shaped road, a straight train track, a curved train track, a river, a lake, an ocean, a plant, a grass, a vegetation, at least one person, at least one character, at least one picture, at least one color, at least one shape, at least one pattern, and images from books, movies, and TV. The at least one shape may be selected from a group consisting of: at least one circle, at least one square, at least one rectangle, at least one triangle, at least one trapezoid, at least one hexagon, and at least one octagon.

[0055] The panels may have the same width and length as any of the magnetic building tiles described above and stick to the magnetic building tiles using the back side of the panels. In embodiments, the panels may have the exact size and shape of the building tiles to ensure that there is no overlap or underlap between the pieces, when the panels are smaller or larger than the building tiles. The decorative panels may be easily differentiated from the tile pieces when the kids are building a structure. The panels could be attached to a predetermined shape created by the panels, so the panels are used in combination to create a pattern or single image, like the child completing a puzzle.

[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a tile 101, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, a magnetic tile having a square shape is illustrated. Although, it is recognized by those skilled in the art that alternate configurations/shapes may be conceivable. The alternate shape may include but is not limited to rectangle, triangle, circle, rhombus, parallelogram, octagon, hexagon, heptagon, nonagon, and decagon.

[0057] In several embodiments of the present invention, the tile is made up of two identical pieces 104, i.e., a solid top piece and a solid bottom piece, that make up the top and bottom of the tile. Further, a hollow portion is present between the solid top piece and the solid bottom piece. A plurality of circle portion 103 is a fastening portion that is used to connect the top and bottom pieces 104, with a fastener. The fastener is preferably an ultrasonic rivet, but any type of fastener may be used for connecting the top and bottom pieces 104. The pieces 104 are solid on the top and hollow in the middle. A solid edge 106 surrounds the tile on the outside, and internal dividing portions 107, which are part of the top and bottom pieces 104, are placed in the interior of the building tiles for added support when the top and bottom pieces 104 are attached to each other.

[0058] In several embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of magnets 102 are placed around the outer edge of the inside portions 105 of the building tiles. Preferably the magnets are placed at equidistant intervals, as shown in the FIG. 1, but any number of magnets or various placements could be used. The magnets 102 have opposite polarities, with the one on the left being north/south and the one of the right being south/north. This is just an example, and any combination of magnets could be used as long as they alternate polarities to enable the building tiles to be attracted to each other when placed on top of each other or next to each other.

[0059] In several embodiments of the present invention, the interior magnets 108 are placed equidistant from each other on the interior of the building tiles. While two magnets are shown along the cross portion, any equal number of magnets could be used as long as they mirror each other vertically and horizontally along the center axes of the tile. The polarity of the interior magnets should alternate polarities along the vertical and horizontal axes. Additional magnets could be placed anywhere in the interior, as long as they are equidistant and switch polarities along the vertical and horizontal axes.

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates the separated top and bottom parts of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the tile top 201 shows the flat top portion of the tile. The building tiles could be an opaque solid color, a translucent solid color, clear, or any combination of colors and/or patterns. The ultrasonic welding points 103 are shown only on the edges for simplicity, but the preferred configuration would be the welding points shown in FIG. 1. The bottom portion 204 shows the rivet points 103 as well as magnets 202 and 203.

[0061] In several embodiments of the present invention, a divider(s) 205 could be placed between neighboring magnets and between the rivet points and the magnets to keep the magnets in place. The outer and inner magnet borders 206 and 207 keep the magnets in a perpendicular direction to the dividers. The magnets could be affixed to the bottom piece via an adhesive, or the dividers and borders could keep the magnets in place. There could be inner dividers 107, as shown in FIG. 1, but this figure omits them for simplicity. The magnet 202 and the magnet 203 would have different polarities as discussed above, so the magnet 202 could be north/south and the magnet 203 could be south/north, but either configuration could be used, as long as the magnet closest to them had the opposite polarity. When the top portion 201 and the bottom portion 204 are placed on top of each other and ultrasonically welded together at the rivet points, they would form tile 101.

[0062] FIG. 3 illustrates two building tiles attached to each other by magnetic attraction, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, two square building tiles 301 and 304 are temporarily held together by the magnets 302 and 303, along with the other magnets that aren't labeled. The magnetic attraction will align the building tiles so they line up with each other. The building tiles or any shape can be combined to make any horizontal and/or vertical shapes and/or structures (as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7).

[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates different shapes of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, four different shapes from the square example are shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 4, a triangle, a rectangle, a diamond, or parallelogram, and a hexagon shapes are shown. Preferably the sides, except for the long sides of the rectangle, would be the same size so that the sides could be attached to each other magnetically as shown in FIG. 7.

[0064] FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of horizontal building tiles attached to a plurality of vertical building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, a set of square building tiles is magnetically attached to each other in a horizontal as well as vertical manner, allowing a user to create a two-dimensional structure.

[0065] FIG. 6 illustrates a structure created using the square building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, a set of square building tiles is magnetically attached to each other horizontally, vertically, and at different angles to create a three-dimensional structure.

[0066] FIG. 7 illustrates a structure created using diamond, triangle, and hexagon building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, a set of building tiles including, diamond, triangle, hexagon, and square shapes are magnetically attached to each other in a horizontal, vertical, and at different angles to create a two-dimensional and three-dimensional structure.

[0067] FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of a panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the magnetic panels, which are different from the building tiles, have a design on one side or both sides, such as a road. Other designs could be, but are not limited to, dead-end roads, curved roads, Y intersections, U-turns, train tracks, rivers, lakes, grass areas, trees, letters, words, shapes, animals, people, or anything else that someone could use to decorate the building tiles.

[0068] FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the panel is composed of a ferrous material. The design could be on both sides of the panel, so the panel would be able to show multiple designs that could be flipped over and stuck on the tile. The multiple designs on a single panel could convey an action when the panel is flipped over, such as a character throwing a ball where the ball moves on the opposite side of the panel.

[0069] In another embodiment of the present invention, the top portion is made of a ferrous magnetic material. Since the graphic design covers both the top portion and the bottom portion, and the material for both the top portion and the bottom portion is ferrous, the user is allowed to affix any side with the magnetic tile based on the desired graphics presented on the top side.

[0070] FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the decorative panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the side views of the panels are identical, regardless of the perspective from which the panel is viewed. The panels are the same size as the building tiles, ideally 33, but any sized building tiles and panels could be used, as long as they are of the matched size. While only shown as square shaped, the panels could be the same size as the other shaped building tiles. The panels are shown to be thinner than the building tiles, and the corners being rounded, but any thickness and corner types could be used.

[0071] In several embodiments of the present invention, the panel comprises a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile. The panel further comprises ferrous magnetic material configured to magnetically attract the panel to the plurality of magnets of the building tile to facilitate a removable attachment of the panel to the building tile, wherein the panel is sized to match the size of the building tile so as to cover thereof once magnetically attached thereto.

[0072] In embodiments, the panel may include a first non-magnetic layer at the first side of the panel, and a second magnetic layer comprising a ferrous magnetic sheet. In other embodiments, the panel may comprise a third core layer between the first non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein the third core layer is configured to provide rigidity for the panel.

[0073] The first side of the first non-magnetic layer may be decorated with a first graphics layer which, in turn, may include different type of graphics. Further, the third core layer, i.e., the center of panel 1002 may be made of wood, plastic, rubber, or another non-metallic material to give the panel rigidity. The first layer 1001 may be affixed to the third core layer of the panel via glue, epoxy, tape, or any type of substance that can attach one object to another. Further, the second magnetic layer, i.e., base 1003, may be a ferrous sheet that covers the entire section of the panels, or around the perimeter, that allows for the panels to attach to the building tiles.

[0074] FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the first layer 1001 has the graphic layer, the third core layer 1002 is preferably made of wood, and the second magnetic layer 1003 is the ferrous magnetic sheet. The finish over the graphic could be matte, semi-gloss, glossy, or any other type of finish. The glossy panels could be white, or any other light color, which would allow the panels to act as a whiteboard so the kid or the user could write on them with a dry erase marker and easily wipe it clean after playing.

[0075] In further embodiments, the second side of the panel opposite the first side thereof may also be configured to alter the appearance of the building tile, such as with a second graphics layer that is different from the first graphics layer. During amusement activity, the kid may flip the panel to instantly change the appearance of the building tile from that corresponding to the graphics on the first side of the panel to that corresponding to the graphics on the second side of the panel.

[0076] In other embodiments of the invention, the panel may comprise a transparent pocket at the first side or the second side of the panel. The transparent pocket may be configured for removable placement of a flat carrier containing a first graphics layer. This may facilitate printing of the first graphic layer at home and inserting the printed graphic into the pocket so as to change the appearance of the building tile to facilitate playing a new game.

[0077] In further yet embodiments, additional layers serving a variety of useful purposes may also be included in the panel at various locations therein, as the present invention is not limited in this regard.

[0078] FIG. 12 illustrates various shapes of the building tiles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 12 shows the preferred shapes and sizes of the building tiles disclosed above. The disclosed list of shapes and sizes is not meant to be exhaustive, and any combination of shapes and sizes could be used. Ideally, the shapes shown, if made in different sizes, would be multiples of the sizes listed in the figures.

[0079] FIG. 13 illustrates an exploded view of the assembly of the decorative panel and the building tile, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the panel is magnetically attached to the building tile. Similarly, the plurality of panels may be attached to the plurality of corresponding building tiles. The panel may be placed on the tile in a manner that the bottom portion of the panel will be magnetically attached to the tile.

[0080] FIG. 14 illustrates an exploded view of one example the panel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In several embodiments of the present invention, the panel comprises the first non-magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer, and the third core layer. The first non-magnetic layer enables the user to change the appearance of the panel. Further, the third core layer is a solid piece that gives the panel rigidity. The material of the third core layer may also absorb the vibrations that may be associated with playing a game running a vehicle, or a train on the track decorated over the first non-magnetic layer. The vibration-absorbing properties also enhance the life of the panels and the building tiles. The second magnetic layer may be flat and made with a ferrous magnetic sheet. Further, the layers may be affixed to each other by an adhesive agent.

[0081] A method of performing an amusement activity according to the present invention, may use a plurality of panels and a plurality of building tiles described above to create a tile play structure. The method may include the following steps: [0082] a. providing a plurality of identical building tiles, wherein each building tile is characterized by a length, a width, and depth, the depth is smaller than either the length or the width of the building tile, each building tile comprises a plurality of magnets positioned along at least one side of the building tile, [0083] b. providing a first plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising ferrous magnetic material configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the first plurality of panels together corresponding to a first selected theme for the tile play structure, [0084] c. arranging and magnetically attaching the building tiles to form a base of the tile play structure; and [0085] d. arranging and magnetically attaching the first plurality of panels to the building tiles of the base of the play structure according to the first selected theme, [0086] thereby enabling to perform an amusement activity over the first plurality of panels.

[0087] The method of the invention may further include the step of providing a second plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising ferrous magnetic material configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the second plurality of panels together corresponding to a second selected theme for the tile play structure.

[0088] Furthermore, the method may include a step of replacing the first plurality of panels with the second plurality of panels so as to switch the amusement activity from the first selected theme to the second selected theme.

[0089] In further embodiments, in step (e) of the method, the first plurality of panels may have a second side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile according to the second theme, so as switching from the first theme to the second theme is accomplished by flipping the panels to expose their respective second side in place of the first side.

[0090] The invention, as described above, offers several advantages. For instance, each of the panels is very simple in design and construction. Further, the panels use commonly available materials. The simplicity in design and construction and the use of commonly available materials allow the panels to be mass-produced with minimal capital expenditure and to be made available in the market at significantly lower prices. Also, the panels can be reused several times and are, therefore, cost-effective for the end user and minimize waste generation. Magnetic building tiles are typically expensive, and incorporating ferrous panels is a means to reduce costs while offering additional play options, as compared to purchasing various magnetic building tiles.

[0091] Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art, from the description and the accompanying drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown along with the accompanying drawings but is to provide the broadest scope consistent with the principles and the novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and appended claims.