MODULAR AND CUSTOMIZABLE TOY SYSTEMS COMPRISING BUILDING BLOCKS, REMOVABLE NON-ADHESIVE GRAPHICS, AND BUILT-IN INSTRUCTIONS

Abstract

Customizable adhesive building blocks are not restrained in construction, offering near infinite permutations for structures resulting therefrom. Distinct indicia, color, and/or shape can be used to inspire children to construct according to their imagination. Alternatively, instructions can lead children to construct predetermined structures or hint at how to solve puzzle(s) with a limited number of solution(s).

Claims

1. A kit of building blocks comprising: polyhedral building blocks; an adhesive substantially covering every external surface of the building blocks; and non-adhesive symbols placed on or exposed at non-covered portions of the every external surface.

2. The kit of claim 1 further comprising cylindrical building blocks and/or conical building blocks.

3. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least some of the building blocks are solid or hollow.

4. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least some of the non-adhesive symbols are etched into or embossed onto the building blocks.

5. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least some of the non-adhesive symbols are removable and are placed on top of the each external surface and/or the adhesive.

6. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least some of the non-adhesive symbols are graphic representations.

7. The kit of claim 6 wherein at least some of the graphic representations depict animals, shapes, modes of transportation, and/or letters.

8. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least some of the non-adhesive symbols (118) are numbers.

9. The kit of claim 1 wherein the non-adhesive symbols include instructions on how to use the building blocks, said instructions optionally comprising a method to construct a structure or a method to form a pattern.

10. The kit of claim 1 wherein the building blocks are free from glue, mechanical fasteners, and magnets.

11. The kit of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is dust resistant.

12. The kit of claim 1 wherein the adhesive comprises a chemical substance with a bonding strength sufficient to fasten one building block to a vertical wall such that the one building block does not succumb to gravity, said chemical substance still allowing the building blocks to later be separated from each other and the vertical wall.

13. The kit of claim 1 further comprising product packaging for housing at least some of the components included therein.

14. A method of play comprising: contacting a surface with a first adhesive block; contacting the first adhesive block with a second adhesive block; contacting either the first adhesive block or the second adhesive block with one or more subsequent adhesive blocks, wherein the adhesive blocks are polyhedron with sides substantially covered by an adhesive substance and non-adhesive symbols placed on or exposed at non-covered portions of the sides; and arranging the first adhesive block, the second adhesive block, and the one or more subsequent adhesive blocks in such a manner to form a pattern or structure.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said pattern or structure is inspired by similar or complementary non-adhesive symbols.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said pattern or structure forms an alphanumeric string of letters and digits, said alphanumeric string of letters and digits optionally comprising a multi-digit numeral or a word.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising instructing a user to play in a specific manner with the non-adhesive symbols.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising removing the adhesive building blocks from storage.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising deconstructing the pattern or structure and storing the adhesive building blocks in a container.

20. A themed kit comprising: adhesive building blocks; and pairs of alphanumeric characters on external surfaces of the adhesive building blocks, said pairs of alphanumeric characters distributed amongst the adhesive building blocks such that if the adhesive building blocks are assembled by adhering like-alphanumeric characters to one another, a three-dimensional model is formed; and labels having graphics, said labels capable of clinging to said adhesive building blocks.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Several embodiments in which the present invention can be practiced are illustrated and described in detail, wherein like reference characters represent like components throughout the several views. The drawings are presented for exemplary purposes and may not be to scale unless otherwise indicated.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a photographic kit view of adhesive building blocks. This particular kit is just one exemplary collection of building blocks of a nearly infinite number of potential combinations of blocks.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a photographic assembly view of the adhesive building blocks put together in a particular structure.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a photographic assembly view emphasizing how building blocks can be suspended from a vertical wall through use of an adhesive with sufficient bonding strength.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a perspective sketch of a conical shaped building block in front of a container for storing the same.

[0028] FIG. 5 provides examples of assembled models, according to some aspects of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows children playing with assemblies including the adhesive blocks that are free from (i.e. do not include) glue, mechanical fasteners, and magnets.

[0030] FIG. 7 includes a flow diagram exemplifying a method for assembling the adhesive building blocks.

[0031] FIG. 8 shows a first exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto.

[0032] FIG. 9 shows a second exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto.

[0033] FIG. 10 shows a third exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto.

[0034] FIG. 11 shows a fourth exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto.

[0035] FIG. 12 shows a fifth exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto.

[0036] An artisan of ordinary skill need not view, within isolated figure(s), the near infinite number of distinct permutations of features described in the following detailed description to facilitate an understanding of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] The present disclosure is not to be limited to that described herein. Mechanical, electrical, chemical, procedural, and/or other changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. No features shown or described are essential to permit basic operation of the present invention unless otherwise indicated.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the kit 100 features many different types of building blocks, including those that vary in shape, color, and mass.

[0039] The building blocks may take on any known three-dimensional shape. For example, the shape of the building blocks may be selected from the group consisting of polyhedrons 102 (including pyramids, cubes, etc.), cylinders 104 (shown in FIG. 3), ellipsoids (including spheres), partial ellipsoids (including hemispheres), cones 106 (shown in FIG. 4), surfaces of revolution (including tori), helixes (e.g., coils and springs), irregular prisms 126, and any combination thereof. The building blocks 102, 104, 106 may be solid, partially hollow, or completely hollow.

[0040] For example, the building blocks 102, 104, 106 may comprise a color or several colors which contrast or are compatible with color(s) of adjacent block(s). For example, where it is desired for the object to blend in with its surroundings, camouflage may be utilized. The color may for example comprise primary color, secondary color, tertiary color, or any combination thereof. The color may be substantially dark or substantially light to reduce or increase the likelihood of the object being noticed. Reflective elements may be added or subtracted from the building blocks 102, 104, 106 to alter a reflectivity of the object. For example, to increase an object’s reflectivity, mirror-like finishes and/or reflective paints can be applied. Furthermore, the visual appearance of the building blocks 102, 104, 106 may be altered to provide a particular visual effect. Visual effects affect how an object appears to a person when looking at the object. Non-limiting examples of visual effects include changing the color of an object; increasing or decreasing color contrast between adjacent objects; increasing or decreasing an object’s reflectivity; and emitting light with an object such as a light bulb or a phosphor, such as small light emitting diodes (LEDs).

[0041] Mass within the building blocks need not be uniformly distributed or symmetric. Rather, like weighted dice, the building blocks 102, 104, 106 and/or sides 108 of the same can be weighted so as to suggest a use for play, increase durability of structures constructed, or even to increase the permutations of potential structures available for creation.

[0042] The building blocks 102, 104, 106 all preferably feature the use of at least one substantially flat side that can make adhesive contact with another substantially flat side of a distinct building block. In other words, the counterpart sides 108 and/or edges 110 are intended to be placed into coextensive engagement with juxtaposed counterpart sides 108 and/or edges 110 located on another of the components thanks to adhesive 112. The designated pairs of complementary counterpart sides 108 and/or edges 110 are of complementary shape so when they are placed in the proper position the components form a predetermined solution 124, as shown in FIG. 2, or simply a building block assembly 122 with a structure and/or pattern according to the child’s imaginative preference, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] The predetermined solution 124 can also be an alphanumeric string of letters and digits, said alphanumeric string of letters and/or digits, such as a number (e.g. the year “2020”) or a word (e.g. a child’s name). More than one predetermined solution 124 can result from a particular group of blocks 102, 104, 106. For example, an educational puzzle comprising nine individual blocks, adapted to be arranged into a grid pattern of three blocks down and three blocks across, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,347 to Shettler, now in the public domain, could be configured so as to be selectively arranged in a grid pattern capable of forming all twenty-six of the individual letters of the alphabet, on the combined top surfaces of the nine blocks, devoid of portions of any other letter outside of the contiguous form of the letter being represented.

[0044] The adhesive 112 is either applied to or imbued within the building blocks 102, 104, 106 so as to give the same a sticky or tacky nature. The adhesive 112 is preferably a chemical substance with a bonding strength sufficient to fasten one building block 102, 104, 106 to a vertical wall 116 without the need for mechanical and/or magnetic fasteners such that the one building block 102, 104, 106 does not unfasten due to a gravitational force. However, the chemical substance should still allow for the building blocks 102, 104, 106 to later be separated from each other and the vertical wall 116 such that the building blocks 102, 104, 106 can be reused. To enhance reuse, a dust resistant adhesive can be used and the buildings blocks 102, 104, 106 can be stored in a container of desirable humidity and air conditions so as to best preserve the adhesive 112. In some embodiments, the adhesive 112 is a PNC or PP film, which is lamination-coated or UN-coated. The adhesive film is then attached on the sides 108 of the building blocks 102, 104, 106 which are adjacent to each other with the commonly possessed edge 110 interposed therebetween.

[0045] It is within the scope of the present invention that indicia 118, instructions 120, and/or other desirable identifying information made up of letters, numbers, graphics, markings, and/or other symbols be printed on the side 108 of each building block 102, 104, 106, preferably located along and associated with each counterpart side 108. Any suitable process for so doing that is compatible with the material that building blocks 102, 104, 106 is manufactured of, such as a silk screen or photolithograph process or the like can be used. The indicia 118, instructions 120, and/or other identifying information can be raised (embossed), depressed, stamped, etched, written, labeled, painted, coated, or otherwise applied to the building blocks 102, 104, 106. Indicia 118 and instructions 120 can be applied to both planar and non-planar surfaces and can be included in the form of removable and/or reusable labels.

[0046] It thus follows that in operation, all components of the kit 100 can be used to develop a child’s creativity. In particular, the colors and graphic representations of the building blocks 102, 104, 106 are the foundation upon which a theme can be built. The child plays with the blocks by contacting a surface (e.g. a table or a wall) or a starting adhesive block 102, 104, 106 with subsequent adhesive blocks 102, 104, 106.

[0047] Product packaging can included with the building blocks 102, 104, 106 disclosed herein. Such product packaging may be useful for shipping kits to children in a compact manner prior to first use. The product packaging can completely subsume the building blocks 102, 104, 106 and all of the components therein or only encompass a portion thereof. The product packaging will typically include plastics, thermoplastics, glass, wood, wood wool, paper, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, other biodegradable or recyclable materials, or the like. Optionally, the product packaging can include a product identifier, such as a word or trade mark, on the product packaging; a viewing window for viewing at least one component and/or the entirety of the building blocks 102, 104, 106 or kit 100 on or near the product packaging; instructions for using a part or all of the building blocks 102, 104, 106 or kit 100; a hang tab from which the packaging can hang from shelves in public stores; and/or perforations, folds, pull strings, and/or other elements which facilitate ripping, cutting, and/or opening the product packaging. The product packaging is particularly effective with respect to marketing the product to/for children.

[0048] A watertight seal (e.g. gaskets) and/or a heat seal may be established to seal products, packaging, and/or other thermoplastic materials together. Heat seals are particularly effective at joining join similar materials together. Heat sealing is typically performed with uniform thermoplastic monolayers or with materials having several layers, at least one being thermoplastic. In some embodiments, the heat seal is intended to permanently bond two materials together. In other embodiments, the heat seal is designed to break if enough force is applied.

[0049] According to some other aspects of the present disclosure, a child may use the building blocks 102, 104, 106 with their friends or to engage social media. For example, children can share with other children the building blocks 102, 104, 106 of their collection, which may potentially lead to children trading the building blocks 102,104, 106 and/or other items, including finished structures or digital recordings (photos, videos) thereof of their collection to other children for the building blocks 102, 104, 106 and/or other items of other collections.

[0050] A person may be broadcasted on a social media platform using building blocks 102, 104, 106. The social media platform may be accessed through a network. The network could, for example, be a wide area network (“WAN”), a TCP/IP based network, a cellular network, a local area network (“LAN”), a neighborhood area network (“NAN”), a home area network (“HAN”), or a personal area network (“PAN”) employing any of a variety of communications protocols, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, near field communication (“NFC”), etc., although other types of networks are possible and are contemplated herein. The network typically allows communication between the communications module and the central location during moments of low-quality connections. Communications through the network can be protected using one or more encryption techniques, such as those techniques provided by the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (which superseded the Data Encryption Standard (DES)), the IEEE 802.1 standard for port-based network security, preshared key, Extensible Authentication Protocol (“EAP”), Wired Equivalent Privacy (“WEP”), Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (“TKIP”), Wi-Fi Protected Access (“WPA”), and the like.

[0051] FIGS. 5-12 show and/or describe potential themes for the blocks, indicates compatibility of adhesive blocks across all themed kits described therein.

[0052] FIG. 5 provides examples of assembled models, according to some aspects of the invention.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows children playing with assemblies including the adhesive blocks that are free from (i.e. do not include) glue, mechanical fasteners, and magnets.

[0054] The exemplary builds/themes shown in FIGS. 7-12 can be adapted so as to be used in addition to and/or combined with any other builds/themes, including all of those builds/themes described herein.

[0055] In greater particularity, FIG. 7 includes a flow diagram exemplifying a method for assembling the adhesive building blocks wherein a model T-rex is assembled by following the directions included therewith.

[0056] FIG. 8 shows a first exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto, said first exemplary themed kit relating to blocks styled to look like human character builds.

[0057] FIG. 9 shows a second exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto, said second exemplary themed kit relating to a food play set. A completed build can include models of various food items, such as fries, burgers, and the like.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows a third exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto, said third exemplary themed kit relating to a Jurassic (dinosaur themed) adventure. A completed build can include models of various dinosaurs, vehicles, and the like.

[0059] FIG. 11 shows a fourth exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto, said fourth exemplary themed kit relating to a princess castle build. A completed build can include models of various castles, horses, princesses, and the like.

[0060] FIG. 12 shows a fifth exemplary themed kit and aspects of packaging related thereto, said fifth exemplary themed kit relating to a mega-city / all play set. A completed build can include models of various buildings vehicles, trees, domiciles, and the like.

[0061] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0062] The following table of reference characters and descriptors are not exhaustive, nor limiting, and include reasonable equivalents. If possible, elements identified by a reference character below and/or those elements which are near ubiquitous within the art can replace or supplement any element identified by another reference character.

TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Characters 100 exemplary building block kit 102 polyhedral building block 104 cylindrical building block 106 conical building block 108 external surface / side 110 edge 112 adhesive 114 contact connection 116 vertical wall 118 indicia 120 instructions 122 building block assembly 124 puzzle solution 126 irregular building block 128 container 130 model 132 cling graphics

[0063] The present disclosure is not to be limited to the particular embodiments described herein. The scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

GLOSSARY

[0064] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used above have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments of the present invention pertain.

[0065] The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include both singular and plural referents.

[0066] The term “or” is synonymous with “and/or” and means any one member or combination of members of a particular list.

[0067] The terms “invention” or “present invention” are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompass all possible embodiments as described in the specification and the claims.

[0068] The term “about” as used herein refer to slight variations in numerical quantities with respect to any quantifiable variable. Inadvertent error can occur, for example, through use of typical measuring techniques or equipment or from differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of components.

[0069] The term “substantially” refers to a great or significant extent. “Substantially” can thus refer to a plurality, majority, and/or a supermajority of said quantifiable variable, given proper context.

[0070] The term “generally” encompasses both “about” and “substantially.”

[0071] The term “configured” describes structure capable of performing a task or adopting a particular configuration. The term “configured” can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases, such as constructed, arranged, adapted, manufactured, and the like.

[0072] Terms characterizing sequential order, a position, and/or an orientation are not limiting and are only referenced according to the views presented.

[0073] The term “play” can be used herein as an adjective, a verb, a noun, or any other suitable part of speech given proper context. As an adjective, “play” means relating to an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children. As a verb, “to play” means to engage in a game or activity for enjoyment or recreation. As a noun, “play” means an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation.

[0074] The “scope” of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The scope of the invention is further qualified as including any possible modification to any of the aspects and/or embodiments disclosed herein which would result in other embodiments, combinations, subcombinations, or the like that would be obvious to those skilled in the art.