# US 2018/0021689 A1 · Toy Building Systems Including Adjustable Connector Clips, Building Planks, and Panels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021689 A1 - Document ID: US20180021689A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/539,549 - Filed: 2015-07-06 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-13 - Assignees: Building Creative Kids, LLC - Applicants: Building Creative Kids, LLC - Inventors: Christopher Cochella; Christine Bieder Orris; Robert Charles Lubeck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021689A1 ## CPC - A63H 33/101: {with clip or snap mechanism} - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS ## Abstract Building sets including one or more blocks or planks and one or more connector clips configured to engage a thickness of the planks. Various types of planks, as well as various types of connecting clips may be provided, so as to provide open-ended building characteristics to users. Some connector clips may include a mating protrusion allowing the connector clip to be coupled to a hole or receptacle of another connector clip, or hub for connector clips, or into a hole of a plank. Such clips may be pivotable relative to the structure coupled to as a result of the mating protrusion connection. The building sets may provide proportional dimension characteristics between the planks and various connector clips, hubs, etc. One or more button connector clips may be provided with one or more panels, allowing panels to be integrated into the structural framework created with the connector clips and planks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A building set, comprising: one or more planks, at least one of which includes a first face, an opposing second face, a first side, an opposed second side, a first end, and an opposed second end, the at least one plank including a thickness defined between opposed faces, opposed sides, or opposed ends; one or more connector clips, at least one of the connector clips including a clip body and a plank engaging channel, the channel of the clip including: a base defining a floor; first and second substantially parallel extensions, each including interior surfaces, the extensions extending distally from the base and defining a channel therebetween into which the thickness defined between opposed faces of the plank is receivable, a width of the channel being substantially equal to the thickness of the plank that is receivable within the channel so that the extensions pinch the thickness of the plank received within the channel, frictionally coupling the connector clip to a plank received within the channel; and a mating protrusion extending from the clip body, the mating protrusion being sized and shaped for receipt into a corresponding hole or recess of another connector clip, a plank, or a hub that removably receives and retains one or more connector clips. ### Claim at position 2 2-9. (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the connector clip includes a single channel and a single mating protrusion, each extending from an opposite side of the clip body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the mating protrusion is cylindrical, allowing continuous selective rotation of the mating protrusion within the corresponding hole or recess of another connector clip, a plank, or a hub. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical mating protrusion is split. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the at least one plank includes a hole formed through the thickness thereof, the hole being configured to retainingly receive therein the mating protrusion of the connector clip. ### Claim 14 A building set, comprising: one or more planks, at least one of which includes a first face, an opposing second face, a first side, an opposed second side, a first end, and an opposed second end, the at least one plank including a thickness defined between opposed faces, opposed sides, or opposed ends; one or more first connector clips, at least one of the connector clips including a clip body and a plank engaging channel extending from the clip body, the channel of the clip including: a base defining a floor; first and second substantially parallel extensions, each including interior surfaces, the extensions extending distally from the base and defining a channel therebetween into which the thickness defined between opposed faces of the plank is receivable, a width of the channel being substantially equal to the thickness of the plank that is receivable within the channel so that the extensions pinch the thickness of the plank received within the channel, frictionally coupling the connector clip to a plank received within the channel; and wherein the at least one plank includes a hole formed through the thickness between the faces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The building set of claim 14, wherein at least one of the connector clips comprises a mating protrusion extending from the clip body, the mating protrusion being sized and shaped for receipt into the hole of the at least one plank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The building set of claim 14, wherein the building set is proportional so that the at least one plank has a length that is a whole number of units in length, and the connector clip includes two channels disposed on different sides of the connector clip, a distance from the floor of one channel to the floor of the other channel, through a center of the connector clip, being equal to one-half unit in length. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The building set of claim 14, wherein the building set is proportional in a way that at least one of the first connector clips comprises a mating protrusion extending from the clip body opposite from the channel of the connector clip, the mating protrusion being sized and shaped for receipt into the hole of the at least one plank and/or a similarly sized hole of another connector clip, wherein the at least one plank has a length that is a whole number of units in length, and the connector clip including the mating protrusion includes a distance from the floor of the channel to a center of the mating protrusion being equal to a distance from a floor to a center of a second connector clip that includes two channels disposed on different sides thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The building set of claim 14, further comprising a button connector clip comprising a mating protrusion extending from a button connector clip body, the mating protrusion being sized and shaped for receipt into a hole of a plank and/or another connector clip, the button connector clip further comprising one or more channels formed into the button connector clip body opposite from the mating protrusion of the button connector clip. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The building set of claim 18, wherein the one or more channels of the button connector clip body are narrower than the channel of the first connector clip, so as to be capable of receiving and retaining a thickness of a panel that is thinner than the planks, rather than the one or more rectangular planks. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The building set of claim 19, further comprising one or more panels for retention within the channels of the button connector clip. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the building set is proportional so that the at least one plank has a length that is a whole number of units in length, and the connector clip includes two channels disposed on different sides of the connector clip, a distance from the floor of one channel to a center of the connector clip, and from the center of the connector clip to the floor of the other channel being equal to one-half unit in length. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, wherein the building set is proportional so that the mating protrusion of the one or more connector clips is sized and shaped for receipt into a hole of the one or more planks and/or a similarly sized hole of another connector clip, wherein the at least one plank has a length that is a whole number of units in length, and the connector clip including the mating protrusion includes a distance from the floor of the channel to a center of the mating protrusion that is equal to a distance from a floor of a channel to a center of a second connector clip that includes two channels disposed on different sides thereof. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The building set of claim 22, wherein a length of the mating protrusion of the one or more connector clips including the mating protrusion is equal in length to the thickness of the plank. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The building set of claim 17, wherein a length of the mating protrusion of the first connector clip is equal in length to the thickness of the plank. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The building set of claim 1, further comprising a button connector clip comprising a mating protrusion extending from a button connector clip body, the mating protrusion being sized and shaped for receipt into a hole of a plank and/or another connector clip, the button connector clip further comprising one or more channels formed into the button connector clip body opposite from the mating protrusion of the button connector clip. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The building set of claim 25, wherein the one or more channels of the button connector clip body are narrower than the channel of the first connector clip, so as to be capable of receiving and retaining a thickness of a panel that is thinner than the planks, rather than the one or more rectangular planks. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The building set of claim 26, further comprising one or more panels for retention within the channels of the button connector clip.