US 4,792,319 AGranted

Building blocks

OwnerDaniel E. Svagerkoinventor

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Abstract

The invention provides a basic building piece capable of combining with other, identical basic building pieces to form three-dimensional geometric models of the five regular polyhedrons (tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron), or more accurately, the Archimedean counterparts or truncated versions of these polyhedrons, as well as structures based on combinations of these solids, and other irregular and complex solids and shells. The basic building piece comprises a flat, generally hexagonal member carrying three types of fastening devices on its edges and surfaces to enable the desired variety of connection configurations with other, identical building pieces, and the structures resulting therefrom. In one embodiment, completed forms utilize the interplay of transparent colored pieces to create aesthetic patterns and multicolor relationships.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A model building system comprising:

a plurality of flat, generally hexagonal members each having six edge portions and a first surface;
piece connector fastening means carried on three alternate edge portions of each of said hexagonal members, each piece connector conditioned for releasable engagement with the piece connector of another hexagonal member to join said members in edge-to-edge engagement;
unit connector fastening means carried on the three alternate edge portions of each of said hexagonal members not occupied by said piece connectors, each unit connector conditioned for releasable engagement with the unit connector of another hexagonal member to join said members in edge-to-edge engagement;
and
face connector fastening means carried on each of said hexagonal members first surface, each face connector conditioned for releasable engagement with the face connector of another hexagonal member to join said members in face-to-face engagement;
wherein said piece connectors are not engageable with said unit connectors or said face connectors, and said unit connectors are not engageable with said face connectors.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.