US 9,433,872 B2 · Building block construction system

Abstract

A building system includes blocks having first and second side surfaces that are perpendicular to a common plane defining a subtended angle, couplers and receivers are defined in the first and second side surfaces such that chains of blocks may be coupled to one another in rows forming closed loops or non-closed chains. Rows may be coupled together by engaging core links with a block in each row and with a core rod passing through each row. Blocks in each row may include a peg and aperture engaging a corresponding aperture and peg in adjacent rows to facilitate alignment. Core rods threadably secure to other cord rods, slanted blocks, caps, and other feature blocks in order to capture a stack of rows in engagement with the core rods. Blocks including decorative features and forming parts of pivoting joints may also be included within a row.

A building system comprising:

a plurality of blocks each having
a hexahedral body having first and second side surfaces that are perpendicular to a common plane and define a subtended angle in the common plane;
a coupler extending outwardly from the first side surface, the receiver being sized to receive and removably retain the coupler;
and
a receiver extending inwardly from the second side surface into the hexahedral body, the receiver being sized to receive and removably retain the coupler;
wherein the subtended angles of the plurality of blocks are non-zero such that at least a portion of the plurality of blocks are positionable in a closed loop having the coupler of each block engaged with a receiver of an adjacent block;
the coupler of each block comprises an arm extending perpendicularly outward from the first side surface and a peg extending perpendicularly from a lower surface of the arm parallel to the common plane, the arm further defining an upper surface opposite and parallel to the lower surface;
the hexahedral body further includes a top surface parallel to the common plane and intersecting the first and second side surfaces;
the receiver comprises (a) a slot including (i) slot side surfaces extending into the hexahedral body perpendicular to the second side surface and perpendicular to the common plane ii) a slot bottom surface extending into the hexahedral body perpendicular to the second side surface and parallel to the common plane and (b) a hole extending inwardly from the slot bottom surface into the hexahedral body;
the arm and peg are sized such that the arm and peg are positionable within the slot and hole, respectively, of an adjacent block of the plurality of blocks having the upper surface of the arm flush with the top surface of the adjacent block;
wherein:
the plurality of blocks is a plurality of basic blocks, the system further comprising a plurality of A blocks, a plurality of B blocks, and a plurality of C blocks;
each A block comprises
a hexahedral body having first and second side surfaces that are perpendicular to a common plane and define a subtended angle in the common plane;
a first coupler extending perpendicularly away from the first side surface, the first coupler being sized to removably insert within the receivers of the basic blocks;
and
a second coupler extending perpendicularly away from the second side surface;
each B block comprises
a hexahedral body having first and second side surfaces that are perpendicular to a common plane and define a subtended angle in the common plane;
a first receiver extending into the hexahedral body perpendicular to the first side surface, the first receiver sized to removably receive the couplers second couplers of the A blocks, the first receiver having a B width parallel to the first side surface and common plane that is wider than a basic width of the receiver of the basic blocks parallel to the second side surface and common plane of the basic blocks;
a second receiver extending into the hexahedral body perpendicular to the second side surface, the second receiver sized to removably receive the couplers of the basic blocks and the first couplers of the A blocks;
and
each C block comprises
a hexahedral body having first and second side surfaces that are perpendicular to a common plane and define a subtended angle in the common plane;
a coupler extending perpendicularly away from the first side surface, the coupler being sized to removably insert within the receivers of the basic blocks and the second couplers of the B blocks;
and
a receiver extending into the hexahedral body perpendicular to the second side surface, the receiver sized to removably receive the couplers of the basic blocks and the first couplers of the A blocks, the second receiver having a C width parallel to the second side surface and common plane that is wider than a basic width of the receiver of the basic blocks parallel to the second side surface and common plane of the basic blocks.

24 more elements

Building block construction system

Life of this patent

Building block construction system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11