Magnetic Toy Construction Piece and Set

Abstract

A magnetic toy construction piece and set for building lattice structures is disclosed. Magnetic pieces are rod-shaped and have magnets on their long faces. Magnets are color-coded depending on their polarity. Platform pieces for support and offset pieces are also contemplated.

1 . A rod-shaped magnetic toy piece comprising:
 a rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension;   said rod's cross-section has at least three sides; and   magnets are attached on at least two long faces of said rod.   
   
   
       2 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  where a first magnet is attached on the same long face as a second magnet, and where said first magnet is placed near one end of said rod and said second magnet is placed near the opposite end of said rod. 
   
   
       3 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 2  wherein said first magnet is monopolar and said second magnet is monopolar. 
   
   
       4 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 3  wherein said first magnet and said second magnet are of the same polarity. 
   
   
       5 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 4  wherein said first magnet and said second magnet are the same color. 
   
   
       6 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 3  wherein said rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       7 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein each long face has exactly two monopolar magnets attached, with a first monopolar magnet attached near one end of said rod and a second monopolar magnet attached near the opposite end of said rod. 
   
   
       8 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 7  wherein each long face has magnets of the same polarity. 
   
   
       9 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 8  wherein said rod's cross-section is rectangular. 
   
   
       10 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 9  wherein a first long face has monopolar magnets of North polarity, a second long face has monopolar magnets of North polarity, a third long face has monopolar magnets of South polarity, and a fourth long face has monopolar magnets of South polarity. 
   
   
       11 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 10  wherein said first long face is adjacent to said second long face, said second long face is adjacent to said third long face, said third long face is adjacent to said fourth long face, and said fourth long face is adjacent to said first long face. 
   
   
       12 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein at least three magnets are attached on the same long face. 
   
   
       13 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein at least three magnets are attached on the same long face, a first magnet of said at least three magnets is attached near one end of said rod, a second magnet of said at least three magnets is attached near the middle of said rod, and a third magnet of said at least three magnets is attached near the opposite end of said rod. 
   
   
       14 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 13  wherein said first magnet is monopolar, said second magnet is monopolar, and said third magnet is monopolar. 
   
   
       15 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 14  wherein said rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       16 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 14  wherein all monopolar magnets of North polarity are a first color and all monopolar magnets of South polarity are a second color. 
   
   
       17 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein each long face has exactly three magnets, a first magnet attached near one end of said rod, a second magnet attached near the opposite end of said rod, and a third magnet attached near the middle of said rod. 
   
   
       18 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 13  wherein said first magnets are monopolar, said second magnets are monopolar, and said third magnets are monopolar. 
   
   
       19 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 18  where said rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       20 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 19  wherein all monopolar magnets of North polarity are a first color and all monopolar magnets of South polarity are a second color. 
   
   
       21 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 18  wherein each long face has magnets of the same polarity. 
   
   
       22 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 21  wherein said rod's cross-section is rectangular, a first long face has North polarity magnets, a second long face has North polarity magnets, a third long face has South polarity magnets, and a fourth long face has South polarity magnets. 
   
   
       23 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 22  wherein said first long face is adjacent to said second long face, said second long face is adjacent to said third long face, said third long face is adjacent to said fourth long face, and said fourth long face is adjacent to said first long face. 
   
   
       24 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein at least four magnets are attached to the same long face. 
   
   
       25 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein at least four magnets are attached on the same long face, a first magnet of said at least four magnets is attached near one end of said rod, a second magnet of said at least four magnets is attached near the opposite end of said rod, and all four magnets are spaced equal distances apart. 
   
   
       26 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 25  wherein said first magnet is monopolar, said second magnet is monopolar, said third magnet is monopolar, and said fourth magnet is monopolar. 
   
   
       27 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 26  wherein said rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       28 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 26  wherein all monopolar magnets of North polarity are a first color and all monopolar magnets of South polarity are a second color. 
   
   
       29 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 1  wherein each long face has exactly four magnets, a first magnet attached near one end of said rod, a second magnet attached near the opposite end of said rod, a third magnet and a fourth magnet, where all four magnets are evenly spaced apart. 
   
   
       30 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 25  wherein said first magnets are monopolar, said second magnets are monopolar, said third magnets are monopolar and said fourth magnets are monopolar. 
   
   
       31 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 30  where said rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       32 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 31  wherein all monopolar magnets of North polarity are a first color and all monopolar magnets of South polarity are a second color. 
   
   
       33 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 30  wherein each long face has magnets of the same polarity. 
   
   
       34 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 33  wherein said rod's cross-section is rectangular, a first long face has North polarity magnets, a second long face has North polarity magnets, a third long face has South polarity magnets, and a fourth long face has South polarity magnets. 
   
   
       35 . The rod-shaped magnetic toy piece of  claim 34  wherein said first long face is adjacent to said second long face, said second long face is adjacent to said third long face, said third long face is adjacent to said fourth long face, and said fourth long face is adjacent to said first long face. 
   
   
       36 . A magnetic toy construction set comprising
 a first rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where said first rod has magnets attached on at least two long faces; and   a second rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where said second rod has magnets attached on at least two long faces.   
   
   
       37 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 36  where a long face of said second rod has at least three magnets attached. 
   
   
       38 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 37  wherein the distance between two magnets on a long face of said first rod is equal to the distance between two magnets on a long face of said second rod. 
   
   
       39 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 36  wherein said at least two magnets on said first rod and said at least two magnets on said second rod are monopolar. 
   
   
       40 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 39  wherein said monopolar magnets of the same polarity are the same color. 
   
   
       41 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 40  wherein the distance between two magnets on a long face of said first rod is equal to the distance between two magnets on a long face of said second rod. 
   
   
       42 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 36  further comprising a third rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where a long face of said third rod has at least two magnets attached. 
   
   
       43 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 37  further comprising a third rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where a long face of said third rod has at least four magnets attached. 
   
   
       44 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 43  wherein the distance between two magnets on a long face of said first rod equals the distance between two magnets on a long face of said second rod and the distance between two magnets on a long face of said first rod equals the distance between two magnets on a long face of said third rod. 
   
   
       45 . A magnetic toy construction set comprising
 a first rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where said first rod has magnets attached on at least two long faces and one long face has exactly two magnets attached; and   a second rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where said second rod has magnets attached on at least two long faces and one long face has exactly three magnets attached.   
   
   
       46 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 45  wherein said first rod has rectangular cross-section and said second rod has rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       47 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 45  wherein all long faces of said first rod have exactly two magnets attached and all long faces of said second rod have exactly three magnets attached. 
   
   
       48 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 47  wherein all adjacent magnets on all long faces of said first rod are spaced equal distances apart as all adjacent magnets on all long faces of said second rod. 
   
   
       49 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 48  wherein all magnets on all long faces are monopolar and all magnets on all long faces of same polarity are the same color. 
   
   
       50 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 45  further comprising a third rod whose length is substantially greater than each cross-sectional dimension, where a long face of said third rod has exactly four magnets attached. 
   
   
       51 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 50  wherein said first rod has rectangular cross-section, said second rod has rectangular cross-section, and said third rod has a rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       52 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 50  wherein all long faces of said first rod have exactly two magnets attached, all long faces of said second rod have exactly three magnets attached, and all long faces of said third rod have exactly four magnets attached. 
   
   
       53 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 52  wherein all adjacent magnets on all long faces of said first rod are spaced equal distances apart as all adjacent magnets on all long faces of said second rod and all adjacent magnets on all long faces of said third rod. 
   
   
       54 . The magnetic toy construction set of  claim 48  wherein all magnets on all long faces of said first rod, said second rod, and said third rod are monopolar; and all magnets on all long faces of said first rod, said second rod, and said third rod long faces of same polarity are the same color. 
   
   
       55 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 36  further comprising at least one offset block. 
   
   
       56 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 41  further comprising at least one offset block. 
   
   
       57 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 45  further comprising at least one offset block. 
   
   
       58 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 47  further comprising at least one offset block. 
   
   
       59 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 49  further comprising at least one offset block. 
   
   
       60 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 55  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       61 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 56  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       62 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 57  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       63 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 58  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       64 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 59  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       65 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 36  further comprising at least one platform block. 
   
   
       66 . The magnetic toy set of  claim 45  further comprising at least one platform block.