Building block

Abstract

A building block as an integral unit and formed complete by a single injection moulding process, having six faces with adjacent faces substantially perpendicular to one another and with at least two faces adapted to enable detachably interlocking engagement, by interlocking means, with a similar face of another building block or with one having similar conceptual design. Additionally the walls of the building block have substantially similar and uniform thickness. in a preferred embodiment, the building block ( 1 ) is substantially cubical in shape and with any of the six faces adapted to enable detachably interlocking engagement, by interlocking means in the form of spigots ( 20 ) and suitably positioned and matching sockets ( 21 ), with any of the faces of another substantially similar building block ( 1 ) or with one sharing substantially similar conceptual design. The building block ( 1 ) comprises connected integral sloping walls ( 28 ) forming a skeletal frame ( 5 ) and with the spigots ( 20 ) and the sockets ( 21 ) extending outwards from the faces of appropriate said integral sloping walls ( 28 ) and with said connected integral sloping walls ( 28 ), said spigots ( 20 ) and said sockets ( 21 ) formed complete in a single injection moulding process.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A building block ( 1 ), substantially cubical in shape, having six faces, said building block ( 1 ) comprises:
 a skeletal frame ( 5 ) formed by connected integral sloping walls ( 28 ) of six hollow pyramids ( 2 ) closed up onto each other, with the integral sloping walls ( 28 ) defining six pyramid shaped cavities of the skeletal frame ( 5 ) and with the external periphery of each substantially square frame shaped base ( 28   c ) of the sloping walls ( 28 ) defining the boundary of a face of said building block ( 1 ); and   interlocking means on at least two faces of the building block ( 1 ), the interlocking means extending outwards from the appropriate said integral sloping walls ( 28 ) to enable detachable interlocking engagement by complementary interlocking means on a face of another substantially similar building block ( 1 ) and with said integral sloping walls ( 28 ) and said interlocking means being an integral unit and formed complete by a single injection moulding process.   
     
     
         16 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 15  wherein said building block ( 1 ) is made from resilient plastic material suitably adaptable for injection moulding. 
     
     
         17 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 15  wherein any of the six faces are adapted to enable detachably interlocking engagement by interlocking means with a face of another building block ( 1 ). 
     
     
         18 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 15  wherein each face of said building block ( 1 ) is arbitrarily sectioned into quarters and with a first interlocking means at each of two diagonally opposite quarters and a second interlocking means at each of the other two diagonally opposite quarters, said first and said second interlocking means being complementary interlocking means 
     
     
         19 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 18  wherein the first interlocking means is in the form of a spigot ( 20 ) while the second interlocking means is in the form of a socket ( 21 ). 
     
     
         20 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 19  wherein each spigot ( 20 ) has a substantially annular cross-section with a top circumferential rim ( 23 ) and with an outer edge ( 24 ) borders the extremity of quarter of the face where said spigot ( 20 ) is present and each socket ( 21 ) is shaped and suitably positioned at the face to accept a corresponding spigot ( 20 ) and with said socket ( 21 ) having a circumferential wall ( 25 ) and with a plurality of ribs ( 26 ) in upright position on its internal face and an interference fit effected between said spigot ( 20 ) and said socket ( 21 ) when the outer wall of said spigot ( 20 ) comes in contact with the ribs ( 26 ). 
     
     
         21 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 20  wherein the thicknesses of the walls of said building block ( 1 ) inclusive that of the integral sloping walls ( 28 ) that form the skeletal frame ( 5 ), the spigots ( 20 ) and the sockets ( 21 ) are substantially similar and uniform. 
     
     
         22 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 21  wherein the upright distance ‘M’ between the centres of the diagonally positioned spigots ( 20 ) on the front face of a building block ( 1 ) is substantially equal to the upright distance ‘K’ between the centres of the closest adjacent spigots ( 20 ) one each on the front faces of two suitably interlocked building blocks ( 1 ). 
     
     
         23 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 15  wherein center of the skeletal frame ( 5 ) is a void and without material present. 
     
     
         24 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) having six faces with adjacent faces substantially perpendicular to one another, said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) comprises:
 a skeletal frame ( 6 ) formed by connected integral sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) of four hollow hip roofs ( 3 ) and two spaced apart hollow pyramid ( 4 ) closed up onto each other, with four of the adjoining integral sloping walls ( 32 ) defining one of the two pyramid shaped cavities of the skeletal frame ( 6 ) and with two each of the adjoining sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) defining one of the four hip roof shaped cavities of the skeletal frame ( 6 ), with the external periphery of each substantially square frame shaped base ( 32   c ) of the four adjoining sloping walls ( 32 ) defining the boundary of two of the faces of said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) and with the external periphery of each of the substantially rectangular frame shaped base ( 34 ) of two each of the adjoining sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) defining the boundary of four of the faces of said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ); and   interlocking means on at least two faces of the building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ), the interlocking means extending outwards from the appropriate said integral sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) to enable detachable interlocking engagement by complementary interlocking means on a similar face of another substantially similar building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) and with said integral sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) and said interlocking means being an integral unit and formed complete by a single injection moulding process.   
     
     
         25 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) as in  claim 24  wherein said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) is made from resilient plastic material suitably adaptable for injection moulding. 
     
     
         26 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) as in  claim 24  wherein any of the six faces are adapted to enable detachably interlocking engagement by interlocking means with a face of another building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ). 
     
     
         27 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) as in  claim 24  wherein the interlocking means comprises a first interlocking means and a second interlocking means, said first and said second interlocking means being complementary interlocking means, with said first and second interlocking means positioned alternate to one another on any of the faces of said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ). 
     
     
         28 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) as in  claim 27  wherein said first interlocking means is a spigot ( 20 ) and said second interlocking means is a socket ( 21 ). 
     
     
         29 . A building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) as in  claim 28  wherein the thicknesses of the walls of said building block ( 1   a ,  1   b ) inclusive that of the integral sloping walls ( 31 ,  32 ) forming the skeletal frame ( 6 ), the spigots ( 20 ) and the sockets ( 21 ) are substantially similar and uniform. 
     
     
         30 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 24  wherein hip line of the skeletal frame ( 6 ) is a void and without material present. 
     
     
         31 . A building block ( 1 ) as in  claim 17  wherein each face of said building block ( 1 ) is arbitrarily sectioned into quarters and with a first interlocking means at each of two diagonally opposite quarters and a second interlocking means at each of the other two diagonally opposite quarters, said first and said second interlocking means being complementary interlocking means