Building Components

Abstract

A toy building block includes a main body, one or more posts, and one or more receptacles. Preferably, the posts on a block extend from a top side of the main body and the receptacles are included in a bottom side of the main body. The posts and receptacles may have multiple configurations and may be flexible. Additionally, the surfaces or portions of the posts and receptacles that engage each other may be tapered.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A toy building component, comprising:
 a main body including a top and a bottom;   a flexible post extending from the top of the main body including:
 a top end and a bottom end, wherein the flexible post is tapered from its top end to its bottom end, such that the top end of the flexible post is wider than the bottom end of the flexible post; and 
 an annular wall surrounding a void, wherein the void is accessible from the top end of the flexible post and the flexible post is configured to flex into the void; and 
   at least one wall coupled to the main body and extending beyond the bottom of the body, the at least one wall defining a receptacle including a top end and a bottom end, the receptacle being tapered from its top end to its bottom end.   
     
     
         5 . The toy building component of  claim 4 , wherein an interior configuration of the receptacle matches an exterior configuration of the flexible post. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The toy building component of  claim 4 , wherein the void is a central void and the annular wall includes an inner surface adjacent to and completely surrounding the void and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the outer surface being tapered. 
     
     
         8 . The toy building component of  claim 4 , wherein the top end of the flexible post has a first width, the bottom end of the post has a second width and the ratio of the second width to the first width is in the range of 95% to 99.9%. 
     
     
         9 . The toy building component of  claim 4 , wherein the building components may be manufactured with tolerances up to approximately 0.005 inches. 
     
     
         10 . A set of building components comprising:
 at least two building components of  claim 4 ,   wherein the flexible post of a first building component is configured to flex to allow the flexible post to be inserted and removably secured within the receptacle of a second building component in order to couple a first building component to a second building component.   
     
     
         11 . The set of building components of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible post of the first building component is configured to be secured to the second building component at any point along the length of the receptacle of the second building component. 
     
     
         12 . The set of building components of  claim 10 , wherein the dimensions of at least one of the outer widths of the flexible posts and the inner widths of the receptacles included on the plurality of building components may vary within a range of approximately ±0.01 inches. 
     
     
         13 . A toy building component, comprising:
 a main body including a top and a bottom;   a post extending from the top of the main body; and   at least one wall coupled to the main body, the at least one wall defining a receptacle including a top end and a bottom end, the receptacle including:
 a transition point between the top end and the bottom end; 
 a first receptacle portion with a first width being formed between the top end and the transition point; 
 a second receptacle portion with a tapered width being formed between the bottom end and the transition point, wherein the tapered width narrows from the transition point to the bottom end, the first width is narrower than the tapered width adjacent the transition point, the first receptacle portion is configured to fixedly secure a post of another toy building component therein, and the second receptacle portion is configured to movably secure the post of the another toy building component therein; and 
 a notch provided adjacent the transition point, wherein the notch laterally offsets portions of the at least one wall defining the first receptacle portion from portions of the at least one wall defining the second receptacle portion. 
   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The toy building component of  claim 13 , wherein the portions of the at least one wall defining the first receptacle portion are straight and the portions of the at least one wall defining the second receptacle portion are tapered towards the transition point. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The toy building component of  claim 13 , wherein the post is flexible 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A toy building component, comprising:
 a main body including a top and a bottom;   a post extending from the top of the main body;   at least one sidewall extending from the bottom of the main body; and   a plurality of flexible walls, each of the flexible walls being coupled to at least one of the at least one sidewall and extending beyond the bottom of the main body, the plurality of flexible walls defining at least one receptacle and a central opening; wherein each receptacle includes a gap disposed adjacent the central opening, the gap being configured to allow the flexible walls to flex with respect to at least one of the bottom of the main body and the at least one sidewall and each flexible wall includes:
 a wall extension extending towards the central opening, the wall extension including an end with a first section and a second section, wherein the first sections of the ends of the wall extensions collectively define a first central receptacle portion having a width and the second sections of the ends of the wall extensions collectively define a second central receptacle portion that is tapered from a top end of the second central receptacle portion to a bottom end of the second central receptacle portion. 
   
     
     
         21 . The toy building component of  claim 20 , wherein the first central receptacle portion and second central receptacle portion collectively define a central receptacle configured to receive a post from another building component, wherein the first receptacle portion and the second receptacle portion are both configured to secure the post from another building component therein. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The toy building component of  claim 21 , wherein the width of the first central receptacle portion is a first width and the bottom end of the second central receptacle portion has a second width equal to the first width. 
     
     
         25 . The toy building component of  claim 21 , wherein each of the wall extensions further comprises:
 a notch laterally offsetting the first section of the wall extension from the second section of the wall extension.   
     
     
         26 . The toy building component of  claim 25 , wherein the first central receptacle portion extends from the bottom of the main body to the notch and the second central receptacle portion extends from the notch to a bottom edge of the wall extensions.