Toy construction set

Abstract

A toy construction set includes at least one rigid peg building element that includes a coupling system that includes at least one peg coupling element; at least one rigid grid building element including a grid coupling system; and at least one flexible panel building element including a panel coupling system. The grid coupling system includes a plurality of coupling elements arranged in a uniform two-dimensional array structure. The coupling elements are configured to couple to a plurality of mating coupling elements of a building element external to the toy figure construction set. The panel coupling system includes at least a panel coupling element configured to be removably attachable to one or more of the grid coupling element of the at least one rigid grid building element and the at least one peg coupling element of the rigid peg building element via a frictional engagement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toy construction set comprising:
 at least one rigid peg building element that includes a coupling system that includes at least one peg coupling element;   at least one rigid grid building element including a grid coupling system, the grid coupling system comprising a plurality of coupling elements arranged in a uniform two-dimensional array structure, the coupling elements being configured to couple to a plurality of mating coupling elements of a building element external to the toy figure construction set; and   at least one flexible panel building element including a panel coupling system, the panel coupling system comprising at least a panel coupling element configured to be removably attachable to one or more of the grid coupling element of the at least one rigid grid building element and the at least one peg coupling element of the rigid peg building element via a frictional engagement.   
     
     
         2 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the panel building element is compressible. 
     
     
         3 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , wherein the panel building element is made of a bulk material. 
     
     
         4 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , wherein the panel building element includes one or more of felt and foam. 
     
     
         5 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the panel building element is incompressible. 
     
     
         6 . The toy construction set of  claim 5 , wherein the panel building element is made of a bulk material of plastic or metallic-coated plastic. 
     
     
         7 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the panel coupling element defines a circular opening and at least one radial cutout extending into the panel from the circular opening. 
     
     
         8 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one peg coupling element comprises a peg region having a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the circular opening and a shaft adjacent to and extending from the peg region and having a shaft diameter that is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular opening. 
     
     
         9 . The toy construction set of  claim 8 , wherein when the peg region is pushed through the circular opening, at least part of the peg region pushes into the radial cutout to deform the panel in the area around the circular opening until the peg region clears the circular opening and the shaft is seated within the circular opening. 
     
     
         10 . The toy construction set of  claim 8 , wherein the peg region comprises a ball attached to the shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The toy construction set of  claim 10 , wherein the peg region comprises a stud attached to a base that extends from the shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the panel building element yields to pressure or weight. 
     
     
         13 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the panel building element is self-supporting, soft, elastically deformable, and made of a form-stable material. 
     
     
         14 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling elements of the one rigid grid building element include one or more of studs and recesses, wherein the recesses are sized to interfit with the studs via a non-snap frictional engagement. 
     
     
         15 . The toy construction set of  claim 14 , wherein the coupling elements of the at least one rigid grid building element include coupling elements arranged in a grid, the center of any of the coupling elements being separated from the center of the nearest coupling element by a center-to-center spacing, wherein the at least one flexible panel building element includes at least a plurality of panel coupling elements separated relative to each other by a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing. 
     
     
         16 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigid peg building element comprises a plurality of rigid peg building elements, each rigid peg building element including the coupling system that includes at least one peg coupling element. 
     
     
         17 . A toy construction set comprising:
 at least one rigid peg building element that includes a coupling system that includes at least one peg coupling element having a peg region attached to a shaft, the diameter of the peg region being larger than the diameter of the shaft;   at least one rigid grid building element including a coupling system that includes a plurality of coupling elements that are arranged in a uniform two-dimensional array structure, the coupling elements being configured to couple to a plurality of mating coupling elements of a building element external to the toy figure construction set; and   at least one flexible panel building element including a panel coupling system, the panel coupling system comprising at least a panel coupling element that defines a circular opening and at least one radial cutout extending into the panel from the circular opening, wherein the circular opening has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the peg region and the shaft diameter is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular opening.   
     
     
         18 . The toy construction set of  claim 17 , wherein the panel coupling system is configured to be removably attachable to either the coupling element of the at least one rigid grid building element or the at least one peg coupling element of the rigid peg building element via a frictional engagement. 
     
     
         19 . The toy construction set of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one flexible panel building element is pre-perforated or pre-creased. 
     
     
         20 . The toy construction set of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one flexible panel building element is configured to be perforated or creased in a pre-determined manner. 
     
     
         21 . The toy construction set of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the rigid peg building elements is a double rigid peg building element that includes two peg coupling elements arranged at opposite ends of the shaft. 
     
     
         22 . The toy construction set of  claim 21 , wherein one of the peg coupling elements of the double rigid peg building element is a ball that extends from the shaft and the other of the peg coupling elements of the double rigid peg building element is a stud attached to a base that extends from the shaft. 
     
     
         23 . The toy construction set of  claim 21 , wherein each of the peg coupling elements of the double peg building element is a ball that extends from the shaft in opposite directions. 
     
     
         24 . The toy construction set of  claim 21 , wherein the double rigid peg building element includes a plate that extends transversely from the shaft and is positioned between the two peg coupling elements. 
     
     
         25 . A toy construction set comprising:
 a plurality of rigid peg building elements, each rigid peg building element including a coupling system that includes at least one peg coupling element having a peg region attached to a shaft, the diameter of the peg region being larger than the diameter of the shaft; and   at least one flexible panel building element including a panel coupling system that includes at least a panel coupling element configured to be removably attachable to the at least one peg coupling element of the rigid peg building element via a frictional engagement, wherein the at least one flexible panel building element includes a panel coupling system that includes at least a panel coupling element that defines a circular opening and at least one radial cutout extending into the panel from the circular opening, wherein the circular opening has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the peg region and the shaft diameter is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular opening.   
     
     
         26 . The toy construction set of  claim 25 , wherein the panel coupling system of the at least one flexible panel building element includes at least a grid of panel coupling elements that are arranged in a uniform two-dimensional array structure, each panel coupling element being configured to couple to a mating coupling element of a building element external to the toy figure construction set.