Magnetic Building Tiles

Abstract

A building system includes a plurality of building tiles and/or connecters that are magnetically and releasably connectable to one another. The magnetic building tiles are comprised of a frame and a panel. The tile frame, by one approach, is comprised of two connectable frame portions having magnets embedded therein. The first frame element and the second frame element are connectable to one another through a snap, clip, or another similar connection mechanism. The first and second frame elements are connectable around or into the tile panel, which is removable from the magnetic building tile. The tile panel or the tile frame has a channel into which the other of the tile panel or tile frame extends to secure the two pieces together. In another approach, the tile frame is a single element and the tile panel may snap or attach thereto, such as, for example, through fasteners or friction.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A building system comprising:
 a plurality of frames that include magnetic elements to enable each frame to be magnetically attracted to another frame, at least one frame including an outer frame wall, a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, and an interior frame wall, the first and second walls connecting the outer frame wall and the interior frame wall;   the frame further including a protuberance centrally disposed along the interior frame wall, the protuberance having a predetermined height and being disposed a distance from first and second walls thereby forming a first and a second shelf, the first shelf facing the first wall and defining an inset distance between the first shelf and the first wall and the second shelf facing the second wall;   a plurality of interchangeable panels, each of the panels having a thickness and being capable of being releasably and stably supported in one of the frames to form a building tile, at least one panel including a panel face and a rear panel wall opposite the panel face, the rear panel wall having at least one flange with curvature angled toward an edge of the panel, the curvature configured to mate with the protuberance on the frame from either the first wall or the second wall of the frame;   wherein each of the panels can be placed in a position of stable equilibrium within a frame or removed therefrom simply by manually applying pressure to the panels and frame members without disassembling or permanently deforming any part of either the frame or the panel and without the use of tools.   
     
     
         2 . The building system of  claim 1  wherein the panel face is flush with the first wall or the second wall when the panel is mounted into the frame such that a panel thickness of a panel body is equal to the inset distance between the first wall and the first shelf. 
     
     
         3 . The building system of  claim 2  wherein the panel includes at least one discrete flange disposed adjacent each edge of the panel, wherein the discrete flange has a height that is approximately equal to the height of the protuberance. 
     
     
         4 . The building system of  claim 1  wherein each frame has a front corresponding to the first wall and a rear corresponding to the second wall, and each panel is configured to mate with the frame from the front or back of the frame. 
     
     
         5 . The building tile of  claim 4  wherein the at least one flange is disposed in a configuration that prohibits a first panel being mounted from a front of the frame and a second panel being mounted from a back of the frame at the same time. 
     
     
         6 . The building tile of  claim 4  wherein the panel includes a plurality of flanges disposed in a configuration that prohibits a first panel being mounted from a front of the frame and a second panel being mounted from a back of the frame at the same time. 
     
     
         7 . The building system of  claim 1  where the panel is a three-dimensional panel. 
     
     
         8 . The building system of  claim 1  further comprising a lip at a junction between the first wall and the interior frame wall defining a groove below the lip. 
     
     
         9 . The building system of  claim 8  wherein a plurality of interchangeable substrates are capable of being retained within the frame in between the shelf of the protuberance and the lip. 
     
     
         10 . The building system of  claim 1  further comprising a mechanical connector with a frame having magnets disposed therein and two extension elements extending from the frame, the extension elements having openings therein. 
     
     
         11 . The building system of  claim 10  wherein the openings of the extension elements are disposed such that body portions of the extension elements are at least partially offset from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The building system of  claim 1  further comprising a retaining clip configured to strengthen connections between adjacently disposed frames, the retaining clip having a body and two flanges extending from the body in a substantially parallel arrangement, wherein inward facing surfaces of the flanges have a configuration that cooperates with the protuberance of the frame. 
     
     
         13 . The building system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one three-dimensional panel with a three-dimensional portion that extends beyond the first wall or second wall of the frame when the three-dimensional panel is mated with the frame, wherein the three-dimensional panel portion is configured to facilitate movement of objects through the three-dimensional panel or thereover. 
     
     
         14 . A magnetic building tile comprising:
 a tile frame having a unitary configuration manufactured in two pieces:
 a first portion manufactured in a first injection molding step, the first portion having a plurality of flared projections with open centers and openings into which magnets may be disposed; and 
 a second portion manufactured in a second injection molding step such that the second portion is molded over the magnets to secure the magnets in the tile frame and molded over and around the plurality of flared projections of the first portion to form the unitary configuration; 
   the tile frame including an outer frame wall, a front wall, a back wall, and an interior wall with a protuberance centrally disposed thereon; and   a tile panel including a front face, a rear wall opposite the front face, and at least one flange with curvature angled toward a nearest edge of the panel, the curvature configured to mate with the protuberance of the interior wall of the frame; and   wherein the tile frame is secured to the tile panel via the friction between the flanges of the panel and the protuberance of the frame to form an assembled magnetic building tile and the tile frame and tile panel being removable from one another.   
     
     
         15 . The magnetic building tile of  claim 14  wherein the first portion includes the front wall and first sections of the outer frame wall and the interior wall and the second portion includes the back wall and second sections of the outer frame wall and the interior wall, the first portion further including a first channel defined by a first lip and a first shelf and the second portion further including a second channel defined by a second lip and a second shelf. 
     
     
         16 . A three-step method of making a magnetic building tile frame comprising:
 making a first injection-molded frame portion having a plurality of cavities therein, and at least one securement structure; and   inserting magnets in the cavities; and   completing the frame with a second injection-molded frame portion joined integrally to the first injection-molded frame portion with the at least one securement structure being embedded in the second injection-molded frame portion so that the first and second frame portions are permanently secured together to form a unitary, one-piece frame.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the frame comprises an outer frame wall, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the first wall, and an interior frame wall, the front and rear walls connecting the outer frame wall and the interior frame wall;
 the frame further including a protuberance centrally disposed along the interior frame wall, the protuberance disposed a distance from front and rear walls thereby forming a first and a second shelf, the first shelf facing the front wall and the second shelf facing the rear wall. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the frame further comprises a first groove defined by a first lip adjacent the front wall and the first shelf and a second groove defined by a second lip adjacent the rear wall and a second shelf. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein making the at least one securement structure further comprising forming a plurality of projections having flared cylindrical walls with a hollow center. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein completing the frame with a second injection-molded frame portion comprises injecting frame material into a mold and the frame material flowing around the projections and into the hollow centers thereof.