Toy construction kits and related methods

Abstract

Toy construction kits comprise a plurality of components, including a plurality of primary construction pieces and one or more of a basic elongate connector, a detail connector piece, a manipulable connector, a secondary construction piece, and/or a detailed piece. Each primary construction piece comprises a unitary body that comprises a first lobe, a second lobe adjacent to the first lobe, and a bridge that interconnects the first and second lobes. The first and second lobes define respective first-lobe and second-lobe openings to respective first-lobe and second-lobe interior volumes. The interior volume of each lobe is configured to receive, via the corresponding lobe opening, and retain a lobe of another primary construction piece in a friction-fit arrangement. Some of the additional components may define an attribute of a three-dimensional sculpture formed from the toy construction kit. The components are configured to be selectively and repeatedly coupled together in a friction-fit arrangement.

1 . A toy construction kit, comprising:
 a plurality of primary construction pieces, wherein each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary constructions pieces comprises a unitary body, wherein the unitary body is constructed of a flexible and resilient material, and wherein the unitary body comprises:
 a first lobe defining a first-lobe opening to a first-lobe interior volume; 
 a second lobe adjacent to the first lobe and defining a second-lobe opening to a second-lobe interior volume; and 
 a bridge extending between the first-lobe opening and the second-lobe opening and interconnecting the first lobe to the second lobe, wherein the bridge defines a hole extending through the bridge; 
   wherein the first-lobe interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary constructions pieces is configured to receive and retain a second lobe of another primary construction piece via the first-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement; and   wherein the second lobe-interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary constructions pieces is configured to receive and retain a first lobe of another primary construction piece via the second-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement.   
     
     
         2 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein the hole is an elongate slot aligned with the bridge. 
     
     
         3 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first lobe and the second lobe are at least substantially identical in shape. 
     
     
         4 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first lobe, the first-lobe interior volume, the second lobe, and the second-lobe interior volume have a generally triangular profile. 
     
     
         5 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces are symmetrical about the bridge. 
     
     
         6 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side; and   wherein the first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side are substantially parallel to each other.   
     
     
         7 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side; and   wherein the first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side are substantially planar.   
     
     
         8 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side;   wherein the unitary body has a minimum gap width between the first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side;   wherein the unitary body has a maximum lobe width between the first-lobe lateral side and the first-lobe medial side and between the second-lobe lateral side and the second-lobe medial side; and   wherein the minimum gap width is less than the maximum lobe width.   
     
     
         9 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side; and   wherein first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side of each primary construction piece the plurality of primary construction pieces are configured to receive a first lobe or a second lobe of another primary construction piece in a friction-fit arrangement.   
     
     
         10 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side;   wherein the first-lobe lateral side and the first-lobe medial side have different curvatures; and   wherein the second-lobe lateral side and the second-lobe medial side have different curvatures.   
     
     
         11 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lobe comprises a first-lobe lateral side and a first-lobe medial side opposite the first-lobe lateral side;   wherein the second lobe comprises a second-lobe lateral side and a second-lobe medial side opposite the second-lobe lateral side and facing the first-lobe medial side; and   wherein the first-lobe lateral side and the second-lobe lateral side have a greater curvature than the first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side.   
     
     
         12 . The toy construction kit of  claim 11 , wherein the first-lobe medial side and the second-lobe medial side are substantially planar. 
     
     
         13 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of primary construction pieces comprises subsets of primary construction pieces of different colors. 
     
     
         14 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of basic elongate connectors, wherein each basic elongate connector of the plurality of basic elongate connectors comprises opposing basic-elongate-connector end regions, and wherein each basic-elongate-connector end region is configured to be selectively inserted into and retained within the hole in a friction-fit arrangement. 
     
     
         15 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of detail connector pieces, wherein each detail connector piece ( 58 ) of the plurality of detail connector pieces comprises a detail-connector-piece detailed end region and a detail-connector-piece connecting end region opposite the detail-connector-piece detailed end region, wherein the detail-connector-piece detailed end region comprises an attribute of a character, and wherein the detail-connector-piece connecting end region is configured to be selectively inserted into and retained within the hole in a friction-fit arrangement. 
     
     
         16 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one manipulable connector, wherein the at least one manipulable connector comprises:   a first manipulable connector portion with a first-manipulable-connector connecting end region and a first-manipulable-connector joint end region opposite the first-manipulable-connector connecting end region;   a second manipulable connector portion, wherein the second manipulable connector portion comprises a second-manipulable-connector connecting end region and a second-manipulable-connector joint end region opposite the second-manipulable-connector connecting end region;   wherein the first-manipulable-connector joint end region and the second-manipulable-connector joint end region are configured to be selectively coupled together to define a manipulable joint in which the first manipulable connector portion and the second manipulable connector portion are configured to be selectively pivoted and/or rotated relative to reach other;   wherein the first-manipulable-connector connecting end region is configured to be selectively inserted into and retained within the hole in a friction-fit arrangement; and   wherein the second-manipulable-connector connecting end region is configured to be selectively inserted into and retained within the hole in a friction-fit arrangement.   
     
     
         17 . The toy construction kit of  claim 16 , wherein the manipulable joint defines a plurality of discrete positions for the second manipulable connector relative to the first manipulable connector. 
     
     
         18 . The toy construction kit of  claim 17 , wherein in each discrete position of the plurality of discrete positions, the second manipulable connector is orthogonal to the first manipulable connector. 
     
     
         19 . The toy construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of secondary construction pieces, wherein each secondary construction piece of the plurality of secondary constructions pieces comprises:
 a secondary-construction-piece first lobe; 
 a secondary-construction-piece second lobe adjacent to the secondary-construction-piece first lobe; 
 a secondary-construction-piece bridge extending between and interconnecting the secondary-construction-piece first lobe and the secondary-construction-piece second lobe; and 
 a secondary-construction-piece connector extending away the secondary-construction-piece bridge opposite the secondary-construction-piece first lobe and the secondary-construction-piece second lobe; 
   wherein the first-lobe interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain the secondary-construction-piece first lobe or the secondary-construction-piece second lobe via the first-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement;   wherein the second lobe-interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain the secondary-construction-piece first lobe or the secondary-construction-piece second lobe via the second-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement.   
     
     
         20 . The toy construction kit of  claim 19 , wherein the secondary-construction-piece connector of at least some of the plurality second construction pieces is configured to be selectively inserted into and retained within the hole in a friction-fit arrangement. 
     
     
         21 . The toy construction kit of  claim 19 , wherein the secondary-construction-piece connector of at least some of the secondary construction pieces comprises a secondary-construction-piece first joint portion or a secondary-construction-piece second joint portion, wherein the secondary-construction-piece first joint portion is configured to be selectively coupled to the secondary-construction-piece second joint portion. 
     
     
         22 . A method of constructing a three-dimensional sculpture from the toy construction kit of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 inserting the first lobe of a first primary construction piece into the second-lobe interior volume of a second primary construction piece;   inserting the second lobe of a third primary construction piece into the first-lobe interior volume of the second primary construction piece; and   repeating the inserting and the inserting with respect to additional primary construction pieces to at least partially construct the three-dimensional sculpture.   
     
     
         23 . A toy construction kit, comprising:
 a plurality of primary construction pieces, wherein each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary constructions pieces comprises a unitary body that comprises:
 a first lobe defining a first-lobe opening to a first-lobe interior volume; 
 a second lobe adjacent to the first lobe and defining a second-lobe opening to a second-lobe interior volume; and 
 a bridge extending between the first-lobe opening and the second-lobe opening and interconnecting the first lobe to the second lobe; and 
   a plurality of secondary construction pieces, wherein each secondary construction piece of the plurality of secondary constructions pieces comprises:
 a secondary-construction-piece first lobe; 
 a secondary-construction-piece second lobe adjacent to the secondary-construction piece first lobe; 
 a secondary-construction-piece bridge extending between and interconnecting the secondary-construction-piece first lobe and the secondary-construction-piece second lobe; and 
 a secondary-construction-piece connector extending away the secondary-construction-piece bridge opposite the secondary-construction-piece first lobe and the secondary-construction-piece second lobe; 
   wherein the first-lobe interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain the secondary-construction-piece first lobe or the secondary-construction-piece second lobe ( 86 ) via the first-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement;   wherein the second lobe-interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain the secondary-construction-piece first lobe or the secondary-construction-piece second lobe via the second-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement;   wherein the first-lobe interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain a second lobe of another primary construction piece via the first-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement; and   wherein the second lobe-interior volume of each primary construction piece of the plurality of primary construction pieces is configured to receive and retain a first lobe of another primary construction piece via the second-lobe opening in a friction-fit arrangement.