Magnetic building tiles for creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures and flat magnetic panels for decorating the building tiles

Abstract

The present invention comprises a set of tiles of any shape, including magnets placed in between a top and bottom portion allowing the tiles to be magnetically attached to each other, allowing a user to build 2D/3D structures. There are panel pieces, that have same shape and size as the tiles, and that have a ferrous base that allows for them to be attached flatly to the tiles. The panels have decorative portions placed on at least one side, which allows the user to decorate the tiles and/or the structure built out of the tiles in any way that captures their imagination. The decorative portions include the design, including but not limited to a road, a city/town, colors, patterns, or a writeable surface to allow for the ultimate level of customization.

1 . A panel for decorating a flat building tile containing a plurality of magnets therein, the panel comprises a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile, the panel further comprises a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and configured to magnetically attract the panel to the plurality of magnets of the building tile to facilitate a removable attachment of the panel to the building tile, wherein the panel is sized to match the size of the building tile so as to cover thereof once magnetically attached thereto. 
     
     
         2 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first side of the panel is decorated with a first graphics layer. 
     
     
         3 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 2 , wherein the first graphics layer contains a graphic representation selected from a group consisting of: a straight road, a curved road, a Y-shaped road, a straight train track, a curved train track, a river, a lake, an ocean, a plant, a vegetation, at least one person, at least one character, at least one color, at least one shape, and at least one pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 3 , wherein the first graphics layer is at least one shape selected from a group consisting of: at least one circle, at least one square, at least one rectangle, at least one triangle, at least one trapezoid, at least one hexagon, and at least one octagon. 
     
     
         5 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first side is configured to be written on and erasable to facilitate changing the decorative appearance thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , further comprising a second side opposite the first side, the second side is configured to alter the appearance of the building tile with a second graphics layer that is different from the first graphics layer. 
     
     
         7 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , further comprising a transparent pocket at the first side of the panel, the transparent pocket is configured for removable placement of a flat carrier containing a first graphics layer. 
     
     
         8 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , wherein the ferrous magnetic material is located along a peripheral edge of the panel. 
     
     
         9 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 1 , further comprising a first non-magnetic layer adjacent the first side of the panel and a second magnetic layer comprising a ferrous magnetic sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 9 , further comprises a third core layer between the first non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein the third core layer is configured to provide rigidity for the panel. 
     
     
         11 . The panel for decorating a flat building tile, as in  claim 10 , wherein the third core layer is adhesively connected to the first non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. 
     
     
         12 . A building tile play system comprises:
 a plurality of identical building tiles, wherein each building tile is characterized by a length, a width, and depth, the depth is smaller than either the length or the width of the building tile,   each building tile comprises a solid top piece and a solid bottom piece with a hollow space in between the solid top piece and the solid bottom piece when assembled together, the hollow space is sufficient for a plurality of magnets to be placed within the building tile adjacent at least one side thereof,   wherein the building tiles of the plurality of the building tiles are configured to facilitate one building tile to be removably attached to another building tile via a magnetic attachment along one side thereof to facilitate building of tile play structures,   wherein the building tile play system further comprises at least one panel comprising a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and sized to match the length and the width of the building tile, the at least one panel further comprises a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein.   
     
     
         13 . The building tile play system, as in  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of magnets of each building tile comprises at least two magnets per each side of the building tile located adjacent the at least one side thereof, the at least two magnets having alternate polarity every other magnet, continuing around the entire periphery of the building tile. 
     
     
         14 . The building tile play system, as in  claim 13 , wherein an even number of magnets is placed on each side of the building tile. 
     
     
         15 . The building tile play system, as in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one panel is thinner than the building tile and is configured to attach thereto to rest flatly against the building tile. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing an amusement activity using a plurality of panels and a plurality of building tiles to create a tile play structure, the method comprising:
 a. providing a plurality of identical building tiles, wherein each building tile is characterized by a length, a width, and depth, the depth is smaller than either the length or the width of the building tile, each building tile comprises a plurality of magnets positioned along at least one side of the building tile,   b. providing a first plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising a sheet of ferrous magnetic material extending throughout the panel and configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the first plurality of panels together corresponding to a first selected theme for the tile play structure,   c. arranging and magnetically attaching the building tiles to form a base of the tile play structure; and   d. arranging and magnetically attaching the first plurality of panels to the building tiles of the base of the play structure according to the first selected theme,   thereby enabling to perform an amusement activity over the first plurality of panels.   
     
     
         17 . The method of performing an amusement activity, as in  claim 16 , further comprising the following steps:
 e. providing a second plurality of panels sized to match the building tiles, each panel comprising ferrous magnetic material configured to facilitate a removable magnetic attachment of the panel to the building tile, each panel further comprising a first side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile when the panel is placed on top thereof while being magnetically attached to the plurality of magnets therein, the second plurality of panels together corresponding to a second selected theme for the tile play structure, and   f. replacing the first plurality of panels with the second plurality of panels so as to switch the amusement activity from the first selected theme to the second selected theme.   
     
     
         18 . The method of performing an amusement activity, as in  claim 17 , wherein in step (e) the first plurality of panels has a second side configured to alter the appearance of the building tile according to the second theme, so as switching from the first theme to the second theme is accomplished by flipping the panels to expose their respective second side in place of the first side. 
     
     
         19 . The building tile play system as in  claim 12 , wherein panel thickness is less than building tile depth.