Building block play system

Abstract

The present invention provides modular building panels and building block play systems incorporating the panels, which enable the building of life-size play structures. In one embodiment, a modular building panel includes a blow molded base having a top wall and a bottom wall, a first cover attached to the blow molded base over the top wall, and a second cover attached to the blow molded base over the bottom wall, the second cover having peg-receiving components.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A modular panel for a building block play system comprising: 
 a blow molded base having a top wall and a bottom wall;    a first cover attached to the blow molded base over the top wall; and    a second cover attached to the blow molded base over the bottom wall, the second cover having peg-receiving components.    
     
     
         2 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first cover has a plurality of pegs.  
     
     
         3 . The modular panel of  claim 2 , wherein the pegs are one of hollow cylinders and solid posts.  
     
     
         4 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first cover and the second cover are injection molded.  
     
     
         5 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the modular panel is substantially a parallelepiped.  
     
     
         6 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base includes flanges proximate its top and bottom walls to provide the blow molded base with rigidity.  
     
     
         7 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first cover includes a flap on its inside, and wherein the blow molded base includes an indentation that receives the flap to secure the first cover to the blow molded base.  
     
     
         8 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the second cover includes a flap on its inside, and wherein the blow molded based includes an indentation that receives the flap to secure the second cover to the blow molded base.  
     
     
         9 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base includes a blow molding aperture, and wherein one of the first cover and the second cover close the blow molding aperture.  
     
     
         10 . The modular panel of  claim 9 , wherein the blow molding aperture is closed by one of a plug and a cap.  
     
     
         11 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base includes bosses on the top wall.  
     
     
         12 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base has a face on which ornamental embossing is disposed.  
     
     
         13 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the peg-receiving components of the second cover are arranged in a first tier and a second tier, 
 wherein the first tier is farther from the center of the blow molded base than the second tier and comprises a center portion of the second cover, and    wherein the second tier comprises two outer portions of the second cover on either side of the center portion.    
     
     
         14 . The modular panel of  claim 13 , wherein the two outer portions of the second cover are adapted to receive coupling blocks that join two side-by-side modular panels when modular panels are stacked on top of each other to form a wall.  
     
     
         15 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , further comprising a panel support component comprising a peg portion and a lateral flange adjacent to the peg portion, wherein the peg portion is removably attached to at least one of the peg-receiving components of the second cover.  
     
     
         16 . The modular panel of  claim 15 , wherein the panel support component further comprises a second lateral flange adjacent to the peg portion.  
     
     
         17 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base defines a compartment, wherein the modular panel further comprises a door that closes over the compartment, and wherein the door has hinge posts that are disposed within hinge indentations in the blow molded base.  
     
     
         18 . The modular panel of  claim 17 , further comprising a reinforcing boss in a wall of the compartment.  
     
     
         19 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , wherein the blow molded base defines an opening from one side of the modular panel to an opposite side of the modular panel.  
     
     
         20 . The modular panel of  claim 1 , further comprising one of a dry eraser board and a chalkboard attached to the blow molded base.  
     
     
         21 . A building block play system comprising: 
 a first panel having 
 a first blow molded base, shaped as substantially a parallelepiped with a first top face and a first bottom face,  
 a first peg component attached to the first blow molded base over the first top face, and  
 a first peg-receiving component attached to the first blow molded base over the first bottom face; and  
   a second panel having 
 a second blow molded base, shaped as substantially a parallelepiped with a second top face and a second bottom face,  
 a second peg component attached to the second blow molded base over the second top face, and  
 a second peg-receiving component attached to the second blow molded base over the second bottom face;  
   wherein the first peg component of the first panel is removably attached to the second peg-receiving component of the second panel to form a wall.    
     
     
         22 . The building block play system of  claim 21 , wherein the first panel is a first width and the second panel is a second width, and wherein the first width is different from the second width, thereby creating an extension for offset construction.  
     
     
         23 . The building block play system of  claim 21 , wherein the first and second peg components and the first and second peg-receiving components are injection molded.  
     
     
         24 . The building block play system of  claim 21 , wherein the first peg component includes a flap on its inside, wherein the first peg-receiving component includes a flap on its inside, and wherein the first blow molded base includes indentations that receive the flaps of the first peg component and the first peg-receiving component to secure the first peg component and the first peg-receiving component to the first blow molded base.  
     
     
         25 . The building block play system of  claim 21 , wherein the second peg-receiving component of the second panel is arranged in a first tier and a second tier, 
 wherein the first tier is farther from the center of the second blow molded base than the second tier and comprises a center portion of the second peg-receiving component,    wherein the second tier comprises a first outer portion of the second peg-receiving component on a first side of the center portion and a second outer portion of the second peg-receiving component on a second side of the center portion opposite the first side, and    wherein the center portion of the second peg-receiving component is removably attached to a first portion of the first peg component of the first panel.    
     
     
         26 . The building block play system of  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 a coupling block having top pegs and bottom peg receivers, wherein a portion of the top pegs is removably attached to the first outer portion of the second peg-receiving component of the second panel, and wherein a first portion of the bottom peg receivers is removably attached to a second portion of the first peg component of the first panel; and    a third panel having 
 a third blow molded base, shaped as substantially a parallelepiped with a third top face and a third bottom face,  
 a third peg component attached to the third blow molded base over the third top face, and  
 a third peg-receiving component attached to the third blow molded base over the third bottom face, and  
   wherein a second portion of the bottom peg receivers of the coupling block is removably attached to a portion of the third peg component of the third panel.    
     
     
         27 . The building block play system of  claim 26 , further comprising a filler block having top pegs and bottom peg receivers, wherein the top pegs are removably attached to the second outer portion of the second peg-receiving component, and wherein the bottom peg receivers are removably attached to a third portion of the first peg component of the first panel.  
     
     
         28 . The building block play system of  claim 21 , further comprising a wall support component comprising a peg portion and a lateral flange adjacent to the peg portion, wherein the peg portion is removably attached to the first peg-receiving component of the first panel.  
     
     
         29 . A building block play system comprising: 
 a first panel having a top wall, wherein a plurality of pegs extend from the top wall;    a second panel having a lower wall, wherein the lower wall has a peg-receiving component, wherein the peg-receiving component has a center portion that receives an inner portion of the plurality of pegs extending from the top wall of the first panel, wherein the peg-receiving component has a first outer portion that is set back from the center portion and is on a first side of the center portion, and wherein the peg-receiving component has a second outer portion that is set back from the center portion and is on a second side of the center portion opposite the first side;    a coupling block disposed between the first outer portion of the peg-receiving component and an outer portion of the plurality of pegs extending from the top wall of the first panel, wherein a portion of the coupling block extends over a side of the top wall of the first panel; and    a third panel having an upper wall, wherein a plurality of pegs extend from the upper wall, and wherein the extending portion of the coupling block receives at least a portion of the plurality of pegs extending from the upper wall of the third panel.    
     
     
         30 . The building block play system of  claim 29 , further comprising a filler block having top pegs and bottom peg receivers, wherein the top pegs are removably attached to the second outer portion of the peg-receiving component of the second panel, and wherein the bottom peg receivers are removably attached to another outer portion of the plurality of pegs extending from the top wall of the first panel.  
     
     
         31 . A modular panel for a building block play system comprising: 
 a top wall having a plurality of pegs; and    a bottom wall having a plurality of peg-receiving components,    wherein the panel is substantially a parallelepiped,    wherein the panel is blow molded, and    wherein the plurality of pegs are adapted to receive the peg-receiving components.    
     
     
         32 . The modular panel of  claim 31 , wherein the peg-receiving components of the bottom wall are arranged in a first tier and a second tier, 
 wherein the first tier is farther from the center of the modular panel than the second tier and comprises a center portion of the bottom wall, and    wherein the second tier comprises two outer portions of the bottom wall on either side of the center portion.    
     
     
         33 . The modular panel of  claim 13 , wherein the two outer portions of the second cover are adapted to receive coupling blocks that join two side-by-side modular panels when modular panels are stacked on top of each other to form a wall.  
     
     
         34 . A modular panel for a building block play system comprising: 
 a base shaped substantially as a parallelepiped having a top wall and a bottom wall, wherein the base has a first indentation proximate the top wall and a second indentation proximate the bottom wall;    a peg component having a first flap on its inside, wherein the peg component is secured to the base over the top wall by the first flap disposed in the first indentation; and    a peg-receiving component having a second flap on its inside, wherein the peg-receiving component is secured to the base over the bottom wall by the second flap disposed in the second indentation.    
     
     
         35 . The modular panel of  claim 34 , wherein the base is blow molded and the peg component and the peg-receiving component are injection molded.  
     
     
         36 . The modular panel of  claim 34 , wherein the base is blow molded and has a blow molding aperture, and wherein the peg component includes one of cap and a plug that closes the blow molding aperture.  
     
     
         37 . The modular panel of  claim 34 , wherein the base includes flanges proximate its top and bottom walls to provide the base with rigidity.  
     
     
         38 . The modular panel of  claim 34 , wherein the peg component includes ribs on its inside, and wherein the base includes bosses on the top wall that receive the ribs.