Construction unit suitable for making regular and irregular polyhedral structures

Abstract

A construction unit suitable for making regular and irregular polyhedral structures is disclosed. Each unit comprises at least one sub-member, preferably three sub-members, attached to one another to form a polygonally-shaped construction unit. The construction unit comprises a plurality of means to attach to other connectively compatible units to form regular and irregular polyhedral structures.

1 . a construction unit suitable for combining with other connectively compatible construction units to form regular and irregular polyhedral structures, the construction comprising a plurality of sub-members; 
 each sub-member having a discreet length, a first end, and a second end, each sub-member having a first face and a second face, each sub-member having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, each sub-member having at least one tab flexibly attached to the first longitudinal edge and at least one tab flexibly attached to the second longitudinal edge;    each sub-member attached to the other sub-members such that the second end of a first sub-member is attached to the first end of another sub-member, and second end of a last sub-member is attached to the first end of the first sub-member;    each of the tabs having a first face and a second face, each tab face having at least one means to attach to additional sub-members on the first tab face and at least one means to attach to additional sub-members on the second tab face;    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional sub-members located on the first face, the means to attach additional sub-members located such that a given means to attach additional sub-members can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional sub-members located on the tabs of other sub-members;    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional sub-members located on the second face, the means to attach additional sub-members being located such that a given means to attach additional sub-members can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional sub-members located the tabs of other sub-members,    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located on the first face and positioned such that the means to attach additional construction units can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional construction units located on other sub-members.    
   
   
       2 . a construction unit suitable for combining with other connectively compatible construction units to form regular and irregular polyhedral structures, the construction unit comprising a plurality of connectively compatible sub-members; 
 each sub-member being substantially circular in shape, each sub-member having a plurality of connection points, each sub-member having a first face, the first face defined by the circular shape, each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located on the first face of each basic member such that the means to attach additional construction units can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional construction units located on other connectively compatible sub-members;    the sub-members each connected to one another at the connection points.    
   
   
       3 . a construction unit suitable for combining with other connectively compatible construction units to form regular and irregular polyhedral structures, the construction unit having a first face; 
 the first face being defined by a plurality of sub-members, each of the sub-members being substantially tubular in shape, each of the sub-members having a discreet length, a first end, and a second end, each of the sub-members attached to the other sub-members of the plurality of sub-members such that the second end of a first sub-member is attached to the first end of another sub-member, the second end of a last sub-member is attached to the first end of the first sub-member;    each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional sub-members, the means to attach additional sub-members being located such that the means to attach additional sub-members of additional sub-members can attach to the sub-member;    each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located such that a first face of an additional connectively compatible construction unit can attach to the first face of the construction unit.    
   
   
       4 . a polyhedral object formed by the combination of multiple construction units described in  claim 1 ,  claim 2 , or  claim 3 .  
   
   
       5 . a construction kit comprising a plurality of construction units described in  claim 1 ,  claim 2 , or  claim 3 .  
   
   
       6 . a construction kit comprising a plurality of construction unit sub-members, each of the sub-members being connectively compatible with one another, each sub-member having a discreet length, a first end, and a second end, each sub-member having a first face and a second face, each sub-member having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, each sub-member having at least one tab flexibly attached to the first longitudinal edge and at least one tab flexibly attached to the second longitudinal edge; 
 each of the sub-members capable of being attached to other sub-members such that the second end of a first sub-member can be attached to the first end of another sub-member, the second end of a last sub-member can be attached to the first end of the first sub-member, such that the sub-members thusly attached form a construction unit suitable for making regular and irregular polyhedral structures;    each of the tabs having a first face and a second face, each tab face having at least one means to attach to additional sub-members on the first tab face and at least one means to attach to additional sub-members on the second tab face;    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional sub-members located on the first face, the means to attach additional sub-members being located such that a given means to attach additional sub-members can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional sub-members located on the tabs of other sub-members;    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional sub-members located on the second face, the means to attach additional sub-members being located such that a given means to attach additional sub-members can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional sub-members located the tabs of other sub-members,    each of the sub-members having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located on the first face and positioned such that the means to attach additional construction units can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional construction units located on other sub-members.    
   
   
       7 . a construction kit comprising a plurality of construction unit sub-members, each of the plurality of sub-members being connectively compatible with one another; 
 each sub-member being substantially circular in shape, each sub-member having at least one connection point, each sub-member having a first face, the first face defined by the circular shape, each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located on the first face of each basic member such that the means to attach additional construction units can be aligned to attach to corresponding means to attach additional construction units located on other sub-members;    the sub-members each capable of being connected to one another at the connection point.    
   
   
       8 . a construction kit comprising a plurality of construction unit sub-members, each of the plurality of sub-members being connectively compatible with one another; 
 each of the sub-members being substantially tubular in shape, each of the three sub-members having a discreet length, a first end, and a second end, each of the sub-members capable of being attached to other sub-members such that the second end of a first sub-member can be attached to the first end of another sub-member, and the second end of a last sub-member can be attached to the first end of the first sub-member, the sub-members thusly attached forming a construction unit suitable for making regular and irregular polyhedral structures;    each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional sub-members, the means to attach additional sub-members being located such that additional sub-members of additional construction units can attach to the sub-member;    each sub-member having at least one means to attach additional construction units, the means to attach additional construction units being located such that a first face of an additional construction unit can attach to the first face of the sub-member.    
   
   
       9 . a polyhedral object constructed from the construction kit described in  claim 6 ,  claim 7 , or  claim 8 .  
   
   
       10 . a construction unit as in  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein the sub-members are flexible.  
   
   
       11 . a construction kit as in claims  6 ,  7 , or  8  wherein the sub-members are flexible.