Toy building blocks

Abstract

The invention relates to toy building blocks which are provided with male and female engagement means to allow the same to be engaged together by mutual engagement of the same. At least one of the toy building blocks includes a movable portion which is movable from a retracted to an extended position when two of the toy building blocks are brought into engagement.

1 . A toy building block, comprising:
 a first face with female location means and another face with male location means wherein said building block includes a moveable portion, said portion movable from a first, substantially retracted position to a second, extended positin when the building block is brought into location with another building block or base block.   
   
   
       2 . A toy building block as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the said location is achieved by engagement of the male or female location means of a first building block with the other of the female or male location means of a second building block or base block. 
   
   
       3 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein the movable portion forms the male location means of the building block once it is moved to the extended position. 
   
   
       4 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein the movable portion is mounted so as to be slidably movable with respect to the building block body. 
   
   
       5 . A toy building block according to  claim 4  wherein the movable portion is movable along an axis which is parallel with or the same as the axis along which the respective building blocks are moved to bring the same into engagement. 
   
   
       6 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein the movable portion is movable through an aperture formed in the building block body. 
   
   
       7 . A toy building block according to  claim 6  wherein the said aperture is formed in the building block body on a face which opposes that in which the female location means are formed. 
   
   
       8 . A toy building block according to  claim 6  wherein the aperture is provided on the same face as that in which the male location means are formed. 
   
   
       9 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein the movable portion includes decorative effects on the external face of the same, at least part of which are only viewable when the movable portion has been moved to an extended position. 
   
   
       10 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein guide means are provided on the interior of the substantially hollow building block body, said guide means acting to guide the movement of the movable portion between extended and retractable positions. 
   
   
       11 . A toy building block according to  claim 1  wherein the movable portion moves back to a retracted position when the building block is removed from the other building block with which it was located. 
   
   
       12 . A plurality of toy building blocks, comprising:
 location means to allow the blocks to be located together and wherein at least one of the building blocks is formed with a movable portion such that movement of said building block with respect to another building block to bring the same into a located position, causes movement of the movable portion of said at least one building blocks to an extended position.   
   
   
       13 . A plurality of toy building blocks according to  claim 12  wherein the direction of movement of the said movable portion to the extended position is along the same axis as the direction of movement of the respective building blocks to bring the same into location. 
   
   
       14 . A plurality of toy building blocks according to  claim 12  wherein the plurality of building blocks includes at least one base building block, said base building block having a fixed protrusion which is provided to engage with the movable portion of a building block placed thereon so as to provide movement of the first movable portion of the first building block to an extended position. 
   
   
       15 . A plurality of toy building blocks according to  claim 14  wherein the movable portion which has been moved to an extended position acts as the means to contact with the movable portion of the next building block placed thereon to move that building block's movable portion to an extended position and the fixed protrusion of the base block acts to maintain the respective movable portions in the extended positions.