Toy Figure Assembly

Abstract

A toy figure assembly can be interconnected to construct a toy figure. The mating parts of the toy figure assembly are structured for friction fit attachment and include an upper body part including a neck portion and a trunk portion; a lower body part including a rod portion, a stud portion, a legs portion, and a feet portion; and arm parts having a hand portion, a forearm portion, an elbow portion, an upper arm portion, and a shoulder portion.

1 . A toy construction set comprising:
 a toy figure assembly comprising:
 a head part, 
 an upper body part removably attachable to the head part via a non-snap frictional engagement along a longitudinal axis, wherein the upper body part has a shape that is distinct from a shape of the head part and when the upper body part and the head part are attached, they are rotatable relative to each other about the longitudinal axis, and 
 a lower body part removably attachable at a first end to the upper body part via a non-snap frictional engagement along the longitudinal axis, wherein:
 the lower body part has a shape that is distinct from the upper body part, 
 the lower body part includes no more than a single recess at a second end structured for non-snap frictional attachment to a building element not a part from the toy figure assembly via only a single stud on the building element along the longitudinal axis, and 
 when the lower body part and the upper body part are attached, they are rotatable relative to each other about the longitudinal axis. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The toy construction set of  claim 1 , further comprising a building element that defines a coupling stud, wherein:
 when the coupling stud is frictionally received in a recess defined by the lower body part, the toy figure assembly is attached to the building element via a non-snap frictional engagement along the longitudinal axis, and   all of the elements of the toy figure assembly are removed from the building element and retain non-snap frictional engagement when the toy figure assembly is pulled only by the head part along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         3 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , wherein a hierarchy of interference forces is in effect when a toy figure assembly is assembled from the head part, the upper body part, and the lower body part and the lower body part is attached to the single stud of the building element, the hierarchy of interference forces including a greatest interference force between the head part and the upper body part and a weakest interference force between the lower body part and the stud on the building element, and wherein the hierarchy of interference forces allows the toy figure assembly to be removed from the building element as a single unit when the toy figure assembly is pulled only by the head part along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , wherein the upper body part includes a neck portion and a trunk portion, the neck portion projecting from a top surface of the trunk portion and having an inner surface defining a through hole that opens into the trunk portion. 
     
     
         5 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , wherein the interference force between the lower body part and the stud on the building element corresponds to an interference force between building elements. 
     
     
         6 . The toy construction set of  claim 2 , further comprising arm parts structured for snap fit attachment to the upper body part, wherein connection between the upper body part and the arm parts is tight enough so that each of the arms parts can maintain any angular position and is loose enough so that each of the arm parts can be repositioned without overcoming the interference force between the lower body part and the stud on the building element. 
     
     
         7 . A toy construction set comprising:
 one or more building elements having coupling elements of a first coupling size;   one or more accessory building elements having coupling elements of a second coupling size that is distinct from the first coupling size; and   one or more toy figure assemblies, each toy figure assembly comprising:
 a plurality of interconnectable body parts including an upper torso body part and a lower legs and feet body part, 
 wherein the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part are removeably attachable to each other along a longitudinal axis via a coupling system that includes: 
 coupling elements of the first coupling size on the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part that can be frictionally attached to each other along the longitudinal axis and to building elements having the first coupling size, and coupling elements of the second coupling size on the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part that can be frictionally attached to each other along the longitudinal axis and to building elements having the second coupling size; 
 wherein the coupling elements of the second coupling size and the coupling elements of the first coupling size on the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part both extend along the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         8 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein the second coupling size is smaller than the first coupling size. 
     
     
         9 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the coupling element of the second coupling size on the upper torso body part includes an upper longitudinal flat that defines a through hole;   the coupling element of the second coupling size on the lower legs and feet body part includes a rod portion having a diameter that is the second coupling size; and   the rod portion is engaged by the upper longitudinal flat when the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part are connected.   
     
     
         10 . The toy construction set of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the coupling element of the first coupling size on the upper torso body part includes an interior surface that defines an opening;   the coupling element of the first coupling size on the lower legs and feet body part includes a stud portion having a diameter of the first coupling size;   the rod portion protrudes from the stud portion; and   the stud portion is engaged by the interior surface of the upper torso body part when the upper torso body part and the lower legs and feet body part are connected.   
     
     
         11 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein:
 each toy figure assembly comprises an arm part;   the upper torso body part defines a side bore; and   the arm part includes a shoulder portion that connects with the side bore of the upper torso body part by way of a snap fit.   
     
     
         12 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein the upper torso body part includes a trunk portion and a neck portion projecting from a top surface of the trunk portion and having an inner surface defining a through hole that opens into the trunk portion and extends through the trunk portion along the longitudinal axis, the through hole being of the first coupling size. 
     
     
         13 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein:
 each toy figure assembly includes a head part;   the upper torso body part includes a neck portion projecting from a trunk portion; and   the head part attaches to the neck portion of the upper torso body part.   
     
     
         14 . The toy construction set of  claim 13 , wherein the neck portion is a coupling element of the first coupling size. 
     
     
         15 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein the lower legs and feet body part includes an upper cavity that is the second coupling size and a lower cavity that is the first coupling size. 
     
     
         16 . The toy construction set of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the coupling element of the first coupling size on the lower legs and feet body part includes a stud portion having a diameter of the first coupling size, the stud portion extending from a legs portion of the lower legs and feet body part along the longitudinal axis;   the coupling element of the second coupling size on the lower legs and feet body part includes a rod portion having a diameter that is the second coupling size, the rod portion protruding from the stud portion along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         17 . The toy construction set of  claim 16 , wherein the lower legs and feet body part includes:
 a lower cavity of a first coupling size that extends into a feet portion of the lower legs and feet body part; and   an upper cavity that is the second coupling size that extends from the feet portion to the legs portion of the lower legs and feet body part.