Toy vehicle track connector apparatus and kit

Abstract

The toy vehicle track connector apparatus (or track connector) is a one piece construction that provides a support structure for a toy racetrack while increasing the degrees of freedom (DoF) of said track. The track connector may be used to create and support a variety of different racetrack structures or race car scenarios. Multiple track connectors may be used in a system to create an entire toy race car track. The track connector is a fully modular component of the toy racetrack system; track connectors may be swapped or replaced in a system without affecting the rest of the system. The track connector may be in the form of a substantially rectangular block, preferably a cube, forming six substantially planar faces or sides, and further comprising a connector protrusion, a connector aperture, a channel portion, a groove, a raised aperture portion, and a recessed line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toy vehicle track connector apparatus comprising:
 a three-dimensional body member having a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, a fifth side, and a sixth side;   a connector protrusion extending from a surface of the first side;   a connector aperture disposed on a surface of the second side; and,   a channel portion being disposed on the third side, the channel portion being configured to mateably interface with a toy vehicle track.   
     
     
         2 . The toy vehicle track connector apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a second connector aperture disposed on a surface of the fourth side. 
     
     
         3 . The toy vehicle track connector apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a third connector aperture disposed on a surface of the fifth side. 
     
     
         4 . The toy vehicle track connector apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising a fourth connector aperture disposed on a surface of the sixth side. 
     
     
         5 . The toy vehicle track connector apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the connector protrusion is spherical in shape. 
     
     
         6 . The toy vehicle track connector apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the connector aperture is concave in shape. 
     
     
         7 . A toy vehicle track kit comprising:
 a three-dimensional body member having a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, a fifth side, and a sixth side, and having a connector protrusion extending from a surface of the first side, a connector aperture disposed on a surface of the second side, a channel portion being disposed on the third side; and,   a leg segment having a connector portion and an attachment portion, the connector portion being configured to mateably interface with the connector aperture on the three-dimensional body member.   
     
     
         8 . The toy vehicle track kit of  claim 7  further comprising a toy vehicle track segment being configured to mateably interface with the channel portion of the three-dimensional body member. 
     
     
         9 . The toy vehicle track kit of  claim 7  further comprising at least two three-dimensional body members, the connector protrusion of each three-dimensional body member being configured to mateably interface with the connector aperture of each three-dimensional body member. 
     
     
         10 . The toy vehicle track kit of  claim 7  further comprising at least two leg segments being configured to mateably interface with each other. 
     
     
         11 . A toy vehicle track system comprising:
 a connector member having a connector protrusion, a connector aperture, and a track channel;   a plurality of leg segments being selectively coupled to each other, each leg segment in the plurality of leg segments having a connector portion and an attachment portion, the connector portion being configured to be removably coupled to the connector aperture of the connector member; and,   a track member having a channel portion, the channel portion of the track member being removably coupled to the track channel of the connector member.   
     
     
         12 . The toy vehicle track system of  claim 11  wherein the connector member further comprises a second connector aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The toy vehicle track system of  claim 12  wherein the connector member further comprises a third connector aperture. 
     
     
         14 . The toy vehicle track system of  claim 13  wherein the connector member further comprises a fourth connector aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The toy vehicle track system of  claim 11  wherein the connector protrusion is spherical in shape.