A toy building element and a method and a mold for producing such a toy building element for a toy building set

Abstract

A toy building element having an integrally injection molded body comprising at least two adjacent tubular connector sockets and two mutually equidistant connecting flanges extending from diametrically opposite sides of one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets and to diametrically opposite sides of the other one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets so that a first channel is formed between them. The first channel extends between the two parallel surfaces and a first stiffening wall is arranged in the first channel. The first stiffening wall divides the first channel into a first channel part close to one of the two parallel surfaces and a second channel part close to the other of the two parallel surfaces. At least a section of the first stiffening wall is closer to one of the two parallel surfaces than it is to the other one of the two parallel surfaces.

1 . A toy building element for at toy building set, the toy building element having:
 an integrally injection molded body comprising;
 at least two adjacent tubular connector sockets extending along mutually parallel tube axes between two mutually identical and parallel surfaces, 
 two mutually equidistant connecting flanges extending from diametrically opposite sides of one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets to diametrically opposite sides of the other one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets so that the two adjacent tubular connector sockets are spaced apart by the connecting flanges and form a first channel between them, the first channel extending between the two parallel surfaces and having a relatively wide cross section close to each of the connecting flanges and a relatively narrow cross section in the middle between the connecting flanges, and 
 a first stiffening wall arranged in the first channel, the first stiffening wall dividing the first channel into a first channel part close to one of the two parallel surfaces and a second channel part close to the other of the two parallel surfaces, at least a section of the first stiffening wall positioned closer to one of the two parallel surfaces than it is to the other one of the two parallel surfaces. 
   
     
     
         2 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third tubular connector socket extending along a third tube axis being parallel with said two mutually parallel tube axes,   wherein,
 the two mutually equidistant connecting flanges further extend from diametrically opposite sides of one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets and to diametrically opposite sides of the third tubular connector socket so that the third tubular connector socket is spaced apart from said one of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets, forming a second channel between them, the second channel extending between the two parallel surfaces and, similar to the first channel, having a relatively wide cross section close to each of the connecting flanges and a relatively narrow cross section in the middle between the connecting flanges, and 
 a second stiffening wall is arranged in the second channel in the middle between the two parallel surfaces. 
   
     
     
         3 . The toy building element according to  claim 2 , wherein the parallel tube axes of the two adjacent tubular connector sockets and the third tubular connector socket are arranged equidistantly along a straight line, forming a beam structure. 
     
     
         4 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cone shaped tapered pinpoint gate 
     
     
         5 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , wherein the relatively wide cross section of the first stiffening wall is parallel with the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , wherein the relatively wide cross section of the first stiffening wall comprises a gate mark arranged at a surface of the first stiffening wall facing the one of the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gate arranged in a mold cavity forming the surface of the first stiffening wall facing the one of the two parallel surfaces of the toy building element. 
     
     
         9 . The toy building element according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gate arranged for each mold cavity in a surface of the mold cavity forming the surface of the first stiffening wall facing the one of the two parallel surfaces of the toy building element. 
     
     
         10 . The toy building element according to  claim 9 , wherein the gate is a cone shaped tapered pinpoint gate with a cone angle between 8-15 degrees and having a smallest cross section closest to the mold cavity. 
     
     
         11 . A toy building element comprising:
 a housing defining:
 two parallel surfaces connected by two sidewall flanges; 
 a first channel extending between the two parallel surfaces, the first channel having a relatively wide cross-section proximate to the two sidewall flanges and narrowing progressively away from the two sidewall flanges, and 
 a stiffening wall intersecting the first channel, dividing the first channel into a two separate parts, the stiffening wall positioned closer to one of the two parallel surfaces than it is to the other one of the two parallel surfaces. 
   
     
     
         12 . The toy building element according to  claim 11 , further comprising a first tubular connector socket adjacent the first channel, the first tubular connector socket extending along a first tube axes between the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         13 . The toy building element according to  claim 12 , further comprising a second tubular connector socket disposed adjacent the first channel, on an opposite side of the first channel as the first tubular connector socket, the second tubular connector socket extending along a second tube axes between the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         14 . The toy building element according to  claim 13 , wherein the first and second tube axes are parallel each other but perpendicular to the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         15 . The toy building element according to  claim 13 , wherein the housing further defines a second channel adjacent the second tubular connector socket, the second channel extending between the two parallel surfaces, the second channel having a relatively wide cross-section proximate to the two sidewall flanges and narrowing progressively away from the two sidewall flanges. 
     
     
         16 . The toy building element according to  claim 15 , further comprising a third tubular connector socket disposed adjacent the second channel, on an opposite side of the second channel as the second tubular connector socket, the third tubular connector socket extending along a third tube axes between the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         17 . A toy building element comprising:
 a housing defining:
 two parallel surfaces connected by two sidewall flanges; 
 a first channel extending between the two parallel surfaces, the first channel having a relatively wide cross-section proximate to the two sidewall flanges and narrowing progressively away from the two sidewall flanges; 
 a first tubular connector socket adjacent the first channel, the first tubular connector socket extending along a first tube axes between the two parallel surfaces; 
 a second tubular connector socket disposed adjacent the first channel, on an opposite side of the first channel as the first tubular connector socket, the second tubular connector socket extending along a second tube axes between the two parallel surfaces; 
 a second channel adjacent the second tubular connector socket, the second channel extending between the two parallel surfaces, the second channel having a relatively wide cross-section proximate to the two sidewall flanges and narrowing progressively away from the two sidewall flanges; 
 a third tubular connector socket disposed adjacent the second channel, on an opposite side of the second channel as the second tubular connector socket, the third tubular connector socket extending along a third tube axes between the two parallel surfaces; and 
 a plurality of stiffening walls intersecting each channel, dividing the respective channel into a two separate parts. 
   
     
     
         18 . The toy building element according to  claim 17 , wherein the first, second, and third tube axes are parallel each other but perpendicular to the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         19 . The toy building element according to  claim 17 , wherein the housing further defines a third channel solely adjacent the third tubular connector socket, the third channel extending between the two parallel surfaces, the third channel having a relatively wide cross-section proximate to the two sidewall flanges and narrowing progressively away from the two sidewall flanges. 
     
     
         20 . The toy building element according to  claim 17 , wherein the housing further defines a fourth tubular connector socket disposed solely adjacent the third channel, the fourth tubular connector socket extending along a fourth tube axes between the two parallel surfaces. 
     
     
         21 . The toy building element according to  claim 17 , wherein the housing further defines a cross-shaped connector socket disposed solely adjacent the first channel, the cross-shaped connector socket extending along a cross-shaped connector axes between the two parallel surfaces.