Toy building block

Abstract

Stackable toy building blocks are provided herein. The toy building blocks comprise various configurations of protrusions and recesses allowing for connecting building blocks to form stacked or complex structures. The toy building blocks may be formed of single-unit or multi-unit configurations having a common base shape such that a toy in different-unit configurations may be stacked with each other or formed in tessellations. The protrusions and recesses of the toy building blocks may be disposed along the outer edge of each base shape providing for stable structures and for flat surfaces on the top surfaces of stacked blocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toy building block, comprising:
 a building block of a geometric shape having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a number of walls extending from the proximal surface to the distal surface, the walls defining a perimeter of the building block;   a plurality of protrusions extending normally from the proximal surface and disposed along an outer edge of the proximal surface; and   a plurality of recesses extending into the distal surface.   
     
     
         2 . The toy building block of  claim 1 , wherein the number of walls corresponds to a number of sides of the geometric shape. 
     
     
         3 . The toy building block of  claim 2 , wherein an outer face of each protrusion is aligned with the perimeter of the building block and wherein the plurality of recesses extends into the perimeter of the building block. 
     
     
         4 . The toy building block of  claim 3 , wherein each protrusion and each recess are rectangular. 
     
     
         5 . The toy building block of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions on the proximal surface may be inserted into clamping engagement with a second plurality of recesses of another building block such that the proximal surface contacts a distal surface of the another building block. 
     
     
         6 . The toy building block of  claim 1 , further comprising a recessed ridge extending around the perimeter on the distal surface. 
     
     
         7 . The toy building block of  claim 5 , wherein the proximal surface is solid and extends from and between the walls. 
     
     
         8 . The toy building block of  claim 5 , wherein the proximal surface comprises a cavity extending at least partially toward the distal surface along the walls and wherein an inner face of each protrusion is aligned with an inner perimeter of the building block about the cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The toy building block of  claim 3 , wherein the number of sides of the geometric shape is at least five. 
     
     
         10 . A toy building block, comprising:
 a building block of a geometric shape, the geometric shape defined by a pattern of base shapes unified as one, the building block having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a number of walls extending from the proximal surface to the distal surface, the walls defining a perimeter of the building block;   a plurality of first protrusions extending normally from the proximal surface and disposed along an outer edge of each base shape; and   a plurality of first recesses extending into the distal surface and disposed along the outer edge of each base shape.   
     
     
         11 . The toy building block of  claim 10 , wherein the outer edge is an edge that does not abut the perimeter and further including:
 a plurality of second protrusions extending normally from the proximal surface and disposed along the perimeter of the building block.   
     
     
         12 . The toy building block of  claim 11 , further including:
 a plurality of second recesses extending into the distal surface and disposed along the perimeter of the building block.   
     
     
         13 . The toy building block of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first protrusions, each of the second protrusions, each of the first recesses, and each of the second recesses are rectangular. 
     
     
         14 . The toy building block of  claim 13 , wherein a width of each first protrusion is twice a width of each second protrusion and wherein a width of each first recess is twice a width of each second recess. 
     
     
         15 . A toy building block set, comprising:
 a first building block of a first base geometric shape having a first proximal surface, a first distal surface, and a number of first walls extending from the first proximal surface to the first distal surface, the first walls defining a perimeter of the first building block;   a plurality of protrusions extending normally from the first proximal surface and disposed along an outer edge of the first proximal surface;   a second building block of a second geometric shape having a second proximal surface, a second distal surface, and a number of second walls extending from the proximal surface to the distal surface, the second walls defining a perimeter of the second building block;   a plurality of recesses extending into the second distal surface, the plurality of recesses defined by a shape of the plurality of protrusions, wherein the plurality of protrusions may be inserted into clamping engagement with the plurality of recesses.   
     
     
         16 . The toy building block set of  claim 15 , wherein the first base geometric shape and the second base geometric shape are the same shape. 
     
     
         17 . The toy building block set of  claim 15 , wherein the first base geometric shape is defined by a pattern of a base shape and the second base geometric shape is the same shape as the base shape of the first base geometric shape. 
     
     
         18 . The toy building block set of  claim 17 , wherein the first building block further comprises a plurality of second protrusions extending normally from the first proximal surface and disposed along a remaining outer edge of the base shapes, the remaining outer edge being an edge of the base shapes that does not abut the perimeter. 
     
     
         19 . The toy building block set of  claim 18 , wherein when the first building block and the second building block are in clamping engagement, the first proximal surface and the second distal surface are in contact. 
     
     
         20 . The toy building block set of  claim 17 , wherein the base shape has at least five sides.