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Magnetic structural components utilized to permit construction of a wide variety of structural profiles and to thereby increase design and/or construction flexibility and choice. The structural components each include a number of magnets operatively associated with a periphery thereof to provide a n

Magnetic structural components utilized to permit construction of a wide variety of structural profiles and to thereby increase design and/or construction flexibility and choice. The structural components each include a number of magnets operatively associated with a periphery thereof to provide a number of points of magnetic connection. In addition, each structural component has at least one mechanical connector operatively associated therewith to provide at least one point of mechanical connection. The structural components can be magnetically and/or mechanically interconnected to form a variety of different two or three-dimensional structural profiles of varying complexities.

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What is claimed is: 1. A magnetic structural component comprising: a flat polygonal body having a first planar face, the first planar face having a center, a second planar face opposite to the first planar face, at least one edge between the first planar face and the second planar face, the at leas

What is claimed is: 1. A magnetic structural component comprising: a flat polygonal body having a first planar face, the first planar face having a center, a second planar face opposite to the first planar face, at least one edge between the first planar face and the second planar face, the at least one edge defining a thickness of the body, at least one biased corner when the body is viewed in a direction facing the first planar face, and a slot from the at least one edge toward the center of the body when the body is viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, the slot comprising a first side wall, a second side wall opposite to the first side wall, and a third side wall between and transverse to the first side wall and the second side wall, a slot magnet disposed in the body, the slot magnet having a slot magnet axis running from its north to south poles and a magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the slot magnet axis, the slot magnet axis aligned perpendicularly with the third side wall and parallel to the first sidewall and the second side wall when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, and the magnetic planar face of the slot magnet disposed adjacent to and parallel with the third side wall, wherein each of the at least one biased corner has a magnet operatively associated therewith, wherein the magnet has an axis from its north to south poles, and wherein the axis is parallel to the first and second planar faces and intersects the center of the body. 2. The magnetic structural component of claim 1, wherein said slot is dimensioned to operatively accommodate a second slot of a complementary structural component, the complementary structural component comprising a second flat polygonal body defining the second slot comprising a first opposing side wall, a second opposing side wall opposite to the first opposing side wall, and a transverse side wall between and transverse to the first opposing side wall and the second opposing side wall, and a second slot magnet disposed in the second body, the second slot magnet having a second slot magnet axis running from its north to south poles and a magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the second slot magnet axis, the second slot magnet axis aligned perpendicularly with the transverse side wall and parallel to the first opposing sidewall and the second opposing side wall when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, and the magnetic planar face of the second slot magnet disposed adjacent to and parallel with the transverse side wall, wherein the first slot magnet engages the second slot magnet when the slot engages the second slot and the third side wall of the magnetic structural component mates with the transverse wall of the complementary structural component. 3. The magnetic structural component of claim 1, wherein each magnet is fixedly disposed in a pocket suitable to permanently retain such magnet. 4. The magnetic structural component of claim 1, wherein said body is a solid structure. 5. The magnetic structural component of claim 1, wherein said body is a composite hollow structure comprising: a first planar member corresponding to the shape of the first planar face, the first planar member having a first raised edge extending along a perimeter edge of the first planar member and defining a first half-pocket for each magnet of the at least one biased corner and for the slot magnet; and a second planar member corresponding to the shape of the second planar face, the second planar member having a second raised edge extending along a perimeter edge of the second planar member and defining a second half-pocket for each magnet of the at least one biased corner and for the slot magnet, wherein the first raised edge and the second raised edge are joined to form the at least one edge of the body and a full pocket for each magnet of the at least one biased corner and for the slot magnet. 6. The magnetic structural component of claim 1, further comprising a magnet operatively associated with the at least one of said edges. 7. A three-dimensional magnetic construction assembly formed from two-dimensional plates, the assembly comprising: a plurality of plates, each plate comprising a flat polygonal body defined by a first planar face, a second planar face opposing the first planar face, and a perimeter face between and transverse to the first planar face and the second planar face, wherein the first planar face and the second planar face define a slot when viewed from a direction facing the first planar face, wherein the slot comprises a first opposing side wall, a second opposing side wall opposite to and parallel with the first opposing side wall, and a transverse side wall in between and transverse to the first opposing side wall and the second opposing side wall, and wherein the body has a plurality of biased corners when viewed from the direction facing the first planar face, a plurality of corner magnets disposed in the body, each corner magnet disposed adjacent to the each biased corner, a slot magnet disposed in the body, the slot magnet having a slot magnet axis running from its north to south poles and a magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the slot magnet axis, the slot magnet axis aligned perpendicularly with the transverse side wall of the slot and parallel to the first opposing sidewall and the second opposing side wall when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, and the magnetic planar face of the slot magnet disposed adjacent to and parallel with the transverse side wall; and a plurality of ferromagnetic balls, wherein a first plate couples with a second plate such that a first slot of the first plate engages a second slot of the second plate and a first slot magnet of the first plate faces and couples with a second slot magnet of the second plate, wherein the first planar face of the first plate is perpendicular to the first planar face of the second plate, and wherein a ferromagnetic ball is magnetically held to a biased corner of the first plate by a corner magnet of the biased corner. 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first plate and the second plate are identically sized and shaped, and have a square shape with four biased corners when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, such that, when coupled together, the first plate and the second plate form a first three-dimensional cruciform assembly with eight outwardly facing corner magnets, wherein the assembly further comprises ferromagnetic balls magnetically coupled to each of the corner magnets. 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the axes of the four corner magnets of the first plate and the axes of the four corner magnets of the second plate run between the first slot magnet and the second slot magnet. 10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the first plate, the second plate, a third plate, and a fourth plate are identically sized and shaped, wherein the third plate and the fourth plate are coupled together to form a second three-dimensional cruciform assembly with eight outwardly facing corner magnets, and wherein the first three-dimensional cruciform assembly and the second three-dimensional cruciform assembly are coupled together by two ferromagnetic balls. 11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first plate and the second plate are identically sized and shaped, and have a square shape with four biased corners when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, such that, when coupled together, the first plate and the second plate form a first three-dimensional cruciform assembly with eight outwardly facing corner magnets, wherein each plate further comprises an axial magnet disposed in the body adjacent to a perimeter face opposite to a perimeter face in which the slot is defined, wherein the axial magnet has an axial magnet axis running from its north to south poles and an axial magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the slot magnet axis, wherein the axial magnet axis coincides with the slot magnet axis, and wherein the axial magnetic planar face is disposed adjacent to and parallel with the perimeter face opposite to the perimeter face in which the slot is defined, and wherein the slot magnet axis and the axial magnet axis of the first plate coincide with the slot magnet axis and the axial magnet axis of the second plate when coupled to form a first cruciform assembly. 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein a first ferromagnetic ball is magnetically coupled with the axial magnet of the first plate and a second ferromagnetic ball is coupled with the axial magnet of the second plate, such that the first cruciform assembly rotates about an axis coincidental with the slot magnet axis and the axial magnet axis of the first plate and the slot magnet axis and the axial magnet axis of the second plate. 13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein a second cruciform assembly identical to the first cruciform assembly is coupled to the first cruciform assembly by an inside axial magnet on each assembly, wherein the axis of the inside axial magnet of the first cruciform assembly coincides with the axis of the inside axial magnet of the second cruciform assembly. 14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein a first ferromagnetic ball is magnetically coupled with an outside axial magnet of the first cruciform assembly and a second ferromagnetic ball is coupled with an outside axial magnet of the second cruciform assembly, such that the first and second cruciform assemblies rotate about an axis coincidental with the axes of the axial magnets and the slot magnets of the first and second cruciform assemblies. 15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein polarities of the corner magnets of the first cruciform assembly are opposite to the polarities of adjacent corner magnets of the second cruciform assembly such that the first cruciform assembly and the second cruciform assembly are maintained in alignment. 16. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first slot magnet axis and the second slot magnet axis are coincidental. 17. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the flat polygonal body of one plate of the plurality of plates comprises a triangle with three biased corners connected by three edges when viewed in the direction facing the first planar surface, and wherein the slot extends from one edge of the three edges toward the center of the triangle. 18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the three biased corners are biased approximately 60 degrees. 19. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the flat polygonal body of one plate of the plurality of plates comprises a triangle with three biased corners when viewed in the direction facing the first planar surface, wherein a corner magnet disposed in one of the three biased corners has a corner magnet axis running from its north to south poles, and wherein the slot magnet axis coincides with the corner magnet axis when viewed in the direction facing the first planar surface. 20. A three-dimensional magnetic construction assembly formed from two-dimensional plates, comprising: a first plate and a second plate, each of the first plate and the second plate having a first planar face, a second planar face opposing the first planar face, and a perimeter face between and transverse to the first planar face and the second planar face, wherein the first planar face and the second planar face are shaped as a quadrilateral having four sides at right angles to each other, wherein the first planar face and the second planar face define a slot extending from a midpoint of one of the four sides toward the center of the each plate, when viewed from a direction facing the first planar face, and wherein the slot comprises a first opposing side wall, a second opposing side wall opposite to and parallel with the first opposing side wall, and a transverse side wall in between and transverse to the first opposing side wall and the second opposing side wall, a perimeter magnet disposed in the each plate adjacent to the perimeter face at a side of the each plate opposite to the side in which the slot is defined, wherein the perimeter magnet has a perimeter magnet axis running from its north to south poles and a perimeter magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the perimeter magnet axis and parallel to the perimeter face, wherein the perimeter magnet axis is parallel to the first opposing sidewall and the second opposing side wall when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, wherein the slot of the first plate and the slot of the second plate engage each other such that the first planar face of the first plate is perpendicular to the first planar face of the second plate and the perimeter magnet axis of the first plate coincides with the perimeter magnet axis of the second plate; a first ferromagnetic ball magnetically coupled to the perimeter magnet of the first plate; and a second ferromagnetic ball magnetically coupled to the perimeter magnet of the second plate, wherein the engaged first plate and second plate rotate about the coincidental perimeter magnet axes and with respect to the first ferromagnetic ball and the second ferromagnetic ball. 21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the first planar face and the second planar face have four biased corners, and wherein each of the first plate and the second plate further comprises: a corner magnet disposed in each of the four corners; and a slot magnet disposed in the each plate, the slot magnet having a slot magnet axis running from its north to south poles and a magnetic planar face that is perpendicular to the slot magnet axis, the slot magnet axis aligned perpendicularly with the transverse side wall of the slot and parallel to the first opposing sidewall and the second opposing side wall when viewed in the direction facing the first planar face, and the magnetic planar face of the slot magnet disposed adjacent to and parallel with the transverse side wall, wherein the slot magnet of the first plate faces and couples with the slot magnet of the second plate.