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Magnetic and electronic toy construction systems and elements are provided that include an assembly of at least two panels that have at least three magnets located around the perimeter of the panel such that the dipole axes of magnets in a single panel are coplanar and intersect to define a polygon.

Magnetic and electronic toy construction systems and elements are provided that include an assembly of at least two panels that have at least three magnets located around the perimeter of the panel such that the dipole axes of magnets in a single panel are coplanar and intersect to define a polygon. When attaching two adjacent panels, at least two ferromagnetic spheres are used such that the dipole axes of one magnet from each of the adjacent panels are collinear, and such that the dipole axes are collinear with the centers of the ferromagnetic spheres. In this manner, several panels configured in this way may be nested together to form great varieties of constructions.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A magnetic construction assembly comprising: at least two panels, each of the panels having at least three magnet holders located around the perimeter of the panel for embedding and positioning magnets therein;magnets disposed in each of the magnet holders, each of the magnets having a dipole axi

1. A magnetic construction assembly comprising: at least two panels, each of the panels having at least three magnet holders located around the perimeter of the panel for embedding and positioning magnets therein;magnets disposed in each of the magnet holders, each of the magnets having a dipole axis, the magnets being arranged in the magnet holders such that the dipole axes of magnets in a single panel are substantially coplanar and intersect to define a regular polygon; andat least two ferromagnetic spheres magnetically connected to magnets in the at least two panels,wherein two ferromagnetic spheres connect two adjacent panels such that a first ferromagnetic sphere attaches to a first magnet disposed on a first panel and a second magnet disposed on a second panel, and a second ferromagnetic sphere attaches to a third magnet disposed on the first panel and a fourth magnet disposed on the second panel,wherein the dipole axes of the first magnet and the fourth magnet are substantially collinear, andwherein the center of the first ferromagnetic sphere and the center of the second ferromagnetic sphere are substantially collinear with the dipole axes of the first magnet and the fourth magnet. 2. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the regular polygon comprises a square. 3. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein only one magnet is provided in a panel for each side of the polygon defined by the intersection of the dipole axes. 4. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the dipole axes of the first magnet and the second magnet are perpendicular, and the dipole axes of the third magnet and fourth magnet are perpendicular. 5. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the dipole axes of the first magnet and the fourth magnet define a pivot axis about which the first panel and the second panel are configured to rotate. 6. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the dipole axes of the first magnet and the second magnet intersect at an angle equal to the angle formed by adjacent sides of the polygon defined by the dipole axes of a panel that extends in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the intersection of the axes of the first magnet and the second magnet. 7. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the length of each of the magnet holders is less than half the length of an edge of the defined polygon. 8. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least two panels comprises six panels, each panel having magnet dipole axes that define a square, the panels being connected by eight ferromagnetic spheres to form a cube, wherein each of the edges of the cube comprises a nested connection of adjacent panel edges. 9. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least two panels comprises four panels, each panel having magnet dipole axes that define a triangle, the panels being connected by four ferromagnetic spheres to form a triangular pyramid, wherein each of the edges of the triangular pyramid comprises a nested connection of adjacent panel edges. 10. A magnetic construction assembly comprising: at least two panels, wherein each of the panels has at least three magnets located around the perimeter of the panel,wherein each of the magnets has a dipole axis,wherein the magnets are arranged such that the dipole axes of magnets in a single panel are substantially coplanar and intersect to define a regular polygon,and wherein only one magnet is provided in a panel for each side of the polygon defined by the intersection of the dipole axes; andat least two ferromagnetic spheres magnetically connected to magnets in the at least two panels,wherein a hinge is formed between two adjacent panels by two ferromagnetic spheres that connect the two adjacent panels such that a first ferromagnetic sphere of the two ferromagnetic spheres attaches to a first magnet disposed on a first panel of the two adjacent panels and a second magnet disposed on a second panel of the two adjacent panels, and a second ferromagnetic sphere of the two ferromagnetic spheres attaches to a third magnet disposed on the first panel and a fourth magnet disposed on the second panel, such that the dipole axes of the first magnet and the fourth magnet are substantially collinear, andwherein the center of the first ferromagnetic sphere and the center of the second ferromagnetic sphere are substantially collinear with the dipole axes of the first magnet and the fourth magnet. 11. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one panel comprises a hole in a body portion thereof, the hole being configured to receive rod-shaped construction elements. 12. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the regular polygon comprises a square. 13. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the magnets are cylindrical. 14. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least two panels are made of nonmagnetic material. 15. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the first panel and the second panel each include a center body portion from which, for each magnet, an arm portion extends to a magnet holder that holds the each magnet. 16. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the first panel and the second panel rotate with respect to each other a range greater than 180 degrees. 17. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein each magnet is disposed in a magnet holder, and wherein the length of each of the magnet holders is less than half the length of an edge of the defined polygon. 18. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least two panels comprises four panels, each panel having magnet dipole axes that define a triangle, the panels being connected by four ferromagnetic spheres to form a triangular pyramid, wherein each of the edges of the triangular pyramid comprises a nested connection of adjacent panel edges. 19. The magnetic construction assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least two panels comprises six panels, each panel having magnet dipole axes that define a square, the panels being connected by eight ferromagnetic spheres to form a cube, wherein each of the edges of the cube comprises a nested connection of adjacent panel edges. 20. A magnetic construction assembly comprising: a first panel comprising: a first body portion,a first plurality of magnets arranged on the first panel around the first body portion such that the dipole axes of the magnets of the first plurality of magnets are substantially coplanar and intersect to define a first polygon,wherein a first magnet of the first plurality of magnets protrudes from the first body portion and defines a first side of the first polygon, andwherein a second magnet of the first plurality of magnets protrudes from the first body portion and defines a second side of the first polygon adjacent to the first side of the first polygon;a second panel comprising: a second body portion,a second plurality of magnets arranged on the second panel around the second body portion such that the dipole axes of the magnets of the second plurality of magnets are substantially coplanar and intersect to define a second polygon,wherein a first magnet of the second plurality of magnets protrudes from the second body portion and defines a first side of the second polygon, andwherein a second magnet of the second plurality of magnets protrudes from the second body portion and defines a second side of the second polygon adjacent to the first side of the second polygon;a first ferromagnetic sphere magnetically connected to the first magnet of the first panel and the second magnet of the second panel; anda second ferromagnetic sphere magnetically connected to the second magnet of the first panel and the first magnet of the second panel,wherein the protruding first magnet of the first panel and the protruding first magnet of the second panel nest with each other such that their dipole axes are substantially collinear and are substantially aligned with a center of the first ferromagnetic sphere and a center of the second ferromagnetic sphere.