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A building block set comprises a plurality of transparent blocks each having a hollow internal cavity with a light source fitted within each cavity and first and second electrically conductive connectors extending through each block and into the internal cavity with a circuit within the cavity for i

A building block set comprises a plurality of transparent blocks each having a hollow internal cavity with a light source fitted within each cavity and first and second electrically conductive connectors extending through each block and into the internal cavity with a circuit within the cavity for illuminating the light in response to an electronic input to either connector.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A building block set having a plurality of building blocks, with at least some of the blocks comprising: a generally transparent body defining a hollow interior cavity and having first and second cylindrical openings thereinto;an internal light source within the hollow interior cavity of the tran

1. A building block set having a plurality of building blocks, with at least some of the blocks comprising: a generally transparent body defining a hollow interior cavity and having first and second cylindrical openings thereinto;an internal light source within the hollow interior cavity of the transparent body operable into an illuminated state in response to an electrical input;a non-conductive barrel extending outwardly from the transparent body and coaxial with the first cylindrical opening;a male electrically conductive connector fitted at least partially into the non-conductive barrel and coaxial therewith;a female electrically conductive connector extending into the hollow interior cavity coaxially away from the second cylindrical opening; andan electrical circuit within the interior volume of the transparent body electrically coupled with the internal light source and both the male and female connectors for powering the internal light source in response to an electrical input into either electrically conductive connector;wherein the at least some of the blocks are connectable such that, with the male electrically conductive connector of a first one of the blocks fully inserted into the female electrically conductive connector of a second one of the blocks, the non-conductive barrel of the first one of the blocks will be at least partially seated within the cylindrical opening of the second one of the blocks, and the first one of the blocks and the second one of the blocks are freely rotatable relative to one another about a connection axis therebetween while maintaining electrical contact; andwherein, with the male electrically conductive connector of the first one of the blocks fully inserted into the female electrically conductive connector of the second one of the blocks, the female electrically conductive connector of the second one of the blocks will be, in a radial direction perpendicular to the connection axis, at least partially seated between the non-conductive barrel and the male electrically conductive connector of the first one of the blocks. 2. The building block set of claim 1 wherein the non-conductive outwardly extending barrel surrounding the male connector at the first opening is formed integrally with the transparent body. 3. The building block set recited in claim 1 wherein the male and female connectors are spaced apart and aligned either axially or in parallel across the transparent body. 4. The building block set recited in claim 3 further comprising: a second male connector;a second female connector; and whereinthe second male connector and the second female connector are spaced apart and aligned with each other across the transparent body. 5. The building block set recited in claim 4 wherein the electrical circuit is also electrically coupled with the second male connector and the second female connector so that the light source is powered in response to an electrical input to any one of the four conductors. 6. The building block set recited in claim 5 wherein the transparent body is rectangular in shape with four sides, and with one of the four connectors positioned along each side. 7. The building block set recited in claim 3 wherein the transparent body is shaped as a cylinder. 8. The building block recited in claim 3 wherein the transparent body is shaped as a wheel having a center axis, with the male and female connectors axially aligned across the transparent body and along the axis. 9. The building block set recited in claim 1 wherein the male connector and the female connector are spaced apart and extend generally parallel in a first direction away from the transparent body. 10. The building block set recited in claim 9 further comprising a third connector positioned generally between and parallel with the male and female connectors and extending in a second direction from the transparent body opposite the first direction, the third connector being either a male or female connector. 11. The building block set recited in claim 1 further comprising: a container;a battery within the container; anda container electrical circuit for supplying electrical energy from the battery means to one of the male connector and the female connector. 12. The building block set recited in claim 11 wherein the container electrical circuit comprises a connector mechanically interconnectable with one of the male connector and the female connector. 13. The building block set recited in claim 12 wherein the container comprises an outer surface with the container electrical circuit comprising a connector extending through the outer surface of the container. 14. The building block recited in claim 13 wherein the outer container surface comprises a flat surface having a plurality of connectors, each dimensioned for mechanically interconnecting with one of the male connectors and the female connectors. 15. The building block set recited in claim 1 wherein, with the non-conductive barrel of the first one of the blocks at least partially seated within the second cylindrical opening of the second one of the blocks, the blocks are maintained in a fixed axial alignment about the connection axis. 16. The building block set recited in claim 1 wherein, with the male electrically conductive connector of the first one of the blocks fully inserted into the female electrically conductive connector of the second one of the blocks, the non- conductive barrel of the first one of the blocks will be, in the radial direction, at least partially seated between the cylindrical opening and the female electrically conductive connector of the second one of the blocks. 17. A building block set comprising: at least one first block having a first shape, the at least one first block including: a first block body that is at least partially transparent, having a first block hollow interior cavity and defining a first block cylindrical opening extending thereinto;a first block internal light source fitted within the first block hollow interior cavity;a first block female electrically conductive connector fitted coaxially with the first block cylindrical opening and operable to illuminate the first block internal light source upon application of an electrical input thereto; andat least one second block having a second shape different from the first shape, the at least one second block including: a second block body that is at least partially transparent, having a second block hollow interior cavity and defining a second block cylindrical opening extending thereinto;a second block non-conductive barrel extending outwardly from the second block body and coaxial with the second block cylindrical opening;a second block internal light source fitted within the second block hollow interior cavity;a second block male electrically conductive connector fitted at least partially into the second block non-conductive barrel and coaxial therewith and operable to illuminate the second block internal light source upon application of an electrical input thereto;wherein the first and second blocks are electrically and mechanically connectable along a connection axis at any relative angle of rotation between the first and second block electrically conductive connectors by inserting the second block male electrically conductive connector into the first block female electrically conductive connector and at least a portion of the second block non-conductive barrel into the first block cylindrical opening; andwherein, with the second block male electrically conductive connector fully inserted into the first block female electrically conductive connector, the first block female electrically conductive connector will be, in a radial direction perpendicular to the connection axis, at least partially seated between the second block non-conductive barrel and the second block male electrically conductive connector. 18. The building block set recited in claim 17 wherein the first and second block electrically conductive connectors are each a first connector, and each of the first and second blocks further includes a second electrically conductive connector; and wherein the first connector of each block extends in a direction that is one of coaxially or in parallel with respect to the direction of the second connector of the same block. 19. The building block set recited in claim 18 wherein each first block has a third electrically conductive connector extending through a third portion of the block and into the hollow interior cavity, the third connector also operable to illuminate the first block internal light source upon application of an electrical input thereto. 20. The building block set recited in claim 17 wherein: each first block is cylindrical in shape; andeach second block is rectangular in shape and has an edgewise dimension generally equal to the diameter of each cylindrical first block. 21. The building block set recited in claim 20 wherein each second rectangular block has two male connectors and two female connectors, each female connector axially aligned with a corresponding male connector. 22. The building block set recited in claim 17 further comprising: a plurality of third blocks of a third shape different from the first and second shapes, each of the third blocks including: a third block body that is at least partially transparent, having a third block hollow interior cavity and defining a third block cylindrical opening extending thereinto;a third block non-conductive barrel extending outwardly from the third block body and coaxial with the third block cylindrical opening;a third block male electrically conductive connector fitted at least partially into the third block non-conductive barrel and coaxial therewith. 23. The building block set recited in claim 22 wherein each of the first, second and third blocks have a common outer dimension. 24. The building block set of claim 17 wherein the second block non-conductive barrel is formed integrally with the second block body. 25. The building block set recited in claim 17 wherein, with at least a portion of the second block non-conductive barrel inserted into the first block cylindrical opening, the first and second blocks are maintained in a fixed axial alignment about the connection axis. 26. The building block set recited in claim 17 wherein, with the second block male electrically conductive connector fully inserted into the first block female electrically conductive connector, the second block non-conductive barrel will be, in the radial direction, at least partially seated between the first block cylindrical opening and the first block female electrically conductive connector.