To LUGNET HomepageTo LUGNET News HomepageTo LUGNET Guide Homepage
 Help on Searching
 
Post new message to lugnet.generalOpen lugnet.general in your NNTP NewsreaderTo LUGNET News Traffic PageSign In (Members)
 General / 5754
5753  |  5755
Subject: 
dimensions in patents (was Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches?)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 22 Jul 1999 17:31:29 GMT
Viewed: 
1609 times
  
In lugnet.general, Eric Brok writes:
[...] Did you realize, the famousTLG brick patent concerned only *the tube
connectors* under the brick as an *improvement* to the existing brick, not
changing the brick idea, the studs or the dimensions.

Although this is primarily only of interest in the United States, I want to
point out that the United States patents held by TLG do not seem to include any
dimensions. In fact, I believe this is common for all mechanical patents in the
United States. The idea being, that the size is irrelevant. If an object is
built by your design, it's still your patent regardless of how big the object
is (more or less).

For some examples, see:

  2 x 8 Duplo brick with holes
  http://www.patents.ibm.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/USD0378838__

  Ldraw part 30036, 8x6x2/3 wing
  http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=USD0380020__

  Ldraw part 32034, Technic #2 angle brick:
  http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=USD0387399__

  2 x 6 conducting plate
  http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn10=US04552541

  I don't know what in the world this one is:
  http://www.patents.ibm.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/USD0394473__

Related to the "original basic brick", I think the relevant US patents are
3005282 (Christiansen, October 1961) and 3638352 (Christiansen, February 1972)
both of which are often referenced in the other patents' text, usually in the
general description establishing precedent. They are not available on the web
site because they're too old.

- Robert Munafo



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: dimensions in patents (was Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches?)
 
The last item appears to be a soda fountain or an ice cream dispenser. Any other guesses? -Nick Robert Munafo wrote in message ... <snip> (...) 1972) (...) the (...) web (...) (25 years ago, 22-Jul-99, to lugnet.general)
  Re: dimensions in patents (was Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches?)
 
(...) Thanks for the info Robert. As a child, I remember looking at the old Lego sets that I got in the early 1960's and wondering what the heck "PATENT PENDING" (followed by a list of large numbers) was all about. I still have some early 1960's (...) (25 years ago, 22-Jul-99, to lugnet.general)
  Re: dimensions in patents (was Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches?)
 
I know this thread died a month ago, but I just have to stick my two cents in (not that pennies are worth much these days!): If you ever go to Legoland Bilund coming from the east, you'll drive past the Lego plant. There is a huge lawn sculpture of (...) (25 years ago, 18-Aug-99, to lugnet.general)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches? (was Re: Scales (Was: New Lego page!)
 
A whilo ago it struck me that the base unit of LEGO probably was defined in inches not in mm. 1/16 inch is far more an obvious unit than 1.6 mm. This is an interesting fact, because it reveals the British heritage of the LEGO brick. So while TLG (...) (25 years ago, 22-Jul-99, to lugnet.general, lugnet.faq)

24 Messages in This Thread:










Entire Thread on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact

This Message and its Replies on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact
    

Custom Search

©2005 LUGNET. All rights reserved. - hosted by steinbruch.info GbR