Modular panel system for interactive play or display
View Patent ↗The modular panel system includes composite panels with grooves integrated into both vertical sides thereof. The grooves engage the protrusions molded into all four sides of the mating element. By sliding panels onto a mating element, a room can be created. Two walls at right angles form a simple room corner. Three walls can become two adjoining rooms and other configurations. When disassembled, the panels and elements can be transported and stored out of the way, which is especially useful when used for large scale dolls, eighteen inches tall or more.
1. A modular panel system of two separate elements, comprising:
a mating element having four sides disposed at ninety degrees from each other with a top side and a bottom side with a substantially square cross-section each having a side width equal to each other;
four engagement members emanating at ninety degrees respectively from each of the four sides of the mating element; the four engagement members each being of a T-shaped configuration;
a first panel having a thickness, having two opposing faces and a first vertical edge; the first vertical edge defining a first panel groove running down and along the first vertical edge in a lateral direction; the first panel being devoid of grooves on its two opposing faces; a first one of the four engagement members of the mating element being freely and laterally slidably receivable in the first panel groove of the first panel in the lateral direction;
a second panel having a thickness, having two opposing faces and a first vertical edge; the first vertical edge defining a second panel groove running down and along the first vertical edge in a lateral direction; the second panel being devoid of grooves on its two opposing faces; a second one of the four engagement members of the mating element being freely and laterally slidably receivable in the second panel groove of the second panel in a lateral direction; the first panel including a second vertical edge, opposite to the first vertical edge, defining a further panel groove on the first panel and the second panel includes a second vertical edge, opposite to the first vertical edge, defining a further panel groove on the second panel; the engagement members of the mating element being capable of engaging with the first panel groove, the further groove in the first panel first panel, the second panel groove or the further groove in the second panel; the first panel groove and the second panel groove are configured and arranged to laterally slidably receive one of the four engagement members and the first panel groove and the second panel groove have a complementary T-shaped configuration to the T-shaped configuration of the engagement members;
the side width of each of the four sides of the mating element, the thickness of the first panel and the thickness of the second panel having substantially the same dimension as each other; and
wherein the mating element releasably and non-fixedly joins the first panel to the second panel without the use of adhesives or additional fasteners to form an erected structure with the first engagement element and second engagement element being hidden from view.
2. The modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are lightweight enough to be transported and assembled by young children.
3. The modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are positioned linearly or at an angle relative to each other.
4. The modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel and mating elements can be are assembled into room walls or multiple rooms.
5. The modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are scalable for dolls of any size to configure modular play areas for larger sized dolls where permanent rooms or houses are impractical due to their large size.