Importance

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Abstract

A structural connection device to be used primarily as a toy in conjunction with foam tubes, popularly known as 'noodles' which are commonly used at swimming pools, wherein the connector is preferably made from foam and is configured as a longitudinal flexible member with a pattern of holes, each of which is slightly smaller than the diameter of a typical noodle, such that a noodle can be press-fit into a connector strip hole to act as a structural node; and because the connector may be made from foam, particularly for toy use, it can be bent and twisted, therefore enabling one simple element to act as a complex-shaped node into which many noodles can be inserted and used in conjunction with other connectors to build complex structures. Because the connector and the noodles are flexible, together they have immense play value because users are not limited by fixed angles and rigid members; and, indeed, because the elements are flexible, users learn to use proper diagonal bracing methods in order to provide stability to the structures. When made from a resilient material such as rubber, the connector can also be used with hard structural members, such as plastic pipe, to rapidly construct emergency structures.

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First Claim