K'Nex

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K'NEX (derived from engl. Connects , dt .: "combines", "linked") is a construction toy system, which was invented by Joel Glickman 1992nd K'NEX kits are manufactured by K'Nex Industries, Inc of Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The direct competition from K'NEX includes Lego , Fischertechnik and Meccano .

The basic elements of K'NEX include various rods and connectors. These can be linked together to build models. With additional elements such as wheels or motors, more complex figures can be designed. Due to the intensive use of bars, the models often have a skeletal character, but this allows some very large constructions for toys, such as a roller coaster two meters high. K'NEX is offered both in individual models and in mixed basic kits for a range of building proposals.

history

When Joel Glickman played with drinking straws at a wedding in 1990, he realized the many possibilities he had to combine the straws. In the following two years he developed the concept of a construction toy based on rods and connectors. In October 1992 the first K'NEX set was launched in the USA.

A bridge built with K'NEX.

Since, unlike other toys, K'NEX is not made from the plastic polypropylene , but from polyoxymethylene , more precisely a special acetal copolymer, the selling price for the K'NEX kits was initially far higher than that of the competing products. That's why K'NEX sets were initially sold directly to smaller toy stores. Bigger companies like Wal-Mart had no interest in selling because it was assumed that customers would not be willing to pay the high selling price of K'NEX.

Glickman's attempt to sell the K'NEX system failed. Hasbro and Mattel weren't interested, Lego refused to even look at the prototype. Still, Glickman managed to negotiate a contract with Toys'R'Us . Since the K'NEX sets were selling well there, other retail stores soon became aware of K'NEX. Soon after, the sets were also offered by Target and Kmart . In the mid-1990s, K'NEX also became popular in Europe. Various marketing campaigns played their part. For example, small K'NEX sets were distributed as an addition to other products. In the UK, K'NEX caught up with the sales of the market leader Lego. Much of the profit was now made in Europe, as K'NEX was still unable to achieve a large market share in the USA.

Until 2001, K'NEX Industries, Inc had not produced any sets that license a third-party brand. The company had already tried in 1999 to enter into a partnership with LucasFilm to bring Star Wars -K'NEX to the market. But a contract never came about. Instead, the license was sold to the Lego company, which was then allowed to produce toys under the name Lego Star Wars . At the time, K'NEX had a market share of around 11% in the construction toy segment in the United States. To increase sales and distribution, small K'NEX sets have now been launched that consisted of only a few parts and only cost about two dollars. The kits could also be sold by discounters such as Wal-Mart, who thought the previous kits were too expensive.

It wasn't until 2001 that the first K'NEX kit was made, which is based on a foreign brand, the BattleTech / MechWarrior universe. Since then, other licensed K'NEX sets have been released, including on the subject of Angry Birds or based on the Super Mario universe.

In 2013, K'NEX's construction toy market share in the US was estimated at around 6%. The study also shows that the shelf space made available for K'NEX in large retail stores, at around 6 meters per store, is significantly less than the average shelf space of the market leader Lego (around 200 meters).

K'NEX elements

While the first available K'NEX sets mainly consisted of rods and connecting pieces, new types of parts were repeatedly introduced in later kits. Originally there were only 22 different elements in the entire K'NEX system.

Rods and connectors are matched to one another. They can be connected in different ways.

Bars

The K'NEX rods have a diameter of 1/4 inch, which corresponds to about 6.35 mm. The bars are of various lengths that are made to form right triangles and other stable structures. The bars are getting longer by the factor . These standardized lengths have the advantage that a right-angled triangle can be created from two smaller and one larger rod. In addition, there are bendable rods so that round objects can also be built.

Connectors

Connectors are necessary to connect rods together. They span an angle that is a multiple of 45 degrees. Connecting pieces are available in different colors, each providing different angles. For example, the yellow connector offers six options for attaching a rod. It enables bars to be linked at angles of 0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 degrees. In addition, a rod can be pushed through the hole in the middle. This rod can rotate freely. This enables constructions with moving parts.

Other elements

In addition to rods and connectors, new parts have been introduced over time. These usually fulfill a specific task for the associated K'NEX set. For example, suitable tires are supplied with a truck kit so that the model can roll. Other K'NEX kits have electric motors and gears, so models can be built that move independently.

Use in education

In addition to classic K'NEX sets, special kits have also been produced that are designed for use in education. In the USA there are always competitions and exhibitions where K'NEX is used.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b History of K'NEX . Knex.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 19, 2015. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.knex.com
  2. ↑ Celcon® Acetal Copolymer . hipolymers.com.ar. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  3. ^ A b K'Nex Industries, Inc. History . fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Angry Birds construction coming from K'Nex . toynews-online.biz. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  5. ↑ K'NEX UNVEILS A NEW LINE OF SUPER MARIO BUILDING SETS . ign.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ Mega Brands Are Benefiting From Lego's Juggernaut . nasdaq.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ Kids show off K'NEX creations at challenge . republicanherald.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  8. ^ K'NEX Education ™ to Exhibit at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo in Washington, DC, an Event to Inspire Kids to Explore STEM Careers . prweb.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.