The present invention is generally related to animal toys, and more particularly, is related to an adjustable animal throw toy.
Pet owners often play fetch with their pets. The game of fetch consists of tossing an object through the air for retrieval. Typically the object is a ball or some other object that will fit within the mouth of the pet. The pet runs after the tossed object and grabs the object with their mouth. Thereafter, the pet returns the object back to the owner. The owner can continue to play by tossing the object again through the air. The pet repeatedly runs after the object and returns the object to the owner. While playing fetch, the ball or object used to play fetch often becomes covered in saliva after a few tosses and returns. This can be unpleasing to many owners.
In addition, the object is thrown with the arm of the owner. This can cause the arm of the owner to become fatigued after repeated tosses. The object also tends to become saturated with pet saliva, which can be both uncomfortable for the owner and is not hygienic. In addition, the ball or object used to play fetch may be limited to the game of fetch. There is a need for a toy that can be used to play multiple games with a pet. In addition, there is a need for a toy that allows for easier throwing and while providing a handle separate from the portion seized by the mouth of the pet.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
Embodiments of the present invention provide an animal throw toy and method of using the same. The throw device includes a throw object with a handle. A cord or rope connects the throw object to the handle. Inside either the throw object or the handle, the cord is connected to the handle via a retracting mechanism. A switch, accessible through either the throw object or the handle, releases or activates the cord retention device pulling the throw object to a resting position against the handle.
The user pulls the throw object away from the handle to the desired length, which may range from zero to about three feet. The user holds onto the handle and swings the throw object in a circular motion. The user releases the handle, allowing the centrifugal force of the swinging throw object to carry the throw object and the handle through the air. The animal retrieves the throw object connected to the handle and returns to the user. The user grasps the handle and instructs the animal to release the throw object. The user can then swing the throw object again, thereby preparing for another toss, or the user can press the switch on the handle and retract the throw object for storage or other play uses.
The throw device provides the user with a handle to grasp. The throw device also allows the user to adjust the length of the cord for varied degrees of tossing power. The user can increase the tossing power by increasing the length of the cord between the throw object and handle, thus providing a faster circular motion of the swinging throw object and a longer toss of the throw device. In one embodiment, the handle is a plush toy having the shape of a cartoon character. In the retracted, resting position the throw object rests against the handle and resembles the nose of the cartoon character. In another embodiment, the switch for activating or releasing the retention device is replaced by a retention device that is activated or released by a rapid pull of the cord or another device known in the art.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The user utilizes the throw device 100 by extending the cord 106 between the throw object 102 and the handle 104. The user twirls the throw object 102 in a circular manner around the handle 104.
The user can vary the distance that the throw device 100 travels by changing the rotational speed of the wrist of the hand grasping the handle 104 of the throw device 100. By increasing the speed of rotation of the wrist of the user, the user can increase the distance the throw device 100 will travel through the air. Similarly, by decreasing the speed of rotation the user can decrease the distance the throw device 100 will travel through the air.
In addition to changing the rotational speed imparted by the wrist of the user, the user can also increase the distance between the throw object 102 and the handle 104. The user can pull the throw object 102 further apart from the handle 104 and increase the length of the cord 106 coupling the throw object 102 and handle 104. The twirl motion imparted on the handle 104 causes the throw object 102 to rotate at a faster speed. The throw object 102 rotating at the faster speed will travel a farther distance when released by the user. Similarly, the user can decrease the distance between the throw object 102 and the handle 104, thus decreasing the speed of rotation and the distance traveled by the throw device 100 upon release. A swivel mechanism may be incorporated for connecting the cord 106 to the handle 104 such that the cord 106 does not become twisted by the rotation of the cord 106 in relation to the handle 104.
In the first embodiment, the throw object 102 is shown in
The exterior surface of the handle 104 can also be made of a soft material, as described above, to prevent injury to the animal during fetching. The weight of the handle 104 can be designed to be less than the weight of the throw object 102. The weight can be light enough to allow the momentum of the throw object 102 to carry the handle 104 and the cord 106 through the air to a desired distance range. In the first embodiment, the handle 104 is shaped to provide easy grip of the user hand, however, the handle 104 can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes. The handle 104 can be designed collectively with the throw object 102 to look like an article, as will be discussed later herein.
The length of the cord 106 between the handle 104 and the throw object 102 is adjustable. The user may adjust the length of the cord 106 by pulling the throw object 102 and handle 104 apart from each other. The switch 306B may then be moved into the locked position (shown in
The cord retention device 302A, 302B described in accordance with the first embodiment, is just one example of construction of the throw device 100. A variety of other construction methods can be designed and are within the scope of the throw device 100. For example, the cord retention device 302A, 302B can be designed with an internal activated switch (not shown). The spring-loaded spool 304A, 304B can be activated or deactivated by rapidly jerking on the cord 106. The spring-loaded spool 304A, 304B can also be designed to activate when the throw device 100 hits the ground after being tossed. This example of construction allows the object 102 to be in an extended position during the toss and then to retract to the handle 104 prior to the animal fetching the throw device. This example of construction prevents the cord 106 and/or object from becoming entangled or stepped on while the animal is returning the throw device 100 to the user. In another example of construction, the cord retention device 302A, 302B can be housed within the throw object 102 instead of the handle 104. A variety of other cord retention devices 302A, 302B and construction methods can be used with the throw device 100 and are within the scope of the invention.
The throw device 600 is not limited to being shaped as described herein. The throw device 600 can be shaped to resemble any character or article. For example, the throw device 600 can be shaped to resemble a cartoon cat with the head being the throw object 602 and the handle 604 being shaped to resemble the body of the cat. The throw device 600 can also be designed to resemble a clown, mailman, or other character. All variations on the shape of the throw device 600 are within the scope of the present inventions.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims.
This application claims priority to copending U.S. Provisional Application entitled, “Animal Throw Toy,” having Ser. No. 60/602,108 filed Aug. 17, 2004, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference
Number | Date | Country | |
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60602108 | Aug 2004 | US |