Patent Application
20060054105
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of pet supplies and, more particularly, to implements for entertaining pets.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Many people enjoy watching their pets play, and therefore create toys or other implements to encourage them to do so. Also, when pets are left alone, i.e., without human company, they can become bored and/or agitated. Therefore, when left alone for long periods of time, pets can become mischievous and damage property in the area in which they are confined. For example, if a cat is left alone in a person's home, the cat may urinate or defecate in an improper place, or may claw or scratch furniture, drapes, etc., out of boredom and/or spite for being left alone. In addition, even if a particular pet does not engage in such deviant behavior, often the pet's owner will feel guilty each time he or she leaves the pet alone. For these reasons, many pet owners find it desirable to provide toys or other implements to keep their pets entertained and/or distracted for as long as possible when left alone.
It is known that cats can be kept amused by objects that swing through the air. This may be true, for example, because such objects resemble flying creatures (e.g., birds, bats, insects, etc.), and the cats think or pretend that they are playing with or attacking such creatures. For this purpose, several prior art “cat toy” devices employ elongated, elastic beams having objects (which are intended to entice cats) dangled from their distal ends by pieces of string or chain. Some of these devices use beams having proximal ends that are adapted to be hand-held by cat owners so that the owners can dangle and selectively move the objects in front of their cats to keep them entertained. Other such prior art devices are adapted to be secured to the tops of doors or doorways using snap-on clips. Necessarily, the devices mounted on the tops of doors employ relatively long (e.g., six foot) strings to dangle the objects so that they can be reached by cats on the ground. It is known to use elastic strings for the devices mounted to the tops of doorways so as to increase the dynamic action of the dangled object.
While these door-mounted cat toys can be manipulated by cats without requiring any intervention by the cats' owners, thereby permitting the devices to keep cats entertained while their owners are away, Applicants have recognized that it is not always desirable to mount these types of pet toys only on doors. Generally, doors are located only where entry to or exit from a residence, room, closet, or the like, is required. Pet owners may find it annoying to have to negotiate around dangling strings and objects each time they use doors to which such devices are attached. Additionally, pet owners may simply want to install such devices at places other than where doors are located. For example, an owner may enjoy watching his or her pet play with such a toy, and a door may not be located at a place that is convenient or comfortable for the owner to do so.
Additionally, Applicants have recognized that, although these types of door-mounted cat toys can be quite effective in keeping cats entertained for short periods of time, a cat may tend to lose interest in such a toy after an extended period of use because the dangling object always returns to the same position when it stops moving. That is, with such a door-mounted cat toy, when a cat swats the dangling object with a paw or otherwise causes the object to move through the air, the elasticity of the beam permits the beam to flex, and the beam oscillates back and forth before finally coming to rest in its initial position. This oscillating of the beam can cause the object to move about rapidly, thereby enticing the cat to hit it again. However, because the beams of such devices always return to the same position after having been caused to flex, the objects dangled therefrom also always return to the same position in front of the door. Applicants have recognized that, for this reason, cats eventually tend to lose interest in playing with the dangling objects. Applicants hypothesize that this is true because the dangled objects of such devices do not mimic the behavior of real creatures insofar as real creatures would not tend to return to the same location each time they stop moving. Rather, a real creature is more likely to come to rest at a different location each time it stops moving.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved pet toy.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a pet toy includes a mount, a support, a mast, and a first object. The support has proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being pivotally connected to the mount so that the distal end is permitted pivot about the mount. The distal end of the support couples to a proximal end of the mast, while the distal end of the mast supports the first object. The coupling between support and mast may be a removable coupling, such that the mast may be removed from the support. The coupling may take the form of a threaded connection and/or a collar.
A second object may be operatively connected to the first object, and may produce a noise when the first object is struck.
According to another aspect of the present invention a pet toy includes a mount, an elongated, elastic support, and one or more objects. The mount is adapted to contact as few as two external surfaces of a structure to which the mount is to be attached. The support, which is straight when it is not flexed, has first and second ends, with the first end being supported by the mount, and with the object(s) being supported by the second end.
FIGS. 6A-D shows several views of the mount of the pet toy of
As mentioned above, prior art pet toys that employ elastic beams adapted to be mounted to the tops or bottoms of doors suffer from the disadvantage that pet owners can install such devices only where doors are located. According to one aspect of the present invention, this disadvantage is overcome by employing a mount (which supports a support having an object dangled therefrom) that is adapted to be mounted to any external surface of a structure, e.g., a wall, window, table top, table leg, or the like, and is not required to be, but may be, mounted to a door.
Additionally, as also mentioned above, such prior art door-mounted pet toys suffer from the disadvantage that the distal ends of their elastic supports, and the objects dangled therefrom, always return to the same location after the supports cease bouncing. According to another aspect of the present invention, this disadvantage is overcome by pivotally connecting a proximal end of a support (which has an object dangled from its distal end) to a mount so that the distal end of the support is permitted to pivot about the mount. With embodiments of the invention incorporating this aspect, each time a pet causes the dangling object to move, e.g., by swatting at it with a paw, the support can pivot so that the distal end of the support can come to rest at any location within the support's allowed pivoting range. Therefore, with such embodiments, the dangling object also can come to rest at a different location after each time it is swatted by the pet, and the pet is more likely to remain interested in the object because the object behaves more like that of an actual creature.
When the support 104 is caused to flex (
The support 104 may be pivotally connected to the mount 102 in a number of alternative ways, and that the invention is not limited to any particular type of connection.
The object 106 which is supported by the distal end 112 of the support 104 may take on any numerous forms, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of object. Ideally, the object 106 is selected so as to be enticing to the animal that will be using the toy. In embodiment for use with cats, for example, objects 106 that look like birds or objects 106 that contain catnip may be serve this purpose well. Examples of two objects that may be used are illustrated in
In whatever form it takes, the object 106 may be supported by the distal end 112 of the support 104 in any of the number of ways, and the invention is not limited to any particular securing technique. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the object 106 is supported by the distal end 112 using a tether 108 connected to a ring 506. As shown, the distal end 112 of the support 104 may also includes a ring portion 502. The ring 502 may either be integral with the support 104 (as shown in
When used, the tether 108 may be made of any of numerous materials, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of tether. As discussed above, in one embodiment of the invention, the tether 108 is elastic so as to provide a further degree of action for the object 106 when force is applied thereto. Alternatively, the tether 108 may be a non-elastic string or a linked or beaded chain that merely permits the object 106 to dangle from the distal end 112 of the support 104.
The mount 102 may be configured in any of numerous ways, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of mount. In the illustrative embodiment shown in the figures, for example, the mount 102 includes a pair of suction cups 202 and 204 which permit it to be attached to a vertically-oriented, smooth, clean surface.
In alternative embodiments, the mount 102 may instead employ fasteners, e.g., screws, nails, rivets, bolts, hook and loop fasteners, or the like, to fasten the mount 102 to any surface. In some embodiments, the mount 102 may be configured such that it may be mounted to a horizontally-oriented surface such as a table top, or to a surface at a particular angle with respect to the ground. In yet other embodiments, the mount may be specially adapted to be mounted to a rounded surface such as a pole or the leg of a table or chair. For example, the mount 102 may have a rounded shape that can conform to such a rounded surface, and/or the mount 102 may include clamps (not shown) or the like which can secure the device about such a rounded structure.
As used herein, the term “external surface” refers any exposed surface of a structure (i.e., any outermost surface of a structure that is not resting on the floor or another structure) that has boundaries defined by sudden angular changes in the structure's contours. For example, according to this definition, a door has six external surfaces (i.e., a front and back, a top and bottom, and two sides), a round table leg has only one external surface (i.e., the outer surface of the cylindrical leg), a window pane has two external surfaces (i.e., a front and back), and each of the four walls in a room constitutes a separate, single external surface. The term “external surface” of a structure does not, as used herein, include the inner portions of a structure that may be contacted by fasteners which penetrate the structure's outermost surface to secure an object, e.g., the mount 102, to the structure. Therefore, in embodiments of the invention that employ such fasteners to secure the mount 102 to a structure, the inner portions of the structure contacted by the fasteners are not “external surfaces” of the structure, as that term is used herein.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, it should be noted that the mount 102 needs only to contact a single external surface of any structure, e.g., a door, wall, window, cabinet, table leg, or the like, and does not need to contact any additional external surfaces of such a structure, in order to be secured thereon. In alternative embodiments, the mount 102 can be configured to contact only two external surfaces of a structure. For example, the mount may be configured to be mounted to both the top and the side of a table top or desk, or may be configured to be mounted at the junction of two walls (i.e., a corner of a room) or the junction of a wall or the ceiling of a room. These embodiments can be contrasted to the prior art door mounted cat toys described above, which employ mounts that are required to contact three separate external surfaces (i.e., the front and back, as well as the top or bottom) of a door to secure the toys thereto. This feature of the present invention provides a significant advantage over such prior art devices in that a pet owner is permitted to secure the pet toy to virtually any location inside or outside a residence, and is not limited to locations where a door is located.
Unlike the embodiment described with respect to
The support 704 may be threaded into the mast 710 to attach the two elements. A shoulder 716 extends radially outwardly from the male segment 712 of the support. The diameter of the support between the shoulder 716 and proximal end is approximately the same as the diameter of the mast 710 (excluding the collar 718). The collar 718 generally reinforces the coupling by providing thicker sidewalls for the recess 714 than would be present if the recess were formed directly in the mast 710. The thicker collar sidewalls permit greater stress to be applied transverse to the longitudinal axes of the mast and support without breaking or otherwise severing the connection therebetween.
The collar 718, mast 710, and support 704 are generally made of metal to minimize bending or breaking resulting from forces applied to the toy 700 by a pet. Alternate embodiments may manufacture the collar 718, mast 710, and/or support 704 from a variety of materials, such as plastic, wood, composite materials, and so forth.
In some embodiments, the collar 718 may be omitted so that the mast 710 and support 704 together present a relatively continuous, and possibly seamless, appearance when joined.
Although the present embodiment employs a threaded connection with the male segment 712 formed on the support 704 and the female recess 714 formed in the mast 710, alternate embodiments may employ different connection structures. For example, some embodiments may employ a post-and-channel or detent structure to couple the mast and support. Yet other embodiments may employ a snap-fitting, a ball- and socket type connection, or form an annular ramp or protrusion on one of either the male or female segments with a corresponding annular groove or channel formed in the opposing segment. In short, any structure permitting the mast 710 and support 704 to be removably coupled to one another may be employed. Alternate embodiments may, for example, include the male segment 712 on the mast 710 and the collar 718 and/or female recess 714 on the support 704.
Further, alternative embodiments may use a connection structure designed to maintain a connection once the mast 710 and support 704 are fitted to one another. For example a locking collar or other mechanism may maintain a fixed relationship between ramp and support, resisting decoupling. Alternately, the annular ramp and channel discussed above may be used, with a flat annular ring parallel to the lateral axis of the mast and/or support formed at the edge of the ramp furthest from the joinder between mast and support. The channel sidewall may be formed with a surface paralleling and abutting (or nearly abutting) the flat annular ring when mast and support are interconnected. The ramp may thus be relatively easily inserted into the corresponding cavity to permit mating, but the combination of flat annular ring and parallel channel surface would resist decoupling.
Any of the coupling mechanisms between support 704 and mast 710 described herein may be implemented in any of the embodiments described herein. Additionally, regardless of the coupling structure used, and specifically with respect to the threaded connection and collar 718 described herein, the coupling structure is formed to permit the flexing described above and illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the length of the support 704 is generally shorter than in prior embodiments to account for the added length of the mast 710. Further, although the present embodiment depicts the length of the support and mast as approximately equal, either support or mast may be longer in alternate embodiment. Additionally, alternate embodiments may vary the overall length of the combined mast and support.
As with many products, the present domestic pet toy 700 may be marketed and sold to produce revenue. Typically, the pet toy 700 is packaged in some manner to attract a consumer's attention and interest while occupying shelf space in a store. In many stores, the shelf space occupied by a product is a factor determining placement of the product, number of products stocked, and possibly even the significance of any marketing promotions for a given product. Further, customers may be reluctant to purchase what they perceive as bulky objects when smaller, slimmer, or less weighty alternatives are readily available.
Reducing the length of the support 704 and adding a threaded connection with the mast 710 permits the toy 700 to occupy a smaller area when packaged than previously-discussed embodiments. For example,
The advantages of shaping an object 706 (dangling from a tether 708) like a bird, mouse, animal, or other shape enticing to a domestic animal have already been discussed. Such shapes may provide visual stimulation for the domestic animal and encourage play with the toy 700. Additionally, the object 706 may include a bell 720 or other item producing noise when the domestic animal interacts with the toy 700, for example by swatting at or swinging the object. The aural feedback may enhance the domestic animal's pleasure in the toy 700, causing the animal to interact with the toy for a longer period of time. Typically, the bell 720 or other object is connected either directly or indirectly to the first object 706, such that the noise is produced when the first object is struck or otherwise swings. Additionally, the bell 720 may contain catnip or another aromatic substance attractive to a pet to encourage the pet to play with the toy 700.
Having thus described certain embodiments of the present invention, various alterations, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting. The invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and the equivalents thereto.
