The disclosure relates generally to pet toys, and more specifically, to interactive pet toys configured to mentally stimulate pets and engage pets for longer periods of time.
Generally, a wide variety of pet toys are available to keep pets entertained. For example, pet toys including one or more of a squeaker, a bell, crinkle paper, and the like may be configured to make noise, entertaining pets. Other pet toys include balls, frisbees, wands, toys including treats (e.g., cat nip, pet treats), chew toys, and the like. Pets may quickly become disinterested in toys including treats, particularly, after they have obtained and enjoyed the treat included in the toy. Accordingly, there is a need for more interactive pet toys that engage pets for longer periods of time and provide a mental stimulus improving the overall health and behavior of pets.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a pet toy includes a body and an appendage extending from the body. The appendage is configured to be moved between a stowed arrangement and an extended arrangement.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a pet toy includes a body and a plurality of limbs extending from the body. Each of the plurality of limbs is configured to be moved between a stowed arrangement and an extended arrangement.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a pet toy includes a body having a noisemaker and a plurality of appendages extending from the body. Each of the plurality of appendages includes a treat receptacle and is configured to be moved between a stowed arrangement and an extended arrangement.
For a more complete understanding of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures.
While the disclosed pet toys and methods are susceptible of embodiments in various forms, there are illustrated in the drawings (and will hereafter be described) specific embodiments of the disclosure, with the understanding that the disclosure is intended to be illustrative and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments described and illustrated herein.
The present disclosure is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems in the Background of the Disclosure section. Specifically, the present disclosure provides a pet toy including a body and one or more appendages or legs extending from the body. Each of the appendages or legs may be independently movable between a stowed arrangement and an extended arrangement. Each of the appendages or legs may include one or more treat holders or receptacles, such as pockets or compartments, configured to hold (e.g., store) food (e.g., treats) for a pet. In accordance with some examples of the present disclosure, the treat receptacle(s) (e.g., pocket(s) or compartment(s)) included on an appendage or leg may be inaccessible when the appendage is in the stowed arrangement. Conversely, the treat receptacles may be accessible to a pet when the appendage is in the extended arrangement. Specifically, a pet may be able to remove a food or treat stored in the treat receptacle from the treat receptacle when the appendages are in the extended arrangement. Similarly, a person (e.g., pet owner) may be able to place food or treats in the treat receptacles when the appendages are in the extended arrangement (e.g., before subsequently moving the appendages to their stowed arrangements and giving the toy to a pet). In accordance with some examples, each of the plurality of appendages may be folded and/or rolled when they are in the stowed arrangement. According to some examples of the present disclosure, each of the appendages may be detachably coupled to itself when the appendage is in the stowed arrangement. For example, the appendage may be folded or rolled and opposite ends (e.g., a proximal end and a distal end) of the appendage may be detachably coupled to one another when the appendage is in the stowed arrangement. According to some examples of the present disclosure, each of the appendages may include a first (e.g., outer) side and a second (e.g., inner) side. The first side of the appendage may be comprised of a plush material and the second side of the appendage may be comprised of nylon. According to some examples of the present disclosure, the second side of the appendage may include a hook closure (i.e., a fastening implement including a plurality of hooks configured to latch onto loops included in a textile, fabric, or the like). According to some examples of the present disclosure, the hook closure may be detachably coupled to the first side of the appendage when the appendage is in the stowed arrangement. According to some examples, the first side of the appendage may be exposed or visible when the appendage is in the stowed arrangement. According to some examples, one or more treat receptacles may be disposed on the second side of the appendage. According to some examples, all of the treat receptacles included on an appendage may be disposed on the second side of the appendage. According to some examples, the body may include a noisemaker.
Although described herein in connection with a pet toy, the disclosed pet toy may also be used in various other applications. For example, the disclosed pet toy may be used as a toy for children (e.g., babies, toddlers).
Referring to
The body 110 may have various shapes. In some examples, the body 110 may be shaped to represent on object or an animal. In some examples, the body 110 may be shaped to represent a portion of an animal (e.g., a portion excluding the limbs or legs of an animal) and the appendages 120 may be shaped to represent the limbs or legs of the animal. In this way, the body 110 and the appendages 120 are configured such that the pet toy 100 looks like, or has an appearance of, an animal, which may entice and elicit interaction with a pet. Specifically, the body 110 may have the shape of a flamingo, a giraffe, an octopus, or the like. The body 110 may have the shape of any item, object, or living thing. In some examples, the body 110 may further include one or more designs or images printed and/or embroidered on a surface of the body 110, some of which are discussed below. Additionally, the body 110 may have various sizes. For example, the body 110 may be a three-dimensional shape having a height, a width, and a depth each ranging from between one (1) inch and twenty-four (24) inches; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to some examples, the height, width, and depth of the body may each be between two (2) and ten (10) inches. In other examples, the sizes may be much larger.
According to some examples, the body 110 may include a noisemaker (not shown in
In some examples, as illustrated in
The decorative elements may be sewn, glued, or otherwise coupled to the body 110. The decorative elements 111 may be comprised of a different material, have a different color, and/or have a different texture than the body 110. Specifically, in some examples, the body 110 and the decorative element 111 may have different textures, so as to attract a pet. Specifically, in some examples, a textile or fabric of which the body 110 is made and a textile or fabric of which the decorative element 111 is made may include pile or strands having different lengths. In other examples, the body 110 and the decorative element 111 may have contrasting colors, so as to attract a pet.
As shown in
The pet toy 100 may include any number of appendages 120. In some examples, as illustrated in
Referring generally to
Referring to
The second side 126 may include any number of treat pockets 127. In some examples, the second side 126 may include a single treat pocket 127. In other examples, the second side may include two treat pockets 127, three treat pockets 127 (as illustrated in
Still referring to
Specifically, the hook closure 128 included on the second side 126 may be detachably coupled to the first side 121 when the appendage 120 is in the stowed arrangement. Accordingly, a force exceeding a predetermined threshold (e.g., a coupling strength of the hook closure 128 and a textile comprising the second side 126) must be applied to the appendage 120 to move the appendage 120 from the stowed arrangement to the extended arrangement. While a hook closure 128 is described herein, other types of fastening implements or devices may be used. For instance, in one example, a snap fastener may be used, where one side or piece of the snap fastener is disposed at or near the proximal end 131 of the second side 126 (e.g., similar to where the hook closure 128 is located) and the other side or piece of the snap fastener is disposed at or near the mid-point (i.e., middle) of the outer surface of the first side 121, such that when the appendage 120 is rolled or folded into the stowed position, the two sides of the snap fastener align and can be coupled together. In another example, magnets may be used, where two attracting magnets are placed similarly to the snap fastener described above. The location of the fastening implements or devices may vary.
Although the treat pockets 127 described above are disposed on the inner, or second side 126, of the appendage 120, the disclosed pet toy 100 may also include additional treat pockets 127 located elsewhere on the pet toy 100, such as the body 110, on a decorative element 111 such as an additional body part or accessory 113, on the first side 121 of the appendage 120, or at/inside the distal tip of the appendage 120, as shown and described below with reference to
According to some examples a first side 121 of each or all of the appendages 120 included in the pet toy 100 may include one or more pockets 127. In some examples, when a treat pocket 127 is included at or near the proximal end 131 of the first side 121 of the appendage 120, the treat pocket 127 may be accessible when the appendage 120 is in the stowed arrangement. In some examples, one or more treat pockets 127 included on the first side 121, at locations other than at or near the proximal end 121 of the first side 121, may be inaccessible when the appendage 120 is in the stowed arrangement.
Referring to
According to some examples, the distal end 132 of the appendage 120 may be folded over an adjacent portion of the appendage 120, such that the treat pockets 127 are inside the fold. In other words, the appendage 120 is folded such that, for the first fold, the distal end portion of the second side 126 on one side of the fold contacts (i.e., is folded against) the adjacent portion of the second side 126 on the other side of the fold. The appendage 120 may be repeatedly folded over on itself in a similar fashion until the first side 121 of the appendage 120 contacts the hook closure 128 disposed on the second side 126 of the appendage 120. As the appendage 120 is folded, when the first side 121 contacts the hook closure 128 disposed on the second side 126, the hook closure 128 and the first side 121 may be pushed together (e.g., by a user) such that the hook closure 128 engages the pile of a textile comprising the first side 121 coupling the hook closure 128 to the first side 121 and maintaining the appendage 120 in the stowed arrangement. If the appendage 120 were to be folded in the opposite direction, such that the first side 121 is inside the folds, the treat pockets 127 would be on the outside of the folds and a risk of treats falling out of the treat pockets 127 may increase.
According to some examples, the distal end 132 of the appendage 120 may be rolled toward the proximal end 131 of the appendage 120 in a similar fashion as that described above for folding. For example, the appendage 120 may be continuously rolled over on itself (with the second side 126 being inside the roll) until the first side 121 of the appendage 120 contacts the hook closure 128 disposed on the second side 126 of the appendage. As the appendage 120 is rolled, when the first side 121 contacts the hook closure 128 disposed on the second side 126, the hook closure 128 and the first side 121 may be pushed together (e.g., by a user) such that the hook closure 128 engages the pile of a textile comprising the first side 121 coupling the hook closure 128 to the first side 121 and maintaining the appendage 120 in the stowed arrangement. While folding and rolling the appendages 120 are described herein, other types of manipulation of the appendages 120 may be used, such as twisting, bunching, and the like, in order to hide/conceal and show/reveal the treat pockets 127.
As shown in
As noted above, the hook closure 128 may detachably couple the second side 126 of the appendage 120 to the first side 121 of the appendage 120, such that, for example, the appendage 120 may be maintained in the stowed arrangement. The first side 121 and the second side 126 may be separated (e.g., detached) from one another in the stowed arrangement by pulling the first side 121 and the hook closure 128 on the second side 126 apart with a force exceeding a predetermined threshold corresponding to the coupling strength of the hook closure 128 and the fabric or textile comprising the second side 126. Accordingly, the hook closure 128 and the fabric or textile comprising the second side 126 may be configured to have a coupling strength that allows a pet and user to separate the first side 121 and the second side 126 of the appendage, for example, when the appendage 120 is in the stowed arrangement, such that the appendage 120 may be moved to the extended arrangement (and treats may be placed in or removed from the treat pockets 127 included on the second side 126). Once the first side 121 of the folded or rolled appendage 120 is pulled apart or detached from the hook closure 128, the appendage may be unfolded or unrolled back into the extended arrangement (i.e., hanging or laying freely).
Referring to
Accordingly, as a pet interacts or plays with the pet toy 100, the squeaker 190 included in the body 110 may be deformed (e.g., squeezed, compressed) and released, causing air to flow in and out of the bladder 191 and thus causing the whistle 192 to generate a noise. Although the squeaker 190 is described herein as being disposed in the body 110 of the pet toy 100, the squeaker 190 may be disposed in other areas of the pet toy 100 as well, such as the appendages 120 and/or additional body parts or accessories 113 (e.g., wings, beaks, ears, noses, and the like) extending or protruding from the body 110.
Referring generally to
In some examples, as illustrated in
Referring generally to
In some examples, as illustrated in
According to some examples, as illustrated in
Referring to
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific examples, which are intended to be illustrative only and not to be limiting of the disclosure, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes, additions and/or deletions may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
The foregoing description is given for clarity of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications within the scope of the disclosure may be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.
When a component, device, element, or the like of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, or the like, the component, device, or element, should be considered herein as being “configured to” meet that purpose or perform that operation or function.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application entitled “PET TREAT TOY” filed Mar. 17, 2023 and assigned Ser. No. 63/452,986, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63452986 | Mar 2023 | US |