U.S. patent number RE39,563 [Application Number 10/138,127] was granted by the patent office on 2007-04-17 for pet toy product with integral treats receiving receptacles.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Bounce, Inc.. Invention is credited to Joseph P. Markham.
United States Patent |
RE39,563 |
Markham |
April 17, 2007 |
Pet toy product with integral treats receiving receptacles
Abstract
A pet toy product for holding one or more animal treats has a
body member having an outer surface with one or more recesses for
removably holding one or more animal treats. The recesses may be of
varying depth so that the treats in the deeper recesses are more
difficult for the animal to extract then are the treats in the
shallower recesses. The recesses may be circular, triangular,
irregular, in the form of a groove or any other suitable
configuration. The outer surface of the toy may be raised to
accommodate the recesses or the recesses may extend into the
surface. The pet toy may have recesses forming openings which
extend through the pet toy product for receiving treats. With the
structure recited, the pet owner can replenish the treats as often
as necessary to maintain the pet's interest in the toy. Different
treats can be provided with different nutritional values and
tastes. Because some treats will be more difficult for the animal
to remove than others, the animal can be kept occupied for several
hours before the treats need to be replaced again. The treats may
be held in the recesses by friction, adhesive or adhesion.
Inventors: |
Markham; Joseph P. (Arvada,
CO) |
Assignee: |
Bounce, Inc. (Golden,
CO)
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Family
ID: |
25519797 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/138,127 |
Filed: |
May 1, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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08972549 |
Nov 18, 1997 |
5947061 |
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08663447 |
Jun 13, 1996 |
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Reissue of: |
09357277 |
Jul 20, 1999 |
06129053 |
Oct 10, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
119/710 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
15/026 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
29/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;119/51.03,707,709,710,711 ;446/122,153,220 ;434/171 ;206/562
;473/413,570,593,594,596,604,609,613,614 ;606/235 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Jungle Talk International adverstisement. cited by examiner .
Buster Cube, product packaging, publication date unknown (2 pages).
cited by examiner .
"Recipe for the Almost Perfect Dog" brochure and website pages (5
pages total). cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Swiatek; Robert P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sheridan Ross PC
Parent Case Text
TECHNICAL FIELD
This patent application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.
08/972,549, filed Nov. 18, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,947, 061, and
entitled "Pet Toy Product With Integral Treat Receiving
Receptacles" which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.
08/663,447, filed Jun. 13, 1996, now abandoned, and entitled "Pet
Toy Product With Integral Treats Receiving Receptacles".
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pet toy product which includes one or more edible treats to
induce an animal to play with said pet toy product, said pet toy
product comprising: a .[.molded.]. body member having .[.a
resilient.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.outer surface; a plurality of
recesses of varying depths .[.geometrically.]. arranged on at least
a portion of said outer surface; and edible treats positioned in at
least some of said plurality of recesses so that said edible treats
in said recesses having deeper depths are more difficult for the
animal to extract than are said edible treats in said recesses
having shallower depths.
2. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: at least one
of said plurality of recesses is generally circular shaped.
3. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: at least one
of said plurality of recesses is non-circular in shape.
4. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said
plurality of recesses each have resilient side surfaces; and said
edible treats are sized to be wedged into at least some of said
plurality of recesses and resiliently held therein.
5. A method of entertaining an animal, said method comprising the
steps of: providing a pet toy having an outer surface with a
plurality of recesses of different individual depths formed
therein; inserting a first edible pet treat in at least one of the
plurality of recesses so as to be retained within the at least one
recess until dislodged by the animal; inserting a second edible pet
treat in at least one other of the plurality of recesses so as to
be retained within the at least one other recess until dislodged by
the animal; and giving the pet toy to the animal.
6. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said inserting step
includes the step of: frictionally attaching the first and second
edible pet treats within the recesses.
7. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said inserting step
includes the step of: attaching the first and second edible pet
treats within the recesses by adhesion.
8. A method, as claimed in claim 5, including the further steps of:
reloading at least some of said plurality of recesses with a third
edible pet treat after said first and second edible pet treats have
been removed from the plurality of recesses by the animal; and
returning the pet toy to the animal.
9. A method, as claimed in claim 5, including the further step of:
inserting a plurality of said first or second edible pet treats in
at least one of the plurality of recesses.
10. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said plurality of
recesses each have resilient side surfaces and said frictionally
attaching step includes: causing the resilient side surfaces to
grip the first and second edible pet treats within the
recesses.
11. A pet toy product which includes one or more types of edible
treats to induce an animal to play with said pet toy product
comprising: a body member having an outer surface; a plurality of
recesses formed on said outer surface, at least some of said
plurality of recesses having varying depths; and at least one type
of edible treat positioned simultaneously in at least two of said
plurality of recesses.
12. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said
plurality of recesses secures said at least one type of edible
treat by friction.
13. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 12 wherein: said
plurality of recesses each have resilient side surfaces; and said
at least one type of edible treat is sized to be wedged into at
least some of said plurality of recesses and resiliently held
therein.
14. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said
plurality of recesses retain said at least one type of edible treat
as by adhesion.
15. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said at
least one type of edible treat is two types of edible treats, one
each of two types of edible treats being placed within a
corresponding plurality of recesses.
16. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said
plurality of recesses includes at least one recess formed on said
outer surface, and at least one recess extending completely through
said body member to form an opening.
17. A pet toy product resiliently holding one or more edible treats
to induce an animal to play with said pet toy product, said pet toy
product comprising: a .[.molded.]. body member .[.made of a
resilient material.]. having an outer surface defining the shape of
the pet toy product, said body member further having a side wall of
a substantially uniform thickness, and a plurality .Iadd.of
.Iaddend.recesses formed in said side wall of varying depths and
having resilient side surfaces, wherein the edible treats are
wedged into said recesses, said resilient side surfaces of said
recesses resiliently holding the edible treats therein.
18. A pet toy product resiliently holding one or more edible treats
to induce an animal to play with said pet toy product, said pet toy
product comprising: a .[.molded.]. body member .[.made of a
resilient material.]. having an outer surface defining the shape of
the pet toy product, said body member further having a side wall of
a substantially uniform thickness, and a plurality .Iadd.of
.Iaddend.recesses formed in said side wall and having resilient
side surfaces, wherein the edible treats are wedged into said
recesses, said resilient side surfaces of said recesses resiliently
holding the edible treats therein.
.Iadd.19. A pet toy product comprising: a molded and resilient body
member having a side wall of substantially uniform thickness and
enclosing a substantially spherical shaped and hollow closed
interior, a plurality of recesses formed in said side wall, some of
said plurality of recesses extending deeper into said side wall
than other of said plurality of recesses, said side wall having an
outer surface without raised areas formed thereon..Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 19, wherein: said
plurality of recesses include resilient walls adapted to
frictionally and releasably secure a pet treat
therein..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 19, wherein: at
least some of said recesses extend all the way through said side
wall, and remaining recesses of said plurality of recesses extend
partially through said side wall..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. A pet toy product comprising: a body member having a side
wall of substantially uniform thickness and enclosing a
substantially hollow closed interior, a plurality of recesses
formed in said side wall, said recesses including a plurality of
grooves wherein at least two of said plurality of grooves share a
common groove wall located therebetween, said side wall having an
outer surface without raised areas formed thereon; and at least
some of said recesses extend all the way through said side wall,
and remaining recesses of said plurality of recesses extend
partially through said side wall..Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 22, wherein: said
plurality of recesses include resilient walls adapted to
frictionally and releasably secure a pet treat
therein..Iaddend.
.Iadd.24. A pet toy product comprising: a body member having a
sidewall of substantially uniform thickness and enclosing a
substantially hollow closed interior, said body member having an
outer surface with a plurality of raised areas formed thereon, at
least one of said raised areas having a recess formed thereon; and
said plurality of raised areas include corresponding recesses, at
least some of said recesses extending all the way through said side
wall, and remaining recesses extending partially through said side
wall..Iaddend.
.Iadd.25. A pet toy product, as claimed in claim 24, wherein: said
recess includes resilient walls adapted to frictionally and
releasably secure a pet treat therein..Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to a pet toy product, and more particularly
to a pet toy product having recesses and openings for receiving
treats.
BACKGROUND ART
Chewable pet toys have been available for many years. Many are
impregnated with odors or flavoring materials which are attractive
to the animal for which the toy is intended. These toys can be made
of various materials, such as rawhide, rubber and plastic. The
shortcoming of these products is that after a period of time, the
flavor and/or odor becomes less strong and the animal loses
interest in the toy. No means is provided for subsequently
enhancing the flavor and odor of the toy.
Tay (Des. U.S. Pat. No. 188,179) discloses a pet food holder which
has a hollow center for holding food.
Allis (U.S. Pat. No. 1,149,170); Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 260,851); and
Edwards (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,513,014 and 4,557, 219) each disclose a
pet toy having a flavoring material impregnated therein.
Fisher (U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,648) discloses a pet toy which is odor
impregnated.
Markham (U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,352) discloses a therapeutic pet toy
having parallel peripheral grooves in which oral hygiene substances
may be placed.
Axlerod (U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,334) and Miller (U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,899,607 and 4,032,665) each disclose pet toys which are both
flavor and odor impregnated.
Jungle Talk International sells a product for birds made of wood
which has openings in which nuts are firmly fixed. The bird must
substantially destroy the wood in order to reach the nuts. Thus,
the product cannot be reloaded and reused.
A product known as a "Buster Cube" has an opening in which dry dog
food is poured. As a dog knocks it over in playing with it, the
food runs out so that the dog can eat it.
Although each of these inventions is suitable for its intended
purpose, none provide means on the exterior surface thereof for
holding animal treats for keeping the animal interested in the
toy.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a pet toy product is
provided for holding, by friction or adhesion, one or more animal
treats wherein the toy has a body member having an outer surface
with one or more recesses for receiving one or more animal treats.
The term "treat" is intended to include any items which are
attractive to or are consumed by an animal. The recesses may be of
varying depth so that the treats in the deeper recesses are more
difficult for the animal to extract than are the treats in the
shallower recesses. The recesses may be circular, triangular,
irregular, or in the form of a groove or any other suitable
configuration. The outer surface of the toy may be raised to
accommodate the recesses or the recesses may extend into the
surface. Finally, the pet toy may have a recess forming an opening
which extends completely through the side wall for receiving a
treat. With the structure recited, the pet owner can replenish the
treats as often as necessary to maintain the pet's interest in the
toy. Different treats can be provided with different nutritional
values and tastes. Also, because some treats will be harder for the
animal to remove than others, the animal can be kept occupied for
several hours before the treats need to be replaced again. The toy
may be made of molded rigid or flexible material which can
accommodate different types of treats. This construction allows the
toy to be used repeatedly by refilling the recesses with more
treats.
Additional advantages will become apparent from the description
which follows, taken in conjunction what the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an animal playing with one form of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a variety of forms of pet toy
products embodying the invention;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a first
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention showing
recesses of varying depth containing animal treats;
FIG. 4 is a lateral section, taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3,
showing the different depths of the recesses with treats
therein;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a second
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention having
longitudinal grooves for receiving animal treats and showing a
liquid treat being inserted into the grooves;
FIG. 6 is a lateral section, taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5,
showing the different depths of the recesses with treats
therein;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a third
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention having
longitudinal grooves which are raised above the surface of the
toy;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a fourth
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention having a
plurality of recesses formed in a plurality of raised areas;
FIG. 9 is a lateral section, taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8,
showing the different depths of the recesses with treats
therein;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a fifth
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention having a
triangular recess;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a sixth
embodiment of the pet toy product of this invention having a recess
extending through the side wall of the pet toy to form an opening
for receiving an animal treat; and
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to FIG. 11, but
showing a treat positioned within the opening.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, an animal, such as dog D, is
shown in FIG. 1 playing with the pet toy product T of this
invention. As best seen in FIG. 2, the pet toy product may have a
variety of configurations, such as a ball T.sub.1, bone-shaped pet
toy product T.sub.2, box-shaped pet toy product T.sub.3, elongated
pet toy product T.sub.4, star-shaped pet toy product T.sub.5 and
annular pet toy product T.sub.6. The recesses shown in these pet
toy products can be of varying depths, as described below. These
configurations are exemplary only and other configurations will be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and such other shapes
are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.
One embodiment of pet toy product T is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The
pet toy product T includes a body member 10 with an outer surface
11 which generally defines the shape of the pet toy product T. Body
member 10 has a depth defined by side wall 12 which includes a
geometrically arranged plurality of depressions or recesses, such
as shallow recess 13, medium recess 14 and deep recess 16. Each of
the respective recesses has an animal treat 18 which may be
inserted therein. The treat can be wedged into a recess in a rigid
toy product or can be resiliently gripped by the side surfaces of a
flexible product. In other words, the treat is releasably and
frictionally held in the recess. An adhesive could also be used to
attached the treat within the recess. For example, this treat can
be dry pet food. The animal can readily remove the treat 18 from
shallow recess 13, but must work harder to recover the treat 18 in
medium recess 14. Likewise, the animal must work extra hard to
remove treat 18 within deep recess 16.
Another embodiment of pet toy product T is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Specifically, side wall 12 is provided with a geometrically
arranged plurality of grooves, such as shallow groove 20, medium
groove 22 and deep groove 24. A treat 18 can be placed in each of
these grooves so that the animal experiences different levels of
difficulty in the recovery of the treats from the respective
grooves. Additionally, a second liquid or paste treat 26, such as
peanut butter or soft cheese, can be placed in the grooves, as from
a dispenser 28. This type of treat will be retained by adhesion.
This allows the animal to enjoy more than one treat with the same
toy.
A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7 wherein
the side wall 12 of pet toy product T is provided with
geometrically arranged raised portions 30 which form laterally
spaced grooves 32, 34 and 36, respectively. As shown, these grooves
can be supplied with one or more treats 18.
A still further embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 8
and 9 wherein the side wall 12 of pet toy product T has a plurality
of geometrically arranged raised portions 38, 40 and 42. Raised
portion 38 has a shallow recess 44 formed therein; raised portion
40 has a medium recess 46 formed therein; and raised portion 42 has
a deep recess 48 formed therein. As shown, treats 18 can be placed
in each of these recesses, thus providing different degrees of
difficulty for the animal to remove them.
In the embodiment of FIG. 10, side wall 12 of pet toy product T is
provided with a triangular recess 50 for receiving a hard treat 52,
such as a nut. This form of the invention is particularly
attractive for birds, such as parrots, which can use their beaks
and/or talons in the space between the corners of the recess and
the treat to dislodge the treat.
FIGS. 11 and 12 disclose an embodiment wherein side wall 12 has a
recess which extends completely therethrough to form an opening 54
through which a treat 56, such as rawhide can be received.
Although separate embodiments have been illustrated, it is to be
understood that the characteristics of one or more embodiments can
be incorporated within the same pet toy product. For example, as
shown in pet toy products T.sub.1 and T.sub.5, these toys
incorporate a combination of recesses 12, 14, 16, 44, 46, 48 and
opening 54.
From the foregoing, the advantages of the present invention are
readily apparent. A pet toy having various configurations is
provided which has recesses or grooves of varying size and depth
for releasably receiving one or more animal treats. Because of the
varying depth of the recesses, the animal will experience different
degrees of difficulty in removing the treats from the pet toy
product. Thus, the pet toy product can keep the animal occupied for
extended periods of time. The pet toy product can also be used for
birds. The owner can replace the treats by inserting them as needed
into the recesses. These treats can take the form of dry pet food,
liquid or paste snacks, such as peanut butter or soft cheese. Nuts
and vegetables pieces can be provided in the recesses when the pet
toy product is used for a bird. In other words, any product to
which the animal is attracted can be placed in the recesses. Since
the toy is not destroyed by the removal of the treats, the toy can
be reloaded with additional treats or foods for reuse.
Although this invention has been described with respect to use with
pets, it is understood that it can be used with other animals not
usually considered as pets.
This invention has been described in detail with reference to
particular embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that
various other modifications can be effected within the spirit and
scope of this invention.
* * * * *