PET TOY HAVING HEMISPHERICAL ENDS

An improved pet toy is elongated and has resilient hemispherical ends. The pet toy additionally has fabric cover portion that extends generally between the ends, and further has a resilient core that is enclosed by the ends and the cover portion. The resilient and hemispherical nature of the ends enables the pet toy to bounce and tumble in a seemingly unpredictable fashion when it strikes a surface, which increases interest in the pet toy by an animal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with a first embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept, a flying, ring-shaped throw toy10that is capable of flight when propelled with a forward spinning force is illustrated inFIGS. 1-3. This throw toy10is comprised of three primary components: (i) a tear-resistant fabric covering component, in this embodiment comprising an assembly including an upper fabric component12, a lower fabric component14, and a sidewall fabric component24, (ii) an abrasion-resistant pre-molded covering component16that in this embodiment is sewn to the lower and sidewall fabric components14and24, and is positioned along a peripheral edge of the throw toy to gyroscopically stabilize the throw toy during flight, and (iii) an interior member28that is buoyant and that is completely covered or enclosed by the combined fabric and pre-molded covering components12,14,24, and16.

The fabric covering components12,14, and24are of a material such as a woven or non-woven fabric which comprises either natural or synthetic fibers, or combinations thereof, that are interconnected. In one embodiment the material from which the covering components12,14, and24are formed is a non-woven felted natural-fiber blend. In another embodiment the material is a woven nylon or polyester fabric. These materials are substantially resilient and able to withstand puncture and tear damage from an animal's teeth and claws.

The pre-molded covering component16is molded of an elastomeric material, for example synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or combinations thereof In one embodiment the pre-molded covering component16is made of a thermoset natural rubber. The pre-molded component16is formed to be substantially abrasion resistant to withstand ground impact associated with landings, is puncture-resistant to withstand the biting force of sharp animal teeth, and is self-healing to recover from deformation.

Self-healing properties include elastic-pliability combined with deformation-recovery. For example, when a self-healing object is stretched or deformed due to an exerted external biting force (e.g., the biting force of a dog's teeth), the object responds by returning to its original shape shortly after the force is removed. Self-healing recovery also includes fold-recovery, such that when the self-healing object is stretchably folded over onto itself, the object will unfold itself and return to its original shape when the folding force is removed.

The interior member28is of a material such as a closed-cell foam of sufficient density to be buoyant and to cause the throw toy10to float in water. Samples of closed-cell foam which may be used in the disclosed and claimed concept include an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam or a polyolefin foam.

Additional associated advantages of the materials from which the fabric covering components12,14,24and pre-molded covering component16are formed include grip and traction, such that the coverings are easily graspable by an animal's teeth and claws while the throw toy10is in flight, on the water, or lying at rest on the ground or other surface. Further benefits associated with the buoyant material from which the interior member28is formed include deformation-recovery, such that the interior member28can recover its shape after being temporarily deformed by an external biting or folding force.

It should be understood that the listing herein of selectable material types is not exhaustive, and many other material selections are feasible, while still allowing the disclosed and claimed concept to function as described. Further, the primary components and associated material types are consistent amongst all of the embodiments of the disclosed and claimed concept.

FIG. 1is a perspective view that illustrates the ring-shaped throw toy10in accordance with the first embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept. The throw toy10includes the fabric top component12, which is sewn to the fabric bottom component24(illustrated inFIG. 2) with durable stitching18. Further, the fabric side component14is sewn to the pre-molded covering component16along one edge, and to the tear-resistant fabric top component12along another edge, with durable stitching20and22.

FIG. 2illustrates a bottom view of the ring-shaped throw toy10wherein the fabric bottom component24is sewn to both the tear-resistant fabric top component12and the pre-molded component16with durable stitching18and26.

FIG. 3illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the ring-shaped throw toy10wherein the interior member28is completely covered by the fabric and pre-molded components12,14,24, and16, which are joined together with stitching18,20,22, and26, such that none of the interior member28remains uncovered.

The stitching18,20,22, and26may be provided using a material such as a synthetic thread or other material of sufficient tensile strength to resist breakage due to an external biting force. Samples of synthetic threads that are of sufficient tensile strength and which may be used in the disclosed and claimed concept include nylon or polyester threads, or combinations thereof. In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept, a durable monofilament line is used as the stitching material type.

The interior member28in one embodiment is adhesively bonded to both the fabric and pre-molded components12,14,24, and16in such a manner as to resist the interior member28from independently moving about within the combined covering components (adhesive element not shown). In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a fabric scrim or substrate may be provided between any of the covering components12,14,24, and16and the interior member28, to provide better bonding surfaces for promoting improved adhesion strength.

A scrim may be bonded to the pre-molded component16during a bonding process (which may be simultaneous with a molding process) to provide the pre-molded component with a superior surface with which to achieve a mechanical bond with the adhesive element. Samples of adhesive types, which may be used in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept, include the following: hot glues, latent reactive adhesives, contact cements, and various other types of water-based or solvent-based adhesives. One advantage of the adhesion is to secure all three primary components together while at the same time resisting the interior member28from becoming misaligned within the pre-molded and fabric covering components12,14,24, and16.

A further advantage of the adhesive layer is that when all of the components of the throw toy10are adhesively bonded together, they act in unison to better recover shape after a deformation occurs. This feature is particularly advantageous when the throw toy10is configured to include one or more elongated members, as seen in subsequent embodiments of the disclosed and claimed concept (e.g.,FIGS. 4-7and10-17). In these embodiments, if interior adhesion were not present, an elongated member of the interior member could conceivably be compressed and misaligned internal to the sewn covering components such that the elongated member no longer correctly fills its designated extremity covering component. The adhesion acts to resist such misalignment and further tightly secures the covering components to the interior member to minimize aerodynamic resistance caused by loosely fitted covering components.

FIG. 4is a perspective top-side view of a buoyant, boomerang-shaped throw toy30in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept. The throw toy30comprises a tear-resistant fabric top covering component32sewn to a tear-resistant fabric bottom covering component40(illustrated inFIG. 5) and sewn to a pre-molded, abrasion-resistant frontal covering component34with durable stitching36and38.FIG. 5illustrates a cross-sectional view of the boomerang-shaped throw toy30of the depicted embodiment wherein the tear-resistant fabric bottom covering component40is sewn to both the tear-resistant fabric top covering component32and the abrasion-resistant pre-molded frontal covering component34with durable stitching36and42. An interior member44that is buoyant is completely covered by the combination of the fabric components32,34and the pre-molded component40, such that none of the interior member44is exposed. In a current embodiment an adhesive layer (not expressly depicted herein) between the interior member44and both the fabric components32,34and the pre-molded component34provides for a very tightly integrated product.

FIG. 6illustrates a perspective view of a buoyant, boat-fender-shaped throw toy46in accordance with a third embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept. The throw toy comprises a tear-resistant fabric covering component48sewn to two abrasion-resistant pre-molded cap covering components50and52with durable stitching54and56. The fabric covering component48is also sewn to itself on a longitudinal seam with stitching58such that it conforms to a three-dimensional shape consistent with the shape of a buoyant interior member62(illustrated inFIG. 7).

Further in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept, the cap covering component50is adaptively affixed to a rope60to more precisely resemble a traditional boat-fender object.FIG. 7is a cross sectional view of the boat-fender-shaped throw toy46of the depicted embodiment showing the interior member62covered on three sides with the fabric covering component48and covered on two ends with the cap covering components50and52, such that none of the interior member62remains uncovered. In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept, the interior member62contains an elongated weighted element63to allow for more momentum when the throw toy46is thrown. Such additional mass may help to compensate for a lesser aerodynamic shape. An adhesive layer (not expressly depicted herein) may be provided between the interior member62and the fabric top covering component48and the pre-molded cap components50and52.

The three embodiments disclosed above similarly comprise the following three primary components: at least one tear-resistant fabric covering component, at least one abrasion-resistant pre-molded covering component, and at least one buoyant foam interior member. These components are configured in such a way as to promote gyroscopic stability, impact-resistance, grip, and graspability for each distinct object shape of the first three embodiments. At least some of the objects are of a shape that is symmetric about an imaginary central axis and is configured to rotate about the imaginary central axis when thrown with a spinning force. In accordance with the illustrated configurations of the aforementioned embodiments, several alternative shapes can be realized while still maintaining the same material and design advantages described above.

For example, the disc-shaped throw toy64, illustrated inFIGS. 8-9, is similar in shape and component placement as the ring-shaped throw toy, illustrated inFIGS. 1-3, except that there is no center hole. In these similar embodiments, the pre-molded components16and68are situated on the bottom of the object shapes and around the peripheral edge to promote gyroscopic stability and flight time. It should be understood that the pre-molded components in the embodiments of the disclosed and claimed concept are of a higher density than those of the fabric and foam components. This weighted bottom-edge rim placement is beneficial for extended flight time because fabric and foam components alone may lack sufficient weight to provide sufficient momentum to the throw toy objects10and64when a spinning force is applied.

Likewise, the alternative boomerang-shaped throw toys72-78, illustrated inFIGS. 10-13, have similar shape and component placement to the boomerang-shaped throw toy that is illustrated inFIGS. 4-5, with the exception that the alternative boomerang shaped throw toys72-78inFIGS. 11-13have a greater number of elongated side members. The boomerang illustrated inFIG. 10has a V-type shape similar to that of the V-type boomerang depicted inFIGS. 4-5, with the exception that the degree of bend is lesser and the length of the elongated side members is greater. This shape is particularly suited to extended flight time. In each of these additional embodiments, the pre-molded components are placed along the peripheral edge of the elongated side members in order to promote gyroscopic stability and flight time.

The alternative to the boat-fender-shaped throw toy, illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, is a bone-shaped throw toy80illustrated inFIG. 14. Both the boat-fender and the bone throw toys are configured to be thrown from one end such that the throw toy gyroscopically spins about an imaginary central axis when thrown. Similar to the boat-fender-shaped throw toy, optionally a buoyant interior member of the bone-shaped throw toy80may also contain an elongated weighted element to provide more momentum when the throw toy is in flight.

FIG. 15is a perspective view of a bumper-shaped throw toy90in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept, andFIG. 16is a front view of the bumper-shaped throw toy90. A partially cut-away, fragmentary front view is shown inFIG. 17. The bumper-shaped throw toy90is constructed in a similar manner to the previous embodiments and includes an elongated formed foam core91(FIG. 17), a fabric cover portion92, and pair of hemispherical end caps94.

The shape of the bumper-shaped throw toy90is maintained and reinforced by the use of pre-molded (pre-formed) elastomer (e.g., a natural or synthetic rubber) to form the hemispherical end caps94, a tough fabric panel to form the cover portion92between the end caps94, and a pre-molded or otherwise pre-formed polymer foam core91which may be formed from a closed cell foam. The fabric cover portion92and end caps94are sewn together, and cooperatively enclose the foam core91, which is shaped to substantially fill the volume enclosed by the fabric cover portion92and end caps94. In the depicted embodiment, each end cap94includes a relatively thin flange95that underlies an end of the fabric portion92, and is engaged by the stitching93. As seen inFIG. 17, a recess96of the fabric portion92fits over the relatively thin flange95of the hemispherical end caps94, and these components are bonded together into a single reinforced toroidal structure. An adhesive or adhesive substrate97substantially surrounds the core91and is disposed between the core91and the fabric cover portion92and end caps94.

This reinforced structure, because of the materials selected, is of sufficient mass to enable outdoor play including rolling along uneven ground, while being relatively light in weight. The bumper-shaped throw toy90is formed of soft and compliant materials and is thus pliable and deformable. However, the toy90will return to an original shape when a deforming force is removed, i.e., it exhibits shape recovery. The molded (or otherwise pre-formed) rubber end caps94provide resilient spring and bounce characteristics for the toy90.

The bumper-shaped throw toy90with the rubber end caps94has been found to have unique playing functionality due to the hemispherical shape and opposing disposition of the end caps94, which produce a unique and unpredictable tumbling action when the toy90is thrown. The unique tumbling action may also be caused in part by the particular construction of the foam core91being tightly and adhesively coupled with the fabric portion92and the end caps94. The unique tumbling action is believed to add enjoyment as well as reflex training when the toy90is used to play with or to exercise pets.

The bumper-shaped throw toy90may have an axial length of between 8 inches and 12 inches and a diameter of between 2.5 inches and 3.5 inches. In the depicted embodiment the center body of the toy90is of a circular cross-sectional shape that narrows in diameter towards the center of the toy90.