Abstract:
The combination of a toy and launcher member for use in providing chase activities for pets, the toy being toroidally shaped and propelled by a whipping stroke of an elongated launch member having a gripper at one end which is engaged with a segment of the perimeter of the toy. A whipping stroke of the launcher causes release of the toy from the gripper which propels the toy away at high speed, with a top spin imparted thereto which causes the toy to roll and bounce for a great distances along the ground.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/002,472 filed on Nov. 11, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns pet toys and more particularly a chase toy for dogs in which an object is able to be thrown so that a dog may run down and fetch the toy. 
     Many dogs have an abundance of energy and merely throwing a ball or stick for a short distance does not provide sufficient challenge or exercise and may be tedious and tiresome for the pet owner. There has been heretofore devised a launcher for a ball which increases the distance a ball can be thrown for this purpose, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,745. 
     While an advance over simply throwing a ball, the rolling of the ball is retarded by backspin inherently imparted to the ball by the launcher. Also, the rolling movement is predictable as to not provide great interest in the “chase”. 
     Disc launchers are also shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,953,378; 2,493,245; and 3,095,867, but these flat discs are not suitable for dog toys of this nature as they are not easily gripped in a dog&#39;s mouth. The launchers are also not convenient to use for this purpose involving a somewhat tricky loading and release of the flat discs. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a launcher and chase toy which increases the challenge and interest of both the pet and its owner, is well suited to retrieval by a dog, and is simple to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above object and other objects which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by an elongated launcher member having a gripper at one end able to releasably grasp a segment of the perimeter of a toroidal toy. The launcher member may comprise an elongated flexible blade having a handle at the other end. The toroidal gripper is preferably comprised of a pair of dished wings defining therebetween space which is complementary to the cross-sectional round shape of the toy perimeter. The wings are able to be elastically spread apart to at least partially encircle the rounded cross-section gripped segment of the perimeter to securely grasp the perimeter of the toy. 
     An angled out entry feature on each dished wing forms a wedging entryway into the defined space between the wings. This allows the gripper to conveniently be brought into engagement with the toroidal toy by rolling motions of the launcher after contacting the entry feature with the perimeter of the toy, forcing the segment of the toroidal toy into the space between the gripper wings to be at least partially encircled and held thereby. The dished shape of the wings are generally complementary to the rounded shape of the ovoidal cross sectional shape of the toroidal toy to be fit thereto when gripping the perimeter of the toy. This at least partial encirclement reliably prevents release of the toy from the gripper until a predetermined centrifugal force is developed of a magnitude able to spread the gripper wings sufficiently to allow the toy to pass out between the spread apart wings. 
     These forces are generated upon executing a whipping stroke of the launcher member, the gripper wings designed to spread apart and release the toy from the gripper at high speed at an advanced point in the whipping motion, with a strong top spin imparted thereto because of the location of gripping of the toy at its perimeter, which trails the rest of the toy at the point of release to impart top spin resulting in a pronounced tendency for the toy to execute a forward rolling motion when the toy hits the ground. This also often results in an erratic bouncing path followed by the toy over a great distance, creating a very attractive chase object for a dog. The ability to project the toy for great distances is also a source of amusement to the user. 
     The rounded in section toroidal shape is easily grasped by the dog in its mouth when retrieving the top and coming back to the person launching the toy. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a launcher member and a toroidal toy according to one embodiment of the invention, the toy held in a gripper on one end of the launcher opposite a handle end. 
         FIG. 2  is an endwise view of the launcher member shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged endwise view of the gripper on one end of the launcher member shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a pictorial enlarged view of the gripper shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the launcher member without the gripper. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged sectional view of the toroidal toy shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged sectional view of an alternative configuration of the cross-section of a segment of the toy. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic depiction of the launching of the toy and a typical path taken along the ground. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. Referring to the drawings and particularly  FIGS. 1 and 2  one embodiment of the present invention includes an elongated launcher member  10  and a generally toroidally shaped toy  12 . 
     The launcher member  10  has a handle  14  at one end from which extends an elongated, tapered, and curved flexible blade portion  16 . A projecting disc feature  17  may be provided at one end of the handle  14  for imprinting a trademark logo. The rectangular in section tapered blade shape of the flexible portion  16  is wider than its thickness and this creates a greater lateral stiffness concentrating its flexing and whipping motion in a direction aligned with the motion of the handle  14 . However, other configurations of the launcher member  10  can be used such as a straight round rod, as long as it is sufficiently elongated to produce a high velocity by the whipping motion thereof. 
     The launcher member may also be telescoped to be more compact for shipping, packaging and storage in the manner well known for such objects as fishing rods, etc. 
     A gripper  18  is attached at the free end  16 A of the blade portion  16  as by being received in a rectangular opening  20  formed in the gripper body. The gripper  18  may be attached in other ways or molded integrally with the launcher member  10 . 
     The launcher member  10  may be made of a suitable plastic as by molding, the particular type of plastic selected such that the blade portion  16  is resiliently deflectable to be flexed when launching the toy  12  generating a stronger whipping action when the motion is arrested at the end of the stroke. 
     The gripper  18  may be molded of a suitably flexible material and includes a pair of dished wings  22  connected together along one side to a gripper body portion  25  and collectively forming an ovoidal space  24  defined between the wings  22  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ). 
     The wings  22  are integral with the body  25  along one side with an optional groove which could be added if needed to allow easier elastic flexing apart of the wings  22  to allow spreading apart of their free sides against the elastic resistance provided by their connection together enabling entry of a segment of the toroidal toy  12  into the curved space  24  defined therebetween. 
     A slot  25  between the wings  22 , allows separation of the wings as the toy  12  rolls along the slot  25  in ultimately being released. 
     A convergent entry feature comprised of an outwardly angled corners  26  of each wing  22  at one end facilitates wedging apart of the wings  22  to enable loading of a segment of the perimeter the toy  12  into the space  24  in the gripper  18 , as will be described in further detail below. The toy segment is encircled either partially or entirely by the curved wings  22  within space  24 . This creates a secure grip which only releases when the whipping motion is completed, the toy  12  progressively moving out along the slot  25  the wings being forced apart to accomodate the gripped segment of the toy to be released at the end of the throwing motion. 
     The toy  12  cross section may be hollow ( FIG. 6 ) to be compressible and lightweight yet stiff enough to be able to bounce and roll without rapid loss of its momentum when hitting the ground, and is preferably made of an elastomeric material commonly used for dog chew toys to withstand a dog&#39;s chewing over extended periods of use. It also may be flattened slightly to have an ovoidal cross sectional shape to improve its aerodynamics by reducing its drag during flight and its rounded shape is at least generally matched to the inside curvature of the space  24  defined between dished wings  22 . 
     The ovodial cross sectional shape of the toy is flattened to be narrower along an axis passing through the slot  25  than along an axis in the direction of the slot to also assist in spreading the wings  22  apart by the toy  12 . 
       FIG. 6A  shows an alternative construction of the toy  12 A in which a foam rubber or plastic core  28  is covered with a tough fabric covering  30  such as ballistic nylon sewn on to the core  28 . 
     It is important that the stiffness of the gripper  18  and compressibility of the toy  12  be selected so that when the launch member  10  is whipped overhand the toy  12  will be held until maximum velocity is reached at an advanced point in the whipping motion of the launcher  10 . When the centrifugal forces reach a predetermined sufficiently high level, the toy  12  will be released from the launcher  10  when its motion is arrested at the end of the stroke by the spreading apart of the wings  22  against the elastic forces generated by being connected together along one side to a sufficient extent induced by the centrifugal forces developed, and the toy propelled away at a high velocity with a pronounced top spin. 
     The gripping of a segment of the toy  12  at a point on its perimeter imparts a considerable top spin of the toy  12  when projected from the launcher member  10  since at release the point of connection trails the rest of the toy which thus is rotated about the point of connection in being released. This top spin contributes to its bouncing, erratic motion and the relatively long distance traveled along the ground as depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
     In contrast, a ball launched from a pocket tends to have backspin imparted  thereto as it rolls off the pocket. 
     Since the toy  12  will travel at high speed and bounce and turn erratically, this will strongly appeal to a dog&#39;s chase instincts. The great distance traveled will be enough to challenge the most energetic pet and provide amusement and interest for both the pet and owner. 
     To load the launcher member  18 , the toy  12  is stood on edge by inserting the toe of the user&#39;s shoe or boot into the center space of the toy  12  and rolling it sideways bringing it to an on edge portion. Once on edge, the gripper  18  is aligned with a top segment of the toy  12  with the entry features  26  against the segment, and, the launcher member  10  then pulled toward the user so as to create a wedging apart of the wings  22  to allow the perimeter of the toy  12  to enter the space  24  to have a segment thereof gripped as the wings  22  move back onto its flattened toroidal shape at least partially encircling the same to create a secure grasping of the toy  12  sufficient to delay release until a high velocity is imparted to the toy  12  by the whipping motion of the launcher  10 . 
     As noted above, the dished concave shape of the inside of the wings  22  is at least generally matched to the rounded cross sectional shape of the gripped segment of the toy  12  to allow the toy  12  to be securely retained therebetween as seen in  FIG. 1 , and thereby held in readiness for a launch.