Abstract:
An animal toy having pendulum action is disclosed. The toy includes a movable pendulum swingably secured within a housing. The pendulum is capable of carrying toys, and each toy is accessible through one or more access openings in the housing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/805,219, filed Jun. 20, 2006 and entitled “Animal Entertainment Device”, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an animal toy, and, more particularly, to a cat toy with a moveable pendulum shaft secured within a housing and capable of carrying multiple toys attachable to the moveable pendulum shaft such that each toy is accessible through access openings in the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a drawing of a cat toy constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a drawing illustrating a top view of the housing of the cat toy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a drawing illustrating a front view of the housing of the cat toy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a drawing illustrating the base plate of the housing of the cat toy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a drawing of the component parts of the disassembled housing of the cat toy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a drawing of the pendulum with attached toys of the cat toy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a drawing of the third cat toy; and 
         FIG. 6  is a drawing of the cat toy of  FIG. 1  showing the pendulum in motion. 
     
    
    
     Before explaining embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a first preferred embodiment of an animal entertainment device or toy such as cat toy  20 . Cat toy  20  includes a housing  22  configured to support a moveable pendulum shaft  24  having a first cat plaything  26 , second cat plaything  28  and third cat plaything  30  attached thereto. Housing  22  preferably includes plaything openings  32  and  34  formed in its front side  36  and preferably also formed in its back side  38  and configured to provide cat viewing along with, at least in some instances, access to at least one of the playthings  26  and  28  located within the housing  22 . With additional reference to  FIGS. 2A and 3 , the housing  22  preferably also includes a plaything viewing or access opening  40   a  formed in each sidewall  42  and  44  and plaything viewing or access openings  40   b - c  formed in each one of a pair of converging top panels  46  and  48 . The housing  22  includes a generally rectangular base  50  upon which the sidewalls  42  and  44 , the front side  36 , the back side  38  and the top panels  46  and  48  rest. 
       FIGS. 2A-C  and  FIG. 3  better illustrate additional features of the housing  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the assembled components of housing  22  define a generally hollow pentagonal structure defining a pendulum oscillation clearance enclosure  52  within. The enclosure  52  allows for the free oscillating or swinging movement of the pendulum shaft  24  within the housing  22 . It should be appreciated that the housing  22  could take on a wide variety of other geometric shapes and the pentagonal design should not be considered limiting. For example, the housing could alternatively be rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , housing  22  includes generally symmetrical front and back panels  36  and  38 , generally symmetrical sidewall panels  42  and  44 , and generally symmetrical top wall panels  46  and  48 . In addition to openings  32  and  34  and openings  40   a - c , housing  22  further may include a toy shaft clearance slot  54  that permits the top plaything  26  to move in concert with the pendulum shaft  24 . In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing figures, the housing  22  includes such a slot  54  that is centrally located such that part of the slot  54  is formed in each top panel  46  and  48  at or adjacent where the two panels  46  and  48  adjoin. Slot  54  permits oscillatory movement of a top plaything shaft  56  that is coupled or otherwise connected to the pendulum shaft  24  such that the shafts  24  and  56  oscillate at least substantially in unison. Located adjacent and below the slot  54  is a pivot  55  to which the pendulum shaft  24  is anchored. As is shown in  FIG. 1 , the pivot  55  includes an anchor fastener  57  that may be a wood screw or the like that retains the pendulum shaft  24  in the housing  22  in a manner that also permits it to pivot or oscillate about an axis extending through the screw  57 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the housing components are constructed of a varnished MDF board. A wide variety of other materials could be utilized, including but not limited to: synthetic resins, such as ABS, vinyl chloride; PE (polyethylene); PP (polypropylene) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). If desired, at least a few of the components may be made of metal such as sheet steel, aluminum or an alloy thereof. The components of the housing  22  are preferably secured together using glue or another adhesive. If desired, components may be secured together in some other way. For example, fasteners, welding, other bonding agents, and the like can be used. Some suitable fastener examples include hook and loop fasteners, screws, e.g., wood screws, nails, and tacks. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , housing  22  includes symmetrical front and back panels or plates  36  and  38  that preferably are at least substantially identical. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, front and back panels  36  and  38  are pentagonal with each panel including a lower edge  58 , a pair of generally parallel side edges  60  and  62  and a pair of converging side edges  64  and  66  that form an apex  68  side edges  64  meet. The middle plaything access opening  32  is located below a pivot receiving bore  70  and located so as to overlie the middle plaything  28  when the pendulum shaft  24  is not moving. This generally circular opening  32  is located above a curved elongate bottom pendulum plaything access window  34 . 
     The pendulum plaything access window  34  of this embodiment is curved so as to at least generally match the track which the bottom cat plaything  30  follows during pendulum oscillation or swinging. The curved shape of the access window  34  is configured to generally correspond to the curved path of travel of the bottom-most plaything  30  on the pendulum shaft  24  and provide access by a cat to the plaything  30 . As a result of the window  34  being long and curved in this manner, a cat seeking to capture the plaything  30  in the window  34  can stick a paw through the window  34  to contact and, if desired, even detach the plaything  30  from the pendulum shaft  24 , in an instance where the plaything  30  is detachably attached to the shaft  24 . In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the bottom plaything  30  is detachably attached to the shaft  24 . 
     Sidewall panels  42  and  44  are generally rectangular pieces, e.g., square, and configured to align with and fit between the side edges  60  and  62  of front and back panels  36  and  38 . These panels  42  and  44  each include tertiary cat plaything viewing openings, namely circular openings  40   a . Extending between the converging side edges  64  and  66  of front and back panels  36  and  38  are a pair of symmetrical rectangular top panels  46  and  48  that converge toward one another when the housing  22  is assembled. The top panels  46  and  48  are configured to align with and fit between side edges  64  and  66  of front and back panels  36  and  38 . Panels  46  and  48  each include a pair of tertiary access openings, namely circular access openings  40   b  and  40   c . One end of each one of the top panels  46  and  48  has a U-shaped forked end  72  that defines a notch  74  that forms part of the plaything shaft clearance slot  54  ( FIG. 1 ) when the panels are assembled to the housing. These notches  74  in panels  46  and  48  define the slot  54  ( FIG. 1 ), which is configured to allow oscillating movement of the top plaything  26  that is attached to the moveable pendulum shaft  24 . 
     Once the components of the housing  22  are assembled, the housing  22  is mounted to rectangular base plate  50 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2C , the area of base plate  50  is preferably larger than the rectangular area defined by the bottom of assembled housing  22  to prevent tipping of the toy  20  during use by an animal, such as a cat. In the illustrated embodiment, base plate  50  includes a secondary base plate  76  mounted thereto. Secondary base plate  76  is configured to fit snugly within the rectangular area defined by the bottom of housing  22  to add structural rigidity to the toy  20  and further inhibit tipping of the toy  20 . In addition, it enables the rest of the housing  22 , namely the bottom edges of panels  36 ,  38 ,  42  and  44 , to engage the base plates  50  and  76  because a portion of the bottom base plate  50  extends outwardly of the top base plate  76  defining a housing seat  78 . 
       FIG. 4  better illustrates features of the pendulum shaft  24  and a modular cat toy cartridge or assembly  81 . Pendulum shaft  24  includes a vertical rod  80  and a cross beam, fulcrum or pivot shaft  82  perpendicularly oriented at the top end  84  of the rod  80 . Adjacent the bottom end  86  of vertical rod  80  is an attachment seat  88  for enabling releasable attachment of one of a plurality of different playthings  30   a  and  30   b  to the pendulum shaft  24 . In the illustrated embodiment, the plaything attachment seat  88  includes a hook and loop fastener strip  90  on its lower end for releasably attaching the second plaything  30  to the pendulum shaft  24 . It is understood that other attachment devices could be utilized, such as snaps and other releasable attachment known in the art. 
     Each end of the cross beam or pivot shaft  82  can include a pre-formed anchor hole  92  formed in it for receiving the pivot fastener  57 , such as a screw ( FIG. 1 ). In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of wood screws  57  is inserted through pivot bores  70  in the front and back panels  36  and  38  of housing  22  and into the anchor holes  92  in pivot shaft  82 . Screws  57  freely rotate within the pivot bores  70 , thereby allowing for the oscillating or swinging movement of the pendulum shaft  24 . 
     A top plaything mount  94  is attached to the pivot shaft  82  adjacent the top or upper end of the pivot rod  80  for releasably securing the top plaything  26  to the pendulum shaft  24 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , in the illustrated embodiment, plaything mount  94  is a threaded stem  96  threaded into an outer surface of the shaft  82 . It preferably is threaded into an internal bore in the pivot shaft  82 . Part of the stem  96  projects outwardly in line with the pivot rod  80  and can be generally coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the rod  80 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 4 , the middle plaything  28  is attached near the upper end of the vertical pendulum rod  80 , and one of a plurality of bottom playthings  30   a  or  30   b  is releasably attached at or near the lower end of rod  80 . If desired, the playthings  28  and  30   a / 30   b  can take a variety of forms. In the illustrated embodiment, the middle plaything  28  is a ball that can be rotatively carried by the rod  80  of the pendulum shaft  24 . In one preferred arrangement, one of the bottom playthings  30   a  is a mouse that is releasably attached to the pendulum shaft  24 . Another one of the playthings  30   b  is a round ball. Other plaything shapes and configurations can also be used, if desired. 
     Preferably, each detachable plaything  30   a  and  30   b  includes a patch or strip of hook and loop fastener material  98  for releasably attaching it to a complementary strip of hook and loop fastening material  90  attached to the end of the pendulum shaft rod  80 . Depending on the type of material of the outer surface of the plaything, a separate patch or strip may not be needed where the outer surface material inherently releasably engages the attachment seat  88  of hook and loop fastening material  90 . Because bottom plaything  30   a  or  30   b  is releasably attached, it enhances the enjoyment of the cat (not shown) on multiple levels. On one hand, the releaseably attached second plaything  30   a  or  30   b  provides a “goal” for the cat to remove or capture. In addition, the ability to releasably attach one of a plurality of bottom playthings  30   a  or  30   b  also allows the owner to add variety by alternating which plaything  30   a  or  30   b  the owner chooses to attach. 
     With additional reference to  FIG. 5 , top plaything  26  is mounted to pivot shaft  82  and extends upward through the slot  54  ( FIG. 1 ) in the housing  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, top plaything  26  is a leather strip toy  100  mounted by a spring  102  to the mount  94  projecting outwardly from pivot shaft  82 . The spring  102  connects top plaything shaft  56  of plaything  26  via the spring  102  to the mount  94 . Although not shown in the drawings, a tubular sleeve or other type of anchor arrangement encircles part of the shaft  56  and spring  102  to help keep the spring  102  more securely attached to the shaft  56 , and another sleeve or the like is also employed to help keep the spring  102  more securely attached to the mount  94 . The shaft  56  preferably includes a ring  104  at its upper end for attachment of a variety of different toys. Although not shown, another sleeve or the like telescopes over part of the shaft  56  and ring  104  to help prevent disengagement of the ring  104  from the shaft  56 . In the illustrated embodiment, the leather strip toy  100  has a plurality of pairs of leather strips or tassles  106  is connected to the ring  104  by at least one clip  108 . This ring  104  and clip  108  configuration permits other arrangements of tassels  106  or other non-tassel toys (not shown) to be attached to the upper plaything shaft  56 , thereby also advantageously adding additional variety to the toy  20 . 
     As it can be appreciated from the drawings and description, the cat toy  20  provides numerous advantages over previously-known cat toys. The cat toy  20  provides multiple moving targets to excite the predatory instincts within felines. In addition, the multiple toys provide variety and allow the device to be enjoyed by more than one cat at the same time. The unique design of the cat toy  20  allows engagement or movement of one attractant or plaything on the pendulum shaft  24  to be transferred to another plaything mounted on the shaft thereby increasing the stimulus experienced by a cat playing with one or more of playthings  26 ,  28  and/or  30  (e.g.,  30   a  and/or  30   b ) of the toy  20 . In addition, the design of pendulum shaft  24  provides for the attachment and removal of alternative playthings. 
     It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates the present disclosure will suggest many modifications and constructions as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.