Animal interaction method

• US 5,799,616 A
• Filed: 09/09/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guy L. Mcclung, Therese Karen Mcclung
• Original Assignee: Charlie Van Natter
• Inventors: McClung, Guy L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E.
• Application Number:
  US08/711,259
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 119/51.03, 119/707, 119/709, 119/710, 119/711, 119/905, 446/5, 446/46, 446/47, 446/48, 446/219, 273/317, 273/424
• US Class Current: 119/709
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/026 Chewable toys, e.g. for dental care of pets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 119/905 Breaking or training method

Abstract

A method for a person to interact with an animal has been invented which includes a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted, retrieving the plate by the animal for the person, releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person, and giving the at least one item to the animal.

Claims

1. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person, and

giving the at least one item to the animal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the animal is a mammal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mammal is a dog.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

releasably attaching the at least one item to the plate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one item is releasably held in at least one hollow container attached to the plate, and the method further comprising inserting the at least one item into the hollow container.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one item is removably held in at least one pocket fixed to the plate and the method further comprising

inserting the at least one item into the pocket.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein hollow container has contents from the group consisting of food, beverage, toys, game score indicators, replicas of brand name products, and a secondary hollow container.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one item is a plurality of at least two items.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plate has a shape as viewed from above from the group of shapes consisting of circular, square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, sexagonal, septagonal, octagonal, and nonagonal.

10. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is releasably mounted to the plate with a flexible member fixed to the plate and the method further comprising

stretching the flexible member and inserting the at least one item therein.

11. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is releasably mounted to the plate by a projection on the plate releasably held in a slot on the at least one item, and the method further comprising

emplacing the at least one item onto the projection.

12. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is releasably insertable through and releasably holdable in at least one opening through the plate, and the method further comprising

inserting the at least one item through the at least one opening.

13. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is removably held in at least one pocket fixed to the plate, wherein the pocket is flexible and has a stretchable mouth through which the at least one item is passable into and out of the pocket, and the method further comprising

inserting the at least one item into the pocket.

14. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the plate has an upturned lip spaced apart from the body and the at least one item is releasably held between the lip and the body and the method further comprising

inserting the at least one item between the lip and the body.

15. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is releasably held in at least one recess in the plate and a flexible member with one end fixed to the plate is disposed with part thereof beneath the at least one item in the at least one recess with a free end of the flexible member extending out from the at least one recess, and the method further comprising

pulling on the free end of the flexible member to facilitate removal of the at least one item from the at least on recess.

16. A method for a person to interact with an animal, the method comprising

a person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by the animal for the person,

releasing of the at least one item from the plate by the person,

giving the at least one item to the animal, and

wherein the at least one item is releasably secured to the plate with releasably cooperating fastener material.

17. A method for a first person to interact with at least two additional persons, the method comprising

a first person throwing a plate on which at least one item is releasably mounted,

retrieving the plate by one of the at least two additional persons,

wherein the plate is a first plate, the at least one item is a plurality of items, the at least two additional persons is a second person and at least one additional person, and the method further comprising

throwing by the first person of the first plate and at least one second plate for contested retrieval by the second person and by the at least one additional person, and

the at least one second plate comprising at least one throwing plate with at least one item releasably attached thereto.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of items is a plurality of game pieces and the second person and the at least one additional person score in a game by retrieving a plate with game pieces releasably attached thereto.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein each game piece has scoring indicia thereon.