Treat-dispensing ball

• US 5,819,690 A
• Filed: 05/06/1997
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stelaur Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Stelaur Products, LLC
• Inventors: Brown, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bergin, James S.
• Application Number:
  US08/851,669
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 119/707, 119/709, 119/710, 119/711, 446/409, 446/419, 446/431, 473/594, 473/163
• US Class Current: 119/707
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0114 Pet food dispensers; Pet food trays time-controlled A01K5/0291

Abstract

A treat-discharging roll toy is formed as a hollow body having at least two openings into its interior cavity, and having at least two deflector members, of functionally solid geometric form, that project from the inner surface of the body at locations proximate the openings. The toy is loaded with animal treats, such as artificial bones or other hard formed objects (normally edible), which are randomly discharged as the toy is rolled; the deflector structures orient the treats and promote movement toward the openings.

Claims

1. A treat-discharging roll toy for an animal, comprising a wall forming a hollow body configured for rolling and defining an interior cavity and a plurality of mutually-spaced openings, said openings being dimensioned and configured for passage of animal treats into and out of said cavity through said wall;

and a plurality of mutually spaced deflector members projecting into said cavity from said wall and being so formed and located as to extend along only a minor portion of said wall, each of said deflector members being disposed proximate an associated one of said wall openings for deflecting loose animal treats, contained in said body cavity, toward said associated wall opening during rolling movement of said toy.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said body consists of two separately formed body components, secured together.

3. The toy of claim 2 wherein said components are substantially identical.

4. The toy of claim 2 wherein each of said body components includes a wall portion and at least one of said deflector members, said wall portion and deflector member 96 being integrally formed, as a single piece.

5. The toy of claim 4 wherein said deflector member has a longitudinal axis and comprises an array of fin elements extending laterally outwardly in a multiplicity of directions from about, and taken with reference to, said longitudinal axis, the outer ends of said fin elements providing lateral contact elements on said deflector member.

6. The toy of claim 5 wherein said fin elements are all substantially identical and extend radially, with reference to said longitudinal axis, the outer ends of said fin elements cooperatively affording to said deflector member an effectively cylindrical exterior configuration.

7. The toy of claim 1 wherein said body has a central axis and said deflector members have longitudinal axes, said longitudinal axes of two of said deflector members being disposed on said central axis.

8. The toy of claim 1 wherein said body is spherical.

9. The toy of claim 1 wherein said openings are of straight-sided oval configuration.

10. The toy of claim 1 wherein all of said openings are substantially identical.

11. The toy of claim 1 wherein said wall is of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

12. A treat-discharging roll toy for an animal, comprising a wall of uniform thickness forming a hollow spherical body about 41/2 to 10 inches in diameter and defining an interior cavity and a plurality of mutually-spaced openings, said openings being of straight-sided oval configuration, and measuring about 11/8 to 17/8 inches in length and 1/2 to 13/16 inch in width, for passage of bone-shaped animal treats into and out of said cavity through said wall;

and a plurality of mutually-spaced deflector members projecting into said cavity from said wall and each of said deflector members having an effectively cylindrical exterior contour and being disposed proximate an associated one of said wall openings for deflecting treats, contained in said body cavity, toward said associated wall opening during rolling movement of said toy.

13. The toy of claim 12 wherein said wall defines two of said openings and said toy has two of said deflector members.

14. The toy of claim 13 wherein each of said deflector members is about 11/4 to 2 inches in diameter and 7/8 to 13/4 inch high, and is disposed about 1/4 to 1 inch from said associated wall opening.

15. The toy of claim 14 wherein each of said deflector members has a longitudinal axis and comprises an array of substantially identical fin elements extending radially from about, and taken with reference to, said longitudinal axis, the outer ends of said fin elements being spaced from one another by a spacing distance not exceeding 5/8 inch and affording to said deflector member an effectively cylindrical exterior configuration.

16. The toy of claim 15 wherein said body is about 41/2 inches in diameter, said opening is about 11/8 to b 13/8 inches long and about 1/2 to 5/8 inch wide, said deflector member is about 11/4 to 11/2 inches in diameter and about 7/8 to 11/8 inches high, and said spacing distance does not exceed 1/4 inch.

17. The toy of claim 15 wherein said body is about 7 to 10 inches in diameter, said opening is about 13/8 to 17/8 inches long and about 9/16 to 13/16 inch wide, and said deflector member is about 13/8 to 2 inches in diameter and about 11/4 to 13/4 inches high.

18. The toy of claim 12 wherein said body consists of two separately formed body components, secured together, each of said body components including a wall portion and at least one of said deflector members, said wall portion and said at least one deflector member being integrally formed, as a single piece, to provide said each body component.