Spherical and spherical polyhedral skeletal animal toys

• US 6,622,659 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Doskocil Manufacturing Company Incorporated (Petmate Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: JW Pet Company Incorporated (Petmate Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Willinger, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): ABBOTT, YVONNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US10/047,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 119/702, 119/707, 119/708, 119/709, 119/710, 119/711, D30/160, 446/431, 446/409, 425/28.1
• US Class Current: 119/702
• 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: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/14 specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/44 with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles

Abstract

Sketelay animals toys capable of rolling and bouncing comprise polyhedra or other skeletal structures which can be inscribed on an imaginary spherical or ellipsoidal surface, torii and linear members which form a cylinder with circular cross-section, or elliptical and linear members which form a cylinder with elliptical cross-section. The skeletal animal toy is formed of an elastomeric material, which is preferably natural rubber, synthetic natural rubber, or a blend of natural rubber or synthetic natural rubber and one of a plurality of blending polymers including butadine rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber and ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber.

Claims

1. A skeletal toy with a certain skeletal structure and having a plurality of openings arranged in a repeating pattern, comprising:

a one-piece, unitarily molded construction formed of an elastomeric material,

a plurality of ribs disposed between said plurality of openings, said plurality of ribs forming an inseparable, unitary framework and wherein portions of each of the ribs bordering said openings are chamfered,

wherein said elastomeric material has sufficient material properties and hot tear resistance to allow an internal mold to be extracted through at least one of said openings of said certain skeletal structure without tearing said certain skeletal structure during said extraction, and

wherein said elastomeric material has sufficient material properties so that said skeletal toy is capable of rolling and bouncing after extraction.

2. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is natural rubber.

3. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises calcium carbonate.

4. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises including sulfur.

5. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 4, where said elastomeric material further comprises zinc oxide.

6. A skeletal roy as claimed in claim 5, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises a fatty acid.

7. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 4, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises a zinc salt.

8. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 4, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises an accelerator combination.

9. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is synthetic rubber.

10. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 9, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises calcium carbonate.

11. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 9, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises sulfur.

12. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 11, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises zinc oxide.

13. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 12, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises a fatty acid.

14. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 11, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises a zinc salt.

15. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 11, wherein said elastomeric material further comprises an accelerator combination.

16. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is a combination of natural rubber and one of a group of blending polymers consisting of butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, and ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber.

17. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is a combination of synthetic rubber and one of a group of blending polymers consisting of butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrite rubber, and ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber.

18. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is one of a group of polymers consisting of butadiene rubber, neoprene and ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber, said polymer being reinforced with carbon black.

19. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said certain skeletal structure comprises at least two tori of equal diameter.

20. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said certain skeletal structure comprises the approximate vertices and edges of a truncated icosahedron.

21. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each member of said certain skeletal structure lies on an imaginary spherical surface.

22. A skeletal toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each member of said certain skeletal structure lies on an imaginary ellipsoidal surface.