Squeezable toy with sound-emitting device

• US 7,144,293 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Premier Pet Products LLC (Radio Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Hedlund, Raymond J., Mann, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/916,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20050042972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 446/183, 446/184, 119/702, 119707- 71
• US Class Current: 446/184
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/026 Chewable toys, e.g. for dental care of pets

Abstract

A toy comprises a three-dimensional body that can be compressed to actuate a squeaker chamber to move air through a squeaker device. The squeaker chamber is formed by an elongated resilient member in the toy body that can be actuated to operate the squeaker device from a location on the toy distal from the squeaker device. In one embodiment, the resilient member is one or more elastic bladders and in another embodiment the resilient member is one or more resilient tubes. The squeaker chamber may be of various configurations for a variety of toy shapes.

Claims

1. A toy comprising:

a three-dimensional compressible body having a continuous outer surface;

a single three-dimensional resilient member fully enclosed within the outer surface of the compressible body and having a wall for providing a squeaker chamber, the squeaker chamber having a length extending along the body, at least a portion along the length of the squeaker chamber being collapsible due to compression of at least a corresponding portion of the body; and

at least one sound-emitting squeaker device mounted to the wall between the squeaker chamber and a region within the outer surface of the compressible body outside the squeaker chamber.

2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the resilient member and at least one squeaker device are so disposed and arranged that collapsing a portion of the squeaker chamber distal to the squeaker device causes the squeaker device to emit a sound at a higher intensity than the squeaker device emits due to collapsing a portion of the squeaker chamber proximal to the squeaker device.

3. The toy of claim 1, further including a compressible filler material located between the continuous outer surface of the body and the wall of the resilient member.

4. The toy of claim 1, wherein the resilient member is formed of an elastic material having memory such that the resilient member substantially returns to its original size after release of an elongation force on the resilient member.

5. The toy of claim 4, wherein the compressible body includes a central portion and a plurality of extremities extending from the central portion, wherein the squeaker device is supported in the central portion and the resilient member includes a plurality of appendages extending into respective extremities.

6. The toy of claim 4, wherein the compressible body is in the form of a ring or disc and the resilient member is in the form of a ring within the body.

7. The toy of claim 4, wherein the compressible body is in the form of a sphere and the resilient member is in the form of a pair of connected spheres.

8. The toy of claim 1, wherein the resilient member comprises at least one resilient tube.

9. The toy of claim 8, wherein the compressible body includes a central portion and a plurality of extremities extending from the central portion, wherein the squeaker device is supported in the central portion and the squeaker chamber comprises a plurality of resilient tubes extending into respective extremities.

10. The toy of claim 8, wherein the compressible body is in the form of a ring or disc and the resilient tube has first and second ends coupled to the squeaker device to form a ring within the body.

11. The toy of claim 8, wherein the compressible body is in the form of a sphere and the resilient tube has first and second ends coupled to the squeaker device to form a figure-8 pattern within the body.

12. A toy comprising:

a three-dimensional compressible body having a continuous outer surface;

at least one squeaker device supported within the body; and

a single three-dimensional resilient member fully enclosed within the outer surface of the compressible body and providing a compressible squeaker chamber in fluid communication with the at least one squeaker device, the squeaker chamber being collapsible due to compression of at least a corresponding portion of the body and so disposed and arranged wit respect to the squeaker device that collapsing a portion of the squeaker chamber distal to the squeaker device causes a high volume of fluid in the squeaker chamber to be discharged through the squeaker device and collapsing a portion of the squeaker chamber proximal to the squeaker device causes a low volume of fluid in the squeaker chamber to be discharged through the squeaker device.

13. The toy of claim 12, further including a compressible filler material located between the continuous outer surface of the body and the wall of the resilient member.

14. The toy of claim 12, wherein the resilient member comprises a bladder that has memory such that the bladder substantially returns to an original size after release of an elongation force on the bladder.

15. A toy comprising:

a three-dimensional compressible body having a continuous outer surface;

at least one squeaker device enclosed and supported within the outer surface of the body;

an elongated compressible squeaker chamber fully enclosed within the outer surface of the compressible body, at least a portion of the squeaker chamber being collapsible due to compression of at least a corresponding portion of the body; and

a single three-dimensional resilient member fully enclosed within the outer surface of the compressible body and fully enclosing the squeaker chamber that is in fluid communication with the at least one squeaker device, the squeaker chamber so disposed and arranged with respect to the at least one squeaker device that when collapsing a portion of the squeaker chamber in a region distal from the squeaker device and adjacent at least a portion of the squeaker chamber, fluid is expelled from the squeaker chamber to operate the squeaker device, and when the body is compressed at a region proximal to the squeaker device, fluid is not expelled from the squeaker chamber and the squeaker device is not operated.

16. The toy of claim 15, wherein the resilient member comprises at least one resilient tube.