Light projecting pet toy

• US 9,491,930 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Cook, Alan J., Augustyniak, Kevin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Kristen C
• Application Number:
  US13/395,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20120298049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 119/707, 119/702, 362/296.01, 362/296.09, 362/202, 362/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals

Abstract

A laser pet toy including a light source with a focused beam of light of a predetermined shape and programmable random travel across an opaque surface such as a floor or wall to create an engaging image for a pet to play with the image for entertainment or exercise.

Claims

1. A light emitting pet toy for entertaining and/or exercising a pet comprising:

a hollow housing having a top, a generally flat bottom, a neck separating the top from the bottom, an oblong upright shape extending between the top and the bottom up to the neck, and an opening in the housing proximate the top;

a battery power source residing within the hollow housing;

a motor connected to the power source mounted within the housing, with the motor having a shaft configured to generate a driving force;

an arm mounted within the housing configured to move in coordination with the driving force of the motor, with the arm being offset a predetermined distance from the motor shaft;

a laser connected to the distal end of the arm that is offset from the motor shaft and being configured to provide a beam of light;

a mirror mounted within the housing near the top of the housing opposite the opening, the mirror being adjustable with respect to the opening and positioned to reflect the beam of light, and the mirror being operatively connected to the arm to adjust an angle of reflection for the beam of light, wherein the beam of light is reflected by the mirror onto an opaque surface outside of the housing, and terminates in a predetermined shape visible on the opaque surface;

an on/off switch connected to the power source for selectively activating the motor;

an electrical control circuit mounted within the housing for controlling the motor and laser movements in automatic and manual modes; and

whereby the electrical control circuit is pre-programmed to control the driving force to create movements to the visible shape of light, thereby attracting the attention of a pet to play with the light shape on the opaque surface.

2. A laser-generating pet toy comprising:

an oblong housing having a top and bottom;

a battery mounted within the housing;

a motor mounted within the housing and being powered by the battery;

a shaft operatively connected to and configured to be rotationally driven by the motor;

a laser connected in an offset manner to and movable by the shaft for imparting non-linear movement to the laser and for generating a laser beam;

an opening near the top of the housing;

a mirror mounted within the housing adjacent the opening, the mirror being positioned to reflect the laser beam at a predetermined angle and project the laser beam through the opening and onto an opaque surface outside of the housing, thereby creating a visible light shape on the opaque surface; and

an electrical control circuit mounted in the housing for controlling the activation of the motor and a programming for the movement of the motor shaft and laser to create non-linear patterns of movement for the visible light shape on the opaque surface, wherein such movement is attractive to a pet.

3. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 2, further comprising:

an on/off electrical switch mounted on an exterior of the housing, connecting the battery to the electrical control circuit, the motor and the laser, for selectively activating the pet toy.

4. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 2, further comprising:

a timer in the electrical control circuit, electrically communicating with the motor and the laser to activate and deactivate the motor and the laser according to preselected times.

5. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 2, wherein the housing is in a generally bowling pin shape.

6. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 2, wherein the visible light shape is generally a red spot of a predetermined shape.

7. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 3, wherein the on/off electrical switch is configured such that a momentary pressing of the on/off electrical switch places the laser-generating pet toy in an automatic mode of operation.

8. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 3, wherein the on/off electrical switch is configured such that the temporary holding down of the on/off electrical switch for a predetermined time places the laser-generating pet toy in a manual mode.

9. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 5, wherein:

the bowling pin shape includes a generally flat bottom, a belly holding the electrical control circuit, the motor, and the laser, and

the opening resides in the head exposing the mirror.

10. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 7, wherein the electrical control circuit is programmed such that the patterns of movement for the visible light shape are random when the laser-generating pet toy is in its automatic mode of operation.

11. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 8, wherein the movement pattern is predetermined in the manual mode.

12. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 6, further comprising:

a disk with the laser mounted on the disk, and wherein the disk is controlled by the electrical control circuit being pre-programmed to create irregular movement of the light beam on the opaque surface outside of the housing.

13. A laser-generating pet toy, comprising:

a vertically extending oblong housing having a flat bottom for allowing the housing to stand upright on a flat surface, and a head forming an enclosed interior;

an opening in the side of the head;

a mirror mounted within the housing at an angle adjacent to the opening;

a laser source mounted within the housing and pointing vertically upward toward the angled mirror, thereby generating a laser beam reflecting off of the angled mirror and onto an opaque surface outside of the housing;

a disk rotatably mounted in the housing parallel to the bottom, wherein the laser is mounted near an outer edge of the disk;

a motor having a shaft connected to the center of the disk for rotating the disk;

a spring impinging upon the bottom of the disk for causing flexing of the disk;

a power source mounted within the housing for operating the motor and laser;

an electrical control circuit having a program for controlling the movement of the motor to created random and non-linear movement patterns of the laser beam upon the opaque surface; and

an on/off switch on the exterior of the housing connected to the electrical control switch for turning on and off the electrical control circuit.

14. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 13, wherein the manual on/off switch creates an automatic mode of the electrical control switch for generating random movement patterns when the on/off switch is in an “

on”

state.

15. The laser-generating pet toy of claim 13, wherein the manual on/off switch creates a manual mode of the electrical control switch for a pet owner to generate the movement patterns when the on/off switch is in an “

on”

state.