PET EXERCISE AND ENTERTAINMENT DEVICE

• US 20130228138A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iFetch, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hamill Partners LLC
• Inventors: Hamill, Dennis W., Hamill, Deborah Lynn, Hamill, Lee Elizabeth, Hamill, Grant Patrick, Hamill, Katie Marcella, Hamill, Lucy Rejahl
• Granted Patent: US 9,345,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/707
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/02 Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals A01K15/04 takes precedence; Electric shock devices circuits therefor H03K3/537; Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/027 Exercising equipment, e.g. tread mills, carousels equipment for racing or riding sports events A63K
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/14 specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/406 with rotating discs, wheels or pulleys gripping and propelling the balls or bodies by friction

Abstract

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems, apparatuses, and methods for exercising and entertaining a pet. In one implementation, a pet exercise and entertainment device includes a launch funnel for launching projectiles for a pet to retrieve. The launch funnel has a feeder and a chute. The feeder is configured to receive a projectile and transport the projectile to an intake end of the chute. A sensor is configured to sense the projectile in the intake end of the chute and to command one or more motors to power up in response to sensing the projectile. An actuator is configured to release the projectile from the intake end of the chute into the launch end of the chute after a pre-determined time has elapsed. One or more wheels, rotated by the one or more motors, are configured to launch the projectile from the launch end of the chute.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a projectile into a receiving portion of a housing, the receiving portion including a first side and a second side protruding from a shell of the housing;

transporting the projectile into an interior of the shell; and

launching the projectile from the interior of the shell through a launching portion of the housing, the launching portion protruding from the shell in a direction away from the receiving portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the projectile is received into the receiving portion from a pet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first side extends further than the second side from the shell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first side is disposed proximate to a base of the housing and the second side is disposed distal to the base.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving portion includes a lip extending towards the general center of the receiving portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving portion has a generally conical shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the direction the launching portion protrudes is generally opposite the receiving portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the launching portion has a generally cylindrical shape.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shell is substantially round.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the housing has generally smooth surfaces.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a projectile into a feeder;

transporting the projectile from the feeder into an intake end of a chute;

sensing the projectile in the intake end of the chute;

powering up one or more motors in response to sensing the projectile in the intake end of the chute;

releasing the projectile from the intake end of the chute into a launching end of the chute after a pre-determined time has elapsed; and

launching the projectile from a launching portion of the housing for the pet to retrieve.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

powering down the one or more motors in response to launching the projectile.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-determined time corresponds to an amount of time it takes for the one or more motors to power up.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the projectile is sensed in the intake end of the chute using a switch.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the projectile is transported from the feeder to the intake end of the chute using gravity.

16. A pet exercise and entertainment device comprising:

a launch funnel for launching projectiles for a pet to retrieve, the launch funnel having a feeder and a chute, the feeder configured to receive a projectile and transport the projectile to an intake end of the chute;

a sensor configured to sense the projectile in the intake end of the chute and to command one or more motors to power up in response to sensing the projectile;

an actuator configured to release the projectile from the intake end of the chute into the launch end of the chute after a pre-determined time has elapsed; and

one or more wheels, rotated by the one or more motors, configured to launch the projectile from the launch end of the chute.

17. The pet exercise and entertainment device of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined time corresponds to an amount of time it takes for the one or more motors to power up.

18. The pet exercise and entertainment device of claim 16, wherein the sensor is configured to control the speed of the one or more motors to set a launch distance of the projectile.

19. The pet exercise and entertainment device of claim 16, further comprising:

a housing having a receiving portion and a launching portion.

20. The pet exercise and entertainment device of claim 19, wherein the feeder of the launch funnel is supported by the receiving portion of the housing and the chute of the launch funnel is supported by the launching portion of the housing.