# US 10,863,719 B1 · Interactive pet toy

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- Number: US 10,863,719 B1
- Document ID: US10863719B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/939,768
- Filed: 2015-11-12
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-18
- Assignees: Cosmic Pet LLC
- Applicants: OurPet's Company
- Inventors: Steven Tsengas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863719B1

## CPC

- A01K 15/025: {Toys specially adapted for animals}
- A01K 15/0258: {Squeaker toys; Toys that make noise when squeezed}
- A01K 15/0257: {specially adapted for cats, e.g. resembling prey}
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS

## Abstract

A toy is provided that simulates hide-and-seek or peekaboo action moving randomly in and out in a non-sequential pattern about the housing, thereby catching the pet's attention and stimulating the animal's instinctive curiosity. An outer housing forms a travel guide defining a travel path of a generally concave polygon pattern. A motorized mechanism contained within the housing urges an elongated, flexible target about the travel guide so that the target can pass by egress openings located at the vertices in a bidirectional, random fashion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for attracting the attention of and interacting with a domestic pet comprising: providing a molded outer housing forming a travel guide defining a travel path, said travel guide further forming a plurality of egress openings at radial vertices;
providing a centralized drive hub and drive motor positioned on a support piece;
providing an elongated flexible target having one end connected to said centralized drive hub inside said housing; said elongated flexible target having an overall length longer than a radius of the travel guide such that a terminal end of the elongated flexible target extends outward past the egress openings;
activating said drive motor to rotate the elongated flexible target creating a peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek movement as the elongated flexible target randomly appears and disappears in and out of said egress openings at the radial vertices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said drive motor operates bidirectionally so that the elongated flexible target can pass by said egress openings in a non-sequential pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The interactive pet toy of claim 1, wherein said elongated flexible target can extend at varying distances out of the housing and that said distances that the elongated flexible target may extend is adjustable.