Airborne interactive cat treat or toy
AssigneeDel Monte Corporation
InventorsJay Kling, Tracy Grammer, Eric Lew, Don Barnvos, Tracy Wojnarowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerodynamically interactive artifact is proportioned to experience at least one of tumbling, fluttering, and autorotating motion when subjected to free fall in a gravitational field. Suitable shapes include films, strips, butterflies, birds, and the like. The artifact may be contain a nutraceutical, may be dissolvable in pet saliva, and may provide an olfactory sensation for a pet. Dimensionless parameters such as Froude number and length-to-thickness ratios may be used to select aerodynamically interactive motions.
Claims25
An artifact adapted for interaction with a pet, comprising:
- an article, having a major dimension, a minor dimension, and a thickness, where the minor dimension is less than the major dimension, the thickness is substantially less than the major dimension, and further comprising a substance containing at least one of a feline palatant, flavorant, or nutraceutical;
- wherein the article is aerodynamically interactive under gravitational forces during free fall through air when dropped from a predetermined height.
An artifact adapted for interaction with a pet, comprising:
- an article, having a major dimension, a minor dimension, and a thickness, where the minor dimension is less than the major dimension, the thickness is substantially less than the major dimension, and further comprising a substance containing at least one of a feline palatant, flavorant, or nutraceutical;
- wherein the article is aerodynamically interactive under gravitational forces during free fall through air when dropped from a predetermined height;
- and
- wherein the aerodynamic interactivity is at least one of tumble, flutter, and autorotation.
An artifact adapted for interaction with a pet, comprising:
- an article, having a major dimension, a minor dimension, and a thickness, where the minor dimension is less than the major dimension, the thickness is substantially less than the major dimension, and further comprising a substance containing at least one of a feline palatant, flavorant, or nutraceutical;
- wherein the article is aerodynamically interactive under gravitational forces during free fall through air when dropped from a predetermined height;
- and
- wherein the major dimension and the minor dimension are related such that the Froude number for one of the major dimension and the minor dimension is greater than about 0.67.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.