TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to pet activity toys comprising a flexible sheet-like mat with an upper surface carrying a pouch which can be manipulated by a pet, preferably to allow the pet to retrieve objects hidden therein.

BACKGROUND

In today's society the mental health of pets has been more and more put in focus. One aspect that has been under development is the need of stimulating pets, especially pets living in urban environments presenting a limited amount of mentally stimulating objects. It has been identified that many pets, especially cats and dogs, can acquire positive mental stimulation in conjunction with toys.

However, the existing pet toys of today are limited and often also either rather expensive and/or difficult to combine/use in modern homes.

US patent 7806086 discloses a pet activity toy consisting of three flexible, sheet formed layers fixedly attached to each other one on top of the other by two hems, each lower layer having a larger size than a layer positioned on top of the lower layer so that a top layer is smallest and a bottom layer is largest, the hems extending continuously a longer distance than a width of the top layer, wherein each of the layers is in the shape of a square, each layer is positioned so that the corners lie substantially along a straight line coinciding with the corners of every other layer, and two hems are positioned substantially along a straight line perpendicularly to each other and crossing each other at a centre of the layers, and retaining compartments in the form of pockets between each adjacent layer of flexible material and bordered by the hems, the retaining compartments being defined in part by tabs and being arranged to enable hiding and retrieving of objects therein.

GB patent 2448772 discloses a canine activity mat with various sound noises embedded and with pouches in which a person can place various dog treats.

One common feature of the above two pet activity devices is that the pouches or pockets are configured to be permanently attached to the

substrate/mat. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention presents a new kind of versatile pet activity toy that is highly stimulating to a pet, by the pet learning over time that applying an excessive force on a pouch on a mat will make it more difficult or impossible for the pet to manipulate the pouch, for it to access or open a compartment within the pouch, such as in order for the pet to gain access to a hidden treat/object in the pouch. This results from the pouch coming loose from the mat when an excessive force is applied on the pouch by the pet whereby the pet will no longer be able to stand on the mat to control the position of the pouch relative to the surroundings during the manipulation by its snout or paws. Yet, the pouch may be reconnected to the mat for another learning experience.

This is achieved by the pet activity toy of the invention comprising a flexible sheet-like mat with an upper surface and being provided with a number of first connector elements on the upper surface, and a number of pouches, preferably made from foldable cloth, each pouch having at least one second connector element complementary with a first connector element on the mat, for releasably connecting and reconnecting the pouch or pouches to the mat, the pouch presenting a compartment and being configured to allow the pet to retrieve an object hidden therein upon manipulation by the pet, such as by unfolding, while the pouch remains connected to the mat.

By using connecting elements configured to be disengageable and reengageable - such as by snap action in contrast to a stitched attachment - there is a reduced risk that the pet holding the pouch in its mouth will damage the activity toy permanently when the pet gets overly excited since the connection between the pouch and the mat simply yields at the release force determined by the design and/or choice of the cooperating connector elements.

The release force required for the connection between the pouch and mat to yield may by way of example be selected to be in the order of 5-25 N, and may be selected in accordance with the type of pet, i.e. small dog corresponding to a small release force, or vice versa. Where the pouch is connected to the mat at several connecting point, i.e. through two or more first connector elements cooperating with a corresponding number of second connector elements, the force required to release each individual first and second connector element connection should be designed in accordance with any required overall release force. In an embodiment where a plurality of individual first connector elements are distributed across the upper surface of the mat, the invention also allows a person to place the pouch in different positions and/or configurations across the mat, manipulation of the pouch requiring the pet to stand on the mat in some cases and partially on the pouch in other cases, for it to open the compartment.

Preferably, the component, oriented perpendicular to the upper surface of the mat, of a release force of a holding structure to be released by the pet during manipulation of the pouch for access the compartment is in the order of 1-80 % of the release force required to remove or peel off the pouch from the mat.

Thanks to the use of a flexible mat the pet activity toy according to the invention can easily be stuffed away in different kind of spaces. Further the design provides for a toy that may be produced very cost-efficiently. Moreover it is also easily transported.

Further advantages according to the invention will be apparent from the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an activity toy according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of a pouch in a folded and fully unfolded configuration, respectively,

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the pouch of fig. 2 in a partially and fully unfolded configuration, respectively, during manipulation thereof by a dog.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1 there is shown a pet, exemplified by dog 1, standing next to an embodiment of the pet activity toy of the invention, which comprises a pouch 20 arranged on the upper surface of a mat 10 of a flexible sheet-like material, positioned on a floor. The mat 20 is preferably made from a kind of cloth or of layers of cloth and may be produced by combining different kinds of cloth or one sub-layer of cloth with a plastic sheet. Where several superposed layers are used the layers may by way of example be stitched together and a soft internal layer, such as a resilient foam layer, may be used, such as to create a suitable sleeping place for the pet 1.

Preferably, the mat 10 is square or rectangular, or even circular, with a minimum width or diameter in the order of 400-1200 mm. The pouch 20 is configured to be manipulated by the pet 1 to allow access to or open an interior compartment within the pouch 20, preferably while the pouch 20 remains connected to the mat 10.

In FIG. 1 the pouch 20, to be discussed further below, is connected to the mat 10 at a central location thereon, leaving free a peripheral mat surface area between the pouch 20 and the peripheral edge 12 of the mat 10 corresponding to a round-going strip having a width in the order of dimension L depicted in FIG. 1, such as 10-15 cm. A plurality of individual connector elements 14 of a first type are distributed evenly across the upper surface of the mat 10 and may each be a respective component, such as a press stud, of a snap fastener acting together with a number of corresponding connector elements of a second type arranged on the bottom face (not visible) of the pouch 20, for holding the mat 10 and the pouch 20 together until a release force of a certain magnitude is applied to remove or peel off the pouch 20 from the mat 10 by separating the first connector elements 14 from the second connector elements. By using a releasable and reconnectable coupling a weak point is established whereby a pet 1 seeking to remove the pouch 20 from the mat 10 will not destroy the mat 10, as could be the case where the pouch 20 were stitched to the mat 10.

Where a snap fastener coupling between the pouch 20 and the mat 10 is used this may be of the type where one connector element includes a circular lip on a disc that fits into a groove on the top of the other connector element, holding the connector elements together until a certain amount of force is applied, and the connector elements may be attached to mat/pouch by riveting with a punch and die set specific to the type of rivet snaps used (striking the punch with a hammer to splay the tail), sewing, or plying with special snap pliers.

The individual first connector elements 14 may alternatively be the hooks of a Velcro type connection cooperating with a corresponding second element defined by the other part of the Velcro type connection located on the bottom face of the pouch 20, or vice versa.

It will be understood that the pouch 20 may be mounted by a person in different positions on the mat 10, depending on the known skills or level of development of the pet 1. In the position shown in fig. 1 there is place for the pet 1 to stand on the mat 10 on any side of the pouch 20 while manipulating the pouch 20 using its snout or paws, while alternatively placing the pouch 20 right at the edge 12 of the mat 10 may require the pet 1 to figure out the necessity of 5 standing on a particular part P of the pouch 20 as such, to maintain the position of the pouch 20 relative to the floor while the pet 1 is manipulating the pouch 20 proper by its snout or paw to obtain access to a compartment inside the pouch 20. Thus, any given pouch 20 with which the pet 1 is already familiar may be placed in a new position that gives the pet 1 new challenges.

10 An exemplary pouch 20 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in a folded or closed

configuration and in an unfolded or open configuration, respectively. The pouch 20 may be made from a foldable sheet-like material, preferably of some kind of cloth, and may even be produced by combining different kind of cloths, or one sub-layer of cloth with some kind of plastic or polymer like sheets. Where several

15 superposed sheets are used the sheets may by way of example be stitched

together. A tufted material or a resilient foam layer may be included.

In the folded configuration shown in FIG. 2 the pouch has a tab 22 for making it easy for the pet 1 to open the pouch via an access 21 into which the pet 1 may introduce its snout or a paw. As best understood when viewing the pouch

20 20 in the unfolded configuration of FIG. 3 the folded pouch 20 comprises a bottom layer 26 connected along a transverse folding line with a back-folded middle layer having a face 24b oriented in the folded configuration towards the bottom layer 26, and a top layer 22 which defines the before-mentioned tab 22. The bottom layer 26 carries on the bottom surface (not visible) thereof the one or more

25 second connector elements shown in broken line and identified by numeral 28, and includes on the opposite upper surface an engagement part 29' of a holding structure, which holding structure is for releasably holding the face 24b oriented against the bottom layer 26 and for releasably holding an inner face 22b of the top layer 22 oriented towards the bottom layer 26. The holding structure 29, 29',

30 42, 42' includes an engagement part 29 of the face 24b cooperating with the

aforementioned engagement part 29' on the bottom layer 26, and also an engagement part 42 on the inner face 22b for holding the inner face 22b against the middle layer, by cooperation with a corresponding engagement part 42' (see FIG. 4) on the upper face of the middle layer. In this manner the pouch 20 is held

35 in the folded configuration wherein manipulation by the pet 1 involves a release of the holding structure 29, 29', 42, 42' to access or open the compartment 35 shown in fig. 3 and 5, such as to retrieve an object hidden therein.

The holding structure 29, 29', 42, 42' may by way of example be of the Velcro type or of any snap-fastener type, with the release force of the holding structure required to access the compartment normally being less than the release force required to remove or peel off the pouch 20 from the mat 10, such as in the order of 1-80 % thereof; a Velcro type holding structure may be applied in the form of elongated cooperating strips 29, 29' of hooks and loops,

respectively, applied on face 24b and the upper face of bottom layer 26 along each side edge 40, 42 of the flexible material defining the pouch 20, as shown in FIG. 3.

It will be understood that placing the connector elements 14, 28 according to a grid-like pattern as shown in the drawings allows the pouch 20 to be turned by 90° . Using a Velcro type connection allows the pouch 20 to be placed in any angular position.

Shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a dog 1 in the process of manipulating the pouch

20 using its snout and paws. Unfolding as shown follows after an initial step wherein the dog has lifted the tab 22 shown in FIG. 2, such as by widening access

21 by inserting its snout or a paw and releasing the holding structure by peeling the tab 22 away from the back-folded middle layer while standing either on portion P or on the mat 10 as such (depending on the proximity of the pouch 20 to the edge 12 of the mat 10). The pouch of FIG. 5 is slightly modified in that an additional well-defined compartment 35 containing a treat is provided; in FIGS. 2- 4 the compartment 35 is defined in the folded configuration, between the layers 22, 26.

It will be understood that a person may choose to simultaneously have several pouches of an identical or similar type on the mat 10; the pouches may instead of being folded be in a somewhat rolled-up configuration which could be achieved by applying the hooks/loops of a Velcro type holding structure on opposite surfaces of a material portion as shown in FIG. 3.

Also, the connector elements 14 of the mat 10 may be used for applying other types of toys to the mat 10, as exemplified by item 50 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which item may by way of example by a lidded container.