System and method for producing toy balls for pets

Abstract

A method of producing toy balls for pets, including: manufacturing distorted sphere balls with an opening in the distorted area using injection molding; sealing the opening of the distorted sphere balls to form uni-body sphere-shaped balls. The material used in the production of these toys can be rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, or thermoplastic rubber. This method allows to manufacture toy balls with no detached parts in the case of broken joints when the balls are chewed or torn apart by the pets. Thus, the ball can help to keep the pets from endangering themselves by swallowing detached parts of pet toy balls.

Claims

1. A pet toy comprising: a unibody ball shell comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region comprises a partial sphere shape including a transition edge, wherein the second region comprises a shape extending from the transition edge of the first region, wherein the second region defines a first closure of an interior void of the second region of the unibody ball shell, wherein the first closure comprises a sealing joint affixing a slit bounded by a first curved lip and a second curved lip joining at opposite vertices along a length on the second region, wherein the sealing joint affixes the slit closed by affixing the first curved lip to the second curved lip along at least a portion of the length of the slit, wherein a curvature of the first curved lip and a curvature of the second curved lip are both at least partially flattened to be at least partially linear along the sealing joint, in response to the affixing, wherein at least a portion of the sealing joint affixing the slit is positioned at an outermost distal point of the second region as measured from the center of the first region, wherein the vertices lie within a single plane that extends through a center of the first region, wherein the single plane defines a cross-section of the pet toy oriented to bisect two identical hemispheres of the unibody ball shell, and wherein the second region comprises a spherical shape having a different radius than the first region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a more complete understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 presents a known method of producing toy balls.

(3) FIG. 2 presents another known method of producing toy balls.

(4) FIG. 3 presents various perspectives of the toy ball manufactured by the method of the invention before the gap being sealed.

(5) FIG. 4 presents the shape and structure of a mold that can be used for the method of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 presents the shape and the dimensions of the toy ball as an example of implementation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Referring to FIG. 3, the invention proposes a method of producing toy balls for pets including: manufacture a distorted sphere ball 7 with an opening 4 (slit 5) on the distorted area (second region 8) using injection molding; seal the opening by gluing welding to form a uni-body ball without openings 14.

(8) The material used in the production of these toys can be rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, or thermoplastic rubber.

(9) In order to achieve the above-mentioned method, the invention should employ an injection mold with the structure illustrated in FIG. 4. The male mold 1 and the female mold 2 embrace the core mold 3. The core mold 3 has dedicated handle allows create the opening on the molded product. The semi-finished product is created by injection molding using these three molds. The opening 4 (FIG. 3) will then be sealed to form a round ball shape 14 (FIG. 3) as required.

(10) Example of Implementation: FIG. 5 illustrates a hollow uni-body ball 7 made from rubber. The thickness of the rubber wall is 7.4 mm. The diameter of the ball is 64.8 mm. The length of the opening is 34.4 mm and the widest gap of the opening is 4.3 mm.

(11) Step 1: injection molding a distorted sphere ball 7 (1.sup.st region 6 & 2.sup.nd region 8 encompassing transition edge 10) with an opening 4 (slit 5) on the distorted (shape 12) area 8 using molds illustrated in FIG. 4;

(12) Step 2: sealing the opening 4 to create a uni-body sphere-shaped ball 14.

(13) Effectiveness of the invention: The invention allows to manufacture hollow uni-body toy balls which can help to avoid the possibility of detached parts which can lead to safety risks for pets in the case of broken glued joints when the balls are chewed or torn apart by the pets.

(14) A method of producing toy balls for pets includes manufacture a distorted sphere ball 7 with an opening 4 on the distorted area 8 using injection molding; seal the opening 4 by gluing welding to form a uni-body sphere-shaped ball 14.

(15) The method of producing toy balls also includes, wherein the balls are made from rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, or thermoplastic rubber.