Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
West Paw’s™ Tizzi® dog toy is a combination fetch, treat and tug-o-war toy. The toy has a stowaway head for treats and two arms that can be wrapped around each other both to obstruct access to the food, and to create a challenge. Once arms are interlocked the toy also has an aerodynamic shape that makes it spin like a football in the air, which makes it a fun fetch toy. Unlocked, the two arms of the toy are resistant enough for the traction of repeated tug-o-war play.
West Paw’s™ Tizzi® treat toy is fabricated out of a single piece of the company's proprietary ZogoFlex® injection molded material. ZogoFlex® presents some very desirable properties. It floats. It is 100% recyclable as new Zogoflex® and it is machine washable. It is also extremely durable, almost indestructible, chomp-and-chew-resistant, while still remaining food-safe (FDA compliant), non-toxic, latex and BPA free. It is also both semi-rigid and flexible. Thus, West Paw’s™ Tizzi® also benefits from the company’s Love It Guarantee™, which offers a one-time replacement of the toy, if it were to ever get destroyed.
This invention is recited in the US patent application US20130087104A1 titled Pet toy with interlocking arms and recess for treat. The Tizzi® invention is a multifunctional improvement on the prior art of treat- dispensing toys. Tizzi® offers the challenge not only of removing a treat from its recess, but of unlocking access to the treat. Once the toy is unlocked, it further functions as a tug-o-war toy. Additionally, when the toy is locked, its shape is aerodynamic in such a way that it also functions as a throw and fetch toy. Thus, the patent discloses a single Zogoflex® injection-molded piece, comprising a recessed head for stowing of the treat, and two arms extending from the head. The two arms have an elbow, wrist, and hand area which interlock at the wrist area, when the arms are wrapped around each other. Locking the arms at the wrist level leaves a space below the recess for the treat, allowing the pet to see and smell the treat while being stimulated to unlock the arms. This space is also instrumental in creating the aerodynamic shape of the locked toy. Both arms are at an angle of 75 degrees to 45 degrees from each other. The direction in which the arms are wrapped, right to left or left to right, also introduces two different levels of unlocking difficulty.
The abstract of this invention is included below, together with the patent Figure 2 and the image of marketed Tizzis® in the company’s three classic colors Tangerine, Aqua blue and Granny Smith green. Figure 2 depicts a Tizzi® toy interlocked for throwing in its aerodynamic shape, and to make access to the treat challenging. In particular, Figure 2 illustrates the head (1), the first and second interlocking arms (2 and 3), the first and second elbows (2a and 3a), the first and second wrists (2b and 3b), the first and second hands (2c and 3c), the recess for stowing food 4, and the instrumental space 4a between both arms and below the recess.
The abstract of this invention is included below, together with the patent Figure 2 and the image of marketed Tizzis® in the company’s three classic colors Tangerine, Aqua blue and Granny Smith green. Figure 2 depicts a Tizzi® toy interlocked for throwing in its aerodynamic shape, and to make access to the treat challenging. In particular, Figure 2 illustrates the head (1), the first and second interlocking arms (2 and 3), the first and second elbows (2a and 3a), the first and second wrists (2b and 3b), the first and second hands (2c and 3c), the recess for stowing food 4, and the instrumental space 4a between both arms and below the recess.
A pet toy comprising a head having a recess and two inter-locking arms that extend from the head and are situated Such that one arm is wrapped around the other to create a barrier to accessing the recess in the head. The head and interlocking arms are comprised of a single durable, flexible and resilient material. [Abstract US20130087104A1]
Reference
West Paw™
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