Sound-making pet toy

Abstract

A sound-making pet toy includes a shell having an opening and an inner space accessible through the opening and a sound-making body having a reduced state and an expanded state larger than the reduced state. When the sound-making body is disposed in the opening, it has the reduced state and when it is disposed in the inner space, it has the expanded state. The sound-making body has a resilient air-holding body and a sound making device that is responsive to air from the air holding body passing through the sound-making body. When the sound-making body is in the expanded state, it is lodged against the inner surface of the shell. When the sound-making body is in the expanded state, it expels air from the resilient air holding body when a force impacts the shell. In the expanded state, it is larger than the opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sound-making pet toy, the pet toy comprising:
 a shell comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, and an opening,
 the opening connecting the outer surface to the inner surface, 
 the inner surface defining an inner space; and 
   a sound-making body disposed in the inner space,
 the sound-making body comprising
 a reduced size for passing through the opening to insert the sound-making body into the inner space and 
 an operative size preventing unintended removal of the sound-making body from the inner space, 
 
 the sound-making body comprising a resilient air-holding body and a sound making device,
 the air holding body for holding a quantity of air in the operative size, 
 the sound-making body for making a sound responsive to air from the air holding body passing through the sound-making body. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein the sound-making body when in the operative size is lodged against the inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
         3 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 2 , wherein the sound-making body in the operative size expels air from the resilient air holding body when a force impacts the shell. 
     
     
         4 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein the sound-making body in the operative size expels air from the resilient air holding body when a force impacts the shell. 
     
     
         5 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein the opening comprises a portion of the shell. 
     
     
         6 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein the sound-making body comprises two lateral sides. 
     
     
         7 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 6 , wherein when the sound-making body has the reduced size, the sound-making body comprises a furled shape about a center of the sound-making body. 
     
     
         8 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein when the sound-making body has the reduced size, the sound-making body comprises a folded shape and when the sound-making body has the operative size, when the sound-making body is lodged against the inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
         9 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein when the sound-making body has the reduced size, the sound-making body comprises a furled shape and when the sound-making body has the operative state, the sound-making body is lodged against the inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
         10 . A sound-making pet toy, the pet toy comprising:
 a shell comprising an opening and an inner space accessible through the opening,   a sound-making body comprising a reduced state and an expanded state larger than the reduced state,
 the sound-making body when disposed in the opening comprising the reduced state and when disposed in the inner space comprising the expanded state, and 
 the sound-making body comprising a resilient air-holding body and a sound making device responsive to air from the air holding body passing through the sound-making body. 
   
     
     
         11 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 10 , wherein the sound-making body when in the expanded state is lodged against the inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
         12 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 11 , wherein the sound-making body in the expanded state expels air from the resilient air holding body when a force impacts the shell. 
     
     
         13 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 10 , wherein the sound-making body in the expanded state is larger than the opening. 
     
     
         14 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 10 , wherein the sound making device is a neck of the sound-making body. 
     
     
         15 . The sound-making pet toy of  claim 1 , wherein the opening comprises a portion of the shell. 
     
     
         16 . A method of making a sound-making pet toy,
 the pet toy comprising:
 a shell comprising an opening and an inner space accessible through the opening, 
 a sound-making body comprising a reduced state and an expanded state larger than the reduced state, 
 the sound-making body when disposed in the opening comprising the reduced state and when disposed in the inner space comprising the expanded state, and 
 the sound-making body comprising a resilient air-holding body and a sound making device sound responsive to air from the air holding body passing through the sound-making body; 
   the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing the shell; 
 (b) providing the sound-making body; 
 (c) manipulating the sound-making body into the reduced state; 
 (d) inserting the sound-making body in the reduced state into the opening; and 
 (e) moving the sound-making body from the opening into the inner space. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising (f) causing the sound-making body to comprise the expanded state in the inner space. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the sound-making body comprises two lateral sides and step (c) requires that the sound-making body is furled about a centerline between the lateral sides. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step (c) requires that the sound-making body is folded. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step (c) requires that the sound-making body is rolled.