U.S. patent application number 09/894355 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-22 for composite chew toy.
Invention is credited to Handelsman, Simon, Suchowski, Bernard.
Application Number | 20010042521 09/894355 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22401461 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010042521 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Suchowski, Bernard ; et
al. |
November 22, 2001 |
Composite chew toy
Abstract
A synthetic chew toy can be formed as a composite of two
different materials. The toy can be formed with a rigid synthetic
frame, supporting a softer chew portion. The chew portion can
include a plurality of projections, preferably having a cylindrical
shape with a hemispheric end, extending outward from a base of the
chew portion. Thus, the rigidity of the frame provides structure,
support and durability for the chew toy, and the relatively softer
chew portion can provide beneficial effects to a pets teeth and
gums, or provide greater chewing pleasure.
Inventors: |
Suchowski, Bernard;
(Marlboro, NJ) ; Handelsman, Simon; (Newburyport,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STROOCK & STROOCK & LAVAN LLP
180 Maiden Lane
New York
NY
10038
US
|
Family ID: |
22401461 |
Appl. No.: |
09/894355 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09894355 |
Jun 28, 2001 |
|
|
|
09560010 |
Apr 27, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
119/709 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 15/026
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
119/709 |
International
Class: |
A01K 029/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pet chew toy, comprising: a unitary and rigid frame, the frame
having a first hardness; and a chew portion mounted on and
supported by the frame, the chew portion having a second hardness
substantially less hard than that of the first hardness.
2. The chew toy of claim 1, wherein the chew portion further
comprises a first base and a second base.
3. The chew toy of claim 2, wherein the first and second bases are
integrally formed.
4. The chew toy of claim 2, wherein a first portion of projections
are formed on and extend from the first base and a second portion
of projections are formed on and extend from the second base.
5. The chew toy of claim 4, wherein the first portion of
projections are arranged concentrically in bands of decreasing
diameter on the first base and the second portion of projections
are arranged concentrically in bands of decreasing diameter on the
second base.
6. The chew toy of claim 2, wherein the first and second bases are
dome shaped.
7. The chew toy of claim 6, wherein each of the projections is
substantially the same height.
8. The chew toy of claim 4, wherein each projection of the first
and second portions of projections is generally cylindrical.
9. The chew toy of claim 8, wherein each projection has a
hemispheric top portion.
10. The chew toy of claim 1, wherein the frame is bone shaped.
11. The chew toy of claim 10, wherein the frame further comprises a
pair of bulbous members formed on opposite ends of the frame.
12. The chew toy of claim 1, wherein the frame has a Shore D
hardness of about 70 or more and the chew portion has a Shore A
hardness of about 90 or less.
13. The chew toy of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises nylon and
the chew portion comprises polyurethane.
14. A pet chew toy, comprising: a unitary and rigid frame, the
frame having a first hardness; a chew portion mounted on and
supported by the frame, the chew portion having a second hardness
substantially less hard than that of the first hardness; and a
plurality of projections formed on and extending from the chew
portion.
15. A method of forming a chew toy, comprising the steps of:
injecting a first material into a first mold; facilitating cooling
of the first material to form a frame; and forming a chew portion
on the frame, the chew portion having a decreased hardness relative
to the frame.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of forming a chew
portion having a decreased hardness on the frame, comprises the
steps of: placing the frame into a second mold; injecting a second
material into the frame and the second mold; and facilitating
cooling of the second material to form the chew portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/122,228,
filed Jul. 24, 1998, now pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to chew toys for dogs and
more particularly to a chew toy having a therapeutic effect on a
dog's teeth and gums.
[0003] Various products exist in the market which are intended to
clean a pet's teeth as the pet chews the product or to satisfy a
pet's chewing urge. One type of product is an edible chew toy, made
of materials such as rawhide, which is extremely hard and therefore
unacceptable for certain older dogs or dogs with tooth problems.
Other chew toys are formed of soft rubber materials and can exhibit
unsatisfactorily high flexibility and/or unsatisfactory low
durability. Other plastic products are molded from hard materials
and can expose the inside of a dogs mouth to undesirably hard or
sharp product. An example of a chew toy formed of a uniform
synthetic material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,436, the
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0004] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a synthetic chew toy
for a pet, such as a dog, which overcomes shortcomings of existing
chew toys.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a
synthetic chew toy formed as a composite of two different materials
is provided. The toy can be formed with a rigid synthetic frame,
supporting a softer chew portion. The chew portion can include a
plurality of projections, preferably having a cylindrical shape
with a hemispheric end, extending outward from a base of the chew
portion. Thus, the rigidity of the frame provides structure,
support and durability for the chew toy, and the relatively softer
chew portion can provide beneficial effects to a pet's teeth and
gums, or provide greater chewing pleasure.
[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an
improved chew toy for pets, such as dogs.
[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide a chew toy for
pets, having high durability.
[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a chew toy
for pets, having acceptable softness and flexibility.
[0009] Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in
part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification
and drawings.
[0010] The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and
the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of
the others, and the article possessing the features, properties,
and the relation of elements, which are exemplified in the
following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will
be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is
had to the following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chew toy constructed in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame portion of the chew
toy of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a soft portion of the chew
toy of FIG. 1; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is an end view of the soft portion of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] A chew toy constructed in accordance with one preferred
embodiment of the invention is shown generally in FIGS. 1-4 as
composite bone 100 and is formed with a frame 200 supporting a soft
portion 300. Frame 200 includes four bulbous portions 210 at the
ends thereof, to simulate a bone shape. Frame 200 also includes a
support shelf 220 having an inner wall 225 defining an opening 226
in the shape of an elongated oval. Frame 200 also includes a
support wall 230 surrounding and perpendicular to shelf 220, such
that shelf 220 extends inward and perpendicular to an inner wall
231 of support wall 230.
[0017] Frame 200 is preferably highly rigid and provides composite
bone 100 with its rigidity and durability. Frame 200 also provides
composite bone 100 with a portion to simulate the hard portion of a
natural bone. Frame 200 is preferably formed from a rigid, durable,
non-toxic material, such as nylon, preferably 6-6 nylon. Frame
portion 200 is advantageously molded to have a hardness in the
range of 70 to 90, preferably 82-89, most preferably 85 Shore D
hardness (Scale Shore D).
[0018] In the non-limiting embodiment exemplified by FIGS. 1-4,
frame 200 is injection molded and then cooled to obtain maximum
shrinkage. Thereafter, frame 200 is placed into the cavity of a
second mold and the material for soft portion 300 is injection
molded within the confines of the second mold and frame 200.
[0019] Soft portion 300 is formed of material which is considerably
softer and more flexible than the material used to form frame 200.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that soft portion 300
includes a base 310 which fills the opening 226 defined by inner
wall 225. Soft portion 300 also includes a pair of chew surfaces
320 having a pair of annular wings 325 having facing surfaces 326
which extend perpendicularly from base 310. Wings 325 fill the
space defined by inner walls 231 and shelves 220 and extend
perpendicular to and outward from walls 220 to form a pair of domes
340.
[0020] Each dome 340 supports a plurality of projections 345 which
extend perpendicular to and in the opposite direction from facing
surfaces 326. Projections 345 have a generally cylindrical shape
and a hemispheric top, which presents a smooth contact surface for
a dogs teeth and gums. The cylindrical shape can also enhance the
ability of projections 345 to extend deep into spaces between a
dogs teeth. It is believed that the combination of soft and hard
portions and/or flexible projections, more closely simulate the
plurality of textures encountered when chewing a natural bone
containing bone, meat and gristle, and can stimulate chewing
activity.
[0021] Although various resilient polymers can be used as the
material to construct soft portion 300, a preferred material is
polyurethane. Other natural and synthetic rubbers are also
acceptable. Soft portion 300 should be molded to have a hardness in
the range of 70 to 90, preferably 80-90, most preferably 85 Shore A
hardness (Scale Shore A) as measured in a durameter.
[0022] Bone 100 can be formed of an assortment of additional
materials, including ABS, PVC, polycarbonate and rubber. In
preferred embodiments of the invention, scent and flavor additives
such as cheese, beef, pork, chocolate and so on can be compounded
with the material for forming frame 200 or soft portion 300 before
they are molded. Preferably, the scent or flavor additive is
compounded with material for forming soft portion 300.
[0023] It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among
those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently
attained and, since certain changes may be made in carrying out the
above method and in the article set forth without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all
matter contained in the above description and shown in the
accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
[0024] It is also to be understood that the following claims are
intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the
invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the
invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
[0025] Particularly it is to be understood that in said claims,
ingredients or compounds recited in the singular are intended to
include compatible mixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense
permits.
* * * * *