U.S. patent application number 15/958780 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-03 for edible pet chew.
The applicant listed for this patent is Spectrum Brands Pet Group, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mark Stern.
Application Number | 20190000115 15/958780 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39417255 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-03 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190000115 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stern; Mark |
January 3, 2019 |
EDIBLE PET CHEW
Abstract
An edible pet chew 114 has a first casing 10 of plant base
material and a second protein 12 of flavored material for example
jerky that is wrapped with the first sheet to form alternating
layers in the edible pet chew.
Inventors: |
Stern; Mark; (New York,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Spectrum Brands Pet Group, Inc. |
Earth City |
MO |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
39417255 |
Appl. No.: |
15/958780 |
Filed: |
April 20, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13329736 |
Dec 19, 2011 |
9968117 |
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15958780 |
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12703942 |
Feb 11, 2010 |
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13329736 |
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11602939 |
Nov 21, 2006 |
7677203 |
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12703942 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A23N 17/005 20130101;
A23K 40/20 20160501; A23K 50/42 20160501; A23K 10/20 20160501; A23K
10/30 20160501; A23K 40/25 20160501; A01K 15/026 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A23K 40/20 20060101
A23K040/20; A23K 40/25 20060101 A23K040/25; A23K 10/20 20060101
A23K010/20; A23N 17/00 20060101 A23N017/00; A23K 10/30 20060101
A23K010/30; A23K 50/42 20060101 A23K050/42 |
Claims
1-18. (canceled)
19. A method of forming an edible pet chew, said method comprising:
molding a plant hard mixture that is initially malleable into a
three dimensional shape with a cavity therein; and filling said
cavity with a flavored dried material.
20. A method as defined in claim 17 further comprising: the filling
the cavity is with a dried or cured animal flesh.
21. A pet chew comprising: a first sheet and a second sheet,
wherein, each of the first and second sheet comprising a plant
based mixture that is extruded and substantially rawhide free,
wherein the plant based mixture is dimensioned large enough and
thin enough to be initially malleable; and wherein the first and
second sheets in superimposed relation and being rolled where the
first and second sheets forming alternating layers with no
intervening rawhide layers; and hardening said first sheet after it
is wrapped with said second sheet such that said first sheet
provides a hardened chewable wrap. The chew of claim 21, wherein
the first sheet is capable of being wrapped by flexing, folding or
rolling into a shape. The chew of claim 21, wherein the second
sheet is made from a flavor material. The chew of claim 21, wherein
the end of the pet chew are tied into knots before hardening said
first sheet. The chew of claim 21, wherein the first sheet
comprises a plant protein composition. The chew of claim 21,
wherein the first sheet comprising a plant protein and gelatin
composition; and the second sheet comprising a meat jerky
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of pending U.S.
Utility application Ser. No. 12/703,942 filed Feb. 11, 2010 which
is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/602,939 filed Nov. 21, 2006 which is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,203
B2 issued on Mar. 16, 2010 and Applicant hereby claims the benefit
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The field of this invention relates to an edible pet
chew.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] A single visit to a pet supermarket makes it readily
apparent that there is a wide selection of rawhide and other
synthetic chew toys manufactured and shaped for dogs and other
carnivorous pets to chew on. Pet owners believe chew toys are
desirable for cleaning the teeth of dogs and other pets, providing
for dental hygiene and resulting in better breath. The chew toys
also distract the pet from chewing on other objects such as shoes
or furniture.
[0004] Many of these chew toys have been made from synthetic
materials such as plastic, for example, nylon or even rubber to
provide a long lasting chew toy. These synthetic chew toys are
indigestible and may pose a health risk if the dog bites off a
portion and swallows it. Secondly, these toys may lose a dog's
interest because the toy typically has no flavor or other chew
incentive.
[0005] Other chew toys are made from rawhide. Rawhide also has no
inherent flavor and thus may lose a dogs interest after only a
short chew time. To overcome the lack of flavor and taste of
rawhide, many manufacturers have attempted to add flavor to the pet
chew by adding jerky, natural flavors or even pig hide in addition
to the rawhide. Flavors may also be injected into the rawhide,
marinated into the rawhide, wrapped in the rawhide or impregnated
into the rawhide. The rawhide acts as the chewing component and
lasts longer than other edible foods, for example meat jerky.
[0006] Many people are concerned that the manufacture of rawhide is
a relatively unregulated industry and the origins of the rawhide
may be unknown and the degree of contamination of the rawhide with
antibiotics, insecticides or other detrimental elements for
example, lead, may also be unknown. Furthermore, rawhide provides
no nutritional benefits and is only slowly digestible if at all.
These concerns whether they all be true or unfounded provides a
perception for dog and other pet owners to seek alternative ways to
provide a chew treat for a pet without the use of rawhide.
[0007] One such pet chew recently placed on the market is a product
made from a solid molded wheat based material with glycerin,
gelatin, monoglycerides of edible fatty acid, and natural flavor.
It also contains chlorophyll which is marketed to improve the dog's
breath. This molded plant material composite is molded into an
elongated shape with one end shaped like a toothbrush head and an
opposite end shaped like an epiphysis i.e. end of a long bone.
[0008] It is also known to make a jerky-like material both in
texture and taste from soy protein isolate and wheat starch formed
into elongated strips. It is also known to provide an extruded
composite for dry diets formed from emulsified meat and grain meal
byproducts.
[0009] What is needed is an improved edible pet chew that has an
outer layer of hardened and chewable plant based material in
conjunction with an inner layer of material that contains at least
in part flavored content or actual dried or cured animal flesh
content preferably being substantially free of rawhide when the
outer layer hardened material acts as a chewing component
comparable to rawhide in duration.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0010] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an
edible pet chew has a layer of hardened chewy plant base material
and a layer sheet of a chewy edible material. The first and second
sheets are superimposed adjacent each other into a composite
assembly with the first sheet and second sheet forming alternating
layers in the composite assembly.
[0011] Preferably, the first sheet of plant base material includes
a plant based composition being wrapped about the second sheet. The
first and second sheets wrapped into a roll form to form an
interleaved spiral shape in cross-section with the first sheet
substantially forming a hardened layer of the edible pet chew. The
first sheet may be made from an initially malleable and hardenable
mixture of wheat protein and gelatin. A plant protein composition
is desirably extrudable to form the first sheet. Only a small
percentage of gelatin is needed, for example under 5% of the
composition by weight, to provide enough malleability for
extrusion, molding and other bending and forming.
[0012] In one embodiment, the edible pet chew has a tied knot at
each end thereof to resemble epiphyses of a bone. The second sheet
may be made from a plant based material having flavor infused
therein. Alternately, the second sheet may be formed from a meat
composite bound with a binder. In one embodiment, the second sheet
may be formed from a jerky of dried or cured animal flesh.
Preferably, both sheets are substantially free of rawhide.
[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
edible pet chew includes a casing of hardened chewable plant based
material and a chewy edible member therein. Preferably, the outer
casing is in the form of a first sheet that provides an outer layer
of the edible pet chew. The chewy edible member therein is
substantially inside the edible pet chew and may be a cured or
dried animal flesh.
[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method
of forming an edible pet chew includes providing a plant based
mixture that is extrudable or sheetable and initially malleable
forming the initially malleable plant based mixture into a first
sheet, providing a second sheet made from material having flavor,
placing the first and second sheets in superimposed relation
forming multiple layers and hardening the first sheet after it is
formed with the second sheet. Preferably the first and second
sheets are rolled together and preferably rolled with the first
sheet forming an outer layer.
[0015] Preferably, the ends of the edible pet chew are tied into
knots before hardening of the first sheet. Preferably, the first
sheet is made from a plant protein composition, and the second
sheet is made from a meat based material. The first sheet is made
from a plant base and glycerin composition, and the second sheet is
made from a meat jerky. The method also includes wrapping the first
sheet about the second sheet to form an outer layer of the edible
pet chew.
[0016] In another embodiment of the invention, an outer portion of
plant based material is injection molded to form one or more
cavities in which the jerky can be inserted. Injection molding is
the preferred method to produce a three dimensional shape. An
alternative to injection molding the outer portion can be
extrusion, co-extrusion, cold molding or compression molding. After
the outer case is formed, the jerky can be inserted either wholly
or partially into the formed cavities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first sheet of a
wheat based material with a second jerky sheet laid over the first
sheet in preparation of forming an edible pet chew in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the edible
pet chew;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment having two knotted ends to
simulate the epiphyses of a bone with a diaphysis in the
middle;
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view showing a plurality of meat
flavored strips placed on top of the first sheet in preparation of
forming another alternate embodiment of a pet chew;
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of an edible pet treat
formed from the sheets shown in FIG. 4;
[0023] FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of an edible pet treat
formed also from the sheets shown in FIG. 4;
[0024] FIG. 7 shows a side view of another embodiment of an edible
pet chew;
[0025] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with an outer
molded casing with transverse holes for filling with an edible
chewable material therein;
[0026] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with a molded
outer casing with a longitudinal hole for filling with an edible
chewable material therein; and
[0027] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with a molded
outer casing with an alternate configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 1, a first sheet 10 of an extruded or
rolled plant based composition, for example a wheat protein mixed
with a gelatin or other binder for example glycerin is laid flat.
The term "plant based" means material having substantially over 50%
of plant material. The gelatin may be a small percentage by weight,
for example 5%, to provide sufficient malleability, moldability,
extrudability, and formability as set forth in further detail
below. Other plant materials may be substituted for the above
mentioned materials as long as the material is a cohesive material
that can be rolled and formed in a malleable state and eventually
hardened by heat or drying into a hard but chewable matter for use
by a carnivorous pet. The sheet 10 may be formed by extrusion,
pressing or rolling or injection molding for example.
[0029] A second sheet 12 may be made from flavored material, for
example, natural meat jerky. The sheet 12 is superimposed over the
first sheet 10. The second sheet 12 may alternately be made from a
jerky composition that is a mixture of meat and other binders to
form a chewable composite that is malleable enough to be rollable.
In this version, the first sheet 10 made from plant based material
is harder and has greater chewing duration than the second sheet 12
made from natural meat jerky. In another variation, the second
sheet 12 may also be made from an initially malleable plant based
sheet that is impregnated with meat, chicken, fish or jerky pieces
or merely infused with flavors attractive to a pet. In those
preferred embodiments, each sheet 10 and 12 is substantially free
of rawhide.
[0030] The side edges 18 of the second sheet may be coextensive,
i.e. aligned with the side edges 16 of the first sheet 10. The
front edge 22 of the second sheet may overlap the front edge 20 of
sheet 10.
[0031] Once the first and second sheets 10 and 12 as shown in FIG.
1, are flattened out, they are then rolled up as shown in FIG. 2 to
form a cylinder shaped edible pet chew 14 having rolled ends 24
with interleafed layers of sheet 10 and sheet 12 with aligned edges
16 and 18. The sheets 10 and 12 form an interleaved spiral shape in
cross-section. The sheets 10 and 12 are rolled such that the sheet
10 forms the outer layer 26. The front edge 22 of sheet 12 by
extending further than the front edge of edge 20 of sheet 10 forms
a lip 28. The lips 28 project out of the seam 30 in the outer layer
26 adjacent the edge 20 of sheet 10. The cylinder shaped pet chew
14 is then allowed to dry to harden the composition forming the
first sheet 10.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, an alternate shaped pet chew 114 can be
formed to more closely simulate an elongated bone with an elongated
middle section 115 also referred to as a diaphysis and opposite
simulated epiphyses 117 formed by knots 132 tied at each end 24 of
the cylinder shaped assembly 14 as shown in FIG. 2 before it's
hardened. The alternately shaped edible pet chew 114 still has the
same aligned edges 16, and 18 and the same lip 28 of the second
sheet protruding out of seam 30 at the epiphyses 117 as well as
therebetween is elongated middle section 115.
[0033] Another alternate embodiment composite sheet assembly 190 is
shown in FIG. 4 where instead of single sheet of jerky material is
disposed on sheet 10, a plurality of elongated strips of jerky i.e.
narrow sheets 112 are spaced apart onto sheet 10. The narrow sheets
112 each have a front edge 122 extending beyond edge 20 of sheet
10. The sheet assembly 190 is laid flat and then rolled in the same
fashion as before to form the cylinder assembly 214 shown in FIG. 5
that has at seam 30 a plurality of exposed lips 128 of the sheets
112. Again, this cylinder shape treat 214 may be dried and hardened
as is or can be knotted in the same fashion as before to form the
bone shaped pet treat 314 as shown in FIG. 6 with the exposed lips
128 formed in the knot ends 132 as well as the elongated middle
section 115.
[0034] In a further embodiment, the elongated strips 112 may be
laid transverse to what is shown in FIG. 4 so that when the sheets
110 and 112 are rolled, they produce an edible pet chew with an end
432 as shown in FIG. 7 with a solid lip 28 and a plurality of
spaced sheets 112 within the outer layer 26 of sheet 10. Again, the
cylinder may be allowed to dry and harden in this position or tied
into a knot to form an edible pet chew that looks on the exterior
substantially like the one shown in FIG. 3.
[0035] It is foreseen that more than one first sheet 10 of the
plant based material and more than one sheet 12 of the flavor
material may be used. It is also foreseen that the plurality of
sheets 10, 12 may be interlayered without rolling to form a flat
rectangular or other shaped edible pet chew. The composite pet chew
may also be folded into another shaped pet chew.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 8, a pet chew 414 has a three
dimensional molded outer casing 410 of plant based material has an
elongated bone-like shape and having cavities 415 traversing the
longitudinal axis of the outer casing 410. Jerky material or other
dried or cured animal flesh 412 is inserted into the cavities 415.
The outer casing 410 may be injected molded with the cavities 415
formed therein. Preferably, the exposed ends 417 of the jerky 412
is flush or slightly recessed in cavities 415 and the jerky is
tightly packed in hole 415 to deter the jerky from being easily
pulled out of the hole 415 such that the dog will chew through the
outer shell 410 to access the jerky 412.
[0037] Another molded form is shown in FIG. 9 where the pet chew
514 has the molded outer shell 510 of plant based material with a
longitudinal extending cavity 515 filler with jerky material 512.
The molded cavity 510 may have a clover leaf cross-sectional
configuration as shown.
[0038] In a modified embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the outer casing
610 of plant based material may have a three ball configuration
surrounding longitudinal cavity 615 filled with jerky 612.
[0039] In this fashion, by providing an edible pet chew with a
hardened and chewable outer wrap or casing made from a plant based
material instead of rawhide, one avoids all the concerns whether
real or perceived regarding the use of rawhide while still
providing a chewing layer comparable in duration with rawhide and
greater in duration than mere edible treats. In other words, the
edible chew has its outer wrap or casing made from plant based
material providing chewing duration greater than the chewing
duration of the meat jerky or other flavored meat or mixed treats
within. It is to be understood that the preferred embodiments do
not contain additional layers of rawhide such that a substantially
rawhide free chew is formed. Secondly, the plant based material has
inherent nutrition and may be easily provided with added
nutritional ingredients such as vitamins and minerals if
desired.
[0040] Furthermore, the second sheet or inserts, whether it will be
a natural jerky, jerky composite or plant based layer with flavor,
provides a taste incentive for the pet to continue to chew and not
lose interest in the pet chew after only a short period of
time.
[0041] Other variations and modifications are possible without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as
defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *