Abstract:
A chew toy for pets can be produced as a combination of different materials, preferably with a rigid shell and softer chew portions extending from the shell. The shell can have multiple parts that join together to encase a mounting structure or frame, which can include threaded portions that connect to the chew portions. The shell can also include apertures through which the chew portion can protrude. The chew portion can include a plurality of projections extending outward from the base. The rigidity of the shell can provide structure, protect the internal structure, and provide extra support for the chew portions, whereas the softer chew portions can provide beneficial effects to a pet&#39;s teeth or gums or provide greater chewing pleasure. A scented insert can be housed within the shell and the scent can be emitted through passageways through the shell.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to chew toys for pets and more particularly to a chew toy having a therapeutic effect on a dog&#39;s teeth and gums.  
         [0002]     Various products exist in the market which are intended to clean a pet&#39;s teeth as the pet chews the product, or to satisfy a pet&#39;s chewing urge. Most of the chew toys available are formed of one type of material, which is usually either too hard and exposes the dog&#39;s mouth to undesirably hard or sharp products, or too soft and is not sufficiently durable.  
         [0003]     Another type of chew toy available is a toy formed of two materials of different hardness and rigidities as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,741 (hereinafter the &#39;741 patent). The chew toy disclosed in the &#39;741 patent can also encompass another desired feature of pet chew toys, which is a scent or flavor that will not come off on the hands of the person handling the toy. A scented insert is placed within the chew toy, which allows the scent to emanate out of the chew toy, rather than adding a scent to the surface of the chew toy.  
         [0004]     Certain embodiments of this chew toy, however, can have undesirable attributes. For example, with adequate force, the chew portions can be pulled out from the shell of the toy. Due to the design of the securing member, they can be difficult to reinsert. Also, the manufacture of the &#39;741 chew toy can be difficult, and a simpler means of manufacturing the chew toy is desirable.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a synthetic chew toy for a pet, such as a dog, which overcomes the shortcomings of existing chew toys.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a synthetic chew toy formed as a composite of different materials of differing hardness and rigidity is provided in which the shell of the toy encases a mounting structure that connects the chew portions. The chew toy can include a flavor or scent (hereinafter collectively scent) impregnated insert within the shell. The toy can be formed with a rigid synthetic shell, supporting one or more softer chew portions. The shell can consist of a plurality of pieces that preferably fit together to create a shell, defining an inner space or volume to receive the mounting structure. The chew portion can include a plurality of projections, preferably having a generally cylindrical shape with a hemispheric end, extending outward from the base of the chew portion. The chew portion can also mount onto the mounting structure through apertures in the shell portion, exposing the projections for the pet to chew on. Because the chew portions can be mounted through the apertures in the shell portion, production and repair are facilitated. A chew portion that is somehow removed from the shell portion or damaged can simply be replaced or mounted back on through the aperture from which it was removed. Thus, the rigidity of the shell portion provides structure, support and durability for the chew toy, and the relatively softer chew portion can provide beneficial effects to a pet&#39;s teeth and gums, or stimulate greater chewing, and can be replaceable. By locating a scent module within the body of the toy, less of the scent is likely to get on one&#39;s hands when the toy is handled. Many or all of the desirable attributes of certain chew toys formed in accordance with the &#39;741 patent are preserved while providing improved manufacture and repair and making the chew toy more durable.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved chew toy for pets, such as dogs, which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved chew toy for pets, having relatively high durability while maintaining acceptable softness and flexibility.  
         [0009]     Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved chew toy for pets, which is relatively easy to manufacture.  
         [0010]     Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification and drawings.  
         [0011]     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  
       [0012]     For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a chew toy constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a plan view of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 2B and 2C  are cross-sectional views of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 , taken along section lines B-B and C-C, respectively;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a first section of a shell portion of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a reverse perspective view of the first section of the shell portion of  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the shell portion of  FIG. 3B , taken along section line  4 - 4 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4B  is a magnified view of a selected portion of the shell portion of  FIG. 4A ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a second section of the shell portion of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5B  is a reverse perspective view of the second section of the shell portion of  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional view of the shell portion of  FIG. 5A , taken along section line  5 - 5 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6B  is a magnified view of a selected portion of the shell portion of  FIG. 6A ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a chew portion of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8A  is a top view of the chew portion of  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8B  is a side view of the chew portion of  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 8C  is a cross-sectional view of the chew portion of  FIG. 7 , taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 8A ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a T-shaped core frame of a mounting structure of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 10A  is a front view of the frame of  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 10B  is a side view of the frame of  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 10C  is a cross-sectional view of the frame of  FIG. 9 , taken along section line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 10A ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a bolt section of a mounting structure of the chew toy of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 12A  is a front view of the bolt section of  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 12B  is a side view of the bolt section of  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0035]      FIG. 12C  is a cross-sectional view of the bolt section of  FIG. 11 , taken along section line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 12B . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0036]     A chew toy constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown generally in  FIGS. 1-12 . Chew toy  100  is provided with a substantially spherical shell  200  molded to have a plurality of mounting apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  to receive a plurality of chew portions  700 . Shell  200  need not be substantially spherical in shape, however, and can have any one of a variety of shapes, such as, for example, an elongated football shape, a bone shape, the shape of a food item, or a substantially cylindrical or tubular shape. Preferably, shell  200  is hollow, defining an interior volume  209 , separated from ambient atmosphere  210 . Shell  200  is preferably rigid and provides chew toy  100  with its rigidity and durability. Shell  200  is preferably formed from a rigid, durable, non-toxic material, for example, carioud rigid thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, such as various polymers and resins, preferably nylon, most preferably 6-6 nylon. Shell portion  200  is advantageously molded to have a hardness in the range of 70-80, preferably 82-89, most preferably 85 Shore D hardness (Scale Shore D). Chew toy  100  is sized and weighted so that it can be held in the mouth of a pet, such as dog. A diameter of 1 to 4 inches, preferably 1.5 to 3 inches is acceptable.  
         [0037]     Chew portions  700  are preferably formed from a second material, which is considerably softer and more flexible than the material of shell  200 . Although various resilient polymers can be used as the material to construct chew portion  700 , a preferred material is polyurethane. Other natural and synthetic rubbers are also acceptable. Chew portion  700  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. The materials, weight, hardness and construction of chew toys in accordance with the invention should be appropriate for use as a dog chew toy. A diameter of 0.5 to 2 inches is acceptable.  
         [0038]     Referring generally to  FIGS. 3A  to  6 B, shell  200  is preferably formed, such as by injection molding into two halves  300  and  500 , which are joined together. Male half  300  is preferably molded with a ridge-like protrusion  303  and female half  500  is preferably molded with a groove  503 . When the two halves  300  and  500  are joined together, protrusion  303  of male half  300  is matingly engaged with groove  503  of female half  500 . Protrusion  303  and groove  503  are preferably annular, each following the circumference of each of respective halves  300 ,  500 . Also, protrusion  303  and groove  503  can be either continuous, making a full, continuous path around the circumference of each of the respective halves, or discontinuous, in the form of several protrusions  303  and corresponding grooves  503 .  
         [0039]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , protrusions  303  and grooves  503  are discontinuous, being broken by the cutouts for joint apertures  201  in shell  200 . Halves  300 ,  500  may be molded such that joint apertures  201  are centered on the seam between male half  300  and female half  500 , with a first joint aperture wall  201   a  of joint aperture  201  being formed in male half  300 , and a second joint aperture wall  201   b  being formed in female half  500 . First joint aperture wall  201   a  of joint aperture  201  can be described as joint aperture wall  201   a  on male half  300 , in which joint aperture  201  is only partially defined by male half  300 . Likewise, the second portion, joint aperture wall  201   b  can be described as aperture wall half  201   b  on female half  500 , in which joint aperture  201  is only partially defined by female half  500 . When male half  300  and female half  500  are joined, first joint aperture wall  201   a  and second joint aperture wall  201   b  are aligned to form a single joint aperture  201 , which is fully encircled by shell  200 . With halves  300 ,  500  formed in this manner, protrusion  303  and groove  503  are discontinuous, as discussed above. Halves  300  and  500  can also comprise aperture walls  301   a  and  501   b , defining mounting apertures  301  and  501 , respectively.  
         [0040]     Referring again to  FIGS. 3-6 , shell  200  can include a plurality of ribs  311 ,  511  formed along the outer surface  314 ,  514  to provide added support and strength of shell  200 . Ribs  311 ,  511  can also divert a dog&#39;s teeth away from the softer chew portion  700 . Mounting apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  can also include ribs  208 ,  308 ,  508  encircling apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  to further stabilize chew portions  700  when mounted.  
         [0041]     Shell  200  is further advantageously sealed by ultrasonically welding halves  300 ,  500  such that an integral shell  200  is formed, with the halves  300 ,  500  being fused into a single integral unit. Alternatively, other techniques, such as press filling or the use of adhesives and others known to those skilled in the art can be used to seal together halves  300 ,  500 .  
         [0042]     Referring to  FIGS. 2B-2C , there are shown cross-sections of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with halves  300 ,  500  sealed together. Shell wall  202  has a thickness A, as shown in  FIGS. 4B and 6B , which may depend upon the size of the toy, the type of chewing portions, or the chewing power of the dog for which the toy is intended. Further, the shell need not be formed from two halves, but could be molded or formed from three or more pieces.  
         [0043]     Apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  in shell  200  may be formed during the molding or forming process of halves  300 ,  500 . Alternatively, some or all of apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  may be formed in a second step by, for example, drilling or cutting the apertures in previously formed halves  300 ,  500 . In a preferred embodiment, at least a part of an aperture  201 ,  301 ,  501  is molded on each half  300 ,  500 , then, in a subsequent step, at least one aperture  201 ,  301 ,  501  is drilled in the shell.  
         [0044]     Referring again to  FIGS. 3-6 , mounting apertures  301 ,  501  of halves  300 ,  500  can include supporting projections  302 ,  502  to provide additional support for chew portions  700 .  
         [0045]     Referring now to  FIGS. 9-12 , a preferred embodiment of the invention is provided with a mounting structure  900  comprising a T-shaped core frame  901  and a bolt member  951 . T-shaped core frame  901  preferably has a plurality (such as  4 ) branches  902  that are generally cylindrical in shape and extend outwardly from a core  904 . Preferably, core  904  includes a core aperture  905  which bolt member  951  fits through. Bolt member  951  also includes a pair of branches  952  and a bolt core  954 . When chew toy  100  is assembled according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, bolt core  954  fits through core aperture  905 , and a middle portion  915  of bolt core  954  remains in core aperture  905 . Whereas bolt member  951  is shown as having a generally cylindrical shape, it can have a variety of shapes and need not be substantially cylindrical in shape. Furthermore, although core aperture  905  is shown as being generally circular, it need not be circular, and can be a variety of shapes, for example, rectangular or triangular. However, core aperture  905  is preferably a shape suitable to receive and maintain bolt member  951  in a secure fit. T-shaped core frame  901  and a bolt member  951   
         [0046]     As shown in  FIGS. 9-12 , branches  902 ,  952  can have structure for receiving chew portions  200 . They preferably have threaded ends  903 ,  953 . Chew portion  700  preferably comprises a mounting portion  706  constructed to secure to branches  902 ,  952 . Chew portion  700  is preferably opposed at 180° by another chew portion  700  mounted on the opposite end of branch  902 , 952 , thereby making it more difficult for chew portion  700  from being removed from chew toy  100 . In the embodiment shown, they have a threaded inner wall  704 , as shown in FIG.  8 C. Threaded ends  903 ,  953  engage with threaded inner wall  704  of mounting portion  706  of chew portion  700  and provide a secure attachment. Mounting structure  900  preferably is formed of a rigid, durable, non-toxic material as described above with reference to shell  200 .  
         [0047]     An embodiment of the chew portion  700  for use with the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 7-8 . A dome portion  707  of chew portion  700  is generally round when viewed from the top or bottom as shown in  FIG. 7 . Chew portion  700  can include a mounting portion  706  that mounts to mounting structure  900  and dome portion  707 , which protrudes through mounting apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501 , as shown in FIGS.  2 A-C. Referring again to  FIG. 8B , dome portion  707  has a first diameter D 1  and mounting portion  706  has a second diameter D 2 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, D 1  is greater than D 2 .  
         [0048]     As shown in  FIG. 8C , mounting portion  706  of chew portion  700  is preferably provided with a threaded inner wall  704  to engage with threaded end  903 ,  953  of mounting structure  900  to mount and secure chew portion  700  onto mounting structure  900 .  
         [0049]     Preferably, chew portion  700  is unitarily formed of a single material. It should also be noted, however, that dome portion  707  and mounting portion  706  need not be formed of the same material, and may be formed of materials with differing hardness and resiliency characteristics.  
         [0050]     As shown in  FIGS. 7-8 , dome  707  of chew portion  700  is preferably hemispherical with a plurality of projections  701  extending from a base  702  of dome  707 . Referring to  FIG. 8A , projections  701  are preferably arranged concentrically in bands of decreasing diameters. Alternatively, projections  701  may be disposed in a different, more random configuration than the concentric band arrangement. Referring to  FIGS. 4A, 6A  and  8 C, chew portion  700  is preferably constructed to have a base surface  705  that engages with a bottom mounting support surface  307  defining the base of mounting apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  of shell  200 . Chew portion  700  can also be constructed to have a top support surface  720  that engages with a top mounting surface  320  immediately surrounding mounting apertures  201 ,  301 ,  501  of shell  200 . The combinations of base surface  705  and bottom mounting support surface  307  and the combination of top support surface  720  and top mounting surface  320  can either or both be included in chew toy  100  to prevent chew portion  700  from extending further into shell  200  as shown in  FIGS. 2B and 2C .  
         [0051]     Preferably, top support surface  720  engages top mounting surface  320  below the surface of shell  200 . Chew toys such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,741 can provide chew toys having chew portions mounted on the surface of the chew toy. An inadequacy that can occur with these chew toys is that a dog can get its teeth under the base of the chew portion and pull it out. This embodiment of chew toy  100  substantially eliminates this risk. In order for a dog to pull out chew portion  700 , the dog must secure its teeth under dome portion  707  to pull it out. More specifically, the dog&#39;s teeth must engage top support surface  720 . Because top support surface  720  is below the surface of shell  200 , the dog is prevented from getting its teeth under dome portion  707  and thereby from pulling out chew portion  700 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , chew portion  700  can further be protected by rib  208 ,  308 ,  508 , which preferably provide a circumferential barrier around chew portion  700 , thereby making it even more difficult for the dog to get its teeth in mounting aperture  201 ,  301 ,  501 .  
         [0052]     An aroma insert may be placed in one or both halves  300 ,  500  prior to sealing halves  300 ,  500  together. The aroma insert may be formed from a porous or spongy material, or any material known in the art that can retain an aroma. The aroma insert can be saturated, such as by dipping or injection filling, with a flavor or aroma additive such as bacon or other aromas that can be pleasing to pets, and dogs in particular. Preferably, the aroma insert is saturated prior to disposal in shell  200 . The aroma can migrate from an interior volume  209  of chew toy  100  and can enter an ambient atmosphere  210 , adding to the enjoyment of the pet.  
         [0053]     The passage of the aroma from interior volume  209  to ambient environment  210  can be facilitated by shell  200  being made of a material, such as nylon, that facilitates passage of aromas through its structure. Alternatively, chew toy  100  may be formed with a small hole or channel  211 , for example, in chew portions  700  or shell  200  to further facilitate the emission of the aroma into ambient environment  210 . In an embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A , shell  200  includes channels  211  through which the scent can travel out of the chew toy into the environment. Alternatively, scent and flavor additives can be compounded with the material prior to molding to form shell  200  or chew portions  700 . The passage of the aroma can also be facilitated by including channels  910 ,  960  in T-shaped core frame  901  and bolt member  951 . The aroma can travel from interior volume  209  through channels  910 ,  960 , through chew portions  700  and into ambient atmosphere  210 . Chew portions  700  can facilitate passage of aromas, for example, by being made of a material, such as nylon, that facilitates passage of aromas through its structure, or by being formed with a small hole or channel.  
         [0054]     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.  
         [0055]     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.  
         [0056]     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.