Abstract:
A pet chew toy which provides dental cleaning benefits to pets is disclosed. The pet chew toy includes a fabric covering over a central body or core. Elevated portions extend from the fabric surface and may be arranged in rows, rings, patterns, or any other decorative design. Elevated portions may be arranged to accommodate the dental structure of various types of pets. Bristles are secured to the elevated portions, and extend in a direction generally horizontal to the surface of the fabric. Bristles may be of various lengths to accommodate different sized teeth. In use, when a pet chews on the toy, the pet&#39;s teeth comes in contact with the bristles to allow the bristle to generate a brushing motion. The chew toy may include an internal compartment for holding and dispensing pet treats, and/or may include a noise making element within the chew toy to capture the pets attention.

Description:
[0001]    This invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/225,128 filed on Jul. 13, 2009. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates in general to pet toys, such as pet chew toys. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Chew toys are often given to pets to alleviate boredom, prevent destructive chewing behavior by pets, or in general to provide an outlet for the natural chewing habits of pets. Chew toys which provide dental benefits to animals have been known to be given to pets to provide an outlet for their natural chewing urge, while simultaneously providing dental benefits. 
         [0004]    The maintenance of good dental hygiene is often more challenging for animals since daily brushing is typically not feasible due to the difficulty in brushing s pet&#39;s teeth. As a result, animals such as cats and dogs may develop dental disease if their teeth are not cleaned properly. Serious health problems, such as gum disease and infections, may occur when a pet&#39;s dental hygiene is not maintained. To further the severity of the problem, pets are not able to articulate their discomfort to their owners. As such, discomfort may go unnoticed for prolonged periods of time during which the pet suffers in silence. By the time symptoms of dental disease manifests itself to be noticeable by the owner, or has effected a behavioral change noticeable to the owner, both the suffering of the pet and the progression of dental disease has progressed unnecessarily. Thus it is beneficial to provide preventative dental care to a pet. 
         [0005]    Chew toys or items which can be used to clean a pet&#39;s teeth when the pet chews may be made of rubber such as the KONG® Ball, rawhide, rope, or may be in the form of edible dog treats such as GREENIES® or MILK BONE®. 
         [0006]    The KONG® is a rubber chew toy having ridges and grooves which come into contact with the pet&#39;s teeth as the pet chews. However, the ridges and grooves are not able to reach in and clean between small interdental spaces. Treats which can assist in cleaning the pet&#39;s teeth as the pet chews on the treat tend to soften as parts of the treat come into contact with saliva. This reduces the abrasive characteristic of the treat, and does not allow the treat to perform effectively to clean a pet&#39;s teeth. Rawhide chewing devices may be more resistant to softening due to saliva, but are typically not formed such that small spaces between a pet&#39;s teeth can be reached for cleaning. Rawhide chew toys also may lead to intestinal obstruction if swallowed. Rope chew toys are also unable to reach small spaces between a pet&#39;s teeth. 
         [0007]    The present inventor has recognized a need for a pet chew toy which can promote effective teeth cleaning. 
         [0008]    The present inventor has recognized the need for a chew toy which can cater to various types of teeth in a pets oral cavity. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In one embodiment, the pet chew toy comprises a soft body, elevating portions extending from the soft body to which bristles are secured, and a cover disposed over the body. The chew toy can be of any shape and size suitable for a pet. The bristles are aligned generally parallel to the surface of the chew toy, on at least one side of the elevating portion. Alternatively, the bristles may appear on both sides of the elevating portion. The bristles may be arranged in rows, circular patterns, or any other pattern or shape. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the pet chew toy further comprises a tube for containing pet treats or pet food which are gradually dispensed when a pet moves the pet chew toy in a manner to allow a dispensing mechanism to dispense the pet treat. 
         [0011]    Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of one exemplary embodiment of the pet chew toy. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the chew toy taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a longitudinal cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the pet chew toy. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2B  is a side view of one embodiment of the bristles for use with the chew toy. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2C  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the bristles for use with the chew toy. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2D  illustrates a side of an alternate embodiment of the bristles where two rows of bristles are used. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the pet chew toy 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates yet another embodiment of the pet chew toy. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded view of yet another alternate embodiment of the pet chew toy. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the food dispensing mechanism taken along line  6 - 6  of the chew toy in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the pet chew toy. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of the pet chew toy. The body  12  of the chew toy  10  is an elongate shape, such as a cylinder. The body  12  is preferably at least soft enough to allow a portion of a pets tooth to sink into the chew toy. 
         [0025]    A plurality of elevated portions  17  are disposed around the circumference of the body  12  of the chew toy  10 . Because the elevated portions  17  are disposed around the circumference of a cylindrical body  12 , the elevated portions in  FIG. 1  are in the shape of rings. The elevated portions  17  can be arranged along the body  12  of the chew toy in other arrangements, such as longitudinally along the chew toy, or in a helical shape. Combinations of arrangements, such as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , can also be used. 
         [0026]    The body  12  of the chew toy can be any other suitable shape, such as in the shape of a bone, a spherical shape, a dumbbell shape, or a game ball shape such as a football or a basketball. 
         [0027]    The elevated portion  17  extends from the surface  13  of the chew toy  10 . The surface of the chew toy may be a cloth material.  FIG. 2  illustrates in more detail the elevated portion  17 , the surface layer  13 , and the central core  15  of the body  12 . 
         [0028]    The elevated portion  17  comprises an upper elevated portion  16  disposed on a lower elevated portion  14 . The upper elevated portion  16  is a rounded protrusion extending from the lower elevated portion. The upper elevated portion  16  is smaller than the lower elevated portion  14 , but can also be the same size or bigger than the lower elevated portion  14 . The upper elevated portion  16  and the lower elevated portion both have curved surfaces. Upper elevated portions  16  and lower elevated portions  14  of different shapes can also be used. For example, upper and elevated portions may have an angled surface such as a cube ( FIG. 2A ). 
         [0029]    Bristles  18  are secured to the elevated portion  17  at the region where the upper elevated portion  16  and the lower elevated portion  14  meet. The bristles  18  extend generally horizontally from the elevated portion  17 , and are generally parallel to the surface  13  of the chew toy, or are oriented such that the bristles begin to extend from the elevated portion horizontally. The bristles are preferably secured by sewing the bristles to the elevated portion  17 . In another embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 2A , bristles  18   a  may be of different lengths to provide a different brushing dynamic. Bristles secured to the elevated portion  17   a  may be longer near the upper elevated portion  16   a  and shorter near the lower elevated portion  14   a , or vice versa, to provide the desired brushing profile. For example, most teeth are thicker near the gum line. As such, shorter bristles may be desired for brushing portions of the tooth near the gum line. 
         [0030]    In use, the chew toy is given to a pet, for example, a dog. As the dog chews on the chew toy, the dog&#39;s teeth make contact with the elevated portion  17 . The upper elevated portion  16  can be tapered or curved, such as shown in  FIG. 2 , to facilitate the sliding of teeth over and down the upper elevated portion  16  to the lower elevated portion  14 , during which time adjacent bristles are simultaneously in contact with both the inner and outer surface of a dog&#39;s tooth to effect dental cleaning. 
         [0031]    The chew toy  10  may have a greater or lesser number of elevated portions than that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, elevated portions and/or bristles may be intermittent throughout the surface of the chew toy. The size of the chew toy, the distance between adjacent elevated portions  17 , and the length of the bristles can vary depending on the type or size of the animal for which the chew toy is used. The chew toy  10  may also comprise a squeak toy disposed within the chew toy  10  to amuse the pet and encourage the pet to continue to chew on the chew toy. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the chew toy. The chew toy  20  can be spherical for pets that prefer ball-shaped chew toys. The chew toy  20  comprises circular or ring shaped elevated portions  24  disposed throughout the surface  23  of the chew toy  20 . Elevated portions  24  may have upper and lower elevated portions as described with respect to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Bristles  26  are secured within the region defined by the elevated portions  24 , and are oriented towards the center of ring. Bristles may also be secured on the outer side  27  of the elevated portion  24  such that the bristles point away from the center of the ring shaped elevated portion  24 . 
         [0033]    The elevated portions  24  may be any shape, and can be arranged in any pattern on the surface  23  of the chew toy, including in rows, curved lines, or stitching to mimic game balls such as a baseball or a basket ball. The surface  23  may be a cloth cover, or any other soft cover. 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  illustrates yet another alternate embodiment of the chew toy  30  wherein the arrangement of the elevated portions can spell out words  38 , letters, pictorial representations, or any other pattern on the chew toy. The chew toy in  FIG. 4  has an elongated body  32  along which words, letters, and other depictions can be displayed. 
         [0035]    The surface  33  of the elongated body  32  can be a cloth cover, or any other soft material. Words or patterns may be arranged on the elongated body  32  as shown, with the outline of each letter defined by elevated portions  34 . Elevated portions are arranged such that bristles  36  secured to the outer elevating portion  34  and bristles  37  secured to the inner elevating portion  35  are oriented towards each other, thus allowing both sides of a tooth to be brushed simultaneously when a pets teeth is between the bristles. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the chew toy. As illustrated, the chew toy  40  is dumbbell shaped with bristles located on the rounded distal ends. The chew toy  40  comprises a mechanism for dispensing pet treats. The chew toy  40  comprises soft portions  42  on either end, which give the chew toy its dumbbell shape. The soft portions  42  may have a foam interior, or contain stuffing, which is enclosed by a cloth or fabric material  43 . Other soft materials may be used for covering the interior of the soft portions  42 . Soft portions comprise elevated portions  17  comprising an upper elevated portion  16  and a lower elevated portion  14 , on which bristles  18  are secured and from which the bristles extend. 
         [0037]    The mechanism for dispensing pet treats comprises two coaxial tubes. An inner tube  52  contains food and is disposed coaxially within an outer tube  44 . Inner tube  52  comprises inner tube holes  56  which, when aligned with outer tube holes  48 , allow the treats in the inner tube  52  to exit the inner tube  52 . The outer tube comprises a groove  50  which extends for at least a portion of the length of the outer tube  44 . The inner tube  52  comprises a tongue  55  which extends for at least a portion of the length of the inner tube  52 . When the inner tube  52  and the outer tube  44  are aligned such that the tongue  55  and groove  50  engage, the outer tube holes  48  and the inner tube holes  56  are aligned with each other to allow the pet to access the treat. Each of the inner tube  52  and outer tube  44  have flap closures  53 ,  45  respectively, which are connected to their respective tubes via living hinges  54 ,  46 . Flap closures may be snapped into position to close the tube. Any other suitable mechanism for sealing the end of the tube to contain pet treats within may be used. 
         [0038]    Inner tube  52  further comprises a closure flap  58  which can be used to cover the inner tube holes  56  when communication of the inner tube  52  to the outer tube  44  is not desired. In another embodiment, the inner and outer tubes are of suitable dimension to allow the inner tube to rotate freely within the outer tube without the use of a tongue and groove aligning mechanism. A pet is then challenged to move the chew toy until at least one inner tube hole and outer tube hole pair align so as to allow the pet access to the chew toy. The holes may be of any suitable size or shape to accommodate various types of pet treats. 
         [0039]      FIG. 7  illustrates a dumbbell shaped chew toy  59  comprising more than one orientation of bristles  65  on the surface. The spherical ends  66  of the chew toy comprise longitudinally oriented elevated portions  64  and bristles  65  secured to the longitudinally arranged elevated portions. The surface  61  of the chew toy  59  can be a cloth covering which is disposed over a central core  63 . The surface  61  material may be cloth cover, or any other material suitable for a chew toy such as a plastic or rubber material. The core  63  may be a foam material, plastic, rubber, or comprise a stuffing material such as cotton or other suitable material. 
         [0040]    The central portion  67  of the dumbbell shaped chew toy  59  comprises elevated portions  64 . Elevated portions  64  comprise upper elevated portion  60  and lower elevated portions  62 , along the circumference of the cylindrical shaped central portion of the chew toy, in a similar manner as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Bristles  65  extend from the elevated portions  64  laterally. By providing bristles in various orientations, the chew toy is able to accommodate a wide range of various chewing habits of pets. 
         [0041]    In other embodiments, elevated portions can be at different elevations from the surface of the chew toy to take into consideration the various types of teeth a pet has, or to take into consideration the different dental patterns of various pet species. In an alternative embodiment, protrusions can be oriented in accordance with dental patterns of various types and/or sizes of pet teeth. 
         [0042]    Bristles can be made from nylon, polypropylene, or polyester, or a combination thereof. Bristles can also be made from other suitable materials known to one skilled in the art. Bristles may be tab mounted brushes which can be arranged in a single row as illustrated in  FIG. 2B  or  2 C, or may be arranged in a double row as illustrated in  FIG. 2D . Bristles  120  can be welded or mounted, or otherwise attached on to tabs  100  which are connected to a backing  110 . Alternatively, the bristles may be secured between the tab and the backing. The bristles  120  are attached to the chew toy by securing at least a portion of the backing region  110  to the surface of the chew toy. Bristles can be any cross sectional shape, any size in diameter, or any length depending on the type of pet the chew toy is designed for. In one embodiment, bristles may be made from 0.010″ polypropylene monofilament with 150 ends per inch (EPI) and a pile height of 0.490″. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2B to 2D , the bristles which are to be attached to the chew toy may be pre-disposed at a downward angle “α” in anticipation of a slight upward fluctuation of the bristles when sewn or otherwise attached to the chew toy. Downward angle “α” may be between 0 to 45 degrees from the horizontal axis. The final orientation of the bristle may vary depending on the shape and compressibility of the chew toy, as well as the orientation of the bristles on the surface of the chew toy. Preferably the final orientation of the bristle is horizontal. A horizontal orientation may be achievable by adjusting and optimizing a combination of the following: the initial downward angle of the bristles, the downward force exerted on the backing  110  to secure the bristles onto the chew toy, the shape of the chew toy, and the orientation of the bristles on the surface of the chew toy. 
         [0043]    The surface of the chew toy may be a fabric material made from suitable materials such as cotton, nylon, polyester and other synthetic materials, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments the surface of the chew toy may be a rubber or synthetic polymeric material covering. The surface of the chew toy can be either water absorbent or water resistant, and is preferably easy to clean. The surface of the chew toy may be made from an antibacterial material or be treated with an antibacterial layer. 
         [0044]    The central core may be made from foam, rubber, plastic, or contain stuffing material made from synthetic materials. The central core may be continuous and generally solid, or may be hollow, or contain at least a hollow portion. A noise making mechanism, such as a squeaking mechanism, or a device which plays pre-recorded sound may also be disposed within the central core. 
         [0045]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. 
         [0046]    All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.