Abstract:
A multifunctional, disposable training pad useful for housebreaking pets, particularly canines, that preferably comprises a moisture-absorbing filler material captured between a permeable top sheet and an impermeable bottom sheet, the bottom sheet having two parallel, releasable adhesive strips, one strip being located proximally to each of two oppositely disposed edges of the pad to facilitate selective attachment to a floor surface or to an adjacent pad, the pad also including an animal attractant composition and optionally including a chew-deterrent composition having a non-deterring scent.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to disposable pads useful for housebreaking animals, especially puppies, and more particularly relates to disposable training pads having one or more attractant scents, means for creating a variable-sized training area, and optionally, a bitter-tasting component having a substantially neutral scent to deter puppies from chewing on the pads.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     The use of disposable pads for housebreaking puppies is well known. Such pads are commercially available and typically comprise an absorbent filler material disposed between a flexible, plastic backing sheet that serves as a moisture barrier and a moisture-permeable, non-woven top sheet. Because the plastic backing sheets tend to slide around on a floor, adhesive pads and strips have previously been used to maintain the pads in a desired location during use. In practice, many users of prior art pads have overlapped two or more pads to increase the effective surface area and thereby reduce the likelihood of accidents arising from “missing the pad.” However, simply overlapping the pads is often ineffective because the pads get moved around before, during or after use, creating gaps or bare spots where leakage occurs.  
         [0005]     The use of various materials for modifying the excretory behavior of animals, including dogs, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,826 and the references identified therein.  
         [0006]     The use of scented substances as attractants to induce dogs to eliminate on an animal waste collection pad is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,677, which further discloses the use of tapes or drawstrings bonded to a backing sheet in alignment with folded-over sections to reinforce the assembly and for use in tying the pad into a bundle for disposal.  
         [0007]     The use of a plurality of parallel adhesive strips, each having a peelable plastic film or shielding material, to releasably secure absorbent pads to the floor of a pet cage or carrier is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,772. The shielding material is preferably attached to the pad so that even after it is peeled back to expose the adhesive surface of the strip, it remains connected to the pad during use and does not require disposal.  
         [0008]     The use of a bitter chemical such as quinine to impregnate the surface of a pet marking restraint device and thereby prevent the animal from chewing and tearing at the device is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,408.  
         [0009]     Puppy training pads have previously been marketed that have two parallel adhesive strips, with each strip being placed 2.5 inches from one of two opposite edges of the pad. Such pads cannot be easily interconnected to form a training area having a useful surface larger than that of a single pad without excessive overlap that significantly diminishes the available useful surface.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The pet training pads of the invention are specially constructed to facilitate attachment to each other to produce a larger effective training surface for pets, especially puppies. Preferably, the subject pads are rectangular, and most preferably square, and comprise two parallel strips of releasable adhesive that are spaced inwardly from each of two oppositely disposed pad edges and extend continuously across the pad. Each strip is preferably spaced inwardly from the nearest parallel edge by a distance that approximates the width of the strip. According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, each adhesive strip is about 0.5 inches wide and is spaced about 0.5 inches inwardly from the nearest edge of the pad. While the precise dimensions are not critical to the invention, the concept of providing parallel, continuous, full-length, releasable adhesive strips spaced inwardly of two opposite pad edges by a distance equaling approximately one strip width is believed to be novel and particularly useful for connecting a plurality of pads to create a larger usable surface while simultaneously releasably attaching each of the pads to an underlying substrate such as a floor surface.  
         [0011]     The pet training pads of the invention preferably further comprise a material having a scent that functions as an attractant and increases the tendency of a puppy or other pet to eliminate on the pad. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the attractant is in the form of a fine granular or powdered substance that is distributed throughout the absorbent filler material during manufacture, although it will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure that an attractant material can also be incorporated into or coated onto a pad by other similarly effective means such as spraying, and the like.  
         [0012]     The pet training pads of the invention optionally further comprise a substance that is distasteful to animals and that can be incorporated into the subject pads to discourage animal users, especially puppies, from chewing on the pads. The distasteful component will preferably not, however, have a scent that deters usage of the pad by the animal.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     A preferred training pad of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a bottom plan view, partially broken away, of a preferred embodiment of the multifunctional canine training pad of the invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevation view, partially broken away, taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the pad of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevation view, partially broken away, depicting the releasable attachment of the pad of  FIG. 1  to a floor surface;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a simplified diagrammatic bottom plan view of two of the subject multifunctional canine training pads disposed in overlapping relationship, with an adhesive strip of one pad releasably securing it to an adjacent pad;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a simplified diagrammatic bottom plan view of three of the subject multifunctional canine training pads releasably joined in a linear array to create a training surface larger than that depicted in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a simplified diagrammatic bottom plan view of three of the subject multifunctional canine training pads releasably joined in an L-shaped array to create a training surface larger than that depicted in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a simplified diagrammatic bottom plan view of four of the subject multifunctional canine training pads releasably joined in a substantially square array to create a training surface larger than that depicted in any of  FIGS. 5-7 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional elevation view, partially broken away, taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 5 .  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , a preferred embodiment of training pad  10  of the invention comprises a web of moisture absorbing filler material  14  disposed between a moisture permeable top sheet  28  and a moisture impermeable backing sheet  12  that are sealed together around the edges. Moisture absorbing filler material  14  is preferably a cellulosic or polymeric material, and can comprise, for example, a mat of woven or non-woven natural or synthetic fibers, hydrophillic material, and mixtures thereof. Tissue paper and super absorbent polymer (SAP) are illustrative examples of types of filler material  14  suitable for use in the invention. Backing sheet  12 , preferably a foldable, lightweight polymeric sheet, that is depicted in the drawings as being folded upwardly and over the side edges of top sheet  28  at sides  24 ,  26  of training pad  10 , and then sealed to the outwardly facing surface of top sheet  28  by heat-sealing, by use of an adhesive, or by any other similarly effective means. It should be appreciated, however, that folding backing sheet  12  upwardly and over the side edges of top sheet  28  at sides  24 ,  26  is not required for practicing other embodiments of the invention. Top sheet  28  is preferably made of a non-woven fibrous polymeric material that is moisture permeable but resistant to tearing during use. Strips  16 ,  18  of commercially available releasable adhesive are preferably disposed parallel to sides  24 ,  26  on the back surface of backing sheet  12  and each is desirably covered with a peel-away release strip  20 ,  22 . Release strips  20 ,  22  can be made of any suitable material, such as coated paper, and are preferably wider than adhesive strips  16 ,  18  to facilitate removal.  
         [0024]     Although the shape and dimensions of training pad  10  can vary, pads that are rectangular, and most preferably substantially square, are preferred to facilitate attachment to other pads to create larger surfaces. The width of adhesive strips  16 ,  18  can also vary, with the use of wider strips being generally preferred for use with wider pads. A significant aspect of the present invention is the placement of adhesive strips  16 ,  18  in relation to side edges  24 ,  26 , respectively, of pad  10 . Strips  16 ,  18  are preferably parallel to each other, with one of strips  16 ,  18  being disposed proximally to each side edge. Most preferably, each of strips  16 ,  18  is disposed about one strip width inwardly of the respective side edge of training pad  10 . An adhesive strip width and edge spacing of about 0.5 inches each are particularly preferred for use with substantially square training pads  10  having sides ranging, for example, between 22 and 24 inches.  
         [0025]     Adhesive strips  16 ,  18  of training pad  10  function in one of two ways, depending upon whether training pad  10  is used alone or in combination with other such pads to create a training surface having a larger area. If training pad  10  is used alone, both of release strips  20 ,  22  are peeled away and removed, and adhesive strips  16 ,  18  are each pressed downwardly against an underlying substrate, typically a non-carpeted floor surface, to releasably attach training pad  10  to the floor in a desired location.  FIG. 2  depicts a broken-away side section of training pad  10  prior to the removal of release strip  20  from adhesive strip  16 .  FIG. 4  depicts the same section of training pad  10  as in  FIG. 2 , but with release strip  20  removed for releasable attachment of adhesive strip  16  to substrate  30  as indicated by arrow  32 .  
         [0026]     If training pad  10  is to be used in combination with other such pads, as is described in greater detail below in relation to FIGS.  5  to  9 , one or both of adhesive strips  16 ,  18  can be used instead to attach the back side of one pad along an edge of the front side of a different pad. When training pad  10  is used in this manner, and depending upon the number of pads connected to create a larger training surface and upon the configuration of the larger surface, each pad can be releasably attached to both the underlying floor and to an adjacent pad, or, as shown in  FIG. 7 , to two adjacent pads. Where a training pad  10  is attached to two adjacent pads, the combined training surface will still be attachable to the floor surface using one or more available adhesive strips on the other pads. The type and amount of adhesive used is preferably such that training pads  10  can be attached to a floor surface or to another pad, then subsequently pulled apart and reattached for repositioning or relocation without damage to the pad. The use of a releasable adhesive will also facilitate replacement of a soiled pad within a training surface comprising more than one pad.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 5 and 9  depict a bottom plan view of a composite pet housetraining pad  34  comprising two substantially square pet training pads  36 ,  38  made as described above in relation to training pad  10 . As viewed from the bottom, training pad  38  is rotated 90 degrees relative to pad  36  so that edge  42  of pad  38  lies above pad  36  and overlaps edge  44  of pad  36 , thereby permitting adhesive strip  43  of pad  38  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  36 , as is best seen in  FIG. 9 . Referring to  FIG. 9 , adhesive strip  43  provides a continuous seal between pads  36 ,  38  to prevent fluid leakage between them, and also reduces the likelihood that a puppy, for example, can insert a paw or its nose between edge  42  and edge  44  to pull pads  36 ,  38  apart. When training pads  36 ,  38  are aligned and attached to each other in the configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , adhesive strips  40 ,  41  of pad  36  and adhesive strip  46  of pad  38  can still be used to releasably attach composite pad  34  to an underlying support surface, thereby reducing the likelihood that composite pad  34  will be unintentionally or accidentally moved.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  depicts a bottom plan view of a composite pet housetraining pad  50  comprising three substantially square pet training pads  52 ,  54 ,  56  made as described above in relation to training pad  10 . As viewed from the bottom, training pads  52 ,  54 ,  56  are linearly aligned and pad  54  is rotated 90 degrees relative to pads  52 ,  56 . Edge  62  of pad  54  lies above pad  52  and overlaps edge  58  of pad  52 , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  54  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  52 . Similarly, edge  64  of pad  54  lies above pad  56  and overlaps edge  60  of pad  56 , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  54  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  56 . When training pads  52 ,  54 ,  56  are aligned and attached to each other in the configuration shown in  FIG. 6 , adhesive strips  59 ,  61  of pad  52  and adhesive strips  63 ,  65  of pad  56  can still be used to releasably attach composite pad  50  to an underlying support surface.  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  depicts a bottom plan view of a composite pet housetraining pad  66  comprising three substantially square pet training pads  68 ,  70 ,  72  made as described above in relation to training pad  10 . As viewed from the bottom, training pads  68 ,  70 ,  72  are aligned in an angular array and pad  72  is rotated 90 degrees relative to pads  68 ,  70  so that edge  76  of pad  72  lies above pad  68  and overlaps edge  74  of pad  68 , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  72  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  68 . Similarly, edge  80  of pad  70  lies above pad  72  and overlaps edge  78  of pad  72 , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  70  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  72 . When training pads  68 ,  70 ,  72  are oriented and attached to each other in the configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , adhesive strips  82 ,  84  of pad  68 , adhesive strip  86  of pad  70  and adhesive strip  88  of pad  72  can still be used to releasably attach composite pad  66  to an underlying support surface.  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  depicts a bottom plan view of a composite pet housetraining pad  90  comprising four substantially square pet training pads  8   a ,  8   b ,  8   c ,  8   d  made as described above in relation to training pad  10 . As viewed from the bottom, training pads  8   a ,  8   b ,  8   c ,  8   d  are aligned and releasably connected in a substantially square array, with pads  8   b ,  8   d  being rotated 90 degrees relative to pads  8   a ,  8   c  so that edge  94  of pad  8   b  lies above pad  8   a  and overlaps edge  92  of pad  8   a , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  8   b  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  8   a . Similarly, edge  98  of pad  8   c  lies above pad  8   b  and overlaps edge  96  of pad  8   b , thereby permitting one adhesive strip (not visible) of pad  8   c  to be releasably attached to an adjacent portion of the upwardly facing surface of pad  8   b . Similarly, edge  102  of pad  8   d  lies above pad  8   c  and overlaps edge  100  of pad  8   c . Similarly, edge  110  of pad  8   d  lies above pad  8   a  and overlaps edge  108  of pad  8   a . When training pads  8   a ,  8   b ,  8   c ,  8   d  are oriented and attached to each other in the configuration shown in  FIG. 8 , adhesive strips  104 ,  112  of pad  8   a , adhesive strip  114  of pad  8   b , adhesive strip  116  of pad  8   c , and adhesive strip  106  of pad  8   d  can still be used to releasably attach composite pad  90  to an underlying support surface.  
         [0031]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  4  and  9 , moisture absorbing filler material  14  of training pad  10  is preferably treated with or comprises a minor amount of an attractant component that is effective for promoting use of the subject training pad for urination by pets, especially young dogs. The attractant can, for example, be sprayed onto filler material  14  or top sheet  28  during manufacture of pad  10  or incorporated into filler material  14  as a particulate component if desired. Various natural and synthetic scents known to those of skill in the art, some of which are disclosed above, can be used as the attractant component. Formulations of various compositions considered for use as attractants are published in the appendix of an article titled “Evaluating Odour Attractants for Control of Wild Dogs,”  Wildlife Research,    1992, 19, 211-19 . A preferred formulation selected from those presented is as follows: 
        418 ml caproic acid     351 ml butyric acid 
            71 ml hexyl amine     72 ml trimethyl amine 
                6 ml dimethyl disulfide     2 ml 2-mercaptoethanol    
                90 ml ethyl caproate 
 
 Other attractants not identified in the article that can be used in training pads  10  of the invention include, for example, p-cresyl acetate and phenyl acetic acid. 
   
               
 
         [0039]     Training pad  10  can further comprise a minor amount of a composition distasteful to animals that will effectively discourage a pet, particularly a puppy, from chewing on the pad. One such composition is a bitter-tasting compound, denatonium benzoate, marketed under the trademark BITREX by Macfarlan Smith Limited. Another compound for possible use in this capacity is glyceryl-mono-laurate. The chew-deterrent composition will desirably not have a scent or odor that will also deter the animal from approaching training pad  10  for urination or elimination. Depending upon the material used, the chew-deterrent composition can, for example, be incorporated into training pad  10  in dry or powder form, or can be applied to the pad as a liquid by spraying or rolling, or by another similarly effective method.  
         [0040]     Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.