| PATENT NUMBER | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT GRANT DATE | 04.04.2000 |
| PATENT TITLE |
Dental care article for pets and process for producing the same |
| PATENT ABSTRACT |
There is provided an edible dental care article, that is so palatable to the taste of pets, clears residual food in the pet's mouth while chewed by a pet, thereby not only preventing adhesion of plaque and formation of dental calculus but giving a massage to the pet's gum. The edible dental care article for pets is characterized in that a casing material is processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner; one of the casing material or a combination of the casing material of several kinds, preferably combined with thread-like other proteins, carbohydrates or lipids, is twisted in a string-like manner; cord-like members are tied into a bundle or twisted together so as to make a rope-like member of a prescribed shape in conformity with the kind or size of a pet, with the twists of the rope-like member being treated so as not to loosen. |
| PATENT INVENTORS | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT ASSIGNEE | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT FILE DATE | June 16, 1998 |
| PATENT CT FILE DATE | July 29, 1997 |
| PATENT CT NUMBER | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT CT PUB NUMBER | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT CT PUB DATE | April 30, 1998 |
| PATENT FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT REFERENCES CITED | Supplemental Advertisement, Washington Post, Dec. 1995. |
| PATENT CLAIMS |
We claim: 1. An edible dental care article, fit to be eaten as food, for cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of pets during consumption of said edible dental care article comprising at least one of a processed casing material, made from an extract of at least one of a vegetable material and an animal material, and a natural casing material, comprising at least one of an animal gut and an animal skin, wherein said processed casing material is formed in one of a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, and a thin-tube-like manner, and wherein said natural casing material is selected from a group of natural casing materials formed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, and a thin-tube-like manner; wherein said at least one of the processed casing material and the natural casing material is twisted into a rope-like member of a prescribed shape and size, and wherein constituent parts of the twisted rope-like member are fixed by fastening means so as to retain a rope-like shape. 2. An edible dental care article, fit to be eaten as food, for cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of pets during consumption of said edible dental care article comprising at least one of a processed casing material, made from an extract of at least one of a vegetable material and an animal material, and a natural casing material, comprising at least one of an animal gut and an animal skin, wherein said processed casing material is formed in one of a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, and a thin-tube-like manner, and wherein said natural casing material is selected from a group of natural casing materials formed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, and a thin-tube-like manner, wherein said at least one of the processed casing material and the natural casing material is adjacently disposed to one another to form a bundled shape member and said bundled shape member is tied at a plurality of points by a fastening means. 3. An edible dental care article for pets according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said fastening means is a knot. 4. An edible dental care article for pets according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said processed casing material is formed in combination with at least one of a protein, a carbohydrate and a lipid, and wherein said natural casing material is formed in combination with at least one of a protein, a carbohydrate and a lipid. 5. An edible dental care article for pets according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said natural casing material and said processed casing material is flavored with a seasoning extract. 6. An edible dental care article for pets as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bundled shape member is fastened by said fastening means at regular intervals along said bundled shape member. 7. An edible dental care article for pets as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fastening means is a knot in said rope-like member. 8. An edible dental care article for pets as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastening means is a knot in said rope-like member. 9. A dental care article for pets as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bundled shape member is in the form of a cylinder. 10. An edible dental care article, fit to be eaten as food, for cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of animals during consumption of said edible dental care article comprising at least one of a processed casing material made from an extract of at least one of a vegetable material and an animal material, and a natural casing material, comprising at least one of an animal gut and an animal skin, wherein said natural casing material is shaped in a plurality of string-like forms and said plurality of string like forms are twisted to form a rope-like member, and wherein each end of said rope-like member is fixed by fastening means. 11. An edible dental care article for animals as claimed in claim 10, wherein said fastening means is a knot in said rope-like member. 12. An edible dental care article for animals as claimed in claim 10, wherein said natural casing material is formed in combination with at least one of a protein, a carbohydrate and a lipid. 13. An edible dental care article for animals as claimed in claim 10, wherein said natural casing material is flavored with a seasoning extract. |
| PATENT DESCRIPTION |
TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a dental care article for pets and a process for producing the same. More particularly, it relates to an edible dental care article that is so palatable to the taste of pets that a pet would like to chew it, and while chewed, it clears the mouth of residual food; and to a process for producing the same. BACKGROUND ART Available dental care articles for pets, such as dogs, for teeth protection include toothbrushes, with which an owner cleans the pet's teeth to remove plaque or tartar, and bone-like chewable articles which, while chewed, clean the teeth making use of the dogs' habit of toying. However, brushing dog's teeth troubles the owner, and it does not work if a dog hates its teeth being brushed. The chewable toy articles are not very effective because a dog loses interest in the same article soon. An object of the present invention is to settle the above-described problems and to provide a dental care article for pets which is very palatable to pets and is easy for a pet to hold in its mouth and chew but not easy to swallow, needing at least several tens of chews, nearly 100 chews or even more before it is capable of being swallowed. Such a dental care article will remove the food remaining on teeth while being chewed to prevent adhesion of plaque thereby to prevent formation of dental calculus (tartar). It will also give a thorough massage to the gum to prevent deterioration of the animal's teeth and to maintain the dental health of the animal. Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a dental care article for pets which accomplishes the above object and hardly allows microorganisms to proliferate. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As a result of extensive studies, the inventors of the present invention have succeeded in providing the following dental care articles for pets and a means for producing the same, which accomplish the above objects. (1) A dental care article for pets comprising an artificial casing material processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner; and/or a thread-like natural casing material or a string-like natural casing material or a thin-tube-like natural casing material; one or a combination of the artificial casing material and the natural casing material being twisted into a rope-like member of a prescribed shape in conformity with the kind or size of a pet, with the twists of the rope-like member being treated so as not to loosen. (2) A dental care article for pets comprising an artificial casing material processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner; and/or a thread-like natural casing material or a string-like natural casing material or a thin-tube-like natural casing material; one or a combination of the artificial casing material and the natural casing material being bundled and tied at both ends thereof and, if necessary, at regular intervals between the both ends into a bundle of a prescribed shape in conformity with the kind or size of a pet. (3) The dental care article for pets according to (1) or (2), wherein a fist-like knot is provided on one or a combination of the thread-like artificial casing material or the string-like artificial casing material or the thin-tube-like artificial casing material and/or the thread-like natural casing material or the string-like natural casing material or the thin-tube-like natural casing material being twisted into a rope-like member or being bundled, so as to fix the rope-like member or the bundle. (4) The dental care article for pets according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a fist-like knot is provided on one or a combination of a processed material that is the artificial casing material processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner being combined with other proteins, carbohydrates or lipids processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner and/or a processed material that is the thread-like natural casing material or the string-like natural casing material or the thin-tube-like natural casing material being combined with other proteins, carbohydrates or lipids processed in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner being twisted into a rope-like member or being bundled, so as to fix the rope-like member or the bundle. (5) The dental care article for pets according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the rope-like member or the bundle including the fist-like knot and being constituted by one or a combination of the artificial casing material, a combination of the artificial casing material and the processed material, the natural casing material, and/or a combination of the natural casing material and a processed material is flavored with a seasoning extract to improve palatability. (6) A process for producing a dental care article for pets comprising the steps of: processing an artificial casing material in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner and/or a natural casing material in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner, or a thin-tube-like manner; twisting one or a combination of the thread-like artificial casing material or the string-like artificial casing material or the thin-tube-like artificial casing material and/or the thread-like natural casing material or the string-like natural casing material or the thin-tube-like natural casing material into a rope-like member; treating the twists of the rope-like member so as not to loosen, then, heat-treating the rope-like member; and drying the rope-like member. The dental care articles of the present invention can be shaped in conformity with the kind or size of various pets. For dogs, for example, the thickness of the rope-like member and the length between knots that are usually made at both ends of the rope-like member are designed for dogs to be held in their mouth and chew easily but not to swallow easily. The similar considerations should be given to the articles for cats. The dental care articles of the present invention include those prepared by once twisting the thread-like artificial casing material, the string-like artificial casing material, the thin-tubes-like artificial casing material, the thread-like natural casing material, the string-like natural casing material, or the thin-tubes-like natural casing material together into a cord-like member, and then, twisting the cord-like members into a rope-like member or tying the cords into a bundle, fixing the rope-like member or bundle so as not to loosen, and cutting into a prescribed shape in agreement with the kind or size of pets. The term "cord-like member" as used herein is intended to comprise a twisted string-like member, a plurality of string-like members twisted together, a twisted thin-tube-like member, a bundle of thread-like member or line-like member, and a twisted bundle of the thread-like member or line-like member. The casing materials which can be used in the present invention include those used for ham and sausage products. The artificial or processed casing materials include those made of collagen, which are prepared by mechanically or chemically treating collagen into a paste and molding the paste in a thread-like manner, a string-like manner or a thin-tube-like manner, followed by drying. Therefore, the casing material can have not only a tubular form as is used for stuffing but any form that can be used in the form of a rope or a bundle. If desired, the collagen molecules can be crosslinked to enhance the strength and elasticity. In using collagen as a raw material of the casing material, the collagen does not always need to be 100% pure and can contain other proteins, fiber or any other components. Specific but non-limiting examples of the artificial or natural casing materials are shown below. The natural casing materials include cattle's gut (skin), pig's gut (skin), sheep's gut (skin), chicken's gut (skin), and other edible animal's gut (skin). (1) Animal Materials Fats and oils, such as beef tallow, lard, mutton tallow, chicken's fat; flesh, skin and guts of fishes, such as sharks, sea bream, horse mackerel, sardines, and tilefish; flesh and shells of crustaceans, such as shrimps and crabs; flesh and shells of shellfishes, such as great scallops and short-necked clams; flesh, skin, guts, tendons, and whiskers of animals, such as cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, chickens, and whales; yolk, albumen, and shells of eggs of poultry, such as chickens and quails; and milk, such as cow's milk, sheep's milk and goat's milk. These raw materials are mechanically or chemically processed to extract chitin, chitosan, collagen, gelatin, glue, casein, etc. in the form of a paste, molding the paste in a thin-tape-like manner or a thin-tube-like manner, and drying to obtain an artificial casing material. If desired, the constituent component can be crosslinked enzymatically (for example, with transglutaminase) or chemically to enhance the strength and elasticity. The skin of cattle, pigs and horses can be slit in a thread-like manner for use as such. Where the paste formed in a thin-tape manner or a thin-tube manner has insufficient strength, it can be used in combination with other materials having sufficient mechanical strength. (2) Vegetable Materials Cereals, such as millet, oats, barley, wheat, rice, buckwheat, and corn; tubers and starch, such as sweet potatoes, konjak, taros, and potatoes; seed vegetables, such as soybeans, adzuki beans, and green peas; vegetables, such as gourd peelings, taro stalks, butterburr, and loofah, and their fiber; algae, such as kelp (kombu) and agar-agar; mushrooms, such as shiitake mushrooms and cultivated mushrooms. These raw materials are mechanically or chemically treated into processed foods or extracts, such as spaghetti, macaroni, gluten, fen-tido (sticks of dried bean jelly), soya milk, dried bean curds, cellulose, etc. The extracts are made into a paste, which is molded in-a tube-like manner, followed by drying. Since the thus obtained cellulose is inferior in strength and taste, it is not used alone as an artificial casing material. Where the thin strings or tubes made from the paste have insufficient mechanical strength, they can be used in combination with other materials having sufficient strength. While the above-described vegetable materials mainly comprise carbohydrates and proteins, any other edible plant materials acceptable to palate can be used. The part of the dental care article that is to be chewed by a pet such as a dog has a rope-like shape made by directly twisting the thread-like casing material together or by once twisting the thread-like casing material together in a string-like manner and tying the twisted string-like casing material into a bundle or further twisting the twisted string-like casing material in a rope-like manner. Artificial casing material which is preferably used in the present invention is the paste of collagen molded in a string-like manner or a tube-like manner as described above. It is preferable that the thin-string-like or thin-tube-like molded members are twisted together in a string-like manner, and such string-like members are tied up into a bundle or further twisted together in a rope-like manner. Pig's gut or sheep's gut, which is a natural casing material, can be used likewise. The artificial or natural casing materials may be slit in a thread-like manner. Further, the thread-like members may be twisted together in a string-like manner. Further, the string-like members may be tied into a bundle or further twisted together in a rope-like manner. The skin of cattle, pigs or horses is slit in a thread-like manner, and the thread-like members are twisted together in a string-like manner. Further, the twisted string-like members are tied into a bundle or further twisted in a rope-like manner. The twists of the rope-like member should be treated so as not to loosen. In order to fix the twists of the rope-like member so as not to loosen, both ends, and sometimes the middle, of the rope-like member are tied, braided or fixed with an edible thread or string. Other known means for fixing, such as a pair of hoof-shaped fasteners or clips made of an edible material, can be used. Other various fixing means, such as an adhesive, heat sealing, and RF welding, can also be used. FIGS. 4 and 5 show heat-sealed joint 8 and RF welding joint 9, respectively. The degree of twisting the rope-like portion of the dental care article of the present invention is desirably such that allows pet's teeth to bite into the inside thread-like members or string-like members making up the rope-like member deep enough for the gums to reach the surface of the rope-like member. As a pet chews the dental care article of the present invention, food remaining in the mouth can be removed so that adhesion of plaque to the teeth -can be prevented. Generally available chewable articles for pets called dental gum which are made of hard cattle's skin, etc. are so solid that only the tips of teeth come into contact with the article while chewing. Therefore, they do not produce a massage effect nor a preventive effect on plaque adhesion. Besides, they do not please pet's palate. In a preferred embodiment of the dental care article of the present invention, at least the rope-like portion of the dental care article is provided with a pet's favorite flavor to improve the palatability to the taste of pets. The palatability of the dental care article of the present invention can be improved by a method comprising sufficiently providing at least part of the article with a seasoning extract having a taste or a flavor favored by pets, such as beef extract, pork extract, chicken extract or a mixture thereof, followed by drying, a method comprising filling the artificial or natural casing material with a pets' favorite flavor before twisting, or a method comprising intertwining a pets' favorite flavor with string-like members while twisted together in a rope-like manner, followed by drying. The rope-like portion of the dental care article can be impregnated with an effective amount of a fluorine compound having a preventive effect on dental cavities. The fluorine compound will act on teeth together with saliva, which is effective in protecting tooth against decay. The dental care article can also be provided with a small amount (prophylactic amount) of a medicine for the oral cavity, or a preservative. Where the dental care article is of the type that the rope-like member is knotted at both ends thereof for fixing, it is preferable that at least part of the rope-like member be provided with a seasoning extract or a favorite. The casing material manufactured as described above is cut to a desired length. When the cut rope-like member or bundle contains water more than necessary, it is preferably subjected to a heat treatment and then dried. The heat treatment can be carried out either by heating with moist heat or by ordinary heating. Where the rope-like member or bundle has been provided with a seasoning extract or a favorite by impregnation with an extract, etc., the drying treatment is preferred for hygiene to prevent proliferation of microorganisms during storage. Further, the heat treatment makes the rope-type dental care article into a better condition because the article shrinks on heating to become more thicker and more solid. The dental care article of the present invention generally has the rope-like shape as in conventional dental care articles but can have various other shapes. For example, it can have not only the shapes shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but also a loop-like member 10 shown in FIG. 6 or a chain shape shown in FIG. 7. The loop-like member 10 obtained by, twisting cord-like members which are made by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material together, bringing both ends of the twisted cord-like member close to each other, and fixing the ends of the twisted cord-like member with a fastener. The chain shape shown in FIG. 7 which is composed of two loops linked in a chain-like manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a string-like member made by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material. FIG. 2 shows a rope-like member made by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material together into a cord-like member and further twisting the twisted cord-like member, with its both ends knotted. FIG. 3 shows a bundle of thread-like members obtained by finely slitting cattle hide, tied up at regular intervals. FIG. 4 shows a rope-like member obtained by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material together into a cord-like member and further twisting the cord-like member, with its both ends heat-sealed. FIG. 5 shows a rope-like member by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material together into a cord-like member and further twisting the cord-like manner, with its both ends RF-welded. FIG. 6 shows a loop-like member obtained by, twisting cord-like members which are made by twisting pieces of an artificial casing material together, bringing both ends of the twisted cord-like member close to each other while forming the twisted cord-like member in a circular manner, and fixing the ends of the twisted cord-like member with a fastener. FIG. 7 shows two loop-like members of FIG. 6 linked in a chain-like manner. Reference numerals in the Figures have the following meanings. 1 . . . Artificial casing material 2 . . . Cord-like member 3 . . . Fastener 4 . . . Thread-like member 5 . . . Dental care article for pets 6 . . . Knot 7 . . . Bundle 8 . . . Heat-sealed joint 9 . . . RF welded joint 10 . . . Loop-like member BEST EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will now be illustrated in greater detail with reference to Examples, but it should be understood that the present invention is not construed as being limited thereto. |
| PATENT EXAMPLES | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT PHOTOCOPY | Available on request |
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