Animal husbandry – Exercise or amusement device – Toy – lure – fetch – or related device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-17
2001-03-20
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Exercise or amusement device
Toy, lure, fetch, or related device
C119S710000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202598
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to molded pet toys and in particular to a pet toy formed with a durable body covered with a softer chewable coating.
2. Description of Prior Developments
Pet chew toys such natural bones and rawhide have long been given to pets for the purposes of amusement and enjoyment as well as for the exercise and health benefits obtained from vigorous chewing. Although pet toys made from natural materials function adequately, they have been in part replaced by more durable materials such as plastic and rubber.
There are currently numerous dog chew items on the market made from various materials including thermoplastics such as nylon and urethane, as well as from natural rubber. Each of these materials has its merits as well as its limitations. For example, molded nylon is an extremely hard material which can be formed into a long-lasting dog chew toy. Unfortunately, many dogs find nylon too hard to chew and avoid chewing on it. Natural rubber, which is softer and easier to deform and chew, is more often acceptable to a dog but is not as durable as nylon and therefore does not last as long in use as nylon.
Accordingly, a need exists for a pet chew toy which is durable yet which is relatively soft to bite and chew.
A further need exists for such a toy which can be molded from two or more materials such as plastic and/or rubber materials of different hardness and/or durometers.
Another need exists for such a chewable pet toy which can be formed with two or more different flavors or fragrances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above and therefore has as an object the provision of a chewable pet toy having a durable body covered with a softer chewable material which can be easily resiliently compressed between a pet's teeth and jaws.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a chewable pet toy having a durable nylon body or core which is covered at least in part by a softer covering layer of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or other softer plastic material.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a pet chew toy having a harder core or body having a first flavor or fragrance and having a softer covering layer having a different second flavor or fragrance.
These and other objects are met by the present invention which is directed to a chewable pet toy formed of two or more materials having different material properties, i.e, two different hardnesses. A core and covering layer may be formed by a coinjection plastic molding process with overmolding of the covering layer. This process creates a dog or other pet toy that is highly desirable and acceptable to a dog or other pet since a pet can easily sink its teeth into the covering layer without damaging the toy. In this manner, the toy is highly chewable and yet is also durable and long-lasting.
The core or body of the toy may be molded or otherwise formed as a bone or any other shape which is acceptable to promote chewing. The core may be molded from nylon and may be flavored by impregnation or coating with a beef or other flavorent or fragrance commonly available for use with pet toys. The bone or toy core may then be placed into a second molding machine where a thermoplastic rubber is molded over the core thereby covering all or part of the surface of the bone core.
In one embodiment, the bone or toy core may be molded with holes through it. Thermoplastic rubber from the softer cover layer travels through the holes and through the bone or toy to interconnect the cover layer on opposite sides of the bone core. This prevents the thermoplastic rubber from slipping off the bone or toy in the event that the base or core material and the overmolded material do not fuse during overmolding and the overmolded material is not otherwise sufficiently anchored to the base material.
If the core material and overmolded covering material fuse together or if the overmolded material surrounds a part of the base or core material, the holes may not be necessary. In this case, the bone core typically has no need for holes and the thermoplastic elastomer or rubber is simply molded and fused over sections or all of the bone core.
The bone or toy core, once molded out of a durable hard material such as nylon, can be transferred to a second molding machine. Alternatively, a two-material molding machine can be employed which uses a rotating platen to shuttle the bone or toy core from one material mold to the next.
The softer rubbery outer layer is, to a pet such as a dog, more appealing to chew, while a tough nylon core lasts longer than the soft outer layer and increases the useful life of the outer layer. Other possible material combinations include two different types of thermoplastic elastomers, each optionally having different flavorings or different durometers, two different types of plastics, each having different characteristics, and two different types of biodegradable materials, such as starch based resins, each having different flavorings. Similarly, different colors could be used in the core and covering layer to add to the aesthetic interest and appearance of the chew toy.
The aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form an integral part thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2185547 (1940-01-01), Fowler
patent: 3104648 (1963-09-01), Fisher
patent: 4771733 (1988-09-01), Axelrod
patent: 5263436 (1993-11-01), Axelrod
patent: 5339771 (1994-08-01), Axelrod
patent: 5419283 (1995-05-01), Leo
patent: 5647302 (1997-07-01), Shipp
patent: 5673653 (1997-10-01), Sherrill
Helfgott & Karas P.C.
JW Pet Company Inc.
Poon Peter M.
Shaw Elizabeth
LandOfFree
Chewable molded pet toy does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Chewable molded pet toy, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Chewable molded pet toy will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2532466