The present invention is directed to the field of pet dental treats. More specifically, the present invention is related to a pet treat comprised of a substantially hard or hard edible material formed into ribs having channel portions for cleaning and removing tartar from pet teeth as it is being chewed. The edible treat is preferably comprised of a plurality of ribs/channels formed on two sides of a bulb portion. The present invention also has first and second end portions with protrusions for massaging and scraping the tongue of the pet for freshening breath.
The present invention is adapted to promote movement inside the mouth of the pet and is comprised of a unique combination of ribs, channels, cut-outs or openings, and protrusions for providing more ways to clean pet teeth, gums and tongues. The present invention also provides more surface area than traditional pet dental apparatus for promoting mouth cleanliness and health.
In one embodiment of the invention, the invention is comprised of: a plurality of circumferential ribs placed in a first row; a plurality of channels formed between the plurality of circumferential ribs of the first row of circumferential ribs; wherein the channels are adapted to accept pet teeth; a bulb portion formed in a substantially orb shape, having a first and second end, wherein the first end of the bulb portion is attached to a first end of the first row of circumferential ribs; a plurality of circumferential ribs placed in a second row; a plurality of channels formed between the plurality of circumferential ribs of the second row of circumferential ribs; wherein a first end of the second row of circumferential ribs is attached to the second end of the bulb portion; and wherein the plurality of circumferential ribs of the first and second rows and the bulb portion are comprised of a substantially hard or hard edible material formulated for removing tartar or plaque from the teeth as the pet dental apparatus is being chewed.
In an alternative embodiment, the dental apparatus is further comprised of: a first end portion attached to a second end of the first row of circumferential ribs; a plurality of protrusions on the first end portion for scraping a pet tongue; a second end portion attached to a second end of the second row of circumferential ribs; and a plurality of protrusions on the second end portion for scraping a pet tongue.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the particular embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In addition to the features mentioned above, other aspects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments, wherein like reference numerals across the several views refer to identical or equivalent features, and wherein:
The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying figures that form a part thereof. The detailed description provides explanations by way of exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be used having mechanical changes that incorporate the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In the preferred embodiment, the pet dental apparatus is comprised of a plurality of circumferential ribs placed in a first row 12; a plurality of channels 14 formed between the plurality of circumferential ribs of the first row of ribs 15; a bulb portion 16 formed in a substantially orb or circle shape having a first and second end 18, 20, and wherein the first end of the bulb portion is attached to a first end 22 of the first row of circumferential ribs.
In the preferred embodiment, the pet dental apparatus is also comprised of a plurality of circumferential ribs 23 placed in a second row 24. There are a plurality of channels 26 formed between the plurality of circumferential ribs of the second row of ribs. As illustrated, a first end 28 of the second row of circumferential ribs is attached to the second end of the bulb portion.
In the present invention “circumference” and “circumferential” refers to a curved geometric figure such as a circle or oval. In the present invention, “ribs” refers to the curved raised portions of the dental device. In the preferred embodiment, the ribs are formed in a circumferential shape. The channels formed between the ribs are adapted to accept pet teeth. The first and second rows of circumferential ribs are adapted to promote movement of the pet dental apparatus in a mouth of a pet.
In the preferred embodiment, the treats of the present invention have ribbed raised portions that extend fully around the treat. Therefore, the present invention does a better job of providing breakaway areas of smaller pieces to avoid choking hazards of larger pieces. The circumferential ribs also provide much more surface area to promote better teeth cleaning. In one embodiment, the first and second rows of circumferential ribs are each comprised of four circumferential ribs placed in a row aligned by a center axis A-A.
In one embodiment, the pet dental apparatus of the present invention is further comprised of a first end portion 38 attached to a second end 40 of the first row of circumferential ribs. The first end portion is preferably comprised of a plurality of protrusions 42 for scraping a pet tongue while it is being chewed (for the purpose of freshening breath). This embodiment is also comprised of a second end portion 44 attached to a second end 46 of the second row of circumferential ribs having a plurality of protrusions for scraping a pet tongue.
In the preferred embodiment, the entire pet dental treat is comprised of a substantially hard or hard edible material for removing tartar or plaque from the teeth as the pet dental apparatus is being chewed. In one embodiment, the pet dental apparatus is comprised of mint, parsley and chlorophyll for breath freshening. As one example, the pet dental apparatus is comprised of the following ingredients: rice flour, vegetable glycerin, wheat starch, water for processing, chicken, gelatin, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Natural Smoke Flavor, Mint Extract, Parsley, Calcium Carbonate, Cellulose Powder, Chlorophyll Green, preserved with Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate mixed tocopherols. In one embodiment, the dental treat of the present invention is comprised of 14% crude protein, 3% crude fat, 2% crude fiber, 22% moisture.
The pet can move the treat around in their mouth when chewing on one end, which also provides cleaning via the protrusion 42. The different size ribs enable the device to fit in different mouth sizes so one treat size can be fed to dogs of various sizes, thus reducing the need for more than 3 sizes of treats.
While certain embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, the scope of the invention is not to be considered limited by such disclosure, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention as evidenced by the following claims:
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4802444 | Markham | Feb 1989 | A |
5647302 | Shipp | Jul 1997 | A |
6739287 | Sarantis | May 2004 | B1 |
20060188632 | Nie | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20150090193 | Giarrizzo | Apr 2015 | A1 |
20170231195 | Dewey | Aug 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180271061 A1 | Sep 2018 | US |