WO2025012641A1

WO2025012641A1 - Pet dental chews

Info

Publication number: WO2025012641A1
Application number: PCT/GB2024/051801
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adele VOKE
Original assignee: Triangle Partners Limited
Priority date: 2023-07-10
Filing date: 2024-07-10
Publication date: 2025-01-16

Abstract

The invention provides a pet dental chew comprising: a shell (1) formed from a first solid material, the shell (1) defining a cavity (5), and a gel material (8) that is located in the cavity (5). Ideally the shell (1) defines one or more projection (6) extending into the cavity (5) from the shell (1) such that the gel (8) is located therearound. The cavity (5) may be a generally trough shaped recess formed in one side of the chew. The invention also provides a method of making a pet dental chew comprising: combining and processing the ingredients for a first material to a mouldable consistency and then moulding the first material into a shell defining one or more cavity; mixing and heating the ingredients for a gel material to form a liquid and pouring that into the cavity; and then cooling so that the gel material sets and drying the filled chew.

Description

Pet Dental Chews

The present invention relates to chews for pets, especially but not exclusively dogs. The chews of the present invention are to aid dental health in pets.

There are many known dental chews for pet dogs. These are mostly hard moulded shapes, which are designed to grind and thereby clean the dog’s teeth when the dog is chewing on them. Existing chew products are dry and hard, and rely on the physical abrasion as the pet’s teeth grind the chew to thereby cause cleaning of the teeth. As the chew rubs on the tooth surface it cleans that section in contact by rubbing off the plaque.

To clean more of the teeth, a dog is encouraged to chew for a long time. When chewing, the teeth are in contact with the food, which gives good physical friction and achieves teeth grinding and cleaning. However as only parts of the teeth touch the chew, only those parts are cleaned. The entire tooth is not in contact with the chew so cleaning is partial.

The present invention aims to improve such products to achieve better cleaning.

According to the present invention there is provided a pet dental chew comprising: a shell formed from a first solid material, the shell defining a cavity, and a second gel material that is located in the cavity.

The shell, or main body, provides the main mechanical structure of the chew. The first solid material from which it is formed provides a hard substrate for chewings and to abrade plaque from the teeth. The gel material is ideally resilient and chewable at room temperature and below. The gel is carried by and/or supported by the shell of hard material. Ideally the cavity is open on one or more sides or faces of the shell so that it can be immediately accessed by chewing teeth of the upper and/or lower jaws.

Preferably one or more projection or protuberance of first material is defined by the shell and extends into the cavity. The gel material in the cavity locates around one or more or the or each projection. These projections can provide enhanced mechanical adhesion between the gel and first material. These projections can also form additional surfaces against which the chewing teeth will abrade. As teeth abrade the projections they are also pressed into the gel. The gel may be deformable, chewy and/or malleable when bitten and will contact all around the tooth that is pressed therein.

Ideally there are multiple projections extending into a cavity. This can provide an array of projections for a better chewing and cleaning experience. Ideally the projections are spaced from each other in some or all directions such that one or more tooth of a pet can fit between adjacent projections as the chew is masticated by that pet.

The shape of the pet dental chew may be specifically suited to the jaw shape and chewing habits of the pet. The chew may be generally elongate. It could for example be shaped like a bone (bulbus ends on an elongate shaft). The cavity may likewise be a wide variety of shapes. Preferably the cavity is a generally trough shaped recess formed in the chew and opening on one side of the chew.

The chew of the present invention is preferable designed to be frozen before use. Such freezing in a domestic freezer would be down to about -18°C. Ideally the gel material is set but chewy at room temperature and remains so when frozen. The first material is solid at room temperature but will harden with freezing. The shell may be formed to a suitable shape by moulding, extrusion or other known techniques using the first material. It may be subsequently cooled or dried either before or after the gel is introduced to the cavity. The moulding may ideally be by injection moulding. The gel material may be poured as a hot liquid into the cavity and then allowed to set in situ.

As noted the pet dental chew may be freezable and may be given to the pet when frozen. Freezing of the product helps to soothe any discomfort being suffered by pet with dental issues such as inflamed gums. Freezing also harden the product for better abrasion resistance.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a pet dental chew as disclosed herein comprising: combining and mixing the ingredients for a first material to a mouldable consistency; moulding the first material to form a hard shell that defines a cavity; mixing and heating the ingredients for a gel material to form a liquid; pouring that liquid gel material into the cavity; cooling so that the gel material sets in the cavity; and drying the filled shell.

The invention provides a chew with a hard, chewable moulded shell with a soft chewy filling. The hard surfaces of the shell rub on the teeth and the soft chewy inner allows teeth to become embedded therein to clean all around those teeth.

The soft chewy gel material provides a certain degree of stickiness, which is similar to chewing gum, giving resistance and cleaning teeth. The present invention provides a chew that increases the chewing time via grinding the product and chewing of the soothing gel. The main raw materials of the first material may include starch, chicken, glycerine, and cellulose.

The chew may be made by using a new pouring process where heated liquid gel material with good fluidity is poured into the cavity and cooled to set to the shape. The formula of the gel material provides good fluidity so it will flow in the filing step to fill the cavity and locate around any protections. The gel material is filled into the moulded part while it is hot, and it is then cooled and dried. The gel formula contains gelatine and may also have glycerine and chicken. During production, the gelatine is heated and combined with auxiliary materials. The gel may contain tea polyphenols and magnolol which have dentally beneficial properties.

The chewable gel sits in the cavity. After drying, it shows a soft texture, which may still look wet (even though it’s dry). When dried the gel may remains sticky as the gelatine in the formula plays a thickening role, and at the same time enhances the water retention of the whole chew together with glycerine.

In order that it be better understood, but by way of example only the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a pet chew according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of such a pet chew without the gel material;

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 but now with a gel filing; and

Figure 4 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of manufacturing process for a chew according to the present invention.

Figures 1 to 3 show a pet chew having an injection moulded shell 1 formed of a hard first material. The shell has an elongate shape analogous to a bone with paw print patterns 2 in relief on the upper surface of end regions 3. Small protrusions form part of that and the design is symmetrical at both ends, which conforms to desired aesthetics. In addition, the middle part of the top face has a desired logo, 4.

As shown in Figure 2, which is from the opposed lower face, the shell 1 defines a trough shaped cavity 5 on the reverse side. A plurality of rounded projections 6 extend from the shell into the cavity 5. The projections 6 are in a regular pattern such that teeth can at least in part locate on or between the projections. The free ends of these projections 6 are below or near the level of the lip 7 of the shell around the cavity.

As can be seen in Figure 3 in the complete chew, the cavity 5 is partially or wholly filled with a chewable gel 8. That gel 8 is poured into the cavity in a heated liquid form and sets in place. It flows around the projections 6 and it sticks to the first material. The projections providing a larger contact area with the teeth, and at the same time increase the durability time of the chewable gel.

The chew may be manufactured by a process as set out in the flow diagram of Figure 4. That process is set out below:

First the raw materials are weighed at step 20. For the first material for the shell these include: Potato starch (to increase product transparency and enhance product bubble feeling), corn starch, glycerine, chicken powder, crude fibre (to increase product toughness and improve product hydrophobicity), potassium sorbate, calcium propionate. The ingredients of the gel material are separately weighed and include: gelatine (the main raw material of the gel formula) excipients to increase transparency and provide soft texture, chicken powder and other raw materials

The raw ingredients for each material are then separately added (step 22) to mixers according to their appropriate ratio, with the right amount of water, and are stirred for more than 5 minutes before setting aside. At step 24 the mixture of first material is plasticized and granulated. The granulator is configured according to production needs, and then the mixed ingredients are added into the granulator at 65°C, and the feeding speed is 100r/min, the main machine speed is 200r/min.

At 26 an injection moulding machine is configured according to the production needs with the relevant moulds to receive the granulated material. The material is then injected by an injection moulding machine into a corresponding mould at 65°C, screw speed 30r/min, and back pressure of 5 MPa.

Meanwhile at step 28 the gel ingredients are refined. The raw mixed ingredients are added to a constant temperature (85°C) hot mixer (stirring speed 10r/min). This is stirred until the solid material is completely melted/dissolved.

This liquid is the poured (step 30) into the shells produced by step 28 to fill the cavity. The liquid material is introduced using a stainless steel constant temperature (45°C) glue injector, to the cavity in the shell until it is appropriately filled.

At 32 the combined product is dried. It may be moved to a drying location and dried in an electric oven at a temperature of 65 °C and around 45% relative humidity.

Once dry it undergoes high temperature sterilization treatment at 90°C for 30 minutes. This is step 34. Then the dried and sterilised products are cooled to room temperature (36).

Metal detection occurs at step 38 to remove contaminated products. The metal content in the product comes from ultrafine metal particles in the air. Metal detectors pick out products with excessive metal content and these are rejected. The finished products are then put into inner packing bags at step 34, and sealed. The inner packaged product is put (step 42) into outer packaging bag and resealed so it is ready to be shipped.

Claims

1 . A pet dental chew comprising:

- a shell formed from a first solid material, the shell defining a cavity, and

- a gel material that is located in the cavity.

2. A pet dental chew as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shell defines a projection that extends into the cavity from the shell and the gel is located therearound.

3. A pet dental chew as claimed in claim 2 wherein there are multiple projections extending into the cavity.

4. A pet dental chew as claimed in claim 3 wherein the projections spaced from each other such that a pet tooth, or part thereof, can fit therebetween as the chew is masticated by a pet.

5. A pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the chew is generally elongate and the cavity is a generally trough shaped recess formed in one side of the chew.

6. A pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the gel material is chewy and remains so when frozen and the first material is solid at room temperature.

7. A pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the shell is formed by moulding of the first material, and the gel material is poured as a liquid into the cavity and allowed to set in situ.

8. A pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims which is freezable and provided to the pet when frozen.

9. A pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein multiple cavities are provided and these are each filled with gel material that may be same or different.

10. A method of making pet dental chew as claimed in any of the preceding claims comprising:

- combining and processing the ingredients for a first material to a mouldable consistency;

- moulding the first material into a shell defining one or more cavity;

- mixing and heating the ingredients for a gel material to form a liquid;

- pouring that liquid gel material into the or each cavity;

- cooling so that the gel material sets; and drying the filled chew.