Digestible Pet Chew and Method for Producing a Digestible Pet Chew
First Claim
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1. A method for forming a digestible pet chew, comprising:
- combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture;
adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine;
plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material;
injecting the plasticized material into a mold;
cooling said material in said mold for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a center portion;
opening said mold to allow said center portion to expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digestible pet chew and method for making a digestible pet chew is provided. The method includes combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture, adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine and plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material. The plasticized material is injected into a mold and cooled for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a center portion. When the mold is opened, the center portion expands to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center.
29 Citations
116 Claims
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1. A method for forming a digestible pet chew, comprising:
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combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture; adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine; plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material; injecting the plasticized material into a mold; cooling said material in said mold for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a center portion; opening said mold to allow said center portion to expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A digestible pet chew comprising:
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an outer skin layer; and an expanded center being surrounded by said outer skin layer, said outer skin layer and said expanded center being formed by injecting a plasticized mixture including an encapsulated leavening agent and an acid into a mold and cooling said mixture in said mold to form a digestible pet chew. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for forming a digestible pet chew, comprising:
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combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having 16 to 32% moisture; adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine; plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material; injecting the plasticized material into a mold, said mold having a cavity thickness of less than one inch; cooling said material in said mold for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a thin center portion; opening said mold to allow said center portion to expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and a thin expanded center. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A thin digestible pet chew comprising:
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an outer skin layer; and an expanded center being surrounded by said outer skin layer, said outer skin layer and said expanded center being formed by injecting, into a mold, a plasticized mixture including an encapsulated leavening agent and an acid. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method of forming a digestible pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center with a hollow portion therein, said method comprising:
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combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture; adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine; plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material; at least partially converting the leavening agent to carbon dioxide inside the barrel; injecting the plasticized material into a mold; holding said material in said mold for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a center portion; opening said mold to allow said center portion to expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center with a hollow portion therein. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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80. A digestible pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center with a hollow portion therein, said pet chew comprising:
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an outer skin layer; an expanded center being surrounded by said outer skin layer, said outer skin layer and said expanded center being formed by injecting into a mold a plasticized mixture containing carbon dioxide released from a leavening agent and an acid; and a hollow portion formed within said expanded center. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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92. A method for forming a digestible pet chew having a collapsed center, said method comprising:
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combining ingredients including about 1.8% or greater of leavening agent and about 1.2% or greater of acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture;
adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine;plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material; at least partially converting the leavening agent to carbon dioxide inside the barrel; injecting the plasticized material and carbon dioxide into a mold; cooling said material in said mold for a time sufficient to form a skin surrounding a center portion, wherein the skin is thin enough to allow gasses to escape through the skin; opening said mold to allow said soft center to expand and collapse to form a pet chew having a wrinkled outer skin and a collapsed center. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A digestible pet chew having a collapsed center, said pet chew comprising:
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an outer skin layer; and a collapsed center being surrounded by said outer skin layer, said outer skin layer and said collapsed center being formed by injecting into a mold a plasticized mixture including 1.8% or greater of leavening agent and 1.2% or greater of acid to form a molded product, wherein said molded product expands before collapsing to form a pet chew having a wrinkled outer skin and a collapsed center. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. A method for forming a digestible pet chew, comprising:
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combining ingredients including a leavening agent and an acid to form a mixture having about 16 to 32% moisture; adding the mixture to a barrel of an injection molding machine; plasticizing the mixture with heat and pressure to form a plasticized material; ejecting the plasticized material; allowing said plasticized material to freely expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center; curing said pet chew to a water activity of no greater than 0.80.
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116. A digestible pet chew comprising:
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an outer skin layer; and an expanded center being surrounded by said outer skin layer, said outer skin layer and said expanded center being formed by ejecting a plasticized material from an injection molding machine, allowing the plasticized material to freely expand to form a pet chew having an outer skin and an expanded center; and curing said pet chew to a water activity of no greater than 0.80.
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Specification