Animal chew toy

• US 6,895,900 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Salix LLC
• Inventors: Hingst, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US10/471,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 119/709, 119/710, 119/711
• US Class Current: 119/710
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/026 Chewable toys, e.g. for dental care of pets

Abstract

A chew toy for a carnivorous domestic animal comprises a combination of rawhide and pigskin formed into a suitable shape, such as a bone, roll, donut, or various other shapes. The rawhide and pigskin are provided as sheets which are rolled or otherwise sandwiched together or otherwise intertwined to form a chew toy having improved flavor and order, thereby encouraging the animal to chew on the toy.

Claims

1. A chew toy for carnivorous domestic animals comprising:

a sheet of rawhide; and

a sheet of pigskin;

wherein the pigskin and the rawhide are interlayered with each other to form a composite unit.

2. A chew toy according to claim 1 wherein the pigskin and rawhide sheets are substantially coextensive with each other in at least one dimension and are wrapped into a substantially cylindrical shape.

3. A chew toy according to claim 2 wherein the cylindrical shape is knotted at the ends thereof.

4. A chew toy according to claim 2 wherein the rawhide sheet forms an outer layer in the cylindrical shape.

5. A chew toy according to claim 4 wherein the pigskin is exposed at a longitudinal seam of the rawhide sheet.

6. A chew toy according to claim 5 wherein the pigskin is continuously exposed along the longitudinal seam of the rawhide sheet.

7. A chew toy according to claim 6 wherein the pigskin sheet is substantially coextensive with the rawhide sheet in two mutually perpendicular directions.

8. A chew toy according to claim 6 wherein there are multiple pigskin sheets that are in the form of elongated strips that are laterally spaced from each other between portions of the rawhide sheet.

9. A chew toy according to claim 5 wherein there are multiple pigskin sheets that are in the form of elongated strips that are laterally spaced from each other between portions of the rawhide sheet and the pigskin sheets are intermittently exposed along the longitudinal seam of the rawhide.

10. A chew toy according to claim 2 wherein the pigskin sheet forms an outer layer in the cylindrical shape.

11. A chew toy according to claim 2 wherein there are multiple layers of at least one of the rawhide and the pigskin sheets.

12. A chew toy according to claim 1 wherein there are multiple layers of at least one of the rawhide and the pigskin sheets.

13. A chew toy according to claim 1 wherein the rawhide sheet is wrapped around the pigskin sheet.

14. A chew toy according to claim 1 consisting essentially of the rawhide sheet and the pigskin sheet.

15. A chew-resistant article according to claim 1 consisting essentially of the rawhide piece and the pigskin piece.

16. A chew-resistant article for carnivorous domestic animals comprising:

a chew-resistant piece of rawhide wrapped around a chew-resistant piece of pigskin to form a composite shape, wherein the chew resistant rawhide provides significant chew resistance for the article and the pigskin provides a chew-resistant enduring flavor attractant for the animals.

17. A chew-resistant article according to claim 16 wherein the pigskin and rawhide pieces are substantially coextensive with each other in at least one dimension and are wrapped into a substantially cylindrical shape.

18. A chew-resistant article according to claim 17 wherein the cylindrical shape is knotted at the ends thereof.

19. A chew-resistant article according to claim 17 wherein the rawhide piece forms an outer layer in the cylindrical shape.

20. A chew-resistant article according to claim 19 wherein the pigskin piece is exposed at a longitudinal seam of the rawhide sheet.

21. A chew-resistant article according to claim 20 wherein the pigskin piece is continuously exposed along the longitudinal seam of the rawhide.

22. A chew-resistant article according to claim 21 wherein the pigskin piece is substantially coextensive with the rawhide in two mutually perpendicular directions.

23. A chew-resistant article according to claim 22 wherein there are multiple pigskin pieces that are arranged in the form of elongated strips that are laterally spaced from each other between layers of rawhide.

24. A chew-resistant article according to claim 20 wherein the pigskin is in the form of elongated strips that are laterally spaced from each other between layers of rawhide and the pigskin pieces are intermittently exposed along the longitudinal seam of the rawhide.

25. A chew-resistant article according to claim 17 wherein the pigskin piece forms an outer layer in the cylindrical shape.

26. A chew-resistant article according to claim 17 wherein there are multiple layers of at least one of the rawhide and the pigskin sheets.

27. A chew-resistant article according to claim 16 wherein there are multiple layers of at least one of the rawhide and the pigskin pieces.

28. A chew-resistant article according to claim 16 wherein the rawhide piece is wrapped around the pigskin piece.