AU649860B2

AU649860B2 - A soft dog chew and the manufacturing method of said soft dog chew

Info

Publication number: AU649860B2
Application number: AU20802/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Osamu Chikazawa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-12
Filing date: 1992-08-04
Publication date: 1994-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-04
Also published as: GB9216861D0; GB2258600A; AU2080292A; GB2258600B

Description

1 649860

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPL ETE SPEC I ICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: OSAMU CHIKAZAWA OSAMU CHIKAZAWA SHELSTON WATERS 55 Clarence Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 "A SOFT DOG CHEW AND THE MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SAID SOFT DOG CHEW" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- -la- A soft dog chew and the manufacturing method of said soft dog chew BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The invention relates to an improvement in the chewing quality of what is commonly referred to as a "dog chew", said improvement enabling said dog chew to be enjoyed equally by dogs with weak teeth, such as old dogs.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Conventionally, dog chews are made by cutting raw hide into short strips of between 3 cm and 5 cm in width and 10 cm and 30 cm in length, said strips then being bound at each end such that each strip assumes a shape like that of a bone.

Said bone shaped strips are then dried and hardened in the sun to form a product which is commonly referred to as a "hard dog chew". There are also known processes whereby said hard dog chews can be colored as required with the help of coloring agents which are not harmful either to humans or to animals.

Dogs have always been found to enjoy gnawing at the type of 2 hard dog chew outlined above and this chewing action has in turn served the dual purpose both of including the secretion of saliva and, at the same time, of helping strengthen the dog's teeth. Unfortunately, however, the extreme hardness of hard dog chews that have been made according to the method described above has also tended to prove damaging on occasion to the teeth of newly weaned puppies, for example, and to the weakened teeth of dogs that are sick or old.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which has been subjected to a variety of different tests, has been designed with the above problems in mind for the purpose of providing a soft dog chew that is suitable for chewing by puppies or old dogs for which the conventional hard type of dog chew is unsuitable.

A soft animal chew of the invention is prepared by a process comprising the steps of, drying pieces of animal hide, 20 sealing the pieces of animal hide in an hermetically sealed container, heating the hermetically sealed container whereby the pressure in the container rises to a pressure of approximately 10 atmospheres, and rapidly releasing the pressure in the container whereby the pieces of animal hide expand to greater Lhan their original volume.

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05 0 0 060 a 3- The process of rapidly releasing the pressure in the container causes the hard dog chew(s) therein to become spongy inside and correspondently sof; to chew.

Preferably, the soft animal chew is a dog chew.

Preferably, the animal hide is cow hide.

Preferably, the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to sunlight.

Preferably, the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to dry heat.

Preferably, the hermetically sealed container is a rotary boiler.

Preferably, the animal hide is expanded to three to ten times its original volume.

Preferably, the animal hide is cut into strips 1 cm to 3 cm wide and 3 cm to 7 cm long, wherein the e strips are bound and knotted at each end such that each strip is formed into a shape of a bone.

Preferably, the animal hide is cut into the be shapes selected from the group consisting of fishes and 20 hearts.

"Preferably, the soft dog chew further comprises at least one chemical agent which are not harmful either to human beings or animals, for the purpose of improving the colour or taste of said soft dog chew.

25 Preferably, the agent is added to the pieces of 0 animal hide prior to expansion.

Preferably, the agent is added to expanded pieces of animal hide.

of animal hide.

4- According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a soft animal chew, which comprises the steps of, drying pieces of animal hide, sealing the pieces of animal hide in an hermetically sealed container, heating the hermetically sealed container whereby the pressure in the container rises to a pressure of approximately 10 atmospheres, and rapidly releasing the pressure in the container whereby the pieces of animal hide expand to greater than their original volume.

Preferably, the soft animal chew is a dog chew.

Preferably, the animal hide is cow hide.

0 0 Preferably, the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to dry heat.

0S Preferably, the hermetically sealed container is 20 a rotary boiler.

Preferably, the animal hide is cut into strips 1 cm to 3 cm wide and 3 cm to 7 cm long, wherein the 25 strips are bound and knotted at each end such that each strip is formed into a shape of a bone.

Preferably, the animal hide is cut into the ishapes selected from the group consisting of fishes and S 'A hearts.

Preferably, the soft dog chew further comprises at least one chemical agent which are not harmful either to human beings or animals, for the purpose of improving the colour or taste of said soft dog chew.

Preferably, the agent is added to the pieces of animal hide prior to expansion.

Preferably, the agent is added to expanded pieces of animal hide.

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0* o The soft dog chew of the invention is thus a new product which makes use of the same materials and has the same taste as the more conventional hard dog chew but which is soft rather than hard, thereby enabling it to achieve the desired effects of any dog chew when chewed but without at the same time damaging the weaker teeth of a puppy or of an old dog, for example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT There now follows a more detailed description of the present invention by reference to the preferred manufacturing method. For the purpose of said preferred manufacturing method, a cow's raw hide is first stripped away and cut into short strips of between 1 cm and 3 cm in width and 3 cm and 7 cm in length, each of said strips then being bound at each 15 end into the shape of a bone which is subsequently dried and hardened in the sun.

An appropriate number of the resultant hard dog chews are then introduced into a rotary boiler which is hermetically sealed and then caused to rotate gently. The boiler is then heated with the help of a device such as a gas burner, said heating causing a simultaneous increase of the temperature inside the dog chew and the pressure around said dog chew.

When the pressure inside the boiler has risen to 7^ approximately 10 atmospheres, the lid of the boiler is opened and the pressure abruptly released. This has the effect of inducing a vacuum expansion inside t- chew in the boiler as it swells to anything from three 'o 10 times its compressed size. The inside of the dog chew thus acquires a sponge like consistency which makes it much softer for a dog to chew.

There are no prescriptions offered with regard to the shape or size of dog chews made in accordance with the method 10 outlined above. Moreover, the addition, during the course of the above process, of chemical agents, which are not harmful either to humans or to animals for the purpose of improving the color or taste of the dog chew of the invention is entirely optional.

15 Again, in order to provide a dog with a different kind of chewing enjoyment, it would be perfectly possible to take sq cm to 20 sq cm remnants of the cow's raw hide, which was cut into short strips in the preferred manufacturing method outlined above, but in this case cut them into 2 cm or 3 cm squares which could then be formed into fish shapes, heart shapes or any other preferred shape for use as dog biscuits.

Furthermore, the method of this invention may be applied to the raw hide of a wide variety of different animals, but it is; preferable to use the raw hide of a cow.

Claims

1. A soft animal chew prepared by a process comprising the steps of: drying pieces of animal hide; sealing the pieces of animal hide in an hermetically sealed container; heating the hermetically sealed container whereby the pressure in the container rises to a pressure of approximately 10 atmospheres; and rapidly releasing the pressure in the container whereby the pieces of animal hide expand to greater than their original volume.

2. A soft animal chew according to claim 1 wherein the soft animal chew is a dog chew. 15

3. A soft dog chew according to claim 2 wherein the animal hide is cow hide. 0S** goo

4. A soft dog chew according to claim 3 wherein the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to sunlight. 0 20

5. A soft dog chew according to claim 3 wherein the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to dry heat. *o

6. A soft dog chew according to claim 3 wherein the hermetically sealed container is a rotary boiler. 25

7. A soft dog chew according to claim 3 wherein the animal hide is expanded to three to ten times its original volume. o Soo o* cAIA 9

8. A soft dog chew according to claim 3 wherein the animal hide is cut into strips 1 cm to 3 cm wide and 3 cm to 7 cm long, wherein said strips are bound and knotted at each end such that each strip is formed into a shape of a bone.

9. A soft dog chew according to claim 7 wherein the animal hide is cut into the shapes selected from the group consisting of fishes and hearts.

A soft dog chew according to claim 2 further comprising at least one chemical agent, which are not harmful either to human beings or animals, for the purpose of improving the colour or taste of said soft dog chew.

11 A soft dog chew according to claim 10 wherein 15 said agent is added to the pieces of animal hide prior to expansion. o

12. A soft dog chew according to claim 10 wherein s said agent is acdded to expanded pieces of animal hide. 0

13. A method for manufacturing a soft animal chew, 20 which comprises the steps of; drying pieces of animal hide; sealing the pieces of animal hide in an hermetically sealed container; heating the hermetically sealed container as whereby the pressure in the container rises to a pressure of approximately 10 atmospheres; and S 10 rapidly releasing the pressure in the container whereby the pieces of animal hide expand to greater than their original volume.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the soft animal chew is a dog chew.

The method according to claim 14 wherein the animal hide is cow hide.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to sunlight.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the pieces of animal hide are dried by exposing the pieces of animal hide to dry heat.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the 15 hermetically sealed container is a rotary boiler. *Cl.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the animal hide is expanded to three to ten times its original volume.

20. The method according to claim 15 wherein the 20 animal hide is cut into strips 1 cm to 3 cm wide and 3 cm to 7 cm long, wherein said strips are bound and knotted at each end such that each strip is formed into a shape of a bone.

21. The method according to claim 15 wherein the animal hide is cut into the shapes selected from the group consisting of fishes and hearts. e* i> f oeoo 11

22. The method according to claim 15 wherein the animal hide further comprises at least one chemical agent, which are not harmful either to human beings or animals, for the purpose of improving the colour or taste of said soft dog chew.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said agent is added to the pieces of animal hide prior to expansion.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein said agent is added to expanded pieces of animal hide.

A soft animal chew substantially as hereinbefore described.

26. Method for manufacturing a soft animal chew substantially as hereinbefore described. DATED :his 30th day of MARCH, 1994 OSAMU CHIKAZAWA Sg* go Attorney: LEON K. ALLEN S•Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia o SOB• of SHELSTON WATERS e• S SO 0 9 0 9 o e o I# I Ib ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention comprises a substance and a method of manufacture of said substance whereby a cow's raw hide is cut into suitable shapes which are then dried and hardened before being heated and subsequently vacuum expanded to produce a soft dog chew. Although the resultant substance S.i: is made of the same materials and has the same taste as a conventional hard dog chew, the chew itself is in fact soft which means that it can be chewed to produce all the benefits that are normally required of a dog chew without at the same time damaging the weaker teeth of a puppy or of an old dog, for example. .4 S.