A treat retaining pet chew toy

Abstract

A treat retaining pet chew toy for pets is disclosed, comprising an upper shell and a lower shell such that, when securely connected, form a spherical body having a hollow cavity for inserting a pet treat. A disclosed pet chew toy is made of durable, non-toxic body, food-safe, resilient material and further comprises at least one treat access hole for distributing a treat to a pet, when a pet applies pressure on pet chew toy or rolls is it around. Furthermore, a disclosed pet chew toy is designed to withstand prolonged chewing without degrading and further comprises a plurality of recesses, which serve as compartments for paste-like pet treat and provide pet chew toy with lick pad functionality, allowing to also improve pet's oral hygiene.

Description

A TREAT RETAINING PET CHEW TOY

[0001] This application claims priority to US provisional patent application 63 / 652,102 filed May 27, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.Technical Field

[0002] The disclosure relates to the field of accessories for animals and pets, and particularly, a pet chew toy which is capable of retaining a pet treat for occupying the pet for a period of time.Background

[0003] Domestic animals are known for their capability to offer significant emotional support and companionship to their owners. Dogs in particular are prone to being nervous when owners leave the home or simply require stimulation even when their owner is in proximity. In such cases, not only are the pets disturbed, but they can turn to destructive behavior.

[0004] Therefore, pet owners and caregivers constantly seek devices or methods that can effectively engage and entertain their pets while simultaneously allowing them to reclaim valuable free time for themselves.

[0005] The prior art regarding treat-retaining pet toys, such as, for example, US 2023 / 0263137 Al, tries to solve the problem of occupying a pet for a longer period of time. The pet toy described therein comprises a cylindrical body and an annular side wall. It also includes a core member that can be inserted into the bottom end of the main body member, which contains a treat container for holding a pet treat. The top wall of the main body member features a treat access hole, which faces a treat container, and a plurality of vents, which serve multiple functions, including relieving suction forces during the use by a pet and redirecting the pet’s saliva into the toy to prevent creating a mess.

[0006] The pet toy described in US 2023 / 0263137 is not a chew toy. Moreover, to occupy a pet using the pet toy described in the prior art, a frozen pet treat may be provided to a pet, which is then slowly released through the treat access hole, as it melts. Furthermore, preparing a frozen pet treat may require a separate mold, which may be placed in a freezer allowing a pet treat to maintain its shape, and then be inserted inside of a pet toy.

[0007] Moreover, a wheel-like design of the pet toy described in US 2023 / 0263137 Al may allow that pet toy to roll around excessively, when a pet is playing with it, which may result in spreading pet treats across the household more easily.

[0008] Therefore, there exists a need for a pet chew toy, which occupies a pet for an even longerperiod of time and does not require a separate mold to shape pet’s treat, as well as does not roll around too much resulting in less mess and less clean-up.Summary

[0009] The applicant has invented a treat retaining pet chew toy, which, besides the main treatretaining compartment, comprises additional treat retaining compartments on its surface, providing a room for additional pet treat, and therefore, occupy a pet for a longer period of time.

[0010] In a broad aspect of this embodiment, a treat retaining pet chew toy comprises a ball-shaped body which may be provided by a geodesic polyhedron. The body of a pet chew may be made of a food-safe, elastomeric material and may further comprise an upper shell and a lower shell which may be releasably connectable together, wherein the surface of an upper shell, or a lower shell, or both, may comprise at least one aperture for releasing a portion of a pet’s treat held inside the body. The pet chew toy may further comprise recesses, which may be located on the surface of an upper shell or lower shell, for receiving a paste for licking by a pet.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] The invention will be better understood by way of the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1A schematically illustrates a perspective view of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy in the closed state;

[0013] Figure IB schematically illustrates a perspective view of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy in the closed state;

[0014] Figure 2A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of an upper shell of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0015] Figure 2B schematically illustrates a side view of an upper shell of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0016] Figure 2C schematically illustrates a top view of an upper shell of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0017] Figure 2D schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of an upper shell of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0018] Figure 2E schematically illustrates a bottom view of an upper shell of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0019] Figure 3A schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of a lower shell of the firstembodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0020] Figure 3B schematically illustrates a side view of a lower shell of the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0021] Figure 3C schematically illustrates a bottom view of a lower shell of the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0022] Figure 3D schematically illustrates a perspective top view of a lower shell of the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0023] Figure 3E schematically illustrates a top view of a lower shell of the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A;

[0024] Figure 4A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of an upper shell of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB;

[0025] Figure 4B schematically illustrates a side view of an upper shell of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB;

[0026] Figure 4C schematically illustrates a top view of an upper shell of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB;

[0027] Figure 4D schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of an upper shell of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB;

[0028] Figure 4E schematically illustrates a bottom view of an upper shell of the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB;

[0029] Figure 5A schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 1A in the closed state;

[0030] Figure 5B schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure IB in the closed state;

[0031] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy in the closed state;

[0032] Figure 7A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of an upper shell of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0033] Figure 7B schematically illustrates a side view of an upper shell of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0034] Figure 7C schematically illustrates a top view of an upper shell of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0035] Figure 7D schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of an upper shell of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0036] Figure 7E schematically illustrates a bottom view of an upper shell of the third embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0037] Figure 8A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of a lower shell of the third embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0038] Figure 8B schematically illustrates a side view of a lower shell of the third embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0039] Figure 8C schematically illustrates a bottom view of a lower shell of the third embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0040] Figure 8D schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of a lower shell of the third embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0041] Figure 8E schematically illustrates a top view of a lower shell of the third embodiment and the second embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6;

[0042] Figure 9 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the pet chew toy shown in Figure 6 in the closed state;

[0043] Figure 10A schematically illustrates a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the pet chew toy in the closed state;

[0044] Figure 10B schematically illustrates a side view of the fourth embodiment of the pet chew toy in the closed state;

[0045] Figure 10C schematically illustrates a perspective top view of the fourth embodiment of the pet chew toy in the open state;

[0046] Figure 10D schematically illustrates a top view of the fourth embodiment of the pet chew toy in the open state;

[0047] Figure 11A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of the mold for a pet treat;

[0048] Figure 11B schematically illustrates a top view of the mold for a pet treat;

[0049] Figure 11C schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of the mold for a pet treat;

[0050] Figure 11D schematically illustrates a bottom view of the mold for a pet treat;

[0051] Figure HE schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of the mold for a pet treat;

[0052] Figure 12 schematically illustrates the packaging for securing at least one pet chew toy described herein and the mold; and

[0053] Figure 13 schematically illustrates the treat retaining pet chew toy assembly.Detailed Description

[0054] It is explicitly stated that all features disclosed in the description and / or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention independent of the composition of the features in the embodiments and / or the claims. It is explicitly stated that all value ranges or indications of groups of entities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention, in particular as limits of value ranges.

[0055] Figure 1A schematically illustrates a perspective view of the first embodiment of pet chew toy 100 which may be made from a food-safe, elastomeric material (such as, for example, foodsafe silicone rubber that has suitable hardness and may be resistant to deformation and damage), which is suitable for chewing without rapidly breaking down, and designed to retain a pet treat.

[0056] Pet chew toy 100 is an apparatus, object or device designed to store a pet treat in a way that prevents, hinders, or obstructs a pet from fully extracting a pet treat during a short period of time, thus allowing for the release of the treat over a period of time. Pet chew toy 100 may allow a pet to gradually retrieve that treat via at least one treat access hole located on the surface of that pet toy, wherein an aperture of that at least one treat access hole may vary in diameter depending on the pet treat size and texture. A typical treat can be a quantity of particulate or granular treat material. Pet chew toy 100 may limit pet’s access to a treat, allowing a pet to consume a treat over longer period of time.

[0057] In the embodiment schematically illustrated in Figure 1A, pet chew toy 100 may comprise a body provided by a geodesic polyhedron, i.e., a convex polyhedron with triangular faces (or facets), which may have an overall shape of a sphere or ball (other shapes, like an ellipsoid or football may also be used). The overall shape of a ball may allow the pet to roll or “bat around” the treat toy more easily. The general geodesic polyhedron shape may provide the advantage that the toy is less likely to continue rolling, for example under furniture where the pet may not be able to retrieve the toy. It may be appreciated that pet chew toy 100 may be dimensioned to be accommodated for a pet of any size.

[0058] The general geodesic polyhedron shape (i.e., ball shape) may also provide the advantage that planar or flat surfaces of the exterior of the toy may be recessed so as to be used for storing alicking treat paste, for example, peanut butter for dogs, or fish or chicken-based lickable cream / paste treat product for cats as is commercially available. Such recesses may also offer edges that can help remove dental plaque from the pet’s teeth when the toy is chewed.

[0059] It may be appreciated that the shape of this embodiment may not be limited to a spheroid and may be provided by any other convex or concave three-dimensional shape (for example, by a toroidal, cylindrical or any other suitable for a pet chew toy shape), as well as the shapes of tiles may not be limited to triangles and may be provided by any other same or different polygons, which may allow to tile selected three-dimensional shape.

[0060] Furthermore, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that pet chew toy 100 may be manufactured using injection molding, compression molding, or any other suitable technique depending on the type of the material used during manufacturing.

[0061] As illustrated in Figure 1A, pet chew toy 100 may comprise upper shell 102 and lower shell 104, each of which may be provided by a single-part body. Upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 may be separated from one another along the imaginary plane passing through edges 130 (i.e., upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 may join about a part line providing an alignment of faces of upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 to form the geodesic polyhedron), which may allow, for example, to insert a pet treat into pet chew toy 100 or to clean pet chew toy 100. Furthermore, upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100 may be designed in such a way that allows for repeatedly separating and attaching them together without inflicting any structural damage to a body of pet chew toy 100.

[0062] It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 may be made of a pliable or flexible material, such as, for example, a food-safe silicone rubber that has suitable hardness and may be resistant to deformation and damage, i.e., when a pet interacts with a toy (for example, throwing, rolling, nudging or chewing it), that material may allow pet toy 100 to preserve its original shape. It may be appreciated that the material used for manufacturing pet chew toy 100 may be dishwasher-safe, and / or microwave-safe, and / or freezersafe, and / or oven-safe, allowing for various pet treats to be used and then be properly cleaned and / or sanitized.

[0063] When upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 is separated from lower shell 104, or, when it is securely attached to lower shell 104, it may be understood that pet chew toy 100 is in an open or a closed state, respectively. For example, when lower shell 104 is separated from upper shell 102,i.e., pet chew toy 100 is in the open state, a pet treat may be inserted inside lower shell 104, and upper shell 102 may then be securely attached to lower shell 102 so that pet chew toy 100 is in the closed state and is ready to be provided to a pet.

[0064] In this embodiment, pet chew toy 100 is designed in such a way that, when it is in the closed state, it is challenging for a pet to separate upper shell 102 from lower shell 104, and only a human may be able to separate upper shell 102 from lower shell 104 without damaging pet chew toy 100. Furthermore, the imaginary plane passing through edges 130 may visually split the pet chew toy 100 in half, i.e., upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 may be approximately equal in size. It may be appreciated that upper shell 102 or lower shell 104 may also constitute the main part of the body of pet chew toy 100.

[0065] As schematically illustrated in Figure 1A, exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100 may be provided by triangular facets 120, 120’, wherein triangular facets 120 may be provided by isosceles acute triangles, and triangular facets 120’ may be provided by isosceles obtuse triangles.

[0066] It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that the shape of the facets constituting exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100 may be provided by any other polygon, which may form a proper surface tiling (i.e., a tiling without gaps between the tiles) and may not be limited to triangular tiles.

[0067] It may be further appreciated that the geometry of exterior surface 106, which comprises triangular facets 120 and 120’, may help prevent pet chew toy 100 from rolling too far from a pet, when it is thrown on the ground and rolled around, making it more enticing for a pet to pursue. Exterior surface 106 may also facilitate the gripping of pet chew toy 100 by a pet, preventing it from slipping from pet’s jaw and being dropped while being carried around. Furthermore, exterior surface 106 may facilitate the gripping of pet chew toy 100 by a human, for separating upper shell 102 from lower shell 104 when pet chew toy 100 is in the closed state, while holding lower shell 104 in one hand and removing upper shell 102 using the other hand (for example, by rotating and / or pulling upwardly upper shell 104), which makes exterior surface 106 more ergonomic.

[0068] It may be appreciated that the texture of exterior surface 106 may be smooth, or may comprise bumpy, grooved, ribbed, or any other texture, or a combination of thereof, allowing an enhanced grip. Moreover, any other mating mechanism of upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 (such as, for example, threads, interlocking ridges, latches, or teeth) may be considered, as long as those mechanisms allow for a secure attachment of upper shell 102 to lower shell 104.

[0069] As further schematically illustrated in Figure 2A, upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 may further comprise top portion 108, which may slightly protrude over first flat surface 126 (see, also, for example, a side view of upper shell 102 shown in Figure 2B). Top portion 108 may comprise second flat surface 128 and may comprise large treat access hole 116 that may have, for example, an octagonal shape. It may be appreciated that the shape of large treat access hole 116 may not be limited to an octagon, and it may be provided by any other suitable shape. It may be appreciated that the center of large treat access hole 116 may align with the central axis of pet chew toy 100 (i.e., the medial axis of a polyhedron representing pet chew toy 100, about which pet chew toy 100 may be rotated and remain visually unchanged).

[0070] As mentioned earlier, exterior surface 106 of upper shell 102 may comprise triangular facets 120, which may be provided by isosceles acute triangles having base edge 122 and side edges 124, and triangular facets 120’, which may be provided by isosceles obtuse triangles, having base edge 122’ and side edges 124’, wherein base edge 122’ may be longer than base edge 122.

[0071] Upper shell 102 may further comprise a plurality of small treat access holes 118, which may be proximal to large treat access hole 116. In this embodiment, there may be four small treat access holes 118 (see, for example, a top view of upper shell 102 in Figure 2C). An aperture of each small access hole 118 may be provided by but is not limited to an irregular hexagon. It may be appreciated that there may be more than one large treat access hole 116, and the number of small treat access holes 118 may vary, for example, depending on the size of a pet toy 100, which may be dictated by the size of a pet.

[0072] It further may be appreciated that the dimensions of small treat access holes 118 may be smaller than the dimensions of large treat access hole 116. The dimensions of small treat access holes 118 may be selected in such a way that prevents access to the interior of pet chew toy 100 by a pet’s tongue. It may also be appreciated that instead of having one large treat access hole 116, and several small treat access holes 118, top portion 108 may comprise several equally sized holes that would allow a pet to access the treat located inside pet chew toy 100, by for example, squishing that treat out of pet chew toy 100, while squeezing the toy with a jaw or a paw.

[0073] Small treat access holes 118 may also alleviate the pressure buildup within pet chew toy 100 when large access hole 116 is blocked by a pet’s tongue. Therefore, the small treat access holes 118 may serve a practical purpose by averting a vacuum effect, which may occur when the pet’s tongue blocks large treat access hole 116 by trying to get a pet treat. Small treat access holes118 may also help capture the pet’s saliva or drool, which may further help melt or break down a pet treat located inside pet chew toy 100 into smaller pieces.

[0074] As further schematically illustrated in Figure 2C, showing a top view of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 shown in Figure 1A, upper shell 102 may comprise eight recesses 110, which may be sunken with respect to the remainder of exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100 may be arranged radially around large treat access hole 116. It may be appreciated that the number and the locations of recesses 110 may not be limited to those described herein. Furthermore, coming back to Figure 2B, showing a side view of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 illustrated in Figure 1A, each one of recesses 110 may comprise one triangularly shaped bottom surface 112 and three rectangularly shaped side walls 114, wherein the height of side walls 114 may dictate the depth of recesses 110

[0075] It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the texture of bottom surface 112 of each recess 110 may be smooth, or may comprise bumpy, grooved, ribbed, or any other texture, or a combination of thereof, allowing to retain a pet treat (e.g., food paste, peanut butter, etc.). Moreover, the depth of each recess 110 may vary depending on the design of pet chew toy 100 and the size of a pet, providing less or more room for additional pet treat incorporated in exterior surface 106. It may also be appreciated that recesses 110 may be multi-level recesses, comprising a stair-like structure to provide more depth to each recess (e.g., the number of side walls 114 may be doubled for two-level recesses, which may result in a slight reduction of the area of bottom surfaces 112, etc.), making it more challenging for a pet to retrieve the treat located within recesses 110

[0076] It may further be appreciated that recesses 110 may introduce concavity to exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100, and it may be appreciated that the shape of the recesses may not be limited to a triangular shape, and may be provided by any other polygon, which constitutes a part of the tiling of exterior surface 106. Recesses 110 may serve as compartments for receiving treats that may have high viscosity (such as, for example, food paste, peanut butter, etc.), which allows to incorporate additional pet treats across exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100, equipping the latter with a lick pad functionality and allowing a pet to enjoy an additional treat for a longer period of time. Also, recesses 110 may, for example, further comprise teeth allowing to retain additional pet treat, such as kibble. It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that exterior surface 106 itself may also comprise a plurality of grooves, which, for example, may allow to spread a pettreat with high viscosity onto exterior surface 106, which would also equip pet chew toy 100 with lick pad functionality.

[0077] It may also be appreciated that a pet treat may be placed into recesses 110 only, without inserting a pet treat inside pet chew toy 100. Recesses 110 of pet chew toy 100, for example, may also be located at the imaginary plane passing through edges 130. It may also be appreciated that pet chew toy 100 may only comprise a single recess 100 located at the imaginary plane passing through edges 130 serving as a single compartment for a food paste (e.g., a recess in the shape of a ring, which is sunken with respect to the remainder of exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100). Furthermore, it may be appreciated that recesses 110, when not filled with food, may provide compartments for human fingers to enhance grip, when opening and closing pet chew toy 100 (i.e., twisting, for example, the upper shell 102 and said lower shell 104, see, for example, Figures 3A to 3E, allowing to securely separate and attach together upper shell 102 and lower shell 104).

[0078] As schematically illustrated in Figure 2D, showing a perspective bottom view of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 shown in Figure 1A, upper shell 102 may comprise internal cavity 140, which may be bowl-shaped, cylindrically shaped, or have any other suitable shape, and which may receive portions of a pet treat and distribute them to a pet, when a pet applies pressure on pet chew toy 100 or rolls it around. The dimensions of internal cavity 140 of upper shell 102 may be adjusted allowing to receive lower shell 104. It may be appreciated that, in this this example, the bowl-like shape of internal cavity 140 may allow a pet treat to flow or slide towards small treat access holes 118 and large treat access hole 116 when top portion 108 of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 contacts a flat surface (for example, when pet chew toy 100 rests on the floor) while preventing the pieces of a pet treat from being trapped inside internal cavity 140.

[0079] Upper shell 102 may further comprise four notches 144 (see also Figure 2E schematically illustrating bottom view of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 shown in Figure 1A), and four stops 146, which may be located on projections 142 and extend perpendicularly from projections 142. It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that only two notches 144 and two stops 146 may prove sufficient in order to further attach upper shell 102 to lower shell 104 (see, for example, Figure 10C schematically illustrating an alternative embodiment of a pet chew toy described herein); however, three, and even five notches 144 and stops 146 may also be considered, as soon as it allows to properly fasten upper shell 102 and lower shell 104.

[0080] Furthermore, third flat surface 180, which may be found on imaginary plane passingthrough edges 130, may be used to create liquid-tight seal 150 between upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 (see Figure 5A schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view of pet chew toy 100 in a closed state, with liquid-tight seal 150 provided by dashed segments), since as soon as notches 144 contact tabs 154 and flat surface 180 of upper shell 102 contacts flat surface 180’ of lower shell 104, a twisting motion may then applied to upper shell 102 or to lower shell 104 to securely attach upper shell 102 to lower shell 104 (i.e., tabs 154 of lower shell 104 may be turned with friction fit against underside 142’ of projections 142 using twisting motion, allowing tabs 154 to contact stops 146). It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that static friction between upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 plays a significant role in keeping pet chew toy 100 in the closed state.

[0081] It will be appreciated that there is an advantage to allow the user to insert the tabs 154 into the notches 144 in any position with the resulting locked or closed position providing alignment between the faces 120’ of the upper and lower shells. This may thus require that the number of tabs 154 and notches 144 corresponds to the number of faces 120’ arranged around the part line of the geodesic polyhedron (i.e., part line being provided by edges 130).

[0082] It may be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that in order to consider an odd number of notches 144 and tabs 154, the number of edges 130 may be provided by a multiple of that odd number. In this example, upper shell 102 schematically illustrated in Figures 2D and 2E may comprise eight edges 130, wherein each one of notches 144 may be facing every second edge 130, which may allow notches 144 to be equally spaced in order to ensure stable and secure fastening between upper shell 102 and lower shell 104. However, if, for example, upper shell 102 would contain three notches 144, for notches 144 to be equally spaced, it may prove beneficial having, for example, nine edges 130 (i.e., nine radially arranged faces 120’) instead of eight (as shown in Figure 2E), which may face each third edge 130 instead of each second one to ensure stable and secure fastening. In that case, having nine edges 130 means that the tiling of exterior surface 106 of pet chew toy 100 may be more refined, which may, for example, encompass that either triangular tiles 120 and 120’ are sized down in order to preserve the intended size of pet chew toy 100 having eight edges 130 (for example, to target medium sized pets), or that the size of pet chew toy 100 may be larger than the size of pet chew toy 100 having eight edges 130, which, for example, may be a suitable solution for larger pets that require pet chew toy 100 to be larger. In this example, it may be possible to also consider six edges 130, as six is also a multiple of three, however, it would mean that the tiling of exterior surface 106 may have less triangular faces 120and 102’, which would prevent pet chew toy 100 from having useful lick pad functionality. Therefore, when considering odd number of notches 144 and tabs 154, it may be necessary to keep in mind how then the respective number of edges 130 would affect the tilling of exterior surface 106

[0083] It may further be appreciated that having notches 144 be equally spaced, may allow for stable and proper attachment of lower shell 102 to upper shell 104, as well as provide intuitive guidance to a pet owner as to how to align upper shell 102 with respect to lower shell 104 in order to securely attach them as fast and as easily as possible. It also may be appreciated that, while it is possible to consider more than five notches 144 and respectively the same number of tabs 154, which may be dimensioned to match the size of notches 144, in practice it may not prove beneficial, as pet chew toy 100 may be made of elastomeric material, and it may easily be opened by a pet when the latter chews on pet chew toy 100.

[0084] It may be appreciated that, in this embodiment, to achieve stable and secure attachment of upper shell 102 to lower shell 104, three or four notches 144 and, respectively, three or four tabs 154, may be preferable. Furthermore, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that, in an alternative embodiment, notches 144 and stops 146 may constitute a part of lower shell 104, and tabs 154 may constitute a part of upper shell 102, as long as they provide the above-described functionality.

[0085] Figure 3A schematically illustrates a perspective bottom view of lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100 shown in Figure 1A. It may be appreciated that, in this example, lower shell 104 may be provided by a monolithic body which may not contain any treat access holes. It may be appreciated that lower shell 104 may be aperture-free and may be used as a food mold, allowing to prevent food from spilling out before providing pet chew toy 100 to a pet.

[0086] Furthermore, as schematically illustrated in Figure 3A, and further Figure 3B, showing a side view of lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100, lower shell 104 may further comprise base 108’, which may slightly protrude over first flat surface 126’. Base 108’ may comprise second flat surface 128’, which, for example, may have an octagonal shape and may contain logo 170 (see Figure 3C schematically illustrating bottom view of lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100). It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the shape of second flat surface 128’ may not be limited to an octagon, and it may be provided by any other suitable shape. It may also be appreciated that flat surface 128’ of lower shell 104 may prevent lower portion 104 from tilting orrolling, when lower shell 104 rests on the flat surface (for example, when it is placed on a counter to be filled with pet’s food).

[0087] Furthermore, flat surface 128’ may provide stability to lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100 when, for example, it is placed on a flat surface, such as a kitchen table or freezer, when used as a mold for a pet treat. It may be appreciated that, in an alternative embodiment, the exterior flat surface 128’ may be provided by a curved surface with the positive (i.e., convex) or negative (i.e., concave) curvatures, if stability may be still achieved or stability is not required by a desired pet toy design.

[0088] Coming back to Figure 3A, lower shell 104 may also comprise recesses 110, which may be arranged radially around base 108’. In this example, lower shell 104, similarly to upper shell 102, may comprise eight recesses. However, any other number of recesses or no recesses at all may be located on the exterior surface 106 of lower shell 104. Furthermore, it may be appreciated that the number and the locations of recesses 110 may not be limited to those described in this embodiment. Moreover, similarly to upper shell 102 shown in Figures 2A to 2E, each one of recesses 110 may comprise one triangularly shaped bottom surface 112 and three rectangularly shaped side walls 114, wherein the height of side walls 114 may dictate the depth of recesses 110. Also, the texture of bottom surface 112 of each recess 110 may be smooth, or may comprise bumpy, grooved, ribbed, or any other texture, or a combination of thereof, allowing to retain a pet treat (e.g., food paste, peanut butter, etc.).

[0089] Moreover, as illustrated in Figure 3A (see also Figures 3B, 3D, and 3E), lower shell 104 may comprise top portion 152, which may have, for example, a cylindrical shape and may protrude over imaginary plane passing through edges 130. Top portion 152 may contain tabs 154, which may be located on the exterior of top portion 152.

[0090] As further illustrated in Figure 3D, lower shell 104 may be aperture-free and may further comprise internal cavity 140’, which may be bowl-shaped, cylindrically shaped, or have any other suitable shape, which may serve as a compartment for a pet treat. Furthermore, internal cavity 140’ may serve as a mold compartment, or may receive pre-molded pet treat, which has been prepared in advance (for example, using a mold described further in Figures HA to HD). Furthermore, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that internal cavity 140’ of lower shell 104 may be divided in multiple compartments allowing to accommodate multiple types of the pet treat.

[0091] Similarly to internal cavity 140 of upper shell 102, the dimensions of internal cavity 140’of lower shell 104 may be adjusted depending on the size of a pet treat (e.g., one food portion). Furthermore, lower shell 104 may comprise third flat surface 180’, which may align with imaginary plane passing through edges 130. It may be appreciated that the diameter of internal cavity 140’ of lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100 may be smaller than the diameter of internal cavity 140 of upper shell 102, and it may be selected in such a way that allows inserting lower shell 104 into upper shell 102 while guaranteeing a tight sealing (i.e., a liquid-tight seal) between upper shell 102 and lower shell 104 when third flat surface 180 of upper shell 102 contacts third flat surface 180’ of lower shell 104.

[0092] It may further be appreciated that tabs 154 of lower shell 104 may be dimensioned in such way that allows them to tightly contact notches 144, when upper shell 102 is placed on top of lower shell 104. Then, when circular motion is applied, upper shell 102 may be securely attached to lower shell 104, when projections 152 contact stops 146. Then, tabs 154, together with notches 144 and stops 146, may form latches 190 (see, for example, Figure 5).

[0093] Also, it may be appreciated that any other hidden locking mechanism, allowing for a secure attachment of upper shell 102 to lower shell 104, may be used. Furthermore, third flat surface 180’ of lower shell 104 may contact third flat surface 180 of upper shell 102, when upper shell 102 is securely attached to the lower shell 104 in order to create liquid-tight seal 150 (see Figure 5A schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view of pet chew toy 100 in a closed state).

[0094] Furthermore, it may be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment, pet chew 100 may only comprise a compartment for retaining a pet treat inside the pet chew toy, or may only comprise recesses 110 (i.e., pet chew toy 100 may serve only as a lick pad for a pet).

[0095] Figure 4A further schematically illustrates a perspective top view of upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200 shown in Figure IB, which may be considered as the second embodiment to pet chew toy described herein. Similarly to upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 shown in Figures 2A to 2E, upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200 may comprise top portion 208, which may slightly protrude over first flat surface 226 (see, also, for example, a side view of upper shell 202 shown in Figure 4B). Top portion 208 may comprise flat surface 228 and may comprise large treat access hole 216 that may have, for example, an octagonal shape. It may be appreciated that the shape of large treat access hole 216 may not be limited to an octagon, and it may be provided by any other suitable shape. It may be appreciated that the center of large treat access hole 216 may align with the central axis of pet chew toy 200 (i.e., the medial axis of a polyhedron representing pet chewtoy 200, about which pet chew toy 200 may be rotated and remain visually unchanged).

[0096] Furthermore, comparatively to upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100, upper shell 202 may, for example, comprise protruded elements 218 in place of small treat access holes 118, which means that pet treats may only be accessible to a pet through a large treat access hole 216. It may be appreciated that upper shell 202 may be configured to securely interlock with lower shell 104, which may allow a pet owner to use upper shell 102 or upper shell 202 in combination with lower shell 104, depending on the type of a pet treat to be inserted into pet chew toy 100 or 200, respectively (e.g., upper shell 102 may be used for a frozen treat, allowing it melt and slowly release through large treat access hole 116 and small treat access holes 118, while upper shell 202 may be used for kibble, allowing it to escape only through large treat access hole 216).

[0097] As further illustrated in Figure 4A, exterior surface 206 of upper shell 202 may also comprise triangular tiles 120, 120’, as well as recesses 110 (see also Figure 4C schematically illustrating a top view of upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200, which, in this example, my comprise eight recesses 110 arranged radially around large treat access hole 216). It may be appreciated that the number and the locations of recesses 110 may not be limited to those described herein. It may be appreciated that the description of recesses 110 of pet chew toy 100 may hold for pet chew toy 200.

[0098] Moreover, it may be appreciated that large treat access hole 216 may have a smaller size comparatively to large treat access hole 116 of upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100 (see, for example, Figure 2A), which may, for example, allow for placing kibble inside pet chew toy 200, which may then be gradually distributed to a pet, allowing to occupy the pet for a longer period of time and prevent from creating a mess.

[0099] As further schematically illustrated in Figure 4D, showing a perspective bottom view of upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200 shown in Figure IB, upper shell 202 may comprise internal cavity 240, which may receive portions of a pet treat and distribute them to a pet, when a pet applies pressure on pet chew toy 200. The dimensions of internal cavity 240 of upper shell 202 may be adjusted allowing to receive lower shell 104 of pet chew toy 100 described in Figures 3A to 3E. It may be appreciated that, in this this example, the bowl-like shape of internal cavity 240 may allow a pet treat to flow or slide towards large treat access hole 216 when top portion 208 of upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200 contacts a flat surface (for example, when pet chew toy 200 rests on the floor) while preventing the pieces of a pet treat from being trapped inside internalcavity 240.

[0100] Similarly to upper shell 102 of pet chew toy 100, upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200 may further comprise four notches 144 (see also Figure 2E schematically illustrating bottom view of upper shell 202 of pet chew toy 200), and four stops 146, which may be located on projections 142. It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that only two notches 144 and two stops 146 may prove sufficient in order to further attach upper shell 202 to lower shell 104 (see, for example, Figure 10C); however, three, and even five notches 144 and stops 146 may also be considered, as soon as it allows to properly fasten upper shell 202 and lower shell 104. Then, tabs 154 of lower shell 104, together with notches 144 and stops 146 of upper shell 202, may form latches 190 (see, for example, Figure 5B).

[0101] Also, it may be appreciated that any other hidden locking mechanism, allowing for a secure attachment of upper shell 202 to lower shell 104, may be used. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2D, third flat surface 180 of upper shell 202, which may align with imaginary plane passing through edges 130, may contact third flat surface 180’ of lower shell 104 schematically illustrated in Figures 3A to 3E, when upper shell 202 is securely attached to the lower shell 104 in order to create liquid-tight seal 150 (see Figure 5B schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view of pet chew toy 200 in a closed state, with liquid-tight seal 150 provided by dashed segments, i.e., tabs 154 of lower shell 104 may be turned with friction fit against underside 142’ of projections 142 using twisting motion, forcing tabs 154 to contact stops 146). It may be appreciated that upper shell 202 and lower shell 104 may join about a part line providing an alignment of faces of upper shell 202 and lower shell 104 to form the geodesic polyhedron.

[0102] Figure 6 further schematically illustrates a perspective top view of pet chew toy 300, which may be considered as the third embodiment to pet chew toy described herein. In this embodiment, lower shell 304 may constitute the main body of pet chew toy 300. It may be appreciated that exterior surface 306 of pet chew toy 300 may be provided by triangular tiling of pet chew toy 100, 200, or 300. Furthermore, upper shell 302 and lower shell 304 may be separated from one another along the imaginary plane passing through edges 130, which may allow, for example, to insert a pet treat into pet chew toy 300 or to clean pet chew toy 300. Furthermore, upper shell 302 and lower shell 304 of pet chew toy 300 may be designed in such a way that allows for repeatedly separating and attaching them together without inflicting any structural damage to a body of pet chew toy 300.

[0103] As further illustrated in Figure 7A, showing a perspective top view of upper shell 302, top portion 308 of upper shell 302 may comprise first flat surface 326, which may have an octagonal shape and may further include handle 310, which may be located inside cavity 314, which may have but not limited to a shape of an octagonal prism; handle 310 may slightly protrude over first flat surface 326. It may be appreciated that the shape of the cavity 314 may vary and the handle may not necessarily protrude over the flat surface 326.

[0104] Coming back to Figure 6, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that cavity 314 may provide access for a human, allowing to apply a rotational, pulling, or pushing movement to handle 310 and attach or detach upper shell 302 from lower shell 304, by, for example, rotating or pulling handle 310 of upper shell 302 with one hand while fixing in place lower shell 304 with the other hand.

[0105] As further schematically illustrated in Figure 7A, handle 310 may comprise top handle surface (i.e., second flat surface) 328, which may be flat or curved, and two handle side surfaces 346, which may also be flat or curved, allowing human fingers to securely hold upper shell 302, while detaching or attaching the lower shell 304. It may be appreciated that, in an alternative embodiment, handle 310 may not be present, and opening and closing of pet chew toy 300 may be performed by placing human fingers on triangular tilling of upper shell 302 (or lower shell 304) and rotating or pulling upper shell 302 (or lower shell 304) to attach or detach upper shell 302 from lower shell 304 (see further Figure 7C, schematically illustrating top view of pet chew toy 300, wherein handle 310 may be attached to bottom surface 312 of cavity 314 and may visually divide cavity 314 into two compartments, allowing human fingers to securely hold handle 310).

[0106] As schematically illustrated in Figure 7B showing a side view of upper shell 302 of pet chew toy 300, upper shell 302 may comprise bottom portion 320, which may, for example, be provided by cylindrically shaped body having exterior sidewall 348 and threads 344 located disposed on exterior sidewall 348.

[0107] As further schematically illustrated in Figure 7D, showing a perspective bottom view of upper shell 302 of pet chew toy 300, bottom portion 320 may comprise internal cavity 340, which may be cylindrically shaped, bowl-shaped, or have any other shape, which may serve as a compartment for a pet treat, or even as a mold for a pet treat. Bottom portion 320 of upper shell 302 may further comprise third flat surface 380, which may contact lower shell 304 to create liquid-tight seal 150 (see Figure 9 schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view of pet chew toy300 in a closed state, with liquid-tight seal 150 provided by dashed segments) between upper shell 302 and lower shell 304 (see also Figure 7E schematically illustrating bottom view of upper shell 302).

[0108] Figure 8A schematically illustrates a perspective top view of lower shell 304 of pet chew toy 300 shown in Figure 6. Lower shell 304 may comprise internal cavity 340’, which may be bowl-shaped, cylindrically shaped, or have any other shape, which may serve as a compartment for a pet treat. Lower shell 304 may also comprise threads 336, which may be disposed on interior sidewall 338. It may be appreciated that threads 336 of lower shell 304 may contact threads 344 of upper shell 302, when pet chew toy 300 is in the closed state. Furthermore, lower shell 304 may comprise third flat surface 380’, which may align with imaginary plane passing through edges 130. It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that, when pet chew toy 300 is in a closed state, third flat surface 380 of upper shell 302 may contact third flat surface 380’ of lower shell 304 (see also Figure 8E schematically illustrating a top view of lower shell 304 of pet chew toy 300), which may allow to create liquid-tight seal 150 between upper shell 302 and lower shell 304 (see, for example, Figure 9 schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view of pet chew toy 300 provided in the closed state).

[0109] As further illustrated in Figure 8B, exterior surface 306 of lower shell 304 may be provided by triangular facets 120, 120’. Similarly to other pet chew toy embodiments described herein, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that the shape of the facets constituting exterior surface 306 of pet chew toy 300 may be provided by any other polygon, which may form a proper surface tiling (i.e., a tiling without gaps between the tiles) and may not be limited to triangular tiles. For example, rectangular face 332, which may contain logo 170, may also form a part exterior surface tilling. However, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that the shape of the facets constituting exterior surface 306 of pet chew toy 300 may be provided by any other polygon, which may form a proper surface tiling (i.e., a tiling without gaps between the tiles) and may not be limited to triangular or rectangular tiles.

[0110] As further illustrated in Figure 8B (see also Figure 8C schematically illustrating a top view of pet chew toy 300), lower shell 304 may also comprise recesses 110. In this example, lower shell 304 may comprise fifteen recesses, which may be arranged radially around internal cavity 340 in alternating manner (e.g., checkboard-like configuration. However, any other number of recesses 110 may be located on the exterior surface 306 of lower shell 304, as well as any otherconfiguration of recesses 110 may be considered.

[0111] Furthermore, it may be appreciated that the number and the locations of recesses 110 may not be limited to those described in this embodiment. Also, it may be appreciated that the description of recesses 110 of pet chew toy 100 may hold for pet chew toy 300. It may be appreciated that, in the example schematically illustrated in Figure 8C, only eight recesses 110 are visible, and the other seven recesses 110 are hidden from the view. If rectangular tile 332 would be replaced by two triangular tiles 120’, lower shell 304 may be capable of accommodating sixteen recesses 110

[0112] As schematically illustrated in Figures 8B, 8C, and 8D, lower shell 304 may comprise base 308, which may contain large treat access hole 116 and a plurality of small treat access holes 118, which may be proximal to large treat access hole 116. It may be appreciated that large treat access hole 116 may be located on first flat surface 334 of base 308, which may slightly protrude over second flat surface 342 and may have but not limited to octagonal shape. It may be appreciated that the center of large treat access hole 116 may align with the central axis of pet chew toy 300 (i.e., the medial axis of a polyhedron representing pet chew toy 300, about which pet chew toy 300 may be rotated and remain visually unchanged).

[0113] Furthermore, an aperture of each small access hole 118 may be provided by but is not limited to an irregular hexagon. It may be appreciated that there may be more than one large treat access hole 116, and the number of small treat access holes 118 may vary depending on the intended functionality of pet chew toy 100 (i.e., a configuration of lower shell 304 comprising no small treat access holes 118, for example, as shown in Figure IB, may also be considered as an alternative embodiment).

[0114] As schematically illustrated in Figure 9, the interior part of base 308 of lower shell 304, surrounding large treat access hole 116 may slightly protrude inwardly, forming rim 360, which rubs against a pet treat, when a pet interacts with pet chew toy 300 and applies pressure to exterior surface 306 with its jaw or paw. It may further be appreciated that, similarly to small treat access holes 118 of pet chew toy 100 schematically illustrated in Figure 1A, small treat access holes 118 may also alleviate the pressure buildup within pet chew toy 300 when large access hole 116 is blocked by a pet’s tongue. Therefore, the small treat access holes 118 may serve a practical purpose by averting a vacuum effect, which may occur when the pet’ s tongue blocks large treat access hole 116 by trying to get a pet treat. Small treat access holes 118 may also help capture the pet’s salivaor drool, which may further help melt or break down a pet treat located inside pet chew toy 300 into smaller pieces.

[0115] Figure 10A further schematically illustrates a perspective top view of pet chew toy 400, which may be considered as the fourth embodiment to pet chew toy described herein. In this embodiment, lower shell 404 may constitute the main body of pet chew toy 400. It may be appreciated that exterior surface 406 of pet chew toy 400 may be provided by triangular tiling of pet chew toy 100, 200, or 300. Furthermore, upper shell 402 and lower shell 404 may be separated from one another along the imaginary plane passing through edges 130, which may allow, for example, to insert a pet treat into pet chew toy 400 or to clean pet chew toy 400. Furthermore, upper shell 402 and lower shell 404 of pet chew toy 400 may be designed in such a way that allows for repeatedly separating and attaching them together without inflicting any structural damage to a body of pet chew toy 400.

[0116] As illustrated in Figure 10A (see also Figure 10B schematically illustrating side view of pet chew toy 400 being a closed state) upper shell 402 of pet chew toy 400 may comprise top portion 408, which may slightly protrude over first flat surface 426. Top portion 408 may comprise second flat surface 428 and may comprise large treat access hole 116 that may have, for example, an octagonal shape. It may be appreciated that the shape of large treat access hole 116 may not be limited to an octagon, and it may be provided by any other suitable shape. It may be appreciated that the center of large treat access hole 116 may align with the central axis of pet chew toy 400 (i.e., the medial axis of a polyhedron representing pet chew toy 400, about which pet chew toy 400 may be rotated and remain visually unchanged). Furthermore, as further illustrated in Figure 10B, lower shell 404 may be aperture-free and may comprise base 408’, which may be flat and provide stability lower shell 404, when lower shell 404 may, for example, be used as a mold for a pet treat.

[0117] As illustrated in Figure 10C, schematically showing a perspective top view of pet chew toy 400 being in an open state, upper shell 404 may comprise internal cavity 440, which may distribute a pet treat to a pet, when a pet applies pressure on pet chew toy 400. Furthermore, lower shell 404 may comprise internal cavity 440’, which may be bowl-shaped, cylindrically shaped, or have any other shape, which may serve as a compartment for a pet treat.

[0118] It may be appreciated that upper shell 402 may comprise two tabs 154, which may be a part of bottom portion 452, and lower shell 404 may comprise two notches 144, which may contact two tabs 154, and may allow to securely attach upper shell 402 to lower shell 404 by applyingcircular motion once flat surface 480 of upper shell 402 contacts flat surface 480’ of lower shell 404 (i.e., tabs 454 of lower shell 404 may be turned with friction fit against underside 142’ of projections 142 using twisting motion, forcing tabs 154 to contact underside 142’).

[0119] It may also be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that more than two notches 144 and tabs 154 may also be considered, as soon as it allows to properly fasten upper shell 402 and lower shell 404 (see, for example, the description of pet chew toys 100 and 200 shown in Figures 1A and IB, respectively).

[0120] Furthermore, exterior surface 406 of upper shell 402 and lower shell 404 may be provided by triangular facets 120, 120’. Similarly to other pet chew toy embodiments described herein, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that the shape of the facets constituting exterior surface 406 of pet chew toy 400 may be provided by any other polygon, which may form a proper surface tiling (i.e., a tiling without gaps between the tiles) and may not be limited to triangular tiles. For example, rectangular face 332 (see pet chew toy 300 shown in Figure 6), which may contain logo 170, may also form a part exterior surface tilling. However, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that the shape of the facets constituting exterior surface 406 of pet chew toy 400 may be provided by any other polygon, which may form a proper surface tiling (i.e., a tiling without gaps between the tiles) and may not be limited to triangular or rectangular tiles.

[0121] As illustrated in Figure 10D, showing a top view of pet chew toy 400, upper shell 402 may further comprise a plurality of small treat access holes 118, which may be proximal to large treat access hole 116. In this embodiment, there may be four small treat access holes 118 (see, for example, a top view of pet chew toy 400 schematically illustrated in Figure 10D). An aperture of each small access hole 118 may be provided by but is not limited to an irregular hexagon. It may be appreciated that there may be more than one large treat access hole 116, and the number of small treat access holes 118 may vary depending on the intended functionality of pet chew toy 400

[0122] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10A to 10C, similarly, to pet chew toy 300 shown in Figure 6, lower shell 404 may comprise fifteen recesses 110, which may be arranged radially around internal cavity 440’ in alternating manner (e.g., checkboard-like configuration). However, any other number of recesses 110 may be located on exterior surface 406 of lower shell 404, as well as any other configuration of recesses 110 may be considered. Furthermore, it may be appreciated that the number and the locations of recesses 110 may not be limited to those describedin this embodiment. Also, it may be appreciated that the description of recesses 110 of pet chew toy 100 may hold for pet chew toy 400.

[0123] Figures 11A to 11D schematically illustrate mold 500, may comprise at least one compartment 504 having cavity 506, which may be used to shape and control a portion a pet treat to be inserted inside the pet chew toy described herein. It may be appreciated that at least one compartment 504 may be dimensioned to produce a portion of the pet treat, which, for example, may completely fill internal cavity of the pet chew toy, allowing a pet to enjoy the treat for a longer period of time. It may be appreciated that mold 500 may be made of food-grade materials (e.g., food-grade silicone, plastic, etc.),

[0124] As schematically illustrated in Figure 11A, mold 500 may comprise five cylindrically shaped compartments 504, which may have uniform dimensions and may be disposed on frame 502, serving as the structural base for each compartment 504. It may be appreciated that any other number of compartments 504 may be disposed on frame 502. Furthermore, each compartment 504 may have walls that may be rigid or flexible, as long as they allow to provide overall rigidity and prevent each compartment 504 from deformation or warping during filling, demolding, freezing, cleaning, etc.

[0125] Also, as illustrated in Figures 11A and 11B, frame 502 may also comprise logo 170, which, for example, may be located in the middle of frame 502. It may be appreciated that logo 170 may be disposed at any location of mold 500 or may not be present in the design of mold 500.

[0126] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figures 11A and 11B, frame 502 may comprise reinforcement rim 510 and reinforcement ribs 508 to prevent mold 500 from warping, deformation, and tearing increase grip strength, as well as to ensure uniform support of each compartment 504, which may extend durability and lifespan of mold 500. Moreover, the inner surface of each compartment 504 may be smooth or treated to reduce adhesion, aiding in easy food release and cleaning of mold 500, and the exterior surface may be ribbed, grooved, or comprise any other antislip features, making it easier and more comfortable to grip mold 500 by hand.

[0127] Figures 11C, 11D and HE, further illustrate perspective bottom view, bottom view, and side view of mold 500, respectively. It may be appreciated that, in this embodiment, each compartment 504 of mold 500 may comprise protruding base 512, which may protrude outwardly, while allowing to improve stability of each compartment and reduce suction or vacuum effect during demolding. It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that each protruding base 1512 may also serve as anti-slip zone, for example, allowing mold 500 to rest on the counter, while filling it with a pet treat.

[0128] It may be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the amount of a pet treat to be inserted into mold 500 or directly into the pet chew toy described herein may be measured approximately by a human. It may also be appreciated that mold 500 may have any other configuration, which may allow a pet treat removed from that mold to fit into internal cavity of the pet chew toy described herein.

[0129] In this example, a pet treat may be provided by dry, canned, home-cooked, frozen treat or any other food type suitable for a pet. It may be appreciated that placing dry food, such as, for example, kibble, inside pet chew toy 100, 300, or 400 (since they have a large treat access hole and small treat access holes) may result in dry food escaping from the pet chew toy through the treat access holes way too easily and creating a mess. Therefore, optionally, dry food may be soaked in water beforehand and after may be compacted to be placed inside the pet chew toy or mold 500.

[0130] Figure 12 schematically illustrated packaging 600, which may allow to secure and protect pet chew toy 100, 200, 300, and 400 and mold 500 during transport and provide information for retail display. In this example, packaging 600 may be provided by die-cut cardboard, which may contain cutouts allowing to secure at least one pet chew toy and a food mold in place. However, any other suitable type of packaging may be considered instead of packaging 600.

[0131] It may be appreciated that the body of packaging 600 may be provided by packaging substrate 620 which may have, but not limited to, a rectangular shape, and may be visually split in two portions along imaginary line 608, wherein first portion 610 may, for example, serve as packaging for mold 500, and second portion 612 may serve as packaging for at least one of pet chew toys 100, 200, 300, or 400. Furthermore, packaging 600 may constitute a part of pet chew toy assembly 700 (see Figure 13) and may have any other suitable configuration.

[0132] It may further be appreciated that packaging substrate 620 may comprise at least one first opening 602, which may allow to accommodate a pet chew toy described herein, and at least one second opening 604, which may allow to accommodate at least one compartment 504 of mold 500. It may be appreciated that the diameter of at least one first opening 602 and at least one second opening 602 may correspond to the diameter of the pet chew toy described herein and compartment 504 of mold 500, respectively. Furthermore, a plurality of small apertures 606 may be disposed onthe packaging, which may allow to securely attach at least one pet chew toy and a mold to the body of packaging 600, for example, using plastic straps, elastic bands, twist ties, etc.

[0133] In the example illustrated in Figure 12, packaging substrate 620 may comprise two first openings 602, allowing to accommodate two pet chew toys described herein (for example, pet chew toys 100 and 200 shown in Figures 1A and IB). Furthermore, in this example, packaging substrate 620 may comprise five second openings 604, which may be arranged radially and allow to accommodate compartments 504 of mold 500 (see Figure 11 A). Moreover, packaging substrate 620 may comprise more second openings 604 to receive more than one mold 500. Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of packaging 600 (provided that packaging substrate 620 is, for example, made of thin plastic, which may be reinforced by a rigid frame), the diameter of at least one first opening 602 may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pet chew toy, which may, for example, allow to place a lower shell and an upper shell of the pet chew toy to opposite sides of packaging substrate 620 and then securely attach them together, while allowing the body of the packaging substrate 620 to remain between an upper shell and a lower shell.

[0134] Figure 13 schematically illustrates treat retaining pet chew toy assembly 700, which may comprise at least one pet chew toy 100, 200, 300, or 400, mold 500, and packaging 600. In this example, for the purpose of illustration, treat retaining pet chew toy assembly 700 may comprise pet chew toy 100, pet chew toy 200, and mold 500, which may be secured in openings 602 and 604 of packaging 600, respectively.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A treat retaining pet chew toy comprising: a body having an upper shell and a lower shell releasably connectable together, said upper shell and said lower shell are made of a food-safe, elastomeric material; wherein said upper shell and said lower shell comprise a locking mechanism, allowing to securely attach said upper shell to said lower shell; wherein said upper shell and said lower shell when connected together have a ball shape with most of an exterior surface of said upper shell and said lower shell comprising a portion of a geodesic polyhedron; wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said upper shell and said lower shell has a plurality of flat faces and a plurality of closed recesses for receiving a paste for licking by a pet or for receiving canine teeth; and wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said upper shell and said lower shell has at least one aperture for releasing a portion of a treat held inside said body; wherein said plurality of closed recesses is suitable for use as grips for twisting said upper shell and said lower shell allowing to securely separate and attach said upper shell and said lower shell.

2. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism is formed by a plurality of tabs and located on one of said lower shell or said upper shell, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly, and a plurality of corresponding notches and projections located on another one of said upper shell or said lower shell, said projections comprise stops extending perpendicularly from said projections; and wherein said plurality of tabs is configured to be inserted in said plurality of corresponding notches and to be turned with a friction fit against an underside of said projections by applying twisting motion to said upper shell or said lower shell until said tabs contact said stops.

3. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of tabs is provided by two, three, or four tabs.

4. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism comprises threads for securely interlocking said upper shell and said lower shell.

5. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said plurality of flat faces and said plurality of closed recesses provide a triangular tiling of said exterior surface ofsaid geodesic polyhedron.

6. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said upper shell and said lower shell join about a part line of said treat retaining pet chew toy providing an alignment of corresponding faces of said plurality of flat faces of said upper shell and said lower shell to form said geodesic polyhedron.

7. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 6, wherein said plurality of tabs and said plurality of corresponding notches and projections correspond to a number of faces of said upper shell or said lower shell that are located at said part line.

8. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said plurality of closed recesses is provided by a corresponding plurality of faces sunken with respect to a remainder of said body of said geodesic polyhedron.

9. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each edge of a closed recess of said plurality of closed recesses is connected to an unrecessed face.

10. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein said plurality of closed recesses is arranged along said part line of said treat retaining pet chew toy.

11. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said lower shell is aperture-free and has a base providing stability to said lower shell when said lower shell is suitable for use as a mold.

12. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one face of said plurality of flat faces of said geodesic polyhedron comprises a logo molded within said at least one flat face.

13. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 12, wherein said logo is located on said exterior surface of said base of said lower shell.

14. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein attaching said upper shell to said lower shell creates a liquid-tight seal.

15. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a center of said at least one aperture for releasing said portion of said treat aligns with the medial axis of said body about which said treat retaining pet chew toy when rotated remains visually unchanged.

16. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claims 1 or 15, wherein at least one aperture for releasing said portion of said treat is provided by at least one large treat access hole and a plurality of small treat access holes.

17. The treat retaining pet chew toy as defined in claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality of small treat access holes is used to alleviate a pressure buildup within said treat retaining pet chew toy when said at least one large treat access hole is blocked by a tongue of said pet.

18. A treat retaining pet chew toy assembly comprising: at least one treat retaining pet chew toy having: a body having an upper shell and a lower shell releasably connectable together, said upper shell and said lower shell are made of a food-safe, elastomeric material; wherein said upper shell and said lower shell comprise a locking mechanism, allowing to securely attach said upper shell to said lower shell; wherein said upper shell and said lower shell when connected together have a ball shape with most of an exterior surface of said upper shell and said lower shell comprising a portion of a geodesic polyhedron; wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said upper shell and said lower shell has a plurality of flat faces and a plurality of closed recesses for receiving a paste for licking by a pet or for receiving canine teeth; wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said upper shell and said lower shell has at least one aperture for releasing a portion of a treat held inside said body; and wherein said plurality of closed recesses is suitable for use as grips for twisting said upper shell and said lower shell allowing to securely separate and attach said upper shell and said lower shell; at least one mold for shaping and controlling a portion a pet treat to be inserted inside the at least one treat retaining pet chew toy; and a packaging for securing and protecting said at least one treat retaining pet chew toy and said at least one mold during transport.

19. The treat retaining pet chew toy assembly as defined in claim 18, wherein said packaging comprises a packaging substrate having a plurality of openings dimensioned to receive and secure said at least one treat retaining pet chew toy and said at least one mold.

Images