Pet dental stick holder

Abstract

To provide a holder for a pet dental stick, which allows a pet to keep biting the pet dental stick for a long time and obtains a high tooth brushing effect. [Solution] The holder 1 for a pet dental stick S of the present invention has a holder main body 2 formed in the shape of a long rod, and an insertion hole 3 formed along the axis O of the holder main body 2 and for inserting the pet dental stick S, and the holder main body 2 is made of an elastically deformable resin material and is formed in a bent state in the direction of the axis O when the pet dental stick S is not inserted.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet dental stick holder for holding a pet dental stick. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, dental care has been considered important for pets such as dogs to maintain their health and extend their lifespan. Like humans, neglecting dental care can lead to periodontal disease and alveolar pyorrhea, which can cause loss of appetite due to pain, irritability due to discomfort and stress, and lack of exercise. Periodontal disease is also said to have a negative impact on the health of the whole body, including the heart and kidneys.

[0003] Therefore, in recent years, it has become common in the pet industry to provide pets such as dogs with pet dental sticks for dental care.

[0004] As shown in Patent Document 1, a dental stick for pets is formed into a relatively hard rod shape by molding a composition containing ground animal hide such as cowhide, a binder material, and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3096655 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, although the pet dental stick of Patent Document 1 is formed as a relatively hard rod, it is not impossible for pets such as dogs to chew it up. Therefore, it has been pointed out that even if a pet dental stick is given to a pet, the pet will eat it in a short time, and the effect of brushing the teeth cannot be obtained sufficiently.

[0007] In addition, a holder has been developed that holds a pet dental stick in a protruding state with one end fixed, but after biting the protruding part, the pet gets bored of biting, making it difficult to get the pet to continue biting for a long period of time and achieve a sufficient tooth brushing effect.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a holder for a pet dental stick that allows a pet to continue biting the pet dental stick for a long period of time, thereby achieving a high level of teeth brushing effectiveness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the pet dental stick holder of the present invention employs the following technical measures.

[0010] In other words, the pet dental stick holder of the present invention is a pet dental stick holder having a holder main body formed in the shape of a long rod, and an insertion hole formed along the axis of the holder main body for inserting a pet dental stick, and the holder main body is formed using an elastically deformable resin material so that it is bent in the axial direction when the pet dental stick is not inserted.

[0011] Preferably, the retainer body has a small diameter portion at one end in the longitudinal direction and a large diameter portion at the other end in the longitudinal direction that is larger in diameter than the one end, and a window portion is formed in the small diameter portion that radially penetrates the retainer body.

[0012] Preferably, the large diameter portion is formed with a canine insertion hole for radially inserting the pet's canine tooth, and a molar guide groove for circumferentially guiding the pet's molar tooth along the outer peripheral surface. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the pet dental stick holder of the present invention, the pet can continue to bite the pet dental stick for a long period of time, thereby achieving a high tooth brushing effect. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing how to use the pet dental stick holder of this embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A is a front view of the holder of this embodiment, FIG. 1B is a right side view of the holder of this embodiment, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. [Diagram 3] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a deformation state when a pet dental stick is inserted into the holder of this embodiment. [Figure 4] (a) is a diagram showing the removal of tartar from a canine using the window portion, (b) is a diagram showing the removal of tartar from a canine using the canine insertion hole, and (c) is a diagram showing the removal of tartar from a molar using the molar guide groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the holder 1 of the present invention allows the pet dental stick S to be inserted therein and holds the pet dental stick S so that the pet P cannot easily remove it. In addition, the holder 1 of the present invention allows the pet P to confirm the presence of the pet dental stick S held therein, so that the pet P who tries to remove the pet dental stick S inside can be made to bite the holder 1. In addition, the holder 1 of the present invention is made of an elastic synthetic resin material and can effectively remove plaque and tartar when the pet P bites it.

[0016] In other words, the holder 1 of the present invention allows the pet dental stick S to be given to the pet P efficiently and over a period of time, and plaque and tartar can be effectively removed not only by the pet dental stick S but also by the holder 1 itself, thereby enabling adequate dental care for the pet P.

[0017] Next, an embodiment of the holder 1 for the pet dental stick S of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0018] First, the pet dental stick S held by the holder 1 will be described.

[0019] The pet dental stick S (sometimes called dental gum) held by the holder 1 of the present invention contains animal hide such as cowhide, a binder, nutritional components for the pet P, aromatic components that stimulate the appetite of the pet P, components for cleaning the mouth of the pet P, etc., and is formed into a straight rod shape using these materials. The pet dental stick S has a hardness that allows it to be crushed by the pet P by chewing it repeatedly.

[0020] The pets P to which the pet dental stick S is given include dogs of various sizes, from very small dogs such as Chihuahuas to very large dogs such as St. Bernards. The pets P may also include animals with teeth, such as cats, ferrets, miniature pigs, rabbits, Asian small-clawed otters, hamsters, and other rodents that have teeth and fangs like dogs.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2(a), the holder 1 of the present invention has a holder body 2 formed in a long rod shape, and an insertion hole 3 formed along the axis O of the holder body 2 and for inserting a pet dental stick S.

[0022] In the following, the configuration of the holder 1 of the present invention will be described using a holder 1 for a small dog (very small dog) as the pet P as an example.

[0023] The retainer body 2 of the present invention is formed using an elastically deformable material so as to be bent in the longitudinal direction in a free state. Specifically, the retainer body 2 is formed from natural rubber, synthetic rubber (BR, SBR, SBS, etc.), elastomer, or a mixture of these materials (for example, TPR (thermoplastic rubber)). The retainer body 2 may contain a resin such as nylon, or may contain a binder that enhances the tartar removal effect.

[0024] The holder body 2 of this embodiment is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape using TPR (thermoplastic rubber), and is bent in an L-shape halfway along the longitudinal direction relative to the axis O of the cylinder. Note that "formed in an L-shape halfway along the longitudinal direction" means that the holder body 2 is bent in an L-shape when no external force is applied to the holder body 2 (in its natural state).

[0025] Specifically, the holder body 2 has one end 2a in the longitudinal direction as a small diameter portion 4, and the other end 2b in the longitudinal direction as a large diameter portion 5 having a larger diameter than the one end 2a. Taking FIG. 2(a) as an example, the lower side of the paper surface is the "one end 2a" and the upper side of the paper surface is the "other end 2b". The main body 2 is formed so that one end side 2a and the other end side 2b are straight cylindrical with the middle part 2c as the boundary. Note that the middle part 2c in the longitudinal direction is made of an elastically deformable material for the holder main body 2 itself, so when the pet dental stick S is not inserted, it naturally bends into a curved shape, and therefore has a curved shape in the drawing.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the angle θ between the one end side 2a and the other end side 2b of the holder body 2 at the midway portion 2c (hereinafter referred to as the inclination angle θ) is 11°. The midway portion 2c of the holder body 2 is the portion indicated by "M" in FIG. 2(a) and is located closer to the one end side 2a in the longitudinal direction. The inclination angle θ between the one end side 2a and the other end side 2b of the holder body 2 at the midway portion 2c varies depending on the type of synthetic resin material constituting the holder body 2, but is generally in the range of 10° to 15°. If nylon or the like is added to the material or if a material with low elasticity is used among elastically deformable materials, the holder body 2 becomes hard, and the larger the inclination angle θ, the more difficult it becomes to insert the pet dental stick S. Therefore, the inclination angle of the holder body 2 at the midway portion 2c may be 10° or less.

[0027] The holder body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a small diameter portion 4 having a diameter of 25 mm to 35 mm, a large diameter portion 5 having a diameter of 38 mm to 50 mm, and a total length along the longitudinal direction of about 140 mm to 170 mm. In the case of this embodiment, the holder 1 is for holding a pet dental stick S for a very small dog (or small dog) such as a Chihuahua, so the small diameter portion 4 has a diameter of 25 mm to 26 mm, the large diameter portion 5 has a diameter of 38 mm to 40 mm, and a total length of 140 mm to 150 mm. In the case of a holder 1 for medium-sized dogs such as Shetland Sheepdogs, Corgis, and Dachshunds, large dogs such as Collies and Shepherds, and extra-large dogs such as Borzois and Wolfhounds, it is preferable that the diameters of the small diameter portion 4 and the large diameter portion 5 and the total length along the longitudinal direction are larger than the above-mentioned dimensions.

[0028] Dimples 6 that protrude outward are formed on the outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the retainer body 2. A plurality of dimples 6 are provided at predetermined intervals on the outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the retainer body 2. When the pet P bites, the dimples 6 come into contact with the surfaces of the teeth to remove plaque and massage the gums.

[0029] An insertion hole 3 is formed in the center of the holder body 2 along the axis O. The insertion hole 3 is a portion into which the pet dental stick S, which is formed into a straight rod shape, is inserted. The insertion hole 3 opens on both an end face on one end side 2a of the holder body 2 and an end face on the other end side 2b of the holder body 2, and penetrates the holder body 2 along the axis O.

[0030] The inner diameter of the insertion hole 3 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pet dental stick S. In the case of this embodiment, since the outer diameter of the pet dental stick S is 9 mm, the inner diameter of the insertion hole 3 is set to 10 mm.

[0031] The overall length of the insertion hole 3 is longer than the overall length of the pet dental stick S. Therefore, when the pet dental stick S is inserted into the insertion hole 3, both ends of the pet dental stick S are buried in the insertion hole 3.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the holder body 2 has a bent shape when the pet dental stick S is not inserted, and the insertion hole 3 also has a bent shape (flexed and curved) in accordance with the shape of the holder body 2 when the pet dental stick S is not inserted. However, by inserting the pet dental stick S, the holder body 2 becomes a straight cylindrical shape (long cylindrical shape), and the insertion hole 3 also bends to a straight state. A restoring force acts on the holder body 2 in a straight bent state (when the pet dental stick S is inserted) in a direction to return to the bent shape. As a result, a force acts on the pet dental stick S inserted into the insertion hole 3 from its side, pressing the pet dental stick S against the hole wall of the insertion hole 3, and a strong frictional force acts between the hole wall of the insertion hole 3 and the outer circumferential surface of the pet dental stick S, making it difficult for the pet dental stick S to come out of the insertion hole 3.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 2(a) to 2(c), the small diameter portion 4 is located at one end side 2a in the longitudinal direction of the holder body 2, and is formed in a straight cylindrical shape. The thickness of the holder body 2 at the small diameter portion 4 is about 7 mm to 10 mm. If the thickness of the small diameter portion 4 is too thin, the pet The holder body 2 will be bitten off by the pet P, and if it is too thick, the pet P will get tired of biting it, so the holder 1 for very small and small dogs is set to the above-mentioned thickness of about 7 mm to 10 mm. However, depending on the breed (animal species) of the pet P or the type of material constituting the holder body 2, the thickness may be thinner or thicker than 7 mm to 10 mm.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the small diameter portion 4 is formed with a window portion 7 that penetrates the holder body 2 in the radial direction.

[0035] The window portion 7 is open on both the outer surface (outer peripheral surface) side of the holder body 2 of the small diameter portion 4 and the side of the insertion hole 3. The window portion 7 is formed in an elongated hole shape along the longitudinal direction of the holder body 2. The window portion 7 allows the pet dental stick S inserted into the insertion hole 3 to be visually confirmed and allows the odor of the pet dental stick S to escape to the outside of the holder body 2.

[0036] The above-mentioned window portion 7 is also formed in the curved holder body 2 located in the middle portion 2c. The window portion 7 in the middle portion 2c opens so as to be aligned in the axial direction with the window portion 7 in the small diameter portion 4. In this embodiment, the two window portions 7 have the same opening shape and the same function. Note that the holder 1 of the present invention may have two window portions 7 with different shapes.

[0037] The large diameter portion 5 is located at the other end side 2b in the longitudinal direction of the holder body 2, and is formed in a cylindrical (barrel-like) shape with a bulging midway. The outer diameter of the large diameter portion 5 is made larger than that of the small diameter portion 4. The large diameter portion 5 is eye-catching due to its large outer diameter, making it easier for the pet P to bite. In addition, by having the small diameter portion 4 and the large diameter portion 5, which are portions with different outer diameters, the holder body 2 (holder 1) only rotates in a certain place even if it rolls, and does not roll to another place. Therefore, even if the holder 1 is given to the pet P, the pet P will not be attracted by the holder 1 and move.

[0038] The thickness of the holder body 2 at the large diameter portion 5 is about 12 mm to 16 mm, which is a dimension such that the canine teeth P1 of a very small dog do not reach the pet dental stick S or have difficulty reaching it.

[0039] The large diameter portion 5 is formed with a canine tooth insertion hole 8 for radially inserting the canine tooth P1 of the pet P, and a molar guide groove 9 for circumferentially guiding the molar of the pet P (dog) along the outer circumferential surface.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4(c), the molar guide groove 9 is formed so that the molar P2 of the pet P enters when biting into the large diameter portion 5. The molar guide groove 9 is formed in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 5. The molar guide groove 9 in this embodiment is formed as a continuous groove going around the axis O of the retainer main body 2 in the circumferential direction, and is capable of guiding the molar P2 by sliding in the circumferential direction.

[0041] The molar guide groove 9 is provided in a plurality of rows in the longitudinal direction, and the molar P2 of the pet P is adapted to fit into one of the grooves.

[0042] The molar guide groove 9 is composed of a convex ridge portion 9a protruding outward and a groove portion 9b formed between adjacent convex ridge portions 9a, 9a. The protruding height of the outward convex ridge portion 9a is set to 4 mm to 5 mm so that the tip of the convex ridge portion 9a can contact the gums (more precisely, the root of the gums where tartar is easily attached) of the molar P2 of an extra-small dog or a small dog. The interval between adjacent convex ridge portions 9a, 9a is set to a width narrower than that of the molar P2 of an extra-small dog or a small dog, and is formed to about 3 mm to 4 mm so that the convex ridge portion 9a easily contacts the surface of the molar P2 by deforming to widen when the molar P2 is inserted. Cuts 10 are formed at predetermined intervals in each convex ridge portion 9a. The slits 10 are arranged in a staggered pattern in the longitudinal direction so that the slits 10 of adjacent ridges 9a are not continuous in the longitudinal direction. By arranging the slits 10 of adjacent ridges 9a in a staggered pattern, the molar P2 can move in the longitudinal direction and provides an appropriate resistance to the molar P2 sliding in the circumferential direction, improving the chewing experience of the pet P.

[0043] Unlike the ridges 9a, the grooves 9b are formed continuously in the circumferential direction. The bottoms of the grooves 9b are formed into smooth curved surfaces so that the molar teeth P2 can slide easily thereon.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the canine tooth insertion hole 8 is formed in the groove portion 9b (groove bottom) of some of the multiple molar guide grooves 9 described above. In the present embodiment, five molar guide grooves 9 are provided, and the groove bottom of the second molar guide groove 9 from the one end side 2a and the groove bottom of the fourth molar guide groove 9 are formed in the groove portion 9b (groove bottom) of some of the molar guide grooves 9 from the one end side 2a. It is formed at the bottom of the inner groove 9 .

[0045] The canine insertion hole 8 penetrates the retainer body 2 of the large diameter portion 5 in the radial direction, and opens to both the outer peripheral surface of the retainer body 2 and the insertion hole 3. The depth (hole length) of the canine insertion hole 8 is about 14 mm to 16 mm, so it is generally difficult for the canine P1 of an extra-small dog or small dog to penetrate through it. However, the hole width of the canine insertion hole 8 along the longitudinal direction is about 4 mm, which is shorter than the width of the canine P1 of an extra-small dog or small dog. Therefore, when the canine P1 is inserted into the canine insertion hole 8, the hole wall of the canine insertion hole 8 spreads and easily comes into contact with the side surface of the canine P1, so that plaque and tartar attached to the canine P1 can be effectively removed.

[0046] The above-mentioned retainer 1 can be molded using a split mold having cutters on the left and right sides of the paper in the state shown in Fig. 3(c). This split mold is formed in a shape that follows the outer diameter of the retainer main body 2, with the portions corresponding to the canine insertion hole 8 and the window portion 7 protruding. The above-mentioned retainer 1 can be molded by supplying molten material such as TPR into the split mold, removing the mold in the separating direction after hardening, and manually pulling out the hardened material present in the portion corresponding to the insertion hole 3.

[0047] Next, the effects of the holder 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0048] The holder 1 of the present invention is capable of inserting a pet dental stick S into an insertion hole 3 formed therein, and since the pet dental stick S is inserted and immersed in the insertion hole 3, it can hold the pet dental stick S so that the pet P cannot easily remove it.

[0049] The holder 1 of the present invention is designed so that the pet P can easily confirm the presence of the pet dental stick S held inside by smell and by sight through the openings at both ends of the insertion hole 3 and the window portion 7, and the pet P can be made to bite the holder 1 in an attempt to remove the pet dental stick S inside.

[0050] The holder 1 of the present invention is capable of preventing the pet dental stick S inserted into the insertion hole 3 from falling out by inserting the straight pet dental stick S into the insertion hole 3 while bending the holder body 2 into a straight shape, using the restoring force of the holder body 2 which tries to return from the straight state to the bent state (free state). As a result, the pet P will continue to bite the holder 1 in an attempt to remove the pet dental stick S, improving dental effects such as tartar removal.

[0051] In this way, the holder 1 of the present invention allows the pet P to chew the pet dental stick S efficiently and over a long period of time, and by having the pet P continue to chew on the holder body 2 having multiple dimples 6, it is possible to provide sufficient dental care for the pet P.

[0052] If one end side 2a in the longitudinal direction of the holder main body 2 is made into a small diameter part 4 and the other end side 2b in the longitudinal direction is made into a large diameter part 5 having a larger diameter than the one end side 2a, the pet P can hold the large diameter part 5 with its front paws and bite the small diameter part 4, allowing the pet P to brush its teeth in a stable position. Furthermore, if the large diameter part 5 and the small diameter part 4 are provided, the holder 1 will not roll in a circle on the floor or the like and move to another place, and it is also possible to prevent the pet P from being lured by the holder 1 to move to another place.

[0053] If a window portion 7 that penetrates the retainer body 2 radially is formed in the small diameter portion 4 of the retainer body 2, the pet P can confirm the presence of the pet dental stick S outside the retainer body 2 through the window portion 7 by smell, etc., so that the pet P can continue to bite the retainer 1 without getting bored, further improving the dental effect such as tartar removal.

[0054] When a pet P bites down on the pet dental stick S visible at the back of the insertion hole 3 of the large diameter portion 5, the canine P1 is inserted into the canine insertion hole 8 and the molar P2 slides along the molar guide groove 9, making it possible to effectively remove tartar from the canine and molar.

[0055] Since the convex ridges 9a of the molar guide groove 9 have slits 10 at regular intervals, the molars P2 of the pet P attempting to slide circumferentially along the bottom of the groove are caught by the slits 10, providing an appropriate resistance. As a result, the pet P is given a satisfying chewing sensation, and the pet P is further prevented from getting bored, allowing the pet P to continue biting the retainer 1 for a long period of time, thereby further improving dental effects such as tartar removal.

[0056] The inner diameter of the insertion hole 3 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pet dental stick S. By forming it into a diameter, The insertion hole 3 is formed to a length sufficient to allow the pet dental stick S to be embedded in the insertion hole 3. By forming the insertion hole 3 to a length sufficient to allow the pet dental stick S to be embedded in the insertion hole 3 in this manner, the pet dental stick S will not protrude from the upper and lower openings (both openings on one end side and the other end side) of the insertion hole 3, making it difficult for the pet P to grab the pet dental stick S and pull it out, and making it possible for the pet P to continue biting the holder 1.

[0057] Dimples 6 that protrude outward are formed on the outer surface (peripheral surface) of the retainer main body 2. By providing such dimples 6, when the pet P bites, it becomes possible to remove plaque and massage the gums by contacting the surfaces of the teeth.

[0058] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. In particular, matters not explicitly disclosed in the embodiments disclosed herein, such as the molding method of the holder 1, the type of pet P to be applied, the dimensions of the components, and the types of materials, do not deviate from the scope of what a person skilled in the art would normally do, and values ​​that a person skilled in the art would easily imagine are used.

[0059] Although the insertion hole 3 is formed for inserting the pet dental stick S, it may also be used as a toy by inserting snacks for the pet P (such as jerky or cookies) therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Holder 2. Holder body 2a One end of the holder body 2b The other end of the holder body 2c Mid-way part of the holder body 3 Insertion hole 4 Small diameter section 5 Large diameter section 6 Dimples 7 Window section 8 Canine insertion hole 9 Molar guide groove 9a Convex part 9b Groove 10. Cut O axis center P Pet P1 Canine P2 Molar S Pet Dental Stick θ Tilt angle

Claims

1. A pet dental stick holder having a holder body formed in a long rod shape and an insertion hole formed along an axis of the holder body and into which a pet dental stick is inserted, The pet dental stick holder has a holder body made of an elastically deformable resin material and is formed in a bent state in the axial direction when the pet dental stick is not inserted.

2. The retainer body has a small diameter portion at one end in a longitudinal direction and a large diameter portion at the other end in a longitudinal direction, the large diameter portion being larger than the one end, The small diameter portion has a window portion that penetrates the holder body in the radial direction. A holder for the pet dental stick according to claim 1.

3. The large diameter portion is formed with a canine tooth insertion hole for inserting the canine tooth of the pet in the radial direction, and a molar guide groove for guiding the molar tooth of the pet in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface. A holder for the pet dental stick according to claim 2.

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