Gluten-Free Pet Chew with Laminated Potato Outer Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing edible pet chews face issues of mono-nutrition, excessive hardness, poor palatability, environmental pollution, high cost, and insufficient raw material sources, as well as causing digestive issues due to ingredients like rice and wheat gluten.
Innovation Solution
A laminated pet chew design featuring a potato or sweet potato outer layer and an animal-product based inner layer, eliminating gluten and rice while providing durability and nutritional value, with optional inclusion of bone powder for rawhide-free durability and added vegetables for binding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rawhide and jerky are used to make knotted bone pet chews, then the pet chew provides teeth grinding and chewing functions, but it causes mono-nutrition, excessive hardness, poor palatability, and environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite outer layer made from gluten-free ingredients including potato starch, sweet potato starch, rice flour, and vegetable proteins combined with bone meal and gelatin. This composite material structure provides both the durability needed for teeth grinding and the nutritional balance required to eliminate mono-nutrition issues while improving palatability.
2Ease of operation
If plant starch is used as the main raw material for the outer casing, then the pet chew becomes softer and more palatable, but it loses teeth grinding and chewing functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different layers: the outer layer uses a softer, more palatable mixture of plant starches and vegetables, while the inner layer uses harder animal-based jerky or rawhide. This local differentiation allows each layer to fulfill its specific function - the outer layer provides palatability and protection, while the inner layer maintains teeth grinding capability.
3Strength
If rice and wheat are used in the outer layer, then the pet chew becomes more durable, but it causes digestive issues due to gluten and rice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the outer layer by substituting traditional wheat and rice ingredients with gluten-free alternatives including potato starch, sweet potato starch, and vegetable proteins. This parameter change maintains the necessary durability and structural integrity while eliminating the harmful gluten and rice components that cause digestive issues in sensitive pets.
4Strength
If rawhide is used to make knotted bone, then the pet chew provides durability and teeth grinding function, but it causes environmental pollution and high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive and environmentally problematic rawhide with more affordable, eco-friendly alternatives including plant starches, vegetables, and bone meal. The outer layer uses readily available ingredients like potato and sweet potato starch that are cheaper than rawhide and have better environmental profiles, while still providing the necessary durability through proper formulation and layering.
Data Source
AI summary
A pet chew includes an outer layer; and an inner layer, the outer and inner layers being laminated and rolled into a cylindrical shape having knots at both ends, the outer layer including at least one of potato and sweet potato.