US4241091A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Calorie-free non-adhesive chewing gums and method
Assignee: Life Savers Inc
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Filing: 1978-12-21
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Granted: 1980-12-23
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Expires: 1998-12-21
Abstract
Abstract A substantially calorie-free, non-carbohydrate, non-cariogenic, non-adhesive chewing gum is provided which does not adhere to dentures and includes gum base, substantially calorie-free sweetener, flavor, water, thickener, filler, softener and a slip agent for imparting non-adhesive properties to the gum, the slip agent being alpha-cellulose, texturized vegetable protein, fish protein concentrate, citrus peel, citrus pulp, fruit pulp or mixtures thereof. A method for imparting non-adhesive properties to chewing gum is also provided. The resulting chewing gum has significantly higher cud volume than heretofore known chewing gum of equivalent weight.
Inventors
- 👤 John J. Stroz
- 👤 Abraham I. Bakal
- 👤 Donald A. M. Mackay
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:21
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23G; A23G4/00; A23G4/06; A23G4/064; A23G4/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A substantially calorie-free carbohydrate-free, non-cariogenic chewing gum having non-adhesive properties consisting essentially of gum base, a substantially calorie-free sweetener, flavoring, filler, from about 1 to about 15% by weight of alpha-cellulose as a non-adhesive-imparting slip agent or texturizing agent and bulking agent, and from about 1 to about 40% by weight water, to improve chewing quality, impart non-adhesive properties to said gum and increase cud size of said gum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
A substantially calorie-free carbohydrate-free, non-cariogenic chewing gum having non-adhesive properties consisting essentially of gum base, a substantially calorie-free sweetener, flavoring, filler, from about 1 to about 15% by weight of alpha-cellulose as a non-adhesive-imparting slip agent or texturizing agent and bulking agent, and from about 1 to about 40% by weight water, to improve chewing quality, impart non-adhesive properties to said gum and increase cud size of said gum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said alpha-cellulose is in particulate form having an average particle size within the range of from about 500 to about 30 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said chewing gum comprises from about 5 to about 30% by weight water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 further including carboxymethyl cellulose.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 further including from about 0.2 to about 3% by weight of a thickener comprising methyl cellulose, alginates, carrageenan, xanthan gum, gelatin, carob, tragacanth, locust bean, or carboxymethyl cellulose.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said water comprises from about 10 to about 30% by weight of said gum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said water is present in an amount of from about 10 to about 30% by weight, and said chewing gum further includes from about 0.2 to about 3% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said chewing gum includes from about 15 to about 30% by weight water.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 further including from about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of a substantially calorie-free softener.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said filler or texturizing agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, alumina, magnesium carbonate, talc, aluminum silicates, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 10 wherein said filler or texturizing agent is calcium carbonate or talc or mixtures thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 9 wherein said softener is selected from the group consisting of lecithin, coconut oil, fatty acids, glycerol stearate, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose derivatives and mixtures thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
The chewing gum as defined in claim 1 wherein said sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sodium saccharin, calcium saccharin, ammonium saccharin, the free acid form of saccharin, sodium cyclamate, calcium cyclamate, free cyclamic acid, dihydrochalcones or salts thereof, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid ammonium salt, L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester and mixtures thereof.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for forming a calorie-free non-adhesive chewing gum said chewing gum consisting essentially of gum base, water, thickener, sweetener and flavor, and from about 1 to about 15% by weight of alpha-cellulose, which comprises mixing melted gum base, alpha-cellulose and optionally flavor and sweetener to form a gum base mixture, separately mixing water, thickener and remaining flavor and sweetener to form an emulsion and mixing said gum base mixture and emulsion, and cooling the mix to form a chewing gum, said thickener being present in an amount of from about 0.2 to about 1.5% by weight all of said % being based on the weight of said final chewing gum.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for forming a calorie-free non-adhesive chewing gum said chewing gum consisting essentially of gum base, water, thickener, sweetener and flavor, and from about 1 to about 15% by weight of alpha-cellulose, which comprises mixing melted gum base, alpha-cellulose and optionally flavor and sweetener to form a gum base mixture, separately mixing water, thickener and remaining flavor and sweetener to form an emulsion and mixing said gum base mixture and emulsion, and cooling the mix to form a chewing gum, said thickener being present in an amount of from about 0.2 to about 1.5% by weight all of said % being based on the weight of said final chewing gum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said chewing gum comprises from about 10 to about 30% by weight water, and from about 0.2 to about 1.5% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose, said % being based on the total weight of said chewing gum.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-12-23 | 1984-06-23 | 1984-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-12-23 | 1988-06-23 | 1988-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-12-23 | 1992-06-23 | 1992-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |