Title:  Chewing gum with liquid medium

United States Patent:  6,652,839

Issued:  November 25, 2003

Inventors:  Barreca; Jack (180 Cook St., #210, Denver, CO 80206)

Appl. No.:  316700

Filed:  December 10, 2002

Abstract

A gum, lollipop and lozenge having at least two separate components, the first component having desirable taste characteristics and the second component having a diet control composition incorporated therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method and product which provides a weight control substance to an individual other than through the consumption of pills, suppositories, diet beverages and/or tasteless and low caloric foodstuffs. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a particular gum product having at its center a composition different from the surrounding gum and having distinct functional and metabolic characteristics. For example, various metabolism increasing components can be provided in the interior of a gum in a liquid or semi-liquid form while the-gum itself can be of a traditional gum composition and/or may incorporate various other desirable metabolic increasing components to supplement and/or coact with components contained in the liquid center of the gum. Indeed, in one particular embodiment of the present invention, time release capsules may be provided suspended in a liquid medium inside a gum enclosure. Chewing of the gum-based product releases the interior liquid substance, thus providing a product and a method desirable by weight conscious individuals who do not wish to publicly announce or disclose their dietary desires. In a preferred embodiment, the substance contained within the gum (e.g. the interior liquid substance) would have as a principal characteristic the capability of increasing a user's caloric burn rate (e.g. by increasing a person's metabolism, adjusting/regulating hormonal activity in an individual, providing fiber to increase a person's feelings of satiety) In a particular embodiment of the present invention, a gum is utilized having liquid interior components surrounded by the dense gum, for example, the interior having a density less than 10% as dense as the exterior gum, more preferably at least about 15% less dense, and more preferably, at least about 35% less dense than the surrounding gum. The interior liquid components can be herbal, organic, natural, chemical and/or hormonal in nature, and may be selected dependent upon their individual and synergistic characteristics, with the objective being to increase a person's metabolism in order to achieve a higher caloric burn rate and/or to decrease the desire for additional food (e.g. generate a feeling of satiety or fullness). It is within the scope of the present invention to incorporate various known diet control substances in either the gum material itself and/or in the liquid interior material encompassed by the gum material. In a preferred embodiment, however, the surrounding gum material is comprised of traditional gum flavors and compositions and the interior liquid and/or semi-liquid (e.g. gel) components of the present invention comprise diet regulating substances.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to a hard candy substance (e.g. primarily comprising a natural sugar and corn syrup base) often referred to as a "sucker" or "lollipop." The interior of the sucker or lollipop, however, contains a less rigid, soft and/or liquid or semi-liquid component. The enclosed material of the lollipop includes metabolic enhancers for weight and caloric control.

In still another embodiment, a lozenge can be manufactured having a denser exterior and a less dense interior, where either the interior or exterior of the lozenge, or both, contain diet controlling substances. Preferably, diet controlling substances are positioned within the interior of such lozenges so as to facilitate the enjoyment by an individual of consuming the lozenge without the possible unpleasant and/or undesirable taste characteristics of various dietary components within the center of the lozenge.

It will be understood that the purpose of the present invention is to increase metabolic efficiency and to burn calories in an individual. Herbal additives may be incorporated into such products to aid in the body's ability to digest food and/or to block absorption of fat molecules into the system. For example, chitosan compositions can be utilized either in the interior and/or exterior of the gum, lollipop and lozenge embodiments desired above and hereafter. In addition to chitosan, other fiber-like components, vitamins and minerals (e.g., especially calcium compositions to treat osteoporosis) can be incorporated into the present invention to provide desired feelings of satiety or fullness to an individual using such products and/or to treat various vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies.

While the present invention is primarily directed to administering diet control substances to individuals, it should be understood that other medicinal and/or nutritional and/or biological components can be administered to animals in general (companion pets, livestock, etc.) but preferably humans. Indeed, the present inventor believes that the administration of medicinal compounds to young children can be greatly facilitated by use of the present invention given that children are more apt to take medicine in the form of a lollipop, lozenge or gum, particularly if the taste and flavor and textural characteristics of such candy products are preserved and effective amounts of desired components are delivered to such individuals when consuming such products.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following table contains a list of possible components that may be incorporated into the center of the gum, lollipop and lozenge aspects of the present invention:

The following U.S. issued patents are also incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,989 by Hasimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,475 by Norquist et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,883 by Block et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,109 by Nakamura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,367 by Ecanow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,850 by Thakur et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,952 by Vournakis et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,023 by Furda. It will therefore be appreciated by one of skill in the art that various compositions, formulations, masking agents (e.g., to "mask" unpleasant flavors and/or textures and/or mouth feel characteristics of vitamins, medicinal compounds, minerals, etc.) and binders can be combined with the present structure of the present invention to achieve various desired purposes. For example, controlled release formulations are encompassed by the present invention as are the preparation and use of various different carrier vehicles useful for medicinally administering compositions to animals, time release formulations, compositions having desirable solubility and dissolution rates, and the incorporation into the present invention of food additives such as vitamins, pharmaceutical preparations and other compounds, specifically those that reduce the absorption of lipids such a chitosan.

Both the gum with liquid-type fillers and the sucker with a gum-based center can be comprised of one or more of the following: xanthan, guar, locust bean gum, karaya, gum tragacanth, carrageenans, alginates, gum arabic, corn syrup, sugar, starches, gum bases. While multiple recipes exist, most candy substances can also be made from natural and herbal substitutes listed in Table II. The cavities that are extruded in both the gum and the lollipop can be made with one or more cavities that can be filled with multiple bio-enhancing and weight management substances, compiling all or some of the properties in Table II. The combination of them will achieve various results. Example: Guarana and malluang and chitosan will create energy and a feeling of "fullness" for the consumer; chromium picolinate (RE. 33, 988) and ginseng and ginger will allow the user to burn calories more efficiently).

The amounts of all or some of these ingredients can vary between no less than about 0.05 mg to more than about 30 mg. The size of the gum exterior can be made of a size less than 4.5 grams to more than 18.4 grams with the cavity center being able to accommodate a volume between 0.5 mg to more than 5 grams. The lollipop can be a total size of less than 0.65 oz. with the cavity center being a volume of no more than 0.42 oz. and no less than 4.5 grams, to a size larger than 1.35 oz. with a cavity center being of at least 19 grams.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claim 1 of 13 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A chewing gum consisting essentially of a first substance comprised of gum configured so as to have at least one cavity capable of retaining a liquid or semi-liquid substance as a second substance, wherein at least said first substance has active ingredients consisting essentially of guarana, ginseng and at least one metabolic enhancer that increases a user's metabolism in order to achieve a higher caloric burn rate, said active ingredients together present in an amount of up to 5 grams.

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