Gel-type deodorizer

Abstract

To provide a gel-type deodorizer that exhibits good deodorizing ability in a limited volume. [Solution] A gel-type deodorant comprising an aqueous dispersion containing activated carbon, a gelling agent, and water, which is solidified into a gel-like form, a self-standing gel, and a three-dimensional container, wherein the self-standing gel is contained within the three-dimensional container, and the self-standing gel is 20-150 cm 2 It has an external surface area of ​​5-80 cm². 3 The three-dimensional container has a volume and is a polyhedron, cone, cylinder, sphere, or pillow shape formed from a nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric has an air permeability of 200-700 cm² according to the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS L 1913 (Fragile method). 3 / cm 2 A gel-like deodorizer characterized by having s.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a gel-type deodorizer that removes unpleasant odors. The deodorizer according to the present invention can be opened and installed as needed, and can be used particularly for deodorizing inside refrigerators. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, numerous deodorizers and odor removers have been proposed to eliminate unpleasant odors that occur in toilets, rooms, refrigerators, cars, and other places. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gel-type deodorizer which is prepared by preparing an aqueous dispersion containing powdered activated carbon as an adsorbent and a gelling agent, sealing this in a highly rigid resin container and solidifying it into a gel, and which adsorbs unpleasant odors in storage places such as refrigerators, and allows for easy determination of when it is time to replace the deodorizer by the contraction of the gel.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a physical adsorbent such as activated carbon, which is wrapped in a bag-shaped packaging made of nonwoven fabric kneaded with a photocatalyst and a chemical adsorbent, and is intended for deodorizing spaces such as closets and storage rooms. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-157706 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-208969 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, conventional gel-type deodorizers require a large volume to achieve their desired deodorizing ability, which can take up valuable space in storage containers with limited internal volume, such as refrigerators.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and as a result of diligent research by the inventors, the inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by constructing the container for the gel-like deodorant from a material with a certain degree of breathability and by ensuring an external surface area in which the gel-like deodorant is exposed to the odorous atmosphere. That is, one embodiment of the present invention is a gel-like deodorant comprising an aqueous dispersion containing activated carbon, a gelling agent, and water, which is solidified into a gel-like self-supporting gel, and a three-dimensional container, wherein the self-supporting gel is contained within the three-dimensional container, and the self-supporting gel is 20 to 150 cm 2 It has an external surface area of ​​5-80 cm². 3 The three-dimensional container has a volume and is a polyhedron, cone, cylinder, sphere, or pillow shape formed from a nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric has an air permeability of 200-700 cm² according to the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS L 1913 (Fragile method). 3 / cm 2 It is characterized by having 's'.

[0007] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of 15 to 100 g / m². 2 It is characterized by being such.

[0008] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the three-dimensional shape of the self-supporting gel is a cube, a rectangular prism, a cylinder, or a sphere.

[0009] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the shape of the three-dimensional container is a tetrahedron.

[0010] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by being used inside a refrigerator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, a gel-type deodorizer is provided that exhibits sufficient deodorizing ability when needed and is compact in terms of occupied volume, without taking up space in storage compartments such as refrigerators. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a gel deodorant as one embodiment of the present invention, in which one cubic self-supporting gel is housed in a tetrahedral container. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a gel deodorant as one embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of cubic self-supporting gels are housed in a tetrahedral container. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a gel deodorant as one embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of cylindrical self-supporting gels are housed in a tetrahedral container. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, the gel deodorant according to one aspect of the present invention will be described. Unless otherwise specified below, the "air permeability" in the present invention refers to a value measured in accordance with Japanese Industrial Standards JIS L 1913 (Frazier method).

[0014] (Gel Deodorant) A gel deodorant according to one aspect of the present invention includes a self-supporting gel and a three-dimensional container. The self-supporting gel has a specific outer surface area and volume, and contains activated carbon and a gelling agent. Further, the three-dimensional container is constituted by a nonwoven fabric having specific air permeability. By adopting such a configuration, sufficient deodorizing performance can be exhibited when needed despite a relatively small volume.

[0015] <Self-Supporting Gel> The self-supporting gel of the present invention has a feature that it does not substantially cause shape deformation due to its own weight when left stationary on a horizontal surface under a normal temperature and normal pressure environment. The self-supporting gel of the present invention is a water-based gel containing a gelling agent described later, and can be obtained by dissolving the gelling agent in water, blending other components, and solidifying the mixture. When the self-supporting gel of the present invention is placed in a use environment, the water content contained therein evaporates over time, and the volume thereof gradually decreases. Since the time when the volume decreases to a certain extent substantially coincides with the time when the deodorizing performance is saturated, the self-supporting gel exerts an effect of visually notifying a user of the replacement time.

[0016] The self-supporting gel of the present invention has an external surface area within a predetermined range. Here, the external surface area in the present invention is defined as a theoretical area calculated only from the length and width when the outer surface of the self-supporting gel is regarded as a smooth surface without fine irregularities in the thickness direction. For example, when the self-supporting gel has a substantially cubic shape with a side length of 3 cm and fine irregularities on the outer surface, the external surface area of one face does not take the fine irregularities into account, and the external surface area per face is 3×3=9 cm 2 is calculated, and the external surface area of this self-supporting gel having a substantially cubic shape is 9×6=54 cm for 6 faces 2 . The same calculation shall apply not only to flat surfaces but also to cases having curved surfaces.

[0017] The self-supporting gel has an external surface area of 20 to 150 cm 2 and a volume of 5 to 80 cm 3 . If the external surface area is less than 20 cm 2 , it is difficult to secure an area in contact with odors, and sufficient deodorizing performance may not be exhibited. In addition, if it exceeds 150 cm 2 , the self-supporting gel will have a large surface area relative to the predetermined volume, the moisture of the self-supporting gel will evaporate before processing the originally possible odor treatment amount, and the potential deodorizing performance may not be exhibited.

[0018] If the volume of the self-supporting gel is less than 5 cm 3 , the absolute amount of the active ingredient such as activated carbon described later that contributes to deodorization cannot be secured, and as a result, sufficient deodorizing performance may not be exhibited. In addition, if the volume exceeds 80 m 3 , the volume as a gel deodorant becomes large, and it may be difficult to realize one feature of the present invention, that is, being compact and not bulky.

[0019] From the above viewpoint, the self-supporting gel of the present invention more preferably has an external surface area of 40 to 100 cm 2 and a volume of 15 to 70 cm 3 , and still more preferably has an external surface area of 50 to 70 cm 2 and a volume of 20 to 50 cm 3 .

[0020] The self-supporting gels of the present invention may be one or more. In the case of multiple self-supporting gels, the outer surface area of ​​the self-supporting gels in the present invention is the sum of the outer surface areas of each self-supporting gel, and the volume is also the sum of the volumes of each self-supporting gel. The number of self-supporting gels is not particularly limited as long as the sum of the outer surface area and volume is within a predetermined range, but it is desirable that the volume of each self-supporting gel be relatively large so that the volume reduction per self-supporting gel can be easily visually observed and the time for replacement of the gel-type deodorant can be more easily determined. For example, 1 to 6 gels, more preferably 1 to 3 gels.

[0021] Furthermore, the self-supporting gel of the present invention has a three-dimensional shape. The three-dimensional shape is not particularly limited, but examples include polyhedrons and solids composed of at least a portion of curved surfaces, more specifically, cubes, rectangular prisms, cylinders, or spheres. From the viewpoint of ensuring self-support and ease of manufacture, cubes, rectangular prisms, or cylinders are particularly preferred. As mentioned above, the self-supporting gel of the present invention may be one or more, and if there are multiple gels, these three-dimensional shapes can be used in any combination. It should be noted that the three-dimensional shape referred to here does not require mathematical rigor, but is sufficient if it generally has the appearance of that shape.

[0022] (activated carbon) The self-supporting gel of the present invention contains activated carbon. Activated carbon is a material composed of carbonaceous substances that have countless micropores formed by chemically treating any carbon source such as coal or coconut shells at high temperatures. The activated carbon of the present invention is not particularly limited, and conventionally known materials such as coconut shells, wood charcoal, bamboo charcoal, rice husks and other plant-based materials, coal, petroleum pitch and other mineral-based materials can be used. The amount of activated carbon in the present invention is, for example, about 1 to 5% by weight of the total weight of the self-supporting gel.

[0023] (Gelling agent) The self-standing gel of the present invention contains a gelling agent. As described above, the self-standing gel of the present invention has the characteristic of not substantially losing its shape due to its own weight when placed on a horizontal surface under normal temperature and pressure conditions. Therefore, the type and amount of gelling agent that satisfies this characteristic are selected. The type of gelling agent is not particularly limited, and conventionally known ones such as carrageenan, gellan gum, agar, gelatin, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, and cellulose derivatives can be used. The amount of gelling agent of the present invention is, for example, about 2 to 5% by weight of the total weight of the self-standing gel.

[0024] (Other ingredients) The self-supporting gel of the present invention may contain other components besides those described above. Examples of such components include deodorants, dispersants, and gel strengtheners. Conventional known deodorants can be used, such as metal oxides like zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, and copper oxide; metal phosphate salts like zirconium phosphate, calcium phosphate, and titanium phosphate; inorganic substances like aluminum silicate, silica gel, and zeolites; and organic substances like phthalocyanine, amine, hydrazide, carboxylic acid, carbonyl, and ester types. When a deodorant is incorporated, the amount is approximately 0.1 to 1% by weight of the total weight of the self-supporting gel, for example.

[0025] Dispersants can be used in the production of self-supporting gels to prevent the settling of particulate components and ensure a uniform dispersion state. Conventional known dispersants can be used, such as glycols including propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. When a dispersant is added, the amount added is, for example, about 3 to 8% by weight of the total weight of the self-supporting gel (100% by weight).

[0026] Gel strengthening agents can be used to improve the rigidity of the self-supporting gel. Examples of gel strengthening powders that can be used include conventionally known substances such as alkali metal salts like sodium chloride and alkaline earth metal salts like calcium chloride. When a gel strengthening agent is included, the amount should be approximately 0.2 to 1% by weight of the total weight of the self-supporting gel, for example. In addition to those mentioned above, the self-supporting gel of the present invention may also contain preservatives, UV absorbers, pigments, dyes, fragrances, and the like.

[0027] The total amount of other components in the self-supporting gel of the present invention is, for example, about 0.1 to 10% by weight of the total weight of the self-supporting gel, based on 100% by weight. Furthermore, the self-supporting gel of the present invention is composed of water as the remainder after removing the above-mentioned components. That is, for example, if the self-supporting gel is obtained by uniformly mixing and dispersing 1.5% by weight of activated carbon, 2.5% by weight of a gelling agent, 5% by weight of a dispersant, and 0.5% by weight of a gel strengthening agent in water and then solidifying it, then 90.5% by weight of the remainder is water (100 - (1.5 + 2.5 + 5 + 0.5)). As described above, the self-supporting gel of the present invention has a three-dimensional shape. As a method for imparting such a three-dimensional shape, for example, a method in which a raw material liquid obtained by mixing and dispersing the components constituting the self-supporting gel is poured into a mold having a suitable three-dimensional shape and solidified to impart the shape of the mold; a method in which the raw material liquid is poured into a shallow mold such as a tray and solidified, and then cut into cubes with a knife or wire, or a certain shape is given using a cookie cutter; or other conventionally known methods can be used.

[0028] <3D container> The three-dimensional container of the present invention has a polyhedral, conical, cylindrical, spherical, or pillow shape formed from a nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric has an air permeability of 200 to 700 cm². 3 / cm 2 It has s and contains the self-supporting gel of the present invention inside.

[0029] (Non-woven fabric) The three-dimensional container of the present invention is formed from a nonwoven fabric and has an air permeability of 200-700 cm². 3 / cm 2 It has s. Air permeability is 200 cm 3 / cm 2 If the air permeability is less than 700 cm², the amount of gas entering and leaving the container may be small, and sufficient deodorizing performance may not be achieved. 3 / cm 2 If the value is greater than s, the mesh of the nonwoven fabric becomes coarser, resulting in a smaller absolute number of fine contact points between the self-supporting gel and the nonwoven fabric fibers on the surface in contact with the self-supporting gel, which can cause deformation and collapse of the self-supporting gel.

[0030] The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-mentioned air permeability. For example, the fiber material can be natural, recycled, or synthetic, and the fiber material can be manufactured by conventionally known methods such as spunlace, air-through, air-laid, point bond, spunbond, or needle punch.

[0031] Furthermore, while it is preferable for the nonwoven fabric to have a certain thickness in order to ensure the self-supporting nature of the three-dimensional container and to prevent moisture leakage from the self-supporting gel, it is also preferable that it not be too thick in order to visually confirm the appropriate time for replacement due to the self-supporting gel shrinking by a certain amount. To satisfy these points, the nonwoven fabric of the present invention has a basis weight of, for example, 15 to 100 g / m². 2 Those that are preferable.

[0032] Furthermore, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric of the present invention is typically 10 to 200 μm, more preferably 15 to 100 μm, taking into consideration the above-mentioned range of air permeability and basis weight.

[0033] (Shape of a three-dimensional container) The three-dimensional container of the present invention has a polyhedral, conical, cylindrical, spherical, or pillow shape formed from a nonwoven fabric having the above-described characteristics. A polyhedron is a three-dimensional shape in which all faces are planes, such as a tetrahedron, hexahedron, or octahedron. The three-dimensional shape referred to here does not require mathematical rigor, but is sufficient if it generally has the appearance of that shape. For example, shapes in which faces are bent due to the flexibility of the nonwoven fabric, or shapes in which some faces are convex outward due to contact with a self-supporting gel contained inside, are also included in the three-dimensional shape of the three-dimensional container of the present invention.

[0034] The three-dimensional container is manufactured, for example, by forming a nonwoven fabric sheet into a bag shape, filling it with a self-supporting gel, and then sealing the ends. Adhesives may be used for sealing, and methods such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing may also be employed. While the three-dimensional container of the present invention is not limited, a tetrahedron shape is preferred from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture and resistance to tipping. The volume of the three-dimensional container itself is not particularly limited, but in light of the purpose of the present invention, for example, it is preferable that it fits inside a cube with sides of 6 cm without protruding, and it is even more preferable that it fits inside a cube with sides of 5 cm.

[0035] <Embodiments of the Invention> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that these embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications are conceivable within the scope of the objectives of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 1 shows a gel-like deodorant 10A according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a roughly cubic self-supporting gel 30 is contained in a tetrahedral three-dimensional container 20. The self-supporting gel 30 has a roughly cubic shape obtained by preparing a self-supporting gel raw material liquid and solidifying it. Here, for example, if one side of the self-supporting gel 30 is 3 cm, then according to the definition of the present invention, 3 × 3 × 6 = 54 cm 2 The outer surface area is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cm². 3 It will have a volume of this size.

[0037] The three-dimensional container 20 has, for example, an air permeability of 360 cm². 3 / cm 2 • s, basis weight 20g / m 2 A bag-shaped nonwoven fabric is prepared, one end is heat-sealed, the self-supporting gel 30 is placed inside, and the other end is similarly heat-sealed at a position twisted 90° from the first end to form a regular tetrahedron shape. In this way, a gel-like deodorizer 10A is obtained.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a gel-like deodorant 10B according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a total of three approximately cubic self-supporting gels 31 are contained in a tetrahedral three-dimensional container 20. The gel-like deodorant 10B is manufactured in the same manner as the gel-like deodorant 10A described above, except for the dimensions and number of self-supporting gels. One of the self-supporting gels 31 has an approximately cubic shape, and for example, if one side of the self-supporting gel 31 is 2 cm, then according to the definition of the present invention, the self-supporting gels of the present invention are (2 × 2 × 6) × 3 = 72 cm 2 The outer surface area is (2 × 2 × 2) × 3 = 24 cm². 3 It will have the volume of [this].

[0039] Figure 3 shows a gel-like deodorant 10C according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a total of three cylindrical self-supporting gels 32 are contained in a tetrahedral three-dimensional container 20. The gel-like deodorant 10C is manufactured in the same manner as the gel-like deodorant 10A described above, except for the shape and number of self-supporting gels. One of the self-supporting gels 32 has a substantially cylindrical shape. For example, if the diameter of this self-supporting gel 32 is 2 cm and its height is 3 cm, then, according to the definition of the present invention, the self-supporting gel of the present invention is (1 × 1 × π + 2 × π × 3) × 3 ≈ 57 cm². 2 The outer surface area is (1 × 1 × π × 3) × 3 ≈ 28 cm² 3 It will have the volume of [this].

[0040] The gel-type deodorizer of the present invention, prepared in the manner described in these embodiments, is used in relatively small spaces such as refrigerators, food storage areas, shoe cabinets, and closets. Before use, it is desirable to store the deodorizer in a manner that is shielded from outside air to prevent moisture evaporation of the self-supporting gel and to prevent deterioration of its deodorizing ability. For example, it is stored in packaging such as a gas barrier film. When using the deodorizer, the packaging is removed and the gel-type deodorizer is placed in a space such as a refrigerator to exert its deodorizing ability in that space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10A, 10B, 10C: Gel-type deodorizer 20: Three-dimensional container 30, 31, 32: Self-supporting gel

Claims

1. A self-supporting gel is formed by solidifying an aqueous dispersion containing activated carbon, a gelling agent, and water into a gel-like state. Three-dimensional container and A gel-type deodorizer containing, The self-supporting gel is housed within the three-dimensional container. The aforementioned self-supporting gel is 20-150 cm ２ It has an external surface area of ​​5 to 80 cm². ３ It is a three-dimensional shape having the volume of, The three-dimensional container has a polyhedral shape, conical shape, cylindrical shape, spherical shape or pillow shape formed from nonwoven fabric. The aforementioned nonwoven fabric has an air permeability of 200 to 700 cm according to the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS L 1913 (Fragile method). ３ / cm ２ A gel-like deodorant characterized by having s.

2. The aforementioned nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of 15 to 100 g / m². ２ The gel-like deodorizer according to claim 1.

3. The gel-like deodorant according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the three-dimensional shape of the self-supporting gel is a cube, a rectangular prism, a cylinder, or a sphere.

4. The gel-like deodorizer according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the three-dimensional container is tetrahedral.

5. A gel-type deodorizer according to claim 2, for use inside a refrigerator.

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