Production method and production device for bath agent, bath agent, and bath agent device

Abstract

Provided is a bath agent that hardly causes powder drop from the surface of the bath agent, is excellent in preservability, and is excellent in handleability. The bath agent is obtained by: including a bath agent-containing porous object inside a bag made of a water-soluble film; bringing the film constituting the bag into close contact with the surface of the object; and maintaining the bag in a non-sealed state even after / before the film and the object are brought into close contact with each other.

Description

Bath additive manufacturing method, manufacturing device, bath additive, and bath additive device

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a solid bath additive.

[0002] Bath additives (products (bath additives) in which solid bath additives are placed in a bag made of a water-insoluble resin film) are commercially available. A product (bath additives) in which a carbon dioxide gas generating agent (bath additive) is placed in a bag made of a water-soluble resin film has been proposed (Patent No. 6404633).

[0003] Patent No. 6404633

[0004] The bath additives react easily with moisture. When the bath additives react with moisture (water), the bath additives change in quality. For this reason, the bath additives are placed in a bag (made of a non-(low-) moisture-permeable film).

[0005] When using commercially available bath additives, the bag is torn open and the solid bath additive is poured into the bathtub. Before pouring, the bag must be torn open and the solid bath additive removed, because the bag does not dissolve in water. This process is troublesome.

[0006] In the bath additive of Patent No. 6404633, the bag containing the carbon dioxide generating agent is made of a water-soluble film. There is no problem even if the bag containing the carbon dioxide generating agent is directly dropped into the bathtub. The process is simple.

[0007] If the bath additive (solid bath additive) and the film are not firmly attached, the film may be rubbed by the unevenness of the solid bath additive's surface. This may result in damage to the film. For example, if the solid bath additive is roughly spherical (or roughly ellipsoidal), if the bath additive and the film are not tightly attached, the spherical solid bath additive is likely to spin freely within the bag (the bag is likely to spin freely outside the spherical solid bath additive). When this spinning phenomenon occurs, the bag (film) is rubbed by the unevenness of the bath additive's surface. This may result in damage to the bag (film). If holes are formed in the film due to this damage, moisture (water) may easily enter the bag. This may result in deterioration of the bath additive. Rubbing the film also means, conversely, rubbing the surface of the solid bath additive. When the surface of the solid bath additive is rubbed, powder tends to fall off from the surface of the solid bath additive (lump). Although this powder is a bath additive component, it disperses into the water as soon as the film dissolves. Because the powder is light, it does not reach the bottom of the water in the bathtub. The bath additive components do not disperse effectively in the water.

[0008] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bath additive that is less likely to powder off the surface of the bath additive, and that is easy to store and handle.

[0009] The present invention proposes a bath additive comprising a porous body containing a bath additive inside a bag made of a water-soluble film, the film constituting the bag being in close contact with the surface of the body, and the bag being maintained in an unsealed state whether before or after the film is in close contact with the body.

[0010] The present invention proposes a bath additive comprising a porous object containing a bath additive inside a bag made of a water-soluble film, the film constituting the bag shrinks and adheres closely to the surface of the object, and the bag remains unsealed whether before or after the film adheres closely to the object.

[0011] The present invention proposes the bath additive, wherein the water-soluble film is preferably a polyvinyl alcohol-based film.

[0012] The present invention proposes a bath additive device in which the bath additive is contained in a bag made of a composite material of metal foil and film, and the bag has an opening.

[0013] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing a bath additive, in which a porous object containing the bath additive is covered with a water-soluble film, wherein a bag made of the water-soluble film with the object inside is heated, the bag is kept unsealed during the heating, and the film shrinks due to the heating and adheres tightly to the surface of the object.

[0014] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing the bath additive, preferably in which the bag remains unsealed even when the film is in close contact with the surface of the object.

[0015] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing the bath additives, preferably in which two or more of the objects are placed at a distance from each other inside a cylindrical bag made of water-soluble film, and then the cylindrical bag is cut so that each of the objects is placed inside a single bag, and after this cutting, the single bag containing the object is in an unsealed state, and the single unsealed bag containing the object is heated.

[0016] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing the bath additives, preferably in which the objects are transported in sequence at a distance from one another, and while the objects are positioned below the film surface of the film, the edge portions of the film are pushed downward, and the edge portions of the film that have been pushed downward are pushed inward from the left and right sides of the object so that the object is wrapped in the film, and the film edges that have been pushed inward so as to wrap the object are heat-pressed together, and two or more of the objects are present at a distance from one another in a cylindrical bag formed by the heat-pressing process.

[0017] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing the bath additives, preferably in which the objects are transported in sequence at a distance from one another, and while the objects are positioned above the film surface of the film, the edge portions of the film are pushed upward, and the edge portions of the film that have been pushed upward are pushed inward from the left and right sides of the object so that the object is wrapped in the film, and the film edges that have been pushed to wrap the object are heat-pressed together, and two or more of the objects are present at a distance from one another in the heat-pressed cylindrical bag.

[0018] The present invention proposes a method for producing the bath additive, wherein the water-soluble film is preferably a polyvinyl alcohol-based film.

[0019] The present invention proposes a method for producing the bath additive, wherein the object is preferably formed into a shape having irregularities on the surface.

[0020] The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing the bath additive, wherein the object is preferably substantially spherical or substantially ellipsoidal.

[0021] The present invention proposes a method for producing the bath additive, preferably a method for producing a bath additive in which the moisture permeability of the film after heating is lower than that before heating.

[0022] The present invention proposes a method for producing the bath additive, preferably in which the heating temperature is 130 to 180°C.

[0023] The present invention is a method for producing a bath additive, and preferably, the moisture permeability of the film after the heating is 600 g / m ２ - We propose a manufacturing method for bath salts that achieves values ​​of 0.033 mm or less after 24 hours.

[0024] The present invention proposes a bath additive manufacturing device in which a porous object containing bath additives is contained within a bag made of water-soluble film, the film constituting the bag being in close contact with the surface of the object, and the bag being maintained in an unsealed state whether before or after the film is in close contact with the object, the device comprising a conveying device, a packaging device, a cutting device, and a heating device, the conveying device being a device for conveying the objects in sequence, the packaging device being a device for packaging multiple objects conveyed by the conveying device in the film into a cylindrical shape, the cutting device being a device for cutting the cylindrical package in which the multiple objects are packaged by the packaging device into individual objects so that each object is contained in a single bag, and the heating device being a device for heating the bag containing the single object obtained by the cutting device, thereby shrinking the film and causing it to adhere to the surface of the object.

[0025] The object of the bath additive composition is formed to be porous. Therefore, when the object is placed in hot water, the hot water can quickly penetrate into the object. The object quickly dissolves in the hot water. If the object is not porous, the hot water will not quickly penetrate into the object. The object will not easily dissolve.

[0026] A water-soluble film (e.g., a polyvinyl alcohol-based film) adheres closely to the surface of the porous object of the bath additive composition, covering the surface of the porous object. Therefore, spinning is less likely to occur between the object surface and the film. Because the object is porous, the surface has irregularities, even if they are minute. Because the film adheres closely to these irregularities, the degree of adhesion between the object surface and the film is high. Spinning is less likely to occur for the object. The film is less likely to be scratched. Because the film is less likely to be scratched, the film is less likely to be damaged. Because the film adheres closely to the object surface, powder is less likely to fall off the porous object. Easy to handle. Excellent storage stability. Powdering is less likely to occur, meaning that the bath additive ingredients disperse effectively in hot water.

[0027] Since the film of the bath additive composition that adheres to the surface of the object is water-soluble, there is no need to peel off the film before placing the object into hot water.

[0028] When an unsealed water-soluble film bag containing a bath additive-containing porous object is heated and the film shrinks to adhere to the surface of the object, the gas inside the bag is easily released to the outside through unsealed areas (e.g., holes or gaps). The film has good adhesion workability. If the bag is completely sealed (there is no escape (exhaust) port for the gas (air) inside the bag), the bag (film) is difficult to shrink even when heated to shrink it (the volume of the bag is difficult to reduce (the film is difficult to adhere to the object)). In the present invention, since the bag is unsealed, the film has good adhesion workability.

[0029] Even after the film shrinks and adheres to the surface of the object, if the bag remains unsealed, even if the bath additives react to generate gas, the gas can escape smoothly to the outside through the unsealed area (e.g., a hole or gap). Even if gas is generated, the film that is tightly covering the object will not swell and peel off. The object can be well preserved.

[0030] Schematic perspective view of the bath additive of the present invention; Schematic cross-sectional view of the bath additive of the present invention; Schematic diagram of the bath additive device of the present invention; Manufacturing process diagram (flowchart) of the bath additive of the present invention; Schematic diagram of the manufacturing device of the bath additive of the present invention.

[0031] The first invention is a bath additive. The bath additive comprises a porous object containing the bath additive. The object is a powder of bath additive ingredients formed into a predetermined size. The bath additive comprises a water-soluble film adhered to the surface of the object. This adhesion can be easily achieved by heating the film. The film is made of, for example, an organic resin. Organic resin films easily shrink when heated. In this sense, the film is a shrinkable film. The film covers the surface of the object. In this sense, the film covering the surface of the object can be said to be bag-shaped. The film does not completely seal the object. It is only imperfectly sealed. In this sense, it cannot be said that the bag completely seals the object. The bag has an opening (an unsealed portion: for example, an opening such as a hole or gap) somewhere. Although the film covers the surface of the object, an unsealed portion (opening) exists somewhere. If a film with fine holes is used, the holes will become unsealed areas. Unsealed areas can also be created by leaving a portion of the heat-sealed area unsealed when heat-sealing the film to form a bag. In the present invention, it is sufficient for the unsealed areas to be large enough to allow gas to be released from the unsealed areas. The opening area of ​​the unsealed areas need only be small. In other words, it is sufficient for the unsealed areas to be difficult to see with the naked eye.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bath additive of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the bath additive of the present invention. In the figures, 1 denotes an object made of bath additive ingredients. Object 1 is formed by molding powder of the bath additive ingredients into a roughly spherical (or roughly ellipsoidal) shape. The diameter of object 1 is, for example, approximately 5 to 7 cm. Of course, this is not limited to this. It may be, for example, approximately 2 cm. Conversely, it may be approximately 10 cm. Object 1 is porous because it is formed by molding powder of the bath additive ingredients into a roughly spherical (or roughly ellipsoidal) shape. Because it is porous, the surface of object 1 has fine irregularities. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the porous shape and surface irregularities are not accurately depicted. The bath additive ingredients include, for example, a carbon dioxide generating agent (e.g., a carbonate such as NaHCO3). The bath additive component contains an acid (for example, an organic acid that reacts with a carbonate to generate carbon dioxide gas (e.g., one or more selected from fumaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, phthalic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and oxalic acid, etc., among which succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid are preferred). The bath additive component contains a coloring material and / or a fragrance, etc., as needed. The bath additive component contains various additives as needed. 2 is a bag (storage container) made of a water-soluble film that is in close contact with the surface of the object 1. The state in which the bag (film) 2 is in close contact with the surface of the object 1 is shown in FIG. This can also be understood from the above. The adhesion of the bag (film) 2 to the surface of the object 1 is due to the shrinking of the bag (film) 2. Therefore, the bag (film) 2 that is in close contact with the surface of the object 1 has a wrinkled pattern. The bag 2 is in a state where it does not completely seal the surface of the object 1 (unsealed state). This state cannot be seen from Figures 1 and 2. The reason for this is as follows. The opening area of ​​the unsealed part (opening part) by the bag (film) 2 is small. This is because the opening area of ​​the unsealed part (opening part) is so small that it cannot be shown in the figure. 3 is a product (bath additive) in which the bag (film) 2 is in close contact with the surface of the object 1.

[0033] Examples of materials for the water-soluble film include hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, water-soluble hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, gelatin, pectin, arabinoxylan, soybean polysaccharides, sodium alginate, carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, pullulan, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide, and polyvinyl alcohol. Among these, polyvinyl alcohol is preferred. The polyvinyl alcohol may be a homopolymer or a copolymer. It may also be a blend polymer with other water-soluble resins. Any film made of a material containing polyvinyl alcohol as a main component is sufficient. The reasons for this are as follows: it is inexpensive; it shrinks easily when heated; and the moisture permeability of the film decreases when heated compared to before heating. For example, when heated to 130 to 180°C, the moisture permeability of the film becomes 600 g / m. ２ The value is 0.033 mm or less after 24 hours. Moisture is less likely to get inside. Therefore, the bath additive ingredients are less likely to deteriorate. The bath additive ingredients have good shelf life.

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the bath additive device of the present invention. In Figure 3, bath additives 3 (bath additives in which the bag (film) 2 is in close contact with the surface of the object 1) are placed in bag 4. This is the state in which they are sold commercially. The material of bag 4 is a composite material of metal foil and resin film. Holes are made in bag 4. The reason for these holes is as follows: if the bath additive components react to generate gas (carbon dioxide), this gas is allowed to escape outside bag 4. Therefore, a small diameter for the holes is sufficient. They are difficult to see with the naked eye. The holes are not shown in Figure 3 either.

[0035] A method for manufacturing a bath additive of the present invention will now be described. The method for manufacturing the bath additive will now be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process for the bath additive of the present invention. The method includes a heating step (Step 6). In the heating step (Step 6), a bag 2 (see FIG. 5) containing a porous material 1 containing a bath additive is heated. Before heating, the bag 2 is filled with air (the bag 2 is in an expanded state). 3A (see FIG. 5) shows the expanded state of the bag 2. The bag 2 is in an unsealed state. In this sense (unsealed state), before heating, the bag (film) 2 does not cover the entire surface of the material 1. When the bag (film) 2 shrinks due to heating, the gas (air) filling the bag 2 is smoothly pushed out through the unsealed areas (e.g., holes or gaps) to the outside. If the bag 2 is in a completely sealed state, even if the bag (film) 2 tries to shrink due to heating, the gas (air) cannot escape to the outside. Therefore, the bag (film) 2 cannot shrink. The bag (film) 2 cannot adhere to the surface of the object 1. The film constituting the bag 2 is a water-soluble film. The heating temperature is, for example, 130 to 180°C. Of course, this is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the temperature is such that the bag (film) 2 shrinks. The heating time can be determined appropriately. It is sufficient that the bag (film) 2 shrinks and adheres to the surface of the object 1. Even after the bag (film) 2 shrinks due to heating and adheres to the surface of the object 1, the shrunken bag 2 remains in an unsealed state. Even after the bag (film) 2 adheres to the surface of the object 1, the surface of the object 1 is exposed to the outside in some places.

[0036] The unsealed bag 2 containing the bath additive-containing porous material 1 to be sent to the heating step (Step 6) is obtained as follows: The material 1 is conveyed at a predetermined interval on a conveyor. This process is the conveying step (Step 1). A water-soluble film 2A is conveyed above the conveyed material 1 (Step 2). The rolled water-soluble film 2A is unwound and placed on the material 1 (see Figure 5). At a position slightly forward, both end edges of the film 2A (the near and far end edges in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Figure 5) are pushed downward by a guide bar (Step 3). At a position slightly forward after both end edges of the film 2A have been pushed downward, the pushed-down ends of the film 2A enter between two opposing heated rotating rollers 22 (see Figure 5). This causes the film 2A to be thermocompressed. The water-soluble film 2A is then formed into a cylindrical body 2B (Step 4). At this stage, two or more objects 1 are present at a distance from each other within a cylindrical body 2B made of water-soluble film (see Figure 5). The cylindrical body 2B containing the two or more objects 1 is transported on a conveyor to the right of Figure 5. The cylindrical body 2B is cut between the objects 1 by thermocompression (Step 5). At this Step 5, the cylindrical body 2B (water-soluble film 2A) is thermocompressed on both sides of the object 1. The thermocompression cuts the cylindrical body 2B (water-soluble film 2A). As a result of this cutting, each object 1 is present inside one bag 2. At this stage (Step 5), the water-soluble film bag 2 is in an inflated state. 3A (see Figure 5) shows the inflated state of the bag 2. The bag 2 is filled with air. The bag (film) 2 is not in close contact with the surface of the object 1. In this state (the state shown by 3A), the inner surface of the bag 2 is not in close contact with the surface of the object 1. The object 1 can roll within the bag 2. One bag 2 containing one object 1 is sent to a heating chamber (heating device) 24. The object is heated in the heating chamber 24 (heating step (Step 6)). The heating temperature is 130 to 180°C. When heated at the heating temperature, the moisture permeability of the polyvinyl alcohol film is 600 g / m ２24 hours, 0.033 mm or less. The heating causes the bag (film) 2 to shrink, thereby causing the bag (film) 2 to adhere closely to the surface of the object 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0037] The bath additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described. Figure 5 shows the apparatus used for manufacturing the bath additive. In Figure 5, 21 denotes a conveyor (transport device). The conveyor 21 transports multiple objects 1 from left to right in Figure 5. At a certain position on the transport path, the film 2A is guided above the objects 1. The film 2A is also transported above the multiple objects 1 from left to right in Figure 5. A guide bar is provided slightly to the right. The guide bar is positioned opposite the edge of the film 2A (the edge on both sides sandwiching the object 1). The two guide bars push the edge of the film 2A (the edge on both sides sandwiching the object 1) downward. At this downward position, the guide bars cause the film 2A to assume an approximately V-shape. Two rotating rollers 22 are provided slightly to the right from this position. The approximately V-shaped film 2A advances between the two rotating rollers 22. Because the rotating rollers 22 are heated, the approximately V-shaped edge portions (approximately V-shaped edge portions of the film 2A) on both sides of the object 1 are welded by thermocompression. At this welded portion, the film 2A is in a four-layer laminated state. The film 2A is formed into a cylindrical body 2B by the thermocompression. Multiple objects 1 are present inside the film cylindrical body 2B. A packaging device is made up of the film 2A conveying device, the guide bar, the rotating rollers 22, 22, etc. That is, the packaging device wraps the multiple objects 1, 1, ... conveyed by the conveyor (conveying device) into a cylindrical body 2B with the film 2A. The cylindrical body 2B containing the multiple objects 1 is further conveyed to the right. At the terminal position, the cylindrical body 2B is cut by a heating and rotating bar (cutting device) 23. In Figure 5, there is one heating and rotating bar 23. However, there may be two or more heating and rotating bars 23. When there are two heating and rotating bars 23, the cylindrical body 2B is cut every half rotation. Therefore, in this case, it is sufficient that the plurality of objects 1 inside the cylindrical body 2B are positioned in synchronization with the half rotation of the heating and rotating bars 23. This results in a bag 2 with one object 1 inside.The bag 2 (the bag 3A in an expanded state) is sent into a heating chamber (heating device) 24. Here, the bag (film) 2 shrinks. The bag (film) 2 comes into close contact with the surface of the object 1.

[0038] In the above example, the film 2A is guided to the upper side of the object 1. However, the film 2A may be guided to the lower side of the object 1. In this case, however, it is sufficient if the guide bar pushes the edge of the film 2A upward. Therefore, a detailed description will be omitted.

Claims

1. A method for producing a bath additive comprising covering a porous object containing the bath additive with a water-soluble film, wherein a bag made of the water-soluble film and having the object inside is heated, the bag is kept unsealed during the heating, and the heating causes the film to shrink and adhere closely to the surface of the object.

2. The method for producing a bath additive according to claim 1, wherein the bag remains unsealed even when the film is in close contact with the surface of the object.

3. A method for producing a bath additive as claimed in claim 1, in which two or more of the objects are placed at a distance from one another in a cylindrical bag made of water-soluble film, and then the cylindrical bag is cut so that one of the objects is placed in a single bag, and after this cutting, the single bag containing the single object is in an unsealed state, and the single unsealed bag containing the single object is heated.

4. A method for producing a bath additive as claimed in claim 3, in which the objects are transported in sequence at a distance from one another, and while the objects are positioned below or above the surface of the film, the edge portions of the film are pushed downward or upward, and the edge portions of the film pushed downward or upward are pushed from the left and right sides of the object toward the center so that the object is wrapped in the film, and the ends of the film pushed to wrap the object are heat-pressed together, and two or more of the objects are present at a distance from one another within the tubular bag formed by the heat-pressing.

5. The method for producing a bath additive according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble film is a polyvinyl alcohol film.

6. The method for manufacturing a bath additive according to claim 1, wherein the object is molded into a shape having projections and recesses on its surface.

7. The method for manufacturing a bath additive according to claim 1, wherein the object is approximately spherical or approximately ellipsoidal in shape.

8. The method for producing a bath additive according to claim 1, wherein the moisture permeability of the film after the heating is smaller than that before the heating.

9. The method for producing a bath additive according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the heating temperature is 130 to 180°C.

10. The moisture permeability of the film after heating is 600 g / m ２ The method for producing a bath additive according to claim 9, wherein the value is 0.033 mm or less at 24 hr.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing bath additives, in which a porous object containing bath additives is contained within a bag made of water-soluble film, the film constituting the bag being in close contact with the surface of the object, and the bag being maintained in an unsealed state whether before or after the film is in contact with the object, the apparatus comprising a conveying device, a packaging device, a cutting device, and a heating device, the conveying device being a device for conveying the objects in sequence, the packaging device being a device for packaging multiple objects conveyed by the conveying device in the film into a cylindrical shape, the cutting device being a device for cutting the cylindrical package in which the multiple objects are packaged by the packaging device into individual objects so that each object is present in a single bag, and the heating device being a device for heating the bag obtained by the cutting device with the single object contained therein, thereby shrinking the film and causing it to adhere to the surface of the object.

12. A bath additive comprising a porous object containing a bath additive inside a bag made of a water-soluble film, the film constituting the bag being in close contact with the surface of the object, and the bag remaining in an unsealed state whether before or after the film is in close contact with the object.

13. The bath additive according to claim 12, wherein the water-soluble film is a polyvinyl alcohol film.

14. A bath additive device comprising the bath additive of claim 12 or 13 contained in a bag made of a composite material of metal foil and film, the bag having an opening.

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