Self-adhesive detergent unit with multiple maxima

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-adhesive detergent unit (10) comprising a shaped body (20) having a planar or convex lower face (21) and an upper face (22) lying opposite the lower face, wherein the upper and lower face contact each other at a circumferential edge (23) of the shaped body. The shaped body (20) has a maximum length along a longitudinal axis (L), a maximum width along a width axis (B), and a maximum height along a depth axis (T), said maximum length being greater than the maximum width and greater than the maximum height, and the height of the shaped body (20) has at least two local maxima (30, 31) along the longitudinal axis (L). The adhesive lower face (21) of the shaped body can be adhered onto a toilet basin.

Description

[0001] Self-adhesive cleaning unit with multiple maxima

[0002] Conventional toilets often have a rim, which is attached to the top edge of the toilet bowl. This is a horizontal rim that runs partially or completely along the top inner rim of the toilet bowl and often has a downward-sloping lip on the inside.

[0003] The flushing mechanism of these toilets ensures that the flush water is directed through the rim to efficiently clean the inner surface of the toilet bowl. The rim helps distribute the water evenly, thus ensuring thorough cleaning. It also serves as a splash guard and privacy screen, but is often difficult to clean.

[0004] Newer rimless toilets, also known as "rimless toilets," differ in their design from conventional rimless toilets. These modern toilets are characterized by the absence, or the small size, of a horizontal rim or a downward-sloping rim at the top of the inside of the bowl.

[0005] The flushing technology in rimless toilets is designed to ensure that the flush water reaches the entire interior surface of the bowl effectively and evenly, without splashing. The rimless design offers several advantages. First, it makes cleaning easier, as there is no rim where deposits and bacteria could accumulate. This contributes to a more hygienic environment and reduces cleaning effort.

[0006] Toilet cleaning blocks, also known as toilet blocks, have long been used to clean, disinfect, and scent toilets under the bowl (so-called "rim blocks") and in the cistern ("in-tank blocks" or "cistern blocks"). In recent years, aesthetics and performance have become increasingly important. This has led, for example, to the development of solid, gel, or liquid fragrance rinses, some of which are offered in multi-chamber containers, thus combining a cleaning agent released when the toilet is flushed with a permanent room fragrance.

[0007] Common toilet cleaning tools are generally designed for the geometries and flush water flows of traditional rimmed toilets. However, due to their different construction and, in particular, the different flush water flows, these solutions are less suitable for rimless toilets. Cleaning with toilet blocks in single- or multi-chamber containers is therefore often ineffective in modern toilets. State-of-the-art solutions for cleaning toilet bowls also exist, in which a cleaning product is applied to the surface of the toilet bowl.

[0008] EP 2 141 221 A1 discloses an adhesive cleaning product comprising a substantially flat adhesive surface for being adhered to a surface, such as the wall of the toilet bowl, and an opposite active surface, which is preferably rounded, and faces outwards and is subjected to the action of the water flow, for example the flushing water of the toilet.

[0009] EP 3 164 479 A1 shows a self-adhesive cleaning block having a first surface configured to adhere to a surface to be cleaned and a second opposite surface from which an integrally formed handle extends.

[0010] However, some of the prior art solutions are unsuitable for attaching to toilet bowl surfaces. Air pockets can become trapped between the flat underside of the self-adhesive product and the concave, curved surface of the toilet bowl, reducing adhesion and promoting premature detachment. Therefore, there is a need for cleaning products that overcome these disadvantages.

[0011] These problems are solved by a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit, comprising a shaped body with a planar or convex underside and an opposite upper side, wherein the upper and lower sides touch each other at a peripheral edge of the shaped body, wherein the shaped body has a maximum length L along a longitudinal axis, a maximum width B along a width axis and a maximum height C along a depth axis, wherein the maximum length is greater than the maximum width and greater than the maximum height, wherein the height of the shaped body along the longitudinal axis has at least two local maxima.

[0012] Because the height of the shaped body has at least two local maxima along the longitudinal axis, the shaped body can contain high amounts of preparation and thus active ingredient over its entire extent and yet can still be easily applied mechanically and plastically to a concavely curved inner wall of a toilet bowl, namely by curving in particular at the position of the at least one local minimum between the at least two local maxima. This also prevents air bubbles from becoming trapped between the underside of the shaped body and the surface to be applied, for example a toilet bowl. Since the maximum length is greater than the maximum width and also greater than the maximum height, the shaped body and also the cleaning agent unit have a substantially elongated shape. In other words, it is a strip with hills, with local maxima corresponding to the hills and local minima corresponding to the valleys.

[0013] A local maximum can also be referred to as a hill, and a local minimum as a valley. Local maxima are also referred to as maxima, and local minima as minimum. For the purposes of this invention, it is irrelevant whether a local maximum is also an (absolute) maximum or whether a local minimum is also an (absolute) minimum. In all cases, what is meant are minima and maxima of the height of the shaped body, i.e., the distance between the top and bottom at a point along the longitudinal axis.

[0014] A segment is a section of the shaped body that contains exactly one maximum and is bounded by the surrounding edge and the adjacent minimum or minima. The boundary at a minimum is formed by the plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis in this minimum. For maxima located on the inside, a segment is the area between the two adjacent minima, and for maxima located on the ends, the area up to the one adjacent minimum. In the direction of the width axis, all segments are bounded by the surrounding edge.

[0015] The cleaning agent unit may further contain a water-soluble film, for example made of PVA, which at least partially encloses the molded body.

[0016] The shaped body may contain, among other things, one or more preparations with active ingredients for cleaning, perfume and / or for coloring the rinsing water.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the height of the shaped body along the longitudinal axis has three or more local maxima, preferably four or more, more preferably five or more.

[0018] This allows more preparation to be absorbed into the molded body at the same time, namely in the maxima, and yet at the same time the flexibility can be increased, namely through the minima.

[0019] The top side of the self-adhesive cleaning agent unit is preferably free of steps. In other words, the top side is continuous, i.e. free of cracks. This prevents the shaped body from breaking during deformation at steps, specifically at the edges of steps. A continuous top side is present, for example, if the radius of curvature of the top side at any point away from the circumferential edge is greater than 4 mm, and in any case greater than 1 mm. One embodiment of the invention provides that at least two adjacent local maxima are separated by a local minimum, at the position of which two different preparations adjoin one another along the longitudinal axis in the shaped body. On the one hand, the shaped body is then particularly flexible, and on the other hand, production is simplified.In a first step, at least a first portion of one preparation and a second portion of a different preparation can be placed next to one another, and in a later step the preparations can be shaped into the shaped body using a press mold.

[0020] Preferably, the shaped body is mirror-symmetrical across the plane spanned by the longitudinal axis and the depth axis. Further preferably, the maximum length of the shaped body is at least a factor of 2, preferably 3, preferably 4, preferably 5 greater than its maximum width. Such an elongated cleaning agent unit is easy to handle manually and, due to its symmetry, can be positioned in a toilet bowl regardless of its orientation.

[0021] A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the shaped body is manually deformable, preferably manually plastically deformable. By plastically deformable we mean that the shaped body has few elastic properties and remains in its position after deformation. Manually deformable means that even small forces are sufficient to deform the shaped body. The preparation in the shaped body, for example, has a flexibility that is determined as follows: A cuboid test body 2 mm thick and 20 mm wide is pushed 100 mm over an edge at 20°C. After 20 seconds, the deflection by which the outer edge shifts downward from the horizontal is determined. A test body without PVA film is deflected downward by 10 mm. Optionally, the test body can also be located between two PVA films (28 μm thick), and the deflection can be determined in the same way. With PVA film, the deflection is 3 mm.

[0022] It is particularly preferable for the top and bottom surfaces to touch at exactly one circumferential edge of the molded body. In other words, there is only one circumferential edge and no inner edge, meaning no gap or hole inside the molded body. With such molds, it is particularly important that no air bubbles are trapped inside.

[0023] An improvement of the invention provides that the height of the shaped body has two inflection points between a maximum and a neighboring minimum. The gradient or derivative of the height curve over the length thus has a local minimum between a minimum and a neighboring maximum. This creates a kind of plateau in the height curve of the shaped body along the length. This also results in a better measure of both volume in the vicinity of the maxima and flexibility in the vicinity of the minima.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, the molded body comprises at least one alkyl polyglycoside (APG) as a surfactant. This is a non-ionic surfactant and belongs to the sugar surfactants. The use of APG surprisingly imparts plastic deformability to the body. This allows the body to be shaped more easily during production and conforms to the surface in a suitable manner during use. In particular, the use of APG allows for clean and reliable formation of the maxima, thus improving the rinsing properties and the mechanical properties of the body.

[0025] Preferably, the at least one APG is present in an amount of at least 5 wt% in the composition of the cleaning agent unit, preferably in an amount of 5 wt% to 20 wt%.

[0026] According to a method for producing a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit, in a first step, at least one first portion of a preparation is placed next to a second portion of the same or a different preparation, whereby these portions may or may not touch each other. The portions are preferably substantially spherical. In a later step, for example immediately following, the preparations are molded into the shaped body using a compression mold. The centers of the portions are preferably located at the respective local maxima, and the centers between two pairs of adjacent portions are preferably located at the respective minima.

[0027] Furthermore, a use of the cleaning agent unit is described, wherein it is applied with the planar or convex underside to a moistened surface, in particular a concave surface, preferably in a toilet bowl.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment, the cleaning agent unit is packaged in a packaging unit which essentially consists of a recyclable material, for example of a recyclable fiber material such as paper, preferably free of fossil synthetic polymer materials.

[0029] The features of the respective embodiments are not limited to these, but can be combined with one another according to the invention. In particular, any cleaning agent unit described can be used in the described packaging unit.

[0030] The invention according to various embodiments is explained below with reference to the figures. In detail: Figure 1: A self-adhesive cleaning agent unit according to the invention.

[0031] Figure 2: A schematic cross-section through a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit according to the invention.

[0032] Figure 3: A schematic cross-section through a plastically deformed self-adhesive cleaning agent unit according to the invention.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit 10 with a molded body 20 containing at least one active ingredient. This molded body has a planar or convex underside 21 and an opposite upper side 22, with the upper and lower sides touching at exactly one circumferential edge 23 of the molded body. There is no second edge within the molded body. The molded body is enclosed by a water-soluble PVA film (not shown here).

[0034] The molded body 20 has a maximum length along a longitudinal axis L, a maximum width along a width axis B, and a maximum height along a depth axis T, with the maximum length being greater than the maximum width and greater than the maximum height. The molded body 20, and thus the cleaning agent unit 10, is thus elongated. Furthermore, the molded body 20 is mirror-symmetrical across a plane spanned by the longitudinal axis and the depth axis, which is thus perpendicular to the width plane.

[0035] The height of the molded body has four local maxima 30, 31, 32, 33 along the longitudinal axis, as can be seen in this central cross-section perpendicular to the width axis. This means, on the one hand, that in the areas of the maxima, the molded body 20 has a larger volume and thus contains more preparation, and, on the other hand, that the molded body is particularly easily manually plastically deformable at the points between two adjacent maxima, in particular at the points of the minima 36, ​​37, 38. This allows the cleaning agent unit to be easily applied to a concavely curved surface.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a schematic and not to scale cross-section through a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit according to the invention, in a plane perpendicular to the width axis.

[0037] The planar underside 21 can be seen in this illustration. It is also clear that the upper side 22 is free of steps. In other words, the upper side 22 has a continuous profile, i.e., it is free of jumps. This prevents the shaped body from breaking during deformation at steps, specifically at the inward-facing edges of steps. A continuous profile of the upper side is given, for example, if the radius of curvature of the upper side 22, as here, is greater than 1 cm, and in any case greater than 1 mm, at every point away from the circumferential edge. The length of the cleaning agent unit is 94 mm. Alternatively, 50 mm to 150 mm are also preferred. The height of the maxima above the underside 21 is 5.6 mm, but can preferably also be 1 mm to 10 mm. The height of the minima above the underside 21 is 2 mm, but can preferably also be 500 μm to 8 mm.

[0038] Each two adjacent local maxima 30, 31 as well as 31, 32 and 32, 33 are separated by a local minimum 36, 37, or 38, respectively, at whose position along the longitudinal axis L in the molded body 20 two different preparations adjoin one another. The two preparations meet at the dashed line. The preparations thus end in flat end faces. This configuration enables easier handling of the cleaning agent unit, as it can be bent or kinked more easily at the points of the minima. Production is also simplified, as different compositions can be placed side by side and deformed accordingly using a mold.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a cross section through a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit according to the invention, in a plane perpendicular to the width axis, after the cleaning agent unit has been plastically deformed.

[0040] It can be seen how, in this example, the molded body is bent mainly at the more easily deformable points of the minima 36, ​​37, 38 between the maxima 30, 31, 32, 33. Although a comparatively high amount of preparation is contained in the molded body at the points of the maxima 30, 31, 32, 33, it can still be sufficiently deformed over its entire length to adapt to a concavely curved surface.

[0041] In this example, the bottom surface 21 is almost flat in the sections between two minima. However, the bottom surface 21 can also be curved, for example, to fit more precisely against a continuously curved surface. The interfaces between two different preparations are located at the minima, indicated here by dashed lines.

[0042] For the use of the self-adhesive cleaning agent unit 10 shown here, it is applied with the originally planar underside 21 to a moistened, concave surface of a toilet bowl (not shown further here). The deformation shown here, starting from the state shown in Figure 2, then occurs either before or during the application of the cleaning agent unit 10 to the surface.

[0043] In contrast to prior art solutions, the inventive solution takes into account the special features of rim-free toilets. Rim-free toilets refer to toilets designed without a traditional flushing rim. These toilets have a smooth, rimless inner bowl, which makes cleaning easier because less dirt and germs can accumulate in hard-to-reach areas. Rim-free toilets have become popular in some countries because they are considered more hygienic and easier to clean.

[0044] The inventive shape of the self-adhesive cleaning agent unit takes into account the flow pattern of rim-free toilets, as the design of rim-free toilets is geared to effectively direct the water flow across the entire interior surface of the toilet bowl. The inventive sequence of local maxima forces a distributed flow across the molded body, thus improving flushing performance.

[0045] In particular, it will help create efficient flow dynamics when the water flows around the maxima. This can improve cleaning efficiency because the water is distributed evenly across the entire mold body. This minimizes "dead zones" where the water doesn't circulate well. Distributed water flow helps break through these dead zones and ensure that all areas of the mold body are reached.

[0046] Furthermore, turbulence is minimized because the flow is more even around the maxima. Turbulence can prevent dirt particles from being effectively flushed away, especially in the case of lateral water flow, as is the case with rimless toilets.

[0047] Rinsing the body evenly also improves its adhesion to the surface, preventing the adhesive layer—the layer that allows the cleaning agent to adhere to the surface—from peeling off unevenly. Rinsing evenly helps ensure that the pressure is applied evenly across the surface.

[0048] Uneven water flow can lead to local pressure differences that could cause the adhesion layer to detach unevenly. Rinsing evenly reduces the likelihood of the adhesion layer adhering more strongly to certain areas than others. This helps ensure consistent detachment across the entire surface.

[0049] Overall, the sequence of Maxima according to the invention shows a preferential flow over the cleaning agent unit and thus an improved rinsing behavior and adhesion.

[0050] The following compositions were used for the molded body:

[0051] The compositions can be provided with a water-soluble film.

[0052] List of reference symbols

[0053] 10 Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit

[0054] 20 molded bodies

[0055] 21 Bottom of molded body

[0056] 22 Top side of molded body

[0057] 30,31,32,33 Maxima

[0058] 36, 36, 38 minima

Claims

Patent claims 1. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) comprising a shaped body (20) having a planar or convex underside (21) and an opposite upper side (22), the upper and lower sides touching at a circumferential edge (23) of the shaped body; the shaped body (20) having a maximum length along a longitudinal axis (L), a maximum width along a width axis (B), and a maximum height along a depth axis (T), the maximum length being greater than the maximum width and greater than the maximum height, characterized in that the height of the shaped body (20) along the longitudinal axis (L) has at least two local maxima (30, 31).

2. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the height of the shaped body along the longitudinal axis has three or more local maxima, preferably four or more, more preferably five or more.

3. Self-adhesive cleaning unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper side (22) is free of steps.

4. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two adjacent local maxima are separated by a local minimum, at the position of which along the longitudinal axis in the shaped body (20) two different preparations adjoin one another.

5. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shaped body (20) is mirror-symmetrical about a plane spanned by the longitudinal axis and the depth axis.

6. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the maximum length of the shaped body (20) is at least a factor of 2, preferably 3, preferably 4, preferably 5 greater than its maximum width.

7. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shaped body (20) is manually deformable, preferably manually plastically deformable.

8. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper and lower sides touch each other at exactly one circumferential edge (23) of the shaped body.

9. Self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the height of the shaped body (20) has two inflection points between a maximum (30; 31) and an adjacent minimum (36).

10. A method for producing a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, in which, in a first step, at least a first portion of a preparation and a second portion of the same or a different preparation are placed next to one another, and in a later step, the preparations are shaped into the shaped body (20) using a press mold.

11. Use of a self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the self-adhesive cleaning agent unit (10) is applied with the planar or convex underside (21) to a moistened surface, in particular a concave surface, preferably in a toilet bowl.

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