Water-Soluble Detergent Pod Film With Bacterial Spores for Malodor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fabric malodor becomes a problem with the trend of using lower washing temperatures and shorter cycles, as existing detergents struggle to effectively remove malodor under these conditions.
Innovation Solution
A water-soluble unit dose article comprising a water-soluble film encapsulating a detergent composition with bacterial spores, designed to be stable during transport, storage, and use, which releases the detergent upon contact with water, allowing bacterial spores to germinate and address malodor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If lower washing temperatures and shorter cycles are used, then energy consumption is reduced, but fabric malodor removal becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the functional parameters of the detergent composition by incorporating bacterial spores that remain dormant during storage and transport but become active during the wash cycle. This allows the detergent to function effectively at lower temperatures by utilizing biological activity rather than relying solely on thermal energy, thus resolving the contradiction between energy conservation and malodor removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The bacterial spores are pre-loaded into the water-soluble film during manufacturing, prepared in advance to germinate and become metabolically active during the wash cycle. This preliminary preparation allows the detergent to deliver its cleaning and malodor-removing action efficiently during the actual wash process, even under low-energy conditions
2Object-generated harmful factors
If bacterial spores are incorporated into the detergent composition, then malodor removal is improved, but stability during storage and transport deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of bacterial spores from a dormant state during storage to an active germinating state during use. The spores are incorporated in a form that remains stable and inactive during storage and transport, then germinate and become metabolically active when exposed to water during the wash cycle, thus achieving both stability during storage and effectiveness during use
Solution Approach 2:
The water-soluble film acts as an intermediary that encapsulates the detergent composition including bacterial spores. This film structure protects the spores during storage and transport, maintaining stability, while allowing controlled release and germination when the film dissolves in water during the wash cycle, thus bridging the contradiction between storage stability and functional activity
3Ease of operation
If water-soluble film encapsulating detergent composition is used, then ease of use is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent product is segmented into a water-soluble film encapsulating a detergent composition with bacterial spores. This segmentation creates a unit-dose format that is easy for consumers to use (simply dissolve in water), while the manufacturing process can be broken down into separate steps: forming the film, preparing the detergent composition, and encapsulating the composition within the film, making the overall manufacturing complexity manageable through process modularization
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The article provides effective malodor removal and prevention, even at low water temperatures and in short cycles, maintaining stability throughout its lifetime.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble film which encompasses an inner volume enclosed by the water-soluble film
Implementation Method 2
The water-soluble unit dose article is stable during its lifetime and provides good fabric malodour removal and/or fabric malodour prevention
Data Source
AI summary
A water-soluble unit-dose detergent article comprising a water-soluble film and a detergent composition, wherein the water-soluble film comprises bacterial spores.