Water Soluble Pouch for Liquid Detergent with Inorganic Sulfate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Water soluble pouches containing high water content liquid detergents face issues with dissolution, stickiness, leakage, and stability due to chemical reactions and high water sensitivity, making it difficult to maintain performance and prevent overconsumption.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating inorganic sulfate salts, such as sodium sulfate, into the liquid detergent and using a hydrolyzed polymer film with specific thickness and monomer composition to create a durable and non-sticky water soluble pouch, which can withstand high water content and prevent chemical reactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If water soluble pouches are used to contain high water content liquid detergent, then the detergent can be packaged in pre-measured unit doses for convenience and environmental friendliness, but the pouch dissolves prematurely in cold water and becomes sticky

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience of unit dose packagingVSAvoidpouch dissolution stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the liquid detergent by adding specific inorganic sulfate salts (such as sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, or aluminum sulfate) at concentrations of 0.1-20 wt%. This parameter change prevents premature pouch dissolution and stickiness while maintaining the water soluble pouch's ability to dissolve in washing water, thus resolving the contradiction between convenience and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If different active ingredients are combined in liquid detergent to achieve higher cleaning performance, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but chemical reactions between ingredients may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidchemical stability of detergent ingredients
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The inorganic sulfate salts act as an intermediary substance that stabilizes the chemical composition of the liquid detergent. These salts prevent harmful chemical reactions between different active ingredients while maintaining their cleaning effectiveness, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and chemical stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If glycols are used as diluent in liquid detergent, then detergent formulation is flexible, but costs increase; if water is used as diluent to reduce costs, then pouch dissolution and stickiness problems occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidpouch stability against water
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the formulation parameters by using water as the primary diluent (thereby reducing costs) and adding inorganic sulfate salts to prevent the pouch dissolution and stickiness issues that normally accompany high water content formulations. This resolves the contradiction between manufacturing cost and pouch stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 addition of inorganic sulfate salts enhances the solubility and stability of the pouch, preventing stickiness and leakage while maintaining cleaning performance, and the specific film composition ensures the pouch dissolves effectively without premature degradation.

Implementation Method 1

The addition of inorganic sulfate salts into the liquid detergent enhances the solubility and stability of the pouch, preventing stickiness and leakage while maintaining cleaning performance

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolubility enhancement: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

The water soluble pouch may be formed from a film including at least one of a polymer of hydrolyzed vinyl acetate and a copolymer of hydrolyzed vinyl acetate and a second monomer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Data Source

PatentUS8802612B2Detergent packet
Publication Date: 2014.08.12 AICELLO

AI summary

A detergent packet includes a liquid detergent contained within a water soluble pouch. The water soluble pouch is formed from a film including at least one of a polymer of hydrolyzed vinyl acetate and a copolymer of hydrolyzed vinyl acetate and a second monomer. The liquid detergent includes between 5 wt % and 60 wt % water and between 0.5 wt % and 15 wt % inorganic sulfate.