Laundry Detergent Sheet Production via Heated Surface Drying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry detergent products, such as liquid and powder forms, are inconvenient to measure, often leading to over or under usage, and are bulky, resulting in high shipping and storage costs. Additionally, existing laundry detergent sheets face issues with incomplete detergent release and residue in washing machines.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a shelf-stable and a non-shelf-stable solution, where the non-shelf-stable solution is applied to a heated surface to form a laundry detergent sheet, ensuring complete dissolution in the wash cycle without leaving residues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If liquid or powder detergent is used in conventional containers, then sufficient detergent can be delivered, but the products are bulky and require large containers increasing shipping and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin film substrate (such as water-soluble film or dissolvable material) to encapsulate the detergent composition, replacing bulky rigid containers. This thin film format maintains the required detergent quantity while dramatically reducing volume, enabling compact packaging and efficient shipping without compromising detergent delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining the detergent composition with a water-soluble or dissolvable substrate material. This composite laundry detergent sheet integrates the active cleaning agents with a carrier that provides structural integrity for handling but dissolves during washing, eliminating the need for separate bulky containers while maintaining detergent quantity.
2Volume of stationary object
If dissolvable laundry detergent pouches are used, then shipping and storage costs are reduced, but the detergent transfer through pouch walls is not sufficiently fast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous or microporous water-soluble substrate that allows rapid water penetration and detergent release. The porous structure provides numerous channels for water to access the detergent composition, significantly accelerating the dissolution and transfer rate while maintaining the compact pouch format, thus resolving both the volume reduction and speed requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the substrate material, such as molecular weight, crystallinity, and hydrophilicity, to optimize dissolution rate. By selecting specific water-soluble polymers or adjusting formulation parameters, the detergent sheet achieves rapid dissolution and complete detergent transfer within the washing cycle, eliminating the slow transfer problem of conventional pouches.
3Volume of stationary object
If non-dissolvable substrates are used in laundry detergent sheets, then the sheets have small footprint for shipping, but the substrate remains in the washing machine after completion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a water-soluble or dissolvable substrate designed to completely dissolve during the washing process. This disposable substrate performs its function of delivering the detergent composition and then disappears, leaving no residue in the washing machine or on clothes. The substrate is inexpensive and single-use, perfectly embodying the disposable principle to eliminate harmful remnants while maintaining compact sheet format.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition and physical properties of the substrate to ensure complete solubility in wash water. By selecting appropriate water-soluble polymers (such as PVA with specific molecular weights and alcohol groups) and controlling formulation parameters, the substrate dissolves completely at washing temperatures, eliminating residue problems while preserving the space-efficient sheet structure.
4Measurement precision
If pre-measured detergent pouches are used, then dosage accuracy is improved, but the pouches are not configured to be split into smaller portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the laundry detergent sheet with built-in segmentation features such as perforations, score lines, or tear notches that allow easy division into smaller portions. The sheet can be torn along these pre-marked lines to create smaller dosage units for partial loads, providing both precise pre-measured dosing and flexible adaptability for different washing needs without compromising dosage accuracy.
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 method simplifies the production of laundry detergent sheets, reduces waste, and enhances handling and storage efficiency while ensuring complete dissolution and effective cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
drying said second non-shelf-stable solution on said surface to form said laundry detergent sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for making a laundry detergent sheet. Preferably, the laundry detergent sheet is capable of dissolving in a laundry cycle of an automatic washing machine. The method comprises the steps of preparing a first shelf-stable solution, preparing a second non-shelf-stable solution comprising a portion of the first shelf-stable solution, applying the second non-shelf-stable solution onto a surface, and drying the second non-shelf-stable solution on the surface.