Water-Disintegratable Deodorizing Substrate for Toilet Odor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deodorizing products for toilets are often flammable, contain irritating propellants, are non-directional, unsanitary, and can lead to overpowering fragrances, while also being prone to leakage and microbial growth.
Innovation Solution
A solid substrate infused with scented oils that disintegrates in water, providing a discreet, portable, and sanitary solution for masking unpleasant odors without propellants, leakage, or microbial risks, using cellulose-containing paper or synthetic materials that rapidly disintegrate upon contact with water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If aerosol sprays are used to disperse deodorizing agents, then the deodorizing coverage is improved, but flammability and health hazards from propellant gases worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful propellant gas component from the aerosol system while retaining the spray dispersion function. The deodorizing composition is dispersed through mechanical action (squeezing the container) rather than chemical propulsion, eliminating flammability and respiratory irritation hazards while maintaining coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a single-use disposable container that is squeezed to dispense the composition. This eliminates the need for refillable containers with complex valve mechanisms and propellant systems, reducing health hazards while providing adequate deodorizing coverage for each use.
2Ease of operation
If multiuse containers are used for deodorizing agents, then convenience of use is improved, but sanitation and pathogen transmission risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single-use disposable container that is discarded after one application. This eliminates the sanitation problems associated with multiuse containers that are handled by multiple users, as each user receives a fresh, sterile container that never contacts other users' hands or surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the deodorizing product into individual single-use units rather than providing one multiuse container. This segmentation ensures that each user has their own dedicated container, preventing cross-contamination while maintaining ease of use through simple activation.
3Reliability
If liquid deodorizing products are applied directly into the toilet bowl, then deodorizing effectiveness is improved, but risk of overpowering fragrance and spillage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the deodorizing composition from free liquid to a gel or semi-solid form within a contained structure. This allows controlled dispensing through mechanical squeezing rather than free pouring, preventing spillage while releasing the deodorizing agent directly into the toilet bowl for effective odor neutralization without overpowering fragrance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent delivers the deodorizing composition directly to the specific location where odors are generated (the toilet bowl) rather than dispersing it throughout the room. This localized application maximizes deodorizing effectiveness at the source while minimizing the amount of fragrance released into the environment, avoiding overpowering smells.
4Reliability
If continuously emitting fragrance devices are used, then masking scent is improved, but portability and discretion worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides deodorizing coverage only when needed (during and immediately after toileting) rather than continuous emission. The user activates the product by squeezing the container at the appropriate moment, providing sufficient masking scent for the duration of use without the weight and complexity of continuous power sources required for portable devices.
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 solution effectively reduces or eliminates unpleasant toilet odors, is safe from microbial growth, and provides a subtle, temporary scent that does not linger, addressing the limitations of existing products by being leak-proof, sanitary, and portable.
Implementation Method 1
a water-disintegratable substrate that has been infused with a scented oil
Implementation Method 2
The oil that is applied to the water creates a mechanical barrier to the release of unpleasant odors from the water
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to packaged deodorizing products, and in particular, packaged deodorizing products that find use in toileting. In some aspects, the packaged deodorizing product includes a solid substrate such as rice paper, gelatin sheets, or any other suitable substrate, that disintegrates when exposed to water such as in a toilet bowl, where the solid substrate has been pre-infused with a scenting agent, for example, an essential oil. The deodorizing product is removed from the packaging and placed directly into a toilet bowl prior to toileting, thereby expediting the action of the scenting agent. After toileting, the scenting agent is substantially removed when the toilet is flushed. The invention can also be used as a deodorizing product without deployment in liquid water.