Flat Package for Fibrous Water-Soluble Detergent Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry detergents, including liquids and powders, face challenges in e-commerce shipping due to weight and water content, making them expensive and unsustainable, while existing water-soluble unit dose pouches are not ideal for mailbox delivery due to size and liquid volume.
Innovation Solution
A flat package system containing fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles with household care active agents, designed to be lightweight, sustainable, and economically shippable, featuring a flexible design that meets mail service guidelines and allows for efficient sorting and space-saving during transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional laundry detergents (liquids and powders) are shipped, then effective cleaning performance is achieved, but shipping costs increase due to weight and water content
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water content from conventional liquid detergents by using water-soluble film pouches that contain concentrated detergent formulations. The film itself acts as a water-soluble carrier, eliminating the need for bulk water in the shipment while maintaining cleaning effectiveness when the film dissolves in the washing machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and concentration parameters of the detergent by transforming it from a dilute liquid solution to a concentrated formulation enclosed in water-soluble film. This parameter change reduces weight and volume for shipping while ensuring proper dissolution and performance in the washing machine.
2Weight of moving object
If water-soluble unit dose pouches are used, then shipping weight is reduced, but package size and liquid volume make them unsuitable for mailbox delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from three-dimensional pouches containing liquid to two-dimensional flat packages containing water-soluble film articles. This dimensional change from 3D to 2D dramatically reduces package thickness and volume, enabling the product to fit through mailbox slots while maintaining unit-dose functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The water-soluble film articles are designed as disposable, single-use units that dissolve completely in the washing machine. This approach eliminates the need for durable, bulky packaging while providing sufficient performance for one laundry load, optimizing the balance between shipping efficiency and functional performance.
3Reliability
If fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles are packaged in conventional containers, then product performance is maintained, but shipping efficiency and space utilization decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The water-soluble film serves multiple functions: it acts as the packaging container, the dosing mechanism, and the delivery vehicle for the detergent active ingredients. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate packaging and dosing systems, maximizing shipping efficiency while maintaining product performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The detergent active ingredients are pre-loaded and uniformly distributed within the water-soluble film structure during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures precise dosing and complete dissolution in the washing machine, maintaining consistent cleaning performance while enabling compact, efficient packaging for shipping.
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
Enables the economical and sustainable delivery of effective detergent products to consumers' mailboxes, maintaining performance comparable to conventional detergents while reducing shipping costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
fibrous water-soluble unit dose article comprising household care active agents
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a container system comprising a flat package, which has walls that define an interior space, and at least one fibrous water-soluble unit dose article in the interior space, where the fibrous water-soluble unit dose article comprises household care active agents.