Layered Dissolvable Solid Structure for Flexibility and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dissolvable solid structures in personal care products face challenges in achieving flexibility while maintaining structural strength, allowing for the incorporation of incompatible ingredients, and enhancing aesthetic features such as printing and texture.
Innovation Solution
A dissolvable solid structure comprising a first layer with 20-100% of a first water-soluble polymer and a second layer with 1-50% of a second water-soluble polymer, a high melting point fatty material, and a cationic surfactant, which allows for improved flexibility, structural strength, and incorporation of particulates while enabling aesthetic features like printing and texture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the polymer content is reduced to improve flexibility, then the composition becomes more flexible, but the structural strength during manufacturing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of water-soluble polymers combined with high melting point fatty materials (waxes) and cationic surfactants. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve both flexibility (from the polymer matrix) and structural strength (from the wax-surfactant complex), resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength by combining materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by carefully controlling the melting point of fatty materials (above 25°C) and optimizing the concentration ranges of polymers (20-100% in first layer, 1-50% in second layer). These parameter adjustments allow the composition to maintain structural integrity during manufacturing while achieving the desired flexibility for cutting and handling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If incompatible ingredients are incorporated into a single layer, then ingredient functionality is improved, but phase separation and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the composition into multiple layers, with each layer containing specific ingredients. This segmentation allows incompatible ingredients to be separated into different layers, maintaining overall composition stability while still incorporating diverse functionalities across the multi-layer structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers are formulated with locally optimized compositions tailored to specific ingredient requirements. The first layer contains 20-100% water-soluble polymer while the second layer contains 1-50% water-soluble polymer plus high melting point fatty material and cationic surfactant, allowing each layer to have the specific quality needed for its contained ingredients.
3Ease of manufacture
If aesthetic features like printing and texture are enhanced, then consumer appeal is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates aesthetic features directly into the composition formulation itself rather than adding separate manufacturing steps. The composition is formulated to inherently provide printing capability, texture, and other aesthetic properties through its chemical composition, eliminating the need for complex post-manufacturing processes.
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 structure achieves enhanced flexibility, structural integrity, and improved aesthetic features, facilitating easier manufacturing and use, while maintaining compatibility with various ingredients.
Implementation Method 1
a cationic surfactant
Implementation Method 2
a first layer comprising from about 20% to about 100%, by weight of the first layer by weight of the first layer of a first water-soluble polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A dissolvable solid structure with a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes from about 20% to about 100%, by weight of the first layer, of a first water-soluble polymer. The second layer includes from about 1% to about 50%, by weight of the second layer, of a second water-soluble polymer, a high melting point fatty material having an average carbon chain length C12-C22 and a melting point above 25° C., and a cationic surfactant. The dissolvable solid structure can provide improved flexibility and solubility in a composition, such as water, while having a sufficient structural integrity during manufacturing.