Multi-compartment Pouch with Nested Water-disintegrable Outer Shell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-compartment pouches are mechanically unstable, particularly when containing liquid or water-sensitive contents, leading to potential leakage and increased production costs due to expensive thermoforming or vacuum-forming processes.
Innovation Solution
A multi-compartment pouch design featuring inner compartments surrounded by outer compartments made of water-disintegrable film or foil, which provides additional protection and stability, allowing for the use of thin films and cost-effective production through the vertical form-fill-seal technique, ensuring that any leakage is absorbed by the outer compartment and maintaining mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If compartments are arranged adjacently or with liquid contents on the outside, then dosing flexibility is improved, but mechanical stability deteriorates causing leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing inner compartments containing liquid or water-sensitive contents inside outer compartments. The inner compartments are surrounded by outer compartments that provide mechanical protection and stability, preventing leakage while maintaining the ability to dose different contents flexibly. This nested structure resolves the contradiction by providing both dosing versatility and mechanical reliability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If water-soluble foil is used for packing, then safety against unintended contact is improved, but mechanical protection deteriorates requiring thicker material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material structures by combining water-soluble foils with nested compartment designs. The water-soluble outer compartment provides safety against unintended contact, while the nested inner compartments provide mechanical protection for liquid contents. This composite approach allows thin water-soluble material to maintain both safety and mechanical strength through the nested architecture.
3Reliability
If thermoforming or vacuum-forming is used to create stable containers, then mechanical stability is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible water-soluble films and foils to create stable pouch structures through simple sealing processes rather than expensive thermoforming or vacuum-forming. The nested compartment design with outer and inner compartments provides mechanical stability using thin, flexible water-soluble materials that can be manufactured cost-effectively through sealing techniques.
4Ease of manufacture
If thin water-disintegrable films are used, then production cost is reduced, but mechanical stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses nesting to compensate for the reduced mechanical strength of thin water-disintegrable films. By placing inner compartments within outer compartments, the structure gains mechanical stability from the nested architecture while maintaining the cost advantages of thin, water-disintegrable film materials. The outer compartment provides structural support that enables the use of thinner, cheaper materials.
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 provides a cost-effective, mechanically stable pouch that can handle water-sensitive and liquid contents, with controlled release properties and flexibility for easy dosing, reducing production costs and minimizing leakage risks.
Implementation Method 1
the packing which will only disintegrate upon contact with water, e.g. inside the dosing chamber of a laundry or a dishwashing machine
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a multi-compartment pouch with one or more inner compartments surrounded by one or more outer compartments, a method for making such a multi-compartment pouch as well as to the use of said pouch in methods for washing or cleaning an article or a surface.