Refillable Toilet Rim Block for Complete Dissolution and Less Plastic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanitary agents for cleaning and perfuming sanitary appliances require significant plastic use, leading to environmental impact and inefficiencies, and often fail to dissolve completely, necessitating manual removal.
Innovation Solution
A sanitary agent composed of a solid tablet with specific surfactant ratios and a refillable plastic cage, allowing gradual dissolution and recharging, reducing plastic consumption and maintaining effective cleaning and perfuming performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If adhesive sanitary agents are used to adhere to the walls of the sanitary appliance, then sufficient adhesion is achieved, but the components undesirably drip downwards and require manual removal after use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the sanitary agent from adhesive (requiring wall adhesion) to solid tablet form (relying on water solubility). This parameter change eliminates the dripping issue and manual removal requirement while maintaining effective delivery of cleaning components through controlled dissolution in the water flow.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If plastic cages are used to support solid tablets, then durability and controlled dissolution are achieved, but significant quantities of plastic material are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a reusable plastic cage that can be recovered and refilled with new solid tablets after the previous tablet is consumed. This discarding-and-recovering approach maintains the durability benefits of the cage structure while significantly reducing plastic material consumption compared to single-use cages, as the cage is not discarded with each depleted tablet.
3Ease of manufacture
If adhesive sanitary agents are used, then application to the wall is achieved, but dosing systems made of rigid plastic material are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the rigid plastic dosing system from the adhesive agent application process. By using a solid tablet that dissolves in the water flow, the system removes the need for complex plastic dosing mechanisms while maintaining effective delivery of cleaning components through the simple dissolution and rinsing process.
4Duration of action of moving object
If solid tablets with controlled dissolution are used, then gradual release of components is achieved, but complete dissolution does not occur requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the solubility parameters of the solid tablet components to ensure complete dissolution in the water flow. By adjusting the chemical composition and physical properties of the tablet materials, the system achieves both controlled gradual release during the rinse cycle and complete dissolution afterward, eliminating the need for manual removal of residues.
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 discreet, long-lasting cleaning and perfuming action with reduced plastic use, achieving 150 flushes compared to 350-400 flushes of traditional tablets, while maintaining effective foam generation and preventing limescale formation.
Implementation Method 1
a solid block, containing the various active ingredients of interest and which dissolve slowly when the rinsing water flows
Implementation Method 2
maintaining effective foam generation
Implementation Method 3
preventing limescale formation
Data Source
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AI summary
A sanitary agent is described, for cleaning and/or perfuming a sanitary appliance, suitable for the treatment of a sanitary appliance, said sanitary agent being composed of a tablet in solid form and a refillable plastic cage, said tablet comprising two anionic surfactants and two non-ionic surfactants, wherein the first anionic surfactant is present in a quantity ranging from 60 to 80% by weight, the second anionic surfactant is present in a quantity ranging from 15 to 25% by weight, the first non-ionic surfactant is present in a quantity ranging from 4 to 10% by weight and the second non-ionic surfactant is present in a quantity ranging from 0.5 to 3% by weight, said percentages by weight being calculated with respect to the total weight of the solid tablet ranging from 10 to 20 g, preferably equal to 15 g.