Water-disintegrable sheet
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wet sheets used for toilet cleaning often tear during vigorous rubbing and lack sufficient sterilizing effectiveness, while also potentially clogging toilets due to inadequate hydrolyzability.
Innovation Solution
A multi-ply hydrolysable sheet with a water-dispersible base paper containing pulp and a water-soluble binder, impregnated with an aqueous chemical agent, featuring embossments on its surface to enhance tearing resistance and sterilizing properties, with a compounding ratio of softwood to hardwood pulp less than 1:1 and a chemical solution including cross-linking and sterilizing agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional wet sheet is used for toilet cleaning, then it can be disposed of by flushing, but it tears during vigorous rubbing and may clog pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating embossed portions with different physical properties from the non-embossed portions. The embossed areas have increased water permeability and altered surface characteristics, allowing the sheet to maintain strength where needed while facilitating disintegration in specific regions during flushing, thus resolving the contradiction between tearing resistance and hydrolyzability
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet is segmented into embossed and non-embossed portions, creating distinct functional zones. The embossed portions are designed to disintegrate more readily during flushing, while the non-embossed portions maintain structural integrity during use, effectively segmenting the functions of strength and disposability within a single sheet
2Reliability
If the sheet is made thinner to improve hydrolyzability, then it flushes better, but it becomes weaker and tears more easily
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly thinning the entire sheet, the patent applies local quality by creating embossed portions with modified thickness and density characteristics. These embossed areas are strategically designed to be more susceptible to water penetration and disintegration, while maintaining overall sheet strength through the non-embossed regions
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet functions as a composite structure with embossed and non-embossed portions having different physical properties. This composite approach allows the sheet to exhibit both high strength (from non-embossed areas) and high hydrolyzability (from embossed areas) simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between thickness-related strength and disposability
3Strength
If a water-soluble binder is added to enhance strength, then tearing resistance improves, but hydrolyzability decreases and the sheet may not flush properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the water-soluble binder in the embossed portions rather than distributing it uniformly throughout the sheet. This localized concentration allows the embossed areas to maintain strength during use while being designed to disintegrate during flushing, whereas the non-embossed portions with lower binder content maintain hydrolyzability for proper disposal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of binder distribution from uniform to non-uniform, with varying concentrations in different portions of the sheet. This parameter change allows optimization of both strength (higher binder in embossed areas) and hydrolyzability (lower binder in non-embossed areas), resolving the contradiction between these two properties
4Reliability
If the sheet is impregnated with a higher concentration of cleaning agent to enhance sterilizing effect, then sterilizing performance improves, but the sheet becomes stiffer and more prone to tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the cleaning agent and cross-linking agent in the embossed portions where sterilizing effect is most needed. This localized high-concentration impregnation provides enhanced sterilizing performance in critical areas while the non-embossed portions maintain flexibility and strength, resolving the contradiction between sterilizing effect and tearing resistance
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 sheet provides enhanced resistance to tearing and improved sterilizing effects while ensuring hydrolyzability, allowing it to be effectively used for vigorous cleaning without clogging toilets.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble binder... hydrolyzability is required so as not to clog a pipe or the like when being flushed down a toilet
Implementation Method 2
the aqueous chemical agent includes a cross-linking agent that causes the water-soluble binder to initiate a cross-linking reaction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A toilet cleaning sheet 100 includes a multi-ply base paper sheet that is substantially water-dispersible. The multi-ply base paper sheet contains pulp and a water-soluble binder and is impregnated with an aqueous chemical agent. The basis weight of the multi-ply base paper sheet is 30 gsm to 150 gsm, and the content of the water-soluble binder increases towards a front surface and/or a back surface.