Water-Soluble Pouches for Laundry Detergent Concentrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning and fabric care products face issues such as non-biodegradable packaging, inefficient dosage control, high foaming, abrasive ingredients, and environmental waste, particularly with concentrated powders and high viscosity fabric softeners, which lead to increased costs and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
Development of water-soluble packets containing cleaning concentrates and fabric softeners in gel or emulsion form, packaged in biodegradable and recyclable materials, with a reconstitution system that prevents foam formation and adjusts viscosity through controlled salt and polysaccharide content, allowing for near-zero waste and efficient use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If concentrated cleaning products are delivered in ready-to-use liquid or gel forms, then convenience is improved, but product cost increases and environmental waste increases due to larger volume requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the cleaning product into concentrated active ingredients packaged in water-soluble pouches, separating the active component from the bulk water that would otherwise be wasted in ready-to-use formulations. This allows consumers to purchase only the necessary concentrated product without paying for or disposing of large volumes of water or solvents.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the concentration parameter of the cleaning product, delivering it in highly concentrated form (e.g., 5x or 10x concentration) that can be diluted by the consumer. This parameter change reduces the volume of packaging material needed while maintaining the same cleaning effectiveness, thereby reducing environmental waste.
2Loss of substance
If concentrated cleaning products require reconstitution by adding water, then packaging material is reduced, but viscosity control becomes difficult and consumer habits of larger volume application lead to over-use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-formulating the concentrated cleaning product with optimal viscosity characteristics and adding viscosity modifiers in the correct proportions during manufacturing. This ensures that when the consumer dilutes the product with water, the final viscosity is automatically controlled within the desired range without requiring consumer expertise or adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces viscosity modifiers as intermediary substances that mediate between the concentrated cleaning agents and water. These modifiers maintain the desired viscosity of the final diluted product, ensuring it feels and performs like conventional ready-to-use cleaners, thereby aligning with consumer expectations and usage habits.
3Loss of substance
If fabric softeners are concentrated to reduce packaging volume, then shipping efficiency is improved, but viscosity becomes too high for proper release from dispensing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the concentration parameter by delivering fabric softener in highly concentrated form that is diluted before use. The dilution step reduces the viscosity from an unusably high level to an optimal range for dispensing system release, while still providing the benefits of concentrated packaging for reduced shipping volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies dynamics by allowing the viscosity of the fabric softener to change from a highly viscous concentrated state during storage and shipping to a lower viscosity diluted state during use. This dynamic viscosity adjustment enables both efficient packaging and proper release from dispensing systems at different stages of the product lifecycle.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If water-soluble pouches are used for packaging, then biodegradability is improved, but moisture protection during storage and transportation becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite material structure for the pouch packaging, combining water-soluble biodegradable materials with moisture barrier coatings or laminates. This composite structure provides both the desired biodegradability and the necessary moisture protection during storage and transportation, resolving the contradiction between environmental friendliness and product protection.
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 stable, biodegradable, and recyclable packaging that reduces environmental impact, allows for adjustable dosage, and maintains desired viscosity, enhancing consumer convenience and reducing waste while enabling effective cleaning and fabric softening.
Implementation Method 1
packets containing cleaning concentrates and fabric treatment products in gel form and emulsions of various viscosities in unit dose, ready-to-use and pouches to be reconstituted
Implementation Method 2
an aqueous gel containing from 24% to less than 30% by weight of water and no organic solvent or less than 20% by weight organic solvent as viscosity control agent and/or detergency enhancer; and salt in dissolved and un-dissolved state, said salt serving to reduce the effective concentration of water contained in a package
Implementation Method 3
a paste containing from 3% to 5% of a polysaccharide dispersed in two fabric softener compounds
Data Source
AI summary
Water soluble packets containing cleaning concentrates in gel form in unit dose, ready-to-use and pouches to be reconstituted in ready-to-use cleaners and fabric treatment products are provided. The packaging system, direct-over-package and shipping and display package are constructed of biodegradable, compostable and recyclable components. The packets are stable despite the fact that the cleaning formulas for laundry and manual dishwashing contain more than 24% of water by weight. The reconstitution system is comprised of a container and a mixer, manual or powered, specifically designed to prevent foam formation during the reconstitution process while producing a shearing effect to cut the concentrated gels into easy to disperse pieces, although various embodiments described herein do not require the use of a mixing device for reconstitution. All components of the system are: biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, or reusable, leading to near zero waste to the environment.