EP2904086B1 - Tablet including a compacted fabric - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet intended to disintegrate at least partially in aqueous medium in order to release one or more active agents, said tablet comprising at least one textile in compacted form.

Solid products, for example in the form of tablets, capable of disintegrating in a liquid, are known, for example in the field of detergency, water treatment, fertilizers, etc. Indeed, the presentation of a product in solid form, or compact, has advantages: the product is easy to handle, store, dose. Thus, it will often be preferred to prepare a solid composition for storing one or more active agents that are to be released in an aqueous medium, for example water, to provide an active solution, for example suitable for cleaning or disinfecting, or also suitable for fertilize plantations or treat unsafe water. Solid products are generally less volume-intensive than liquid products and can therefore be stored more easily. Moreover, they are very easy to use; usually they contain the necessary amount of active agents to cooperate with a volume of water or aqueous medium determined for the desired result, cleaning, purification, etc ...: the solid products thus free the user from having to assay the quantity of product that it must put in contact with the aqueous medium to be treated. The dosage is therefore simple and reproducible from one treatment operation to another.

A solid product intended to disintegrate in an aqueous medium is generally prepared from a starting mixture consisting of the various ingredients forming the composition of the product, the mixture then being pelletized, for example using a pelletizer, to obtain a product in solid form. Indeed, the various ingredients are generally provided in the starting mixture in the form of powders or grains, sometimes liquids. Pelletizing, by applying a high pressure on the constituents of the mixture, agglomerates these different constituents together and a cohesive solid product is obtained.

The document WO 2011/131585 illustrates for its part a solid washing element produced however without pressure application, a matrix fabric being impregnated with a detergent composition and at least one other comprising a compacting-sensitive enzyme, these two hot applied compositions solidifying on cooling .

A solid product intended to disintegrate in an aqueous medium must therefore have good cohesion to prevent it from being crumbled, as well as good hardness, so that it can be kept in its integrity until it is used. In In particular, such a solid product must have a hardness high enough not to arrive chipped or broken at the user.

However, as mentioned above, if it is desirable that the solid products or tablets retain their cohesion, stability and good hardness during their storage time, these products must be able to release the active agent (s) they contain at the same time. the moment of their use, that is to say when they are put in contact with an aqueous medium, for example in a washing bath of a washing machine, or in the enclosure of a lava -dishes, or in a pool whose water must be treated, or in a volume of natural water that we seek to purify for example to make it drinkable.

These solid products or tablets must be able to disintegrate in contact with the aqueous medium. By disintegration is meant in the sense of the present application, a coarse separation of grains and / or powders, the actual dissolution step may occur simultaneously or later.

Disintegration kinetics may vary depending on the desired action (s) for the product. For example, a quick disintegration may be desired in the case of a product used for washing clothes or surfaces. Alternatively, one may want to vary the kinetics of disintegration if one wishes several sequential actions of the product, or an action for a fixed period, for example in the treatment of water in general.

In order to help the solid or tablet products to disintegrate more or less rapidly and / or according to a desired kinetics, disintegration aid agents, for example in the form of powders, may be incorporated in the starting mixture. Disintegration aid agents include so-called bursting agents. The bursting agents act by swelling, plastic deformation, wicking effect, when they come into contact with the aqueous medium in which it is desired to dissolve the product or the tablet.

However, disintegration aid agents, apart from their ability to assist in the disintegration of the product or the tablet, generally have little or no functional interest in the desired application for the product: they generally do not have detergent, biocidal, or other properties. These agents may also be releases which may be harmful to the environment and may induce filter clogging problems for some applications when they are insoluble in nature.

Thus, it would be advantageous to have solid products such as tablets, able to disintegrate at least partially in an aqueous medium, for which one could overcome the presence of such disintegration aid agents.

Furthermore, the solid products or tablets must also preferably fulfill a certain number of physicochemical and mechanical criteria: in particular, these products must have good chemical stability throughout the storage phase, that is to say be Structured in such a way that no chemical decomposition, transformation, or other reaction can occur during the storage months.

For this, it is possible to distribute the various ingredients in a layer, or several layers if it is necessary to separate the chemically incompatible components to avoid untimely chemical reactions of transformation or degradation during storage.

It is also known that it is difficult to introduce into a solid product a liquid phase in large quantities: indeed, the direct powder / liquid mixtures generate certain production disadvantages, for example the presence of fat pellets, the sticking on the powder mixing tool, caking during storage of the solid product, loss of the ability to flow and pelletize for the solid product. However, certain active agents or additives are not available in the form of powders and are available only in liquid form, such as certain surfactants, certain perfumes or essential oils for example, and are therefore particularly difficult to integrate within a solid product.

In an attempt to overcome such problems, it has been proposed solid or tablet products comprising several phases, for example a solid phase and a liquid phase, or a solid phase and a gel phase that is adhered to the phase solid, or even two solid phases.

However, the final cohesion of the product obtained is not always satisfactory. Indeed, the presence of several phases, even when it is two solid phases, can call into question the stability and cohesion of the entire solid product.

Moreover, these products are often manufactured in several stages, each phase being manufactured separately, the different phases being then assembled together. Thus, the manufacturing process of these products is long and tedious.

There remains therefore the need for a solid product simple to manufacture, capable of disintegrating at least partially in aqueous medium, for which it could be necessary if necessary to overcome the presence of disintegration aid agents, and allowing associating constituents, such as active agents, additives or other, known to be difficult to associate, or known to be difficult to integrate into a solid product, such as constituents available in liquid form only.

In addition, in some applications, such as washing laundry, it may also be desirable to have a solid product which would produce two separate effects, sequentially, or on the contrary simultaneously, but for example on different supports. It would be interesting to have a product that can both clean the laundry during the wash cycle and capture dyes that may dye on the treated laundry. In the case where a washing-drying machine is used, it would be interesting to have a product capable both of cleaning the laundry during the washing cycle and able to remain in the drum of the machine at the time of drying of the machine. linen, for example to have a softening or antistatic action on the laundry drying.

The present invention aims to remedy the above problems by providing a tablet usable in an aqueous medium, easy to manufacture and therefore industrializable, to overcome the presence of disintegration aid agents, and also allowing, if necessary to make associations of constituents traditionally known to be difficult to associate, for example effective active agents when they are in liquid form. The present invention also provides a tablet which on the one hand comprises two solid phases allowing separate and / or sequenced actions, and on the other hand is perfectly cohesive and has excellent hardness.

The present invention relates to a tablet intended to disintegrate at least partially in an aqueous medium in order to release at least one active agent, comprising at least a first solid phase comprising at least one pulverulent mixture in compacted form, said powder mixture comprising at least least said active agent, and at least one second solid phase, characterized in that said second solid phase comprises at least one textile in compacted form.

The present invention relates in particular to a tablet intended to disintegrate at least partially in an aqueous medium in order to release at least one active agent, comprising at least a first solid phase comprising at least one pulverulent mixture in compacted form, said powder mixture comprising at least said active agent, and at least a second solid phase, characterized in that said second solid phase comprises at least one textile in compacted form, said textile in compacted form being able to swell with said aqueous medium in contact with the latter .

The tablet according to the invention is in the form of a single product, comprising at least two cohesive solid phases resulting from the simultaneous compaction on the one hand of a starting powder mixture and on the other hand of a starting textile: thus, the first solid phase comprises at least one pulverulent mixture in compacted form, said powder mixture comprising at least said active agent, and the second solid phase comprises at least one textile in compacted form.

The starting powder mixture is obtained by mixing ingredients in the form of powders, including the active agent (s), and optionally ingredients in liquid form, conventionally in the manufacture of solid compositions capable of disintegrating in an aqueous medium.

The starting textile may be in the form of a textile already in compressed form, but having not yet undergone simultaneous compaction with a powder mixture. Thus, in the present application, the term "textile in compressed form" will refer to a textile having already undergone a compression step, but only, ie independently of the step of simultaneous compaction with the starting powder mixture to obtain the tablet according to the invention. Conversely, the term "textile in compacted form" will refer to a textile having undergone the step of compacting simultaneously with the starting powder mixture to obtain the tablet according to the invention. In other words, in the present application, the term "textile in compacted form" designates the textile in its final configuration, that is to say in the tablet, while the expression "textile in compressed form" designates the same textile, but in its configuration before compacting, as a starting product of the manufacture of the tablet according to the invention.

The tablet according to the invention can be any solid product intended to be placed in contact with an aqueous medium in order to modify the composition of this the latter by means of its active agent (s), for example in order to use this modified aqueous medium as a cleanser, or in order to purify this aqueous medium in order to make it consumable, for example. Thus, the active agent can be chosen according to the desired action for the tablet. For example, it can be chosen from detergent agents, surfactants, bleaching agents, etc., for a cleaning action of the tablet, such as washing surfaces such as floors, walls, etc. , or washing clothes, or dishes. It may be chosen from disinfecting agents, antimicrobial agents and / or antibacterial agents for a pool water treatment action, or for purifying and / or purifying natural water from a well or a pond.

According to the present application, the term "tablet" includes the terms tablet, lozenge, roller, etc. This tablet may have flat and convex upper and lower faces, concave or convex. This tablet can be indifferently general shape round, oval, square, rectangular, octagonal, polygonal.

The tablet according to the invention, although comprising two solid phases, one of which comprises or consists of one or more textiles in compacted form, retains a hardness conducive to good cohesion.

The characteristics of cohesion and hardness are very sensitive parameters and difficult to preserve as soon as a new ingredient is introduced into a solid product formulation. However, the presence of the compacted form of the textile in the tablet according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a solid product with good cohesion and hardness equivalent to, or even greater than, conventional solid products which are generally free of any textile. Thus, contrary to what could be expected, the presence of a compacted form of textile in the tablet according to the invention does not weaken the cohesion of the latter and does not affect its ability to be pelletized. The tablet according to the invention, although comprising a textile in compacted form, retains excellent cohesion and mechanical strength properties: thus, it can be handled, for example by machines during its packaging, or by consumers, at the time of use, without being damaged and while maintaining its integrity.

In particular, the tablet according to the invention has a high hardness, even increased because of the presence of the textile or compacted form within the second solid phase of the tablet. The compacted form of the tablet according to the invention do not destabilize pelletizing and provides interesting hardness characteristics. Thus, in particular, the second solid phase of the tablet according to the invention may comprise several textiles in compacted form.

Moreover, the nature and the composition of the tablet according to the invention make it possible to overcome the presence in said tablet of bursting and / or effervescent agents. As will be apparent from the description and examples that follow, the compacted form of the textile, by unfolding in contact with the aqueous medium in which the tablet is placed in contact or dive, acts as a disassembly aid for the tablet.

Indeed, as soon as a portion of the compacted textile present in the tablet according to the invention will have access to the aqueous medium, the textile may swell with an aqueous medium, for example water, and its volume will increase: in particular, the compacted form of the textile will unfold to try to find its original form, generally substantially two-dimensional. This deployment of the textile will promote the separation of grains and / or powder ingredients of the first solid phase of the tablet according to the invention, and thus the disintegration of the latter.

The first solid phase of the tablet according to the invention comprises a pulverulent mixture in compacted form, the powder mixture comprising at least one active agent intended to modify the composition of the aqueous medium in order to carry out the desired treatment.

The active agent of the first solid phase of the tablet according to the invention may vary depending on the application envisaged for the tablet. Preferably, this active agent is chosen from detergent agents, disinfecting agents, bleaching agents, bleaching catalysts, oxidizing agents, sequestering agents, fertilizing agents, pesticides, coagulants, flocculating agents, agents of cosmetic, nutritional or nutraceutical interest, chemical or biotechnological catalysts, dyes, and mixtures thereof.

Detergent agents that may be mentioned include cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants and mixtures thereof.

As disinfecting agents, mention may be made of any chlorine derivative known to release active chlorine, such as, for example, the sodium salt of N-chloro-4-methylbenzene sulphonamide in anhydrous form or dihydrate, the salt sodium salt of 1,3-dichloro-s-triazine-2,4,6-trione in anhydrous form or dihydrate, and mixtures thereof.

Bleaching agents that may be mentioned include sodium perborate mono and tetra hydrate, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, magnesium xH ₂ O, potassium monopersulfate. trichloroisocyanuric acid monoperisophthalate, sodium or potassium salts of hydrated or anhydrous dichloroisocyanurates, and mixtures thereof.

For example, sodium percarbonate, an oxygen bleach, may be combined with tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), which catalyzes the latter to provide low temperature efficiency.

Sequestering agents that may be mentioned include phosphoric acid salts and esters, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, but also ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium citrate, zeolites and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA). ), the tetrasodium salt of N, N-diacetic acid-L-glutamic acid (GLDA), methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA), and mixtures thereof.

As fertilizing agents, mention may especially be made of phosphoric acid or oligomers of sodium phosphate, and mixtures thereof.

As coagulants, mention may be made of the divalent and trivalent cation salts, in particular the aluminum and iron salts of oxidation state III, and mixtures thereof.

As flocculating agents, mention may be made of acrylamide polymers such as "FLOPAM AM934" marketed by the company SNF.

As agents that are of cosmetic interest, mention may be made of hydrophilic derivatives of vitamin E, vitamin C, retinol, hydroxystylbene derivatives and more specifically resveratrol, carotenoids, lycopene, isoflavonoids and more specifically isoflavones of soybeans, probiotics in general and most particularly lactobacilli belonging to the family of lactobacillus casei and paracasei, bifidobacteria, pseudomonadaceae, antagonists of substance P and more specifically lanthanide salts, derivatives of dihydroxyethanolamine (DHEA), and their mixtures.

As agents of nutritional or nutraceutical interest, by way of illustration, there are numerous possible applications, cereal preparations, such as durum wheat sprouts, ground coffee, its lyophilized extracts in native or decaffeinated form, tea, soy isoflavones, and mixtures thereof.

As chemical and biochemical catalysts, mention will be made of asymmetric boron complexes, manganese salts, porphyrins, associated with oxidized iron, proteases, amylase, lignocellulases, and mixtures thereof.

As dyes include indigo, indigo-carmine, tartrazine, and mixtures thereof.

The powder mixture of the first solid phase may further comprise any other ingredient that can act as a carrier for the active agent in the first solid phase, and / or any ingredient useful for the intended application. For example, the first solid phase can further comprise fillers, alkaline materials, enzymes, optical brighteners, bursting agents and any additive that can be used in tablets, such as for example one or more additives chosen from perfumes, dyes, lubricants, diluents, binders, defoamers, pelletizing aid agents, and mixtures thereof.

For example, the first solid phase may include bleaches or detergents for application as a laundry or dishwashing composition. Alternatively, the first solid phase may comprise fertilizing agents for application as a fertilizer. Alternatively, the first solid phase may include pesticides for crop protection. In one embodiment of the invention, the first solid phase may comprise a chlorine releasing agent for tablet application for water disinfection.

• de 10 à 50%, de préférence de 10 à 35% d'agent séquestrant,
• de 5 à 30% d'un couple agent de blanchiment oxygéné et son catalyseur, par exemple constitué d'une part de 5 à 25%, de préférence de 10 à 20%, de percarbonate de sodium, et d'autre part, de 0 à 10%, de préférence de 1 à 5% de tétraacétyléthylènediamine (TAED),

• de 20 à 40%, de préférence de 30 à 35%, de matières alcalines : les matières alcalines peuvent être choisies parmi le carbonate de sodium, le bicarbonate de sodium, le silicate de sodium, et leurs mélanges,
• de 0 à 20%, de préférence de 5 à 15% de tensioactifs,
• de 0 à 5%, de préférence de 0,1 à 2,5% d'enzymes: les enzymes peuvent être choisies parmi l'amylase, la protéase, la lipase, la mananase, la cellulase et leurs mélanges,
• de 0 à 5%, de préférence de 0 à 2% d'azurants optiques.

In one embodiment of the invention, the tablet is used for washing laundry. In such a case, the active agent may for example comprise one or more of the following compounds, alone or in combination, the proportions being given as a percentage by weight of the compound, relative to the total weight of the powder mixture:

• from 10 to 50%, preferably from 10 to 35% of sequestering agent,
• from 5 to 30% of an oxygen bleaching agent pair and its catalyst, for example consisting of on the one hand from 5 to 25%, preferably from 10 to 20%, of sodium percarbonate, and on the other hand from 0 to 10%, preferably from 1 to 5% of tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED),

• from 20 to 40%, preferably from 30 to 35%, of alkaline materials: the alkaline materials may be chosen from sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium silicate, and mixtures thereof,
• from 0 to 20%, preferably from 5 to 15% of surfactants,
• from 0 to 5%, preferably from 0.1 to 2.5% of enzymes: the enzymes may be chosen from amylase, protease, lipase, mananase, cellulase and mixtures thereof,
• from 0 to 5%, preferably from 0 to 2% optical brighteners.

The powder mixture may further comprise from 0 to 20%, preferably from 10 to 15%, by weight, of bursting agents, based on the total weight of the powder mixture. The powder mixture may also comprise from 0 to 50%, preferably from 2 to 25%, by weight, of fillers, relative to the total weight of the powder mixture. Dyestuffs, perfume or pelletizing aid additives may be added in a range of 0 to 5%, preferably 0 to 2%, by weight, based on the total weight of the powder mixture.

The powder mixture may also comprise ingredients in liquid form, such as surfactants, perfumes, essential oils, however in a limited amount so as not to generate the production disadvantages mentioned above.

The second compacted solid phase of the tablet according to the invention comprises at least one textile in compacted form.

For the purposes of the present application, the term "textile" means any arrangement of yarns, fibers, filaments, obtained by knitting, weaving or non-woven fabric such as paper. Generally, such an arrangement has the form of a flexible plate, provided with pores: for example, these pores are the spaces left between the threads, fibers and / or filaments constituting said arrangement, such as, for example, the stitches in the case of knitting. . This flexible and porous plate is generally two-dimensional, that is to say it has a thickness well below its length and width. This two-dimensional flexible plate is generally easily deformable, in particular foldable on itself. In one embodiment of the invention, the textile of the tablet according to the invention is selected from knits, woven fabrics, nonwovens, and combinations thereof.

As seen above, "textile in compacted form" means in the context of the present application a textile having undergone a step of compacting simultaneously with the powder mixture described above in order to obtain the tablet according to the invention.

The starting textile, before said compaction step, may be a textile already in compressed form. By the expression "in compressed form" for the starting textile of the present application is meant a textile, for example of initially two-dimensional initial shape, which has been folded as far as possible in order to give it a shape. in three dimensions, with a thickness, a length and a width having respective values of the same order, and to which a compressive force has been applied such that the resulting compressed form textile is substantially free of pores and is in the form of a stable cohesive solid product in a medium such as ambient air (about 20 ° C) and in the absence of any external stress exerted against it.

In one embodiment, the compressed form textile has the shape of a solid pellet of generally cylindrical shape, with a diameter ranging from 10 to 40 mm, for example 20 mm, and a height ranging from 5 to 20 mm. mm, for example 10 mm. The weight of the pellet may for example vary from 1 to 5 g, for example may be 2.6 g.

In the unfolded state, the textile of the tablet according to the invention preferably has a generally two-dimensional shape, such as a round, a rectangle, a square, or an oval. For example, the textile has in the unfolded form the shape of a rectangle whose width is from 5 to 30 cm, for example is about 22 cm, and the length is from 5 to 30 cm, for example is about 25 cm. The dimensions of the textile in the unfolded state can be adapted according to the desired size for the final tablet.

Thus, the density of the textile in compressed form is much higher than the density of the same textile in its initial configuration in uncompressed form, or in other words in the unfolded state, in the absence of stress exerted on this textile.

Textiles in compressed form that can be used for manufacturing the second solid phase of the tablet according to the invention for example, a density ranging from 0.1 g / cm ³ to 2.5 g / cm ³ , preferably ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 g / cm ³ .

The textile in compressed form that can be used for manufacturing the second solid phase of the tablet according to the invention can be chosen from textiles already existing in such a compressed form, as for example described in WO2010 / 025576 .

After compacting with the starting pulverulent mixture, the compacted textile of the tablet according to the invention has, for example, a density ranging from 0.5 g / cm ³ to 5 g / cm ³ , preferably ranging from 0.5 g / cm ³ to 2.5 g / cm ³ .

In one embodiment of the invention, the textile of the tablet according to the invention has an absorbency ranging from 0.5 to 35%, preferably from 5 to 20%, by weight. In this application, the absorbency of a textile means the weight of liquid, for example water, absorbed by said textile, based on the weight of the absorbent textile used.

Indeed, as will be apparent from the description and examples which follow, the compacted form of the tablet of the invention is intended to unfold in contact with the aqueous medium in which the tablet will be dipped: thus, when the textile under compacted form will come into contact with the aqueous medium, it will swell with aqueous medium, its volume will increase and it will unfold. While unfolding, it will contribute to the disintegration of the tablet. The greater the absorbency of the textile will be important, the more it will occupy volume when absorbing aqueous media, and the more its contribution to disintegration of the tablet will be effective.

Thus, in one embodiment, the textile of the tablet according to the invention comprises yarns, fibers and / or filaments of a material chosen from cellulose, cotton, polyester, nylon, linen, bamboo and their mixtures. In one embodiment, the textile is in the form of an amalgam of cellulose fibers, such as paper.

The yarns, fibers and filaments of the abovementioned materials have an absorbing power enabling the textile of the tablet according to the invention to act as a disintegration aid for the tablet when the latter is brought into contact with an aqueous medium.

In one embodiment, said material is cotton. The cotton has an absorbency of about 8.5% by weight: in other words, cotton fibers can absorb up to 8.5% of their weight in water. Alternatively or in combination, said material is linen. Flax has an absorbency of 12% by weight.

In one embodiment, said material is a cellulose, preferably a natural and biodegradable cellulose.

By "biodegradable" is meant within the meaning of the present application, a material able to decompose and disappear in a natural environment in a predetermined time, for example in less than six months.

In one embodiment of the invention, the textile consists solely of biodegradable material.

Depending on the application chosen for the tablet of the invention, it is thus possible to recover the textile in the unfolded state once the tablet is dissolved in the aqueous medium, for example to discard. Alternatively, when the textile is made of biodegradable material, it can be left in the natural environment until decomposition.

In one embodiment of the invention, the compacted form of the textile comprises at least one active compound in dry form.

Thus, not only the compacted form of the tablet of the invention may contribute to the disintegration of the latter, but it can also participate in the desired action or actions for the tablet according to the application considered.

Thus, the active compound in dry form may be chosen from the active agents mentioned above for the powdery mixture of the first solid phase.

In one embodiment, the active compound in dry form is more particularly chosen from active ingredients that are useful for applying the tablet as a cleaning product for the laundry to be used in a washing machine or a washing-drying machine.

Thus, in one embodiment, the active compound is chosen from surfactants, perfumes, anti-color transfer agents, softening agents, anti-static agents, deodorizing agents, bactericidal agents, fungicidal agents, disinfectants, and mixtures thereof.

The active compounds may be incorporated into the textile intended to be used for the preparation of tablets according to the invention in liquid form before any compression and / or compaction of said textile, in other words in the initial unfolded state of the textile. So, before any compression, in other words in the unfolded state, the textile is impregnated with a solution of the desired active compound (s), and then the textile thus impregnated is compressed, as described in the application WO2010 / 025576 . The amount of solution used to impregnate the textile depends on the absorbency of the selected textile: generally, this amount ranges from 5 to 150 ml for a textile having dimensions such as those described above. During compression, the liquid phase of the active compounds is removed and the textile in compressed form obtained comprises the active compound (s) in dry form. In the method of manufacturing a tablet according to the invention, the step of simultaneous compaction with the starting powder mixture of such a textile already in compressed form does not modify the dry state of the active compound (s) impregnating the textile .

As surfactants that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. .

The anti-color transfer agents make it possible to absorb the dyestuffs of the detergent bath and to avoid their redeposition on the linen.

As anti-color transfer agents that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of N-substituted-hydroxy-haloalkyl quaternary ammonium salts, such as 2-hydroxy-3-chloropropyltrimethylammonium, and salts thereof. epoxy propyl ammonium compounds such as propyl trimethylammonium chloride, quaternary ammonium compounds, polyamphoters, quaternized starch derivatives, proteins, chitin, chitosan, choline chloride, polyvinyl amines, polyethyleneimines, and mixtures thereof.

The softening agents make it possible to give the linen flexibility and to avoid it being rough.

As softening agents that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of quaternary ammonium salts of cationic, anionic or amphoteric type, and mixtures thereof.

Anti-static agents help to reduce and eliminate the accumulation of static electricity on laundry, especially during the drying phase.

As anti-static agents that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of surfactants based on amines and amides with long aliphatic chains (sometimes ethoxylated), quaternary ammonium salts such as chloride of behrentrimonium or cocamidopropyl betaine, phosphoric acid esters, polyethylene glycol esters, polyols and mixtures thereof.

As deodorizing agents that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of cyclodextrin, sodium bicarbonate or a complex mixture of essential oils capable of neutralizing odors (tobacco, perspiration, animals, ...). These active molecules can be encapsulated to maintain maximum efficiency for a specified time. The textile of the tablet according to the invention thus allows a prolonged presence of these molecules in the washing machine (several consecutive washings).

Bactericidal, fungicidal and / or disinfectant agents help eliminate germs, fungi and bacteria when washing clothes.

As bactericidal, fungicidal and / or disinfectant agents that can be used as active compounds for the textile of the tablet according to the invention, mention may be made of sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol or isopropanol and mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, the active compound is an anti-color transfer agent. Thus, when the textile of the tablet according to the invention is in its unfolded state in the washing bath, it retains the dyes of the detergent bath and prevents their redeposition on the laundry.

In one embodiment, the active compound is a softening agent.

Indeed, in laundry machines, laundry washing cycles in general comprise a first phase, washing itself and during which a detergent is used, followed by a second phase, rinsing, during from which the detergent is removed. The first phase generally has a duration ranging from 5 minutes to about 60 minutes, for example 10 minutes depending on the machines and programs used.

In conventional tablets of the prior art, the tablet disintegrates in general during the first 5 to 15 minutes of the cycle: the consequence is for example that the softening agent when it is present in these tablets, is released at the beginning of cycle. It can thus happen that the softening agent is prematurely and unnecessarily consumed at the time of washing. Furthermore, in a washer-dryer machine, the softening agent was removed with the drain water after rinsing. It can not therefore produce a softening effect on the laundry during the drying phase. One solution would be to open the machine after emptying, to introduce into the drum before drying a softening active, for example in the form of a dedicated softening tablet.

Thanks to the present invention, it is now possible to introduce a single tablet into the washing machine directly at the beginning of the washing cycle, this tablet having both a laundry action with a detergent active present in the first solid phase of the tablet, and a softening action, thanks to a softening active compound present on the textile in compacted form, for example in encapsulated form for prolonged and / or delayed action.

It is thus possible to obtain both expected effects without having to open the machine after the first phase of the cycle. The tablet according to the invention thus makes it possible to eliminate a binding operation for the operator of the washing machine.

Indeed, after unfolding and having helped the disintegration of the tablet, and in particular the disintegration of the first solid phase of the tablet, the textile of the tablet according to the invention, because of its nature and shape , is not discharged with the drain water after the rinsing step. The textile, equipped with its softening agent, remains in the drum of the washing machine. Thus, in the case of a washing-drying machine, the textile of the tablet according to the invention releases its softening agent during the drying step of the machine.

In one embodiment, the active compound is a surfactant. Indeed, thanks to the possibility described above to impregnate the textile in compressed form of active compounds in dry form from liquid initial solutions of these active compounds, it is possible to integrate in the tablet according to the invention. large amounts of compounds known to be active in liquid form. For example, it is thus possible to incorporate large amounts of surfactants initially in liquid form, or even perfumes or essential oils initially in liquid form. These active compounds are present in the dry state in the textile form compacted, but they recover their liquid state when the textile absorbs the aqueous medium and returns to its unfolded state.

In one embodiment of the invention, said second solid phase comprises a plurality of textiles in compacted form. For example, said second solid phase may consist of one or more textiles in compacted form.

In one embodiment, the content of the textile (s) in compacted form ranges from 2 to 20%, by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablet. For example, the one or more textiles in compacted form can be distributed within said first solid phase.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the second solid phase, for example a portion of the textile in compacted form, is visible on at least one surface of said tablet. Thus, said visible portion of the compacted textile can come into contact with the aqueous medium as soon as the tablet is immersed in this aqueous medium. The compacted form of the textile can thus help disintegrate the tablet quickly. Alternatively or in combination, a first part of the second solid phase, for example a first part of the textile in compacted form, is visible on the surface of a first face of the tablet, a second part of the second solid phase, for example a second part of the textile in compacted form or a second textile in compacted form, being visible on the surface of a second face of the tablet, opposite to said first face.

For example, the tablet may have the shape of a fairly flat cylinder of diameter D and height H, said second solid phase consisting of a compacted form of textile in the form of a pellet of height H and diameter d less than D, said pad being located in the center of the tablet: thus, the first solid phase forms a ring around said pad, the latter flush on the two opposite faces of the tablet.

In one embodiment, the first solid phase comprises a plurality of layers of different compositions.

For example, a first textile in compacted form is housed within a first layer of said first solid phase, a second textile in compacted form being housed within a second layer of said first solid phase. We can thus program two delayed effects and / or prolonged different during and / or after disintegration of the tablet, each textile containing a different active compound.

• a) on prépare un mélange pulvérulent comprenant au moins ledit agent actif,
• b) on dispose d'un textile sous forme compressée,
• c) on compacte simultanément ledit mélange pulvérulent et ledit textile sous forme compressée à l'aide d'une pastilleuse par application d'une force de compression.

The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a tablet as described above comprising the following steps:

• a) a powder mixture comprising at least said active agent is prepared,
• (b) there is a textile in compressed form,
• c) simultaneously compacting said powder mixture and said textile in compressed form using a pelletizer by applying a compressive force.

Generally, the compression force ranges from 10 to 80 kN, for example from 20 to 50 kN, for a mass of starting powder mixture ranging from 10 to 60 g, for example 40 g, and for a textile in compressed form having for example in the form of a solid pellet of generally cylindrical shape, with a diameter ranging from 10 to 40 mm, for example 20 mm and a height ranging from 5 to 20 mm, for example 10 mm. The weight of the textile pellet in compressed form may, for example, vary from 1 to 5 g, for example maybe 2.6 g. It is thus possible to obtain a tablet in the form of a disk with a diameter ranging from 20 to 60 mm, for example 45 mm, and a height of 3 to 30 mm.

In one embodiment, the compressed form textile has a density ranging from 0.1 g / cm ³ to 2.5 g / cm ³ , preferably from 0.7 to 1.2 g / cm ³ .

In one embodiment, prior to step c), said powder mixture is placed at the bottom of the matrix of the pelletizer in the form of a bed of powders, and then said textile is placed in compressed form on said bed of powders. . After compacting, a tablet is obtained in which at least a portion of the second solid phase is visible on one side of the tablet. Thus, at least a portion of the compacted form textile is flush with the surface of a face of the tablet and may be directly in contact with the aqueous medium in which the tablet will be dipped during use.

In one embodiment, prior to step c), a portion of said powder mixture is placed at the bottom of the matrix of the pelletizer in the form of a bed of powders, said textile is compressed in form on said bed of powders, then add the rest of said mixture powder on the said textile in compressed form. After compacting, a tablet is obtained in which all of the second solid phase is trapped in the first solid phase of the tablet.

When the first solid phase of the tablet comprises several layers, a powder mixture is prepared separately for each desired layer. Each layer is then compacted in the pelletizer by applying a compressive force. The different layers can be made with or without precompression depending on the powders used as starting raw materials and depending on the desired compaction rate for these layers. Preferably, a low precompression, for example a force ranging from 0 to 30 kN, preferably from 5 to 20 kN, will be applied, with a holding time ranging from 0 to 30 seconds, in order to obtain uniform layers and a final tablet with no lack of adhesion between the different layers of the component.

A compressed form textile may be introduced in one or more layers, in the same manner as previously described for the preparation of a monolayer tablet. Thus, the first solid phase of the tablet according to the invention may comprise several layers, one or more of these layers comprising at least a portion of the second solid phase in the form of a textile in compacted form.

In one embodiment, the first solid phase of the tablet according to the invention being constituted by three layers, two outer layers and an intermediate layer, a textile in compacted form is present in each of the outer layers, the intermediate layer being free of textile. For example, in this case, the compacted form of textile of each outer layer is flush with the surface of the outer face of said layer.

Tablets according to the invention have excellent hardness. Thus, the presence of a compacted form of textile does not destabilize pelletizing and does not affect the cohesion of the tablet obtained.

• Figures 1A-1C sont respectivement des vues de dessus, de dessous et de côté d'une première variante de la tablette selon l'invention,
• Figures 2A-2C sont respectivement des vues de dessus, de dessous et de côté d'une deuxième variante de la tablette selon l'invention,
• Figures 3A-3C sont respectivement des vues de dessus, de dessous et de côté d'une troisième variante de la tablette selon l'invention.

The advantages of the invention will emerge from the examples which follow and from the appended drawings in which:

• Figures 1A-1C are respectively views from above, from below and from the side of a first variant of the tablet according to the invention,
• Figures 2A-2C are respectively views from above, from below and from the side of a second variant of the tablet according to the invention,
• Figures 3A-3C are respectively top, bottom and side views of a third variant of the tablet according to the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

The powder mixture P of the following composition, indicated in Table I below, is prepared and suitable for an application of laundry detergent to the washing machine (the amounts are given as a percentage by weight, based on the total weight of the composition ): <u> Table I </ u>: Composition of the powder mixture P ingredients Quantity in% Silicic acid, sodium salts 31.2 Trisodium citrate 12.6 Sodium chloride 10.1 alkylpolyglucoside 4.1 Sodium alkylsulfate C12-18 7.5 Sodium percarbonate 18.6 tetraacetylethylenediamine 3.4 amylase 0.2 protease 1.0 lipase 0.1 Perfume 0.2 Dye 0.01 Cellulose 10.7 Glycerin 0.3

• Sous forme compressée : cylindre de 2,6 g, de dimensions suivantes : diamètre : 2 cm, hauteur : 1 cm. La masse volumique du textile sous forme compressée du présent exemple est donc de : 0,83 g/cm³.
• A l'état déplié, avant compression, à l'état sec : rectangle de 2,6 g, de dimensions suivantes : longueur : 25 cm, largeur : 22 cm, hauteur : 0,1 cm. La masse volumique du textile à l'état déplié est donc d'environ 0,05 g/cm³.
• Pouvoir absorbant : 15% en poids.

An already compressed textile based on biodegradable natural cellulose fibers obtained according to the process described in WO2010 / 025576 . This compressed textile has the following characteristics:

• In compressed form: 2.6 g cylinder, of following dimensions: diameter: 2 cm, height: 1 cm. The density of the textile in compressed form of the present example is therefore 0.83 g / cm ³ .
• In unfolded state, before compression, in the dry state: rectangle of 2.6 g, of following dimensions: length: 25 cm, width: 22 cm, height: 0.1 cm. The density of the textile in the unfolded state is therefore about 0.05 g / cm ³ .
• Absorbency: 15% by weight.

The textile does not include any active compound.

1 °) Realization of a tablet according to the invention with a first solid phase comprising a layer and a second solid phase having a visible portion on one side of the tablet :

The pelletizer used is a press comprising a matrix and punches of "round diameter 45 mm" shape.

The textile already in compressed form above is deposited in the matrix of the pelletizer in the central position. Then 40 g of the powder mixture P above is added to the matrix above the textile in compressed form. The upper punch of the pelletizer is then placed and the pelletizing cycle is started with a set point of 50 kN. During this step, the powder mixture P is compacted to form the first solid phase of the tablet. During this pelletizing step, the textile in compressed form is also compacted to form the second solid phase of the tablet: in this second solid phase, the textile is in compacted form.

The compacted form of the textile has a density of 1.3 g / cm ³ .

Thus, the compacted form of the textile has a density multiplied by 26 relative to the density of the textile in the unfolded state before compression / compaction. Furthermore, the compacted form of the textile has a density almost multiplied by 1.5 (greater than 56%) relative to the density of the textile in compressed form.

Moreover, the content of the textile in compacted form by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablet is: 6%.

A tablet according to the invention is obtained in the form of a fairly flat cylinder with a height of 1.9 cm.

Such a tablet 1 is represented on the Figures 1A-1C the tablet 1 comprises a first solid phase 2 corresponding to the pulverulent mixture above in compacted form and a second solid phase in the form of the compacted form of textile 3. The first solid phase 2 is disposed around the textile in compacted form 3: however, a part 3a of the second solid phase, in other words the compacted form of textile 3, is visible on a surface 5 of the tablet 1, corresponding to the surface which was located opposite from the bottom of the pelletizer die.

The tablet thus obtained has excellent hardness. It also has a very good cohesion, despite the presence of the compact form of textile 3.

When the tablet 1 is immersed in an aqueous medium, the compacted form of textile 3 comes into contact with this aqueous medium by its visible part 3a and swells with this aqueous medium. He then tends to return to its unfolded state and helps disintegrate the tablet.

The compacted form of textile may comprise an active compound, which is released into the aqueous medium, will then act on this aqueous medium depending on the desired application.

2 °) Realization of a tablet according to the invention with a first solid phase comprising a layer and a second solid phase totally trapped in said layer and having no visible part :

The pelletizer used is identical to that described above in 1 °).

20 g of pulverulent mixture P above are poured into the bottom of the matrix to form a bed of powders. Then a textile in compressed form as described above is deposited on said bed of powders. The compressed textile is covered with 20 g of the pulverulent mixture P. The upper punch of the pelletizer is then placed and the pelletizing cycle is started with a set point of 50 kN. During this step, the powder mixture P is compacted to form the first solid phase of the tablet. During this pelletizing step, the textile in compressed form is also compacted to form the second solid phase of the tablet: in this second solid phase, the textile is in compacted form.

The compacted form of the textile has a density of 1.0 g / cm ³ .

Thus, the compacted form of the textile has a density multiplied by 20 relative to the density of the textile in the unfolded state prior to compression / compaction. In addition, the textile form compacted has a density almost multiplied by 1.2 (about 20% higher) relative to the density of the textile in compressed form.

Moreover, the content of the textile in compacted form by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablet is: 6%.

A tablet according to the invention is obtained in the form of a fairly flat cylinder of height 2.1 cm.

Such a tablet 11 is represented on the Figures 2A-2C the tablet 11 comprises a first solid phase 12 corresponding to the pulverulent mixture above in compacted form and a second solid phase in the form of the compacted form of textile 13. The first solid phase 12 is placed around the compacted form of textile 13 of so that it completely imprisons and no part of said textile is visible outside.

The tablet thus obtained has excellent hardness. It also has a very good cohesion, despite the presence of a compacted form of textile 13.

When this tablet 11 is immersed in an aqueous medium, the compacted form of textile 13 comes into contact with this aqueous medium only after part of the first solid phase 12 has started to disintegrate. The textile then swells with this aqueous medium. He then tends to return to its unfolded state and helps disintegrate the tablet.

The compacted form of textile may comprise an active compound, which is released into the aqueous medium, will then act on this aqueous medium depending on the desired application.

EXAMPLE 2

Two powder mixtures P1 and P2 of the following respective compositions, indicated in Table II below, are prepared and adapted for an application of laundry detergent to the washing machine (the amounts are given as a percentage of weight, based on the total weight of the composition): <u> Table II </ u>: Respective compositions of powder mixtures P1 and P2 INGREDIENTS Quantity in% P 1 Quantity in% P 2 Silicic acid, sodium salts 25.5 40.8 Trisodium citrate 12.2 13.4 Sodium chloride 10.4 9.7 alkylpolyglucoside 4.1 4.1 Sodium alkylsulfate C12-18 7.5 7.5 Sodium percarbonate 29.8 0 tetraacetylethylenediamine 0 9.0 amylase 0 0.5 protease 0 2.5 lipase 0 0.3 Perfume 0.1 0.3 Dye 0 0.03 Cellulose 10.1 11.8 Glycerin 0.4 0

There is a plurality of textiles already in compressed form identical to that of EXAMPLE 1.

The same pelletizer is used as described in EXAMPLE 1 above.

A tablet according to the invention is produced, comprising a first solid phase comprising three layers and a second solid phase comprising two textiles in compacted form as follows:

A T1 textile already in compressed form as above is deposited in the matrix of the pelletizer in the central position. Then 15 g of the powder mixture P1 above is added to the matrix above the textile in compressed form. The upper punch of the pelletizer is then placed and a pelletizing cycle is started with a setpoint of 9 kN.

The upper punch is removed. This gives a first layer on which 10 g of P1 powder mixture is poured in order to form a bed of powders. The upper punch of the pelletizer is then placed on this bed of powders and a new pelletizing cycle is started with a set point of 9 kN.

The upper punch is removed. A second layer is thus obtained on which 15 g of pulverulent mixture P2 are spread in order to form a bed of powders. On this bed of powders is deposited a second textile T2 in compressed form as described above. The upper punch of the pelletizer is then placed and a last pelletizing cycle is started with a set point of 50 kN.

A tablet according to the invention is obtained in the form of a fairly flat cylinder of height 2.0 cm.

Each textile in compacted form has a density of 1.2 g / cm ³ .

Thus, each textile in compacted form has a density multiplied by 24 relative to the density of the textile in the unfolded state before compression / compacting. Furthermore, the compacted form of the textile has a density almost multiplied by 1.4 (about 44% higher) relative to the density of the textile in compressed form.

Moreover, the textile content in compacted form (including the two textiles T1 and T2) by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablet is: 11%.

Such a tablet 21 is represented on the Figures 3A-3C . The tablet 21 comprises a first solid phase 22 comprising three layers: a first outer layer 24 of composition P1 powder mixture, a second outer layer 25 of composition powder mixture P2, and an intermediate layer 26 of composition P1 powder mixture. The tablet 21 comprises a second solid phase 23 comprising two textiles in compacted form, the first textile T1 in compacted form 27 housed in the first outer layer 24, and the second textile T2 in compacted form 28 housed in the second outer layer 25.

The first outer layer 24 traps the first textile in compacted form 27 leaving a portion 27a of said textile visible on the outer surface of this layer. The second outer layer 25 traps the second textile in compacted form 28 leaving a portion 28a thereof. second textile visible on the outer surface of this second layer. The intermediate layer 26 is textile-free.

The tablet thus obtained has excellent hardness. It also has a very good cohesion, despite the presence of two textiles in compacted form.

When this tablet is immersed in an aqueous medium, the compacted form of textiles (27, 28) come into contact with this aqueous medium by their respective visible parts (27a, 28a) and swell with this aqueous medium. They then tend to return to their unfolded state and help disintegrate the tablet.

Textiles T1 and T2 in compacted form may comprise active compounds, for example different, which are released in the aqueous medium, will each act on this aqueous medium depending on the desired applications.

Claims (15)

1. A tablet (1; 11; 21) intended to disintegrate at least partially in an aqueous medium in order to release at least one active agent, comprising at least one first solid phase (2; 12; 22) comprising at least one powder blend in compacted form, said powder blend comprising at least said active agent, and at least one second solid phase (3; 13; 23), characterized in that said second solid phase comprises at least one textile in compacted form (3; 13, 27, 28), said textile in compacted form being able to inflate from said aqueous medium upon contact with the latter.
2. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the textile in compacted form has a density ranging from 0.5 g/cm³ to 5 g/cm³, preferably from 0.5 g/cm³ to 2.5 g/cm³.
3. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the textile has an absorptive capacity ranging from 0.5 to 35%, preferably from 5 to 20% by weight.
4. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the textile comprises threads, fibers and/or filaments of a material selected from cellulose, cotton, polyester, nylon, linen, bamboo, and mixtures thereof.
5. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said material is cellulose, preferably natural and biodegradable cellulose.
6. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said textile consists only of biodegradable material.
7. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the textile has at the unfolded state a generally two-dimensional shape, such as for example a circle, a rectangle, a square, or an oval, for example the shape of a rectangle whose width ranges from 5 to 30 cm, for example about 22 cm, and length ranges from 5 to 30 cm, for example about 25 cm.
8. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the textile in compacted form comprises at least one active compound in dry form.
9. The tablet (1; 11, 21) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said active compound is selected from surfactants, perfumes, anti-color transfer agents, softening agents, anti-static agents, deodorizing agents, bactericidal agents, fungicidal agents, disinfecting agents, and mixtures thereof.
10. The tablet (21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second solid phase comprises a plurality of textiles (27, 28) in compacted form.
11. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that textile(s) content in compacted form ranges from 2 to 20% by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablet.
12. The tablet (1; 11; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said textile(s) in compacted form is/are distributed within one or more layer(s) of said first solid phase.
13. The tablet (1; 21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one portion (3a; 27a, 28a) of the second solid phase is visible on at least one surface of said tablet.
14. A method for preparing a tablet (1; 11; 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

    - a) preparing a powder blend comprising at least said active agent,

    - b) providing a textile in compressed form,

    - c) simultaneously compacting said powder blend and said textile in compressed form using a tablet machine by applying a compression force.
15. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the textile in compressed form has a density ranging from 0.1 g/cm³ to 2.5 g/cm³, preferably from 0.7 to 1.2 g/cm³.

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