RU2443770C2 - Self-adhesive cleaning unit for solid surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: personal use articles.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods of hygiene in toilet, for washing dishes in the sink and dishwasher.

EFFECT: offer of a cleaning unit which can be easily located on a solid surface, and which is washed away with many washings, and leaves no residue that can not be easily removed, such as with toilet brush.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to self-adhesive cleaning blocks on hard surfaces and their use.

Prior art

Known cleaning blocks for hard surfaces such as toilet blocks, and are typically formed to allow automatic and continuous release of active ingredients into a fluid passing through the block and / or release of perfume into the air. For example, they can be suspended in a container under the top edge of the toilet bowl or urinal so that when flushing water from the tank flows through the block, thereby dissolving part of the block and releasing the active ingredients of the block into the toilet. They can also be used inside the dishwasher or even for manual dishwashing purposes.

In the prior art, various methods of using blocks in a toilet are disclosed. Holders for blocks of solid detergent are disclosed, for example, in EP-B1-586137. An alternative to toilet units is a fluid supply device, such as the device disclosed in GB 2389123.

For the solid and liquid element in the upper edge, a holder is required that connects the toilet unit and the toilet seat. Today's consumers do not like the idea of touching and picking up the device that was in the toilet of the week if it was necessary to refill or replace it. From an environmental point of view, the removal of such devices is also not highly rated by consumers.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem in various ways. One such alternative is a tablet for use in a water tank. However, a device of this kind cannot be used in integrated water tanks, which are becoming more and more popular. Another alternative is a device with a pump and a dispenser on the toilet seat and a separate container with cleaning fluid outside the toilet. The disadvantage of this option is the tube connecting the device on the upper edge with a container with a cleaning fluid.

Another alternative to self-adhesive paste, which can be applied to the surface of the toilet, for example, from a tube, is disclosed in EP-A1-1086199. However, the concept of the paste applied to the surface of the toilet requires that the consumer perform several manipulations inside the toilet, such as extruding the tube and fixing the position of the paste. Additionally, the consumer does not like the appearance of streaks or drops of paste.

A block with detergent that can easily be applied on hard surfaces remains in demand.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a block with detergent, which can easily be applied to hard, even wet, surfaces.

An additional objective of the present invention is the creation of a block with detergent, which is washed off with numerous rinses and does not leave any residue that cannot be easily removed, for example, with a toilet brush.

An additional objective of the present invention is the ability to give any suitable shape to the block with detergent.

It has been unexpectedly discovered that a cleaning block for hard surfaces containing an adhesive phase, meets at least one of these goals.

Summary of the invention.

Accordingly, the invention provides a cleaning unit for hard surfaces, comprising

- the phase of the detergent,

- adhesive phase

in which the adhesive phase contains a hydrophobic adhesive material, including:

- 25-60% of at least one hydrophobic compound with a total melting point of 30-60 ° C; and

- 5-75% of the polymer.

Additionally, the invention provides methods for providing toilet hygiene and methods for washing dishes with a cleaning unit for hard surfaces of the invention, as explained in the description below.

These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description and the appended claims. To avoid ambiguity, all the characteristics of one aspect of the present invention can be used in another aspect of the invention. It is noted that the following examples are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to be limited by these examples themselves. Similarly, all percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that the numerical ranges expressed as “from x to y” include x and y. It should be understood that when preferred intervals are described in the form of “x to y” for individual characteristics, different end points are also included in all intervals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The cleaning unit for hard surfaces in accordance with the invention includes an adhesive phase and a detergent phase.

The purpose of the adhesive phase is to apply the detergent phase to a hard surface.

The purpose of the detergent phase is to isolate the detergent and other ingredients included in the detergent phase on a hard surface to process it. This normally happens when the unit comes in contact with water, for example, when flushing the toilet when used as a toilet unit, or when the unit is wetted before use when washing dishes. Then the block partially dissolves after each contact with water.

The composition of the block is preferably chosen so as to balance the ratio between the detergent and the structuring agent to obtain the appropriate foam and strength of the block.

One aspect of the invention is to provide an adhesive system that can easily be washed off by lightly wiping the surface on which the block is applied. Thus, on the one hand, it is preferable that the unit is attached firmly enough to overcome the pressure of the flowing water in the toilet, sink or shower, on the other hand, the adhesion is not so strong as to make it difficult to remove the adhesive material from the surface after the product has been used up.

Detergent phase

The detergent phase may be the phase of any detergent. It can be, for example, solid, semi-solid or gel. The detergent phase may be transparent, translucent, cloudy, or completely opaque. The detergent phase may be directly attached to the adhesive phase or not directly, for example, in a frame or with a separating layer between the phases.

The detergent phase includes surfactants. Suitable surfactants are described in "Surface Active Agents" Vol.1, by Schwartz S Perry, Interscience 1949, Vol.2 by Schwartz, Perry S Berch, Interscience 1958, in the current edition of McCutcheon's Emulsifiers and Detergents, published by Manufacturing Confectioners Company or Tenside-Taschenbuch, H Stache, 2nd Edn. Carl Hauser Verlag, 1981.

Adhesive phase

The adhesive phase is preferably suitable for attaching the detergent phase to a solid surface.

Typically, a water stream acts on the self-adhesive cleaning blocks of the invention if the block is attached to a sink, dishwasher, or toilet. The effect of water on the toilet unit with a frontal surface of 10 cm ² is 0.3 N in the average flow. Therefore, the force required to remove these blocks from the surface is preferably greater than the indicated 0.3 N.

The adhesive phase includes a hydrophobic adhesive material and optionally a hydrophilic adhesive material. The hydrophobic adhesive material in the invention is necessary to obtain a suitable water resistance. To obtain an even stronger bond, the composition may further include a hydrophilic adhesive material.

The hydrophobic adhesive material includes at least one hydrophobic compound with a combined melting point of 30-60 ° C, preferably 45-55 ° C, and a polymer. The hydrophobic compound is present in the hydrophobic adhesive material with a content of 25-60%, preferably 35-55%, more preferably 40-50 wt.% With respect to the hydrophobic adhesive material. The adhesive phase further comprises a polymer with a content of 5-75%, preferably 20-70%, more preferably 40-65%, most preferably 50-60 wt.% With respect to the hydrophobic adhesive material.

The hydrophobic compound is preferably selected from natural or mineral oil, liquid paraffin, thickened oil, partially hydrogenated oil or fat, silicone oil and derivatives, thickened non-polar solvent or non-ionic low HLB surfactant, and combinations thereof. Low HLB, as defined in the description, means preferably less than 12, more preferably less than 10.

The polymer is preferably selected from natural and synthetic cellulose polymers such as carboxymethyl cellulose, polyacrylates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, maleic / vinyl copolymers, silicone-based polymers and mixtures thereof.

The polymers in the hydrophobic adhesive material are preferably insoluble in water and preferably swell on contact with water.

The adhesive phase optionally contains a hydrophilic adhesive material. To prevent the rapid dissolution of the hydrophilic adhesive phase upon contact with water, the hydrophilic adhesive material, if present, is preferably placed so that it is bonded to both the solid surface and the detergent phase or an intermediate phase between the detergent phase and the adhesive phase, wherein it is surrounded on all sides by a hydrophobic adhesive material. Even so, one would expect that the hydrophilic adhesive material would quickly dissolve in water, postulate, not wishing to be bound by theory, that it is possible to obtain the indicated additional improved adhesion by combining the hydrophobic adhesive material surrounding the hydrophilic adhesive material, since the hydrophobic adhesive material stops the penetration of water, while the hydrophilic material further improves the adhesion strength of the block.

The hydrophilic adhesive phase is preferably selected from adhesive materials based on starch, hydrophilic polymers, salts of fatty acids and / or mixtures thereof. One example of such a hydrophilic adhesive is a mixture comprising a PVP polymer and sodium stearate.

The hydrophilic adhesive material is contained in an amount of 0-60 wt.% In relation to the total adhesive phase. Preferably, the ratio of hydrophobic: hydrophilic adhesive material is between 10: 1 and 1:10, more preferably between 5: 1 and 1: 5, even more preferably 4: 1 and 1: 2, most preferably between 2: 1 and 1: 1.

One or both of the adhesive materials may further comprise a suitable rheological modifier. Preferably, the concentration of the rheological modifier is 0-10%. Polymeric thickeners are a suitable example of rheological modifiers for fumed silica or silica oil; hydrogenated triglycerides or fatty acids are suitable examples of rheological modifiers for fatty acids and triglycerides; and an example of a suitable rheological modifier for anhydrous, hydrophobic oils is 12-hydroxystearic acid.

Optional Optional Components

The hard surface cleaning unit according to the invention may further comprise detergent components, dyes, perfumes, hygienic additives, antioxidants, radical scavengers, chelating agents, hydrotropes, anti-corrosion agents, silencers, brighteners, preservatives and / or abrasives.

Each of the additional components, if present, may be included in the detergent phase, in the adhesive phase, or in both phases.

Intermediate phase

For some purposes, it may be useful to separate the adhesive phase and the detergent phase into an intermediate phase. Such an intermediate phase may be present, for example, to prevent interaction between the phases or to improve adhesion between the phases. The intermediate phase is preferably a water resistant film. The intermediate layer, when present, acts as a protective layer that does not allow water to penetrate between the adhesive phase and the detergent phase, thereby providing additional protection for the adhesive phase.

It has been found that the presence of a waterproof film between the detergent phase and the adhesive phase further improves the adhesion of the block to a hard surface for the desired number of rinses and / or rinses.

The intermediate phase may be a polymer film, a solid barrier or any other known barrier layer. Suitable polymer films are described in pending applications WO-02/090475 or WO-03/046119. Suitable non-polymer based barrier layers can be found, for example, in EP-B-1491622, EP-B-1522575 or EP-B-1705241. The thickness of the intermediate layer is at least 50 microns, preferably less than 500 microns. The most preferred range is 100-200 microns. If the thickness is less than about 50 microns, insufficient coating strength to protect the adhesive. More than 500 microns is useless expensive.

Alternatively, the detergent phase may also be surrounded by a casing on which the adhesive phase is applied. Such a casing may be similar to the commonly used types of most casing frames for solid toilet units.

Block size and shape

The shape of the cleaning block for hard surfaces can affect the adhesive properties of the block. The hydrodynamic forms of the block are preferred, which help to more easily control the erosion of the block, which in turn improves the block adhesion to the surface. Thus, rounded, smooth shapes are preferred to square / rectangular blocks with sharp edges, due to better hydrodynamic behavior.

The life of a block is directly related to the recipe and block size. The normal size of the toilet unit is 30-50 grams, usually about 40 grams. This type of block typically serves at least 100 rinses, preferably more than 200 rinses. Preferably, the blocks serve up to about 300 washes.

The required amount of adhesive phase is determined by the surface of the detergent block. To form a suitable adhesive phase layer, the amount of adhesive phase material is preferably at least 0.01 g / cm ² , more preferably at least 0.05 g / cm ² , even more preferably at least 0 1 g / cm ² , but preferably not more than 1.5 g / cm ² , more preferably not more than 0.3 g / cm ² , even more preferably not more than 0.2 g / cm ² .

Mode of application

The cleaning block for hard surfaces can be used to clean hard surfaces of any kind. The most suitable surfaces are those that come in contact with water, such as toilet surfaces, kitchen sinks and showers.

Thus, the present invention provides a method of providing toilet hygiene, comprising the step of applying a block in accordance with the invention to the surface of the toilet. When the detergent phase is used up, the remainder of the adhesive phase is preferably brushed off or washed off.

The present invention further provides a method for washing dishes, comprising the steps of applying a block in accordance with the invention to a kitchen sink and filling it with water. Water thus comes into contact with the unit and extracts part of the detergent phase into the water.

The present invention further provides a method for washing dishes, comprising the step of applying a block inside a dishwasher.

The adhesive layer of the present invention preferably holds the detergent phase directly on a solid surface. However, it is not excluded from the scope of the claims of the invention that the detergent phase is retained by the carcass and the carcass is attached to the surface.

Examples:

The invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1

Four examples of the compositions of the adhesive phase (Adh 1-4) are shown in table 1 below.

Table 1 The composition of the adhesive phase in% Ingredients Adh1 Adh2 Adh3 Adb4 Petroleum jelly 24.1 40 35 Vaseline oil 19.6 5 Carbopol 974 9.8 Sunflower seed oil 40 12-hydroxystearic acid 5 Pyrogenic Silica 5 PVP 1.9 CMC 9.8 thirty 40 25 Maleic polymer 34.8 thirty twenty thirty

The adhesive phases of the example are prepared as follows.

Petrolatum and Vaseline® are mixed in a mixer by heating to about 60 ° C (sunflower seed oil is suitable for processing as is). Polymers and other ingredients are added to the light melt and mixed slowly to avoid foaming. If foaming occurs during mixing, then vacuum must be applied to deaerate the mixture before cooling. The deaerated mass can be poured into the application tank, from which it can be directly pumped to the surface of the product. Perfumes and colorants can be added to give improved product performance.

Four examples of detergent phase compositions (Det 1-4) are shown in Table 2 below.

table 2 The composition of the detergent phase in% Ingredients Det1 Det2 Det3 Det4 Coconut Soap 28 fifteen fifteen 24 Sodium stearate 25 10 16 Sodium oleate 29th Sodium Cocoylisethionate 35 35 Alpha olefin sulfonate 3 Stearic acid 25 25 12-hydroxystearic acid 10 Sucrose Glycerol 5 5 10 Propylene glycol 5 5 fifteen Water fifteen 5 5 twenty

The detergent phases of the example are prepared as follows.

The detergent block may be made by conventional extrusion or melt molding, depending on the type of formulation. During extrusion, the ingredients are mixed and then extruded in the form of a bar. These bars are then cut into blocks of the desired size, and an adhesive phase is applied. When forming the melt, the components are mixed and melted by heating to an elevated temperature. Additional ingredients, such as colorants and perfumes, may be added to the detergent phase at this stage to give improved performance to the product. Then the homogeneous mass is poured into molds and cooled to room temperature for hardening. Once the block has hardened, the adhesive phase is applied to the block. The amount of adhesion phase used is about 100 mg / cm ² .

It was found that when applying to the toilet surface any combination of the adhesive phase (100 mg / cm ² , from table 1) and the detergent phase (40 grams from table 1), it remains tightly attached to the toilet, at least 100 rinses .

After spending the block during the dissolution process, a thin layer of the adhesive phase is removed by lightly wiping the surface using a toilet brush. There is no residue on the surface after cleaning.

Example 2

Example 2 uses detergent phases and adhesive phases of tables 1 and 2, but now separated from each other by an intermediate layer.

The intermediate layer in this example consists of a UV cured epoxy acrylate material, as disclosed in WO 03/046119, with a layer thickness of about 100 microns.

Apply about 100 mg / cm ² adhesive phase.

It was found that when applying any combination of the adhesive phase (from table 1), the intermediate phase and the detergent phase (from table 2) to the toilet surface, it remains tightly attached to the toilet bowl with at least 200 rinses.

After spending the block during the dissolution process, a thin layer of the adhesive phase is removed by lightly wiping the surface using a toilet brush. There is no residue on the surface after cleaning.

Example 3

The adhesion strength is determined by a texture analyzer configured to determine horizontal strength. This experiment uses the Lloyd Intruments * LRX Plus texture analyzer. However, similar texture analyzers are supplied, for example, by Instron.

In these examples, the three adhesive phases in accordance with the invention are compared.

Ingredients FROM AT BUT [wt.%] [wt.%] [wt.%] Hydrophobic compound Petrolatum 24.10 18.18 9.00 Mineral oil 19.60 31.81 41.00 Polymers Carbopol 974 9.80 11.00 11.00 Polyvinylpyrrolidone 1.90 5.00 5.00 Carboxymethyl cellulose 9.80 Gantrez ms955 34.80 34.00 34.00

A texture analyzer adjusted to determine horizontal strength is used to determine the adhesion strength of various adhesive phase systems. 2 g of adhesive material is applied to the (flat) surface of the base (15 cm ² ) of the detergent block. A surface with an adhesive layer is pressed onto a ceramic surface attached to a texture analyzer. The block is moved horizontally parallel to the ceramic surface and the applied force (N) is recorded. The force (in N) required to move the detergent unit is shown in the table below.

The viscosity of the adhesive phase is measured by Brookfield (RVT) using a TD-20.4 mm spindle, at a temperature of 25 ° C., at a rotation speed of 5 rpm. Unit of viscosity cP (MPa · s).

All experiments are performed twice. The average values are shown in the table below.

Example Time (s) Average vertical force (N) Adhesive viscosity BUT 3.10 2.15 100,000 cps AT 3.95 2.60 300,000 cps FROM 7.70 3.95 800,000 cP

The time required to move the block is also provided so that the force can be calculated (i.e. force × time = force).

A detergent unit attached to the toilet tank is affected by the flow of water with each flush. The force with which water acts on such a toilet unit with a frontal surface of 10 cm ² is 0.3 N.

As can be seen from the above tables, the composition of the adhesive phases in accordance with the invention, applied to the base of such a toilet unit (15 cm ² ), are suitable for use in such circumstances, since the adhesion force is much higher than the force acting on the water when flushing the toilet.

Claims (12)

1. Self-adhesive cleaning block for a hard surface, including
a. detergent phase
b. adhesive phase;
in which the adhesive phase includes a hydrophobic adhesive material containing:
i. 25-60 wt.%, At least one hydrophobic compound selected from the group consisting of natural or mineral oil, petrolatum, thickened oils, partially hydrogenated oils or fats, silicone oils and derivatives or non-ionic surfactants with hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than 12 and their combinations having a total melting point of 30-60 ° C; and
ii. 5-75% by weight of a polymer selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic polymers of cellulose, polyacrylates, polyvinylpyrrolidone, maleic / vinyl copolymers, silicon-based polymers and mixtures thereof, in which the adhesive phase is suitable for attaching the detergent phase to a hard surface . 2. The block according to claim 1, which is a toilet block with a frontal surface of 10 cm ² , and the force required to remove the specified block from the surface is greater than 0.3 N. 3. The block according to claim 1, in which the adhesive phase further comprises a hydrophilic adhesive material. 4. The block according to claim 3, in which the hydrophilic adhesive material is selected from adhesives based on starch and / or adhesive hydrophilic polymers and / or combinations thereof. 5. The block according to claim 1, in which the hydrophobic adhesive material further includes a rheological modifier. 6. The block according to claim 3 or 4, in which the hydrophilic adhesive material further includes a rheological modifier. 7. The block according to claim 1, in which the adhesive phase further comprises a surfactant. 8. The block according to claim 1, which further comprises an intermediate phase between the detergent phase and the adhesive phase. 9. A method of providing hygiene in a toilet, comprising the step of applying a block according to any one of claims 1 to 8 on the surface of the toilet. 10. The method according to claim 9, in which the residual adhesive phase is easily cleaned or washed off after using the detergent phase. 11. A method of washing dishes, comprising the steps of applying a block according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to a kitchen sink and filling the sink with water. 12. A method of washing dishes, including the step of applying the block according to any one of claims 1 to 8 on the inside of the dishwasher.