WATER-SOLUBLE MULTI-CHAMBER CONTAINER

Abstract

A water-soluble container made up of two halves that seal together, each containing a plurality of chambers that may receive a cleaning substance, commonly a liquid or powder. This container is formed from four, water-soluble, flexible membranes with each half made up of two of the four membranes; a shaped membrane, and a non-shaped membrane, wherein the shaped membrane seals to the non-shaped membrane to form the plurality of physically distinct chambers. Each half is sealed independently to the other half and are subsequently sealed together at their non-shaped membranes to form the water-soluble container resulting in the outer surface of the container to be shaped on both opposing sides.

Claims

1. A container comprising a first half and a second half, each of the first half and the second half comprise a plurality of chambers, wherein the first half and the second half mate at a coupling face to form the container wherein the first half and second half of the container are symmetrical to each other.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of chambers within each of the first half and the second half is two.

3. The container as claimed in claims 1, wherein the symmetry between the first half and second half is reflection symmetry relative to the coupling face.

4. The container as claimed in claims 1, wherein the symmetry between the first half and the second half is rotational symmetry about an axis parallel a longitudinal direction of the container and coincident to the coupling face.

5. The container as claimed in claims 1, wherein the symmetry between the first half and the second half is rotational symmetry about an axis parallel to the container's transverse direction and coincident to the coupling face.

6. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers of both the first half and second half are filled with any of the following cleaning substances: detergents, soaps, whiteners, or softeners.

7. The container as claimed in claim 6, wherein one or more of the cleaning substances within each chamber is a liquid.

8. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first half and the second half comprise two polymer films mated together to create an outer surface with the plurality of chambers enclosed within.

9. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is formed from a material comprising Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA).

10. A container comprising: a first flexible membrane; a second flexible membrane; a first half comprising a plurality of sealed chambers, wherein said first half is formed by the first flexible membrane and the second flexible membrane, wherein the first flexible membrane is planar, parallel to a first coupling plane, and the second flexible membrane is shaped to form the plurality of sealed chambers when mated to the first flexible membrane coincident to the first coupling plane; a third flexible membrane; a fourth flexible membrane; and a second half comprising a plurality of sealed chambers, wherein said second half is formed by the third flexible membrane and the fourth flexible membrane, wherein the third flexible membrane is planar, parallel to a second coupling plane, and the fourth flexible membrane is shaped to form the plurality of sealed chambers when mated to the third flexible membrane coincident to the second coupling plane, wherein said second half is mated to the first half coincident to a third coupling plane between the first and third flexible membranes and parallel to the first and second coupling planes.

11. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein an outer surface of the shaped second membrane is reflectively symmetrical to an outer surface of the shaped fourth membrane, relative to the third coupling plane.

12. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein an outer surface of the shaped second membrane is rotationally symmetrical, to an outer surface of the shaped fourth membrane, about an axis parallel to the container's longitudinal direction and coincident to the third coupling plane.

13. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein an outer surface of the shaped second membrane is rotationally symmetrical, to an outer surface of the shaped fourth membrane, about an axis parallel to the container's transverse direction and coincident to the third coupling plane.

14. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the number of chambers within each of the first half and the second half is two.

15. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the chambers of both the first half and the second half are filled with any of the following cleaning substances: detergents, soaps, whiteners, or softeners.

16. The container as claimed in claim 15, wherein one or more of the cleaning substances within each chamber is a liquid.

17. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the four flexible membranes are formed from a material comprising Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the invention are incorporated and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0027] In the drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention: a sealed multi-chamber pod formed by four flexible membranes.

[0029] FIG. 2 displays a perspective view of the embodiment, displaying the first and second halves prior to being sealed together to form the multi-chamber pod.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the embodiment displaying each half and their respective membranes prior to being sealed to form each half.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the multi-chamber pod separated into the four flexible membranes of FIG. 3.

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a perspective section view of the embodiment, displaying the multi-chamber pod separated into the four flexible membranes.

[0034] FIG. 7 displays a perspective exploded view of a further embodiment of the invention: a multi-chamber pod having four flexible membranes and each shaped membrane being rotationally symmetrical to each other.

[0035] FIG. 8 shows a top view of the embodiment from FIG. 7, displaying the top profile of the chambers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a chamber within a sealed container, “chamber” refers to a space within a container that may contain a solid or liquid volume and is physically sealed from other contained chambers, and the surrounding atmosphere around the container, such that the contained solid or liquid mass contained within said chamber may not leak into any other chambers or the surrounding atmosphere unless said container is accordingly damaged, defective, or purposefully deteriorated to cause such leakage.

[0037] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a multi-chamber pod, “multi-chamber pod” refers to a pod comprising two halves, each of which comprising a plurality of chambers, with the material of the container comprising of a water-soluble, flexible membrane material.

[0038] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a half of a multi-chamber pod, “half” respectively refers to one of the two halves of a multi-chamber pod that each comprise a plurality of chambers and are sealed independently, prior to combining to form the multi-chamber pod. These halves may be equal in volume or not equal, but generally similar, in volume.

[0039] As used hereinbefore of after, when referring to a longitudinal axis of a multi-chamber pod, “longitudinal axis” refers to an axis parallel to the coupling plane between the pod halves and passing through the pod's geometrical centre.

[0040] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a longitudinal direction of a multi-chamber pod, “longitudinal” refers to a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0041] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a transverse axis of a multi-chamber pod, “transverse axis” refers to an axis parallel to the coupling plane between the pod halves, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and coincident to the pod's geometrical centre.

[0042] As used hereinbefore or after, when referring to a transverse direction of a multi-chamber pod, “transverse” refers to a direction parallel to the transverse axis.

[0043] The invention as disclosed in its present form comprises of: A pod formed from two independently sealed halves, with each half formed from two water-soluble, flexible membranes and each half comprising at least two chambers. The chambers in each half are formed from the two flexible membranes, wherein one membrane is a shaped membrane and one is a non-shaped membrane with the non-shaped membranes of each pod half providing a generally planar surface to seal together to form the pod.

[0044] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, this embodiment of a multi-chamber pod 1 comprises four chambers 4, 5, 6, 7 formed by four flexible membranes sealed along the central plane 3 of the pod. This multi-chamber pod comprises of two halves 8, 9 with each containing two chambers formed by two flexible membranes. Each half is sealed independently of the other half prior to sealing together at a coupling face 10 along an area of an outer flange 2 to create a multi-chamber pod 1. The four membranes 11, 12, 13, 14 seal together to form the multi-chamber pod 1 with a first shaped membrane 11 sealing to a first non-shaped membrane 12 to form the first half 8, and a second shaped membrane 14 sealing to a second non-shaped membrane 13 to form the second half 9.

[0045] The membranes can be sealed together by any suitable material or technique. For example, the membranes can be seal together via an adhesive material contained therein or applied thereto. Suitable adhesives may include: epoxies, resins, or glues. Alternatively, the membranes can be self-adhered to one another through the application of one or more of mechanical pressure, heat, and/or ultrasonic energy, or the application of water or solvent to partially dissolve each membrane material such that they may self-adhere to each other, or a combination thereof.

[0046] Each chamber is independent from other chambers as shown by the chambers 15, 16, within the second half 9, having their enclosed volume separated by a sealed section 17 of the second shaped membrane 14 that seals to the second non-shaped membrane 13 separating the internal volumes of said chambers 15, 16.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the same embodiment in FIGS. 1-3, displaying the profile of the flexible membranes 11, 12, 13, 14. In this embodiment, the non-shaped membranes 12, 13 are generally planar, however in alternative embodiments the flange of these membranes may be generally planar, while the middle may be concaved toward the shaped membrane it is sealed to.

[0048] FIG. 5 displays the embodiment from FIGS. 1-4 from a top view, showcasing the multi-chamber pod 1 and two chambers 4, 5 surrounded by a uniform flange 18 where the flange area is sealed to adjacent membranes.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows the embodiment from FIGS. 1-5 with each of the flexible membranes 11, 12, 13, 14 in section view. On each shaped membrane 11, 14 the inner surfaces form an independent chamber upon sealing to a respective non-shaped flexible membrane. The inner surfaces 19, 20 each form an independent chamber upon the shaped membrane 11 sealing to the non-shaped membrane 12. The inner surfaces 21, 22 each form an independent chamber upon the shaped membrane 14 sealing to the non-shaped membrane 13. In this section view the wall thickness 23 of the membranes is visibly uniform, or generally uniform wherein the shaped and non-shaped flexible membranes are formed from a sheet of flexible membrane of a particular thickness that provides adequate strength and water-solubility qualities. The membranes can be formed by any suitable material. Optionally, the membranes are made from a suitable polymer. According to one non-limiting example, the membranes are formed from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, these figures display a further embodiment of a rotationally symmetrical multi-chamber pod that comprises four flexible membranes 24, 25, 26, 27 in which the shaped membrane 24 and the non-shaped membrane 25 seal together to form a first half that contains two chambers 28, 29, and the shaped membrane 27 and the non-shaped membrane 26 seal together to form a second half that contains two chambers 30, 31. The first and second half in this embodiment are the same shape, although the profile of each chamber is asymmetrical resulting in each half being rotationally symmetrical to the other when sealed together at their non-shaped membranes 25, 26. The sealing areas in which the shaped membrane and the non-shaped membrane seal together to form a half is what separates the internal volumes of each chamber to be physically distinct from each other, and the surrounding atmosphere. This sealing area 32 between the chambers 30, 31 and the flange face 33 is designed to seal to the outer face of the non-shaped membrane 26 that faces toward the shaped membrane 27. Similarly, the outer face 35 seals to the shaped membrane 24 along the same respective sealing areas of the shaped membrane.

[0051] In this embodiment, the area in which the two independently sealed halves seal together to form the multi-chamber pod is along the area of the outer flange 36. The non-shaped membrane 26 seals along the inner face 34 to the non-shaped membrane 25 and its respective inner face along the outer flange area.

[0052] In alternative embodiments, it may be preferable for the two halves to be sealed along the outer flange 36 in addition to the dividing area 39 between the chambers 37, 38. This supplementary sealing area may provide additional support to avoid the halves separating, or any potential outward sag from the middle of the pod due to the weight of any contained cleaning substance within the chambers of either half.

[0053] The invention has been described with examples relevant to its current form, however, potential embodiments will include any form that is within the scope of the appended claims. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.