Block-shaped agent for application on a sanitary object

Abstract

Agent for cleaning and/or deodorizing for use in the sanitary field which is used to adhere to a moistened surface of a sanitary object and gradually to dissolve as it is flushed with water, which agent includes a cleaning block including tensides (10), wherein the surface (12) of the cleaning block is sticky, or becomes sticky in the presence of water, wherein the block (10) has on at least one side of its surface (12) a coating (13) of powder particles (14) to a thickness between 5 m and 800 m.

Claims

1. An agent for cleaning and/or deodorizing for the sanitary sector, which serves to adhere to a moistened surface of a sanitary object and to gradually dissolve as it is flushed with water, which agent comprises at least two layers of different composition, wherein a first layer of said at least two layers comprises a cleaning block, the cleaning block comprising surfactants, wherein the cleaning block is sticky on its surface or becomes sticky in the presence of water, and wherein a second layer of said at least two layers is a layer of powder particles, wherein the second layer is permeable to moisture, and wherein the powder particles of the second layer are movable relative to one another upon an application of pressure to the second layer, whereby an increase in permeability of the second layer to moisture occurs, the second layer having a thickness of between 5 m and 800 m and being disposed on at least one side of the surface of the first layer.

2. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the powder particles are selected from the group of celluloses, polysaccharides, synthetic or natural polymers, powder surfactants, thickeners, polybutadiene rubbers, polyisopropenes, block copolymers which comprise linked oligomers consisting of oligo- or polyethylene oxide and/or oligo- or propylene oxide and/or oligo- or polybutylene oxide, aryl ethoxylates or alkyl aryl ethoxylates, lignins, salts, silicates, sheet silicates or Aerosils.

3. The agent as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the synthetic or natural polymers are polyacrylates, polysaccharides, (alkoxylated) polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidone, alginates, diurethanes, gelatin, pectins or oleylamines.

4. The agent as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the thickeners are bentonites and xanthans.

5. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the particles are water-soluble or swellable or dispersible in water.

6. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second layer is less than 500 m in thickness.

7. The agent as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the second layer is between 10 m and 200 m in thickness.

8. The agent as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the second layer is between 20 m and 100 m in thickness.

9. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the average particle size of the powder particles is less than or equal to 800 m.

10. The agent as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the average particle size of the powder particles is less than or equal to 700 m.

11. The agent as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the average particle size of the powder particles is less than 300 m.

12. The agent as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the average particle size of the powder particles is less than 50 m.

13. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning block comprises salts.

14. The agent as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the salts are soluble alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts.

15. The agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that upon pressing the agent onto a wet surface, contact times of less than seven seconds are required in order to achieve adequate adhesion to a vertical surface.

16. The agent as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that upon pressing the agent onto a wet surface, contact times of less than five seconds are required in order to achieve adequate adhesion to a vertical surface.

17. The agent as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that upon pressing the agent onto a wet surface, contact times of less than three or less seconds are required in order to achieve adequate adhesion to a vertical surface.

18. A method for producing an agent as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that powder is applied to at least one sticky side of a block comprising surfactants.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the side of the block to be coated is firstly made sticky prior to the coating by applying water, a water-containing substance, by heating or by smearing with liquid surfactants.

20. The agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second layer is disposed on all sides of the first layer.

Description

(1) The invention will now be described in more detail by reference to a working example.

(2) It shows:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a agent according to the invention in cross section.

(4) The agent comprises a rectangular-shaped cleaning block 10. The entire surface 12 of the block 10 is coated with a layer 13 of powder particles 14.

(5) 1. Production of a Agent According to the Invention

(6) Guide formulation for a cleaning block

(7) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 % by weight Anionic surfactant 1 20-30 (Anionic) surfactant 2 0-8 (Anionic) surfactant 3 0-10 Sodium chloride 15-25 Sodium sulfate 25-35 Polyethylene glycol 6000 <5 Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate <5 Perfume <5

(8) The cleaning block (rim block) is extruded, cut and then coated as follows with Keizan ASX, from Kelco, as powder particles.

(9) The block according to the guide formulation (about 6 g, area 6020 mm, height about 2 mm) is heated to T>90 C. and then rubbed on one side with Marlinat 22/90 T (trienhanol ether sulfate). The rubbed area is then sprinkled (sieve) with Kelzan ASX and the excess powder is removed by turning the block over.

(10) The thus coated agent is then stuck onto a prewetted, vertical tile, pressed for three seconds and the block is then flushed with a jet of water.

(11) The block slowly washes away over several days upon ever repeating flushing with water and dry periods in between.

(12) 2. Experiments with a Powder-coated Domestos Refill Block and Comparative Experiment with Block Packaged in PVA Film

(13) For the further experiments, a Domestos refill block, Art. No. 8717163372043, was cut into disks measuring 40604 mm and then coated with different powders.

(14) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Particle After Powder size (about) Observation flushing Domestos initial weight 10.3 NaCl salt 0.7-0.125 mm drops off ./. 8.3 NaSO.sub.4 0.5-0.05 mm drops off ./. 11 PVA powder ./. holds after remains in (1) at the situ latest 3 s 15.66 without ./. holds after slips off at the somewhat latest 3 s 12.3 Aerosil 12 nm holds after remains in 200, at the situ Degussa latest 3 s Comparison Film holds after remains in packaging (PVA film) 5-9 s situ (2) 1. Kuraray Mowiol 4-88 G 2. W C Brush; Relevi; Art. No.: 8002100237890

(15) Experiments 1 and 2 show that the agent coated according to the invention with powders adhere even after shorter times (presently about three seconds) upon pressing against a prewetted surface and therefore more rapidly than the Relevi block packaged in film packaging used in the comparative experiment, which requires a pressing time of from five to nine seconds.

(16) These and further experiments moreover show that powders with small particle sizes are particularly suitable for the coating or else particles with larger particle sizes which are strongly hygroscopic.

(17) Likewise suitable are flat particles since these adhere well to the surface of the agent since, upon the use thereof, the pathway of the water to the surface of the block is reduced compared to spherical particles.

(18) 3. Experiments with the Self-adhesive 00 Null Null WC Aktiv Streifen from S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

(19) The further experiments were carried out with the 00 Null Null WC Aktiv Streifen, 9 g, from S.C. Johnson & Son., Inc. It is a self-adhesive strip which is sold covered on both sides with a protective film. For application, the protective film on one side is removed and the strip is stuck to the dry toilet bowl. The protective film on the other side is then likewise pulled off.

(20) The removal of the second protective film following adhesion, however, leads to the strip stuck to the bowl being partially pulled off again since the adhesion of the strip to the protective film is high.

(21) The table below shows the flush numbers and adhesion of such 4C strips with protective film or with the powder coated according to the invention (without protective film).

(22) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Number of Coating flushes Observation Without; Protective 100 Upon removing the second film on both sides protective film, the strip is partially pulled off again from the WC bowl. Following successful adhesion, the strip adheres very well for about 100 flushes Kelzan ASX 100 The two protective films were removed and the strip was coated on both sides with Kelzan. The coated strip adheres well to the moistened surface. Flour 260 Good adhesion to moistened surface Icing sugar 260 Good adhesion to moistened surface Kelzan AR 90 Good adhesion to moistened surface Kelzan AP 90 Good adhesion to moistened surface Kelcogel AFT 90 Good adhesion to moistened surface Kelcogel LT 100 90 Good adhesion to moistened surface

(23) The Kelzans were acquired from Kelco (www.cpkelco.com). Keizans are differently modified xanthans.

(24) The experiments with the adhering WC strip show that the strips with the coatings according to the invention on the sticky side in the direction of the bowl exhibit a good adhesion to a moistened surface. The drying (off) of the surface otherwise required before the adhesion in the case of such stripsthis is perceived by the consumer as unhygienicis thus not necessary.

(25) Furthermore, the experiments show that by coating the other side of the strip (directed to the consumer), a further advantage can be achieved since the coating material does notlike the protective filmhave to he pulled off again and thus does not lead to partial detachment of the stuck-on strip again