# US 2014/0190323 A1 · Process for recycling multicompartment unit dose articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190323 A1 - Document ID: US20140190323A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/108,385 - Filed: 2013-12-17 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company - Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company - Inventors: Suzanne KHALAF; Christopher KRASEN; Dan Edward TAYLOR - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190323A1 ## CPC - B26D 3/12: Slitting marginal portions of the work, i.e. forming cuts, without removal of material, at an angle, e.g. a right angle, to the edge of the work - B26D 1/02: having a stationary cutting member (B26D1/547 takes precedence) - B26D 1/143: rotating about a stationary axis (B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence) - B26D 3/08: Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising - B26D 7/0625: {by endless conveyors, e.g. belts} - B26F 1/20: with tools carried by a rotating drum or similar support (B26F1/22 takes precedence) - B26F 3/02: Tearing - B29B 17/02: Separating plastics from other materials - B29B 2017/0293: {Dissolving the materials in gases or liquids} - B29K 2029/04: {PVOH, i.e. polyvinyl alcohol (B29K2031/04 takes precedence)} - B29K 2995/0062: water-soluble - B29L 2031/7128: {Bags, sacks, sachets (tea bags B29L2031/7122; medical bags B29L2031/7148)} - Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling - Y10T 83/04: Processes - Y10T 83/202: With product handling means - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The need for a means to recycle multi-compartment unit dose articles, while avoiding significant cross-contamination between the contents of the individual compartments, is met by recycling the contents of each compartment of the unit dose article separately. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for recycling the contents of at least one compartment of a multi-compartment unit dose article (1) having a first compartment (2), at least a second compartment (3), and contents, formed by encapsulating the contents of the compartments with a water-soluble film, characterized in that the process comprises the steps of: (a) orienting the unit dose article (1), wherein the unit dose article (1) is oriented relative to a perforating device (10), such that at least a portion of the first compartment (2) faces the perforating device (10); and (b) opening the first compartment (2), wherein the water-soluble film encapsulating the contents of the first compartment (2) is perforated by the perforating device (10) to form a perforated first compartment, without perforating any further compartment of the unit dose article (1). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the perforating device (10) is a blade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process according to claim 2, wherein the blade is a rotating disc blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the perforating device (10) penetrates the first compartment (2) to a depth of from about 5% to about 95% of the maximum thickness of the first compartment (2). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4, wherein the perforating device (10) penetrates the first compartment (2) to a depth of from about 5% to about 25% of the maximum thickness of the first compartment (2). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process according to claim 5, wherein the perforating device (10) penetrates the first compartment (2) to a depth of from about 5% to about 15% of the maximum thickness of the first compartment (2). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the unit dose article (1) has an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the unit dose article is lubricated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises a step of extracting the contents of the perforated first compartment, such that the extracted contents form from about 50% to about 100% by weight of the original contents of the perforated first compartment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the process further comprises a step of extracting the contents of the perforated first compartment, such that the extracted contents form from about 65% to about 98% by weight of the original contents of the perforated first compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the process further comprises a step of extracting the contents of the perforated first compartment, such that the extracted contents form from about 70% to about 95% by weight of the original contents of the perforated first compartment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process according to claim 10, wherein the process further comprises a step of forming a partially recycled composition, wherein the extracted contents are combined with additional ingredients. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11, wherein the extracted contents form from about 1% to about 20%, preferably from about 3% to about 15%, more preferably from about 5% to about 15% by weight of the partially recycled composition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The process according claim 11, further comprising a step of forming a partially recycled unit dose article, wherein the partially recycled composition is encapsulated in a water-soluble film. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The process according to claim 12, further comprising a step of forming a partially recycled unit dose article, wherein the partially recycled composition is encapsulated in a water-soluble film. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, further comprising a unit dose change over step, wherein at least part of an apparatus used to perform the step of extracting the contents of the first perforated compartment of a multi-compartment unit dose article, is washed before a second, different, set of multi-compartment unit dose articles is recycled. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The partially recycled composition formed by the process according to claim 11. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The partially recycled composition formed by the process according to claim 12. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The partially recycled unit dose article formed by the process according to claim 13. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The partially recycled unit dose article formed by the process according to claim 14. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for recycling the contents of at least one compartment of a multi-compartment unit dose article, wherein the apparatus comprises: (a) a means of orienting the multi-compartment unit dose article relative to the perforating device, such that a first compartment faces the perforating device; and (b) a perforating device for opening the first compartment without opening any further compartment.