Fibrous structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472771-B2
Application number	US-201815892479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A fibrous structure is disclosed. The fibrous structure exhibits a plurality of discrete knuckles arranged in a pattern of repeat units. The repeat units can include a plurality of rows arranged orthogonally in an X-Y plane, each row having a portion of the discrete knuckles, and each discrete knuckle separated from adjacent discrete knuckles in a row by a distance. Each of the discrete knuckles within the repeat unit can have substantially the same shape and size; and wherein the distance between at least two adjacent discrete knuckles in each row are non-uniform such that the repeat unit exhibits varying pillow width distances along the rows in both the X and Y axes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fibrous structure, comprising:
a plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles arranged in a pattern of repeat units in an X-Y coordinate plane, and characterized by:
each of the discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have substantially the same shape,
at least two of the plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have varying size; and
wherein at least some of the discrete wet-formed knuckles are arranged in a plurality of curved rows of adjacent wet-formed knuckles, the curved rows separated in a Y-direction by a distance of between 0.020 inch and 0.200 inch, and including at least a first curved row and a second curved row, with an X-direction distance between at least two adjacent discrete wet-formed knuckles in the first curved row being different than an X-direction distance between at least two adjacent discrete wet-formed knuckles in the second curved row, the X-direction distances being between 0.010 inch and 0.100 inch.

2. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein the curved rows are curved in a sinusoidal pattern.

3. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein all of the discrete wet-formed knuckles are in one of the plurality of curved rows.

4. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous structure comprises two plies.

5. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous structure is embossed.

6. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous structure is through air dried.

7. The fibrous structure of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous structure is one of a paper towel or bath tissue.

8. A fibrous structure, comprising:
a plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles extending from portions of a surface of the fibrous structure, wherein the plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles are arranged in a pattern of repeat units in an X-Y coordinate plane, the repeat unit including a plurality of spaced apart curved rows, the curved rows separated in a Y-direction by a distance of between 0.020 inch and 0.200 inch, each curved row having a portion of the discrete wet-formed knuckles, and wherein the discrete wet-formed knuckles are characterized by:
each of the discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have substantially the same shape,
at least two of the plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have varying size; and
wherein the discrete wet-formed knuckles in each curved row are spaced from adjacent discrete wet-formed knuckles in an X-direction in a non-uniform manner such that the repeat unit exhibits varying pillow widths along the curved row, the X-direction distance being between 0.010 inch and 0.100 inch.

9. The fibrous structure of claim 8 , wherein the varying pillow widths vary in the X-direction from between about 0.030 inch to about 0.080 inch.

10. The fibrous structure of claim 8 , wherein the curved rows are curved in a sinusoidal pattern.

11. The fibrous structure of claim 8 , wherein the curved rows are curved in a wavy pattern.

12. The fibrous structure of claim 8 , wherein all of the discrete wet-formed knuckles are in one of the plurality of spaced apart curved rows.

13. The fibrous structure of claim 8 , wherein the fibrous structure is one of a paper towel or bath tissue.

14. A fibrous structure, comprising:
a plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles extending from portions of a surface of the fibrous structure, wherein the plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles are arranged in a pattern of repeat units in an X-Y coordinate plane, the repeat unit including a plurality of spaced apart curved rows oriented in an X-direction and a plurality of spaced apart curved rows oriented in a Y-direction, the curved rows oriented in the X-direction separated in the Y-direction by a distance of between 0.020 inch and 0.200 inch, and the curved rows oriented in the Y-direction separated in the X-direction, each curved row having a portion of the discrete wet-formed knuckles, and wherein the discrete wet-formed knuckles are characterized by:
each of the discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have substantially the same shape,
at least two of the plurality of discrete wet-formed knuckles within the repeat unit have varying size; and
wherein the discrete wet-formed knuckles in each curved row oriented in the X-direction are spaced from adjacent discrete wet-formed knuckles in the X-direction in a non-uniform manner such that the repeat unit exhibits varying pillow widths along the curved row, the X-direction distance being between 0.010 inch and 0.100 inch.

15. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein the varying pillow widths vary in the X-direction from between about 0.030 inch to about 0.080 inch.

16. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein the curved rows oriented in the X-direction are curved in a sinusoidal pattern.

17. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein the curved rows oriented in the Y-direction are curved in a sinusoidal pattern.

18. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein the discrete wet-formed knuckles in each curved row oriented in the Y-direction are spaced from adjacent discrete wet-formed knuckles in the Y-direction in a non-uniform manner such that the repeat unit exhibits varying pillow widths along the curved row, the Y-direction distance being between 0.030 inch and 0.080 inch.

19. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein all of the discrete wet-formed knuckles are in one of the plurality of spaced apart curved rows.

20. The fibrous structure of claim 14 , wherein the fibrous structure is one of a paper towel or bath tissue.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Maladen Ryan Dominic
• Sheehan Jeffrey Glen
• Polat Osman
• Barkey Douglas Jay

Classifications

• D21H27/40

  at least one of the sheets being non-planar, e.g. crêped (crêping or corrugating paper B31F) · CPC title

• D21H27/32

  with materials applied between the sheets (attaching together paper or cardboard sheets B31F5/00; adhesives C09J) · CPC title

• D21H27/002

  Tissue paper; Absorbent paper (D21H21/22, D21H27/02, D21H27/20 take precedence; toilet paper A47K10/00; absorbent pads for physiological fluids A61L15/16; making on paper-making machines D21F11/00) · CPC title

• D21H25/005

  Mechanical treatment (D21H25/08, D21H25/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• D21H27/02 Primary

  Patterned paper (patterned coatings D21H19/66; embossing B31F1/07; prepared on the paper-making machines D21F11/00) · CPC title