Process for making fibrous structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513801-B2
Application number	US-201815891726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2007
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Processes for making fibrous structures and more particularly processes for making fibrous structures comprising filaments are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for making a fibrous structure, the process comprising the steps of:
a. providing a die comprising one or more filament-forming holes, wherein one or more fluid-releasing holes are associated with one filament-forming hole such that a fluid exiting the fluid-releasing hole contacts an exterior surface of a filament exiting the filament-forming hole at an angle of less than 10°;
b. supplying at least a first polymer to the die;
c. producing a plurality of filaments comprising the first polymer from the die;
d. supplying a fluid to the die such that the fluid exits the one or more fluid-releasing holes parallel or substantially parallel to the exterior surface of at least one of the filaments;
e. combining the filaments with solid additives to form a mixture; and
f. collecting the mixture on a collection device to produce a fibrous structure.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the die comprises two or more rows of filament-forming holes.

3. The process according to claim 2 wherein at least one row of filament-forming holes comprises two or more filament-forming holes.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein more than one fluid-releasing hole are associated with a filament-forming hole.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein one fluid-releasing hole is concentrically positioned around one filament-forming hole.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the first polymer comprises a synthetic polymer.

7. The process according to claim 6 wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol derivatives, polyesters, nylons, polyolefins, polylactic acids, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactones and mixtures thereof.

8. The process according to claim 7 wherein the synthetic polymer comprises a polyolefin.

9. The process according to claim 8 wherein the polyolefin comprises polypropylene.

10. The process according to claim 1 wherein the first polymer comprises a natural polymer.

11. The process according to claim 10 wherein the natural polymer is selected from the group consisting of: starch, starch derivatives, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, hemicellulose, hemicellulose derivatives and mixtures thereof.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein the first polymer comprises a compostable polymer.

13. The process according to claim 12 wherein the compostable polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polylactic acids, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactones and mixtures thereof.

14. The process according to claim 1 wherein the solid additives comprise fibers.

15. The process according to claim 14 wherein the fibers comprise wood pulp fibers.

16. The process according to claim 1 wherein the solid additives are combined with the plurality of filaments by a solid additive spreader.

17. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process further comprises the step of:
g. contacting a surface of the fibrous structure with a plurality of filaments comprising a second polymer.

18. The process according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of filaments comprising the second polymer are in the form of a second fibrous structure.

19. The process according to claim 17 wherein the second polymer is the same as the first polymer.

20. The process according to claim 1 wherein the fluid released by the fluid-releasing holes comprises air.

21. The process according to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure exhibits a pore volume distribution such that greater than about 40% of the total pore volume present in the fibrous structure exists in pores of radii of from about 121 μm to about 200 μm.

22. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process further comprises the step of subjecting the fibrous structure to a thermal bonding operation.

23. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process is directly coupled to a post-processing operation.

24. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process is closely coupled to a post-processing operation.

25. A process for making a fibrous structure, the process comprising the steps of:
a. providing a die comprising one or more filament-forming holes, wherein one or more fluid-releasing holes are associated with one filament-forming hole such that a fluid exiting the fluid-releasing hole contacts an exterior surface of a filament exiting the filament-forming hole at an angle of less than 10°;
b. supplying a polyolefin polymer to the die;
c. producing a plurality of filaments comprising the polyolefin polymer from the die;
d. combining the filaments with wood pulp fibers to form a mixture; and
e. collecting the mixture on a collection device to produce a fibrous structure.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Barnholtz Steven Lee
• Trokhan Paul Dennis
• Suer Michael Donald
• Barkey Douglas Jay
• Brennan Jonathan Paul
• Gorley Ronald Thomas

Classifications

• D04H1/4291

  Olefin series · CPC title

• D10B2509/026

  Absorbent pads; Tampons; Laundry; Towels · CPC title

• D04H1/425

  Cellulose series · CPC title

• B32B5/022

  Non-woven fabric · CPC title

• D10B2401/12

  biodegradable · CPC title