Unitary deflection member for making fibrous structures having increased surface area and process for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725342-B2
Application number	US-202217868826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2022
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A unitary deflection member. The unitary deflection member can have a fluid pervious reinforcing member and a patterned framework. The patterned framework can have a plurality of regularly spaced protuberances extending from the reinforcing member. At least two of said protuberances can be similar in size and shape, and can have linear segments having different cross-sectional areas along the z-direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary deflection member, the unitary deflection member comprising:
a fluid pervious reinforcing member;
a patterned framework comprising a plurality of regularly spaced protuberances extending from said reinforcing member, at least two of said protuberances being similar in size and shape; and
wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments having different cross-sectional areas along the z-direction.

2. The deflection member of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of voids defining a plurality of deflection conduits.

3. The deflection member of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are linear segments spaced apart in either the MD or CD.

4. The deflection member of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are linear segments spaced apart in the MD.

5. The deflection member of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are linear segments spaced apart in the CD.

6. The deflection member of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD or CD.

7. The deflection member of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD.

8. The deflection member of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of deflection conduits are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the CD.

9. The deflection member of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of deflection conduits are disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration of discrete units in an X-Y plane and distributed in both the MD and CD in a regular, spaced pattern.

10. The deflection member of claim 2 , wherein at least two of the plurality of deflection conduits are substantially identical in size and shape.

11. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the framework is a semi-continuous framework.

12. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein at least two of said protuberances have a stepped, multilevel shape.

13. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the linear segments having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from the group consisting of key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, inverted triangle, T-shaped, inverted L-shaped, egg- or pebble-shaped, and combinations thereof.

14. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the patterned framework is disposed at a first side of the reinforcing member and wherein strands are disposed at a second side of the reinforcing member.

15. The deflection member of claim 14 , wherein the strands are CD-oriented.

16. The deflection member of claim 14 , wherein the strands are MD-oriented.

17. The deflection member of claim 16 , wherein the MD-oriented strands are oriented in a two-layer stacked configuration.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Manifold John Allen
• Brent Jr John Leslie
• Singer James Michael

Classifications

• D21F1/009 Primary

  Fibre-rearranging devices · CPC title

• D21F11/006

  Making patterned paper · CPC title

• D21H11/04

  Kraft or sulfate pulp · CPC title

• D21H27/002 Primary

  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

• D21H27/004

  characterised by specific parameters (D21H27/008 takes precedence) · CPC title