Fibrous structures and methods for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12497736-B2
Application number	US-202418651730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2024
Priority date	Apr 23, 2020
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

Fibrous structures having a surface pattern of a continuous knuckle region and a plurality of discrete pillow regions such that the fibrous structures exhibit improved softness compared to known fibrous structures and better sheet control during the making of such fibrous structures are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fibrous structure comprising a surface comprising a surface pattern, wherein the surface pattern comprises a continuous knuckle region network and a plurality of discrete pillow regions, each having a width, dispersed within the knuckle region network such that the fibrous structure is void of nubs, wherein a repeat unit of the surface pattern is defined by two or more groups of two or more pillow regions dispersed in the knuckle region network, wherein at least two of the two or more groups of pillow regions are non-parallelly juxtaposed; and wherein a discrete pillow region width exhibits a relative standard deviation of less than 25% as measured according to the Micro CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

2 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the two or more pillow regions within one of the two or more groups are parallel to one another.

3 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least two of two or more pillow regions within at least two of the two or more groups are oriented at an angle of about 90°.

4 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least two groups of pillow regions are oriented at an angle of greater than 20° to less than 85° to the fibrous structure's cross machine direction.

5 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the pillow regions exhibits an average pillow region length of greater than 2 mm as measured according to a Micro-CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

6 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the pillow regions exhibit average pillow region length of greater than 2 mm as measured according to a Micro-CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

7 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the pillow regions exhibits an average pillow region length to average pillow region width ratio of at least 1.3 as measured according to a Micro-CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

8 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the pillow regions exhibits a pillow region perimeter of greater than 12.7 mm as measured according to a Micro-CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

9 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the pillow regions exhibits an average pillow region length to average knuckle region network width ratio of greater than 6.5 as measured according to a Micro-CT Intensive Property Measurement Test Method.

10 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure comprises a plurality of fibers.

11 . The fibrous structure according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of fibers comprise a plurality of pulp fibers.

12 . The fibrous structure according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of pulp fibers comprise a plurality of wood pulp fibers.

13 . The fibrous structure according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of pulp fibers comprise non-wood pulp fibers.

14 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure comprises a structured fibrous structure.

15 . The fibrous structure according to claim 14 wherein the structured fibrous structure comprises a through-air-dried fibrous structure ply.

16 . The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein the surface pattern comprises a molded microscopical three-dimensional pattern.

17 . A single- or multi-ply sanitary tissue product comprising a fibrous structure according to claim 1 .

18 . A roll of sanitary tissue product comprising a single- or multi-ply sanitary tissue product according to claim 17 .

19 . A package comprising one or more rolls of sanitary tissue product according to claim 18 .

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bailey William Ellis
• Ostendorf Ward William
• Bankemper Anthony Paul
• Barkey Douglas Jay
• Bills J Michael
• Trokhan Paul Dennis
• Sheehan Jeffrey Glen

Classifications

• D21H27/40

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

• D21F5/182

  through perforated cylinders · CPC title

• D21H11/12

  Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse · CPC title

• A47K10/16 Primary

  Paper towels; Toilet paper; Holders therefor · 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