Seamless Unitary Deflection Member for Making Fibrous Structures Having Increased Surface Area and Process for Making Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369452-A1
Application number	US-201615180211-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seamless unitary deflection member. The seamless unitary deflection member can have a backside defining an X-Y plane and a thickness in a Z-direction. The seamless unitary deflection member can also have a reinforcing member and a plurality of protuberances positioned on the reinforcing member. Each protuberance can have a three-dimensional shape such that any cross-sectional area of the protuberance parallel to the X-Y plane can have an equal or lesser area than any cross-sectional area of the protuberance being a greater distance from the X-Y plane in the Z-direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seamless unitary deflection member, the seamless unitary deflection member being a seamless belt and having a backside defining an X-Y plane and a thickness in a Z-direction, and further comprising a reinforcing member and a plurality of protuberances positioned on the reinforcing member, wherein each protuberance has a three-dimensional shape such that at least one cross-sectional area of the protuberance parallel to the X-Y plane has an equal or lesser area than any cross-sectional area of the protuberance being a greater distance from the X-Y plane in the Z-direction.

2 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of said protuberances are adjacent one another and separated by a void defining a deflection conduit.

3 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments spaced apart in either the MD or CD.

4 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD or CD.

5 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments, the linear segments having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from smooth rounded, pointed, ridged, and stepped, multilevel.

6 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances 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.

7 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are discrete units disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration in both the MD and CD, each discrete unit having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from smooth rounded, pointed, ridged, and stepped, multilevel.

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

9 . The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are substantially identical in size and shape.

10 . A seamless unitary deflection member, the seamless unitary deflection member being a seamless belt and comprising:
a. a fluid pervious reinforcing member; b. 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, each said protuberance having a transition portion having a transition portion width and a forming portion having a forming portion width; and c. wherein the transition portion width is less than the forming portion width.

11 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein the at least two of said protuberances are adjacent one another and separated by a void defining a deflection conduit.

12 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments spaced apart in either the MD or CD.

13 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD or CD.

14 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments, the linear segments having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, inverted triangle, T-shaped, inverted L-shaped, egg- or pebble-shaped and combinations thereof.

15 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances 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.

16 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are discrete units disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration in both the MD and CD, each discrete unit having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, inverted triangle, T-shaped, inverted L-shaped, egg- or pebble-shaped, and combinations thereof.

17 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein the framework is a semi-continuous framework.

18 . The deflection member of claim 10 , wherein at least two of the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are substantially identical in size and shape.

19 . A seamless belt unitary deflection member.

20 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 19 , the seamless unitary deflection member having 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, each said protuberance having a transition portion having a transition portion width and a forming portion having a forming portion width; and wherein the transition portion width is less than the forming portion width.

21 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein the at least two of said protuberances are adjacent one another and separated by a void defining a deflection conduit.

22 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments spaced apart in either the MD or CD.

23 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD or CD.

24 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments, the linear segments having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, inverted triangle, T-shaped, inverted L-shaped, egg- or pebble-shaped and combinations thereof.

25 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances 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.

26 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are discrete units disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration in both the MD and CD, each discrete unit having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, inverted triangle, T-shaped, inverted L-shaped, egg- or pebble-shaped, and combinations thereof.

27 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein the patterned framework is a semi-continuous framework.

28 . The seamless belt seamless unitary deflection member of claim 20 , wherein at least two of the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are substantially identical in size and shape.

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 Primary

  Making patterned paper · CPC title