Splittable cloth like tissue webs

• US 20050145352A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Hermans, Michael Alan, Lindsay, Jeffrey Dean, Tirimacco, Maurizio, Goulet, Mike T., Mohr, Rebecca C., Hassman, Mark, Johnson, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,303,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 162/112
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/14 Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/145 including a through-drying process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. According to the present invention, at least one side of the paper web is treated with a bonding material according to a preselected pattern and creped from a creping surface. Through the process, a two-sided tissue web is formed having a smooth side and a textured side. In one embodiment, tissue webs made according to the present invention may also be splittable, allowing the web to be pulled apart in two substantially continuous webs with distinctly different properties.

Claims

1. A tissue product comprising:

a tissue web comprising a first side and a second and opposite side, the tissue web comprising pulp fibers;

a bonding material applied to the first side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern, the first side of the tissue web having been creped after application of the bonding material; and

wherein the tissue web is splittable into a first portion and a second portion, the tissue web being splittable by a mean splitting force of less than about 30 gf and by a peak splitting force of less than about 40 gf, the tissue web having a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 20%.

2. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 25 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 30 g.

3. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 20 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 25 g.

4. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of from about 5 gf to about 15 gf.

5. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 10%.

6. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 5%.

7. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the difference in basis weight between the first portion and the second portion of the splittable tissue web is less than about 20%.

8. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the difference in basis weight between the first portion and the second portion of the splittable tissue web is less than about 10%.

9. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein a second bonding material has been applied to the second side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern.

10. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web comprises an uncreped through-air dried web.

11. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding material comprises an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer or a carboxylated vinyl acetate-ethylene terpolymer.

12. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding material comprises a styrene-butadiene copolymer, a polyvinyl acetate polymer, a vinyl-acetate acrylic copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate polymer, an acrylic polyvinyl chloride polymer, an acrylic polymer, or a nitrile polymer.

13. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web comprises a stratified web having a first outer layer, a middle layer, and a second outer layer, the middle layer comprising hardwood fibers or high-yield fibers.

14. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the product comprises a single ply wiping product.

15. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a basis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 120 gsm.

16. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web has a basis weight of from about 35 gsm to about 80 gsm.

17. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding material is applied to the first side of the tissue web in an amount of from about 2% to about 10% by weight of the web.

18. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding material is applied to the first side of the tissue web so as to cover at least 40% of the surface area of the first side of the web.

19. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the preselected pattern by which the bonding material is applied comprises a succession of discrete shapes.

20. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue product has a bulk greater than 10 cc/g.

21. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web includes an air side and a fabric side, the first side of the tissue web being the air side of the web.

22. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the second side of the tissue web is not creped.

23. A tissue product as defined in claim 1, wherein the tissue web contains a strength agent.

24. A tissue product as defined in claim 23, wherein the tissue web is made from a stratified fiber furnish including a first outer layer and a second outer layer, the strength agent being incorporated into the first outer layer, the first outer layer forming the first side of the tissue web.

25. A tissue product as defined in claim 24, wherein the tissue web further includes a center layer, the strength agent being incorporated in the center layer.

26. A tissue product as defined in claim 25, wherein the strength agent is incorporated in the first outer layer, the center layer, and the second outer layer, the second outer layer forming the second side of the tissue web.

27. A tissue product as defined in claim 23, wherein the strength agent is coated, sprayed or printed onto the tissue web.

28. A tissue product as defined in claim 23, wherein the strength agent comprises a permanent strength agent.

29. A tissue product as defined in claim 23, wherein the strength agent comprises a temporary strength agent.

30. A tissue product comprising:

a tissue web comprising a first side and a second and opposite side, the tissue web comprising pulp fibers, the tissue web comprising an uncreped through-air dried web having a basis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 120 gsm;

a bonding material applied to the first side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern, the first side of the tissue web having been creped after application of the bonding material; and

wherein the tissue web is splittable into a first portion and a second portion, the tissue web being splittable by a mean splitting force of less than about 20 gf and by a peak splitting force of less than about 40 gf, the tissue web having a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 10%.

31. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 20 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 25 gf.

32. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 15 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 20 gf.

33. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of from about 5 gf to about 15 gf.

34. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 5%.

35. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 3%.

36. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein a second bonding material has been applied to the second side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern.

37. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the bonding material comprises an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer or a carboxylated vinyl acetate-ethylene terpolymer.

38. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the bonding material comprises a styrene-butadiene copolymer, a polyvinyl acetate polymer, a vinyl-acetate acrylic copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate polymer, an acrylic polyvinyl chloride polymer, an acrylic polymer, or a nitrile polymer.

39. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web comprises a stratified web having a first outer layer, a middle layer, and a second outer layer, the middle layer comprising hardwood fibers or high-yield fibers.

40. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the product comprises a single ply wiping product.

41. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web has a basis weight of from about 35 gsm to about 80 gsm.

42. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the bonding material is applied to the first side of the tissue web in an amount of from about 2% to about 10% by weight of the web.

43. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the bonding material is applied to the first side of the tissue web so as to cover at least 40% of the surface area of the first side of the web.

44. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the preselected pattern by which the bonding material is applied comprises a succession of discrete shapes.

45. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue product has a bulk greater than 10 cc/g.

46. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the tissue web includes an air side and a fabric side, the first side of the tissue web being the air side of the web.

47. A tissue product as defined in claim 30, wherein the second side of the tissue web is not creped.

48. A tissue product comprising:

a tissue web comprising a first side and a second and opposite side, the tissue web comprising pulp fibers, the tissue web comprising an uncreped through-air dried web having a basis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 120 gsm;

a bonding material applied to the first side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern, the first side of the tissue web having been creped after application of the bonding material; and

wherein the tissue web is splittable into a first portion and a second portion, the tissue web being splittable by a mean splitting force of less than about 20 gf and by a peak splitting force of less than about 40 gf, the tissue web having a split basis weight uniformity index of less than about 10% and wherein the characteristics of the first side of the tissue web are different than the characteristics of the second side of the tissue web, the first side having a dry surface depth of less than about 0.15 mm and a wetted surface depth of greater than about 0.2 mm, the second side of the tissue web having a dry surface depth of greater than about 0.2 mm.

49. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the first side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of less than about 0.12 mm and wherein the second side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of greater than about 0.25 mm.

50. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the first side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of less than about 0.12 mm and wherein the second side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of greater than about 0.30 mm.

51. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the first side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of less than about 0.1 mm and wherein the second side of the tissue web has a dry surface depth of greater than about 0.33 mm.

52. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the first side of the tissue web has a wetted surface depth of greater than about 0.25 mm.

53. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the first side of the tissue web has a wetted surface depth of greater than about 0.3 mm.

54. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a falling drape of less than about 1.5 seconds.

55. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a falling drape of less than about 1.5 seconds, when normalized to a basis weight of 30 gsm.

56. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a falling drape of less than about 1.1 seconds, when normalized to a basis weight of 30 gsm.

57. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 20 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 25 gf.

58. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of less than about 15 gf and a peak splitting force of less than about 20 gf.

59. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, wherein the tissue web has a mean splitting force of from about 5 gf to about 15 gf.

60. A tissue product as defined in claim 48, further comprising a second bonding material applied to the second side of the tissue web according to a preselected pattern, the first bonding material and the second bonding material being applied to the tissue web in an amount from about 2% to about 10% by weight based upon the weight of the web, each of the bonding materials being applied according to a pattern that covers greater than about 30% of the surface area of one side of the web, the creped tissue web having a bulk greater than about 10 cc/g.