Molded wet-pressed tissue

• US 20080099169A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Mullally, Cristina Asensio, Beuther, Paul Douglas, Holz, Jeffrey Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,563,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 162/111
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/006 Making patterned paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/14 Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 25/00 After-treatment of paper not provided for in groups D21H17/00 - D21H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 25/005 Mechanical treatment D21H25/08, D21H25/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 27/002 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

Abstract

Wet-pressed creped tissue sheets exhibit continuous undulating valleys separated by continuous mono-planar macro-ridges running in the machine direction of the sheet, the macro-ridges being of a lower fiber density relative to the fiber density of the undulating valleys. The tissue structure can be created by pressing a densified tissue web against the surface of a Yankee dryer while the web is supported by a texturizing (molding) fabric having a web-supporting surface having highly topographic continuous or substantially continuous ridges and valleys and thereafter creping the web.

Claims

1. A creped, wet-pressed tissue sheet of papermaking fibers having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, said tissue sheet having continuous undulating valleys separated by continuous mono-planar macro-ridges running in the machine direction of the sheet, the macro-ridges being of a lower fiber density relative to the fiber density of the undulating valleys.

4. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the macro-ridges are parallel to the machine direction of the sheet.

5. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the macro-ridges are oriented at an angle of from 0 to about ±

15 degrees relative to the machine direction of the sheet.

6. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the macro-ridges are oriented at an angle of from 0 to about ±

10 degrees relative to the machine direction of the sheet.

7. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the macro-ridges are oriented at an angle of from 0 to about ±

5 degrees relative to the machine direction of the sheet.

8. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the thickness of the mini-ridges is from about 1.5 to about 6.

9. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the thickness of the mini-ridges is from about 1.5 to about 5.

10. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the thickness of the mini-ridges is from about 1.5 to about 4.

11. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the thickness of the mini-ridges is from about 1.5 to about 3.

12. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the thickness of the mini-ridges is from about 2 to about 3.

13. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the width of the macro-ridges is less than the width of the valleys.

14. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the width of the macro-ridges is from about 0.5 to about 1.5 millimeters.

15. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the spacing of the macro-ridges, as measured peak-to-peak, is from about 0.5 to about 4 millimeters.

16. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the width of the valleys is from about 0.5 to about 2.5 millimeters.

17. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the machine direction spacing of the mini-ridges, as measured peak-to-peak, can be from about 0.2 to about 1 millimeter.

18. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the height of the mini-ridges is from about 0.05 to about 0.5 millimeter.

19. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the basis weight is from about 10 to about 40 grams per square meter.

20. The tissue sheet of claim 1 or 2 wherein the bulk is from about 10 to about 20 cubic centimeters per gram.

2. A creped, wet-pressed tissue sheet of papermaking fibers having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, said tissue sheet having continuous undulating valleys of mini-ridges separated by continuous mono-planar macro-ridges running in the machine direction of the sheet, wherein the ratio of the average thickness of the macro-ridges to the average thickness of the mini-ridges is about 1.5 or greater.

3. The tissue sheet of claim 2 wherein the fiber density of the mono-planar ridges is less than the fiber density of the undulating valleys.