Tissue paper

• US 4,637,859 A
• Filed: 03/27/1985
• Issued: 01/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Trokhan, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Peter
• Application Number:
  US06/716,724
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 162/111, 162/112, 162/113, 162/117, 162/115, 162/116, 162/109
• US Class Current: 162/109
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/006 Making patterned paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 25/005 Mechanical treatment D21H25/08, D21H25/18 take precedence

Abstract

Soft, absorbent paper webs and processes for making them. In the process, an aqueous dispersion of the papermaking fibers is formed into an embryonic web on a first foraminous member such as a Fourdinier wire. This embryonic web is associated with a second foraminous member known as a deflection member. The surface of the deflection member with which the embryonic web is associated has a macroscopic monoplanar, continuous, patterned network surface which defines within the deflection member a plurality of discrete, isolated deflection conduits. The papermaking fibers in the web are deflected into the deflection conduits and water is removed through the deflection conduits to form an intermediate web. Deflection begins no later than the time water removal through the deflection member begins. The intermediate web is dried and foreshortened as by creping. The paper web has a distinct continuous network region and a plurality of domes dispersed throughout the whole of the network region.

Claims

1. A strong, soft, absorbent paper web of papermaking fibers, said web comprising:

(A) A macroscopically monoplanar, patterned, continuous network region having a relatively low basis weight and a relatively high density; and

(B) A plurality of discrete domes having relatively high basis weights and relatively low densities, essentially all of said domes being dispersed throughout, encompassed by, and isolated one from another by said network region

wherein the average density of said network region is from about 0.400 to about 0.800 gram per cubic centimeter, the average density of said domes is from about 0.040 to about 0.150 gram per cubic centimeter, and the ratio of the average basis weight of said network region to the average basis weight of said domes is less than about 1.0 and greater than about 0.8.

2. The paper web of claim 1 wherein the perimeter of each of the majority of said domes defines a polygon having fewer than seven sides and wherein said domes are distributed in a repeating array.

3. The paper web of claim 2 wherein said repeating array is a bilaterally staggered array.

4. The paper web of claim 1 wherein the perimeter of each of the majority of said domes defines a closed figure having nonlinear sides and wherein said domes are distributed in a repeating array.

5. The paper web of claim 4 wherein said repeating array is a bilaterally staggered array.

6. A strong soft, absorbent paper web of papermaking fibers, said web comprising:

(a) A macroscopically monoplanar, patterned, continuous network region having an average density of from about 0.400 to about 0.800 gram per cubic centimeter; and

(b) A plurality of discrete domes having an average density of from about 0.040 to about 0.150 gram per cubic centimeter;

essentially all of said domes being dispersed throughout, encompassed by, and isolated one from another by said network region;

the perimeter of essentially each of said domes defining a polygon having six sides;

the effective free span of each polygon being from about 0.25 to about 3.0 times the average length of said fibers;

said domes being distributed in a bilaterally staggered array wherein the ratio of the diameter of the largest circle which can be inscribed in said polygon to the shorter of the distance between the center lines of two of said polygons adjacent in the machine direction and the distance between the center lines of two of said polygons adjacent the cross machine direction is from about 0.45 to about 0.95, wherein the ratio of the average basis weight of said network region to the average basis weight of said domes is less than about 1.0 and greater than about 0.8.

7. A strong, soft, absorbent paper web of papermaking fibers, and said web comprising:

(a) A macroscopically monoplanar, patterned, continuous network region having an average density of from about 0.400 to about 0.800 gram per cubic centimeter; and

(b) a plurality of discrete domes having an average density of from about 0.040 to about 0.150 gram per cubic centimeter;

essentially all of said domes being dispersed throughout, encompassed by, and isolated one from another by said network region;

the perimeter of essentiallty each of said domes defining a closed figure having nonlinear sides;

the effective free span of each closed figure being from about 0.25 to about 3.0 times the average length of said fibers;

said domes being distributed in a bilaterally staggered array wherein the ratio of the diameter of the largest circle which can be inscribed in said closed figure to the shorter of the distance between the center lines of two of said closed figures adjacent in the machine direction and the distance between the center lines of two of said closed figures adjacent in the cross machine direction is from about 0.45 to about 0.95, wherein the ratio of the average basis weight of said network region to the average basis weight of said domes is less than about 1.0 and greater than about 0.8.