Embossed fibrous structure product with enhanced absorbency

• US 7,741,234 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Smith, Dana Jacqueline, Preston, LaRhonda Rachell, Ostendorf, Ward William, Wiwi, Kevin Mitchell, Trokhan, Paul Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES VELAZQUEZ, NORCA LIZ
• Application Number:
  US11/709,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20070264896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 442/413, 442/412, 442/381, 428/156, 428/170, 428/219
• US Class Current: 442/381
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/18 Reinforcing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 27/005 relating to physical or mechanical properties, e.g. tensile strength, stretch, softness
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 27/30 Multi-ply for surface covering D21H27/18; making on paper-making machines D21F9/00, D21F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24595 and varying density
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/659 Including an additional nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/693 Including a paper layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/695 Including a wood containing layer

Abstract

A fibrous structure product comprising one or more plies of fibrous structure; a basis weight from about 10 lbs/3000 ft² to about 50 lbs/3000 ft²; from 16% to about 40% of hardwood fibers, in one embodiment eucalyptus fibers, wherein the starting hardwood fibers have a Runkel Ratio of from 4.5 to about 15 and a fiber count of from about 12 fibers/gram to about 35 fibers/gram; and a Residual Water Value from about 0.001 to about 0.18. In one embodiment the product comprises two or more plies of fibrous structure, a basis weight from about 25 lbs/3000 ft² to about 50 lbs/3000 ft² and from about 23% to about 40% of hardwood fibers. In another embodiment at least one of the piles of the fibrous structure product further comprises a plurality of embossments thereon comprising an embossment height of from about 600 μm to about 1,200 μm.

Claims

1. A fibrous structure product comprising:

a) two or more plies of through air dried fibrous structure;

b) a basis weight from about 10 lbs/3000 ft² to about 50 lbs/3000 ft²;

c) from 16% to about 40% of hardwood fibers by weight of the fibrous structure product;

d) a Residual Water Value from about 0.001 to about 0.18;

wherein the starting hardwood fibers have a Runkel Ratio of from 4.5 to about 15 and a fiber count of from about 7 fibers/gram to about 35 fibers/gram.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein the plies comprises a fibrous structure selected from the group consisting of:

creped or uncreped through-air-dried fibrous structure, differential density fibrous structure, wet laid fibrous structure, air laid fibrous structure, and mixtures thereof.

3. The product of claim 2 wherein the ply is a creped through-air-dried fibrous structure.

4. The product of claim 1 wherein the Residual Water Value is from about 0.015 to about 0.17.

5. The product of claim 4 wherein the Residual Water Value is from about 0.1 to about 0.16.

6. The product of claim 1 comprising from about 18% to about 35% of hardwood fibers.

7. The product of claim 6 wherein the hardwood comprises eucalyptus at a level of from about 25% to about 33%.

8. The product of claim 6 wherein the basis weight is from about 20 lbs/3000 ft² to about 40 lbs/3000 ft².

9. The product of claim 8 wherein the basis weight is from about 25 lbs/3000 ft² to about 33 lbs/3000 ft².

10. The product of claim 1 wherein the Runkel Ratio is from about 5.5 to about 12.

11. The product of claim 10 wherein the Runkel Ratio is from about 6.5 to about 11.

12. The product of claim 3 wherein the fiber count is from about 13 fibers/gram to about 30 fibers/gram.

13. The product of claim 12 wherein the fiber count is from about 15 fiber/gram to about 25 fibers/gram.

14. The product of claim 2 comprising a basis weight from about 25 lbs/3000 ft² to about 50 lbs/3000 ft² and from about 23% to about 40% of hardwood fibers.

15. The product of claim 14 wherein the Residual Water Value is from about 0.015 to about 0.17.

16. The product of claim 15 wherein the Residual Water Value is from about 0.1 to about 0.16.

17. The product of claim 14 wherein the Runkel Ratio is from about 5.5 to about 12.

18. The product of claim 17 wherein the Runkel Ratio is from about 6.5 to about 11.

19. The product of claim 14 where the hardwood fiber count is from about 13 fibers/gram to about 30 fibers/gram.

20. The product of claim 19 where the fiber count is from about 15 fibers/gram to about 25 fibers/gram.

21. The product of claim 14 comprising from about 26% to about 35% of eucalyptus hardwood fibers.

22. The product of claim 14 comprising from about 0.05% to about 10% of Southern Softwood Kraft fibers.

23. The product of claim 14 wherein the ply comprises a creped through-air dried tissue paper.

24. The product of claim 23 wherein at least one of the piles comprises a plurality of embossments thereon comprising an embossment height of from about 600 μ

m to about 1,200 μ

m.

25. The product of claim 14 further comprising a chemical softening agent at a level of from about 0.01% to about 15% wherein the chemical softening agent is selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium compounds, organo-reactive polydimethyl siloxane compounds, and mixtures thereof.

26. The product of claim 25 wherein the chemical softening agent is selected from the group consisting of dialkyldimethylammonium salts, ditallowedimethylammonium chloride, ditallowedimethylammonium methyl sulfate, di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium chloride, mono or diester variations of the dialkyldimethylammonium, and mixtures thereof.

27. The product of claim 2 wherein the fibrous structure is a creped through-air dried structure and comprises discrete lower density regions and interconnected densified zones.

28. The product of claim 2 wherein the fibrous structure is a creped through-air dried structure and comprises interconnected lower density regions and discrete densified zones.

29. The product of claim 1 wherein at least one of the piles comprises a plurality of embossments thereon comprising an embossment height of from about 600 μ

m to about 1,200 μ

m.