3D Through-Air Drying Fabric for Bulky Smooth Tissue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tissue manufacturers face challenges in producing rolled tissue products with high bulk, firmness, and surface smoothness while maintaining acceptable cost and quality, as improving one property often compromises others, such as bulk and smoothness.
Innovation Solution
The use of a through-air drying fabric with a three-dimensional design element during the papermaking process, which increases sheet bulk and surface smoothness while maintaining roll firmness, achieved by structuring the fabric with elevations and landing areas that enhance tissue web formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the basis weight of tissue sheets is increased to provide high-quality sheets, then sheet quality is improved, but achieving high roll bulk becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional patterned surface on the tissue sheet by using a patterned drying fabric during manufacturing. This adds vertical dimensionality (elevations and valleys) to the otherwise flat sheet, increasing roll bulk without requiring higher basis weight. The 3D structure creates void spaces that contribute to bulk while maintaining sheet quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface topology parameter of the tissue sheet by forming elevations and valleys through the patterned drying fabric. This parameter change allows the sheet to achieve higher roll bulk at the same basis weight, resolving the contradiction between sheet quality and roll bulk.
2Volume of stationary object
If the tissue roll is wound loosely to increase roll bulk, then roll bulk is improved, but firmness decreases making the roll easily deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific regions of elevations and valleys on the tissue sheet surface. The elevations provide structural support that maintains roll firmness, while the valleys create void spaces that increase roll bulk. This local differentiation allows simultaneous improvement of both roll bulk and firmness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patterned tissue sheet can be considered a composite structure combining dense regions (elevations) for strength and porous regions (valleys) for bulk. This composite architecture enables the roll to achieve high bulk while maintaining firmness through the interplay of different structural zones.
3Manufacturing precision
If the surface topography is altered to provide smoothness, then surface smoothness is improved, but this may compromise bulk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by creating smooth surfaces on the elevation regions while maintaining the 3D pattern. The smooth elevations provide good surface smoothness for consumer perception, while the overall 3D structure with valleys maintains high bulk. The key is that smoothness is achieved locally on the surface features rather than requiring the entire sheet to be flattened.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in tissue products with high bulk, low stiffness, and improved surface smoothness, allowing for the production of rolled tissue products with increased roll bulk and firmness while maintaining surface smoothness and strength properties.
Implementation Method 1
forming a textured tissue product using a through-air drying fabric having a three dimensional design element
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides high bulk tissue products, as well as an apparatus and methods for manufacturing the same. The tissue products provided herein not only have high bulk, but they also have improved surface smoothness, particularly compared to tissue products of similar basis weights.