Embossed Multi-Ply Tissue Stiffness Absorbency
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an embossed tissue product that is more aesthetically pleasing while also providing improved physical attributes such as reduced stiffness, increased absorbency, and enhanced wet resiliency.
Innovation Solution
The development of a multi-ply tissue product manufactured using techniques such as through-air drying and embossing, which creates a web with a first pattern and then combines it with another web and embosses it to provide a second pattern, resulting in reduced stiffness, improved absorbency, and wet resiliency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional wet-pressing and creping processes are used to manufacture tissue products, then production efficiency and strength are improved, but softness and bulk are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drying process is segmented into multiple zones with different temperature and air flow conditions. The web is dried in stages rather than all at once, allowing controlled removal of water while preserving bulk structure. This segmented approach prevents the uniform compression that occurs in conventional single-stage drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from surface-based drying (conventional contact with heated surfaces) to volumetric drying through air penetration. Hot air is circulated through the thickness of the web, drying it from the interior rather than just the surfaces, which preserves bulk while achieving thorough drying.
2Shape
If through-air drying is used to improve softness and bulk, then web compression is reduced, but subsequent converting is required to increase bulk further
Solution Approach 1:
The desired bulk and aesthetic patterns are created during the drying process itself rather than requiring subsequent converting operations. The web is pre-formed with the appropriate three-dimensional structure and surface patterns before finishing, eliminating the need for additional embossing or bulk-increasing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The through-air drying system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it removes water, creates bulk, forms aesthetic patterns, and prepares the web for finishing in a single integrated process. This multi-functional approach replaces what would otherwise require separate dedicated equipment for each function.
3Shape
If embossing is applied to create aesthetic patterns and increase bulk, then product appearance and bulk are improved, but stiffness increases and softness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Embossing is applied selectively to only certain areas of the web rather than uniformly across the entire surface. This localized embossing creates aesthetic patterns in specific zones while leaving other areas smooth and soft, providing a balance between appearance and tactile comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossing depth and intensity are controlled to provide just enough pattern formation for aesthetic appeal without excessive compression. The embossing is applied partially rather than fully across the web, maintaining softness while achieving the desired visual effect.
4Quantity of substance
If multi-ply construction is used to increase absorbency and bulk, then product performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple plies are combined in a single web formation and drying operation rather than producing separate plies and assembling them later. The multi-ply structure is created in-situ during the papermaking process, integrating what would otherwise be separate manufacturing operations into one continuous process.
Solution Approach 2:
The tissue product uses composite construction with different fiber compositions in different plies, where each ply is optimized for specific functions (e.g., one ply for absorbency, another for strength). This composite approach achieves superior overall performance while the integrated manufacturing process keeps complexity manageable.
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
The resulting tissue product has a GM Flexural Rigidity less than about 600 mg*cm, improved absorbency with a Residual Water value less than about 0.15 g, and enhanced wet resiliency with a wet elastic strain ratio greater than about 32 percent, while also being aesthetically pleasing.
Implementation Method 1
Through-air drying provides a relatively noncompressive method of removing water from the web by passing hot air through the web until it is dry
Implementation Method 2
Embossing elements on the rolls compress and/or deform the web
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an embossed multi-ply tissue product that is visually pleasing and has improved physical attributes. For example, the inventive multi-ply tissue products have reduced stiffness, such as a GM Flexural Rigidity less than about 600 mg*cm, improved absorbency, such as a Residual Water (WResidual) value less than about 0.15 g, and improved wet resiliency, such as a wet elastic strain ratio greater than about 32 percent.