Embossed Multi-Ply Tissue Structure for Softness and Wet Resiliency
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for tissue products that balance aesthetics with improved physical attributes such as reduced stiffness, increased absorbency, and enhanced wet resiliency, while maintaining a cloth-like appearance.
Innovation Solution
The development of embossed multi-ply tissue products using through-air drying and embossing techniques, where discrete non-linear line elements cover less than 10% of the surface area, creating a background pattern and enhancing the tissue's physical properties through adhesive bonding of tissue plies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If through-air drying is used to reduce compression and improve bulk, then softness and bulk are improved, but subsequent embossing is required to further increase bulk and provide aesthetic quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines through-air drying with embossing in a single integrated process step, where the embossing is performed on the through-air dried web. This merging of operations allows the web to achieve both increased bulk from the non-compressive drying and aesthetic pattern formation from the embossing, while maintaining softness and reducing the need for additional separate processing steps
2Shape
If embossing is applied to increase bulk and provide aesthetic pattern, then bulk and appearance are improved, but stiffness increases and softness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies embossing with specific design characteristics where the embossed elements cover less than 10% of the total web area. This localized embossing approach provides the necessary aesthetic pattern and bulk enhancement while minimizing the overall stiffness increase that would result from extensive embossing coverage, thereby preserving the softness of the tissue product
3Shape
If multi-ply construction is used to increase bulk and improve aesthetics, then bulk and appearance are enhanced, but stiffness increases and wet resiliency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-ply construction where individual plies are bonded together to create a composite tissue product. The composite structure achieves increased bulk and improved aesthetic quality through the layered arrangement, while the specific bonding methodology and ply configuration maintain flexibility and wet resiliency by allowing the plies to move relative to each other when wet
4Strength
If adhesive bonding is used to join tissue plies, then plies are securely joined, but absorbency may be reduced due to adhesive presence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous adhesive materials that maintain the absorbency characteristics of the tissue product. The porous structure of the adhesive allows it to bond the tissue plies together securely while still permitting liquid absorption and wicking through the bonded regions, thus achieving both strong bonding and maintained absorbency
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 products exhibit reduced stiffness, improved absorbency, and increased wet resiliency, with a GM Flexural Rigidity less than 600 mg*cm, Residual Water value less than 0.15 g, and a wet elastic strain ratio greater than 32%, while maintaining a visually appealing cloth-like appearance.
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
adhesive bonding of tissue plies
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.