Embossing Roller Tips for Tissue Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tissue product manufacturing methods fail to achieve optimal softness and handfeel while efficiently using adhesive and allowing for versatile pattern creation on the product.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus featuring embossing rollers with mirror-symmetrically arranged tips and continuous protrusions, reducing pasting areas to only where tips intersect, allowing for reduced adhesive usage and varied pattern creation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If adhesive is applied to regions in relief generated by embossing to bond plies, then bonding strength is improved, but adhesive consumption increases and softness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidadhesive consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The embossing roller surface is designed with zones of different heights: higher zones (tips) for adhesive application and bonding, lower zones (valleys) for adhesive-free areas that maintain softness. This local differentiation allows adhesive to be applied only where needed for bonding while preserving softness in non-bonding areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The embossing pattern is segmented into discrete tips and valleys, creating distinct bonding regions (at tips) and non-bonding regions (in valleys). This segmentation reduces the total adhesive application area compared to continuous relief embossing, thereby reducing adhesive consumption while maintaining adequate bonding strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If adhesive is applied to regions in relief generated by embossing to bond plies, then bonding strength is improved, but softness and handfeel deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidsoftness and handfeel

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying adhesive to all relief regions, the invention applies adhesive only to specific tip regions, using partial action. This reduces the negative impact on softness while maintaining sufficient bonding strength through strategic adhesive placement at the highest points where plies contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of manufacture

If standard embossing rollers are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but pattern versatility is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidpattern versatility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The embossing roller design allows for dynamic configuration of tip patterns. Different tip arrangements (spacing, density, geometric shapes) can be implemented on the roller surface to create various patterns on the tissue product, providing versatility while maintaining the simple embossing mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 solution results in products with enhanced softness and handfeel, reduced adhesive consumption, and the ability to create complex patterns, while also increasing paper thickness and lowering production costs.

Implementation Method 1

two plies are each embossed between an embossing roller, provided with protrusions or tips arranged according to a repetitive pattern, and a presser roller

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical pressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

an adhesive is applied to one of the two plies at the regions in relief generated by the embossing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP2048283B2Apparatus for pasting two or more plies for manufacturing tissue products

Publication Date: 2022.02.23 IND CARTARIE TRONCHETTI

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AI summary

An apparatus for pasting two or more plies for manufacturing tissue products, has a first embossing roller which cooperates with a second embossing roller; the first embossing roller has a plurality of tips alternated with a plurality of continuous protrusions which have the same incision depth; the second roller has a plurality of tips alternated with a plurality of continuous protrusions which have the same incision depth, the arrangement of the tips and of the continuous protrusions of the first roller is reproduced identically and mirror-symmetrically on the second roller. According to another aspect of the invention, each of the two rollers has a plurality of tips separated by a plurality of recesses; the tips and the recesses are arranged on raised regions spaced by regions or compartments without tips; the raised regions provided with the tips form, in each roller, a pattern which is identical or different for each roller; the rollers cooperate so that at least two plies interposed between them, one of which is spread with paste, are bonded only in the regions of contact of two tips.