Fibrous structures comprising regions having different solid additive levels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fibrous structures comprising filaments and solid additives lack regions with different average weight % levels of solid additives, limiting their overall performance and regional performance in delivering specific properties like strength, burst, flexibility, and visual aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
Creating fibrous structures with two or more regions having distinct average weight % levels of solid additives, such as a continuous network region and discrete zones, to optimize performance by concentrating solid additives in specific areas for enhanced properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If solid additives are uniformly distributed throughout the fibrous structure, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the overall performance and regional performance are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct regions within the fibrous structure with different solid additive concentrations. Specifically, it forms a continuous network region with a first average weight percent of solid additives and discrete zones with a second average weight percent of solid additives, where the two percentages differ. This allows different regions to deliver different performance characteristics (e.g., strength in one region, absorbency in another) while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled deposition processes.
2Reliability
If solid additives are concentrated in specific regions, then regional performance properties are enhanced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fibrous structure into functionally distinct regions: a continuous network region and discrete zones, each with different solid additive concentrations optimized for specific performance requirements. This segmentation is achieved through manufacturing processes that can deposit solid additives in controlled patterns, creating regions with different average weight percents of solid additives while managing manufacturing complexity through systematic process design.
3Ease of manufacture
If solid additives are uniformly distributed, then manufacturing is easier, but strength and burst properties are diluted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates regions with locally optimized solid additive concentrations to enhance specific mechanical properties. The continuous network region and discrete zones have different average weight percents of solid additives, allowing certain regions to be optimized for strength and burst properties while other regions can be optimized for different characteristics, thereby avoiding the dilution effect of uniform distribution.
4Strength
If solid additives are segregated into regions, then strength and visual aesthetics are improved, but the manufacturing process requires more precise control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fibrous structure into continuous network regions and discrete zones with different solid additive concentrations. This segmentation requires manufacturing processes capable of precise deposition control to achieve the desired regional differentiation in solid additive content, thereby optimizing both strength and visual aesthetics through controlled material distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
Fibrous structures containing solid additives, and more particularly, fibrous structures containing two or more regions that comprise different average weight % levels of solid additives and methods for making same are provided.