Patterned Nonwoven Webs with Subtle Color Contrast for Texture Perception

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Solution Overview

Problem

Nonwoven webs, particularly white or non-colored ones, face challenges in achieving high quality levels of texture, perceived absorbency, and softness, which are difficult to perceive and can negatively impact skin marking and redness.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a low level of a colorant, pigment, and/or dye as a melt additive during the formation of nonwoven webs creates three-dimensional features with improved texture perception and softness, maintaining a white appearance without visible color.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If highly textured nonwoven webs are used to improve texture perception and softness, then texture perception and softness are enhanced, but skin marking and skin redness occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetexture perceptionVSAvoidskin marking

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color changes by incorporating a low level of colorant (0.1-5.0 phr) into the nonwoven web material. This creates visual texture contrast that enhances perceived texture and softness without using highly textured surfaces that would cause skin marking. The color variation at the molecular level provides optical texture enhancement while maintaining physical smoothness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Illumination intensity

If white or non-colored nonwoven webs are used to maintain aesthetic appearance, then visual appeal is maintained, but texture perception and softness are difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual appearanceVSAvoidtexture perception

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by using minimal colorant (0.1-5.0 phr) that creates subtle visual texture contrast while maintaining an overall white or non-colored appearance. The low concentration of colorant provides enough optical variation to enhance texture perception without significantly altering the visual whiteness of the material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the concentration parameter of colorant to a very low level (0.1-5.0 phr), which is sufficient to create visual texture contrast but low enough to maintain the white appearance. This parameter optimization allows simultaneous achievement of texture perception enhancement and aesthetic appearance maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If no colorant is added to maintain white appearance, then aesthetic quality is maintained, but texture perception is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewhite appearanceVSAvoidtexture perception

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces minimal color changes through low-level colorant addition (0.1-5.0 phr) to enhance texture perception while preserving the white appearance. The subtle color variation creates visual interest and texture contrast without making the material appear colored to the human eye.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes the colorant concentration parameter to a specific range (0.1-5.0 phr) that provides the threshold effect: enough colorant to create visual texture contrast, but not enough to alter the perceived white appearance. This precise parameter control resolves the contradiction between appearance and texture perception.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 enhances texture perception and softness in nonwoven webs, providing premium quality while avoiding skin marking and redness, with the webs retaining a white appearance.

Implementation Method 1

a low level of a colorant, a pigment, and/or a dye, when included as a melt additive when forming a master batch used to form filaments of nonwoven webs, provides for greatly enhanced visual texture contrast or improved texture perception

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS20250235357A1Nonwoven webs with visually discernible patterns and improved texture perception

Publication Date: 2025.07.24 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

A nonwoven web for an absorbent article is provided. The nonwoven web comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible pattern of three-dimensional features on the first surface or the second surface. The three-dimensional features comprise one or more first regions and a plurality of second regions. The one or more first regions have a first value of an average intensive property. The plurality second regions have a second value of the average intensive property. The first value and the second value are different and are both greater than zero. The nonwoven web has a Single Layer Chroma value in the range of about 1.0 to about 3.5, according to the Delta Chroma and Single Layer Chroma Test. The nonwoven web has a Delta Chroma value in the range of about +0.1 to about +3.5, according to the Delta Chroma and Single Layer Chroma Test.