Smooth and bulky tissue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing rolled tissue products with high bulk and firmness while maintaining surface smoothness is challenging, as increasing basis weight typically compromises roll bulk and firmness, and achieving high roll bulk often results in low firmness and deformation.
Innovation Solution
Using a through-air drying fabric with a three-dimensional design element to produce tissue webs with high surface smoothness, low stiffness, and improved bulk, by structuring the embryonic tissue web during manufacturing with elevations and landing areas on the fabric surface, which enhances roll bulk and firmness without sacrificing smoothness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the basis weight of the tissue sheet is increased, then the tissue product is perceived as softer and higher quality, but achieving high roll bulk becomes more challenging and the bulk decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional design element on the through-air drying fabric surface, creating elevations and landing areas that add vertical dimension to the drying process. This dimensional change allows the tissue web to be molded into a three-dimensional structure with internal voids, achieving high roll bulk even with high basis weight sheets that would traditionally compress flat during drying.
2Volume of stationary object
If the tissue roll is wound loosely to increase roll bulk, then the diameter is larger, but the firmness decreases and the roll is easily deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional design element creates local variations in the tissue web structure, with elevations creating raised areas and landing areas creating compressed regions. This local quality differentiation allows the roll to maintain firmness in the landing area regions while preserving bulk in the elevation regions, achieving both high roll bulk and good roll firmness simultaneously.
3Shape
If the surface topography is altered to achieve smoothness, then the user perceives softness, but the bulk and three-dimensional structure may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional design element segments the drying fabric surface into distinct elevations and landing areas. This segmentation allows different surface regions to serve different functions: elevations maintain bulk and three-dimensional structure, while landing areas provide smooth contact surfaces that users perceive as soft, thereby resolving the contradiction between smoothness and bulk.
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 approach results in tissue products with high sheet bulk, improved roll firmness, and surface smoothness, achieving a balance between bulk, firmness, and smoothness that is not typically attainable with prior methods, while maintaining sufficient tensile strength and durability.
Implementation Method 1
forming a textured tissue product using a through-air drying fabric having a three dimensional design element
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides high bulk tissue products, as well as an apparatus and methods for manufacturing the same. The tissue products provided herein not only have high bulk, but they also have improved surface smoothness, particularly compared to tissue products of similar basis weights.