Sanitary Tissue Products With 3D Patterned Fibrous Structure Plies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Sanitary tissue products face a dichotomy between cushiness, flexibility, and surface smoothness, where increasing one attribute typically decreases the others, failing to meet consumer expectations for comfortable, luxurious, and plush products without using surface softening agents.

Innovation Solution

The use of patterned molding members in papermaking processes to create sanitary tissue products with enhanced compressibility, reduced plate stiffness, and lower slip stick coefficient of friction, achieved through 3D patterned fibrous structure plies, which are more cushy, flexible, and smoother than traditional products.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If surface smoothness is increased, then surface smoothness is improved, but cushiness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface smoothnessVSAvoidcushiness

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating distinct regions within the tissue product with different properties. Specifically, it uses a multi-ply construction where at least one ply is lotioned (smooth) and at least one ply is unlotioned (cushy), allowing different areas of the product to have different surface characteristics. This resolves the contradiction by providing both smoothness and cushiness in different locations of the same product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Shape

If surface smoothness is increased, then surface smoothness is improved, but flexibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface smoothnessVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If compressibility is increased, then cushiness is improved, but surface smoothness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecushinessVSAvoidsurface smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of operation

If plate stiffness is decreased, then flexibility is improved, but compressibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidcompressibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11268244B2Sanitary tissue products

Publication Date: 2022.03.08 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

Sanitary tissue products employing fibrous structures that exhibit a novel combination of compressibility properties, plate stiffness properties, and slip stick coefficient of friction properties, and methods for making same.