EP0426288A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for producing a high bulk paper web and product obtained thereby
Assignee: Fort James Corp
•
Filing: 1990-09-11
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2010-09-11
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed a novel cellulosic web and a method for its manufacture. The web is fabricated of fibrous material and is characterized by one of its surfaces being nubby. Such web is formed by the deposition of fibers from an aqueous slurry onto the surface of a multiplex forming fabric defining pockets in one surface thereof, under conditions of flow and rate of water removal that establish high shear fluid flow and result in the orientation of fibers and/or fiber segments at an angle with respect to the plane of the forming fabric. The resultant web has a high apparent bulk and good absorbency and strength properties.
Inventors
- 👤 Melur K. Ramasubramanian
- 👤 Charles A. Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:25
CPC Classifications
D; D21; D21H; D21H27/00; D21H27/02; D21F; D21F11/00; D21F11/006; D21F11/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A web of cellulosic fibers having a basis weight in the range of about 5 to about 45 pounds per ream, said web being characterized in that it is bifacial, one face thereof comprising a large number of nubs projecting out of the plane of said web, said web having been formed by the deposition of a furnish of said cellulosic fibers in a flowable medium onto a woven forming fabric at rates of furnish flow and of withdrawal of flowable medium through said fabric which develop fluid shear conditions within the furnish as it is initially deposited onto said fabric that tend to orient the length dimension of the fibers out of the plane of the web, and thereafter drying said web such that said web exhibits enhanced absorbency and apparent bulk.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A web of cellulosic fibers having a basis weight in the range of about 5 to about 45 pounds per ream, said web being characterized in that it is bifacial, one face thereof comprising a large number of nubs projecting out of the plane of said web, said web having been formed by the deposition of a furnish of said cellulosic fibers in a flowable medium onto a woven forming fabric at rates of furnish flow and of withdrawal of flowable medium through said fabric which develop fluid shear conditions within the furnish as it is initially deposited onto said fabric that tend to orient the length dimension of the fibers out of the plane of the web, and thereafter drying said web such that said web exhibits enhanced absorbency and apparent bulk.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
The paper web of Claim 1, characterized in that each of said such nubs contains fiber segments which have their respective axial dimensions oriented at an angle with respect to the plane of the web and are relatively closely packed so that the fibers in a nub tend to provide lateral support one for another and define capillary-like spaces therebetween for the transfer of liquid into said web by way of said nub.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The paper web of Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that said nubs are disposed so as to be resistant to permanent collapse in a direction normal to the base plane of the web.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said fibers in said nubs define substantial numbers of capillaries whose respective lengths are oriented acutely angularly with respect to the base plane of the web.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The paper web of Claim 4, characterized in that said capillaries represent substantially non-tortuous passageways for the flow of liquid therealong.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said fibers have an average length of less than about 4mm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that each of said nubs has side walls that are inclined with respect to the plane of the web.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The paper web of Claim 7, characterized in that each of said nubs is deeper in its central portion than in its perimeter portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said web is formed on a complex woven forming fabric.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
88 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said web is formed under conditions of furnish flow wherein a furnish at between about 0.1% and 0.05% fiber content by weight in an aqueous medium is deposited onto a forming fabric and sufficient water is withdrawn therefrom in about the first eight inches of travel of the fabric downstream of the point of deposition of the furnish onto the forming fabric to increase the fiber content on the forming fabric to at least about 2% by weight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said web, after its initial formation on the forming fabric, is further formed and dried without material disruption of the initially-developed interfiber bonding.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said web exhibits an apparent bulk in excess of about 10 cc/g.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The paper web of any preceding claim, characterized in that said web includes about 100 nubs per inch² or more.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The paper web of Claim 1, characterized in that each nub has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of about 4 mm or less.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
124 words
A web of cellulosic fibers characterized in that said web has a basis weight in the range of about 5 to 45 pounds per ream, an apparent bulk in excess of about 10 cc/g, and absorbency of 5.5 g/g or greater, said web being bifacial, one face thereof comprising about 100 nubs per in.² or more projecting out of the plane of the web, each nub containing fiber segments having their respective axial dimensions oriented at an angle with respect to the plane of the web and being relatively closely packed so that the fibers in the nubs tend to provide lateral support one for another and define capillary-like spaces therebetween for the transfer of liquid into said web by way of said nubs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
124 words
A web of cellulosic fibers characterized in that said web has a basis weight in the range of about 5 to 45 pounds per ream, an apparent bulk in excess of about 10 cc/g, and absorbency of 5.5 g/g or greater, said web being bifacial, one face thereof comprising about 100 nubs per in.² or more projecting out of the plane of the web, each nub containing fiber segments having their respective axial dimensions oriented at an angle with respect to the plane of the web and being relatively closely packed so that the fibers in the nubs tend to provide lateral support one for another and define capillary-like spaces therebetween for the transfer of liquid into said web by way of said nubs.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A web in accordance with Claim 15, characterized by having a caliper of about 0.01 inch or more measured with a foot of 2 inches diameter at a load of 0.3838 psi.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
60 words
A web in accordance with Claim 15, characterized by having been formed by the deposition of said fibers from a furnish onto a foraminous member at rates of flow and of liquid withdrawal that form initial good interfiber bonding, and thereafter not being subjected to material disruption of the bonding between the fibers thereof prior to drying of said web.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for the production of a paper web from a furnish of papermaking fibers comprising such fibers dispersed in a flowable medium and comprising the steps of dispersing said fibers within said furnish, collecting said fibers in a plurality of pockets defined in a complex woven foraminous forming fabric, substantially immediately withdrawing sufficient flowable medium from said furnish deposited on said fabric at a withdrawal rate to increase the fiber consistency of the web on said fabric to about 10%, a minor portion of the withdrawn flowable medium being withdrawn in a direction generally laterally of said fabric and the remaining portion of the withdrawn flowable medium being withdrawn in a direction generally normal to the plane of said fabric, whereby substantial numbers of said fibers from said furnish are caused to become oriented with at least a portion of their length dimension at an angle to the plane of the fabric and sufficient numbers of said fibers and/or segments thereof are caused to be deposited within said pockets to substantially fill said pockets with fibers and/or fibers segments and define a web on said fabric.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for the production of a paper web from a furnish of papermaking fibers comprising such fibers dispersed in a flowable medium and comprising the steps of dispersing said fibers within said furnish, collecting said fibers in a plurality of pockets defined in a complex woven foraminous forming fabric, substantially immediately withdrawing sufficient flowable medium from said furnish deposited on said fabric at a withdrawal rate to increase the fiber consistency of the web on said fabric to about 10%, a minor portion of the withdrawn flowable medium being withdrawn in a direction generally laterally of said fabric and the remaining portion of the withdrawn flowable medium being withdrawn in a direction generally normal to the plane of said fabric, whereby substantial numbers of said fibers from said furnish are caused to become oriented with at least a portion of their length dimension at an angle to the plane of the fabric and sufficient numbers of said fibers and/or segments thereof are caused to be deposited within said pockets to substantially fill said pockets with fibers and/or fibers segments and define a web on said fabric.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of Claim 18 and including the step of drying said web while on said fabric.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of Claim 18 wherein said furnish is between about .005% and .5% fiber consistency when deposited on said fabric.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of Claim 15 wherein the consistency of said furnish is substantially increased beyond its initial consistency within about 8 inches of forward travel on said fabric after initial deposition on said fabric.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of Claim 16 wherein said fabric defines between about 100 and 500 pockets per square inch of fabric.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 22 wherein said fabric defines at least about 100 pockets per square inch of fabric.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 15 wherein there is deposited onto said fabric between about 0.004 g and about 0.02 g of fibers per square inch of fabric.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of Claim 18 wherein the pockets of said fabric are of a minimum depth of about 0.010 inch.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
A web product produced in accordance with the method of Claim 18.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.