The Procter Gamble Company

Leroy Joseph Kocher

Jill Marlene Orr

Timothy Ian Mullane

John Joseph Curro

John Brian Strube

Kirk Wallace Lake

Richard George Coe

Sarah Beth Gross

John Lee Hammons

Kelyn Anne Arora

Kevin Gerard Muhs

Robert Karl Isburgh

Keith Robert Priessman

Patterned substrates having a first substrate region that is incrementally mechanically stretched with corrugations and a second substrate region having a plurality of discrete unstretched portions completely surrounded by the first substrate region.

Patterned substrates

Methods and apparatuses for deforming a web are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method involves feeding a web into a nip that is formed between at least two intermeshing rolls. The rolls are configured for deforming a web with at least two sets of deformations that are oriented in different directions relative to the surfaces of the web.

Method and apparatus for deforming a web

Corrugated and apertured web materials are disclosed. More specifically, the webs comprise alternating ridges and grooves, wherein apertures are located in the grooves. In one embodiment, a web comprises alternating ridges and grooves as well as alternating regions of lower basis weight and higher basis weight. The higher basis weight regions are located in the ridges and grooves and the lower basis weight regions are located in the sidewalls between the ridges and grooves. The higher basis weight regions located in the grooves comprise apertures. The apertures have greater open area than previous apertures in similar webs.

Corrugated and apertured web

Methods of mechanically deforming a material are disclosed. The methods of mechanically deforming a material involve using forming members that are moving at different surface speeds relative to each other to form deformed web materials.

Methods of mechanically deforming materials

Apparatuses and processes for aperturing and stretching a web are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method involves feeding a web into a nip that is formed between at least one pair of intermeshing rolls. The first roll is a raised ridge rotary knife aperturing roll and the second roll is a ring roll; both rolls comprise ridges and grooves. The first roll comprises a plurality of spaced-apart teeth extending outwardly from the top surface of the ridges, said teeth having tips, wherein the top surface of said ridges are disposed between the tips of said teeth and the bottom surface of said grooves. These apparatuses and processes enable a web to be formed which comprises apertures having greater open area than previously achievable with traditional processes and apparatuses.

Apparatus and process for aperturing and stretching a web

Absorbent members, especially bulked absorbent members, and methods of making the same are disclosed. The absorbent member may be in the form of a unitary absorbent fibrous layer comprising at least some cellulose fibers. The unitary absorbent fibrous layer is at least partially stratified through its thickness. The absorbent member may also have a plurality of discrete deformations, such as depressions and/or apertures in its surfaces. The method involves subjecting a precursor web to at least one cycle (or pass) through a mechanical deformation process. The mechanical deformation process utilizes a first forming member and a second forming member that form a nip therebetween through which the precursor web is passed. The first and second forming members are moving at different speeds relative to each other when they come together to form the nip.

Growing community of inventors

Sunman, IN, United States of America

Leroy Joseph Kocher