Process and system for reorienting fibers in a foam forming process
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Wordlwide, Inc.
InventorsMarvin E. Swails, Joseph K. Baker, Mary F. Mallory, Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Abstract
A process for foam forming tissue or paper webs is disclosed. A foamed suspension of fibers is deposited onto a forming fabric and contacted with a gas flow prior to drying the web. For instance, the web can contact the gas flow prior to dewatering the web. The gas flow can have a volumetric flow rate and/or a velocity sufficient to rearrange the fibers within the web. In one embodiment, for instance, the gas flow can increase the caliper of the web, the stretch properties of the web, and/or the absorbency characteristics of the web. In one embodiment, the gas flow can be pulsed for producing a web with a distinctive pattern.
Claims20
A process for producing a tissue product comprising:
- depositing a foamed suspension of fibers onto a forming fabric to form a wet web having a caliper, the wet web having a bottom layer adjacent to the forming fabric and a top layer opposite the bottom layer;
- contacting the wet web with a gas flow sufficient to rearrange the fibers in the wet web while the web is moving, the gas flow being effective to cause a portion of the top layer to move slower than the bottom layer;
- and
- drying the web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.