# US 12,180,653 B2 · Woven papermaking fabric having converging, diverging or merging topography > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,653 B2 - Document ID: US12180653B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/880,394 - Filed: 2022-08-03 - Published: 2022-11-24 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29 - Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Inventors: Lynda Ellen Collins; Mark Alan Burazin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180653B2 ## CPC - D21F 11/006: {Making patterned paper} - D21F 1/00: Wet end of machines for making continuous webs of paper - D21F 1/0027: {Screen-cloths} - D21F 1/0036: {Multi-layer screen-cloths} - D21F 5/18: Drying webs by hot air - D21F 7/08: Felts - D21F 11/14: Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper - D21H 27/002: {Tissue paper; Absorbent paper (D21H21/22, D21H27/02, D21H27/20 take precedence; toilet paper A47K10/00; absorbent pads for physiological fluids A61L15/16; making on paper-making machines D21F11/00)} - D21H 27/02: Patterned paper (patterned coatings D21H19/66; embossing B31F1/07; prepared on the paper-making machines D21F11/00) - D21F: PAPER-MAKING MACHINES; METHODS OF PRODUCING PAPER THEREON - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Provided are woven papermaking fabrics having a web contacting surface having protuberances formed from woven warp and shute filaments. The protuberances, which may be oriented in the machine direction (MD) converge, merge, or diverge and may be arranged to form a pattern. In certain instances, the protuberance may comprise a first MD oriented protuberance having an element angle from about 0.5 to about 15 degrees, a second MD oriented protuberance having an element angle from about −0.5 to about −15 degrees wherein the first and second protuberances converge at a convergence area to form a third MD oriented protuberance having an element angle from about −15 to about 15 degrees. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A woven papermaking fabric having a machine contacting side and an opposite web contacting surface, the web contacting surface comprising a first machine direction (MD) oriented protuberance having an element angle from about 0.5 to about 15 degrees, a second MD oriented protuberance having an element angle from about −0.5 to about −15 degrees, the first and second protuberances converging at a convergence area to form a third MD oriented protuberance having an element angle from about −15 to about 15 degrees, wherein each of the MD oriented protuberances comprising a plurality of adjacent warp filaments woven above their corresponding shute filaments and having a float length from 4 to 50 and a paired portion having a float length from 2 to 8. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein the first and second MD oriented protuberances comprise from 2 to 6 warp filaments. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein the convergence area comprises at least four directly adjacent warp filaments woven above their corresponding shute filaments, wherein at least two of the directly adjacent warp filaments form a portion of the first and the second protuberances and each of the at least two directly adjacent warp filaments are woven above at least four shute filaments. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim of claim 1 wherein the MD oriented protuberances have substantially similar height, width, and length. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein the MD oriented protuberances form a continuous pattern. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein the first MD oriented protuberance has an element angle from 5.0 to 10.0 degrees and the second MD oriented protuberance has an element angle from about −5.0 to about −10.0 degrees. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of MD oriented protuberances have a protuberance height from about 0.2 to about 5.0 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of the MD oriented protuberances have an upper surface plane that extends uninterrupted along the length of the protuberance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein no shute filaments are woven into the warp filaments along the float length. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein the paired portion of the first and the second MD oriented protuberances has a first end and a second end, and the fabric further comprises a pair of bands disposed at the first and the second ends. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 10 wherein the pair of bands comprise a first stitch in which the interchange of warp and shute filaments comprises a warp filament above the shute float and a second stitch in which the interchange of warp and shute filaments comprises a warp filament below the shute float. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of MD oriented protuberances have an upper surface plane that extends uninterrupted along the length of the protuberance and a height that is substantially constant along the length of the protuberance, wherein the height is from about 0.75 to about 2.0 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 1 further comprising a discrete valley disposed between the first and second MD oriented protuberances. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The woven papermaking fabric of claim of claim 13 wherein the discrete valleys have a valley depth from about 0.30 to about 1.0 mm. ### Claim 15 A woven papermaking fabric having a machine direction axis and a cross-machine direction axis, the fabric comprising: a plurality of machine direction (MD) oriented warp filaments and a plurality of cross-machine direction (CD) oriented shute filaments, the shute filaments being interwoven with warp filaments to provide a machine contacting fabric side and opposed web contacting fabric side, the web contacting fabric side having a first, a second and a third machine direction (MD) oriented protuberances formed from two or more adjacent warp filaments woven in a twill pattern, wherein the first and the second MD oriented protuberances converge at a convergence area to form the third MD oriented protuberance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 wherein the first and second MD oriented protuberances are formed from 2 to 6 adjacent warp filaments. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 wherein the convergence area comprises at least four directly adjacent warp filaments woven above their corresponding shute filaments, wherein at least two of the directly adjacent warp filaments form a portion of the first and the second protuberances and each of the at least two directly adjacent warp filaments are woven above at least four shute filaments. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim of claim 15 wherein the first, second and third MD oriented protuberances have substantially similar height, width, and length. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 wherein the first MD oriented protuberance has an element angle from 5.0 to 10.0 degrees and the second MD oriented protuberance has an element angle from about −5.0 to about −10.0 degrees. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of MD oriented protuberances have a protuberance height from about 0.2 to about 5.0 mm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of the MD oriented protuberances have an upper surface plane that extends uninterrupted along the length of the protuberance. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The woven papermaking fabric of claim 15 further comprising a discrete valley disposed between the first and second MD oriented protuberances. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The woven papermaking fabric of claim of claim 22 wherein the discrete valleys have a valley depth from about 0.30 to about 1.0 mm.