Absorbent stack of sheets having compressed and sewn binding
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsJulie Ann Paveletzke, Christopher Peter Olson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a stack of absorbent sheets, such as paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins, facial tissue, and the like. The stack has a binding element that is compressed and sewn with a first line of stitching disposed adjacent to the first edge of the bound stack, such as the top edge. The binding element may be free from adhesives. The line of stitches facilitate separation and removal of individual sheets and may alleviate the need for perforations or a line of weakness.
Claims27
A stack of absorbent sheets, the stack having a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of opposed side edges, the stack comprising:
- a plurality of absorbent sheets having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction stacked in facing arrangement;
- a binding element comprising a compressed region and a first line of stitches disposed along at least a portion of the compressed region, and an uncompressed region, wherein the compressed region has a first thickness (T1) and the uncompressed region has a second thickness (T2) and wherein T1 is less than T2.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A stack of absorbent sheets having a top surface and an opposed bottom surface, the stack comprising:
- a plurality of absorbent sheets having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction stacked in facing arrangement to form a stack of absorbent sheets, the stack having a top edge and a bottom edge;
- the stack having a compressed region and an uncompressed region, wherein the compressed region has a first line of stitches disposed thereon to form a binding element, wherein the compressed region has a minimum thickness (T1) that is less than the thickness of the uncompressed region (T2) and wherein the binding element is substantially free from adhesive and forms at least a portion of the top edge of the stack.
(canceled)
A method of manufacturing a stack of absorbent sheets bound without the use of adhesives or mechanical fasteners comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a plurality of absorbent sheets;
- b. stacking the plurality of absorbent sheets in facing arrangement with one another such that the facings of adjacent sheets in the stack are in direct contact with one another;
- c. passing a portion of the stack through a nip having a loading force of at least about 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi) to compress a portion of the stack and form a binding element and an adjacent uncompressed region, wherein the binding element has a thickness (T1) that is less than the thickness of the uncompressed region (T2);
- and
- d. sewing a first line of stitches along the binding element.
(canceled)
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.