Method for making a fibrous structure comprising cellulosic and synthetic fibers

A method for making a fibrous structure, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a mixture of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers onto a forming member comprising a plurality of fluid-permeable areas present in a pattern and a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas, wherein the fluid-permeable areas form a pattern of channels, the mixture provided such that at least some of the synthetic fibers are disposed in the channels;
• providing a plurality of long cellulosic fibers onto the mixture of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers such that the long cellulosic fibers are disposed adjacent to the synthetic fibers to form an embryonic web;
• forming a unitary fibrous structure from the embryonic web;
• transferring the unitary fibrous structure to a molding member comprising a plurality of fluid-permeable areas present in a pattern and a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas, wherein the fluid-permeable areas form a pattern of channels;
• and
• redistributing at least some of the synthetic fibers by heating the synthetic fibers within the fluid-permeable areas of the molding member resulting in a pattern of micro-regions of synthetic fibers corresponding to the fluid-permeable areas of the molding member.

A method for making a unitary fibrous structure, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first aqueous slurry comprising a mixture of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers;
• providing a second aqueous slurry comprising a plurality of long cellulosic fibers;
• depositing the first and second aqueous slurries onto a forming member comprising a plurality of fluid-permeable areas present in a pattern and a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas, wherein the fluid-permeable areas form a pattern of channels;
• partially dewatering the deposited first and second slurries to form an embryonic web comprising the plurality of long cellulosic fibers randomly distributed throughout at least one layer of the fibrous web and the mixture of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers at least partially non-randomly distributed in the channels;
• forming a unitary fibrous structure from the embryonic web;
• transferring the unitary fibrous structure to a molding member comprising a plurality of fluid permeable areas present in a pattern and a plurality of fluid impermeable areas, wherein the fluid-permeable areas form a pattern of channels;
• applying a fluid pressure differential to the unitary fibrous structure disposed on the molding member, thereby molding the unitary fibrous structure according to the pattern of channels, wherein the unitary fibrous structure disposed on the molding member comprises a first plurality of micro-regions corresponding to a plurality of fluid-permeable areas of the molding member and a second plurality of micro-regions corresponding to a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas of the molding member;
• redistributing at least some of the synthetic fibers by heating the synthetic fibers within the fluid-permeable areas of the molding member resulting in a pattern of micro-regions of synthetic fibers corresponding to the fluid-permeable areas of molding member;
• and
• transferring the unitary fibrous structure from the molding member to a drying surface.