Discretized Patterned Belt for Tissues, Towels, and Nonwovens

Abstract

The invention relates to an industrial fabric, such as a texturing belt, used to create three-dimensional structures in a product produced thereon, e.g., in the papermaking field, such as for fiber products, and in nonwoven processes. The invention concerns a texturing belt that can impart an endless variety of complex patterns utilizing discretization, such as, wherein individual subunits that comprise a pattern element are not connected, and therefore do not act as a stressed member of the texturing belt.

1 . An industrial fabric for producing a textured product, the industrial fabric comprising:
 a first layer; and   a second layer covering at least a portion of a top surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of non-adjoining subunits deposited on the top surface of the first layer, the plurality of non-adjoining subunits spaced apart from one another to define an area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits, wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits and the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits define a pattern element having a discretized shape on the top surface of the first layer.   
     
     
         2 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits are distributed within a continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, the continuous region having a shape corresponding to the discretized shape of the pattern element. 
     
     
         3 . The industrial fabric of  claim 2 , wherein the continuous region on the top surface of the first layer is a first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, and the first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer surrounds a second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer such that the plurality of non-adjoining subunits of the second layer define a shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         4 . The industrial fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the discretized shape of the pattern element comprises one or more geometric elements that define an inner perimeter of the discretized shape, the inner perimeter of the discretized shape defining the shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         5 . The industrial fabric of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more geometric elements comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: a line and a curve. 
     
     
         6 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits each have a three-dimensional shape. 
     
     
         7 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern element forms a complex pattern on the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         8 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises at least one base fabric selected from the group consisting of: a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a laminate, and a composite fabric. 
     
     
         9 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises a nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric comprises at least one fiber structure selected from the group consisting of: a machine direction yarn array, a cross-machine direction yarn array, a braids, a series of independent rings, a spiral linked fabric, an extruded mesh, a knitted structure, a foil, a film, a spunbond fabric, a carded fiber, a needled fiber, an airlaid fiber, a melt blown fiber, and a wetlaid fiber structure. 
     
     
         10 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of: an engineered polymer, a thermoplastic, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a polyamide, a polyester, a co-polyester, an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and a thermoset. 
     
     
         11 . The industrial fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one material comprises the thermoset, and the thermoset is a catalyzed, moisture-cured, thermal-activated, or photo-activated polymer system. 
     
     
         12 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits of the second layer extend over a length and/or a width of the first layer. 
     
     
         13 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern element comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of: a round shape, a polygonal shape, a line, a curve, a letter, a number, a word, a logo, a trademark, an animal, a plant, a food, a person, and a terrain. 
     
     
         14 . The industrial fabric of  claim 6 , wherein the three-dimensional shape of the plurality of non-adjoining subunits comprises at least one shape selected from the group consisting of: a cube, a column, a pyramid, a cone, a prism, a sphere, an ellipsoid, and a tetrahedron. 
     
     
         15 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the industrial fabric is a texturing belt or processing belt. 
     
     
         16 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein an inter-subunit spacing at least partially defines the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits, the inter-subunit spacing being configured to minimize substantial fiber penetration of the textured product into the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits of the pattern element when the industrial fabric is used to produce the textured product. 
     
     
         17 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein an inter-subunit spacing at least partially defines the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits, the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits sized to cause fibers of the textured product to extend across the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits when the industrial fabric is used to produce the textured product. 
     
     
         18 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the non-adjoining subunits of the second layer are in-plane with a surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         19 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the industrial fabric comprises three or more layers, the three or more layers comprising the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
         20 . The industrial fabric of  claim 19 , wherein the three or more layers comprises a third layer comprising at least one base fabric selected from the group consisting of: woven fabrics, nonwovens, laminates, and composites. 
     
     
         21 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , further comprising a third layer, wherein the third layer is a base fabric, and wherein the first layer covers at least a portion of a top surface of the third layer. 
     
     
         22 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , further comprising a third layer, wherein the third layer is a base fabric, and wherein the first layer is a layer of batt fiber covering at least a portion of a top surface of the third layer. 
     
     
         23 . The industrial fabric of  claim 1 , wherein a length of a subunit of the plurality of non-adjoining subunits is no more than 1 mm. 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a textured product comprising:
 texturing a product with an industrial fabric, the industrial fabric comprising:
 a first layer; and 
 a second layer covering at least a portion of a top surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of non-adjoining subunits deposited on the top surface of the first layer, the plurality of non-adjoining subunits spaced apart from one another to define an area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits, wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits and the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits define a pattern element having a discretized shape on the top surface of the first layer. 
   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits are distributed within a continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, the continuous region having a shape corresponding to the discretized shape of the pattern element. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the continuous region on the top surface of the first layer is a first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, and the first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer surrounds a second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer such that the plurality of non-adjoining units of the second layer define a shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the discretized shape of the pattern element comprises one or more geometric elements that define an inner perimeter of the discretized shape, the inner perimeter of the discretized shape defining the shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         28 . A method of fabricating an industrial fabric, the method comprising:
 providing a first layer of the industrial fabric;   depositing material on a top surface of the first layer of the industrial fabric; and   bonding the deposited material to the top surface of the first layer of the industrial fabric such that the deposited material at least partially forms a second layer of the industrial fabric, the second layer comprising a plurality of non-adjoining subunits formed by the deposited material, the plurality of non-adjoining subunits spaced apart from one another to define an area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits, wherein the plurality of non-adjoining subunits and the area between the plurality of non-adjoining subunits define a pattern element having a discretized shape on the top surface of the first layer.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein depositing the material on the top surface of the first layer of the industrial fabric comprises:
 depositing the material on the top surface of the first layer of the industrial fabric within a continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, the continuous region having a shape corresponding to the discretized shape of the pattern element.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the continuous region on the top surface of the first layer is a first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer, and the first continuous region of the top surface of the first layer surrounds a second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer such that the plurality of non-adjoining units of the second layer define a shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the discretized shape of the pattern element comprises one or more geometric elements that define an inner perimeter of the discretized shape, the inner perimeter of the discretized shape defining the shape of the second continuous region of the top surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein bonding the deposited material to the top surface of the first layer of the industrial fabric comprises curing the deposited material.