Embossed non-woven fabric having a three-dimensional structure

1. A three-dimensionally embossed non-woven fabric having a first side and a second side and a manufacturing machine direction comprising:

fibers or filaments;

the first and second sides being provided with zones having regularly or irregularly alternating elevations and indentations, the elevations and indentations being transverse to the machine direction and the zones being separated from one another by unembossed, continuous areas extending in the machine direction, the unembossed, continuous areas constituting a proportion ranging from 5% to 50% with respect to the surface area of the non-woven fabric, the elevations when viewed in cross-section, being formed by a prolongation on both sides of the unembossed, continuous areas such that the fibers or filaments that form the elevations are stretched away from the unembossed continuous areas such that the fabric is thinner at the elevation than at the unembossed continuous areas.

2. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein tops of the elevations and indentations on both sides define imaginary planes, the imaginary planes having a distance H of 0.5 mm to 5.5 mm from one another.

3. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein tops of the elevations and indentations on both sides define imaginary planes, the imaginary planes having a distance of 0.9 mm to 4.5 mm from one another.

4. The fabric as recited in claim 1 , wherein the unembossed, continuous areas occupy a proportion of 10% to 33% relative to the surface area of the non-woven fabric.

5. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the fibers or filaments are primarily oriented in the machine direction.

6. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones are arranged in a grid-like pattern.

7. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones are arranged so that the elevations and indentations are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the unembossed, continuous areas.

8. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones have a clearance on both sides of the unembossed, continuous areas, viewed in the machine direction.

9. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones are asymmetrically displaced in relation to one another on both sides of the continuous areas viewed in the machine direction.

10. A method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric as recited in claim 1 comprising the steps of:

forming a flat non-woven fabric comprised of fibers or filaments primarily oriented in a manufacturing machine direction so that the fibers or filaments of the non-woven fabric are bonded together; and

subsequently subjecting the non-woven fabric to the action of at least one embossing roller at a temperature ranging from 65° C. to 160° C. so as to form a three-dimensional non-woven fabric, the unembossed, continuous areas extending in the machine direction.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the fibers or filaments are bonded by a binding agent.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the binding agent is applied to one side of the non-woven fabric.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein a wetting agent is added to the binding agent.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising providing a second application of the binding agent to the unembossed, continuous areas for reinforcement.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the second application of binding agent is performed by spraying or imprinting onto the unembossed, continuous areas.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the second application of binding agent is applied to both sides of the unembossed, continuous areas.

17. A device for implementing the method as recited in claim 10 comprising:

at least two embossing rollers meshing with one another so that the non-woven fabric may be passed between them and shaped, the embossing rollers including toothed wheels situated on a shaft and being separated from one another by spacers, the unembossed, continuous areas extending in the machine direction.

18. The device as recited in claim 17 wherein the toothed wheels have straight or oblique teeth.

19. The device as recited in claim 17 wherein the toothed wheels of embossing rollers are made of iron, copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof or of polymers.

20. The device as recited in claim 17 wherein the toothed wheel of one of the embossing rollers is made of aluminum and the toothed wheel of an other of the embossing rollers is made of polyamide.

21. The device as recited in claim 17 wherein only one embossing roller is heated.

22. The device as recited in claim 17 wherein a thermal radiator is provided for the heating.

23. A method for manufacturing the fabric as recited in claim 1 comprising manufacturing the fabric in the machine direction, the unembossed, continuous areas extending in the machine direction.

24. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones are arranged so that the elevations of each zone are aligned parallel to the indentations of the adjacent zones.

25. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein a mass per unit area of the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones is lower than the mass of the unembossed areas.

26. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein a mass per unit area of the elevations and indentations of adjacent zones is 60% lower than the mass of the unembossed areas.

27. The fabric as recited in claim 1 wherein the fibers or filaments are polymers.

28. The fabric as recited in claim 27 further comprising a hydrophilic, easy-to-wet, surface-active agent.

29. The fabric as recited in claim 27 wherein the fibers or filaments include crimped synthetic fibers.

30. A hygiene product including:

an acquisition and distribution layer including the fabric as recited in claim 1 ; and

an absorbent core lying under the acquisition and distribution layer.