Apparatus and method for degrading a web in the machine direction while preserving cross-machine direction strength
View Patent ↗An embossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web is provided comprising a first embossing roll having embossing elements and at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements, wherein the elements of the first and second embossing rolls define perforate nips for embossing and perforating the web and wherein at least a predominate number of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Moreover, substantially all of the nips defined by the embossing elements of the first and second embossing rolls can be substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Further, the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of about 85° to 95° from the machine direction.
1. An embossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web comprising:
a first embossing roll having embossing elements; and
at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements, wherein the embossing elements of the first and second embossing rolls define perforate nips for embossing and perforating the web; and
wherein at least a portion of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction.
2. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein substantially all of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction.
3. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein all of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction.
4. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially oval shaped.
5. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially hexagonal shaped.
6. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially rectangular shaped.
7. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of from at least about 60° to 120° from the machine direction.
8. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of from about 85–95° from the machine direction.
9. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 15 mils.
10. The embossing system of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 30 mils.
11. The embossing system of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of about 30 to 65 mils.
12. The embossing system of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 45 mils.
13. The embossing system of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 60 mils.
14. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in full-step alignment.
15. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in half-step alignment.
16. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in quarter-step alignment.
17. The embossing system of claim 1 having a cross-machine element engagement of from about at least 15 mils.
18. The embossing system of claim 1 having a cross-machine element engagement of from about at least 16 to 32 mils.
19. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements have angled sidewalls, wherein the sidewalls have an angle of less than about 20°.
20. The embossing system of claim 19 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine embossing elements is less than about 17°.
21. The embossing system of claim 19 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine embossing elements is less than about 14°.
22. The embossing system of claim 19 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine embossing elements is less than about 11°.
23. The embossing system of claim 19 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine embossing elements is from about 7° to 11°.
24. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the elements have a height of about 30 mils and have an engagement of about 15 mils.
25. The embossing system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the elements have a height of about 30 mils and have an engagement of about 24 mils.
26. An embossing system for embossing at least a portion of a web comprising:
a first embossing roll; and
at least a second embossing roll,
wherein each of the first and second embossing rolls has at least one juxtaposable embossing element substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction, thereby defining a cross-machine direction perforate nip between the cross-machine direction elements for embossing and perforating the web, and
wherein at least a substantial portion of the cross-machine direction elements have at least the ends beveled.
27. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially oval shaped.
28. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially hexagonal shaped.
29. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the embossing elements are male elements that are substantially rectangular shaped.
30. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of from at least about 60° to 120° from the machine direction.
31. The embossing system of claim 30 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of about 85° to 95° from the machine direction.
32. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 15 mils.
33. The embossing system of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 30 mils.
34. The embossing system of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least from about 30 to 65 mils.
35. The embossing system of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 45 mils.
36. The embossing system of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 60 mils.
37. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in full-step alignment.
38. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in half-step alignment.
39. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in quarter-step alignment.
40. The embossing system of claim 26 having a cross-machine element engagement of greater than at least about 15 mils.
41. The embossing system of claim 26 having a cross-machine element engagement of between about 16 to 32 mils.
42. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements have angled sidewalls, wherein the sidewalls have an angle of less than about 20°.
43. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine direction elements is less than about 17°.
44. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine direction elements is less than about 14°.
45. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine direction elements is less than about 11°.
46. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine embossing elements is from about 7° to 11°.
47. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the elements have a height of about 30 mils and have an engagement of about 15 mils.
48. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein the sidewall angle of the cross-machine direction elements is less than about 11°.
49. The embossing system of claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the elements have a height of about 30 mils and have an engagement of about 24 mils.
50. An embossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web comprising:
a first embossing roll; and
at least a second embossing roll,
wherein each of the first and second embossing rolls has at least one juxtaposable embossing element defining a cross-machine direction perforate nip between the cross-machine direction elements for embossing and perforating the web, and
wherein at least a substantial portion of the cross-machine direction elements have sidewall angles of less than about 20°.
51. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine direction elements have sidewall angles of less than about 17°.
52. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine direction elements have sidewall angles of less than about 14°.
53. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine direction elements have sidewall angles of from about 7° to 11°.
54. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the embossing elements are substantially oval shaped.
55. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the embossing elements are substantially hexagonal shaped.
56. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the embossing elements are substantially rectangular shaped.
57. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of from at least about 60° to 120° from the machine direction.
58. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of about 85° to 95° from the machine direction.
59. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the height of the cross-machine embossing elements is from at least about 15 mils.
60. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the height of the cross-machine embossing elements is from at least about 30 mils.
61. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the height of the cross-machine embossing elements is from about 30 to 65 mils.
62. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the height of the cross-machine embossing elements is at least from about 45 mils.
63. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the height of the cross-machine embossing elements is at least from about 60 mils.
64. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in full-step alignment.
65. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in half-step alignment.
66. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein the cross-machine embossing elements are in quarter-step alignment.
67. The embossing system of claim 49 having a cross-machine element engagement of from greater than about 15 mils.
68. The embossing system of claim 49 having a cross-machine element engagement of at least about 16 to 32 mils.
69. The embossing system of claim 49 wherein at least a portion of the elements have a height of at least about 30 mils and have an engagement of at least about 15 mils.
70. The embossing system of claim 1 , 26 , or 49 wherein at least a first portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 15 mils and wherein at least a second portion of the cross-machine embossing elements are male elements having a height of at least about 15 mils and wherein the height of the second portion elements is greater than that of the first portion elements.