Seamless unitary deflection member for making fibrous structures having increased surface area and process for making same
A seamless unitary deflection member. The seamless unitary deflection member can have a backside defining an X-Y plane and a thickness in a Z-direction. The seamless unitary deflection member can also have a reinforcing member and a plurality of protuberances positioned on the reinforcing member. Each protuberance can have a three-dimensional shape such that any cross-sectional area of the protuberance parallel to the X-Y plane can have an equal or lesser area than any cross-sectional area of the protuberance being a greater distance from the X-Y plane in the Z-direction.
1. A seamless unitary deflection member, the seamless unitary deflection member being a seamless belt and comprising:
a. a fluid pervious reinforcing member;
b. a patterned framework comprising a plurality of regularly spaced protuberances extending from said reinforcing member, at least two of said protuberances being similar in size and shape, each said protuberance having a transition portion having a transition portion width and a forming portion having a forming portion width; and
c. wherein the transition portion width is less than the forming portion width; wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are linear segments, the linear segments having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, egg-or pebble-shaped and combinations thereof.
2. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of said protuberances are adjacent one another and separated by a void defining a deflection conduit.
3. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are spaced apart in either the MD or CD.
4. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are generally parallel linear segments oriented predominantly in the MD or CD.
5. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration of discrete units in an X-Y plane and distributed in both the MD and CD in a regular, spaced pattern.
6. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein the framework is a semi-continuous framework.
7. The deflection member of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are substantially identical in size and shape.
8. A seamless unitary deflection member, the seamless unitary deflection member being a seamless belt and comprising:
a. a fluid pervious reinforcing member;
b. a patterned framework comprising a plurality of regularly spaced protuberances extending from said reinforcing member, at least two of said protuberances being similar in size and shape, each said protuberance having a transition portion having a transition portion width and a forming portion having a forming portion width; and
c. wherein the transition portion width is less than the forming portion width; wherein the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are discrete units disposed in a regular, spaced apart configuration in both the MD and CD, each discrete unit having a cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape being selected from key-hole-shaped, mushroom-shaped, circular, oval, egg- or pebble-shaped, and combinations thereof.
9. The deflection member of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the plurality of regularly spaced protuberances are substantially identical in size and shape.
10. The deflection member of claim 8 , wherein the at least two of said protuberances are adjacent one another and separated by a void defining a deflection conduit.