Soft absorbent sheets, structuring fabrics for making soft absorbent sheets, and methods of making soft absorbent sheets
Soft absorbent sheets, structuring fabrics for producing soft absorbent sheets, and methods of making soft absorbent sheets. The soft absorbent sheets have a plurality of projected regions and connecting regions that connect the projected regions. The projected regions include folds that are curved relative to a machine direction of the absorbent sheet, with ends of the curved folds being on opposite sides of the projected regions, and with apexes of the curved folds being positioned downstream in the machine direction of the absorbent sheet. The absorbent sheets can be formed by structuring fabrics that have angled lines of warp yarn knuckles.
1. An absorbent cellulosic sheet comprising:
a plurality of projected regions projecting from the absorbent sheet, the projected regions including folds in the absorbent sheet that are curved relative to a machine direction of the absorbent sheet, with ends of the curved folds being positioned on opposite sides of the projected regions and such that one of the ends of each of the curved folds is positioned downstream from other ends of the curved folds in the machine direction of the absorbent sheet, and with apexes of the curved folds being positioned downstream in the machine direction of the absorbent sheet; and
connecting regions connecting the projected regions of the absorbent sheet.
2. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 1 , wherein each of the projected regions includes a plurality of the curved folds.
3. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 2 , further including indented bars formed in the absorbent sheet between the curved folds in each projected region.
4. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 1 , wherein an average radius of curvature of the curved folds is about 1.2 mm.
5. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 1 , further including a plurality of folds at positions in the connecting regions adjacent to ends of the projected regions that are upstream in the machine direction of the absorbent sheet.
6. An absorbent cellulosic sheet comprising:
a plurality of projected regions projecting from the absorbent sheet, the projected regions including folds in the absorbent sheet that are curved relative to a machine direction of the absorbent sheet, with ends of the curved folds being on opposite sides of the projected regions, each of the curved folds having a radius of curvature of about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm; and
connecting regions connecting the projected regions of the absorbent sheet.
7. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 6 , wherein an average radius of curvature of the curved folds is about 1.2 mm.
8. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 6 , wherein each of the projected regions includes a plurality of the curved folds.
9. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 8 , further including indented bars formed in the absorbent sheet between the curved folds in each projected region.
10. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 6 , further including a plurality of folds at positions in the connecting regions adjacent to ends of the projected regions that are upstream in the machine direction of the absorbent sheet.
11. A papermaking web comprising:
a plurality of projected regions projecting from the papermaking web, wherein projected regions including folds in the papermaking web that are curved relative to a machine direction of the papermaking web, with ends of the curved folds being on opposite sides of the projected regions and such that one of the ends of each of the curved folds is positioned downstream from other ends of the curved folds in the machine direction of the papermaking web, and with apexes of the curved folds being positioned downstream in the machine direction of the papermaking web; and
connecting regions connecting the projected regions of the papermaking web.
12. A papermaking web according to claim 11 , wherein each of the projected regions includes a plurality of the curved folds.
13. A papermaking web according to claim 12 , further including indented bars formed in the papermaking web between the curved folds in each projected region.
14. A papermaking web according to claim 12 , wherein a radius of curvature of each of the folds is about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm.
15. An absorbent cellulosic sheet comprising:
a plurality of projected regions projecting from the absorbent sheet, the projected regions including folds that are curved relative to a machine direction of the absorbent sheet, with ends of the curved folds being on opposite sides of the projected regions, wherein the absorbent sheet has a normalized fold curvature ratio that is less than about 4; and
connecting regions connecting the projected regions of the absorbent sheet.
16. An absorbent sheet according to claim 15 , wherein the normalized fold curvature ratio for the fabric is about 0.5 to about 4.
17. An absorbent sheet according to claim 16 , wherein the normalized fold curvature ratio for the fabric is about 2.
18. An absorbent sheet according to claim 15 , wherein the average radius of curvature for the curved folds is about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm.
19. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 15 , wherein each of the projected regions includes a plurality of the curved folds.
20. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 19 , further including indented bars formed between the curved folds in each projected region.
21. An absorbent cellulosic sheet comprising:
a plurality of projected regions projecting from the absorbent sheet, the projected regions including folds in the absorbent sheet that are curved relative to a machine direction of the absorbent sheet; and
connecting regions connecting the projected regions of the absorbent sheet, the connecting regions including a plurality of folds at positions adjacent to ends of the projected regions.
22. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 21 , wherein each of the projected regions includes a plurality of the curved folds.
23. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 22 , further including indented bars formed in the absorbent sheet between the curved folds in each projected region.
24. An absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 21 , wherein an average radius of curvature of the curved folds is about 1.2 mm.