Process for making unitary fibrous structure comprising randomly distributed cellulosic fibers and non-randomly distributed synthetic fibers

1. A process for making a unitary fibrous structure, comprising steps of:

providing a fibrous web comprising a plurality of cellulosic fibers randomly distributed throughout the fibrous web and a plurality of synthetic fibers randomly distributed throughout the fibrous web;

redistributing at least a portion of the synthetic fibers such that two or more regions of different basis weight of the synthetic fibers are formed in the fibrous web; and

densifying at least one of the regions that has a relatively high basis weight of synthetic fibers such that a unitary fibrous structure is formed.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of redistributing comprises at least partial moving of the synthetic fibers.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of redistributing comprises at least partial melting of the synthetic fibers.

4. The process of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:

providing a microscopically monoplanar molding member comprising a plurality of fluid-permeable areas and a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas;

providing a drying surface structured to receive the fibrous web thereon;

disposing the fibrous web on the molding member in a face-to-face relation therewith;

transferring the fibrous web to the drying surface; and

heating the embryonic web with hot gas to a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the synthetic fibers.

5. The process of claim 4 , further comprising the step or impressing the web between the molding member and a pressing surface to densify portions of the embryonic web.

6. The process of claim 4 , wherein in the step of providing a molding member, the molding member comprises a reinforcing element joined to the patterned framework in a face-to-face relation.

7. The process of claim 4 , wherein the step of providing a molding member comprises providing a molding member comprising a patterned framework selected from the group consisting of a substantially continuous pattern, a substantially semi-continuous pattern, a discrete pattern, or any combination thereof.

8. The process of claim 4 , wherein the step of providing an embryonic fibrous web comprises steps of:

providing an aqueous slurry comprising a plurality of cellulosic fibers mixed with a plurality of synthetic fibers;

providing a forming member structured to receive the aqueous slurry thereon;

depositing the aqueous slurry onto the forming member; and

partially dewatering the slurry to form to embryonic fibrous web comprising a plurality of cellulosic fibers randomly distributed throughout the web and a plurality of synthetic fibers randomly distributed throughout the web.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the step of providing a forming member comprises providing a forming member comprising a discrete pattern of a plurality of protuberances joined to a fluid-permeable reinforcing element.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of causing co-joining of at least a portion of the synthetic fibers with the cellulosic fibers and the synthetic fibers wherein the co-joining occurs in areas having a non-random and repeating pattern.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein in the step of causing co-joining of the synthetic fibers with the cellulosic fibers and other synthetic fibers occurs in areas having a non-random repeating pattern, wherein the non-random repeating pattern is selected from a substantially continuous pattern, a substantially semi-continuous pattern, a discrete pattern, or any combination thereof.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of causing co-joining of the synthetic fibers with the cellulosic and other synthetic fibers comprises heating the synthetic fibers.

13. A process for making a unitary fibrous structure, comprising steps of:

providing an aqueous slurry comprising a plurality of cellulosic fibers mixed with a plurality of synthetic fibers;

depositing the aqueous slurry on to a macroscopically monoplanar fluid-permeable forming member and partially dewatering the deposited slurry to form an embryonic web comprising a plurality of cellulosic fibers randomly distributed throughout the web and a plurality of synthetic fibers randomly distributed throughout the web;

transferring the embryonic web from to forming member to a microscopically monoplanar molding member comprising a non-random repeating pattern of a plurality of fluid-permeable areas and a plurality of fluid-impermeable areas, wherein the web disposed on the molding member comprises a first plurality of micro-regions corresponding to the plurality of fluid-permeable areas of the molding member and a second plurality of micro-regions corresponding to the plurality of fluid-impermeable areas of the molding member;

redistributing the synthetic fibers such that two or more regions of different basis weight of the synthetic fibers are formed in the fibrous web;

densifying at least one of the regions that has a relatively high basis weight of synthetic fibers such that a unitary fibrous structure is formed; and

heating at least one of the first plurality of micro-regions and the second plurality of micro-regions of the web to a temperature sufficient to cause at least partial melting of the synthetic fibers in at least one of the first plurality of micro-regions and the second plurality of micro-regions, thereby causing co-joining between the cellulosic fibers and the synthetic fibers in at least one of the first plurality of micro-regions and the second plurality of micro-regions.

14. The process of claim 13 , further comprising a step of causing redistribution of at least a portion of the synthetic fibers in the embryonic web so that a substantial portion of the plurality of the synthetic fibers is distributed throughout the web in a non-random repeating pattern.