WO2015044936A1

WO2015044936A1 - Patterned tissue

Info

Publication number: WO2015044936A1
Application number: PCT/IL2013/050805
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guy SHUBINSKY
Original assignee: Hogla-Kimberly Ltd.
Priority date: 2013-09-30
Filing date: 2013-09-30
Publication date: 2015-04-02

Abstract

Provided are patterned tissue webs and patterned rolled tissue products, and methods of manufacturing the same. The patterned tissue webs and products are manufactured by topically applying a pattern to a partially dewatered tissue web having a consistency from about 10 to about 50 percent. After application of the pattern, the tissue web is dried to a consistency from about 90 to about 100 percent. A wide variety of patterns may be applied to the tissue web in this manner, such as continuous and discontinuous patterns, and for example, a plurality of spaced apart continuous stripes of color oriented in the machine direction of the tissue web.

Description

PATTERNED TISSUE

BACKGROUND

Tissue paper is typically uniform in color, often white, with patterns being imposed by embossing and the like without changing the overall color of the tissue. Traditional white bath tissue is manufactured by forming a slurry of bleached papermaking fiber, such as kraft pulp fibers and wet laying the slurry onto a papermaking fabric using a headbox. The headbox deposits the slurry onto a moving papermaking fabric to form a sheet (also referred to as a web) that is subsequently dewatered, pressed, dried, and treated to form the finished tissue product.

In certain instances the prior art has taught the introduction of color and pattern to tissue paper. In those instances, particularly in the application of stripes of color orientated in the machine direction, dyes, pigments or other colorants have been added to the pulp slurry and the colored pulp slurring selectively deposited onto the papermaking fabric using discrete nozzles. For example, US Patent No. 6,270,625 describes a method for manufacturing paper having colored stripes, where the color is introduced to the paper by dyeing a portion of the fiber furnish, feeding the furnish to a distributor and delivering the slurry from the distributor to a headbox through a plurality of delivery lines. The delivery lines are coupled to the headbox at a plurality of locations spaced across the headbox in a cross machine direction.

Although the prior art provides methods of producing paper having stripes of colors orientated in the machine direction, the methods are not well suited for use in low basis weight grades, such as tissue paper. Due to the extremely dilute slurries used to form tissue webs and high machine speeds, introduction of dyed fibers at the headbox results in poorly formed sheets with stripes of color that bleed into the adjacent fiber giving the finished product a mottled appearance and poor formation quality. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods of manufacturing tissue having a pattern.

SUMMARY

It has now been surprisingly discovered that tissue having a pattern, such as a tissue having one or more stripes of color orientated in the machine direction, may be produced by applying a coloring agent after the web has been formed, but prior to drying. In this manner the coloring agent is topically applied to the web in a partially dewatered state and then subjected to drying. Application of a pattern to a tissue web in this manner results in patterns that are sharp and crisp and allows for the application of a wide variety of patterns and designs in a wide range of colors. Further, by applying the coloring agent immediately prior to drying, the coloring agent is rapidly fixed on the web, further preventing the coloring agent from dispersing in the cross machine direction.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a patterned tissue web comprising the steps of forming a dilute fiber slurry, depositing the dilute fiber slurry on a forming fabric, dewatering the fiber slurry to a consistency of at least about 10 percent thereby forming a partially dewatered web, topically applying one or more coloring agents to the partially dewatered web to form a pattern on the web; and drying the patterned web to a consistency of at least about 90 percent. In certain preferred embodiments the step of topically applying the coloring agent comprises a non-contacting application method, and more preferably topical spraying a coloring agent onto the partially dewatered tissue web.

In other embodiments the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a tissue web having a pattern oriented substantially in the machine direction comprising the steps of wet laying cellulosic fibers to form a wet tissue web, generally having a consistency from about 0.1 to about 1 percent, partially dewatering the tissue web to a consistency of from about 10 to about 50 percent, topically applying one or more coloring agents to the partially dewatered tissue web, drying the tissue web to a consistency of from about 90 to about 100 percent and creping the dried tissue web.

Tissue webs produced as described above may be subsequently converted to rolled tissue products. More preferably conversion results in a rolled tissue product comprising a patterned tissue web spirally wound around a core, each patterned tissue roll having a longitudinal axis and a pattern disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In certain preferred embodiments the pattern may comprise two or more patterns, for example, the pattern may have two stripes of color and in certain embodiments the stripes may have different colors and widths. In still other embodiments the pattern may be a discontinuous pattern of color or shapes and the converted tissue rolls may comprise one or more discontinuous patterns or shapes. In another embodiment the present disclosure provides a package of patterned tissue rolls comprising a plurality of patterned tissue rolls overwrapped with a wrapper, each patterned tissue roll comprising a patterned tissue web spirally wound around a core, each patterned tissue roll having a longitudinal axis and a pattern disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the pattern comprises at least two stripes of color and wherein no two rolls in the package have the same pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various non-limiting embodiments are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a tissue making process suitable for producing patterned tissue;

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment for topically applying a coloring agent to a partially dewatered web;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a spray nozzle useful in applying a coloring agent to a partially dewatered web; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the conversion of a patterned parent roll into packaged patterned rolls of bath tissue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is generally directed to a method of manufacturing a tissue product having a pattern oriented substantially in the machine direction of the tissue product. The pattern may be continuous, i.e., proceeding in the machine direction (MD) of the tissue web without interruption, or may be discontinuous. A continuous pattern may be, for example, a continuous stripe of color or wavelike pattern oriented substantially in the MD direction. A discontinuous pattern may be, for example, dots, broken lines or other interrupted design elements. The number of elements per unit length does not need to be constant but may vary along the length of the pattern or across the different discontinuous patterns when more than one are present. A single web, or tissue product, may have one continuous or discontinuous pattern, or it may have a plurality of patterns, such as two, three, four, or more patterns aligned in the MD direction and spaced apart from one another.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the pattern is continuous in the MD direction and in a particularly preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of colored stripes that are spaced apart from one another in the cross machine direction (CD). As used herein the term "stripe" generally refers to a pattern having substantially parallel sides that is distinguished from the appearance of the surrounding material or surface. A stripe may be continuous or discontinuous. Multiple stripes are generally separated from one another by spaces of untreated web, the untreated web having an appearance that is distinguishable from the stripes.

In a particularly preferred embodiment tissue webs prepared as described herein comprise a plurality of color stripes, such as two, three, four, five or more stripes. In certain embodiments the stripes are discrete, parallel, similarly sized and equally spaced from one another. In other embodiments the stripes are continuous, discrete and parallel to one another, but differ in width and spacing. The colored stripes may be the same color or may be different colors.

While the pattern may take on any number of forms, the pattern is generally formed by topically applying a coloring agent to the tissue web during manufacture when the consistency of the web is less than about 50 percent, such as from about 10 to about 50 percent and more preferably from about 20 to 40 percent. In this manner the coloring agent is added to the web after the web is formed and partially dewatered, but before it is fully dried. After the coloring agent is applied to form a patterned web, the web is dried to a consistency of at least about 90 percent, such as from about 90 to about 100 percent and more preferably from about 95 to about 98 percent.

The disclosed topical application processes and apparatus provide substantially improved efficiency and process control of imparting a pattern to a tissue web. Tissue webs manufactured according to the present disclosure may subsequently be converted into tissue products such as facial tissues, paper towels, bath tissues, napkins, and other similar products. Generally tissue products produced according to the present disclosure have a basis weight less than about 60 grams per square meter (gsm) and a bulk greater than about three cubic centimeters per gram (cc/g). Particularly preferred tissue products are rolled bath tissue products where the rolled products are bundled and packaged together and generally comprise 4, 8, 16 or more individual rolls where each roll has a pattern and more preferably where each roll in the package has a pattern that is different than the other rolls in the package.

In one particularly preferred embodiment the pattern comprises stripes of color orientated substantially in the machine direction. The stripes of color may be formed by topically applying a coloring agent to the partially dewatered web by spraying. In this manner the coloring agent is applied to the web before it is fully dried, generally having a consistency from about 10 to about 50 percent, but is soon fixed on the web by drying so that it will not migrate so far through the tissue web and that it does not migrate laterally, i.e., in the CD direction, so as to blend two adjacent stripes together.

In one embodiment, the coloring agent is applied to the web prior to drying by passing the web, generally supported by a felt or other papermaking fabric, over a spray nozzle positioned adjacent to the air side of the web. In a particularly preferred embodiment, where the tissue product is a creped tissue product, the spray nozzle is positioned adjacent to and immediately upstream of the press roll before the web is transferred to the Yankee dryer. In such embodiments the consistency of the web is less than about 50 percent and is backed by a felt as it travels from over the spray nozzle and onto the press roll nip. In certain embodiments the distance between the spray nozzle and the press roll nip is less than three meters, more preferably less than about two meters, such as from about one to about two meters.

In general, any tissue web may be treated in accordance with the present disclosure. Further, the resulting patterned tissue webs may be converted into a variety of tissue products, such as a bath tissue, a facial tissue, a paper towel, a napkin, and the like. Tissue products made according to the present disclosure may include single-ply or multiple-ply products. For instance, in some aspects, the product may include two plies, three plies, or more. Particularly preferred are multi-ply rolled tissue products, such as bath tissue and paper towels.

Tissue webs can be made from any suitable type of fiber and may comprise any natural or synthetic fibers including both nonwoody fibers and woody or pulp fibers. Pulp fibers can be prepared in high-yield or low-yield forms and can be pulped in any known method, including kraft, sulfite, high-yield pulping methods and other known pulping methods. Fibers prepared from organosolv pulping methods can also be used, including the fibers and methods disclosed in US Patent Nos. 4,793,898, 4,594,130, 3,585,104. Useful fibers can also be produced by anthraquinone pulping, exemplified by US Patent No. 5,595,628.

The tissue webs of the present disclosure can also include synthetic fibers. For instance, the tissue webs can include up to about 10 percent, such as up to about 30 percent or up to about 50 percent or up to about 70 percent or more by dry weight, to provide improved benefits. Suitable synthetic fibers include rayon, polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, bicomponent sheath-core fibers, multi-component binder fibers, and the like. Synthetic cellulose fiber types include rayon in all its varieties and other fibers derived from viscose or chemically-modified cellulose.

Chemically treated natural cellulosic fibers can be used, for example, mercerized pulps, chemically stiffened or crosslinked fibers, or sulfonated fibers. For good mechanical properties in using web forming fibers, it can be desirable that the fibers be relatively undamaged and largely unrefined or only lightly refined. While recycled fibers can be used, virgin fibers are generally useful for their mechanical properties and lack of contaminants. Mercerized fibers, regenerated cellulosic fibers, cellulose produced by microbes, rayon, and other cellulosic material or cellulosic derivatives can be used. Suitable web forming fibers can also include recycled fibers, virgin fibers, or mixes thereof.

In general, any process capable of forming a web can also be utilized in the present disclosure. For example, a web forming process of the present disclosure can utilize creping, wet creping, double creping, recreping, double recreping, embossing, wet pressing, air pressing, through-air drying, creped through-air drying, co-forming, airlaying, as well as other processes known in the art. Particularly preferred are tissue webs formed by wet laying, as known in the art.

The tissue web can also be formed without a substantial amount of inner fiber-to- fiber bond strength. In this regard, the fiber furnish used to form the base web can be treated with a chemical debonding agent. The debonding agent can be added to the fiber slurry during the pulping process or can be added directly to the headbox. Suitable debonding agents that may be used in the present disclosure include cationic debonding agents such as fatty dialkyl quaternary amine salts, mono fatty alkyl tertiary amine salts, primary amine salts, imidazoline quaternary salts, silicone, quaternary salt and unsaturated fatty alkyl amine salts. Other suitable debonding agents are disclosed in US Patent No. 5,529,665, which is incorporated herein by reference in a manner consistent herewith.

In certain embodiments webs prepared according to the present disclosure may be post treated to provide additional benefits. The types of chemicals that may be added to the web include absorbency aids usually in the form of cationic or non-ionic surfactants, humectants and plasticizers such as low molecular weight polyethylene glycols and polyhydroxy compounds such as glycerin and propylene glycol. Materials that supply skin health benefits such as mineral oil, aloe extract, vitamin-E, silicone, lotions in general, and the like, may also be incorporated into the finished products. Such chemicals may be added at any point in the web forming process.

Tissue webs that may be treated in accordance with the present disclosure may include a single homogenous layer of fibers or may include a stratified or layered construction. For instance, the tissue web ply may include two or three layers of fibers. Each layer may have a different fiber composition. For example a three-layered headbox generally includes an upper headbox wall and a lower headbox wall. Headbox further includes a first divider and a second divider, which separate three fiber stock layers.

Each of the fiber layers comprises a dilute aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers. The particular fibers contained in each layer generally depend upon the product being formed and the desired results. For instance, the fiber composition of each layer may vary depending upon whether a bath tissue product, facial tissue product or paper towel product is being produced. In one aspect, for instance, the middle layer contains southern softwood kraft fibers either alone or in combination with other fibers such as high yield fibers. Outer layers, on the other hand, contain softwood fibers, such as northern softwood kraft. In an alternative aspect, the middle layer may contain softwood fibers for strength, while the outer layers may comprise hardwood fibers, such as eucalyptus fibers, for a perceived softness.

In general, any process capable of forming a base sheet may be utilized in the present disclosure. For example, an endless traveling forming fabric, suitably supported and driven by rolls, receives the layered papermaking stock issuing from the headbox. Once retained on the fabric, the layered fiber suspension passes water through the fabric. Water removal is achieved by combinations of gravity, centrifugal force and vacuum suction depending on the forming configuration. Forming multi-layered paper webs is also described and disclosed in US Patent No. 5,129,988, which is incorporated herein by reference in a manner that is consistent herewith.

With reference now to the drawings, one particularly preferred apparatus for producing tissue according to the present disclosure is illustrated. Referring to FIG. 1, a tissue web, and more specifically a creped tissue web 32, is formed using a headbox 7, and more preferably a multi-layered headbox, between a forming fabric 10 and a conventional wet press papermaking (or carrier) felt 9. The forming fabric is guided by guide rolls 12 and 12'. The newly-formed web 10 is carried by the felt over a suction dewatering roll 13 to the dewatering pressure nip formed between vacuum press roll 14, transfer belt 16 and press roll 19. Other dewatering means can be used as well, such as an extended nip press. In the pressure nip, the tissue web is dewatered to a consistency of about 30 percent or greater as it is compressed between the felt and the impermeable transfer belt. Upon exiting the press nip, the web stays with the impermeable transfer belt and is subsequently transferred to a texturizing fabric 22 with the aid of a vacuum roll 23 containing a vacuum slot 41. Molding box 25 provides additional molding of the web to the texturizing fabric. In order to maximize molding, a vacuum box with multiple slots may be used, each slot being 10-15 mm wide to provide sufficient support to the fabric. The molding box may also be replaced with a vacuum roll which will enable longer vacuum residence time and less fabric wear.

A coloring agent 29 is preferably topically applied to the air- side of the web using a spray nozzle 26 prior to the press roll 24. During application of the coloring agent, the web is supported by the surface of the texturizing fabric. After application of the coloring agent, the web is transferred to the surface of a Yankee dryer 27 via press roll 24. To facilitate adhesion of the web to the dryer the surface of the Yankee dryer 27 may be sprayed with a creping agent using a spray boom 31 mounted below the dryer. The web is dried as it travels around the Yankee drier 27 and the dried web is removed using a doctor blade 21 to yield a creped web 32.

While FIG. 1 illustrates the application of the coloring agent 29 immediately prior to the press roll 24, addition may occur substantially at any point between the forming section and the dryer section. Simply, addition is suitable at any point during the manufacturing process where the consistency of the web is from about 10 to about 50 percent and more preferably from 20 to about 40 percent. During formation of the web the consistency is increased to about 10 percent, such as from about 8 to about 10 percent. The web is further dewatered when transferred to the press felt or press fabric. The press section or other dewatering device known in the art suitably increases the fiber consistency greater than about 20 percent, and more preferably greater than about 30 percent, such as from about 30 to about 50 percent, thereby creating a partially-dewatered web. Thus, when the coloring agent is topically applied to the partially- dewatered web, the consistency is less than about 50 percent, and more preferably less than about 40 percent, such as from about 20 to about 40 percent.

The partially-dewatered and colored web is subsequently transferred to a dryer section where evaporative drying is carried out on the partially-dewatered and patterned tissue web to an air-dry consistency, thereby forming a dried and patterned tissue web. The dried and patterned tissue web generally has a consistency greater than about 90, such as from about 90 to about 100.

The patterned tissue webs, produced as described above, may be converted into multi-ply tissue products with more than two (usually three or four) plies. In certain embodiments the multi-ply tissue product may comprise one patterned tissue web and one tissue web without a pattern. In other embodiments the product may comprise a three-ply tissue product formed by positioning three webs, an upper web, a middle web, and a lower web, respectively, where only the upper web has a pattern disposed thereon.

With further reference to the figures, the coloring agent may be added or applied to the partially-dewatered tissue web by one or more spray nozzles attached to a shower assembly positioned between the vacuum roll and the press roll across the width of (i.e. transverse to the movement of) web, such as the array 70 of spaced apart nozzles 72 illustrated in FIG. 2. Generally, the number of nozzles is selected so as to provide the desired pattern without completely covering the web with a pattern. As described in greater detail below, each nozzle is connected to a coloring agent supply conduit 73, atomizing air supply conduit 75 and a control air supply conduit 77.

Each nozzle 72 is preferably connected to a coloring agent reservoir and supply pump via a supply conduit 73, which may include a filter and valve. The pump is preferably a positive displacement pump, driven by a variable speed motor to control coloring agent flow. Each nozzle 72 is further connected to an atomizing air supply by an atomizing air supply conduit 75 and a control air supply by via a control air supply conduit 77.

Spray orifices, spray tips, spray nozzles, and spray guns used for conventional and electrostatic airless and air-assisted airless spraying are generally suitable for spraying the mixtures of the coloring agent. Spray guns, nozzles, and tips which are preferred do not have excessive flow volume between the orifice and the valve that turns the spray on and off, and do not obstruct the wide angle at which the spray typically exits the spray orifice. The orifice size is chosen to give the desired application rate of the additive composition for the given spray width. Devices and flow designs, such as pre-orifices or turbulence promoters, that promote turbulent or agitated flow in the liquid mixture prior to passing the mixture through the orifice may also be used. The pre-orifice preferably does not create an excessively large pressure drop in the flow of the liquid mixture. The pre-orifice can be used to adjust the spray properties and the spray rate.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, in a particular embodiment, the coloring agent is applied to a partially dewatered web using a high-pressure airless spraying nozzle 80. The spraying nozzle 80 may comprise a nozzle body 83 supporting nozzle 81 which terminates in a nozzle tip 82. In use the nozzle body 83 is connected to a source of pressurized solution of coloring agent. The fluid coloring agent is atomized in the nozzle 80 by passing the pressurized coloring agent through the nozzle orifice 84, which may be formed by an orifice sidewall 85, 87, which is generally small in size so as to restrict the coloring agent and produce an atomized fluid. To achieve proper atomization the coloring agent may be pressurized in the range of from about 50 to about 500 bar and more preferably from about 100 to about 300 bar.

Typically, the spray-coater apparatus includes a nozzle assembly designed to spray the coloring agent in width from about 0.5 to about 15 cm, such as from about 1 to about 10 cm, and more preferably from about 3 to about 5 cm. In this manner the nozzle assembly sprays the coloring agent in a fan-like pattern where the pattern has a spray angle suitable to achieve the desired patterned width. In addition to controlling the spray angle, the nozzle assembly may also be adjusted to control the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the tissue web. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment the nozzle assembly, or an array of nozzle assemblies, include a means for adjusting the distance between the nozzle tip and the base sheet. In certain embodiments the distance between the nozzles and the air side of the web is from about 2 to about 20 cm and more preferably from about 5 to about 10 cm. Preferably the web is supported by a suitable backing surface, such as a roll, belt, felt or wire, when the coloring agent is sprayed onto the web and the coloring agent is applied to the air-side of the web.

The coloring agent may be applied in any pattern. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the pattern may be a continuous stripe of color 100b and 100c, discontinuous stripes of color 100a and lOOd, or a discontinuous design lOOe. Generally the pattern covers less than 75 percent of the surface area of the finished parent roll, more preferably less than about 50 percent, such as from about 5 to 50 percent of the surface area of the parent roll. Further, the coloring agent add-on levels may be varied as necessary to achieve the desired pattern. For example, in one embodiment the coloring agent add-on level may be greater than about 10 mg per square meter of tissue surface area, such as from about 15 to about 40 mg/m .

Preferably the coloring agent is provided as a dye and more preferably as a dye in an aqueous solution. Accordingly, preferably water-soluble or water-dispersible dyes are used. Suitable dyes can be selected from basic, acid, or direct dyes. Particularly preferred are water soluble azo dyes which have an affinity for the negatively charged cellulosic fibers making up the tissue web. Particularly preferred azo direct dyes are commercially available from BASF under the trade name Pergasol™. Further, while any color dye may be suitable for use in the disclosed process, colors that provide contrast with the white tissue web are particularly preferred, such as red, orange and violet.

The coloring agent is preferably applied to the partially-dewatered web in an aqueous solution. The coloring agent can also be applied in a solution containing a suitable, nonaqueous solvent, in which the coloring agent dissolves or with which the coloring agent is miscible. The coloring agent may be supplied in neat form or, preferably, emulsified with a suitable surfactant emulsifier. An aqueous solution of coloring agent is preferable for ease of application and handling.

The coloring agent is preferably applied to the partially dewatered web in discrete patterns so that only portions of the web are colored. In this manner a web having machine direction oriented stripes of color is formed. Preferably the discrete color patterns are applied by spraying a coloring agent onto the partially-dewatered web. Spraying has been found to be economical, and susceptible to accurate control over quantity and distribution of the coloring agent, so is most preferred.

In the spray-coating technique the coloring agent is applied to one surface of tissue web, preferably the air contacting surface of a tissue web, by spraying nozzles in which the coloring agent is atomized into small droplets prior to spraying onto the moving tissue web. The coat quality can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the spraying nozzle and the web, the spray-jet velocity and the mass rate of spraying. Generally, there must be disposed a number of spraying nozzles in the cross-machine direction to the web travel, where the spraying nozzles are spaced apart to provide discrete color patterns on the web. In certain embodiments to prevent the coloring agent from escaping to the environment, the spraying nozzles are generally located in a closed space such as an enclosing hood.

In one particularly preferred embodiment the coloring agent is topically applied to the web using known airless spraying techniques, which involve forcing a coloring agent solution through a small, precise orifice at high pressures. This process results in the dispersion forming a fan pattern containing virtually no air turbulence, and thereby minimal overspray. The absence of air also reduces the droplet velocity, thereby minimizing the disturbance of the web.

After the coloring agent is topically applied to the web, the web is preferably dried to at least about a consistency of 80 percent and more preferably at least about 90 percent. The dried patterned web is then typically wound into a parent roll and then converted into individual rolls of bath tissue by slitting the parent roll into individual rolls of bath tissue. The rolls of bath tissue are then wrapped in appropriate packages. In this manner, the color pattern may be applied to the parent roll such that when it is converted to individual rolls of bath tissue, each roll has a different pattern. The unique rolls may then be packaged together so as to produce a package containing multiple rolls of tissue paper, where each roll has a unique color pattern.

Turning to FIG. 4, preferably the coloring agent is applied to the web such that multiple lines of color are formed on the finished web and more preferably multiple lines of color having varying colors and widths. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4a, the resulting parent roll 120 may have five discrete patterns, 100a, 100b, 100c, lOOd, and lOOe. Each line may have a different width and may comprise a different color or pattern. The parent roll 120 typically comprises a tissue web 105 wound around a solid core 124. The parent roll 120 has a width 112, which is substantially equivalent to the width of the web produced on the tissue machine, and a diameter 110. The five discrete patterns 100a, 100b, 100c, lOOd, and lOOe are substantially oriented in the machine direction (MD) and spaced apart from one another in the cross machine direction (CD). Generally during the converting of the parent roll to individual rolls of bath tissue, the tissue web 105 is unwound and slit to produce individual rolls of bath tissue. The approximate location of slits is illustrated in FIG. 4a by a dashed line 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d.

One embodiment of a patterned tissue roll 200 is illustrated in FIG. 4b. Each tissue roll 200 is generally cylindrical in shape with a roll width 212 and a roll diameter 214. The tissue roll 200 has a central longitudinal axis 228 and an outer surface 222 that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 220. Each tissue roll 200 is formed by winding a continuous web of patterned tissue 210 around the longitudinal axis 228 to form an empty central bore 226 centered on the longitudinal axis 228. The tissue 210 may include score lines 240 at regular intervals that define a sheet between two successive score lines 240. In the illustrated embodiment the pattern 100c, lOOd is disposed perpendicular to the score lines 240 and the longitudinal axis 228 and is continuous along the length of the tissue 210.

While tissue rolls 200 may be packaged and sold individually, in a particularly preferred embodiment a plurality of tissue rolls 200 are packaged in a single package 260. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4c a package 260 for a plurality of tissue rolls 200 is generally rectilinear and constructed from a poly film 262 or any other suitable material that overwraps the plurality of tissue rolls 200. The tissue rolls 200 are preferably stacked such that their longitudinal axes 220 are vertical and the patterns 100c, lOOd are oriented horizontally. More preferably the package 260 contains a plurality of patterned tissue rolls 200 where no two rolls have an identical pattern.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a patterned tissue web comprising the steps of: a. forming a dilute fiber slurry; b. depositing the dilute fiber slurry on a forming fabric; c. dewatering the fiber slurry to a consistency of at least about 10 percent thereby forming a partially dewatered web; d. topically applying one or more coloring agents to the partially dewatered web to form a pattern on the web; and e. drying the patterned web.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern is oriented substantially in the machine direction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pattern comprises two or more spaced apart stripes of color.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the two or more stripes of color are continuous.

5. The method of any one of the foregoing claims further comprising the step of creping the patterned web.

6. The method of any one of the foregoing claims wherein the one or more coloring agents are aqueous mixtures.

7. The method of any one of the foregoing claims wherein the fiber slurry is dewatered to a consistency from about 10 to about 50 percent to form a partially dewatered web.

8. The method of any one of the foregoing claims wherein the pattern is discontinuous.

9. The method of any one of the foregoing claims wherein the step of topically applying one or more coloring agents comprises spraying a coloring agent using one or more airless spray nozzles positioned adjacent to the air-side of the partially dewatered web.

10. The method of any one of the foregoing claims further comprising the step of compressing the patterned web using a pressure roll.

11. A method of manufacturing a creped rolled tissue product comprising a patterned tissue web spirally wound into a roll, the method comprising the steps of: a. forming a dilute fiber slurry; b. depositing the dilute fiber slurry on a forming fabric; c. dewatering the fiber slurry to form a partially dewatered web having a consistency from about 10 to about 50 percent; d. spraying a coloring agent onto the partially dewatered web from at least one nozzle array positioned in a spray location adjacent to the partially dewatered web to form a pattern on the web; e. drying the patterned web to a consistency of at least about 90 percent; f. creping the dried patterned web; and g. spirally winding the creped patterned web into a rolled tissue product.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the pattern comprises two or more spaced apart stripes of color oriented substantially in the machine direction.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the two or more spaced apart stripes of color are continuous.

14. The method of any one of claims 11 through 13 further comprising the step of compressing the patterned web using a pressure roll.

15. The method of any one of claims 11 through 14 wherein the partially dewatered web has a consistency from about 20 to about 40 percent.

16. The method of any one of claims 11 through 15 wherein the step of converting further consists of slitting the dried patterned web into a plurality of individual tissue strips, each strip having at least one pattern disposed thereon and spirally winding the strips around a core.

17. A package of patterned tissue rolls comprising a plurality of patterned tissue rolls overwrapped with a wrapper, each patterned tissue roll comprising a patterned tissue web spirally wound around a core, each patterned tissue roll having a longitudinal axis and a pattern disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the pattern comprises at least two stripes of color and wherein no two rolls in the package have the same pattern.

18. The package of patterned tissue rolls of claim 17 wherein the patterned tissue web has a basis weight less than about 60 grams per square meter (gsm) and a density greater than about 3 cubic centimeters per gram (cc/g).

19. The package of patterned tissue rolls of claim 18 wherein the patterned tissue web comprises two or more plies.

20. The package of patterned tissue rolls of claim 19 wherein the at least two stripes of color are disposed on only one of the two or more plies.