Process for making an article of manufacture on a single, continuous manufacturing line

Abstract

A process, for example a continuous process, for making an article of manufacture containing a fibrous structure, for example a composite structure, and more particularly to a process for making an article of manufacture containing a fibrous structure, such as a soluble fibrous structure, containing soluble filaments is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A continuous process for making a plurality of articles of manufacture, the continuous process comprising the steps of:
 a. spinning a plurality of soluble filaments from one or more dies to form a filament stream;   b. introducing a plurality of solid additives into the filament stream such that the solid additives and soluble filaments are comingled;   c. collecting the commingled solid additives and soluble filaments on a collection device such that a composite structure comprising commingled soluble filaments and solid additives is formed at the formation zone on the collection device; and   d. converting the composite structure into a plurality of articles of manufacture   wherein the steps a. through d. are performed on a single, continuous manufacturing line.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the step of spinning further comprises a step of providing a filament-forming composition comprising one or more filament-forming materials to the one or more dies. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the step of commingling comprises introducing the solid additives into the plurality of soluble filaments between at least one of the dies and the collection device. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the soluble filaments comprise filament forming material which is a polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 4  wherein the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the soluble filaments comprises one or more active agents present within the filament. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 6  wherein at least one of the one or more active agents comprises a surfactant. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the solid additives comprise particles. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles comprise water-soluble particles. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles comprise water-insoluble particles. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein at least one of the particles is an agglomerate. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles exhibit a D50 particle size of from about 100 μm to about 5000 μm as measured according to the Particle Size Distribution Test Method. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles exhibit a D10 of greater than 44 μm as measured according to the Particle Size Distribution Test Method. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles exhibit a D90 of less than 1400 μm as measured according to the Particle Size Distribution Test Method. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 8  wherein the particles comprise at least one active agent-containing particle. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the process results in a solid additive inclusion efficiency of greater than 40% as measured according to the Inclusion Efficiency Test Method. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the solid additives are dispersed throughout the composite structure at an overall CD basis weight variation % RSD of less than 40.0% as measured according to the CD and MD Basis Weight Variation Test Method. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the solid additives are dispersed throughout the composite structure at an overall MD basis weight variation % RSD of less than 40.0% as measured according to the CD and MD Basis Weight Variation Test Method. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the process further comprises one or more converting operations selected from the group consisting of: slitting, stacking, calendering, treating with optional ingredients, die cutting, printing, packaging, mechanical plybonding, chemical plybonding, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19  wherein the one or more converting operations yields a consumer useable saleable unit.