US 12,331,267 B2
Methods for making unit dose articles
Aleksey Mikhailovich Pinyayev, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Travis Kyle Hodgdon, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/271,923.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/633,623, filed on Feb. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0256809 A1, Aug. 22, 2019
Int. Cl. B29C 64/118 (2017.01); A61K 8/11 (2006.01); A61K 9/48 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); C11D 1/62 (2006.01); C11D 3/00 (2006.01); C11D 3/12 (2006.01); C11D 3/20 (2006.01); C11D 3/37 (2006.01); C11D 3/50 (2006.01); C11D 17/00 (2006.01); C11D 17/04 (2006.01); D04H 3/02 (2006.01); D04H 3/14 (2012.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01)
CPC C11D 17/042 (2013.01) [A61K 8/11 (2013.01); A61K 9/48 (2013.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); C11D 1/62 (2013.01); C11D 3/001 (2013.01); C11D 3/1253 (2013.01); C11D 3/2075 (2013.01); C11D 3/373 (2013.01); C11D 3/505 (2013.01); C11D 17/00 (2013.01); D04H 3/02 (2013.01); D04H 3/14 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0029 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); C11D 2111/12 (2024.01)] 13 Claims
 
1. A method for forming an object, the method comprising: providing semi-solid strands of a meltable material having a diameter of between about 0.5 and about 2 millimeters; embedding from about 0.00001 to about 0.2 millimeter particles in the meltable material to form strands of meltable material comprising particles; forming a non-woven mat comprising the strands of meltable material wherein the strand contains a filler particle comprising a D50 from between about 0.1 microns and about 200 microns; forming discrete units of the non-woven mat into a shape; applying a compressive force to a portion of the discrete units' surface to locally densify that portion of the surface of the discrete units, so that the discrete units have a shell-core structure with a density gradient between the shell and the core, wherein the shell differs from the core by having a greater density than the core of the article; and curing the discrete units of the non-woven mat by cooling.