Water-soluble unit dose articles and processes for making such articles, the articles having perimeters that define shapes able to form a tessellated pattern.

Recently, we have introduced fibrous dosage forms that enable predictable microstructures with a greater range of pharmaceutically relevant properties. Presented herein, accordingly, is a method for the manufacture of such fibrous dosage forms. The method includes extruding a plasticized matrix through an exit port of an extrusion channel to form one or more plasticized fibers, structuring said fibers to a three dimensional structural network by patterning on a translating or rotating stage, and solidifying the patterned structure.

Recently, we have introduced fibrous dosage forms that enable predictable microstructures with a greater range of pharmaceutically relevant properties. Presented herein, accordingly, is a method for the manufacture of such fibrous dosage forms. The method includes extruding a plasticized matrix through an exit port of an extrusion channel to form one or more plasticized fibers, structuring said fibers to a three dimensional structural network by patterning on a translating or rotating stage, and solidifying the patterned structure.

The invention relates to a patterned spunbonded nonwoven fabric sheet comprising a plurality of spunbonded crimped fibers bonded together at a plurality of bonding points, wherein all fibers of the patterned spunbonded nonwoven fabric sheet are spunbonded crimped fibers and wherein the configuration of the fibers within the sheet is inhomogeneous and varies according to a preferably regular pattern. The invention further relates to a method for forming such patterned spunbonded nonwoven fabric sheet from a flat spunbonded nonwoven fabric sheet starting material. Still further, the invention relates to such flat spunbonded nonwoven fabric sheet starting material.

Presented are automated manufacturing systems for fabricating engineered textiles, footwear and apparel formed with such engineered textiles, methods for making such engineered textiles, and memory-stored, processor-executable instructions for operating such manufacturing systems. An automated manufacturing system constructs engineered textiles from workpieces composed of superposed, unwoven wires. The system includes a movable end effector bearing a stitching head and an image capture device. The stitching head has a thread feeder and sewing needle to generate stitches. The image capture device captures images of the workpiece and outputs data indicative thereof. A system controller receives this image capture device data and locates, from the captured image of the workpiece, gaps defined between quadrangles of the superposed wires. The controller commands the end effector to sequentially move the stitching head and thereby align the sewing needle with the gaps, and commands the stitching head to insert a succession of stitches within these gaps.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of compressing an uncured man-made vitreous fibre web, the web having two opposed major faces. The method comprising the steps: passing the web along a path; and subjecting the web to thickness compression by applying compression to the two major opposed faces of the web. Compression of each of said major faces of the web is applied by passing the path between converging continuous or discontinuous compression surfaces. Further, the respective major face of the web that is being compressed is in contact with one of the converging compression surfaces, and said converging compression surface is inclined towards the path. Additionally, each inclined converging compression surface applies an amount of compression to the major face of the web with which the respective inclined converging surface is in contact, wherein the amount of compression applied to at least one of the two opposing major faces of the web is adjustable.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of compressing an uncured man-made vitreous fibre web, the web having two opposed major faces. The method comprising the steps: passing the web along a path; and subjecting the web to thickness compression by applying compression to the two major opposed faces of the web. Compression of each of said major faces of the web is applied by passing the path between converging continuous or discontinuous compression surfaces. Further, the respective major face of the web that is being compressed is in contact with one of the converging compression surfaces, and said converging compression surface is inclined towards the path. Additionally, each inclined converging compression surface applies an amount of compression to the major face of the web with which the respective inclined converging surface is in contact, wherein the amount of compression applied to at least one of the two opposing major faces of the web is adjustable.

Knit apparel formed using knitted structures and yarn content to create zonal properties provided. In aspects, garments, such as lower-body garments, have gradient missed-stitch structures creating protrusions on the external surface of the garment. Each gradient missed-stitch structure has at least a first missed-stitch segment and a second missed-stitch segment. The first missed-stitch segment is formed by a first set of float stitches along a first plurality of courses, and the second missed-stitch segment is formed by a second set of float stitches along a subset of the first plurality of courses. There may be additional missed-stitch segments formed across different quantities of courses such that the gradient missed-stitch structures are each tapered.

Knit apparel formed using knitted structures and yarn content to create zonal properties provided. In aspects, garments, such as lower-body garments, have gradient missed-stitch structures creating protrusions on the external surface of the garment. Each gradient missed-stitch structure has at least a first missed-stitch segment and a second missed-stitch segment. The first missed-stitch segment is formed by a first set of float stitches along a first plurality of courses, and the second missed-stitch segment is formed by a second set of float stitches along a subset of the first plurality of courses. There may be additional missed-stitch segments formed across different quantities of courses such that the gradient missed-stitch structures are each tapered.

A high loft, nonwoven web is disclosed having a three dimensional structure with fibers oriented in the x, y and z directions. The web has a fiber size distribution of from 0 m to about 15 m with at least about 25% of the fibers being above 4 m. The web has a thickness of less than about 250 millimeters and a basis weight ranging from about 20 g/m2 to about 3,000 g/m2. The web also has a vertical cross-section, when taken parallel to a machine direction, exhibiting a plurality of snugly stacked, approximately V, U or C-shaped structures, with each V, U or C-shaped structure having an apex facing in the machine direction. The web further has a recovery value ranging from about 20% to about 99% after being compressed under a pressure of 0.25 psi for a time period of 30 minutes.