PAPERMAKING BELT WITH A KNUCKLE AREA FORMING A GEOMETRIC PATTERN THAT IS REPEATED AT EVER SMALLER SCALES TO PRODUCE IRREGULAR SHAPES AND SURFACES

摘要

The present disclosure is directed toward a papermaking belt having an embryonic-web-contacting surface for carrying an embryonic web of paper fibers and a non-embryonic-web-contacting surface opposite the embryonic-web-contacting surface. The papermaking belt has a patterned framework having a continuous network region and a plurality of discrete deflection conduits isolated from one another by the continuous network region. The continuous network region has a pattern formed therein by a plurality of tessellating unit cells. Each cell has a center and at least two continuous land areas extending in at least two directions from the center. At least one of the continuous land areas at least bifurcates to form a continuous land area portion having a first width before the bifurcation and at least two continuous land area portions having a second width after the bifurcation.