received by the International Bureau on 26 June 2020 (26.06.2020)

Claims

1. Tissue product with at least four plies made of tissue paper base sheet or nonwoven, comprising: a first outer ply (4) and a second outer ply (2) and at least two inner plies (17, 18) between the first outer ply (4) and the second outer ply (2), wherein only one of the inner plies is an un-embossed ply (18) ; at least the first outer ply (4) comprises a decor embossing region (24); wherein the absorbency of the tissue product is between 7g/g and 15 g/g; a considerable portion of the outwardly facing main surface of the first outer ply (4) is provided with at most three soft regions (22) surrounded by the decor embossing region (24), respectively; wherein each soft region (22) is provided with first micro- embossed protrusions (23) ; and the decor embossing region (24) comprises first embossed decor protrusions (9); wherein the first micro-embossed protrusions (23) are essentially not adhesively bonded to an inner ply (17) adjacent to the first outer ply (4) .

2. Tissue product according to claim 1, wherein the absorbency of the tissue product is between 8 g/g and 11 g/g.

3. Tissue product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum number of plies is eight, and preferably six plies .

4. Tissue product according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one ply is a micro-embossed ply.

5. Tissue product according to claim 4, wherein at least two adjacent inner plies (17, 18) comprise the un- embossed inner ply (18) and one micro-embossed inner ply (17) .

6. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the application of glue is restricted to an overall surface fraction of equal or less than 12% of the tissue product, preferably less than 2.5%.

7. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, the tissue product either comprising a stack of

individual sheets (20) or a roll with transversely extending weakening lines to subdivide the web into individual sheets (20) .

8. Tissue product according to claim 7,

characterized that

each sheet (20) has a width between 100mm and 130mm, preferably between 100mm and 120mm and most preferably around 108mm, and a length between 145mm and 210mm, preferably between 160mm and 210mm, and most preferably around 176mm; and

each sheet (20) has a sheet area between 116 cm² and 225 cm^, and preferably between 155 cm² and 225 cm².

9. Tissue product according to claim 8, wherein the ratio between length and width of each sheet ranges from 1:1.1 to 1:2.1 and preferably from 1:1.5 to 1:1.7.

10. Tissue product according to any of claims 7 to 9,

wherein each sheet (20) has a width of around 108mm and a length of around 176mm, and the absorbency of each sheet (20) is between 10g/sheet and 23 g/sheet and preferably between 15g/sheet and 16g/sheet.

11. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the product is between 0.70 mm and 1.05 mm and preferably between 0.80 mm and 0.85 mm.

12. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the basis weight is between 70 g/m² and 110 g/m², and preferably between 80 g/m² and 100 g/m².

13. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer plies (2, 4) comprise a micro- embossing pattern, wherein the density of the micro- embossed protrusions (19) of a micro-embossed inner ply (17) is different to the density of embossed protrusions (8a) of the micro-embossing pattern of the outer ply (4) which is adjacent to the micro-embossed inner ply (17) .

14. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the embossed plies (2, 4) comprises a double layer or plural layers.

15. Tissue product according to any of the claims 8-14,

wherein

a considerable portion of the outwardly facing main surface of the first outer ply (4) of each sheet (20) is provided with at most three soft regions (22), such as one soft region, surrounded by a decor embossing region (24), respectively.

16. Tissue product according to claim 15, wherein in each soft region (22), the local absorbency of the tissue product exceeds the absorbency in the remaining part of the tissue product by at least 5%.

17. Tissue product according to claim 15 or 16, wherein a surface fraction of the remaining part of the tissue product contains more glue than at least one soft region .

18. Tissue product according to any of the claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the first micro-embossed

protrusions (8a) of the first outer ply (4) and/or the embossed protrusions (19) of the micro-embossing pattern of the micro-embossed inner ply (17) and/or the

protrusions (8b) of a second micro-embossing pattern of the second outer ply (2) are arranged in a density from 30 to 200 dots/cm².

19. Tissue product according to any of the claims 15 to 18, wherein a middle ply (17) adjacent to first outer ply (4) is provided with a decor embossing region with further embossed decor protrusions which are in register with the first embossed decor protrusions.

20. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the density of the embossed protrusions (19) of a micro-embossing pattern of the inner ply (17) is different to the density of the protrusions (8b) of a second micro-embossing pattern of the second outer ply (2) , preferably smaller than the density of the protrusions (8b) of the second micro- embossing pattern of the second outer ply (2) .

21. Tissue product according to any of the claims 15 to 20, wherein the soft region (22) or soft regions surrounded by the decor embossing region (24) cover between 30% and 60%, preferably between 35% and 50%, and most preferably around 45% of the outwardly facing main surface of the first outer ply (4) .

22. Tissue product according to any of the claims 15 to 21, characterized in that the soft region has an overall oval shape .

23. Tissue product according to any of the claims 15 to 22, characterized in that the decor embossing region (24) of the first outer ply (4) further comprises second embossed decor protrusions with a smaller height than the height of the first embossed decor protrusions (9) .

24. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the un-embossed inner ply (18) is adjacent to the first outer ply (4) or second outer ply (2) .

25. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least three inner plies are provided and a first inner ply not adjacent to the first outer ply (4) or second outer ply (2) is provided with a micro-embossing pattern; and a second inner ply between the first inner ply and either the first outer ply (4) or second outer ply (2) is the un-embossed ply.

26. Tissue product according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the micro-embossing pattern of the first inner ply (17) extends essentially all over the surface of the first inner ply ( 17 ) .

27. Tissue product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein less than 0.5% of the number of first micro- embossed protrusions (23) are adhesively bonded to an inner ply (17) adjacent to the first outer ply (4) .

28. Tissue product according to claim 8 or any of the claims 18 to 26 as dependent on claim 8, wherein the embossing is in register with the dimensions of the individual sheets (20) of the tissue product.

29. Device for manufacturing a tissue product according to any of the preceding claims comprising: a first engraved roll (S1) running against a first anvil roll (32), wherein the first engraved roll (S1) is designed to emboss the first outer ply (4); a glue application device (36) adjacent to the first engraved roll (S1), and a marrying roll (M1) cooperating with the first engraved roll (S1); a second engraved (S2) roll running against a second anvil roll (38), wherein the second engraved roll (S2) is arranged and designed to emboss the second outer ply (2); a third engraved roll (S3) running against a third anvil roll (34), wherein the third engraved roll (S3) is arranged to emboss one of the inner plies ( 17 ) ; wherein the device further comprises means to direct at least one un-embossed inner ply (18) towards the first engraved roll (S1) downstream of the nip between the first engraved roll (S1) and the first anvil roll (32 ) .

30. Device according to claim 29, wherein the first engraved roll (S1) has a repeating pattern of embossing

protrusions with decor embossing regions surrounding regions provided with micro-embossing protrusions.

31. Device according to claim 29 or 30, further comprising an additional embossing roll and a cooperating anvil roll for embossing one of the inner plies.

32. Device according to any of the claims 29 to 31, further comprising a perforating device (40) to generate transversely extending weakening lines to subdivide the web into individual sheets (20) .

33. Device according to any of the claims 29 to 32, further comprising a stacking device to form stacks of

individual sheets (20) of the tissue product.

34. Device according to any of the claims 29 to 32, further comprising a winding device to form rolls of the perforated or un-per forated tissue product.

35. Method for manufacturing a tissue product according to one of the claims 1 to 28 comprising the steps:

(a) directing a first outer ply (4) into the nip

between a first engraved roll (S1) running against a first anvil roll (32);

(b) directing an inner ply (17) into the nip between a third engraved roll (S3) running against a third anvil roll (34) to form an embossed inner ply (17);

(c) feeding the embossed inner ply (17) and an un- embossed inner ply (18) towards the first engraved roll (S1) downstream of the first anvil roll (32), wherein either the un-embossed inner ply (18) or the embossed inner ply (17) comes into contact with the embossed first outer ply (4);

(d) directing a second outer ply (2) into the nip

between a second engraved roll (S2) running against a second anvil roll (38) to form an embossed bottom ply (2);

(e) feeding the embossed second outer ply (2) towards the first engraved roll (S1) upstream of the marrying roll (Ml); and

(f) joining the plies in the nip between the first

engraved roll (S1) and the marrying roll (Ml) .

36. Method according to claim 35, wherein an un-embossed ply

(18) is brought in direct contact with the embossed first outer ply (4) or second outer ply (2) .

37. Method according to claim 35 or 36, further comprising the additional step of directing a second inner ply into the nip between a fourth engraved roll running against a fourth anvil roll .

38. Method according to any of the claims 35 to 37, wherein in step (a) either two first outer plies or two second outer plies are embossed together.

39. Method according to any of the claims 35 to 38, wherein in step (a) and/or step (d) the outer ply is embossed in two separate steps which is a first pre-embossing step to provide the micro-embossing pattern followed by a second decor embossing step to provide the decor embossing .