The present invention is a sculpted fabric for the manufacture of a tissue
web, having a tissue machine contacting side and a tissue contacting side.
The tissue contacting side includes an upper porous member comprising a
base with nonwoven elevated regions thereon. The nonwoven elevated regions
comprise a first group of nonwoven raised elements and a second group of
nonwoven raised elements, both raised relative to the base. The first
group of nonwoven raised elements extends in at least a first direction
and the second group of nonwoven raised elements extends in at least a
second direction. The first and second groups of nonwoven raised elements
are arranged on the base to produce elevated and depressed regions
defining a three-dimensional tissue contacting surface comprising:
a) a first background region having a set of substantially parallel first
elevated regions comprising at least a subset of the first group of
nonwoven raised elements, and comprising a first group of depressed
regions, wherein the first elevated regions and the first depressed
regions alternate;
b) a second background region having a set of substantially parallel second
elevated regions comprising at least a subset of the second group of
nonwoven raised elements, and comprising a second group of depressed
regions, wherein the second elevated regions and the second depressed
regions alternate; and,
c) a transition region positioned between the first and second background
regions, wherein the first elevated regions of the first background region
terminate and the second elevated regions of the second background region
terminate.
