Health-and-hygiene appliance comprising a dispersible component and a releasable component disposed adjacent or proximate to said dispersible component; and processes for making said appliance

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a health-and-hygiene appliance comprising a dispersible component and a releasable component. Some or all of the releasable component is not homogeneously distributed throughout the dispersible component. Instead, the releasable component is disposed adjacent or proximate to the dispersible component, as would occur if the dispersible component was coated, sprayed, injected, deposited, printed, or otherwise associated with a formed dispersible component. One example of such an appliance is a cleansing product in which, on exposure to liquid, such as water, the dispersible component disperses or disintegrates, thereby releasing, and making available, all or substantially all of the releasable component, in this case a soap, cleanser, or other formulation. The releasable component may be released prior to, concurrent with, and/or after dispersal or disintegration of the dispersing component. The appliance can be sized for convenient handling by a caregiver or user—e.g., a child—and for delivery of a pre-selected amount of the releasable component in a single use.