SELECTIVELY-ACTIVATIBLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL SHEET MATERIAL HAVING MULTI-STAGE PROGRESSIVE ACTIVATION TO DELIVER A SUBSTANCE TO A TARGET SURFACE

摘要

The present invention provides a selectively-activatible sheet material for delivering a substance to a target surface. The sheet material comprises a three-dimensional sheet of material having a first side and a second side. The first side has a plurality of hollow protrusions extending outwardly therefrom and separated from one another by valleys, while the second side has a plurality of depressions corresponding with the hollow protrusions. A substance adheres to and partially fills a location protected from external contact comprising the valleys and/or depressions. The sheet material may be selectively activated by deforming the hollow protrusions to deliver the substance to a target surface. The three-dimensional structure includes hollow protrusions which are adapted to progressively activate in multiple discrete stages to effect multistage progressive delivery of the substance to the target surface. The present invention also provides selectively-activatible sheet materials which incorporate a three-dimensional structure adapted to progressively activate in response to increasing compressive force levels via tailoring of the geometrical shapes of respective hollow protrusions. The present invention also provides selectively-activatible sheet materials which incorporate a three-dimensional structure adapted to progressively activate in response to increasing levels of deformation via tailoring of the geometrical shapes of respective hollow protrusions.