EP0138501B1

EP0138501B1 - Cut sheet mailer

Info

Publication number: EP0138501B1
Application number: EP84306708A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Edmund G. Van Malderghem; Dominick L. Monico; Robert P. Coe
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Priority date: 1983-10-17
Filing date: 1984-10-02
Publication date: 1991-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2004-10-02
Also published as: ATE65228T1; EP0138501A2; NO165100B; DK496384A; DE3484816D1; EP0138501A3; NO844131L; ZA842909B; DK496384D0; JPS6094395A; PT78607B; FI844062A0; ES282234U; ES282234Y; FI80406B; FI844062L; PT78607A; CA1222267A; NO165100C; FI80406C

Abstract

A cut sheet mailer business form assembly comprises message and cover sheets superimposed and adhered to provide multiple mailers.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to business form assemblies and, more particularly, to such assemblies providing mailers.
It is known to provide mailer assemblies in the form of continuous multiple webs collated and sealed together for subsequent processing as are described for example in US Specification US-A-4380315, German Auslegeschrift DE-B-1786448 and French Specification FR-A-2281284. Such assemblies have also included envelope assemblies as described in French specification FR-A-2387164 which consist of an envelope or a series of envelopes in web form for enclosing a document and consisting of a continuous web with cross perforations to which a sheet is applied and which bears peripheral areas of adhesive to secure an enclosure between the two parts. Also enclosed envelopes as described in US Specification US-A-3339826 are known comprising a pair of sheets with a water impervious seal around the periphery of the marginal portions to seal the sheets and between which sheets an invoice or other document is enclosed. The asssembly includes a cut line to facilitate removal of the enclosed document.
Also Australian Specification AU-B-27554 which forms the basis of the pre-characterising part of the claim 1 describes a mailer having a single sheet and lines of perforations and having two parts being capable of being folded and sealed to form a mailer. The single sheet is divided by a fold line into a cheque forming portion bearing adhesive and a cover portion but the mailer is not suitable for receiving messages printed on certain printers nor are the sheets capable of easy separation by an eventual customer. Alternatively the cover portion may bear the adhesive.
Also German Specification DE-A-2900226 describes a process for mailing ready-to-post business letters in which a continuous assembly of webs with sprocket holed feed margins has a lower web with transverse lines of separation but no heat seal coating and on which data is printed and a separate upper cover web having a heat seal coating running around the edges of each sheet length, which webs are brought together to provide finished envelopes. Because the heat seal coating is on the cover sheet only and the printing is applied to the message sheet no fouling of the printing machine occurs during printing.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved cut sheet business form assembly of at least two cut sheets one of which does not have any adhesive and which may be collated and sealed into at least one mailer per assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cut sheet mailer capable of receiving printed messages and in which the separate single sheet can be readily separated by an eventual customer.
In a principal aspect, the invention is a mailer business form assembly capable of receiving printed messages and subsequently being sealed to be suitable for mailing and comprises a message sheet having end edges, marginal edges, a longitudinal dimension between the end edges along a longitudinal axis, and a transverse dimension between the marginal edges, along a transverse axis, marginal lines of perforations, along the marginal edges, of the message sheet extending fully between the end edges, transverse end lines of perforations, extending along the end edges, between the marginal lines of perforations; and
a cover sheet having cover sheet end edges, cover sheet marginal edges, a longitudinal dimension between the cover sheet end edges equal to the longitudinal dimension of the message sheet, a transverse dimension between the cover sheet marginal edges, equal to the transverse dimension of the message sheet, and wherein the message sheet is adapted to receive data or information, and wherein the cover sheet is superimposed upon the message sheet to provide a mailer business form
and the cover sheet bears the only adhesive provided by marginal lines of adhesive, along the cover sheet marginal edges, extending fully between the cover sheet end edges, and being nearer the cover sheet marginal edges, than the message sheet marginal perforation lines, are to the message sheet marginal edges, and transverse, end lines of adhesive, along the cover sheet end edges, extending fully between the cover sheet marginal edges, and being nearer the cover sheet end edges, than the message sheet end perforation lines, are to the message sheet end edges and the marginal and end lines, of adhesive contact the message sheet margins outward of the perforation lines to adhere the cover sheet to the message sheet, characterized
in that the adhesive is a heat seal adhesive,
in that the transverse end lines of perforations extend only between the marginal lines of perforations,
in that the message sheet is a single sheet part and the cover sheet is a single sheet part having a marginal line of perforations along a cover sheet marginal edge adjacent to one of the cover sheet marginal lines of heat seal adhesive but no lines of perforation along the other edges and
in that the marginal line of perforations in the cover sheet is offset from the complementary line of perforations in the message sheet to enable the message sheet to be detached from the cover sheet and the marginal edges of the message sheet.
By this invention we are able to provide an improved cut sheet mailer capable of receiving printed messages and in which the separate single length sheet inserts can be readily separated from one another by an eventual customer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A cut sheet mailer business form assembly according to the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig 1 is a plan view of a preferred cut sheet mailer of the invention, with a corner of a cover sheet turned back pictorially to reveal detail;
Fig 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the cut sheet mailer of Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a cross-section view taken along line 3-3 of Fig 1; and
Fig 4 is an exploded, perspecitve view of an alternate, preferred cut sheet mailer of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figs 1-3, the preferred embodiment of the invention is a cut sheet mailer business form assembly 4 comprising a single length message sheet 5, a single length top cover sheet 6 and a single length bottom cover sheet 7. As will be described, when the assembly 4 is completed, the sheets 5, 6, 7 are adhered to each other totally about their peripheries and across their centres. The sheets 5, 6, 7 are shown separated in Fig 2 as they would be before assembly completion.
The message sheet 5 is rectangular. It has a longitudinal dimension between a straight upper end edge 8 and a straight and parallel lower end edge 9. It has a transverse dimension between straight, parallel, marginal edges 10, 11. The sheet 5 has no pin feed holes, but may be cut from a continuous web.
A first message sheet marginal line of perforations 12 extends along but spaced from the first message sheet marginal edge 10. A second message sheet marginal line of perforations 13 extends along but spaced from the second message sheet marginal edges 11. The lines 12, 13 extend longitudinally, fully between the message sheet end edges 8, 9. The marginal edge 10 and line 12 define a first longitudinally extending margin 14 of the sheet 5. The edge 11 and line 13 define a second longitudinally extending margin 15.
A first, transverse end line of perforations 16 extends along but spaced from the end edge 8. A second, transverse end line of perforations 17 extends along but spaced from the end edge 9. The lines 16, 17 extend only between the marginal perforation lines 12, 13. The edges 8, 9 and lines 16, 17 define end strips 18, 19 on the sheet 5. Preferably, end strips 18, 19 have longitudinal widths approximately equal to each other.
At least a pair of adjacent, parallel, non-end lines of perforations 20, 21 extend transversely across the sheet 5, only between the marginal perforation lines 12, 13. The lines 20, 21 and the lines 12, 13 define a central strip 22 on the sheet 5.
The lines 16, 20 and the upper portions of the lines 12, 13 define a first, upper message area 23. The lines 17, 21 and the lower portions of the lines 12, 13 define a second, lower message area 24. The message areas 23, 24 are for two distinct messages, or duplicate messages. As will be described, the central strip 22 is cut to separate the message areas 23, 24.
The top cover sheet 6 has a longitudinal dimension between top cover sheet end edges 25, 26 equal to the longitudinal dimension of the message sheet 5 between its edge ends, 8, 9. The top cover sheet 6 also has a transverse dimension between top cover sheet marginal edges 27, 28 equal to the transverse dimension of the message sheet 5 between its marginal edges 10, 11. A single marginal line of perforations 29 extends longitudinally along the top cover sheet marginal edge 28. The line 29 defines a marginal strip 30 on the sheet 6, which has a transverse width less than the width of the message sheet margins 14, 15. Other than for line 29, sheet 6 has no perforations along the other edges of the sheet. Within the marginal strip 30, and within a marginal area along the cover sheet marginal edge 27 having the same transverse width as the strip 30, the sheet 6 has marginal lines of adhesive 31, 32. The adhesive lines 31, 32 extend fully between the top cover sheet end edges 25, 26. The adhesive lines are joined along the end edges 25, 26 by transversely extending, end lines of adhesive 33, 34. The lines 33, 34 are within end areas having longitudinal widths equal to or less than the widths of the message sheet end strips 18, 19. The adhesive lines 31, 32, 33, 34 circumscribe the periphery of the sheet 6. The adhesive lines 31-34 are a heat sealable adhesive. When heated, with the sheet 6 superimposed on the sheet 5, the adhesive adheres sheet 6 to sheet 5, outward of the perforation lines 12, 13, 16, 17 of the sheet 5 and in the margins 14, 15 and end strips 18, 19. The perforation lines 12, 13, 16, 17 remain useful to separate the message areas from the margins 14, 15 and end strips 18, 19. The marginal adhesive lines 31, 32 are also joined by a wider, transversely extending, non-end line of adhesive 35. The line 35 is located on the sheet 6 to be disposed between the central portion lines 20, 21 of the sheet 5 when the sheets 5, 6 are superimposed as described above. The adhesive line 35 is also heat sealable. When heated, with the sheets 5, 6 superimposed, the adhesive line 35 joins the sheet 6 to the central strip 22 of the sheet 5.
The sheets 5 and 6, so adhered, form a mailer assembly useful with or without the sheet 7. If used without the sheet 7, as in FIG.4, the assembly forms two message units which may be separated by a cut transversely across the central strip 22, cutting the adhesive line 35 in two parts. Each separated message unit remains sealed, and may be opened by removal of the top cover sheet marginal strip 30, with the message sheet margin 14, along the perforation lines 29, 12. Since the perforation line 29 is offset from the complementary line, 12, an edge is created that can be manually grasped. A message area, such as 23, may then be separated from its message unit, along the perforation lines such as 16, 20, 13. As most preferred, all the transverse perforation lines 16, 20, 21, 17 are progressive, in that perforation size is large toward the edge 10, and is progressively reduced toward edge 11. These progressive perforations facilitate separation of the message areas. When the assembly has back cover sheet, the preferred back cover sheet 7 has longitudinal and transverse dimensions equal to those of the cover sheet 6. The sheet 7 also has a pattern of adhesive lines identical to that of sheet 6, and the same reference numbers are used to identify the adhesive lines on sheet 7 as are used on sheet 6. The sheet 7 may be a combined second message and bottom cover sheet.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is now described. The message sheet 5 is imaged by passing through a non-impact printer. The cover sheet 6 or cover sheets 6 and 7 are superimposed on the message sheet 5 and fed into a collating and sealing machine. The sheets are automatically collated, sealed together and the message units severed. If preferred, the message units may be self-contained envelopes with transparent-covered windows, such as windows 36, 37 shown on sheet 6.
The preferred embodiment may be varied, without departing from the invention. As an example, the adhesive line 35 and paired perforation lines 20, 21 may be repeated, to form three or more message units per assembly.

Claims

A mailer business form assembly capable of receiving printed messages and subsequently being sealed to be suitable for mailing comprising:
a message sheet (5) having end edges (8), (9), marginal edges (10), (11), a longitudinal dimension between the end edges along a longitudinal axis, and a transverse dimension between the marginal edges (10), (11). along a transverse axis, marginal lines of perforations (12), (13), along the marginal edges (10), (11), of the message sheet extending fully between the end edges (8), (9),transverse end lines of perforations (16), (17), extending along the end edges (8), (9), between the marginal lines of perforations (12), (13); and
a cover sheet (6) having cover sheet end edges (25), (26), cover sheet marginal edges (27), (28), a longitudinal dimension between the cover sheet end edges (25), (26) equal to the longitudinal dimension of the message sheet (5), a transverse dimension between the cover sheet marginal edges (27), (28), equal to the transverse dimension of the message sheet (5), and wherein the message sheet (5) is adapted to receive data or information and wherein the cover sheet (6) is superimposed upon the message sheet (5) to provide a mailer business form and
the cover sheet (6) bears the only adhesive provided by marginal lines of adhesive (31), (32), along the cover sheet marginal edges (27), (28), extending fully between the cover sheet end edges (25), (26), and being nearer the cover sheet marginal edges (27), (28), than the message sheet marginal perforation lines (12), (13), are to the message sheet marginal edges (10), (11), and transverse end lines of adhesive (33), (34), along the cover sheet end edges (25), (26), extending fully between the cover sheet marginal edges (27), (28), and being nearer the cover sheet end edges (25), (26), than the message sheet end perforation lines (16), (17), are to the message sheet end edges (18), (19) and the marginal and end lines (31), (32), (33), (34), of adhesive contact the message sheet margins outward of the perforation lines (12, 13, 16, 17) to adhere the cover sheet (6) to the message sheet (5); characterized
in that the adhesive is a heat seal adhesive,
in that the transverse end lines of perforations (16), (17) extend only between the marginal lines of perforations (12), (13),
in that the message sheet (5) is a single sheet part and the cover sheet (6) is a single sheet part having a marginal line of perforations (29) along a cover sheet marginal edge (28) adjacent to one of the cover sheet marginal lines of heat seal adhesive (31, 32) but no lines of perforation along the other edges,
and in that the marginal line of perforations (29) in the cover sheet is offset from the complementary line of perforations (12) in the message sheet (5) to enable the message sheet (5) to be detached from the cover sheet (6) and the marginal edges of the message sheet (8, 9, 10, 11).
A mailer business form assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the message sheet (5) further has at least a pair of adjacent, non-end, multiple-message-area defining transverse lines of perforations (20), (21), extending between the message sheet marginal perforation lines (12), (13), and in which the cover sheet (6) but not the message sheet (5) further has at least a non-end, multiple-mailer-adhering transverse line of heat seal adhesive (35) between the non-end transverse lines of perforations (20,21) and extending fully between the marginal lines of adhesive (31), (32).
A mailer business form assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the transverse perforation lines (16, 20, 21, 17) are progressive that is to say the perforation size is large towards one edge and progressively reduced towards the other edge to facilitate separation of the message areas.
A mailer business form assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the cover sheet (6) is a top cover sheet and the assembly further comprises a separate bottom sheet (7) having bottom sheet end edges (25), (26), bottom sheet marginal edges (27), (28), a longitudinal dimension between the bottom sheet end edges (27), (28), equal to the longitudinal dimension of the message sheet, a transverse dimension between the bottom sheet marginal edges (27), (28) equal to the transverse dimension of the message sheet, marginal lines of perforations (12), (13) along the bottom sheet marginal edges extending fully between the bottom sheet end edges (25), (26), transverse end lines of perforations (16), (17) extending along the bottom sheet end edges (27), (28) between the bottom sheet marginal lines of perforations (12), (13) the message sheet (5) being superimposed upon the bottom sheet (7) and the bottom sheet (7) further having marginal lines of adhesive (31), (32) along the bottom sheet marginal edges (27), (28) extending fully between the bottom sheet end edges (25), (26) and being nearer the bottom sheet marginal edges (27), (28) than the message sheet marginal perforation lines (12), (13) are to the message sheet marginal edges (10), (11) transverse, end lines of adhesive (33), (34) along the bottom sheet end edges (25), (26) extending fully between the bottom sheet marginal edges (27), (28) and being nearer the bottom sheet end edges (25), (26) than the message sheet end perforation lines (16), (17) are to the message sheet end edges (8), (9), the bottom sheet marginal and end lines of adhesive (31, 32, 33, 34) adhering the bottom sheet (7) to the message sheet (5).