GB2139953A

GB2139953A - Two-way envelope

Info

Publication number: GB2139953A
Application number: GB08412455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ira B Kristel
Original assignee: 21st Century Envelope Co Inc
Current assignee: 21st Century Envelope Co Inc
Priority date: 1983-05-20
Filing date: 1984-05-16
Publication date: 1984-11-21
Also published as: FR2546133A1; IT8448198A0; DE3416621A1; IT1177732B; BE899681A; GB2139953B; NL8401601A; GB8412455D0

Abstract

The envelope made up from a one piece blank 20 comprises front and back panels 22,23 joined along three sides thereof to form a container. A first sealing flap 26 is joined along a perforated line 25 to the free side of the front panel and a return sealing flap 31 is joined along a first fold line 24 to the free side of the back panel. The front panel is preferably larger than the back panel, and the front panel is formed with a fold line 33 spaced a predetermined distance from the perforated line so that the distance from the outer fold line to the bottom of the front panel is greater than the distance from the bottom to the top of the back panel. The return sealing flap 31 is inwardly folded upon itself to permit a larger return flap to be carried within the envelope during the first mailing. At least one crimped portion 35 is provided in the return sealing flap to facilitate the handling of the flap by the first addressee. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Two-way envelope This invention relates to two-way envelopes.

Two-way envelopes in which the same envelope can be used on the initial trip from the sender to the addressee and reused on a return trip from the original addressee back to the sender are wellknown in the envelope art. The advent of computerized and automated postal system handling and routing of mail, however, have made prior art two-way envelopes unsuitable in certain respects.

Computerized and automated routing of mail requires that certain information be placed upon the front face of the envelope in a position where it can be "read" or sensed as the envelopes pass through sorting and transporting devices so that they may be directed to their proper destinations. The most convenient location for such information is just above the bottom edge of the front of the envelope.

Since most two-way envelopes employ a first sealing flap for the initial mailing and a second sealing flap for the return trip, the second sealing flap must now be of a length sufficient to cover the entire front face of the envelope on the return trip.

Where the second sealing flap is carried within the pocket of the envelope during the initial mailing and must be slipped out of the said pocket for sealing the envelope for the second mailing, the increased length required to cover the front face of the envelope, including the area near the bottom occupied by the postal routing information, presents problems which could interfere with the successful use of the envelope and even cause it to become destroyed.

The further the second sealing flap extends into the pocket of the envelope, the more difficult it becomes for the recipient to distinguish it from the back panel of the envelope, and therefore, recognize the envelope as a two-way envelope. In addition, the free edge of the second sealing, which must be captured in order to pull the said flap out of the pocket, is difficult to find as the second sealing flap is made longer. Often an unskillful person, in trying to capture the free end of the flap, will tear the envelope at its side seams, thereby destroying the usefulness of the envelope.

While it is possible to fold the second sealing flap upon itself before placing it within the envelope pocket as the envelope is assembled, since the second sealing flap must now not only be long enough to cover the entire front face of the envelope and also extend over the top of the envelope and its contents on the return trip, the same problems arise.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a two-way envelope capable of use where the entire front face of the envelope must be covered on the return trip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a two-way envelope having a second sealing flap which is easy to locate and grasp within the envelope pocket.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a two-way envelope second sealing flap which is long enough to cover the entire front face of the envelope and which may be withdrawn from the envelope pocket without danger of tearing the envelope side seams.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a two-way envelope made in accordance with the present invention may be assembled, showing the inner surface thereof; Figure 2 is a development view of the blank shown in Figure 1, showing the first steps in assembling the two-way envelope; Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view in rear elevatin of an assembled two-way envelope according to the present invention; Figure 5 is a view in front elevation showing the envelope of Figure 4 sealed for the first trip; Figure 6 is a view in cross-section taken on line 6-6 in Figure 5, on an enlarged scale;; Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing the envelope after it has been opened by the first recipient and the contents removed from the pocket, on an enlarged scale; Figure 8 is a view in front elevation of an envelope sealed, ready for its second or return trip; Figure 9 is a plan view, partially developed of a blank similar to Figure 1, of a second embodiment of the invention, and Figure 10 is a top view, somewhat enlarged of the made-up envelope of Figure 9 after the insert has been removed and the first sealing flap severed from the envelope.

In the drawings similar elements have been given the same reference numerals.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 to 8, there is shown the construction of a two-way envelope 21 formed from a one-piece blank 20, best shown in Figure 1. The blank 20 is cut out to provide a front panel 22 and a back panel 23 joined along a first fold line 24. The front panel 22 is joined along a fourth fold line 33 to a first sealing flap 26.

The back panel 23 is joined along a third fold line 30 to a second used flap 31, hereinafter referred to as the return sealing flap. If.desired, blank 20 may be formed with one or more windows such as window 29 formed in the front panel 22 for displaying the address of the initial addressee. Side flaps 28 are joined along fold lines 27 to each end of the front panel 22. Adhesive is applied in the well-known manner, adjacent all of the marginal edges of the flaps as indicated at 32, but only that applied to the side flaps 28 is used in making up or assembling the envelope 21 from the blank 20.

A perforated line 25 extending across the front panel 22, spaced from and parallel to the fold line 33, is provided for a purpose hereinafter more fully set forth.

It is to be noted that each of the fold lines is a machine made score line which makes the material of the blank, usually paper, readily foldable either by hand or by succeeding stages of high speed envelope making machinery.

The return sealing flap 31, according to the present invention, must be of a length great enough to cover not only the window 29, but also substantially the entire face of the front panel 22 down to the bottom of the envelope 21 after it is made up. Since the return sealing flap is carried within the pocket of the envelope 21 during the initial mailing of the envelope as best shown in Figure 4, the said return sealing flap is doubled over upon itself in the manner shown in Figure 2 along a fifth fold line 34.

However, even doubled over upon itself, the return sealing flap 31 will extend into the envelope a distance which makes it difficult to withdraw it from the pocket of the envelope by reaching in and grasping the free edge of the folded flap with the finger tips.

Accordingly, after the lower half of the return sealing flap 31, indicated at 31a, is folded over along the fifth fold line 34 as shown in Figure 2, the return sealing flap 31 is crimped as best shown at 35 in Figures 2 and 3. The envelope is then made up by folding the return sealing flap 31 again on fold line 30 so as to bring the lower portion 31a of the said return sealing flap to bear against the inner surface of the back panel 23. The side flaps 28 are then folded inwardly along fold lines 27 and adhered to the outer surface of the back panel 23 as shown in Figure 4. The envelope is thus made up and ready to receive a mailing piece or insertion 36, best shown in Figure 6. The first sealing flap 26 can then be folded over along the fourth fold line 33 and sealed to the outside of the back panel 23 in the usual manner.

The envelope, in cross-section, will now appear as shown on the enlarged drawing of Figure 6.

The front of the envelope will have the appearance shown in Figure 5 and as the envelope is carried through the automated and computerized postal routing equipment, certain indicia shown at 41 will be printed on the front of the envelope adjacent the bottom 42 thereof. This printing will be done with magentic ink for appropriate sensing of the information thus carried by the envelope. Upon receipt of the letter, the recipient can open the envelope, for example by inserting a letter opener into the loop 37 formed at the top of the envelope by reason of folding the front panel along score line 33. Since the loop 37 is located above the folded over return sealing flap 31, as shown in Figure 6, the danger of severing the return sealing flap is substantially eliminated.Alternately, the recipient may open the envelope by lifting the first sealing flap 26 and breaking the seal of the adhesive spots 39 carried on the under surface of the first sealing flap 26. In either event, it is preferred that the first sealing flap 26 and the portion of the front panel 22 between the two fold lines 25, 33 be torn from the front panel along the perforated line 25 before remailing. The recipient may tear off the first sealing flap in the manner described above before or after removing the insert 36 as desired.

When the insert 36 is removed, it will provide room within the pocket of the envelope and permit the return sealing flap 31 to expand into the pocket as shown in Figure 7. This expansion is aided by the crimped portion 35 of the return sealing flap 31 which acts in the manner of a spring not only to lift the return sealing flap 31 away from the inner surface of the back panel, but also to draw the sides of the return sealing flap away from the side seams of the envelope formed where the side flaps 28 hold the front and back panels 22, 23 together.The result of the operation of the crimped portion 35 is not only to make it easier for the recipient to locate the bottom of the return sealing flap 31 within the envelope, but also to cause the envelope return sealing flap to flex along the crimp 35, making it easter to withdraw the return sealing flap without damaging either the flap or the remainder of the envelope as it is being prepared for the return trip.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10, the envelope is made up from a blank similar to the blank 20 shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, however, the return sealing flap 31 is first folded upon itself in the manner shown in Figure 2 and thereafter the sides of the flap indicated at 43 are folded inwardly in the manner shown in Figure 9.

The two flaps 44 thus formed are next swung back to their original position so that they lie in the plane of the return sealing flap 31. The envelope is then made up as follows: the return sealing flap is folded upon fold line 40 so that it is disposed upon the inner surface of the back panel 23, the back panel is folded upon the first line 24 and the side flaps 28 moistened in the area of their adhesive strips 36 and folded upon the outer surface of the back panel 23 to complete the envelope.

After the envelope has been received by the first recipient, the first sealing flap 26 is opened and torn off along the perforated line 25. When the contents of the envelope or the insert is removed the top view of the pocket will appear as shown in Figure 10. It will be noted that the flaps 44 have pushed the return sealing flap away from the back panel, thereby moving the return sealing flap away from the surface of the back panel so that the recipient can locate the bottom of the said return sealing flap. As the flap is withdrawn, the flaps 44 bend inwardly and away from the side seams 45 so that the return sealing flap is easily pulled out of the pocket of the envelope without getting caught in the side seams or damaging said seams.

On the return trip of the envelopes disclosed herein, the back panel 23, which is of the same size as the front panel 22 from the first fold line 24 to the second fold line 25, easily folds over the front of the envelope and when the return sealing flap is unfolded the said sealing flap 31 substantially covers the entire front face of the envelope in the manner shown in Figure 8. It will be observed that the indicia 41, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8, is completely covered by the return sealing flap so that new indicia may be placed upon the front of the envelope by the postal carrier on its return trip.

Claims

1. An envelope for two-way mailing, said envelope being formed from a unitary blank and comprising: a front panel having side, top and bottom borders and having inner and outer surfaces, a back panel having side, top and bottom borders and inner and outer surfaces, the front and back panels being joined together at their bottom borders about a first fold line and lying with their inner surfaces in opposed relation, the front panel being of substantiallythe same width but of greater height than the back panel, a first sealing flap joined to the front panel at the top border thereof and forming a fourth fold line therewith, the first sealing flap having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface having adhesive thereon, said front panel including a line of perforations substantially parallel to and spaced below said forth fold line to define a strip therebetween, said line of perforations extending only through the said front panel to facilitate the removal of said first sealing flap from said envelope after the first sealing flap has been unsealed, a return sealing flap joined to the back panel at the top border thereof and forming a third fold line therewith, a free end portion on the return sealing flap, said return sealing flap having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface having adhesive thereon, the return sealing flap being inwardly folded upon itself to dispose the free end portion thereof against the inside surface of the back panel, at least one crimped portion in the return sealing flap, a pair of side flaps joined to the front panel at the side borders thereof and folded over the outer surface of the back panel, the side flaps being sealed to the outer surface of the back panel to maintain the inner surfaces of the front and rear panels in opposed relation, and short of the top of the front panel, whereby the envelope may be closed initially by activating the adhesive on the first closure flap and folding the first closure flap about the second fold line down over the outer surface of the rear panel and sealing it thereto, and when received, the envelope may be opened and reused by removing the first closure flap by tearing along the said line of perforations of the front panel without disturbing the remainder of the envelope, and then lifting the return sealing flap from its position between the front and back panels, unfolding said flap, activating the adhesive on the return sealing flap and folding it about the third fold line down over substantially the entire outer surface of the front panel and sealing thereto.

2. An envelope according to Claim 1, in which the first sealing flap is folded about the fourth fold line and severable from the envelope along the perforated line to leave a front panel of substantially equal width as the back panel.

3. An envelope according to Claims 1 or 2, in which the return sealing flap is formed with a fold line substantially midway between the attached and free ends thereof.

4. An envelope according to Claims 1,2 or 3, in which the side flaps terminate at their upper ends no higher than the perforated line.

5. An envelope according to Claims 1,2,3 or4, in which the crimped portion consists of a single deformation of the said return sealing flap.

6. An envelope according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which the crimped portion is located substantially midway between the sides of the return sealing flap.

7. An envelope-according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the crimped portion is located at each side of the return sealing flap.

8. An envelope according to Claim 7 in which the crimped portion consists of angularfolds formed by bending over the corners of the return sealing flap and thereafter straightening the said folded portions before folding the said return sealing flap for placement within the envelope.

9. An envelope according to Claim 3 or any one of Claims 4 to 8 as dependant on Claim 3, in which the return sealing flap is divided into an upper half and a lower half by the fold line therein and the lower half is positioned between the upper half and the inner surface of the back panels.

10. An envelope for two-way mailing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A blank for the manufacture of a two-way envelope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference toand as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.