GB2269134A

GB2269134A - Continuous business forms forming C or Z folded mailers for PIN codes.

Info

Publication number: GB2269134A
Application number: GB9216427A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Whiteside
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Priority date: 1992-08-01
Filing date: 1992-08-01
Publication date: 1994-02-02
Also published as: AU664299B2; DE69309582D1; NZ248296A; GB9216427D0; MX9304575A; EP0586064A3; EP0586064A2; DE69309582T2; EP0586064B1; CA2101585A1; AU4437993A

Abstract

A continuous business form for forming sealed mailers, wherein each of the mailers (Fig. 3) is divided into three panels by transverse fold lines 23, 24, one 20 of the panels carrying a masking patch 25 bearing transfer material (OPAS) whereby impact printing on said patch will transfer a copy of that printing (PIN code) to the underlying panel 20, and another 21 of the panels on the same side of the form as the patch having an area (26, Fig.1) arranged to receive the addressee details. The panels carry adhesive such that each mailer can be C or Z folded and the adhesive activated to provide a sealed outgoing mailer with the patch 25 inside and the addressee area (26) on the outside. A return mailer is also provided (Fig.4) having panels 60, 61, 62, the panels bearing a first activatable adhesive 80, 81 (82, 83, 84, Fig.5), such that when the sheet is Z folded the first adhesive can be activated to form an outgoing sealed mailer and in which one of the panels 61, 62 bears a second activatable adhesive 70, 71, 72, such that when panel 60 is detached from the other panels and panels 61, 62 are reverse folded and brought into contact with one another and the second adhesive activated, panels 61, 62 form a return sealed mailer. <IMAGE>

Description

2269134 CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS AND MAILERS FORMED THEREFROM This

invention relates to business forms which are subsequently processed to become individual sealed mailers and is particularly but not exclus. ively concerned with continuous business forms assemblies comprising a plurality ---ofindividual business forms in continuous format and each intended to carry confidential information such as a personal identification number (PIN number) at a predetermined position on the form so that it will be hidden when printed on the form and will be inside the sealed mailer.

Conventionally the continuous business form has longitudinal marginal edge portions provided with feed holes for accurate correlation with a printer or other processing machines and is divided into a number of form or mailer lengths by transverse lines of perforation. Such a continuous business form is printed with all the information common to all forms, is provided with all adhesive necessary for forming sealed mailers, is provided with any patches or windows required and is then fan folded and boxed in appropriate lengths for despatch to a user who wishes to personalise individual form lengths, form them into mailers and despatch them to customers. In the particular case of forwarding their PIN numbers to customers this user would be a bank or credit card issuing organisation.

In our European patent number 0217674 we have described a continuous business form assembly for recording and despatching PIN numbers. A continuous web.is-divided into form lengths and an area of each form length inf-ened to receive a customer's PIN number has adhered thereto a masking patch of the type known as an O.P.A.S. patch. Such a patch has a top surface printed with a masking pattern, and a lower surface coated with a CB (coated back) coating and the area receiving the patch is coated with a CF (coated front) coating to coact with the CB coating on the patch to produce on the area a reproduction of a PIN number which has been impacted on the top surface of the patch. Only when the 2 patch is peeled away can the number be seen.

The web of that assembly is formed into mailers by one of two methods; either the web is plow folded about a longitudinal central line into two overlying panels which are adhered together to form each mailer or two separate webs are collated together and secured around the edges of each form length.

As the patch requires to be impact printed to transfer the impression of the PIN number onto the web area beneath the patch and an impact printer can only print on one side of the web the addressee details must be printed on the same side of the web and such a system requires the address to be viewed only through a window.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved continuous business form assembly suitable for impact printing to receive PIN numbers (or other confidential information) and personalised details of addressees and which can then be folded and sealed to provide sealed mailers in which the PIN numbers will be enclosed.

In one aspect the present invention provides a continuous business form assembly having longitudinal edges and arranged to be passed through a printer so that one side thereof can receive information by impact printing thereon, the web being divided by transverse lines of perforation into a plurality of mailer lengths, each of the lengths being divided into three panels by first and second transverse fold lines, one of the panels carrying a masking patch bearing transfer material whereby impact printing on said masking patch will transfer a copy of that printing to the underlying web panel and another of the panels (an addressee panel) on the same side of the web as the patch having an area arranged to receive addressee details, and the panels carrying adhesive such that each mailer length can be folded along said fold lines and ' the adhesive activated to provide a sealed mailer with the patch inside and the addressee panel on the outside.

Preferably the adhesive is a pressure activated 3 adhesive and the lines of adhesive are arranged so that when the continuous web is fan folded about the perforation lines which divide the web into mailer lengths, areas of adhesive on one form length will not contact those on adjacent form lengths.

Each mailer length is provided with perforation lines extending inside the lines of adhesive so that the eventual sealed mailer can be opened by the addressee tearing along the perforation lines. Preferably such perforation lines are arranged such that when the marginal edge portions are removed by severing along the perforation lines the panel carrying the patch is completely separated from the panel carrying the addressee information.

In one form each mailer is formed by folding the mailer length in a C fold. In another form each mailer is formed by a Z fold.

With advantage, for a C fold assembly, a first of the panels carries the patch on said one side of the web and has on that one side marginal lines of adhesive along both longitudinal edges and along the transverse edge adjacent the fold line connecting it to a central, addressee, one of the panels. on the other side the first panel has adhesive along the marginal longitudinal edges and masking printing-at least in the area coinciding with the position of the patch. The central panel on said one side is arranged to receive the addressee information and carries no adhesive on said one side and adhesive in the marginal longitudinal edge portions of the other side. The third panel carries no adhesive on said one side but is printed with instructions for opening the eventual sealed mailer and has adhesive along the longitudinal marginal edge portions and along the transverse marginal portion adjacent the perforation line separating it from an adjacent mailer.

In another aspect the invention provides a business form for forming a sealed mailer with a return envelope comprising a sheet divided into first, second and third substantially equal panels by two fold lines, at least the 4 first of the fold lines between the first and second panels being perforated, the sheet having a. front face and a back face and the sheet being arranged to be Z folded about the first and second fold lines to bring the front faces of the first and second panels into engagemen:t with one another and the back faces of the second and third panels into engagement with one another, the front faces of the first and second panels and the back faces of the seqond and third panels being formed with lines of non-active but activatable adhesive along their marginal free edges so that when they are so folded and the adhesive activated the outgoing mailer so formed is completely sealed around its edges, each of the panels being formed with lines of perforation which are in register with one another when the sheet has been so Z folded to form the sealed outgoing mailer, the lines of perforation comprising first and second longitudinal perforation lines extending along the longitudinal edges of the mailer inside the lines of activatable adhesive and third transverse lines of perforation adjacent the free edge of the first panel and the edges of the second and third panels adjacent the second fold line and inside the lines of activatable adhesive, such that when the marginal edge portions are removed from the sealed mailer along the lines of perforation the panels will remain connected in booklet form with the initially free transverse edge of the third panel adhered to the transverse edge of the second panel adjacent the fold line by a connecting line of adhesive, and in which the third panel is formed with a window, the second panel being formed with a third fold line adjacent the first fold line inside said connecting transverse line of adhesive, and the second panel being formed with a return address area on its front face such that when the second panel is folded about the third fold line to bring the front surface of the second panel into contact with the front surface of the third panel, after the first panel has been detached along said perforated first fold line the window will register with the return address area, and in which the return mailer so formed by folding about the third fold line has activatable adhesive, such as moisturisable adhesive, around its registering free edges by which the panels can be secured together around their edges to form a sealed returned mailer.

Two embodiments of continuous business form, in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:- Figure 1 shows one side of one mailer length forming part of a first embodiment of continuous business form, Figure 2 shows the other side of the mailer length of Figure 1 forming parts of a continuous business form, Figure 3 shows diagrammatically one mailer length of Figures 1 and 2 being folded to form a sealed mailer, Figures 4 to 10 show another embodiment of business form assembly in which:

Figure 4 shows one side of a business form intended for folding and sealing into an outgoing mailer, Figure 5 shows the other side of the business form of Figure 1, Figure 6 shows one side of the mailer after it has been received and opened by a customer, Figure 7 shows the other side of the opened mailer, Figures 8 and 9 show opposite sides of the opened mailer after one panel has been removed and the remaining two panels have been opened out, and Figure 10 shows one side of a return mailer formed from the two panels shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, a continuous business form comprises a continuous web 12 having longitudinal edges 13, 14 formed with marginal feed apertures 15 for guiding and accurately correlating the web with a printer or other processing machines. The web is divided, in known manner, into a plurality of form lengths 16 by transverse lines of perforation 17, each form length being 6 intended to form an individual sealed mailer. The web has a front surface 18-shown in Figure 1 and a rear surface 19 shown in Figure 2 and is printed on both sides with information common to all forms/mailer lengths.

Each form is intended to be.C folded to form the mailer and for this purpose is divided into three.substantially equal panels 20, 21, 22 by first and second fold lines indicated diagrammatically at 23 and 24. A first 20 of the panels has on its surface 18 an area (not seen) covered by a masking O.P.A.S. patch 25 bearing transfer material. The masking patch is adhered to the edges of the area so that it can be peeled of f to reveal visible information transferred to the area by impact printing on the masked surface of the patch. The area also carries transfer material as necessary. The masking on the patch normally obscures any printing thereon but, if necessary, the impact printing on the patch can be made without using a printing ribbon or ink. A second, central, addressee one 21 of the panels has an area 26 adapted to receive personalised details of an addressee also to be impact printed on the same side 18 of the web as the masking patch 25.

Initially the manufacturer of the continuous business form will print on both sides of the form all in.formation common to all form lengths, will apply the patches and will apply adhesive as necessary for forming the eventual sealed mailers. The manufacturer will then fan fold the web along lines 17 and separate and box the form in lengths suitable for conveyance to a user. Such continuous forms are supplied to a user such as a bank who passes the forms continuously through an impact printer so as to supply the details of the PIN number and addressee details to each individual form length. The forms are then continuously burst, folded and sealed and despatched to individual customers.

In the arrangement shown each mailer length is preprinted with information and supplied with adhesive as follows:

7 Panel 20 Side 18 - in area 27 instructions for viewing and retaining confidential the PIN number; along both marginal edges staggered discreet patches of pressure seal adhesive 28 and along the transverse edge adjacent f.old line 17 a line of pressure seal adhesive 30.

Side 19 - masking printing 31 at least in an area corresponding with the position of the patch 25: discreet staggered areas of pressure seal adhesive 32 along the longitudinal edges.

Panel 21 Side 18 - in an area 33 details of the sender, and wording such as "Private and Confidential" and "See reverse side for opening instructions"; no adhesive is on this side of the form as it forms one outside surface of the eventual sealed mailer. The other side 19 of the panel 21 is available f or any message to the customer and is formed with staggered discreet areas of pressure seal adhesive 34 along its longitudinal marginal areas.

Panel 22 Side 18 - this side forms the other outside side of the sealed mailer and is covered with masking printing 35 and instructions at 36 for opening the mailer. On its other side 19 the panel 22 is printed with masking printing and has discreet staggered areas 37 of pressure seal adhesive along its longitudinal marginal edges and a line of pressure seal adhesive 38 along its edge adjacent the transverse line of perforation 17.

Once the f orm has been printed by the user with the personalised details the form is passed through a burster to separate each f orm length from the continuous web and is C folded first along line 23 to bring side 19 of panel 20 into contact with side 19 of panel 21 and then along line 24 to bring side 19 of panel 22 into contact with side 18 of panel 20. The areas of pressure seal adhesive will then all come into contact with an area of pressure seal adhesive on an adjacent panel and the form is passed through an edge sealing 8 device which applies pressure to activate the adhesive and provide sealed mailers which have the patches 25 inside and the addressee information in area 26 on the outside.

The forms are provided with longitudinal perforation lines 40 along each marginal edge.inside the lines of adhesive and with transverse perforation lines 41, 42 and 43 on the panels 20, 21 and 22 respectively inside the transverse lines of adhesive 30 and 38 and the transverse marginal portion on panel 21 which will correspond with these lines of adhesive when the mailer is folded and sealed.

The sealed mailer is opened by the eventual customer by tearing along the longitudinal perforation lines 40 to remove the marginal longitudinal edge portions and then tearing along the coinciding lines 41, 42 and 43 to remove these transverse marginal edge portions. The result is that the panel 20 bearing the PIN number is completely separated from the panel 21 bearing the addressee details.

The areas of adhesive are staggered and spaced so that adhesive on any form length does not contact adhesive on any adjacent form length when the continuous form is fan folded about the lines 17.

The continuous mailer assembly of Figures 4 to 10 comprises a continuous web 50 having longitudinal edges 51, 52 formed as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, with a longitudinal line of feed holes indicated at 53 and is divided into a plurality of form lengths 56 by transverse lines of perforation 57, each form length to form one outgoing mailer. The web has a front surface 58 as shown in Figure 4 and a rear surface 59- as shown in Figure 9 and is printed on both surfaces with all the information common to all form lengths.

Each form is intended to be Z folded to form an outgoing mailer and for this purpose is divided into three substantially equal panels 60, 61, 62 by first and second fold lines 63, 64.

The first panel 60 has on its front side 58 an area 65 intended to be covered by a masking O.P.A.S. patch 9 carrying transfer material as in the Figure 1 to 3 embodiment (and as seen at 54 in Figure 6). Adjacent the area 65 is an area 66 intended to be preprinted with instructions to a customer for dealing with the PIN number received.

A second central one 61 of the.panels has on its side 58 an area 67 for receiving a return address, such as the branch address of a bank, and an area 68 preprinted with the following or similar instructions (and. including a space for receiving a signature).

"Important Return Instructions 1 Sign the line below marked X using your normal signature.

2 Fold and crease form back on itself so that the window matches your branch address.

3 Lick or moisten the three sides of the form marked side 1, side 2 and side 3.

4 Stick the other leaf of this form onto the three moistened edges to provide a securely sealed envelope and post back to your branch of the bank".

Spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges 51 and 52 and inwardly from fold line 64 this side of panel 61 is formed where marked side 1, side 2 and side 3 with lines of longitudinal and transverse remoistenable, nonactive, adhesive respectively indicated at 70, 71 and 72. The side 58 of panel 61 is intended to form the inside surface of one panel of a return envelope/mailer.

A third one 62 of the panels is formed with a window opening 73 covered with a transparent (glassine) patch and its side 58 is intended to form the outside of the outgoing mailer and the inside of the other panel of the return mailer. For this purpose side 58 may be preprinted with a prepaid post serial number for example in area 74, and has an area 69 intended to receive an individual customer address. and user's reference number for that customer.

As seen in Figure 5, the side 59 of panel 62 is intended to form the outside of the return envelope and for this purpose is printed with an area 75 for receiving a stamp.

Side 59 of the central panel 61 has a masking pattern printed over most of its area but with an area 76 free to provide a blank opposite the window opening in the outgoing mailer.

Side 59 of the panel 60 is provided over most of its area with a masking pattern but around the edges is printed with dotted lines and opening instructions at 77 and 78 stating respectively "remove the side edges first fold crease and tear along dotted lines", and "remove side edges first then fold crease and tear this stub along dotted lines".

To form a sealed outgoing mailer from a form length, first the length is folded along fold line 63 to bring face 58 of panel 60 into contact with face 58 of panel 61. The longitudinal edges of these faces of these panels and the transverse edges of the panels remote from the fold line 63 are formed with respective longitudinal and transverse lines of non- active pressure seal adhesive, indicated respectively at 80 and 81 such that when the registering areas of adhesive are activated (by pressure) the panels will be secured to one another completely around their edges. Additionally the form length is folded along the line 64 in the other direction to bring face 59 of panel 62 into contact with face 59 of panel 61. Again the panels are formed on these faces with lines 82 of pressure seal adhesive along their longitudinal edges and with lines 83 of pressure seal adhesive along their transverse edges remote from the fold line 64 and with lines 84 of pressure adhesive adjacent the fold line 64 so that when the pressure seal adhesive is activated the panels are secured to one another around all four edges including adjacent the fold line 64.

Instead of pressure seal adhesive the adhesive could for example be heat activatable in which case there need not be registerable areas on each panel provided the contacting faces of the panels to be sealed have adhesive on one or other panel to form marginal lines of adhesive when the panels are brought together.

Each of the three panels 60, 61 and 62 is formed with longitudinal perforation lines indicated at 86 inside the longitudinal lines of adhesive 80 and 82 and coinciding with and registering (when folded) with the printed dotted lines on side 59 of panel 60. Each of the three panels is also formed with transverse perforation lines 87, 88, 89 extending between the lines 86 and located inside the transverse glue lines 81 and 84. Transverse fold lines are also formed at 90 in panel 61 and at 91 in panel 62 (which lines may be perforated for easy folding,but are not intended to be severed) inside the adhesive line 83.

The continuous web, normally fan folded along the lines of separation 57, and carrying all the preprinting, adhesive and perforation lines, is sold to a user such as a bank. This user feeds the web through a computerised impact printer which applies the PIN numbers, customers' addresses and bank branch address (which could be preprinted). The form lengths are then separated, folded, sealed and despatched to individual customers.

The outgoing addressee receives the sealed outgoing mailer and opens the mailer by detaching the three edge marginal portions by tearing along the perforation lines 86 and 87. The addressee is left with a document in the form of a booklet as seen in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows the front face of the booklet with panels 60 and 61 still connected as before, along fold line 63, but with panel 62 lying behind panel 61 and adhered thereto by the adhesive lines 84 adjacent the fold line 64. The reverse side of the opened outgoing mailer is shown in Figure 7.

The customer is instructed to detach panel 60 along the perforated fold line 63 and then open out the "remaining panels 61 and 62 to form an opened out return envelope as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The customer is now instructed to form the remaining panels 61 and 62 into a return envelope by reverse folding along the lines 90, 91 (inside the glue lines 83) to bring the side 58 of panel 61 into contact with side 58 of panel 62. In this position the window 70 will register 12 with the area 67 carrying the return address. The moisturisable adhesive at 70, 71 and 72 is then moisturised and the return envelope/mailer 92 sealed along its three free edges at side 1, side 2 and side 3. This allows the each form length to be used as both an outgoing mailer and a return mailer which includes an acknowledgement and or signature. The strip adhered along adhesive line 83 remains inside the return mailer as an integral part thereof.

The Z fold outgoing/return mailer assembly could be used for purposes other than conveying PIN numbers, for example without an O.P.A.S. patch. While it has been described as a continuous web, when an impact printer is not required the forms can be in cut sheet form.

13

Claims

1. A continuous business form assembly having longitudinal edges and arranged to be passed through a printer so that one side thereof can receive information by impact printing thereon, the web being divided by transverse lines of perforation/weakness into a plurality of mailer lengths, each of the lengths being divided into three panels by first and second transverse fold lines, one of the panels carrying a masking patch bearing transfer material whereby impact printing on said masking patch will transfer a copy of that printing to the underlying web panel, and another of the panels (an addressee panel) on the same side of the web as the patch having an addressee area arranged to receive the addressee details, and the panels carrying adhesive such that each mailer length can be folded along said fold lines and the adhesive activated to provide a sealed outgoing mailer with the patch inside and the addressee area on the outside.

2. A business form assembly according to claim 1 in which the adhesive is a pressure activated adhesive and the lines of adhesive are arranged such that when the continuous web is fan folded about the perforation lines, which divide the web into mailer lengths, areas of pressure seal adhesive on one form length will not contact those on adjacent form lengths.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 in which each mailer length is provided with perforation lines extending inside the lines of adhesive, so that the outgoing sealed mailer can be opened by the addressee tearing along the perforation lines.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 in which the perforation lines and adhesive are arranged such that when the marginal edge portions are removed by severing along the perforation lines, the panel carrying the patch is completely separated from the panel carrying the addressee information.

5. An assembly according to claim 3 in which the perforation lines and adhesive are so arranged that when the marginal edge portions are removed by severing along the 14 perforation lines the three panels remain connected together as a booklet.

6. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which each mailer length is designed to be C folded to form the outgoing mailer.

7. A mailer according to claim 6 in which a first of the panels carries the patch on said one side of the web and has on that one side marginal lines of adhesive along both longitudinal edges and along the transverse edge adjacent the fold line connecting it to a central, addressee, one of the panels and on the other side the first panel has adhesive along the marginal longitudinal edges and masking printing at least in the area coinciding with the position of the patch, the central panel on said one side being arranged to receive the addressee information and carrying no adhesive on said one side and carrying adhesive in the marginal longitudinal edge portions of the other side.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 in which the third panel of each mailer length carries no adhesive on said one side but is printed with instructions for opening the eventual sealed mailer and has adhesive along the longitudinal marginal edge portions and along the transverse marginal portion adjacent the perforation line separating it from an adjacent mailer.

9. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4 or 6 in which each mailer length is designed to be Z folded.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 in which two of the panels of each mailer length are adapted to form a return sealed mailer.

11. An assembly according to claim 10 in which said adhesive for forming the outgoing mailer is a first adhesive activatable by a first action, and in which at least one of the second and third panels (which do not bear the O.P.A.S. patch) are provided with a second adhesive activatable by a second action different from the first action, such that when the first panel is removed after opening the outgoing mailer,'the other two panels can be reverse folded and brought into contact with one another and the second adhesive activated to form a return sealed mailer.

12. A mailer according to claim 11 together with claim 3 in which the three edges along which perforations are formed are those which do not extend along the first fold line between the panel bearing the masking patch and the central panel, such that when the outgoing mailer is opened by removal of the marginal portions by'severance along the perforation lines, the first and second panels are joined by the first fold line and the second and third panels are joined by a return envelope sealing line of first adhesive extending along an edge of the third panel and the margin of the second panel adjacent the first fold line.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 in which the second and third panels are arranged to be reverse folded about respective lines inside said return envelope sealing line of first adhesive, and the second adhesive extends around edges which will form the other three edges of the return mailer.

14. An assembly according to any of claims 11 to 13 in which the second adhesive is a remoisturisable adhesive.

15. A business form for forming a sealed mailer comprising a sheet having longitudinal and transverse edges and formed with first and second, transverse fold lines to divide the sheet into first, second and third substantially equal panels, with the first fold line between the first panel and the second central panel, the panels bearing a first adhesive activatable by a first action, such that when the sheet is Z folded the first adhesive can be activated to form an outgoing sealed mailer and in which at least one of the second and third panels bears a second activatable adhesive, activatable by a different action from the first action, such that when the first panel is detached from the other panels and the second and third panels are reverse folded and brought into contact with one another and the second adhesive activated, the second and third panels will form a return sealed mailer.

16. A business form according to claim 15 in which three 16 edges of all three panels are formed with perforations, which in the outgoing sealed mailer register with one another, the perforations extending inside the lines of first adhesive and outside the lines of second adhesive, and in which the three edges are those which do not extend along the first fold Iine, such that when the outgoing member is opened by removal of the three marginal portions by severance along the lines of perforation, the first and second panels are joined by the first fold line and the second and third panels are joined by a return envelope sealing line of first adhesive extending along the margin of the initially free edge of the third panel and the margin of the second panel adjacent the first fold line.

17. A business form according to claim 16 in which the second and third panels are arranged to be reverse folded about respective lines inside said return envelope sealing line of first adhesive, and the second adhesive extends around the edges which will form the other three edges of the return mailer.

18. A business form according to any of claims 15 to 17 in which the second adhesive is a remoistenable adhesive.

19. A-business form according to any of claims '15 to 18 in which the first adhesive is a pressure seal adhesive.

20. An assembly of business forms comprising a continuous web separated by perforation lines into a plurality of business forms each according to any of claims 15 to 19.

21. A business form or assembly of business forms substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A sealed mailer formed from a business form or assembly of business forms according to any of the preceding claims.