GB2380449A

GB2380449A - Mailers having a remoistenable water based glue with a colouring agent.

Info

Publication number: GB2380449A
Application number: GB0215434A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Parker
Original assignee: ECONO MAILER Ltd
Current assignee: ECONO MAILER Ltd
Priority date: 2001-07-14
Filing date: 2002-07-04
Publication date: 2003-04-09
Also published as: GB0117236D0; GB0215434D0

Abstract

A mailer comprising a sheet 3 of paper material able to receive printing and foldable into an envelope form, has glue-bearing portions 4, 5 to which is applied a re-moistenable water based glue 6, 7, 8 having an associated colouring agent which may be an ink. The colouring agent enhances the visibility of the glue when moisture is applied to the glue-bearing portions for sealing the folded sheet in the envelope form. The colouring agent allows the glue to be seen as the moisture is applied so that it is readily apparent when all the areas of glue have been moistened for secure sealing of the mailer. A number of the mailers may be supplied together in a pack together with a manually usable moisture applicator.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MAILERS This invention relates to mailers, more particularly, though not exclusively, one-piece mailers.

Mailers are generally used in offices and other business establishments.

In one form they comprise a document on which information can be printed, for example by a computer printer, and which is designed to be folded into, and sealed in, the form of a closed envelope. The document may contain pre-printed data to which specific information may be added, as appropriate, subsequently by suitable printing means. Such mailers are hereinafter referred to as"of the kind described".

Laser and ink-jet printers are now used extensively for printing information onto documents of various kinds. However, they have not been used in connection with mailers of the kind described because the printers, more particularly laser printers, tend to become hot as they are in operation, which has presented problems with the pressure-sensitive glues that have conventionally been applied to the mailers for sealing them when folded into the envelope form. The heat generated in the printer can be sufficient to melt such glues so that the mailers would stick in the printers and/or to other objects with which they may make contact. Furthermore, if the mailers were to be stacked together, melted glue at mailers which were in contact could result in their becoming stuck together with consequent separation and feeding problems.

There is a need for laser and ink-jet printers to be used for printing information onto mailers of the kind described. This is particularly so for printing onto small numbers of the mailers at a time, for example say fifty or less.

In order to meet this need we have provided, as disclosed in our patent application No. GB 0023153.0, a one-piece mailer comprising a sheet of paper or like material which is able to receive printing, is foldable into an envelope form and has portions to which a re-moistenable, water-based glue is applied whereby when the sheet is folded into the envelope form it can be held and sealed in that form.

It is generally desirable for the security of the sealed mailer that the glue-bearing portions are entirely moistened in readiness for the sealing process. This is desirable not only in respect of the afore-mentioned one-piece mailer we have provided, but in respect of other mailers also which have re-moistenable, water-based, glue-bearing portions. However in the moistening procedure it can be difficult to see whether or not the glue of the glue bearing portions has been entirely moistened. Indeed, when the glue is substantially colourless it can be difficult to see where the glue is on the glue-bearing portions, for the glue to be moistened.

The present invention is aimed at facilitating the moistening procedure.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a mailer of the kind described is provided comprising a sheet of paper or like material which is able to receive printing, is foldable into an envelope form and has glue-bearing portions to which a re-moistenable, water-based glue is applied whereby when the sheet is folded into the envelope form it can be held and sealed in the form, the water-based glue having an associated colouring agent which enhances the visibility of the glue when moisture is applied to the glue-bearing portions.

The colouring agent, therefore, allows the glue to be seen as the moisture is applied and from this it becomes readily apparent when all of the areas

of glue at the glue-bearing portions have been moistened. Moisture may be applied to spread beyond the areas of glue at the glue-bearing portions in order to make quite sure that all the glue is moistened. At least when moistened the colouring agent will indicate where the boundaries of the glue are.

The colouring agent may be an ink, dye, pigment or other suitable medium which is responsive to water applied to re-moisten the glue. Preferably the colouring agent is able to respond immediately, or substantially so, to the moistening so as to enhance the visibility of the glue as the moisture is applied. It may be mixed with the glue or be applied as a coating to the glue.

The colouring agent may be colourless until moisture is applied to the glue, or it may be coloured. When the moisture is applied the colouring agent may deepen, strengthen or change the existing colour of the glue, to make it prominent, or it may impart colour to the glue.

The glue-bearing portions may all be marginal regions of the sheet.

Alternatively at least one may be inset from an edge of the sheet. With regard to this latter arrangement, if, for example, information is to be applied to a part of the mailer which is not required to be contained inside the mailer when it is folded into and sealed in the envelope form, a glue-bearing portion adjacent to that part may be positioned on the sheet inwardly of the part, thereby allowing the part to be left exposed outside the envelope form, whilst still remaining part of the mailer.

In one embodiment of the mailer in accordance with the aforesaid first aspect of the present invention, which is in one piece, the sheet is foldable into two to the envelope form, which may be square or rectangular. The

fold in the sheet then forms one closed side of the envelope. The glue-bearing portions extend along the other three sides of the envelope form for those sides to be sealed by the re-moistened glue.

Lines of weakening, conveniently defined by perforations, may be formed in the sheet alongside the glue-bearing portions so as to enable those portions to be readily detached for subsequently opening the sealed envelope. Should a part of the mailer be required to be detachable from the subsequently opened envelope form, a line or lines of weakening, also conveniently defined by perforations, may be provided in the sheet for ease of detaching that part.

It will be understood that the sheet may be pre-printed with various data, as desired, as a form or other document. Part of the sheet may have a security pattern printed on it.

The glue may be re-moistened in any convenient manner, manually or possibly by machine. Preferably, because of the colouring agent, if the glue is moistened manually the moistening is not done by direct personal contact, for example by licking or a wetted finger, but by contacting the respective glue-bearing portions with a wetted roller or pad, by means of a wetted sponge, which may be a finger sponge, or other suitable moisture applying device. It will be appreciated that the re-moistening may be done without a need for special equipment.

When a small number of mailers in accordance with the present invention is to be processed, the folding of the sheet and re-moistening of the glue for sealing the mailer in the envelope form may be readily done by hand.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a pack comprising one or more mailers in accordance with the aforesaid first aspect of the present invention and a manually usable moisture applicator for applying moisture to the glue-bearing portions of the or each mailer.

Preferably the pack contains a number of mailers, for example 50 or 100.

The moisture applicator may conveniently be, or include, a sponge, or a finger sponge, which is wetted for use. An applicator which includes a sponge may have an exposed part of the sponge to be wetted of a width or diameter corresponding to, or a little larger than, the width of the areas of glue at the glue-bearing portions of the or each mailer in the pack.

Typically the width of the areas of glue will be approximately 8mm.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an open mailer in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mailer folded into an envelope form.

In this embodiment a mailer is provided which is in one piece and includes a pre-printed form 1, for example a pay form, having defined areas 2, Figure 1, to which specific information may be added, as appropriate, by means of a laser or ink-jet printer. Although the mailer is able to receive laser or ink-jet printing, other types of printer may be used to add the specific information to the form, if required.

The mailer comprises a rectangular sheet 3 of any suitable paper which is pre-printed as appropriate for the form to include the defined areas 2. Extending all along the length of one end portion 4 of the sheet 3 and extending from that end portion for most of the lengths of the two opposite side portions 5 of the sheet are applied continuous runs 6,7 of a re-moistenable, water-based glue such as used on postage stamps to which a water-based ink is added as a colouring agent. A further continuous run 8 of the glue, also with added water-based ink as a colouring agent, extends across the sheet between those ends of the glue runs 7 along the side portions which stop short of the opposite end edge 9 of the sheet.

The glue run 8 is spaced, therefore, from, and extends parallel to, the end edge 9, leaving a flap 10 extending across the width of the sheet defined between the end edge 9 and the glue run 8. All of the glue runs 6,7, 8 together present an outer rectangular outline 11 extending along the one edge portion 4 and two side portions 5 of the sheet, and across the sheet adjacent to the flap 10. Inside the outer rectangular outline 11 is a further, concentric, inner, rectangular outline 12 defined by lines of perforations 13 formed in the sheet. A transverse fold line 14 is printed as a dotted line across the full width of the sheet centrally of the two rectangular outlines 11,12.

Until wetted the ink added to the glue is colourless, or substantially colourless. When wetted it colours the glue so that as glue in the glue runs is moistened it becomes clearly visible.

The pre-printed form 1 is presented on the part of the sheet contained within the half of the inner rectangular outline 12 extending from the fold line 14 towards the flap 10. The part of the sheet within the other half of the inner rectangular outline 12 has a security pattern 15 printed on it.

The glue runs and lines of perforations are applied to and formed in the sheet in an automatic process.

When the one-piece mailer is to be used it is fed open and flat into a printer for specific information to be added, as necessary, to the defined areas 2. Information may also be printed on the flap. After the printing and removal of the mailer from the printer, the runs of glue are re-moistened, for example by means of a wetted finger sponge, and as they are moistened the ink colours the glue, as indicated by the shaded area C in Figure 1, to show how much of the glue runs has been wetted. Any parts of the glue runs that have not been wetted will be apparent from the absence of colouring of the glue. Moisture may be spread over more than just the glue runs to ensure that the glue runs are all completely wetted. After the re-moistening of the glue runs the sheet is folded to an envelope form, as shown in Figure 2, by folding it by hand into two about the fold line 14. This brings the moistened glue runs 6,7, 8 of the two parts of the folded outer rectangular outline 11 into a superimposed relationship for them to bond together, with applied hand pressure, and seal the envelope closed. The complete wetting of all the glue runs ensures full sealing, and the security of the sealing, of the closed envelope. The lines of perforations 13 of the folded inner rectangular outline are similarly superimposed on one another when the sheet is folded to the envelope form.

The envelope can be opened subsequently by tearing away the edge portions at the lines of perforations 13.

A number of the mailers may be supplied together as a pack, for example of 50 or 100, in which the mailers are stacked one on top of another in

the flat, open state ready for feeding into a printer. The pack may include a moisture applicator, for example a sponge in a holder, which can be easily used by hand to moisten the glue runs of the mailers for sealing them in the envelope forms.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A mailer of the kind described comprising a sheet of paper or like material which is able to receive printing, is foldable into an envelope form and has glue-bearing portions to which a re-moistenable, water-based glue is applied whereby when the sheet is folded into the envelope form it can be held and sealed in that form, the water-based glue having an associated colouring agent which enhances the visibility of the glue when moisture is applied to the glue-bearing portions.
2. A mailer according to claim 1 wherein the colouring agent is a water-based ink.
3. A mailer according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the colouring agent is able to respond immediately, or substantially so, to the moistening so as to enhance the visibility of the glue as the moisture is applied.
4. A mailer according to any preceding claim wherein the colouring agent is colourless, or substantially colourless, until moisture is applied to the glue.
5. A mailer according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the colouring agent is coloured.
6. A mailer according to any preceding claim wherein the colouring agent is mixed with the glue.
7. A mailer according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the colouring agent is applied as a coating to the glue.

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8. A mailer according to any preceding claim wherein the gluebearing formations are all marginal regions of the sheet.
9. A mailer according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein at least one of the glue-bearing portions is inset from an edge of the sheet.
10. A mailer according to claim 9 wherein at least one glue-bearing portions is positioned on the sheet adjacent to and inwardly of a part of the mailer intermediate the glue-bearing portion and said edge of the sheet, which part has, or is adapted to have, information applied to it.
11. A mailer according to any preceding claim wherein lines of weakening are formed in the sheet alongside the glue-bearing portions to enable those portions to be readily detached for subsequently opening the sealed envelope.
12. A mailer substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A pack comprising one or more mailers according to any preceding claim and a manually usable moisture applicator for applying moisture to the glue-bearing portions of the or each mailer.
14. A pack according to claim 13 wherein the moisture applicator comprises a sponge.
15. A pack according to claim 14 wherein the sponge has an exposed part to be wetted of a width or diameter corresponding to at least the width of the area of glue at the glue-bearing portions of the or each mailer in the pack.