GB2385580A

GB2385580A - Opening means for envelopes

Info

Publication number: GB2385580A
Application number: GB0204807A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Knight
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-26
Filing date: 2002-02-26
Publication date: 2003-08-27
Also published as: GB0204807D0

Abstract

A container, such as an envelope, includes an intrinsic cutting device 7 for opening the container. The cutting device comprises an internal elongate cutting member extending along the inner side of at least one wall of the container, and an external handle portion 8. The elongate cutting member may be secured to the container at least at its distal end relative to the handle. The cutting device enables the wall along which it extends to be cut open when a tension is exerted by the elongate cutting member against it. The elongate cutting member may extend along two or more adjacent walls, preferably edges, so that the container can be opened up along each one.

Description

OPENING MEANS The present invention relates to a device for opening containers, packages and the like. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a device for opening envelopes, wrappers and other pliant coverings or packages.

It is a common problem that containers and packages such as paper envelopes and wrappers are difficult to open, often because when the seal of the package is broken in order to access its contents, it causes an uneven tear. There is also a risk that the contents of the packaging or container are damaged when trying to open it, since the use of any force to break the seal of the packaging might impair or ruin the contents For instance, in the case of paper envelopes, the contents of the envelope might inadvertently be torn or crumpled as the envelope is ripped open.

One known solution to this problem is to use a paper knife or other sharp piercing instrument to open the packaging. However, again, there is a significant risk that the contents of the packaging or container might be damaged (e. g. cut) when such an instrument is used. Additionally, the user must have the cutting instrument to hand when they wish to open the packaging, which is inconvenient and often inopportune Furthermore, there is a risk of injury to the user when such an instrument is used.

Another known solution to the problem, and one which is commonly seen in relation to paper envelopes, is to include one or more pre-formed cuts in the sealing portion of the envelope so that, when the sealed envelope is opened, the cut (s) facilitates the tearing apart of the upper flap from the main body of the envelope. However, again, this results in a messy, uneven tear, which is undesirable if the container or packaging is to be retained for any reason or reused, and there is still a risk that the contents of the packaging might be impaired as the envelope is opened.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or minimise such problems, by providing packages and containers, including envelopes, which can be opened more tidily and accurately.

Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container having an intrinsic cutting device, wherein the cutting device comprises an internal elongate cutting member extending along the inner side of at least one wall of the container and an external handle portion, the cutting device being arranged so as to enable the wall to be cut open when a tension is exerted by the elongate cutting member against said wall.

Preferably, the internal elongate cutting member extends along the inner side of at least one edge, more preferably along the entire length of the inner side of at least one edge, of the container. The elongate cutting member may extend along two or more adjacent edges of the container, such that the container can be opened up along plural edges.

Preferably, the elongate cutting member of the cutting device comprises a wire, cord or string. Preferably, the handle portion comprises a pull-tab or loop attached to or integral with the elongate cutting member, which can be pulled by the user in order to effect the opening of the container. Preferably, the handle is frangibly affixed to the exterior of the container, for convenience of use.

Any arrangement in which the handle member can be used to pull the elongate cutting member against the inner side of the wall of the container along which it extends, such that the elongate cutting member can cut along the said wall, is suitable for the present invention. For instance, the elongate cutting member may be secured inside the container by any suitable frangible means, for instance by embedding it in a thin layer of adhesive along the inner side of at least one wall of the container or by embedding it in the wall of the container itself Alternatively, the elongate cutting member may be attached to the inside of the container only at its distal end relative to the handle portion, or at both its proximal and distal ends.

As a further alternative, and of particular relevance to containers with thin, pliant walls (e. g. paper envelopes), the cutting device may be simply loosely arranged in the container with the handle portion disposed outside the container, rather than the elongate cutting member being permanently secured to the envelope. In this arrangement, the user can simply clamp the end of the elongate cutting member which

is distal to the handle portion with the fingers, through the walls of the container, and thereafter use the handle portion of the cutting device to pull the remainder of the elongate cutting member against the edge of the container in order to cut it open.

The elongate cutting member may have more than one handle, for instance one at each end. In such an arrangement, the container can be opened by pulling the elongate cutting member at either or both ends, against the wall of the container, in order to cut it open.

In a preferred embodiment, the container is an envelope. In this embodiment, the elongate cutting member is preferably a length of string or cord. Preferably, the elongate cutting member extends along the inner side of the upper fold of the envelope, that is, against the inner edge of the fold between the upper flap and the front portion of the envelope, such that when the upper flap is folded over and sealed to the back portion of the envelope, the cutting device can be used to slit open the top edge of the closed envelope. Preferably, the elongate cutting member extends along the entire length of this edge and is secured to the envelope at its distal end relative to the handle of the cutting device. In this arrangement, the entire top edge can be slit open when tension is exerted on the elongate cutting member. The elongate cutting member may also extend along one or more further, adjacent edges of the envelope.

As mentioned above, the elongate cutting member of the cutting device may be frangibly embedded (e. g. in a thin layer of adhesive), either partially or wholly, along the inner side of the wall or edge of the envelope to be cut. Alternatively, it may be taped or otherwise secured to the envelope only at its distal end relative to the handle, such that the remainder of the elongate cutting member is free.

The upper flap of the envelope may be pre-gummed, as is common in the art, and it may be self-adhesive or otherwise.

The present invention also provides, in a second aspect, a method of opening a container of the first aspect, comprising the step of pulling the elongate cutting member of the cutting device by its handle against the inner side of a wall of the container along which it lies, thereby cutting said wall.

In a preferred embodiment, the elongate cutting member is secured to the container only at its distal end relative to the handle such that, when tension is applied to the handle in a direction which is approximately perpendicular to the edge to be cut, the elongate cutting member is pulled against the inner side of the wall, progressively along its length from the proximal to the distal end relative to the handle. In this way, the cutting device enables the wall to be slit open along its length. Preferably, the wall which is cut comprises an edge, preferably a fold in the wall of the container, so that the cutting member has a guide along which to cut.

Alternatively, the elongate cutting member may have two or more handles, for instance one at each end. In this way, and depending on whether the cutting device is secured to the container or simply clamped to the container by the user's fingers during use, the wall of the container may be cut progressively in more than one direction and/or position Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 shows a bottom plan view of an open envelope according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the envelope of Figure 1 Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the handle of Figure 2 Figure 4 shows a bottom plan view of the envelope of Figures 1 and 2 in a closed, sealed form.

Figure 5 shows the handle of Figure 4 in use.

Figures 6 and 7 show the envelope of Figure 4 during and after opening, respectively

Figures 8 and 9 show an alternative embodiment of the invention, before and after opening As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the envelope comprises a back portion 1, a front portion 2, a lower flap 3, an upper flap 4 and a cutting device 5. The cutting device includes a length of string 6 which extends along the inner side of the fold between the upper flap 4 and the front portion 2 of the envelope, and a handle 7, which extends outside the envelope. The handle includes a label 8, and is frangibly secured to the outside of the upper flap 4 of the envelope for convenience (Figures 2 and 3). One or both of the string and the label may be personalised by use of colours, labels, or other such decoration (not shown in Figures). The length of string 6 is secured to the inside of the envelope at its distal end 6a relative to the handle.

Figure 4 shows the envelope in its closed, sealed form, with the upper flap 4 folded over and adhered to the lower flap 3. The label 8 of the handle 7 is frangibly attached to the outside of the upper flap 4, so that it can be grasped by the user and pulled away 9 from the envelope (Figure 5). The handle can then be used to create a tension in the string against the fold between the upper flap 4 and the front portion 2 of the envelope, and this tension causes the string to slit open the envelope along the length of the fold, from the proximal end to the distal end of the string relative to the handle.

The contents of the envelope 10 can then be easily and cleanly extracted therefrom, through the slit so formed (Figure 7).

An alternative embodiment is shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, the length of string extends around the circumference of the envelope. When the handle is used to exert tension on the string against the folds of the envelope, the envelope can be slit open along one, two, three or even all four edges. Figure 9 shows an arrangement in which the envelope has been slit open along the top and the both of the two short sides, and as the figure illustrates, the interior of the envelope 11 and the contents thereof can be particularly easily accessed when the cutting means has been used in such a way.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container having an intrinsic cutting device for opening said container, wherein the cutting device comprises : an internal elongate cutting member extending along the inner side of at least one wall of the container, and an external handle portion, the elongate cutting member being arranged in said container so as to enable said wall to be cut open when a tension is exerted by the elongate cutting member against said wall.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said elongate cutting member extends along the inner side of at least one edge of said container.
3 A container according to any one of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the internal elongate cutting member extends consecutively along two or more adjacent walls of the container, such that the container can be opened up along plural edges
4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal elongate cutting member comprises a wire, cord or string.
5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle portion comprises a pull-tab or loop attached to or integral with the internal elongate cutting member.
6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal elongate cutting member is secured to the container at one or more points.
7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the internal elongate cutting member is attached to the container at its distal end relative to the handle portion.

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8. A container according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the internal elongate cutting member is frangibly attached along substantially its entire length to the wall of the container.
9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the internal elongate cutting member is embedded in a layer of adhesive along the inner side of said least one wall of the container.
10. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal elongate cutting member includes more than one handle.
11 A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is an envelope.
12. A container according to claim 11, wherein the elongate cutting member is a length of string or cord.
13. A container according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the elongate cutting member extends along the inner side the fold between the upper flap and the front portion of the envelope.
14. A container according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the elongate cutting member extends along the entire length of said inner side of said fold, from one corner of the envelope to the adjacent comer.
15. A container according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the internal elongate cutting member extends along the inner side of two or more adjacent edges of the envelope.
16. A container according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the internal elongate cutting member of the cutting device is frangibly embedded along its entire length to the inner side of said edge of the envelope to be cut.

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17. A container substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
18. A method of opening a container according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of pulling the elongate cutting member of the cutting device by its handle against the inner side of a wall of the container, thereby cutting said wall
19. A method substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings