IE913518A1 - Envelope - Google Patents

Abstract

A window envelope is made from an opaque blank 12 having a window 20 and a sheet 31 of transparent material stuck to the blank and covering the window and its immediate surroundings. A line 22 of perforations in the sheet 31 and a line 21 of perforations in the blank 12 lie one on the other and by tearing along these lines minor parts 11 and 32 of the blank 12 and the sheet 31, which parts were previously stuck together to close the envelope at one end, can be torn off simultaneously to open the envelope. A mailing address on a panel 8 appears through the window 20

Description

This invention relates to an envelope which can be used twice, for example for a sender to enclose at least one item to be sent to a first addressee and for that addressee to enclose at least one item to be sent to a second addressee which may be the original sender.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank suitable for use in making a window envelope, the blank having first and second ends and first and second opposite sides and including, proceeding from the first end to the second end, a first closure flap, a first panel-forming area formed with a window, a second panel-forming area and a third panel-forming area, the blank also including, on the second side, first and second closure portions which are contiguous with the first and second panel-forming areas, respectively, and which are connected to one another only by the panel-forming areas, there being a line of weakness, for example perforations, extending in the direction from the first end to the second end of the blank at the junction between the second closure portion and the second panel-forming area and there being no such line of weakness at the junction between the first closure portion and the first panel-forming area, the arrangement being such that the blank can be folded so that the third panel-forming area lies between the first and second panel-forming areas.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly suitable for use in making a window envelope, the assembly including a first sheet of material, including a window, and a second sheet of more transparent material, face to face with and secured to the first sheet so as to cover the window and the parts of the first sheet immediately surrounding the window, each of the sheets having a line of weakness, for example perforations, near one edge between a major portion of the sheet and a minor portion thereof, it being possible to fold the assembly, to form the window envelope, such that the lines of weakness then lie one on the other, the assembly further including adhesive for sealing the envelope, including securing the two minor portions together face to face, the arrangement being such that the envelope may be opened by tearing along the two lines of weakness so that the two minor portions become detached simultaneously from the two major portions. The first sheet in the assembly is preferably a blank according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a window envelope constructed to be used twice and including a front panel formed with a window, a rear panel and an intermediate panel between the front and rear panels and bearing an address for the second use which can be seen through the window, there being a transparent sheet secured to the inside face of the front panel and covering the window and the parts of said inside face immediately surrounding the window, there also being, at one edge of the envelope, a front closure portion contiguous with the front panel, a rear closure portion contiguous with the rear panel and, between these two closure portions, a part of the transparent sheet, there being a line of weakness, for example perforations, between the rear closure portion and the rear panel lying on a line of weakness, for example perforations, between said part of the transparent sheet and the remainder thereof, but no such line of weakness between the front closure portion and the front panel.

The envelope is preferably made from a blank according to the first aspect of the invention or an assembly according to the second aspect of the invention. Three examples in accordance with the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:10 Figure 1 shows a paper blank which can be used to make an envelope, Figure 2 shows a transparent sheet which can be secured to the blank, Figure 3 shows a modification of the blank shown in Figure 1, and Figures 4 and 5 show views, corresponding to those of Figures 1 and 2, of a third example.

The blank 12 shown in Figure 1 is opaque, or at least, much less transparent than the transparent sheet mentioned below. The blank is elongate and generally rectangular and thus has first and second opposite ends 1 and 2 and first and second opposite sides 3 and 4. Proceeding from the end 1 to the end 2, the blank comprises a first closure flap 5 and first, second and third rectangular panel-forming areas, 6, 7 and 8, respectively. On the first side of the blank there is a second closure flap 9 which is contiguous with the first panel-forming area 6. On the second side of the blank there are first and second closure portions 10 and 11 which are contiguous with the first and second panel-forming areas 6 and 7, respectively, and which are connected to one another only by the areas 6 and 7 because a portion has been cut out at 13. Lines 15 to 19 indicate the divisions between the parts 5 and 6, 6 and 7, 7 and 8, 6 and 9, and 6 and 10, respectively, and places where the paper should be folded. Fold lines may be printed or scored on the paper at these places or omitted entirely. A window 20 is formed in the area 6.

A straight line of weakness 21, formed by perforating the paper, extends in the direction from the end 1 to the end 2 of the blank, i.e perpendicular to the fold lines 15, 16 and 17 and parallel to the fold lines 18 and 19. The line of weakness 21 is at the junction between the area 7 and the closure portion 11.

There is no line of perforations at the junction between the area 6 and the closure portion 10. The blank is to be used to make an envelope, as described below, which is to be sent to a first addressee and later, by that ad· dressee, to a second addressee, possibly the original sender. The second addressee's name and address are printed upright considering Figure 1, on the area 8, on the non-exposed or lower face, at a position where it can be seen through the window 20 when the blank is folded as described below, and there is further upright printing on the same face of the areas 6 and 7 and the closure flap 5.

Figure 2 shows a thin transparent sheet 31 which is to be placed on the exposed face (considering Figure 1) of the blank shown in Figure 1. It has a straight line 22 of perforations near one edge. The sheet 31 covers the window 20 and parts of the area 6 immediately surrounding the window and it is stuck to those parts by ,E 913518 adhesive 14 on the blank and completely surrounding the window. The line 22 of perforations lies on the line 19 and is spaced by about 2 to 5 nan from the nearest part of the adhesive sticking the sheet 31 to the blank 12.

To form the assembly of the blank 12 and the sheet 31 into the envelope, firstly the paper is folded about the line 17 so that the end 2 lies well below the line 16. Then the paper is folded about the line 16 to bring the line 17 just below the line 15. One of the lines 21 and 22 of perforations now lies on the other one. Then the paper is folded about the line 18 and the closure flap 9 is secured by adhesive (not shown), on the closure flap 9 or on the area 7, to the outer face of the rear panel formed by the area 7. The area 6 now forms a front panel of the envelope and the area 8 forms an intermediate panel. A front pocket, to receive at least one item, is formed between the front panel and the intermediate panel and a rear pocket, to receive at least one item, is formed between the rear panel and the intermediate panel and both these pockets are closed at both ends because adhesive (not shown) on the closure portion 11 or on the sheet 31 secures the minor portion 32 of the sheet 31 to the closure portion 11. The front pocket is still open at the top because the closure flap has not yet been stuck down. The envelope is to be sold in this condition. The purchaser inserts one item, bearing the name and address of the first addressee, in the front pocket through the opening at the top, possibly with at least one item behind it, the name and address of the first addressee being visible through the window 20. Then the front pocket is closed by sticking the closure flap 5 to the rear panel using adhesive (not shown) on the closure flap 5. The envelope and its contents are mailed to the first addressee, who tears - 7 off the parts 11 and 32 by tearing along the lines of perforations 21 and 22, removes the contents of the front pocket and inserts at least one item in the rear pocket. Then the paper is folded about the line 19 and adhesive (not shown) on the closure portion 10 is used to close both pockets, by applying the closure portion to the end of the area 7. The second addressee's name and address now appears through the window and the envelope and its contents may now be mailed to the 0 second addressee.

Figure 3 shows a possible modification of the first side 3 of the blank shown in Figure 1, the modification consisting in a line of adhesive 23 on the area 7 on that face thereof which can be seen in Figures 1 and 3. Instead of this adhesive 23 being on the area 7, it could be on the opposite face of the closure flap 9. Before the paper is folded about the line 16, and if desired also before it is folded about the line 17, it is folded about the line 18 so that the closure flap 9 overlies the area 6, as shown in Figure 3. Then in the folding of the paper about the line 16, after folding it about the line 17, the adhesive 23 secures the inner face of the rear panel to the closure flap 9 with the adhesive 23 present as shown in Figure 3, it is possible to omit the closure flap 9 so that the adhesive 23 sticks the front and rear panels direct ly together. If the closure flap 9 is omitted, the ad hesive could be on the area 6 instead of on the area 7.

In both the example shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the modification shown in Figure 3, the closure portion could be of a colour contrasting to that of the remainder of the envelope and it could bear a legend such as TO OPEN - remove this coloured portion only. - 8 The closure portion 12 could bear instructions about how to insert into the envelope the item or items intended for the second addressee and/or instructions about how to re-seal the envelope.

The example shown in Figures 4 an 5 is in principle the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 but here the first side 3 is on the left instead of on the right when viewing the face of the blank which forms the inner faces of the front and rear panels, with the area 6 containing the window 20 above the area 7. The numbers 1 to 23, 31 and 32 have the same significance as in Figures 1 and 2. Here the window 20 is more near ly central in the area 6 and there is a more extensive and more complex pattern of adhesive 14 around it. The closure flap 5 has a greater width, measured vertically in Figure 4, than is the case with the blank shown in Figure 1 and it bears adhesive 24 on the face which can be seen in Figure 4, i.e. the same face as that which bears the adhesive 14 and adhesive on the closure portion 10. Adhesive is also present on the opposite face of the blank, on the closure flap 9. Again this adhesive could be replaced by adhesive 23 on the area 7, as shown in Figure 3 and again the closure flap 9 could be omitted.

The adhesive which secures the closure portion 11 to the sheet 31 could be on the closure portion 11 but it is preferred to have it on the sheet 31 . The sheet 31 covers a little more than a half of the width of the closure portion 11.

Claims (12)

1. . A blank suitable for use in making a window envelope, the blank having first and second ends and first and second opposite sides and including, 5 proceeding from the first end to the second end, a first closure flap, a first panel-forming area formed with a window, a second panel-forming area and a third panel-forming area, the blank also including, on the second side, first and second closure portions which 10 are contiguous with the first and second panel-forming areas, respectively, and which are connected to one another only by the panel-forming areas, there being a line of weakness, for example perforations, extending in the direction from the first end to the second end 15 of the blank at the junction between the second closure portion and the second panel-forming area and there being no such line of weakness at the junction between the first closure portion and the first panel-forming area, the arrangement being such that the blank can be 20 folded so that the third panel-forming area lies between the first and second panel-forming areas.

2. A blank according to claim 1 which includes, on the first side, a second closure flap.

3. An assembly suitable for use in making a window 25 envelope, the assembly including a first sheet of material, including a window, and a second sheet of more transparent material, face to face with and secured to the first sheet so as to cover the window and the parts of the first sheet immediately 30 surrounding the window, each of the sheets having a line of weakness, for example perforations, near one - 10 edge between a major portion of the sheet and a minor portion thereof, it being possible to fold the assembly, to form the window envelope, such that the lines of weakness then lie one on the other, the assemb 5 ly further including adhesive for sealing the envelope, including securing the two minor portions together face to face, the arrangement being such that the envelope may be opened by tearing along the two lines of weakness so that the two minor portions become detached 10 simultaneously from the two major portions.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 in which the first sheet is a blank according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A window envelope constructed to be used twice and including a front panel formed from a window, a 15 rear panel and an intermediate panel between the front and rear panels and bearing an address for the second use which can be seen through the window, there being a transparent sheet secured to the inside face of the front panel and covering the window and the parts of 20 said inside face immediately surrounding the window, there also being, at one edge of the envelope, a front closure portion contiguous with the front panel, a rear closure portion contiguous with the rear panel and, between these two closure portions, a part of the 25 transparent sheet, there being a line of weakness, for example perforations, between the rear closure portion and the rear panel lying on a line of weakness, for example perforations, between said part of the transparent sheet and the remainder thereof, but no 30 such line of weakness between the front closure portion and the front panel.

6. An envelope according to claim 5 made from a blank according to claim 1 or 2 or an assembly according to claim 3 or 4.

7. An assembly suitable for use in making a window envelope, the assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A blank suitable for use in making a window 5 envelope, the blank being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

9. An envelope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. An assembly suitable for use in making a window envelope, the assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, but with the modification 15 described with reference to Figure 3, or substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

11. A blank suitable for use in making a window envelope, the blank being substantially as hereinbefore 20 described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, but with the modification described with reference to Figure 3, or substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4.

12. An envelope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, but with the modification described with reference to Figure 3, or substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.