MXPA06005204A - Envelope for mailing of cards containing an embedded chip - Google Patents

Abstract

A new mailing envelope for use in mailing of a rigid module that is embedded in a plastic or non-plastic substrate.

Description

POSTCARDS FOR CARDS CONTAINING AN INCREDATED CHIP FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to envelopes; more particularly, this invention relates to a new mail envelope for postal use, said envelope has a rigid module that is embedded in a plastic substrate or other than plastic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of plastic or non-plastic substrates containing a rigid module embedded therein (hereinafter referred to as "card") already has an exponential increase. In general, these cards are sent by mail to the consumer through national postal systems, and it has been discovered that the regular team that selects the mail damages the card when the letter that contains it is processed through that equipment. As a result, the consumer receives a damaged card that is no longer usable and has to return it to the sender to obtain a replacement card which is summarized in significant increases in the cost of distribution of the cards and the delay that occurs since the distributor sends to the consumer. This has significantly increased the cost of the distribution procedure and has increased the delay with which the consumer receives the card. The present invention relates to the mailing of any type of medium comprising a substrate and a rigid fixed or embedded module. One such example is the mailing of a "smart card". For purposes of explanation, the invention will be described with respect to the use of a smart card, but is not restricted thereto. A smart card is defined as a plastic card the size of a credit card, with an embedded computer module or chip. The computer chip that is embedded in the card can be a microprocessor with internal memory or a memory chip with non-programmable logic. Smart card technology originated in the 1970s and smart cards were introduced to the consumer market in the mid-1980s and their use has been steadily increasing. It is estimated that since 1998, shipments of smart cards totaled more than one billion cards a year worldwide. There are two general categories of smart cards; these are contact or contactless smart cards. A smart contact card requires the insertion of a card into a reader with a direct connection to a conductive micromodule on the surface of the card. The transmission of date and / or instructions occurs through these physical contact points. A contactless card requires only being close to a card reader; that is, the card and the reader communicate through a contactless link. There are two additional categories of cards that are now being developed. The first, which is a hybrid card, has two chips, each with the respective contact interface and without contact. The two chips are not connected. The hybrid card serves the needs of the consumer and the issuer of the card. The second new type of card is the Combi card that contains a single chip with a contact interface and a contactless one. The chip in the Combi card can be accessed through a contact or contactless interface with a very high level of security. The banking and mass transportation industries are expected to be the first to take advantage of the Combi card. The potential use of smart card technology has no limits. Some of the main applications today of smart card technology include satellite TV systems with small antenna, where the receiver uses a smart card as its removable security element and subscriber information, GSM portable phones with smart cards that they contain the subscription and security information of the portable telephone. Other applications include retail loyalty programs, physical access, frequent customer cards, mass transit, payment of electronic rights, product tracking, national identification, driving licenses, passports and the like.

In many of these applications, the smart card is sent to the consumer by mail through the card distributor or card issuer. The processing of a letter containing a smart card through the regular mail selection equipment has caused damage to the cards. Such damages include physical damage to the computer chip. The damage can be from imperceptible to the naked eye until the partial or total separation between the computer chip and the base of the card. The damage is caused by folding the card when it is processed through the postal selection team. The possibility of damage to the computer chip and the card can be avoided by processing the letter through an automated selection device with flat surfaces and not applying tension. It is therefore important to design an envelope that can be used to mail the smart card or card that prevents damage to the computer chip and the card. Several attempts have been made in the past to develop new types of envelopes of different sizes that avoid damage to the contents of the envelope when processed by the mail selection equipment retained by the various postal systems. The patent of E.U.A. No. 6,182,886 issued to Tucker et al., Which was issued on February 6, 2001, describes a rectangular envelope that is used to mail square items. The envelope uses a filler sheet that reduces its interior space, so that a square business card would not move from one side to the other in the larger envelope. Therefore, the exterior measurements comply with the requirements of the postal service, while the internal measurements of the envelope are controlled for the purposes of the square business card placed in said envelope. The patent of E.U.A. No. 4,886,205 issued to Schnitzer and assigned to Uarco Incorporated, which was issued on December 12, 1989, describes an envelope that can be used in a fully automated mail system. A fold is formed between the upper edge and the lower edge that defines a space intended for an envelope. A perforation line is provided, so that after processing, part of the envelope can be removed to form a conventional commercial envelope. The envelope can be processed as a larger envelope that has a smaller interior space with the extension removed after processing. The patent of E.U.A. No. 3,013,713 awarded to Whitman uses a single point of glue to place a check inside the envelope. The patent of E.U.A. No. 2,997,225 issued to Whitman describes the use of a pair of adhesive points between checks that are held inside the envelope to prevent the check from moving inside the envelope. The patent of E.U.A. No. 2,317,497 issued to Thompson shows the use of a strip of glue applied to the back surface of the front wall or the inner surface of the end flange to securely hold the end flange on the diagonal line designed to prevent movement of the contents of the envelope .

The patents of E.U.A. Nos. 1,964,595 and 1,858,277 granted to Overly use glue divisions to define a closed receiving space. The prior art has generally employed an adhesive or glue to ensure the placement of the contents of the envelope to prevent movement during selection in the postal system. However, the adhesive or the adhesive strip can not always retain the content in the desired position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved envelope that uses a specific means to keep the card intact and to avoid damage to the computer chip and the card when they are processed through the mail selection equipment. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved design for an envelope that can be processed through automated plane selection equipment without causing damage to the contents of the envelope. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight envelope that allows for the processing of the envelope through regular mail selection equipment, but which meets the requirement of having a weight of one ounce (28.34 grams) or less.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description of the specific embodiments of the invention together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the appended figures, in which: Figure 1 is a rear side view of the envelope of the present invention. Figure 2 is an expanded view of a preferred embodiment of the envelope of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to postal envelopes and in particular, to a postal envelope used to mail a rigid module that is embedded in a plastic or non-plastic substrate that is commonly referred to as a card. The envelope has a unique glue design of a paper that uses a false bottom, of specific quality and weight. The selected envelope design and paper quality give it sufficient strength for use with high speed insertion equipment. The envelope is also light enough that, along with the card and inserts, the resulting letter weighs an ounce (28.34 grams) or less. Figure 1 shows the back side of an envelope. In the manufacture of the envelope, side flanges 4.4 are provided, which in the preferred embodiment have a minimum of one inch (2.54 cm) in width. The glue lines 6,6 are provided on each side and the application of the glue on the side flanges extends to the side edge immediately below the top edge until immediately below the bottom edge. In this way nothing of the glue is exposed. A false bottom 8 is provided in the envelope, so that a solid seal line is achieved at a two inch (5.08 cm) elevation from the bottom of the envelope. A strip of glue 10 is provided in the upper internal part of the envelope flange to secure it in a closed position. The front panel of the envelope may or may not contain a window 12. The glue may be any acceptable glue. In the preferred embodiment, the glue may be based on an ethylene vinyl acetate polymer. Another example of a suitable glue is a combination of polymeric resins of polyvinyl acetate and ethylene vinyl acetate with or without dextrin added to the combination. The paper from which the envelope is made can be any paper available in the market. An example of a suitable paper is available from International Paper Company under the brand name POSTMARK. A preferred embodiment of a suitable envelope appears in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the glue strip 20 on the flange extends 5/8 inch (1.58 cm) from the open side of the flange that is 1.5 inches (3.81). cm) height. The eyelashes 24,24 are 0.625 inches (1.58 cm) wide. The false bottom 28 extends 2 inches 1/16 (5.23 cm) from the lower edge of the envelope and extends to the bottom of the window 22 which is preferably 2 inches 3/4 (5.71 cm) by 5 inches 1/8 (13.01 cm). When assembled, the envelope is 9.5 inches (24.13 cm) wide and 6.375 inches (16.19 cm) high. In the preferred embodiment, the envelope length shall not be less than 9 inches 1/2 (24.13 cm) with a width of not less than 6 inches 3/8 (16.19 cm). When making the envelope of these measures, said envelope will be processed through automated selection equipment with flat surfaces and that does not apply tension in postal systems. Consequently, when the smart card is sent by mail to the consumer from the distributor or issuer, the letter and the card will fit well into the envelope above the false bottom. The envelope measurements allow this to be processed in automated selection equipment with flat surfaces and that does not apply tension in the postal service, thus preventing damage to the card when it is processed. If the envelope had smaller measures, it would not be processed through automated selection equipment with flat surfaces and that does not apply tension in the postal service, which would then cause damage to the card. By making the envelope of the measures explained herein, it will be ensured that the envelope will be processed through the correct selection team. The use of the false bottom makes the card and the card remain immobile, thus preventing damage to the card itself during processing. The embodiments of the present invention described above are intended to be examples only. Those skilled in the art can make alterations, modifications and variations to the particular embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims hereto.

Claims (9)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A postal envelope for use in the mailing of a rigid module that is embedded in a plastic or non-plastic substrate, comprising front and rear panels, a pair of side tabs and an upper tab, said side tabs are adapted to be secured to the back panel immediately inward of each side edge and a top panel adapted to be secured to the back panel immediately below the top edge thereof, said envelope having a false bottom, thereby providing a reduced area within the envelope for its content

2. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized in that said false bottom extends at least 5.08 cm up from the lower edge thereof.

3. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized by having a length of not less than 24.13 cm and a width of not less than 16.19 cm.

4. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized in that said side flanges and said upper flange carry glue strips comprising a polymer of ethylene vinyl acetate.

5. - The postal envelope according to claim 4, further characterized in that said glue strips further comprises dextrin.

6. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized in that said side flanges and said upper flange carry strips of glue comprising a combination of polymeric resins of polyvinyl acetate and ethylene vinyl acetate.

7. The postal envelope according to claim 6, further characterized in that said glue strips further comprise dextrin.

8. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized in that said side flanges have a minimum of 2.54 cm in width.

9. The postal envelope according to claim 1, further characterized in that it weighs less than 28.34 grams.