Patent Application
20110108612
The present invention relates to envelopes, particularly envelopes having a display rack hole sealed from the main compartment.
Envelopes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and have features that are adapted directly for their intended purpose. For example, some envelopes are expandable to accommodate contents that vary in size, while others contain printing on the inside to prevent reading of the documents inside.
In contrast, some envelopes are designed with visibility in mind. These envelopes often have trademarks or designs printed on the front, have holes so that the envelopes may be hung on display racks to increase their visibility, or have windows cut into them that allow the user to see the envelope's contents.
Depending on the size of the contents, however, a display rack hole in an envelope may allow the contents to escape even though the envelope itself is sealed. This is particularly true for small items such as seeds, nails, bolts, screws, beads, etc. Thus, a need exists for an envelope having a display rack hole which is sealed from the main compartment of the envelope and does not allow the contents to escape.
According to one aspect of the invention, an envelope is formed from a blank and comprises a front panel, a first side flap, and a second side flap. The front panel has a first display rack hole and the first and second side flaps are each integrated with the front panel on opposing sides. A top flap is integrated with the front panel on a third side and is foldable around a first fold line. A bottom flap is integrated with the front panel on a fourth side that is opposite the third side and has a second fold line. Either the top flap or the bottom flap has a second display rack hole that registers with the first display rack hole when the flap is folded around its fold line to be adjacent to the front panel. The front panel and ones of the flaps form a compartment for containing the contents of the envelope and the front panel is affixed to the flap having the second display rack hole and an area proximate to the first and second display rack holes forms a seal from the compartment.
Preferably, a perimeter around the display rack holes is sealed with adhesive or heat. More preferably, the envelope contains a window.
A process for forming an envelope comprises the steps of transporting a blank to a panel cutter at a first position, and cutting a cut-out from the blank. The cut-out has a first display rack hole, a top flap, a bottom flap, and a second display rack hole in one of the top and bottom flaps. While the cut-out remains at the first position, the cut-out is scored along a first fold line such that the first display rack hole registers with the second display rack hole when the flap having the second display rack hole is rotated around its fold line to be adjacent to the cut-out.
Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:
Referring to
Alternatively, the second display rack hole 116 may be formed in the bottom flap 110 (not shown) such that when the bottom flap is folded around the second fold line 130 to be adjacent to the front panel 102, the second display rack hole 116 registers with the first display rack hole 114.
Referring to
It is advantageous to form the envelope 100 from a single blank of material because it reduces the number of processing steps, increases production speed, and reduces labor. In some embodiments, the necessary features can be formed in the blank using a single die. Suitable materials include thin sheets of polymer, paper, cardboard, or fiberboard. As used herein, the term “paper” includes any cellulose product.
Referring again to
Referring to
Additionally, if the window 118 extends into the side flaps 104, 106, as shown in
The bottom flap 110 is preferably resealable and may use any of a variety of mechanisms such as pressure sensitive adhesives, multiple adhesive strips, or string and button clasps. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a polymeric film such as Mylar® may affixed to either the top flap or the bottom flap. The other of the top and bottom flap has a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed to contact the polymeric film once a silicone release liner is removed from the pressure sensitive adhesive.
The envelope discussed above may be formed by a variety of pieces of equipment known to those of skill in the art. Exemplary machines include cutting and folding machines produced by the F. L. Smithe Machine Company, specifically the RA 800 series.
Referring to
The method further comprises scoring (408) the cut-out along a first fold line such that the first display rack hole registers with the second display rack hole when the flap that has the second display rack hole is folded to be adjacent to the cut-out. The method preferably includes simultaneously scoring the cut-out to create a second fold line for the bottom flap that is opposite the first fold line of the top flap, scoring the cut-out to create a third fold line for a first side flap adjacent to the first fold line, and scoring the cut-out to create a fourth fold line for a second flap adjacent to the first fold line and opposite the third fold line. An area inside the first, second, third, and fourth fold lines forms the front panel. Most preferably, both the steps of cutting (406) and scoring (408) are performed while the cut-out is still at the first position.
The method may further include transporting (410) the cut-out to a patching section at a second position and affixing (412) a transparent sheet (413) to the cut-out such that at least the window is covered by a transparent sheet. Alternatively, the window may extend across the entire width of the front panel and into the side flaps with the transparent sheet covering the window accordingly. The method may further include transporting (414) the cut-out to a seal section at a third position and applying (416) an adhesive to at least one of the top and bottom flaps, most preferably applying adhesive to an area that is proximate to at least one of the first and second display rack holes.
Optionally, the method includes applying (418) a release liner to the adhesive and affixing (420) a polymeric film to the other of the top and bottom flaps. The polymeric film acts as a smooth, durable surface to which the adhesive may be repeatedly attached and removed. The release liner acts as a protective cover over the adhesive, preventing premature adhesion and the collection of debris. The release liner is typically made of a silicone-containing material. In the event that no polymeric film is used, the adhesive may be dried in a drying tunnel before the cut-out moves for further processing.
Once the adhesive is applied, the method preferably includes transporting (422) the cut-out to a folding section at a fourth position and folding (424) the top flap around the first fold line and at least two of the remaining flaps around their respective fold lines. Thus, the front panel and the three folded flaps form a compartment with one open side, through which the contents may be inserted. The area to which the adhesive was applied seals the area proximate to the display rack holes from the compartment.
In summary, the sealed display rack holes allow envelopes containing small articles such as seeds or beads to be hung on a display rack, enhancing the visibility of the envelope and the product. This is advantageous for buyers because they can verify the quality and quantity of the goods and advantageous for sellers because the increased visibility is more likely to translate to higher sales. The described methods of forming the envelopes are also advantageous for sellers because the envelopes can be made from a single blank on equipment that is widely available, reducing the sellers' overall costs.
While illustrated embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
