The present disclosure relates generally to forms and, more particularly, to a foldable postcard form having a removable label.
It is common for company and government offices alike to mail to customers and area residents notices that may require a reply by the recipient. Where the reply includes confidential or semi-confidential information it is often appropriate for the reply to be enclosed in an envelope. Where confidential or semi-confidential information is not included in the reply, such as where the reply is a questionnaire or notice of address change, the reply may be in the form of a postcard to reduce postage charges for the reply. Indeed, postal rates for first class mailings differ substantially between letters and postcards. For non-automation mailings the difference in rates is currently $0.14. This provides a significant incentive to utilize postcards for a wide variety of specialized mailings;
It would be desirable for the outgoing mailer, including the notice or statement and the reply postcard, to itself qualify as a postcard to realize postal mail savings for a postcard versus first class mail. A duplex printed postcard using 0.007 inch cardstock has been developed for this purpose and is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,134, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. While the '134 patent discloses a double postcard structure that comprises a notable advantage and improvement in the art, it would be desirable to provide a double postcard structure which can be produced using simplex (1 side) printing. Further, in the manufacturing of business forms, it is often desirable to produce a form that holds a label that can be removed and adhered to another surface. For example, the Department of Motor Vehicles for a state may need a mailable form that holds a vehicle renewal sticker, which can be removed from the form and adhered to a recipient's license plate.
Typically, forms having a removable label are manufactured by adhering a release liner to a portion of the substrate of the form and adhering an adhesive backed removable label to the release liner. The problem with such a stacked construction is that the thickness of the form is increased by the thickness of the release liner, the adhesive(s) associated therewith, and the thickness of the removable label. Various problems occur with this design because a portion of the form is thicker than the remainder of the form. For example, the variation in thickness of the form could result in jams and other feeding, processing, and/or handling errors. Further, shipping and packaging time and costs increase because only a limited number of forms can be stacked before the stack becomes unstable and topples over. Also, the additional thickness increases the amount of packaging needed for a given number of forms. Still further, because the release liner and removable label are typically attached directly to a relatively thick and inflexible substrate, it is often difficult to remove the label from the form.
An exemplary intermediate for a mailer-type business form 100 having a removable label 102 is shown in
With reference to the illustrated embodiment, the first panel 120 is disposed as the top panel of the form 100, the second panel 122 is disposed as the second panel of the form 100, the third panel 124 is disposed as the third panel of the form 100 so that the second panel 122 is between the first and third panels 120, 124, and the fourth panel 126 is disposed as the bottom panel of the form 100 so that the third panel 124 is between the second and fourth panels 122, 126.
The example form 100 has a removable label 102 on the second panel 122. The removable label 102 on the second panel 122 may be, for example, a vehicle renewal sticker or other proprietary, confidential or semi-confidential information. An opening 128 is cut through the second panel 122. A liner 130 is attached to the second face 113 of the second panel 122. In the example of
The removable label 102 is disposed on the liner 130 and within the opening 128 of the form 100. The label 102 is adhered to the liner 130 via a release coating (not shown), as described in the Ser. No. 11/038,000 application. The release coating interposes between the label 102 and the liner 130 so that the label 102 and the liner 130 can be separated without damaging the label 102. In some examples, the liner 130 may be coated with the release coating. In other examples, the face of the label 102 that faces the liner 130 may be coated with the release coating. In still further examples, the release coating may be disposed on a combination of the liner 130 and the label 102. Additionally, only a portion of the liner 130 and/or the label 102 may be coated with the release coating. The amount of release coating used need only be an amount sufficient to adhere the removable label 102 to the liner 130.
In addition to the release coating, other adhesive(s) may be used to join the label 102 to the liner 130 so that the label 102 can be removed without damage. For example, a pressure-sensitive removable adhesive could be used instead of or in addition to the release coating.
In this example, the opening 128 and the removable label 102 have similar rectangular shapes. However, the opening 128 and the removable label 102 may have any other desired shapes and, thus, their shapes may be substantially similar or substantially dissimilar to one another.
The liner 130 and the label 102 are moveable or displaceable (e.g., laterally and/or vertically) relative to the opening 128 in the form 100. There are several features of these embodiments that facilitate the removal of the removable label 102 from the liner 130. In particular, the liner 130 and the label 102 are laterally displaceable relative to the opening. Furthermore, the liner 130 is relatively flexible relative to the form 100. The flexibility of the liner 130 and the displaceablility of the liner 130 and the label 102 allow the recipient of the form 100 to easily remove the label 102 without damage. For example, the recipient can bend the liner 130 and peel back a portion (e.g., expose a free edge) of the label 102 so that the recipient can grasp the edge of the label 102 and remove the label 102 from the liner 130.
The example form 100 may also include a return postcard formed by the first and fourth panels 120, 126. The return postcard may be removed and mailed by the end user. Fold lines 114 and 118 may be lines of weakness that facilitate separation of the return postcard formed by the first and fourth panels 120, 126 (as described in greater detail below) from the second and third panels 122, 124. The fold lines 114 and 118 may be lines of weakness such as, for example, perforation lines or die cut lines. Fold line 116 may also comprise a line of weakness such as a perforated line or die cut line, or may be scored or creased to facilitate folding of the mailer because as presently proposed, the second and the third panels 122, 124 are permanently attached. As will be apparent below, the described series and orientations of panels 120, 122, 124, 126, is merely exemplary and other orientations are possible.
The form 100 includes an outgoing address area 132 on the first face 112 of the third panel 124. The outgoing address area 132 is dimensioned and adapted to receive, for example, a laser printed address or pre-printed address label. The outgoing address area 132 can include indicia corners or other indicators such as a change in texture, tone or color of the paper to facilitate the determination of the proper location of the outgoing address. Human readable address indicia, such as shown only schematically by indicia 134 in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first face 112 of the fourth panel 126 is pre-printed according to the type of return postcard provided. The first face 112 of the first panel 120 is also pre-printed or variably printed to include reply address indicia 144 in a reply address area 146. The reply address area 146 can include indicia corners or other indicators as described above with reference to the outgoing address area 132 to facilitate the determination of the proper location of the reply address 144 where such indicia is variably printed. Other human or machine readable indicia may also be printed or pre-printed on the first face 112 of the first panel 120. For example, postal address bar coding 148, indicia for postal stamp application and/or prepaid postal indicia 138, and a return address or lines for inserting return address at 140 may be printed or pre-printed on the first face 112.
In the illustrated embodiment, the indicia preprinted and variably printed on the first face 112 of the first and/or fourth panels 120, 126 is oriented in the same manner as the outgoing address indicia 134 provided on the first face 112 of the third panel 124. This facilitates the variable printing process. However, the indicia, particularly on the first face 112 of the first and fourth panels 120, 126, can be inverted from the orientation shown if deemed necessary or desirable for a particular application. In this regard, as will be understood from consideration of
In the illustrated embodiment, the first and fourth panels 120, 126 are adapted to together define a return postcard. To this end, at least a portion of the first panel 120 is adhered to at least a portion of the fourth panel 126 so that the mutually attached portions of the first and fourth panels 120, 126 each comprise one ply or layer of the postcard.
Thus, the form 100 further includes, as shown in
The adhesive patterns may also include a second plurality of adhesive patterns 156 for forming the outgoing mailer from the double postcards when the intermediate is folded about fold line 116, as shown in
The first adhesive pattern 150 holding the form 100 in the double postcard configuration is a substantially permanent adhesive that is defined by pressure seal adhesive or cohesive for forming the double postcard structure upon folding and the application of suitable pressure to the adhesive region. However, the adhesive may alternatively be re-wettable adhesive, or a pressure sensitive adhesive covered by a release strip. Also, rather than continuous elements, the adhesive may be provided as discontinuous elements and/or in a pattern, shape or density other than that shown. However, the first adhesive pattern 150 for defining the double postcard is preferably substantially continuous to minimize or prevent delamination of the return postcard.
The second adhesive pattern 156 may be of any configuration including dashed lines, discontinuous dot configurations and the like. While the amount and spacing of such adhesive material should be at least sufficient to allow the mailer to be processed by automated U.S. Postal Service systems, the second adhesive pattern 156 may be minimized to facilitate opening of the mailer as described below and to minimize the surface damage to, and residual glue on, the return postcard.
Although not shown, detachable tractor drive strips may be provided on the form 100 during processing. Such strips may be conventionally formed and used to facilitate handling of the form 100 for printing or the like during manufacture of the mailer. The strips are typically provided where the form 100 is in continuous construction. In the present case, where the outgoing mailer is dimensioned and configured as a postcard (e.g. having a 6 inch width) the form 100 is a two-up form for continuous feed, so that the side edges 108, 110 are lines of weakness between longitudinally adjacent forms. During normal processing, such strips (not shown) are slit off or otherwise removed at an appropriate stage to define the top and bottom edges 104, 106. In constructing the mailer, after the form 100 is detached from the adjacent forms(s) continuously printed therewith (if any), and after slitting or removal of any tractor drive strips (if provided), the form is double V-folded as illustrated in
When the outgoing addressee receives the mailer, the mailer is then comprised of first and second plys 164, 166 with the first ply 164 being defined by the adhered first and fourth panels 120, 126 that comprise the return postcard, and the second ply 166 being defined by the adhered second and third panels 122, 124 that comprise the notice 166 for the recipient. Adhering the second and third panels 122, 124 protects the liner 130. Covering the liner 130, protects it from being caught, ripped or otherwise damaged or destroyed when the form 100 is being processed by a machine or handled by a careless person.
The recipient can open the mailer to separate the postcard ply 164 from the notice 166 and reveal the removable label 102 by using a finger, pencil or letter opener to disrupt and separate adhesive spots 158, 160. As an alternative to all or some of adhesive spots 158, 160, the mailer may be held closed by edge tabs as shown at 162. Once the return postcard 164 has been separated from the notice 166, it can be removed by tearing along aligned lines of weakness 114, 118, as shown in
The exposed sides 206, 208 do not extend to the inner edges of the opening 202, thereby leaving gaps 210 between the liner 204 and the panel 122 in the opening 202. The gaps 210 may be of various dimensions and numbers. For example, there may be one gap, or a plurality of gaps (as shown), or if a multi-piece liner is used (e.g., in a side-by-side configuration), there may be three or more gaps between the liner sections or pieces and the inner edges of the opening 202.
The gaps 210 impart substantial flexibility to liner 204 and, thus, enable the liner 204 and the label 200, which is coupled to the liner with a release coating as described above, to move (e.g., laterally) within the opening 202, which allows, for example, the liner 204 and the label 200 to center themselves in the opening 202. A further benefit to this construction is that less liner material and adhesive are needed, which reduces the cost of manufacture of the form 100.
Many example forms with various shaped openings, number of openings, shaped labels, number of labels, perforations and number of perforations have been described. Any combination of any of these characteristics is contemplated by these examples and through this disclosure. Further, the opening and labels described herein may appear on any and/or on multiple panels 120, 122, 124, 126 of the form 100.
Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/614,898, which was filed on Jul. 9, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,079. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/038,000, which was filed on Jan. 18, 2005, now abandoned.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060032896 A1 | Feb 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10614898 | Jul 2003 | US |
Child | 11251992 | US | |
Parent | 11038000 | Jan 2005 | US |
Child | 10614898 | US |