1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a layered assembly, and more particularly, to an assembly having two or more layers wherein the space between the layers provides a pouch area to receive an item.
2) Description of Prior Art
Greeting cards are typically printed with static designs and in large quantities. They can commonly be purchased at card stores such as Hallmark, bookstores and other retail locations. After a user purchases the greeting cards, she can handwrite personalized information on the greeting cards and mail them to family members, friends, or business clients. Card printing vending machines have been developed to allow the card purchasers to select the card designs and input their own personalized messages before the actual cards are printed.
In recent years, online photo services such as Shutterfly, Inc., based at Redwood City, Calif., have established services for users to upload, store and share their digital photo images. The users can order physical photo products such as photographic prints, photo books, CD's, etc. The print orders are fulfilled using automated digital printers, and shipped to the recipients as specified by the user. However, the users typically have to order the photo products in large quantities to save on setup and printing costs. Moreover, the photos are not separable from the products thereby limiting the use of the photo by the recipient of the product.
Also available are PHOTOSTAMPS, which allow users to take their own images or photographs and turn them into real U.S. postage via a service such as Stamps.com®. The users just need to upload a photo, customize it, and place their order. The stamps are then printed by the Stamps.com® company and sent to the user for use. However, when the recipient of the personalized stamp receives a letter, card, or package in the mail with the personalized stamp, the stamp by then has the cancellation mark across the stamp from the post office, thereby defacing the personalized image or photo.
Businesses can also take advantage of using personalized products. Using personalized images allows for many marketing opportunities. For instance, personalized images can be used for logos, product introductions, advertising, special events, corporate gifts, etc.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a layered assembly is provided comprising a base layer having a first side and a second side, a first adhesive layer provided over the first side of the base layer, a second adhesive layer provided over the second side of the base layer, a top layer having a first side and a second side where the second adhesive layer is secured to the second side of the top layer, an opening within a perimeter of the base layer to provide access through the base layer, and a peel-away portion located within a perimeter of the top layer.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a layered assembly is provided comprising a base layer having a first side and a second side, a first liner layer mounted to the first side of the base layer, a top layer having a first side and a second side and mounted to the second side of the base layer, a pouch area located between the base layer and the top layer, an opening located within a perimeter of the base layer to provide access to the pouch area through the base layer, and a peel-away portion located within a perimeter of the top layer such that removal of a portion of the top layer.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a layered assembly is provided comprising a base layer having a first side and a second side, a first liner layer mounted to the first side of the base layer, a top layer having a first side and a second side and mounted to the second side of the base layer, a pouch area located between the base layer and the top layer, an opening located within a perimeter of the base layer to provide access to the pouch area through the base layer, and a peel-away portion located within a perimeter of the top layer such that removal of a portion of the top layer.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a layered assembly is provided comprising a base layer having a first side and a second side, a first liner layer mounted to the first side of the base layer, a top layer having a first side and a second side and mounted to the second side of the base layer where at least a portion of the top layer includes a postage area, a pouch area located between the base layer and the top layer, an opening located within a perimeter of the base layer to provide access to the pouch area through the base layer, and a peel-away portion located within a perimeter of the top layer such that removal of a portion of the top layer.
The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the invention. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring initially to
As shown in
The base layer 30 includes a first side 32 and a second side 33. Images and/or text can be printed on either the first side 32 or the second side 33 to customize the base layer 30. Each side 32, 33 of the base layer 30 can be blank after manufacture, or one or both of the sides can be printed with image or text, or one or both of the sides can be pre-printed. Fragrances and/or scratch-off materials can also be provided on either the first side or the second side.
The liner layer 12 is mounted to the first side 32 of the base layer 30. The liner layer 12 is substantially covering the first side 32 of the base layer 30. The first side 32 of the base layer 30 can be a side that adheres or can include an adhesive layer. A coating can be provided to make the first side 32 of the base layer 30 adhere to other objects. The liner layer 12 can be a protective liner to protect an adhesive layer on the base layer 30 until the layered assembly 10 is ready to be adhered to a substrate 20, such as an envelope as shown in
The top layer 40 includes a first side 42 and a second side 44. The first side 42 of the top layer 40 is mounted to the second side 33 of the base layer 30, as shown in
Images and/or text can be printed on either the first side 42 or the second side 44 to customize the top layer 40. Each side 42, 43 of the top layer 40 can be blank after manufacture, or one or both of the sides can be printed with image or text, or one or both of the sides can be pre-printed. In other examples, a partial portion or the entire portion of the top layer 40 can be transparent, partially transparent, or opaque. A fragrance and/or a scratch-off material can also be provided on either the first side 42 or the second side 44.
The top layer 40 can include a peel-away portion or any other peel-away structure. For example, the peel-away structure can include an outer portion that is a stickier that is able to be removed from the top layer 40 without any tearing occurring. Other examples of peel-away structures can also be provided. In this example, the peel-away portion is a perforated portion 50.
In the example of the perforated portion 50 can have a variety of shapes and sizes including but not limited to the shapes and sizes shown. The perforated portion 50 can be provided on just a portion of the inner portion 64 edge or can be provided fully around the edge of the inner portion 64 to facilitate ease of removal of a part of the inner portion 64 or the entire inner portion 64 of the top layer 40. In the example shown, the perforated portion 50 is of a rectangular shape within the interior of the top layer 40. The perforated portion 50 can be used to partially remove or entirely remove the top layer 40 from the assembly.
In a further example, at least one corner of the top layer 40 can have a peel-away tab 60. The peel-away tab 60 can be grasped and lifted by a user to peel off a portion of the top layer 40 to reveal an item 72 that is loaded within the layered assembly 10. The tabbed portion or the top layer 40 peel-away tab 60 can be created during manufacturing of the perforation or during a separate manufacturing step, such as a separate die-cut operation. It is to be appreciated that any suitable operation for creating the tab can be employed. An example of the top layer 40 is shown in
The top layer 40 can further include a frame portion 62 located on the exterior of the perforated portion 50 and an inner portion 64 on the interior of the perforated portion 50. Alternately or additionally, at least one corner of the inner portion 64 can include an easy-lift tab, such as the tab 60, or be otherwise suitably configured to facilitate easy removal of the inner portion 64 from the frame portion 62. As another alternative, the assembly 10 could be configured such that the entire top layer 40 can be removed by a user. The frame portion 62 can also include text, images, or indicia. For example, text can be provided in the frame portion 62 to indicate that an image is a United States stamp or to provide a caption for an image or text in the inner portion 64. For example, the frame portion 62 can have text stating “USA 440,” “USA First Class Forever,” etc.
The frame portion 62 is also configured to prevent or restrict inadvertent peel-away from another portion of the assembly 10. The frame portion 62 will have a slightly larger thickness relative to the other layers due to the presence of some amount of adhesive. For example, if another object or another piece of paper in the mail happens to slide across the layered assembly 10, the other object will slide over the frame portion 62 first and subsequently over the inner portion 64, which does not include adhesive. Thus, the other object will not interact with the tab. Accordingly, by restricting an inadvertent peel-away from the perforated portion 50, the layered assembly 10 provides a security feature for users in that it is visually recognizable to a user that the assembly is intact. If the perforated portion 50 is tampered with, it will indicate that another person has attempted to open the layered assembly 10. The layered assembly 10 makes it clearer to a user whether the layered assembly 10 had been tampered with or if the top layer 40 had been partially removed.
The top layer 40 is constructed from any suitable material, such as paper, plastic, or the like. Alternatively, the frame portion 62 can be constructed from a different material than the inner portion 64, if desired. It is to be appreciated that any suitable material(s) can be used for the frame portion 62 and the inner portion 64. Both materials should be configured to be durable enough to survive standard shipping, if used in that context. The frame portion 62 of the top layer 40 can be affixed permanently on all sides to the base layer 30. The inner portion 64 can then be removed to reveal one or more layers inserted between the base layer 30 and the top layer 40.
In this example, a zipper perforation is provided for the perforated portion 50, though other types of perforations can be provided. The zipper perforation is configured to allow a line of the perforated portion 50 to travel in multiple directions. Further, as shown more clearly in
As shown in
The layered assembly 10 is configured to be loaded with an item 72, such as a piece of media. The item 72 can include but is not limited to a photograph, a picture, a drawing, a z-fold item 72, an informational media, a brochure, a coupon, an advertisement, an object, or a wobble object as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2005-0001113, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The item 72 can also be any other suitable insert that can be loaded within the layered assembly 10. The item 72 can also further be mounted on a spring assembly as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2007-0089334, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
A recipient of a package or envelope can remove the inner portion 64 of the top layer 40 of the layered assembly 10 to reveal the wobble assembly within the pouch area that can be placed on the recipient's refrigerator, for example. Instead of or in addition to a wobble assembly, any other suitable item or items 72, such as a magnet, coupon, brochure, business card, photo, etc. can be provided under the inner portion 64 within the pouch area along with the item 72. The top layer 40 can be comprised of a material to protect the layer or layers underneath from damage during shipping.
An opening 36 located within a perimeter of the base layer 30 is also provided, as shown in
The pouch cut 34 through the base layer 30 and the liner layer 12 can provide a tab portion 35 to allow a user to manipulate the tab portion to easily insert an item 72 into the pouch area. The tab portion can be located within the base layer 30 to restrict a size of the opening 36. For example, the tab portion 35 can be lifted and/or opened by a user to access the opening 36 to the pouch area. As shown in
A user can load the pouch area 70 of the layered assembly 10 with any item 72. If the liner layer 12 is provided, the first liner layer 12 can also have an opening the corresponds to the opening 36 in the base layer 30 such that access can be provided through both the opening in the first liner layer 12 and the opening 36 in the base layer 30. In this example, once the item 72 is positioned within the pouch area 70, the user can remove the protective liner layer 12 from the first side of the base layer 30 to reveal the adhesive layer. The user can then adhere the entire layered assembly 10, including the loaded item 72, to a suitable substrate 20. Because the entire first side of the base layer 30 is adhered to the substrate 20, such as an envelope, the pouch area 70 is effectively closed as the item 72 cannot be removed through the opening 36 provided by the pouch cut. Accordingly, the opening 36 of the base layer 30 is sealed off from access. The item 72 is concealed or hidden from view or access until the top layer 40 is peeled away. The item 72 is protected from both falling out of the pouch area 70 and from the environment. Once the layered assembly 10 is secured to a substrate 20, the item 72 is durable enough to survive shipping. Accordingly, because the top layer 40 is secured around its edges to the base layer 30, the item 72 can only be accessed by removing a portion of the top layer 40 of the layered assembly 10.
If desired, printing of images or text can be provided by the manufacturer or the user on the liner layer 12, on either side of the base layer 30, and on either side of the top layer 40. Thus, images and/or can be provided on the exterior of the pouch or within the pouch itself. For example, the liner layer 12 can include text with instructions on how to remove the liner layer 12, such as text instructing a user to “slide picture face down into pouch here,” in the view of
The second side 33 of the base layer 30, shown in
An image on the top layer 40 can refer to text, graphics, a cover graphic, or a theme, that is visible from the exterior of the pouch area 70. An image as well as text can be included on the top layer 40. For example, text can be pre-printed that tells a user to “peel to reveal photos & fun.” Text and images can be provided within the inner portion 64 and/or along the frame portion 62. In another example, a user can customize the top layer 40, such as by running the top layer through a printer, a laser printer, or an inkjet printer. It is also to be appreciated that the top layer 40 can be transparent, semitransparent, or even opaque such that the full image of the photograph or other media within the pouch area is either seen, partially seen, or not seen through the top layer 40. Fragrances and/or scratch-off materials can also be provided within the pouch on either the first side of the top layer 40 or the second side of the base layer 30.
In yet another example, a portion of the top layer 40 or even the entire top layer 40 can be a postage area. For example, the inner portion 64 of the top layer 40, shown in
Although not shown, the item 72 and/or the base layer 30 can be mounted on a spring assembly such that the item 72 and/or the base layer 30 can wobble in a clockwise and counterclockwise motion with respect to the base material or substrate 20 or other surface on which the layered assembly 10 is mounted. Thus, in one example, at least one item 72 can be loaded into the pouch area 70 of the layered assembly 10. The item 72 can be mounted onto a spring assembly or the pouch can have a spring assembly between the pouch and the base layer 30. The liner layer 12 can be released to attach the layered assembly 10 onto a substrate 20, such as an envelope. A recipient of the substrate 20 can peel the inner portion 64 off the front of the layered assembly 10 to reveal the item 72 that is mounted on a spring assembly and that can wobble. Both sides of the spring assembly can include one of a permanent, removable, or repositionable adhesive layer thereon. The base layer 30 can be permanently or removably coupled to the base material or substrate 20. It is to be further appreciated that any number and type of layers (flat layers, wobble layers, etc.) can be provided underneath the top layer 40. The spring assembly can be substantially similar to the spring assembly disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 2007-0089334, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, it is to be appreciated that any other suitable spring assembly can be employed and is contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention. Alternatively, or additionally, the base layer 30 can be coupled to one or more of a magnet, suction cup, hook and loop fastener, snap, rivet, button, or any other suitable structure and/or method.
A second example of the layered assembly 110 is shown in
A third example of the layered assembly 210 is shown in
A fourth example of the layered assembly 310 is shown in
The base layer 430 and the top layer 440 can be assembled on top of the liner layer of the carrier sheet assembly 400. Other configurations and other amounts of layered assemblies 410 can be placed on a single sheet. The layered assembly 410 invention can also be provided to a consumer in an unfinished form such that the consumer could personalize the top layer 440. The top layer 440 can be substantially or entirely blank but could include the perforated portion 450 and instructions for removal of the perforated portion 450. Each layered assembly 410 also includes a peel-away tab 460 on a lower-left portion of each layered assembly 410. The peel-away tab 460 can be located on any of the other corners of the perforated portion 450. Alternatively, the peel-away tab 460 can also be in other locations along the perforated portion 450 and can have different shapes to facilitate the removal of a portion of the top layer 440. Accordingly, the user could position the layered sheet into a printer and print his/her own text and/or images onto the top layers 440 of the assemblies.
In another example, the carrier sheet assembly 400 can be of any shape or size, including but not limited to 4×6 or 8.5×11. The 8.5×11 example sheet includes nine layered assemblies, though other amounts of layered assemblies can be used. The 4×6 sheet can include two layered assemblies. The sheets can include any number of layered assemblies, including but not limited to one layered assembly or any number greater than one.
In yet another example, the carrier sheet assembly 400 can include the postage area 290 shown in the examples of
In yet another example, the carrier sheet assembly 400 can include any of the features from any of the other examples in each of the layered assemblies 410. Alternatively, the layered assemblies 410 on a carrier sheet assembly 400 can have a variety of different features, despite being located on the same carrier sheet assembly 400.
A user can remove any or all of the layered assemblies of
Alternatively, a plurality of layered assemblies 510 can be provided on a carrier roll 500, as shown in
In yet another alternative shown in
A user is able to print any images or text on the second side of the base layer 730 and a user can also print any images or text on the second side of the top layer 740. When a user has customized the first sheet 714 and the second sheet 716 as desired, a user can then assemble the first sheet 714 onto the second sheet 716. Thus, the second liner layer 713 is removed such that the second adhesive layer 748 is provided over the second side of the base layer 730. The second adhesive layer 748, in one example, covers only a minimal outer portion of the top layer 740 such that a pouch area 770 is located in the space between the base layer 730 and the top layer 740.
Once the first sheet 714 is secured to the second sheet 716, a user can load an item into the pouch area through the use of the opening 736 in the base layer 730. An opening 736 is provided within the perimeter of the base layer 730 to provide access to the pouch area through a portion of the base layer 730. The opening 736 can be provided by a pouch cut. After the item is loaded, the first liner layer 712 can be removed to expose the first adhesive layer 746. The layered assembly 710 can then be adhered onto a substrate. Once the layered assembly 710 is affixed to the substrate, the opening 736 of the base layer 730 is sealed off from access. A peel-away portion, such as a perforated portion 750, can be located within a perimeter of the top layer 740 such that removal of a portion of the top layer 740 along the perforated portion 750 provides access to the pouch area through a portion of the top layer 740. The recipient of the layered assembly 710 can then remove an inner portion 764 of the top layer 740 by tearing along the perforated portion 750 that extends around the inner portion 764 to reveal the item loaded and secured in the pouch area within the layered assembly 710.
What has been described above includes example implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations of the present invention.
It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/179,884, filed on May 20, 2009 and entitled IMAGE POUCH.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61179884 | May 2009 | US |