AU651130B2

AU651130B2 - Matched mailer form

Info

Publication number: AU651130B2
Application number: AU83555/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philip Jones; Donald Taylor; Julie Ann Zarth
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Current assignee: Moore North America Inc
Priority date: 1990-08-31
Filing date: 1991-09-02
Publication date: 1994-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-02
Also published as: AU8355591A

Description

P100/oil 2815I9 I Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT .66 0 *0 Application Number: LodgedJ: PIK 2073 31.08.1990 Invention Title: MATCHED MAILER FORM *0C ,oeC*C as The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- @0 C C 6 6 1 MATCHED MAILER FORM The invention relates to the field of two part mailers in which, static (generic), variable and personalised correspondence destined for a plurality of customers or recipients can be prepared in a central location for mailing.

Such forms have been developed including information about the sender, step-by-step instructions as to how the nominated recipient is to respond to the letter.

It is now possible to prepare such forms whereby the variable information is applied to the document by computer controlled printing apparatus. Thus, the form or series of parts of the forms can be fed through a printer or printers for printing variable information and then a collator and assembly for creating an assembled S.0 communication. Such printing methods usually utilise e S non-impact printing.

Forms of this type have been developed and the specification with Australian Patent Application No.

69543/87 directed to a two-part mailer with return envelope S is an example. Also United States Patent No. 4 relates to a two part mailer with a windowed envelope made from a single ply sheet provided with an insert.

The present invention seeks to provide in one form a a matched mailer of the type referred to in which it is oooe constructed from a standard size sheet optionally international A3 size for division or folding into two, four or six parts embodying an address sheet, a personalised letter and optionally a personalised return sheet or like information sheet or form for completion and return to the go* sender, wherein the printing is performed prior to division and/or folding, said sheet including pressure activated adhesive positioned at selected locations to allow sealing of said mailer after said printing and folding to form an 2 envelope, the mailer including perforated or like areas for detachment or separation of portions and/or opening of the sealed envelope.

Convenienly, the folded sheet forms A5 size or standard letter size sheets, which when re-opened by an addressee forms a letter and/or other information and optionally together with a detachable questionnaire or form.

In a further optional form the envelope appears as an A5 size sheet adapted to be unfolded by the addressee to reveal an A4 size letter which in turn may be unfolded to form an A3 size information sheet on the back thereof.

The invention will now be described in greater detail having reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are front and back examples of an A3 to A5 conversion according to the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are front and back examples of an A3 to A4 conversion according to the invention.

I* 0 Figures 5 and 6 are front and back examples of an t A3 to six sheet conversion.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, these figures show printing of material on each side with the sheet broken into four equi-sized quarters to form four A5 sheets as shown, A, B, C and D. The A3 sheet is printed with material as desired, as shown, and includes adhesive layers 11 and perforations 12 located on the marginal areas of the sheet. With specific reference to Figure 1, the adhesive layers 11 are in C-shaped formation whilst the perforations 12 extend on the inward side of the marginal boundaries to allow subsequent "opening" of the letter by the recipient by e* tearing along selected perforations. Figure 2 shows the other side of the A3 sheet and the provision of additional adhesive layers 11 for attachment of the face 13 after folding as shown by arrows 16. This folding is performed after folding of the front sheet about arrows 15 shown in Figure 1. Thus, the first fold line is 17 and the second fold line is 18 to form an A5 size "envelope" with enclosed letter or like information for the addressee. The form includes tractor feed apertures 20 for engagement with tractor feed equipment as is well known in the art.

The adhesive is of the type selectively activatable by pressure after the printing procedures have been completed. That is the adhesive is of the type that will not be activated during the printing procedure but will be activated subsequent to the folding of the sheet to form the mailer construction. That is the adhesive is unaffected by heat generated during a printing operation and is only activated by the application of pressure to the adhesive after formation of the business form by folding of the sheet as previously described. Thus a substantial permanent set of adhesive can be selectively achieved at the appropriate stage during generation of the business form thus enabling printing of the necessary information going to make up the form at a convenient stage prior to cutting and folding of the sheet. In other words the printing can be conveniently carried out on the single ply sheet of paper prior to further folding and cutting etc. of the business form.

.0 By the term "pressure activatable" is meant that the adhesive is dormant :i and non-tacky until such time as a sufficient pressure is applied to activate the adhesive.

It will be noted that the printing procedure followed as per Figures 1 and 2 will mean later matching of the pages of the letter text for subsequent reading by the recipient. Thus pages A, B and D, C will face each other in the folded form 25 and after said folding, pages E,H and F, G will face on another and pages E and H respectively for:., he front and back of the outgoing "envelope" as shown in .o Figure 2 to close the "envelope" when the adhesive is activated.

0 0 Upon opening, the recipient tears the perforations as directed and this will have the effect of aligning the pages in sequence i.e. page A and B having pages 1 and 2 of the text will be aligned, and page F with page 3 of the text will be the next page.

Similarly, the latter part of the letter with pages G, C and D representing forms or a questionnaire or the like, will follow in sequence. Additional perforations may be provided to enable easy detachment of this part of the letter for return or safe keeping.

Figures 3 and 4 relate to a similar principle except that the open letter is in A4 format rather than the double folded format of figures 1 and 2.

Similarly, with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the sheet is adapted to be folded six 1 0 ways to form text or like sheets A, B, C, D, E and F (see Figure and the front and back of the envelope on further sheets G, H, I, J, K ana L (see Figure This arrangement is a further extension of the quarter folds of Figures 1 and 2.

Thus it will be appreciated th that the present invention of selective folding and application pressure activatable adhesive lends itself readily for use with advanced 1 5 computerised printing methods now available to provide a direct mailing letter of simple and effective construction which may be in a series of parts known as continuous business o* stationery as is well known in the art.

AU8355591.WPC(DOC.008) LJD:EK

Claims

1. A mailer intermediate comprising: a single sheet of paper having a quadrate configuration with a pair of longitudinal edges, first and second side edges, and first and second faces; a center fold line essentially bisecting said longitudinal edges and extending therebetween essentially perpendicular thereto; a longitudinal fold line essentially bisecting said side edges and extending therebetween essentially perpendicular thereto; means defining lines of weakness spaced from each of said edges and fold lines to define marginal portions and four quadrate main panels, said main panels of essentially identical size; a first plurality of pressure activatable adhesive patterns disposed in said marginal portions on said second face along said side edges, longitudinal edges, and longitudinal fold line; and a second plurality of pressure activatable adhesive patterns disposed in said marginal portions on said first face in said marginal portions along said first side edge, and half of each of said longitudinal edges adjacent said first side edge, and adjacent said center fold line in the marginal portion closest to said first side edge.

2. An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein said marginal portions adjacent said longitudinal edges include means defining tractor drive openings.

3. An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein said lines of weakness are perforations.

4. An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second pluralities of pressure activatable adhesive patterns comprise discontinuous strips of pressure activatable adhesive which align with like strips in cooperating marginal portions when said intermediate is folded about said fold lines.

5. An intermediate as recited in claim 4 wherein said discontinuous strips of pressure activatable adhesive comprise L-shaped portions at the corners at which said strips intersect.

6 An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein said second face marginal portions adjacent said center fold line are devoid of adhesive patterns except where intersected by said longitudinal fold line and said longitudinal edges.

7. An intermediate as recited in claim 6 wherein said first face marginal portions adjacent said longitudinal fold line between said first side edge and said center fold line are devoid of adhesive patterns.

8. An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein said first face marginal portions adjacent said longitudinal fold line between said first side edge and said center fold line are devoid of adhesive patterns.

9. An intermediate as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said panels between said second side edge and said center fold line on said first face has address indicia printed thereon to indicate the addressee of a mailer produced from the intermediate. DATED this day 3rd May 1994 MOORE BUSINESS FORMS INC. WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS to, THE ATRIUM 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA *0 AU8355591.WPC DC00033 too 0 0 *00000 D ABSTRACT A matched mailer constructed from a single ply sheet of paper optionally international A3 sheet for divisional folding into a relative plurality.of parts including an address sheet, a personalised letter and optionally a personalised return sheet and/or envelope or like information sheet or form for completion and return to the sender, wherein the printing is performed prior to said division and/or folding, said sheet including pressure activatable adhesi'se positioned at selected locations to allow sealing of said mailer after said printing operation and/or folding and/or division to form an envelope, the mailer including perforations or the like separate areas for o detachment or separation of portions and/or opening of the sealed envelope.