Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
  • B42F—SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING
  • B42F5/00—Sheets and objects temporarily attached together; Means therefor; Albums
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
  • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
  • B42D15/00—Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
  • B42D15/02—Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets
  • B42D15/04—Foldable or multi-part cards or sheets
  • B42D15/08—Letter-cards or letter-sheets, i.e. cards or sheets each of which is to be folded with the message inside and to serve as its own envelope for mailing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
  • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
  • B42D5/00—Sheets united without binding to form pads or blocks
  • B42D5/02—Form sets
  • B42D5/023—Continuous form sets
  • B42D5/027—Sheets or cards attached to a carrier strip or web
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B43—WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
  • B43M—BUREAU ACCESSORIES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B43M3/00—Devices for inserting documents into envelopes
  • B43M3/04—Devices for inserting documents into envelopes automatic
  • B43M3/045—Devices for inserting documents into envelopes automatic for envelopes with only one flap

Definitions

• This invention is related to card carrier forms to which are mounted credit cards and the like for mailing and, particularly, to such carrier forms in which the cards are mounted automatically by mechanical, nonadhesive means.
• the carriers each have a pair of parallel, preweakened fold lines which divide the carrier body into three substantially equal sections: a leading end section, middle section and a lagging section.
• the cards are mounted to the middle section and the carrier is folded along the fold lines to fold the leading and lagging sections over opposite sides of the middle section.
• One of the end sections bears the card owners name and address, and the folded carrier form matches the size of a window envelope in which the carrier form is "stuffed" or inserted.
• the name and address on the end section is held in alignment by the envelope for viewing through a translucent window of the envelope.
• the pockets are formed by cuts extending along diagonal lines which disadvantageously requires the use of oscillating arms to open the pockets during insertion.
• the entire card is inserted through a single edge slot and both edges are wedge trapped by the ends section on opposite sides of the middle section of the body.
• a carrier form for carrying a card having two pairs of opposed corners comprising a flexible planar body for supporting at least one card, a pair of spaced corner pockets carried by the body for receipt of one of the pair of opposed corners of the card to hold the card against movement in three of four possible rectilinear directions and a flap carried by the body for entrapping engagement with an edge of the card intermediate another one of the opposed pair of corners opposite the one pair of corners to releasably hold the card against movement out of the corner pockets in a fourth of the four possible rectilinear directions.
• the corner pockets and flap are formed from sheets cut through the body and they are located to hold the card spaced from the peripheral edge of the card. Both the pockets and the flap resiliently flex from the planar body when the body is bent to open the pockets for receipt of the card corners and for the flap to resiliently flex from the planar body to ride up and over the edge of the card when the body is bent and unbent while the card is in the corner pockets.
• a mailing form for carrying a card comprising a flexible planar body with one section connected at a fold line to another section for supporting at least one card, a pair of rectilinear slots cut in the body to form a pair of opposed corner pockets spaced from the fold line for receipt of opposed corners of the card to hold the card adjacent the fold line, each rectilinear slot having a pair of spaced slot sections parallel to each other and a cross slot section transversely extending between the pair of parallel spaced slot sections, said other sections foldable over the one section to block removal of the corners of cards from the corner pockets.
• the pockets are formed from closed slots to provide a pleasant appearance; the cross slot section extends between adjacent ends of the pair of parallel slot sections, and the distance between the outside ones of the parallel slot sections is sufficiently greater than the dimensions of a card to enable receipt of multiple cards.
• Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of one type of carrier in folded condition in which the cards are held by means of a pair of corner pockets and a flap at a location spaced from the periphery of the carrier body;
• Fig. IB is an enlarged detailed view of the carrier of Fig. 1A prior to folding;
• Fig. 2A is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of another type of carrier in folded condition in which the cards are held in corner pockets by means of a sectional fold at the periphery of the carrier body which blocks removal of the cards from the pockets when folded;
• Fig. 2B is an enlarged detailed view of the carrier of Fig. 2A prior to folding.
• Figs. 1A and IB the preferred embodiment of the first kind of carrier form is seen to have a rectangular planar paper body 12 with a leading fold line 14 and a lagging fold line 16.
• the fold lines divide the carrier body 12 into three rectangular sections: a leading end section 18, a middle section 20 and a lagging end section 22 which are approximately the same size.
• carrier form 10 has a name and address field 24 at which the name and mailing address of the individual to whom the carrier is to be mailed is printed located at the leading end section 26.
• the lagging end section 22 also has printed thereon in machine readable code at a code field 26, also at the lagging end section 22, the account number or other identifying information which should match the account number embossed and magnetically encoded on the cards to be mounted to the carrier.
• this code is a photoptically readable bar code such as: (1) interleaved two of five code; (2) three of nine code; (3) Codabar UPC-A&E code; (4) EAN-8 code; and (5) EAN-13 code.
• the other end section 22 typically contains written material, such as contract terms, graphics, or the like (not shown) .
• written material such as contract terms, graphics, or the like (not shown) .
• the front side of the middle section 20 is folded along fold line 16 over the top of the lagging section, as shown in Fig. IB, and the leading end section 18 with the name and address field 24 facing outwardly is folded over the back side of the middle section 20.
• substantially identical card carrying stations 32A and 32B which respectively carry the cards 30 in attractive side by side relationship in the middle of the middle section 20 spaced from the periphery of the carrier form defined by the pair of fold lines 14 and 16 and the opposite parallel sides 34 and 36 of the carrier body 12 extending between which the fold lines 14 and 16 extend.
• each of these card carrying stations 32A and 32B are capable of carrying at least a pair of cards 30 stacked one atop the other.
• each of the card carrying stations has a pair of spaced corner pockets 38 and 40 carried by the middle section 20 of the card body 12 for receipt of one of the pair of opposed corners 30A and 30B on opposite sides of an edge 42 of the card.
• These pockets 30A and 30B hold the card 30 against relative movement in either of the two rectilinear directions parallel to card edge 42 indicated by doubled headed arrows 44 and 46 and in one of the rectilinear directions transverse to edge 42, indicated by arrow 48.
• a flap, or lip, 50 carried by the middle section 20 of the body 12 engages an edge 52 of the card 30 opposite the edge 42 intermediate the other pair of corners 30C and 30D to releasably hold the card against movement out of the corner pockets 38 and 40 in the fourth rectilinear direction away from the corner pockets 38 and 40, indicated by arrow 54.
• the corner pockets 38 and 40 are formed from slots 54A and 54B cut through the body which are closed, i.e. with abutting edges, to avoid the unattractive slots or holes found in known carriers.
• the slots 54 of corner pockets 38 and 40 extend from first points 56A and 56B, respectively, on the body 12 adjacent to the edge 42 of the card between the corner pockets 38 and 40 when the card 30 is inserted into the pockets to points 58A and 58B, respectively, on the body adjacent the associated side edges 60 and 62 of the card 30.
• the slots 54A and 54B form mirror images of each other; the points 58A and 58B, and 56A and 56B, respectively, are aligned parallel with each other and with the fold lines 14 and 16.
• the slots 54A and 54B are generally L-shaped with each having an elongate section 60 extending generally transverse to the fold lines 14 and 16 which mate with diagonal section 62" at rounded corners 64.
• the diagonal section 64, rounded corner 64 and a portion of the section 60 form an ear 66.
• These ears resiliently flex from the planar body 12 when the adjacent portion of the planar body is bent to open the pockets 30A and 30B for receipt of the corners of the card 30.
• This opening of the pockets 30A and 30B enables the card to be inserted in between the ears 66 and the body 12 intermediate the ears 66 and slid into full engagement with the pockets with edge 42 adjacent end points 56A and 56B of slots 54A and 54B, as shown in Fig. IB.
• Fig. IB As seen in Fig.
• the distance between side end points 58A and 58B is sufficiently greater than the width of the card, and the diagonal sections 62 extend sufficiently rearwardly toward the direction of card insertion from the side end points 58A and 58B, to enable receipt of at least two cards 30 stacked on top of each other (only one shown) .
• the flap, or lip 50 is formed from closed slots cut 68 through the body 12.
• it has a triangular slope formed by the slot 68 extending inwardly toward the card edge 42 to a point 70 from two points 72 and 74 intermediate the corner pocket sections 60 between the card corners 30C and 30D adjacent the edge 52 of card 30 when inserted in the corner pockets 38 and 40.
• the flap 50 like the ears 60 of the ears 66 corner pockets 38 and 40, resiliently flex from the planar body 12 when the planar body 12 adjacent the flap 50 is bent out of a planar configuration. More accurately, when the planar body 12 adjacent the ears 66 and the flap 50 are constrained to conform to a curved surface but the ears 66 and flap 50 are not so constrained the ears 66 and flap 50 maintain the normal planar configuration to resiliently flex away from the curved surface of the body 12. When the body 12 is returned to its normal planar configuration, the ears and flap resiliently return to alignment with the body 12 unless the card is interposed therebetween. In that event, the card is resiliently squeezed between the ears 66 and the flap 50 adjacent body 12 and against the flap 50 and the adjacent part of body 12.
• the point 70 of flap 50 pivots about a line between end points 72 and 74 and rides along the underside of the card 30 toward the edge 52. After the tip 70 has ridden past the edge, return of the body 12 to a planar condition causes the tip 70 to ride up and over the edge 52 and to the position overlying the front of the carrier body 12, as shown.
• the carrier 10 when used in this automated insertion equipment, the carrier 10 is to run it through a roller with direction of arrow 48 to first bend open the ears 66. Then, one or more cards 30 are automatically inserted into at least one of the pockets of the card carrying stations 32A and 32B. The card 30 is held in the corner pockets while the roller continues to move the conveyor away from the card inserter. The card body 12 adjacent the flap 70 then passes over the roller to pivot the flap 70 over the edge 52 of the card. The carrier is then automatically fan folded into the form shown in Fig. 1A.
• cards 30 can also be easily inserted into the carriers by manually bending the planar body 12 to open the ears 66 and flap 50 and manually inserting the cards 30.
• the location of the name and address field 24 is located in the leading end panel, or leading end section, 18 and the location of the code field 26 is located in the lagging end panel, or lagging end section, 22 and the pockets 38 and 40 face in the direction of arrow 53 away from the leading end section and away from the direction of automated carrier movement indicated by arrow 48.
• a plurality of the carriers 10 are interconnected in fan folded fashion and each time an end one of the carrier is removed from the other carriers by a "bursting mechanism", the code in code field 26 is read to make sure the carrier is the correct one for the cards presented for mounting to the carrier.
• the carrier has a mark, such as a hole 76, for automatic sensing of the position of the carrier 10 during the various steps of automated card insertion. Consequently, the carrier is easily folded into the folded condition shown in Fig. 1A with the address field 24 facing upwardly from leading end panel 18 which covers the back side of the middle section 20 and cards 30, which, in turn, overlies the front side of lagging end section 22.
• FIG. 2A a preferred embodiment of another card carrying form, or carrier, 80 which also has a rectangular planar body 82 made of resilient paper which normally maintains a planar configuration, like body 12 of carrier 10. Also, like carrier 10, carrier 80 is shown has a leading preweakened fold line 84 and a lagging preweakened, fold line 86 to divide the planar body 82 into three substantially equal rectilinear sections: a leading end section 88, a middle section 90 and a lagging end section 92.
• the cards are held in pairs of cooperating pockets 98 and 100 by folding the front side of the leading end section 88 over the front side of the middle section 90 and the cards 30.
• the address field 94 and the code field 96 are not viewable after the carrier is folded as shown in Fig. 2B, since, unlike carrier 10, the carrier 80 has the name and address field 94 and the code field 96 located on the front side of the lagging end section 92 for the address and name and code to be viewed.
• the back side of the lagging end section 92 is folded over the back side of the middle section 90 with the front side of the lagging end section 92 facing downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2A. Consequently, in order to have the name and address field 94 and the code field 96 facing upwardly after folding, as in the carrier 10 of Fig. 1A, the carrier form is flipped over prior to stuffing into an envelope with an upwardly facing window.
• the opposed corner pockets 98 and 100 are mirror images of one another and are separated from each other by sufficient distance to hold at least one card therebetween, and are preferably capable of holding two cards, with a leading card edge 102 adjacent fold line 84.
• the corner pockets 98 and 100 are formed by a pair of rectilinear slots 104 and 1106, respectively.
• Each rectilinear slot 104 and 106 has a pair of straight slot sections: an outside slot section 108A and 108B and inside slot sections 110A and HOB which are located parallel to each other and cross slot sections 112A and 112B transversely extending between the pair of parallel spaced slot sections 108A and 110A and 108B and HOB, respectively.
• the distance between the outside parallel slot sections 108A and 108B and the spacing between parallel slot sections 108A and 110A, and between 108B and HOB, enables receipt of multiple cards within the pockets 98 and 100 in stacked overlying relationship.
• the cross sections 112A and 112B extend between adjacent ends of the pair of associated slot sections 108A and 110A and 108B and HOB to form an opening for receipt of the corner of the card 30.
• a roller with edges adjacent the slot section HOA and HOB is preferably employed to open the pockets 98 and 100.

Landscapes

• Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=21888600

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1994
  • 1994-03-24 KR KR1019950704135A patent/KR100289872B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1994-03-24 ES ES94914728T patent/ES2137364T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-24 WO PCT/US1994/003232 patent/WO1994021522A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-03-24 EP EP94914728A patent/EP0690810B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-24 BR BR9405908A patent/BR9405908A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1994-03-24 EP EP97402083A patent/EP0813980B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-24 CA CA002159010A patent/CA2159010A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-03-24 DE DE69419409T patent/DE69419409T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-03-24 DE DE69420748T patent/DE69420748T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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