Previously disclosed in GB 2 268 466A is a salable envelope formed by a front side and a rear side, which sides are attached to one another along a section of their periphery. The remaining section of the periphery is also so arranged as to be capable of being sealed with the help of a self-adhesive medium. Accommodated between the two sides of the envelope is a paper bearing a message such as a parking ticket or some other item. A separate sealing strip of adhesive is provided in this case, by means of which the envelope can be sealed at the time of use. A previously disclosed envelope of this kind requires individual handling and as such does not lend itself to being collected together in the form of a block or a similar bundle of envelopes which are held together, and which are sealed automatically simply by withdrawing individual envelopes from the block, etc.

The principal object of the present invention is-to make available a self-sealing package which must be simple to handle and to manufacture.

The aforementioned object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that the backing pieces of a number of packages are held together to form a common block stub or are capable of being kept in a ring binder, and in that a weakened-area is arranged on the backing piece alongside the opening of the package, in that a single or double advice note or some other enclosure is accommodated inside the package and attached to the package with its end

facing away from the opening of the package, in conjunction with which the aforementioned advice note is attached to the aforementioned block stub or a ring binder with a detachable part, in that a layer of permanent adhesive or some other similar adhesive is applied on the inside of one opening part of the package, and in that an interlayer extending through the opening before the sealing phase of the package is coated with silicon on its side facing the permanent adhesive, and in that a second opening part situated opposite the aforementioned first opening part is so arranged as to make contact with the aforementioned first opening part after removal of the piece of material for the purpose of sealing the package in this way.

Conceivable areas of use include the following: 1. Parking ticket bags; 2. Receipt pouch for the convenience goods trade; 3. Timber settlement note bags.

The invention is described below as a preferred illustrative embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a number of packages in accordance with the invention arranged to forma block with advice notes already inserted; Fig. 2 shows the front side of the package; Fig. 3 shows a plan view of an enclosure ; Fig. 4 shows a view of the rear side of the package; Fig. 5 shows the invention as an individual single unit; Fig. 6 shows packages in the form of'a continuous strip; Figs. 7-10 show the invention specified with enclosures in the form of a parking ticket and illustrated in various positions and phases of the application of the packaging; and

Fig. 11 shows a further illustrative embodiment of a set of packages in the form of a ring binder illustrated in- a fully unfolded position.

The advantages achieved thanks to the present invention, particularly if the package is used for the accommodation of parking ticket payment slips, include the following: Q Self-sealing Q Environmentally friendly (there is no strip left over when it is sealed) 0 Simple to tear from the pad O Practical size fits precisely in the parking attendant's bag Q Water-repellent in film execution O The package opens when the pad is folded backwards, and it is then easy to introduce the slip or other item to be placed in the aforementioned package O Weatherproof in film execution Q Easy to read in film execution Argument in favour of self-sealing envelopes Municipalities-and other parking operators are now changing over from the completion of parking tickets by hand to digital systems with hand-held computers. These hand-held computers print a so-called"slip"on which the infringement (offence) is recorded.

The regulations require the record of the offence to be accompanied by a post giro payment card.

In accordance with the present invention, these payment cards are kept as blocks of 25, for example, enclosed in plastic. The protective plastic cover for the form is open at its inner end, where the"slip"can be inserted.

The parking attendant can then simply tear off the form from the perforated stub of the block. In conjunction with this operation, the bag is sealed automatically thanks

to an ingenious and unique arrangement for a block design.

The bag is completely sealed in this way and is able to withstand rain, snow and other weather conditions.

The advantage of this system is that the parking attendant is not required to seal the bag manually in one way or another. Using a protective paper over the tape on the end of the bag can cause pollution if the attendant is careless with the protective paper.

The attendant's operating time is also reduced with the self-sealing bag, as he/she is now able to perform the operation with one hand and with one fewer action.

Disadvantages of other previously disclosed products: Q difficult to insert the strip, especially during the winter; Q difficult to close with the strip, which must be picked off.

An arrangement 1 in accordance with the present invention for a suitable bag-like salable package 3 intended to accommodate an enclosure 2 or some other item, which exhibits an opening 5 capable of being sealed with adhesive 4, solves the previously disclosed disadvantages, namely the difficulty of inserting a desired message strip 6 into the package, especially during the winter and when it is raining, and the difficult of sealing the package, as it is first necessary to remove a remaining strip that is formed from the contents of the package.

In accordance with the invention, a layer of permanent adhesive 4 or some other similar adhesive is applied on the inside 7A of one opening part 7 of the bag 3 forming the package.

An interlayer 8, which extends through the opening 5 in the bag 3 before sealing phase I of the bag 3, is coated with silicon 9 or a similar substance on its side surface 8A

facing the permanent adhesive 4 so that it does not stick fast to the adhesive 4.

A second opening part 10 situated opposite the aforementioned first opening part 7 is so arranged as to make contact with the aforementioned first opening part 7 only after removal of the aforementioned interjacent removable piece of material 8, for the purpose of sealing the bag 3 in this way when the two opening parts 7,10 come close together and the adhesive 4 sticks to the aforementioned second opening part 10.

The aforementioned package 3 can be formed from at least one layer which consists of a film, preferably a transparent plastic film. Apart from at the opening 5, the package 3 is sealed around the whole of its remaining periphery 13, and the aforementioned package 3 is formed in the area of the opening 5 partly by a backing piece 12 and partly by the flap-shaped end part 10 of a top piece 11. The top piece 11 in this case is shorter than the backing piece 12, i. e. side A is shorter than side B.

In accordance with a preferred illustrative embodiment, the back pieces 12 of a number of packages 3,3, 3,... are securely attached together in a common block stub 14, in conjunction with which a transverse'weakened area 15, for example in the form of a perforation, is arranged on the aforementioned backing piece 12 to the side of the opening 5 in the package 3.

An advice note 2 or some other important message, which it is wished to protect and to be capable of handing over to a recipient regardless of the weather and wind, can be accommodated internally in the accommodating space 16 formed between the two material layers 11,12. The aforementioned advice note 2 is attached in this case to the. package 3 with its end 2A, 3A facing away from the opening 5 of the package.

The aforementioned advice note 2 or other enclosure is securely attached to an aforementioned block stub 14, for example by means of staples 17, and exhibits a detachable part 18 internally in the aforementioned package 3.

A flap-shaped interlayer 8, for example made of cardboard material, is securely attached to the block stub 14 and extends to a limited extent into an associated packaging opening 5. The aforementioned interlayer 8 can be formed by the front or rear inner part of the aforementioned single or double interlayer.

The aforementioned advice note 2, which can be in the form of a fixed penalty ticket or some other similar message, and its end 2A facing away from the opening 5 next to the block stub 14, is attached to the package 3 via permanent adhesive 19,20. A weakened part 21-23, for example in the form of a perforations-is arranged at the aforementioned outer end 3A of the package for the joint purpose of enabling the separation of an outer part 24,25 of the aforementioned advice note 2 and package 3. The opposite end 2B of the advice note 2 exhibits a weakened part 26, for example in the form of a perforation, which is so arranged as to rupture as the pack 3 is withdrawn from the aforementioned formed block 50 with a folding protective cover 51 in the direction of the arrow 27, as shown in Fig. 10. This is followed by closure of the aforementioned opening 5 of the package by the interaction of the permanent adhesive 4 with the second aforementioned opening part 10 of the package only by removal of the package 3 from the block 26 and by the package automatically bringing together the enclosing layers of preferably readily flexible plastic film material, which are sucked towards one another and then glued together.

Illustrated in Fig. 6 is an alternative in which.. a number of packages 31 are held together edge-to-edge 28,29 with perforations 30 and fold lines 31 extending between the transverse packages 31, 31, 31 held together in'a zig-zag

path. Sealing of the opening 51 of the respective package 31 is achieved in this case by taking hold of the respective ends 32, 33 of the package and pulling them in a direction away from one another 34,35.

Packages can naturally also be loose, i. e. one by one. In the illustrated examples, the front side 11 and the back side 12 of the bag are glued permanently along three sides with adhesive 36,37 and 19, and one or more enclosures 18 or, for example, envelopes or additional bags can be covered by the invention, and the formats can vary in respect of both the height and the width.

The arrangement 101 shown in Fig. 11 differs from the above example in respect of the manner of holding together the set of packages, which is effected in a ring binder 150 in the illustrated example.

Packages 103 are the same as in previously indicated examples, apart from the fact that the set of packages 103 in the latter example is formed by accommodating the packages provided with ring binder holes 151 in ring binder rings 152. The holes 151 are situated for this purpose in one end of an end part 153, which remains in the aforementioned binder 150, of a detachable interlayer part 118 included in the package 103 and capable of being accommodated and protected internally therein, and in an end part'154 of the backing piece 112. The package 103 that is capable of being withdrawn from the binder 150 in the direction of the arrow 127 is formed in this case by the entire upper piece 111, interlayer piece 118 and backing piece 112 of the package, in conjunction with which the backing piece and the interlayer piece 118 each leaves behind its own end part 154 and 153, as shown in Fig. 11, in the ring binder 150. Adhesive, perforations, etc. , are preferably identical with the above example.

It is also possible, for example, to cause the package to be manufactured from a single piece of material,

which is folded at the centre, while the mutually opposing side edges are then glued together, or to manufacture the package from a formed tube. It is also possible to apply different materials, forms and sizes in accordance with the invention, both to the package and to the enclosure.

A water-repellent transparent material, such as a film, may be used in the present case, if preferred. It is also permissible to use another material that is neither water-repellent nor transparent.

If preferred, it is possible to have an envelope inside the bag instead of enclosures or in combination with enclosures.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.