MAILING ARTICLE WITH AUDIBLE MESSAGE GENERATOR Technical Field This invention relates to envelopes or other packages, particularly those used for solicitation, e.g. to prospective customers, contributors, etc. Many such packages (often described as "junk mail") are routinely thrown away by the recipients, unopened. The purpose of this invention is to make it more likely that recipients will indeed open the packages to read the text material enclosed therein. Backkground Art The prior art includes greeting cards and similar articles having sound generators (U.S. patent 4,299,041 and UK patent application 2155858A) and cartons for gift merchandise, which cartons contain a sound generator which is activated when the carton is opened (U.S. patent 4,607,747). Disclosure of the Invention In accordance with this invention the mailing envelope, which contains legible text material, is provided with means for inducing the recipient to open the envelope and read the text material. The envelope contains an audible message generator (e.g. a talking mechanism) which the recipient can activate without opening the envelope. This provides a very short piece of introductory audible information. The presence of the reusable talking mechanism will also incline the recipient to retain, reread and show the package to others.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the outer envelope of the mailing article has a tab to be pulled by the recipient to expose an operating element to activate a talking device that gives a short introductory talk.

Brief Description of Drawings Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an envelope used in this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a card which carries the talking mechanism, with the card being shown in unfolded position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the card of Fig. 2 shown in the folded position in which it is to be inserted snugly into the envelope of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a schematic partial side view in cross section showing the positions of the various elements within the sealed envelope;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing one form of switch to activate the talking device;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing another arrangement of the talking device on the card;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a card as in Fig. 2 but having a larger tab so as to expose the speaker of the talking device;

Figs. 8 to 11 illustrate various forms of envelope tab;

Figs. 12 and 13 are plan views of envelope blanks;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of another form of card. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

In the drawings reference numeral 8 denotes a mailing envelope, which may be of a standard size (such as a regular #10 envelope measuring about 4 inches by 9*^ inches, 10.2 cm by 24.1 cm) and which may be provided with a conventional transparent address window 12. In Fig. 4 the front ^" wall of the envelope is designated by reference numeral 9 and its rear wall by reference numeral 11. Within the envelope 8 there is a card 13 (Figs. 2 and 3) carrying a talking assembly 14, which comprises a talking mechanism and a switch means for activating the latter. The switch means includes a switch 15 and a manually movable switch-operating element, such as a tab 16. Within the envelope there may also be written text material, such as a printed letter or brochure 17. Part, or all, of the text material may be printed on the card 13.

The envelope 8 carries an uncovering means (such as a window) which can be moved by the recipient to expose the switch operating element without opening the envelope. This uncovering means may be a tear-off portion, such as a tab 18 formed by tear lines 19 in a wall (e.g. front

wall 9) of the envelope. The front face of the envelope carries printed instructions to lift that tab (e.g. "Lift this tab for a great offer"). When the recipient tears along the tear lines and lifts the tab 18, the switch operating element (e.g. tab 16 on the card 13) is uncovered, together with printed further instructions (e.g. on tab 16) to lift that tab 16. The latter action activates the talking mechanism.

The construction and arrangement are such that the switch operating element is kept in position under the uncovering means (e.g. tab 18) during the transportation of the envelope. For instance the card 13 may, as shown in Fig. 1, be of such size as to fit snugly in the envelope so that it cannot shift position significantly within the envelope (after the latter is sealed).

The talking asembly 14 includes a speaker 20, which may be mounted on the card 13. The envelope may have means 21 for promoting the passage of the sound from the speaker through the envelope. For instance, there may be small openings , such as sets of circular holes or slits, in the portion of the wall of the envelope overlying the speaker. The speaker may face the front or back of the envelope and the means 21 for promoting passage of sound may be correspondingly on the front or the back of the envelope. As shown in Fig. 6 the envelope tab 18 may, at least in part, lie over the speaker so that the sound from the speaker need not pass through the material of the envelope.

The card 13 may carry a protective cover for portions of the talking assembly 14. Such a cover may be provided by a foldover portion 22 of the card which may have a cutout portion, such as circular opening 23, to be positioned over the speaker 20.

The address of the intended recipient may, as is conventional, be positioned on the enclosed text material so as to be visible through the window 12. The card 13 may be so shaped that it does not block such visibility. For instance it may have a cut-out, such as opening 24,

aligned with the window 12.

The switch means (see Fig. 5) may comprise a stationary electrical contact 25, a movable electrical contact 26 normally biased toward the stationary contact, and a strip 27 of electrically insulating film movable from a position (not shown) in which a portion of the film lies between the contacts and acts to separate them to a position (shown in Fig. 5) in which it permits the contacts to touch each other (e.g. through a slot in strip 27). This strip 27 is operatively connected to the tab 16 for movement therewith. The switch means opens and closes an electrical circuit which comprises a talking microchip 28, of known design, one or more batteries 29 (which may be part of the microchip) and the speaker 19, together with suitable electrical circuit means (not shown) connecting those elements.

The talking microchip may be memory chip such as a known Mosell type chip having voice and/or sound digitized into it, as from audio tape. The card 13 is preferably of material sturdy enough to hold the talking mechanism in place and to take sufficient wear for it to be reusable, both inside the envelope and as a free standing piece once it has been removed from the envelope. Thus it may be of relatively stiff but foldable card stock (e.g. having a thickness in the range of about 0.005 to 0.015 inch, 0.01 to 0.04 cm, such as about 0.010 to 0.012 inch, 0.025 to 0.03 cm), heavy paper, laminated plastic, etc. Most preferably it is sturdy enough to be inserted, without damage, snugly into the envelope by conventional envelope stuffing machinery, together with the printed message 17.

Various forms of tab 18 are shown in Figs. 8 to 11. That tab may be integral with envelope 8, being formed ,by tear lines 19 (e.g. spaced aligned perforations in the wall of the envelope). Preferably at least a portion of the outer end 31 of tab 18 is free, the envelope material being cut there, so that the recipient can engage that end with a fingernail to start the lifting of the tab. The tab 18 may also be a separate element suitably secured

to the envelope (as by pressure-sensitive adhesive so that the tab can be peeled off) to cover an opening in the wall of the envelope overlying the switch-operating element (e.g. tab 16), or the tab 18 may be integral with the envelope but have an extension secured to the tab end to facilitate the lifting of the tab 18. It is also within the broader scope of the invention to omit the tab 18 or other uncovering means, as by providing.an opening (i.e. an open window) positioned to expose the switch-operating element (e.g. tab 16) so that the recipient can actuate the latter without having to tear away any portion of the envelope.

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate blanks suitable for forming the envelope 8. The illustrated blanks are of conventional size and shape, comprising a main portion 32, side wings 33 or 33', bottom portion 34 or 34' and sealing flap 36 or 36' all arranged so that the main portion 32 will form the rectangular front wall of the envelope when the blank is folded by machine in the conventional manner (e.g. by folding the side wings inward along lines forming the side edges of the main portion; folding the bottom portion upward, along a line forming the bottom edge of the main portion, onto the infolded side wings and securing that bottom portion to those side wings by adhesive; and then, after the envelope has been filled, folding the sealing flap down to form the top edge of the main portion and adhering that flap to the back wall of the envelope). The illustrated blanks have the usual die-cut address window 12. The blanks also have score lines 19 or 19 ' to provide the liftable tab 18 or 18* and openings 21 or 21' for transmitting the sound from the speaker 20. When the blank shown in Fig. 13 is formed into an envelope the tab 18' and openings 21' will be on the back of the envelope; the card 13 carrying the talking mechanism will then be inserted so that its tab 16 and speaker 20 correspondingly face the back of the envelope.

Fig. 14 illustrates another modified form of the card 13, in which the protective flap 22 is smaller and a whole

corner of the card is cut away (instead of having the window opening 23) .

In a broader aspect of the invention the protective flap 22 may be omitted. It will be appreciated also that while the flap 22 and tab 16 are preferably integral with the main portion of card 13 they need not be so, but can be separate elements associated with card 13, as by adhesive, tape, etc.

It is also within the broader scope of the invention to secure the talking assembly (without a card 13, or carried on a suitable support) to an inner face of the envelope. This operation may also be carried out by securing (as by adhesive) the talking assembly to the blank used to form the envelope, such as a blank as shown in Fig. 12 or Fig. 13, In that case flap 16 may be omitted and the envelope flap 18 may serve as the switch operating element, as by securing it to the end of strip 27 in the same manner as shown for flap 16.

The operating element for activating the talking mechanism need not be a tab such as tab 16. It may be, for instance, another manually operable device such as a pull string or a switch controller operably by sliding, rotating or pushing it, e.g. a pressure-operated switch accompanied by indicia saying, for instance "squeeze here". It may be a solar cell or other sensor responsive to light that acts to close (or to power) the electrical circuit of the talking mechanism when the envelope tab 18 is pulled up and that sensor is accordingly exposed to light.

In the illustrated embodiments the envelope tab 18 is positioned with its free end near the lower edge of the envelope, so that the recipient will pull the tab upwards, it will be understood that that tab may be placed at other locations (e.g. at either side edge of the envelope or near the top edge, or in the middle of the envelope) and that it may be constructed to be pulled in another direction (e.g. downward or sideways). The foldover portion 22 of the card may be appropriately positioned to protect the

talking mechanism and it may fold over, for instance, from the top or bottom of the main portion of the card instead of (as illustrated) from the side.

As previously indicated the envelope may be of the conventional size and shape used for mailing envelopes, such as having a height of about 3% inches, i.e. 9 cm, or more (e.g. up to about 12 inches, i.e. 30 cm) and a length of about 6k inches, i.e. 17 cm, or more (e.g. up to about 16 inches, i.e. 41 cm). The tab 18 will generally have an area less than a tenth the area of the envelope, preferably less than about 5% of that area (the area of the envelope being of course its length multiplied by its width). For instance in one embodiment the envelope tab

18 is about 1 to 2 inches long (2.5 to 5.1 cm) and about

1 to 2 inches wide (2.5 to 5.1 cm), and the tab 16 is smaller

2 than the tab 18, e.g about 1 inch square (2.5 cm ). The thickness of the talking mechanism is, at present, determined by the thickness of the piezoelectric speaker, e.g. about

1/8 inch (0.3 cm) or less. The memory chip and switch are much thinner. As batteries, the known button batteries may be employed. The opening 23 in the flap 22 may be situated so that it is concentric with the speaker when that flap is folded inward, and the diameter of that opening may be somehwat less than the diameter of the speaker. The talk message on the chip may be relatively short, e.g. about 10 to 20 seconds, and the chip my be programmed to repeat that message on repeated actuation of the switch.

To facilitate the operation of stuffing the card 13 into the envelope the upwardly folded flap 16 is preferably temporarily secured to the inwardly folded flap 22 by a low strength adhesive, such as a spot of tacky, pressure sensitive wax, which will not significantly affect the ease with which the recipient can lift up the tab 16 to activate the talking mechanism. Also to aid in stuffing the card 13 into the envelope the card may be tapered, e.g. beveled at its lower corners, as illustrated.

It is understood that the foregoing detailed description

is given merely by way of illustration and that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.