MULTIMEDIA REMAILABLE ENVELOPE/MAILER FOR DVDs, CDs, AND OTHER MEDIA AS WELL AS BETTER 2-WAY

ENVELOPES

[0001] This application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Number 60/980,007, filed October 15, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application also claims priority to International Application Number PCT/US2008/056265, filed March 7, 2008, which claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Number 60/893,523, filed March 7, 2007, the contents of both which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The market for remailable envelopes/forms that allows a sender to send out and get back a DVD, CD or other items such as a survey or a bill has grown dramatically in the last eight years. Companies like NETFLIX mail approximately 1.6 million reuseable envelopes/forms per day from nearly 75,000 different DVD titles. However, having an efficient, machine insertable mailer is critical to lowering costs and growing further volume for the sending companies. The invention described below provides the construction necessary to facilitate high speed machine insertion with either inside or outside side seams for such popular envelope inserters as those made by Pitney Bowes, Neopost, Bowe Bell & Howell, Mailcrafters, and others.

[0003] The market demand for remailable envelopes/forms will continue to grow in response to rising material costs and for environmental friendliness concerns (a reuseable envelope can use 25% to 75% less paper than two separate envelopes and is therefore much more environmentally friendly for source reduction advantages and for reducing a mailer's carbon footprint than separate

envelopes and inserts so their adoption will potentially help slow the impact of global warming), but their acceptance is limited to the ability of the remailable piece to meet or exceed the United States Postal Service (USPS) and global postal services' automated processing requirements. Failure to meet postal requirements will prevent the adoption of environmentally friendly two-way envelopes. Recent publicity about the USPS having to manually sort the 1.6 million red remailable pieces per day (at a cost of $21 million per year) for a popular DVD/CD mailer in the US is further illustrating the need to develop USPS compliant remailable envelopes that function properly on the USPS automation equipment (otherwise, the environmental benefits are lost to more expensive manual processes). The invention described below allows the sending company to meet or exceed more countries' postal automation requirements by providing a stiffer mailer due to a side seam outbound construction and a more efficient height-width aspect ratio so that there is less flimsiness between the multimedia and the edge of the envelope thereby reducing the risk of breakage or the risk of "fold over" which can block critical automatic delivery information (bar codes, facing identification marks, postal indicias, and the like). The invention also eliminates the need for wafer seals that can get caught with other pieces in the mail stream if not properly removed by the recipient. The invention also, through it's end-user opening friendliness and the ability to see and respond to the common face panel (outside for addressing and inside for advertising copy), allows the sender to more readily correspond with the recipient to provide coupons and other personalized or generalized direct mail copy that could also include revenue enhancing co-branded advertising and further reduction of the carbon foot print (i.e. it displaces a separate insert by using the inside of the face panel, which separates in the opening sequence, as the coupon, ad, survey, or other promotional copy).

[0004] As the need to be environmentally friendly becomes more obvious to the world in order to reduce the effects of global warming, then there will be a greater need to have more environmentally friendly envelopes to service the transaction and direct mail needs of the world's citizens on sizes other than those that carry DVDs/CDs/etc, and can instead efficiently carry paper and other communication like invoices and statements in popular commercial sizes like a #10 outgoing envelope (4-1/8 x 9-1/2) and a #9 reply envelope (3-7/8 x 8-7/8) in the United States and the DL envelope (110mm x 220mm) in Europe. However, acceptance by the world's posts often requires 2- way envelopes to meet stringent regulations on design that require the removal of the outgoing indicia and other marks from the outbound envelope so that there is no confusion in the processing of the reply envelope. The invention described below allows the introduction of 2-way envelopes into the high volume transaction and direct mail markets (approximately 211 billion pieces of mail in 2007 in the US alone) popularized in the US by the #10 (4-1/8 x 9-1/2 size) since the invention removes all printed marks that could confuse the postal system while maintaining an extremely end-user friendly reply envelope (i.e. the outbound envelope can be opened with a letter opener on three out of four sides without destroying the integrated reply envelope).

[0005] Finally, the invention described below, unlike other two way or remailable inventions, actively promotes the re-use of the outgoing face of the invention to be used, once separated, for additional revenue generating or information providing activities. The separated panel can be re-enclosed into the reply envelope or be brought into a retail establishment for coupon redemption. When this dual purpose panel (generally the outgoing address on the face and a coupon or survey or ad on the inside) is considered as a displacement of a

separate insert, then the environmental utility of the invention described below (one piece of paper doing the work of three - outbound envelope, reply envelope, and insert) becomes arguably one of the most efficient 2-way re- mailable vehicles available on the planet.

[0006] FIGURE 1 (Face View Unfolded) and FIGURE 2 (Inside View Unfolded) depict the Multimedia Remailable Envelope Invention (hereinafter the MRE Invention) as an envelope made up of an outgoing seal flap (1 Face View and 21 Inside View), face panel (2 Face View and 22 Inside View) which includes an embedded reply envelope seal flap (3 Face View and 23 Inside View), a back panel (4 Face View and 24 Inside View), a face panel for the reply envelope (5 Face View and 25 Inside View), and side seams for the outgoing face panel (6 and 7 on Face View and 26 and 27 Inside View). Side seams may also be available and located for the reply envelope as in FIGURE 13. The Face Panel of the outgoing envelope (2) may have no windows, one window (18), or multiple windows and the windows may or may not be covered with window material or paper material or other material. Similarly, the back panel (4) and the reply face panel (5) may have no windows, one window, or multiple windows with or without window covering material. The absence of window covering material allows the sender to spray or otherwise imprint bar codes or other personalized or generalized information through the open window either onto the reply envelope panels or onto any inserts thereby providing value-added services to the mailer and the recipient.

[0007] The MRE Invention is formed by having the face panel of the return envelope (5 Face View and 25 Inside View) fold upwards around score (35) towards the back panel (24). The face panel of the return envelope (5) is affixed to the back panel (24) by means of adhesive strips 39 and 40. Notice that the

MRE Invention would still work if the adhesive strips 39 and 40 were alternatively located on the inside of the return envelope's face panel (25) as adhesion is made once the two panels come in contact with each other (25 meets 24) as shown in FIGURE 3. Also notice that the MRE Invention could be made using a side seam construction for the reply envelope as shown in FIGURE 13 wherein the two side seams (51 and 52) fold inward to panel 25 before folding up around score and fold line 35.

[0008] As shown in FIGURE 4, the MRE Invention is then further constructed with side seams (26 and 27 Inside View or 6 and 7 Face View) folding inward toward the outgoing envelope's face panel (22). Alternatively, the side seams (26 and 27) could be folded last about scores 28 and 30 and adhere to the outer edges of the back panel (4) outbound of separating perforations 13 and 14 thereby forming an "outside" side seam which improves the total strength of the outbound envelope versus inside side seams; however, in general the postal automation equipment prefers inside side seams to avoid "hooking" other pieces of mail in the mail stream. In any event, the side seams (26 and 27) allow for automatic insertion of the DVD/CD/or other media and inserts more readily than a welded construction - but the MRE Invention could still be made without side seams such that the outside adhesive strips (38 and 41) of the back panel adhere directly to the inside of the face panel (22) thereby obviating the need for side seams (26 and 27) (but again, the welded construction is less machine insertion friendly and may be less postal friendly due to the limpness of the outer edges of the mailer versus the preferred side seam construction).

[0009] Notice that the side seams (6 and 7) in FIGURE 4 may also be tacked to the inside face panel (22) to form a "lock" with a spot of glue (42 and 43) to keep the multimedia contents from shifting side to side during transit. The location of

the glue spots (42 and 43) could also be inward of the side seams (6 and 7) and therefore not visible in FIGURE 4 or they could be below the side seams (6 and 7). Alternatively, the "lock" could be located to align the multimedia contents in either a far left edge configuration or a far right edge configuration of the outbound envelope rather than a center location. Similarly, if a "lock" is desirable in the return envelope configuration, then additional gum strips or gum spots may be added inward of the adhesive strips (39 and 40) as shown in FIGURE 2 or they may be created with the use of side seams with the reply panel 25 as shown in FIGURE 13 with glue spots 53 and 54.

[0010] FIGURE 5 of the MRE Invention depicts the back panel of the outgoing envelope (4) folding up and around the score/perf and fold line (12 and 16 Face View or 31 and 32 Inside View). As a result of this fold, the adhesive strips 38 and 41 on the inside of back panel (24) now come in contact with the side seams (6 and 7) of the face panel (2 Face View or 22 Inside View). Alternatively, the side seam adhesive strips could be located on the folded in side seams 6 and 7 and the result would be the same in that the back panel (4) becomes adhered to the sides seams (6 and 7). If there were no side seams, the MRE Invention would be folded as a "welded" construction with adhesive strips 38 and 41 adhering directly to the inside face panel (22). Notice that the outgoing seal flap (21 Inside View) may be left extended as in FIGURE 5 or folded down as in FIGURE 6. The seal flap of the outgoing envelope (21) may be adhered to the back panel (4) through remoistenable adhesive (44, 45, 46 and 47), fugitive adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive, hook and loop, clasp, string & button, latex, etc. The MRE Invention as shown in FIGURE 5 uses "spot" gum of remoistenable adhesive (the spots can be varied in size and shape and location on the seal flap 21) to accomplish the dual purpose of adhering the seal flap (21 Inside View or 1 Face View) to the

outgoing back panel (4) without so much tack as to rip the back panel (4) upon opening by the recipient. With the remoistenable adhesive on the seal flap and the automatic insertion compatibility of the side seam envelope construction (or welded construction) there is no need for a wafer seal to meet automatic postal processing requirements as there would be if the envelope were unsecured along this dimension. Eliminating wafer seals is a significant improvement to postal automation processing speeds and total throughput.

[0011] FIGURE 6 of the MRE Invention depicts the seal flap (1) folded down over the top score and fold line (9 Face View or 29 Inside View) to complete the mailer. It should be noted that some users of the MRE Invention may prefer to receive the envelopes with the seal flap (1 Face View or 21 Inside View) extended as shown in FIGURE 5 as opposed to folded down as shown in FIGURE 6.

[0012] FIGURE 7 of the MRE Invention depicts the face view of the envelope as a customer would likely receive the envelope in the mail stream. The address for the customer could be printed directly on the envelope by ink jet, laser, or other print medium or it could be affixed by a preprinted label or it could be part of the insert which would show through a window with or without a clear window film covering (18). Notice how the Facing Identification Mark (FIM) (48) may be printed on the face of the outgoing envelope in a manner that will not confuse the automated postal processing equipment because it is outside the read area due to the separable perforations as defined by 13 (on the outgoing back panel 4) and 14 (on the outgoing back panel 4 and face panel 2). For example, in the United States, the FIM must be between 1-7/8" and 2-1/8" from the right edge of the mail piece (8), so, by locating the separating perforations (13 and 14), which define the width of the reply envelope (4), inboard from the edge of the outgoing envelope by 5/16" or so, then the FIM (48) is outside the read area for outbound

processing on panel 2, but falls into the correct place for the integrated reply envelope processing when it folds over onto the face of the reply panel (5).

[0013] FIGURE 8 of the MRE Invention depicts the recipient opening the invention by lifting the seal flap (1 Face View or 21 Inside View) and by pulling down the reply envelope (5) from the separating perforations (13 and 14). Notice how the MRE Invention would not be destroyed if the recipient used a letter opener to tear along the top score (9 Face View or 29 Inside View) and, in fact, the envelope could be opened with a letter opener along side edges 8 and 10 without destroying the reply envelope. Consequently, the MRE Invention is truly end-user friendly being openable with a letter opener on 3 out of 4 sides without destruction.

[0014] FIGURE 9 of the MRE Invention depicts the final separation of the reply envelope (5) from the outgoing envelope's inside face panel (22) by continuing along the vertical perforation (14) from the back panel (4) onto the face panel (2); by coming across the horizontal separating perforation (33) and vertical perforation (34); and then by completing across horizontal perforation and bottom score (31). Note that the MRE Invention would still separate properly if the horizontal separating perforation were to continue completely across the inside face panel (22) as shown in FIGURE 10. One could then separate a small rectangle (50) defined by separating perforations 33, 34, 31 and the edge of the outgoing envelope (30). The purpose of removing a small quadrant of material (50) which abuts the reply seal flap (23) is to promote the easy removal of the outgoing indicia (19) and to reveal the return indicia of the reply envelope (49). As long as the length of the reply seal flap (23) is at least beyond the midpoint of the top score (32), then no wafer seals are necessary to provide additional security to the envelope seal flap (23). Also, if desired, the small rectangle (50) as

defined by perforations 31, 34, outbound edge 30, and the extension of horizontal perforation 33 could be used to create a special advertising section or coupon options by the sender as shown in FIGURE 10. In fact, one of the significant benefits of the MRE Invention is that the recipient, through the natural opening sequence, has the opportunity to see and respond to advertising copy on the inside face panel (22) which can be readily couponed (to be returned with the reply envelope or to be redeemed at a retail establishment) or which can drive a recipient to his/her own personalized web site ("purl") or general web site ("gurl") for further customer interaction (see FIGURE 35 and FIGURE 36). Consequently, the MRE Invention offers significant reduction in paper consumption beyond just creating an integrated reply envelope to go with the outgoing envelope because of its couponing/advertising opportunity of the inside face panel (22).

[0015] FIGURE 11 of the MRE Invention depicts the face view of the reply envelope. The reply seal flap (3) is folded down over the top score and fold line (32) of the reply envelope that was coincidentally the bottom score and fold line (32) of the outgoing envelope. The reply seal flap (3) can be affixed to the reply face panel (5) by one or more various adhesive techniques including remoistenable adhesive, pressure sensitive, fugitive, clasp, string & button, hook & loop, latex, etc (72). Again, one or more windows with or without window covering material could be present in either the face panel of the reply envelope (5) or in the back panel of the outgoing envelope (4). Notice how the FIM (48), which was in a harmless location on the face panel of the outgoing envelope (2), is now properly aligned to serve its intended purpose as the FIM for the reply envelope (5). Notice, too, that with the removal of the small rectangle of material from the outbound face panel (see 50 in FIGURE 10) that the proper reply indicia

(49) on the face of the reply envelope (5) is now visible and in the proper position on the reply envelope (5) for the return mailing. As long as the reply seal flap (3) extends beyond the midpoint of the reply envelope (5), no wafer seals are required but they could be added for additional security if desired by either the sender or the recipient.

[0016] FIGURE 12 of the MRE Invention depicts the back view of the reply envelope (4). Again, one or more windows may be present either with or without patch covering material to allow for product tracking or alternative data communication between sender and recipient (e.g. bar code data for movie title tracking as seen in FIGURE 22).

[0017] FIGURE 13 of the MRE Invention depicts a side seam construction for the reply envelope with side seams (51 and 52) parallel to the reply envelope's face panel (25). The side seams fold inwardly about the side score and fold lines (55 and 56) and could then have a glue lock mechanism (53 and 54) as similarly described for the side seams (26 and 27) of the outgoing face panel (22). Similarly, too, the adhesive strips (39 and 40) could be relocated from the outgoing envelope back panel (24) and be placed on top of the side seams (51 and 52) once the side seams were folded inward over their respective score lines (55 and 56). A side seam construction in the reply envelope is not required for the invention to work, but side seams allow for faster extraction of the contents by the final recipient (generally the original sender) versus a welded construction as the high speed automatic extractors as made by OPEX and others work best with side seams as there is a risk of slitting the contents with a welded construction. Also, the side seam construction helps improve stiffness of the reply envelope configuration that helps improve postal automation speed and reliability without breakage.

[0018] FIGURE 14 of the MRE Invention depicts a popular commercial size for the outbound 2-way envelope as a #10 envelope (4-1/8" x 9-1/2") in the US or as a DL size in Europe (110mm x 220mm) with a popular commercial size reply envelope as a #9 envelope (3-7/8 x 8-7/8) were the separable perforations (13 and 14) located inward on each side of the outbound envelope by 5/16" as defined by strips 62 and 63. Similar to other embodiments, the MRE Invention could have multiple windows (61 and 64) with or without window covering material in all panels (2, 4, and 5). Also, for high volume applications, it may be advantageous to allow the outbound postage indicia (19) or other postal markings to be applied to the insert and then be revealed through a window on the MRE Invention. In other words, the area occupied by the preprinted indicia (19) on the outgoing face panel (2) or the indicia (49) on the reply envelope face panel (5) could appear as a window (with or without window covering material) such that the preprinted indicia on the insert would then show through the window. Note, too, that similar to FIGURE 10 it might be advantageous in some applications to extend the horizontal separating perforation (11) across the face panel (2) such that a mini coupon could be formed as defined by separating perforations (11, 16, and 17) and the side of the envelope (8). In the event that the "open" space at the top of the reply envelope that is undefined by a seal flap (i.e. 16 as opposed to 12) were undesirable, then the MRE Invention could still function either by extending the horizontal separating perforation (11) completely across the outgoing face panel (2) so that the reply seal flap (3) is the full width of the reply envelope panels (4 and 5) as shown in FIGURE 15 or by encouraging the recipient to apply a wafer seal or other promotional item to cover the small "open" space as defined by the distance of the separating perforation (16) which precedes the reply seal flap (3).

[0019] Note: for environmentally conscious mailers and consumers, the outbound envelope could be further reduced to a #9 size (3-7/8 x 8-7/8) in the US or similar metric size internationally with a correspondingly smaller reply envelope. The point of the MRE Invention is that it allows for dramatic reduction in paper consumption by commonizing on panels between and within the outbound envelope and the return envelope in a manner that meets or exceeds postal automation requirements, end-user opening friendliness, and automatic machine insertion and extraction requirements while preserving the privacy and confidentiality associated with an envelope construction (or form construction). The MRE invention further encourages the conservation of resources by allowing the inside panel (22) to serve as an advertising or messaging vehicle thereby further displacing a separate insert. When the face panel (2) has been addressed to the recipient, and if the recipient responds by enclosing the panel (22 Inside View), then the sender will get back the all important "source code" and additional data about the recipient. Therefore, the MRE invention is extremely effective at minimizing the total amount of paper (or other material) needed for an out and back mailing.

[0020] FIGURE 15 (Face View Unfolded) and FIGURE 16 (Inside View Unfolded) depict the MRE invention similar to FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2 except that the separating perforation between the outbound face panel (2) and the reply seal flap (3) now runs completely across and parallel to the bottom fold (12) of the invention thereby providing a completely secure seal flap (3) for use in the United States and Global Posts' mail streams. Again, the face panel of the outgoing envelope (2) may have no windows, one window (66), or multiple windows (65 and 66) and the window(s) may or may not be covered with window material or paper material or other material. Likewise, windows could

be located in the back panel (4) as with open window or patched window (67) or on the reply face panel (5). FIGURE 15 also shows the outbound copy (68, 69, and 70) to be right reading and parallel to the top score (9) and bottom score (12) of the outbound mailer as an alternative to the "postage meter" style (outbound seal flap (1) at bottom per FIGURE 1). In this address configuration, it may be desirable to apply a removable pressure sensitive label (71) as shown in FIGURE 17 so that the red, fluorescent ID marking sprayed during the outbound processing by the USPS or other global postal service is removed from the return piece. Upon receipt, the recipient would be encouraged to lift off this label or other device to reveal a potential promotion, lottery, web site, coupon, etc. In other words, one can readily add interactive features such as removable holograms or pressure sensitive labels to the MRE invention that could help remove or obscure postal markings, indicia, etc. from the outbound configuration and/or that would simply enhance the interactive nature of the MRE invention.

[0021] FIGURES 17 - 22 depict opening sequence for the MRE invention when the outbound address copy is parallel and right reading to the bottom score of the outbound envelope (12) and top score (9) and where the seal flap of the reply envelope (3) covers the entire width of the reply envelope (5) which also allows the reply seal flap gumming (72) be nearly the full width of the reply envelope (5).

[0022] FIGURE 23 again depicts the inside view of the reply seal flap (23) being of the same width as the reply envelope panels (24 and 25) as well as having a side seam construction for the reply envelope (51 and 52) similar to FIGURE 13 with or without glue locks (53 and 54) to keep the multi-media or other contents from shifting in the reply envelope.

[0023] FIGURES 24 - 30 depict the opening sequence of the MRE invention in the preferred "postage meter" style copy orientation such that any markings (73 in FIGURE 27) applied by the world posts, including the USPS, on the back of the outbound envelope can be removed during the opening sequence with the outbound seal flap (1) provided that the outbound flap (1) is tall enough to have received the markings. In other words, if the seal flap (1) is 1" tall, then any postal markings applied to the bottom of the mail piece (See FIGURE 27) up to 1" will be removed with the opening of the MRE invention. If markings are 2" off the bottom, then the seal flap (1) would need to be 2" tall, etc. in order to "automatically" remove the markings applied by the world posts to the "bottom" of the outbound envelope when the recipient lifts the seal flap (1).

[0024] FIGURES 31 - 38 depict the MRE invention with pre-printed opening instructions added to the invention. However, since the MRE invention is so end-user friendly (a letter opener can be used on three out of four sides without destroying the reply envelope), the pre-printed opening instructions are optional and are for clarification purposes only. FIGURES 35 and 36 also illustrate the co- branded advertising opportunities available to the inside panel of the outbound envelope. The advertising copy could promote an event, provide a coupon, or be a survey or other marketing tool. Notice that if the panel were returned with the reply envelope that the sender would validate the source code of the recipient (i.e. the sender gets back the addressing information from the face panel as shown in FIGURE 31 when the inside copy panel is returned with the reply envelope). The advertising panel could be further subdivided by perforations to facilitate its return with the reply envelope so that the recipient needn't fold the advertising panel in order to fit it back into the reply envelope. Also, FIGURE 32 depicts the seal flap of the outbound envelope using "spot" gumming with latex

or a co-adhesive so that one needn't remoisten the outbound seal flap for closure. Notice, too, that the "spot" gumming could also be remoistenable gum, pressure sensitive, or other sealing mechanism such that the spots are set away from the edge of the seal flap so that it may be easier for the recipient to lift up the outbound flap upon receipt without excessively tearing one of the reply envelope's panels.