LINED ENVELOPE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Utility Patent Application

11/209,478, filed August 23, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns envelopes having decorative liners.

BACKGROUND

Liners may be added to the interior of envelopes to impart distinctive appearance or for other purposes. Liners are particularly suited for envelopes used with correspondence related to weddings and similar formal events, or for informal events as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show a particular embodiment of the invention as an example, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Also, the drawings are highly schematic in nature; the manufacture of envelopes involves accurate measurements and proportions that cannot be inferred from measurements of the figures. The figures are intended to convey the principles of the invention so that a person skilled in the art of envelope manufacturing may make and use embodiments of the invention that incorporate such dimensions and proportions as appropriate.

Figures 1 and 2 are two plan views of an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 illustrating the back and Figure 2 illustrating the front.

Figure 3 is a back view of the embodiment of Figures 1-2 after the right and left side portions and the back portion have been folded onto the center section.

Figure 4 illustrates the embodiment of Figure 3 after the seal flap and liner have been folded onto the center section.

Figures 5-11 illustrate various alternative embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of an embodiment of the invention, which is formed from two pieces of material, each of which in turn is a single piece of material in the preferred embodiment illustrated, but in general either or both pieces could be laminates or stacks of two or more materials. In both figures, the embodiment is illustrated as completely laid flat and unfolded to show its various components. In this and the other figures, a relatively thicker line indicates a cut line and a relatively thinner line indicates a fold line.

In the illustrated embodiment, envelope 100 comprises several contiguous sections: body 1, side flaps 2 and 3, bottom flap 4, seal flap 5, and liner 6 having inner surface 6a and outer surface 6b. Each of sections 2-5 is joined to body 1 by fold lines, such as fold line 12 that joins body 1 and side flap 2. Similar fold lines are labeled 13, 14, and 15, and join like numbered adjacent sections. (For purposes of illustration only, the term fold line refers to both a score line [a line formed in the envelope material but not yet folded] and a fold line [a score line that has been folded] without distinguishing between the two.)

Liner 6 lays directly, i.e., surface-to-surface, upon body 1 and seal flap 5, and is adhered or otherwise attached to each. Fold line 15 coincides with a fold in liner 6 so that seal flap 5 and liner 6 are folded and unfolded together as an integral unit. In Figure 1, the lower boundary of liner 6 (adjacent fold line 14) is specifically illustrated as angled. This is a preferred embodiment that results from

manufacturing liner 6 from a continuous web of material. However, the manner in which liner 6 is manufactured is not, in general, a limitation on the scope of this invention. Thus, liner 6 could extend in the plane of the figure entirely to fold line 14 (producing a so-called fully lined envelope), or to any point above that, although it is desired that liner 6 extend into the interior of envelope 100 at least enough so that the back side of front section 1 is not visible when the envelope is assembled as shown in Figure 3 and discussed below. Figure 5 schematically illustrates a fully lined envelope, with sections 2, 3, and 4 omitted (and thus fold lines 12, 13, and 14 indicated by dashed lines) for clarity only.

Envelope 100 is assembled into usable or finished form by folding along each of the fold lines and adhering certain sections together in specific locations to provide an inside into which the contents of the envelope may be placed, and the envelope be subsequently sealed. The result is shown in Figures 3-4, with Figure 3 showing the envelope 100 in its open, ready-for-use position, and Figure 4 showing envelope 100 in its closed or sealed position. The preference that liner 6 extend in the plane of the figure into the interior of envelope 100 enough to cover the back side of front section 1 means that the lowermost edge of liner 6 preferably does not appear above the uppermost edges of sections 2, 3, and 4 as they are depicted in Figure 3.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the side flaps 2 and 3 are folded over body 1 and then bottom flap 4 is folded over and joined to side flaps 2 and 3 in any convenient manner, such as use of adhesive (not shown) located along the overlapping edges of the various sections. This manner of joining together sections is not a limitation on the scope of the invention, however. Other styles or shapes/sizes of the invention may have different assembly sequences, especially those known as "booklet" or "wallet" envelopes in which the side flaps are smaller and shaped differently, such that the side flaps are folded over (and thus adhered to) the bottom flap. Because this aspect of the invention closely resembles (and, in preferred embodiments, is identical to) conventional envelope

manufacturing, it should be apparent that those skilled in the art may practice the invention in a variety of embodiments besides the example illustrated in the figures.

Sealed envelope 100 is formed by folding the seal flap/liner combination at line 15, which places both in the conventional position of seal flap 5, atop the other folded sections on the back side of envelope 100, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Body 1 thus remains as the entire front of the assembled envelope 100, and no fold lines or edges are visible, as with conventional envelopes.

As shown specifically in Figure 4, the back of envelope 100, however, presents an aesthetically pleasing, even elegant, appearance due to the extension of part of liner 6 beyond the edge of seal flap 5 (that is, the extended portion lies generally in the same plane as that of seal flap 5). As illustrated, the extension is a chevron shape because the portions of the edge of liner 6 are parallel to their counterparts on seal flap 5. However, it should be readily apparent that the shape of the extension depends on the shape of seal flap 5 and the adjacent portion of liner 6, such that other shapes besides chevrons are within the scope of the invention.

Note also that the inner surface 6a of liner 6, not that of seal flap 5, is the location of the adhesive or other means for attachment that seals envelope 100 once the combination of seal flap 5 and liner 6 is folded as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This distinguishes the invention from conventional envelopes with or without added or separate liners. The use of adhesive (or another means for attachment) is not required for envelopes intended for use within other envelopes or packaging. An example is a smaller inner envelope often included within the larger envelope of a wedding invitation, which may include a second, additional invitation to a reception after the wedding. In this regard, references to "closed" seal flaps or liners should be understood as not necessarily being sealed or adhered, unless specifically indicated as such.

Ih an embodiment in which the finished envelope is the conventional 5 ¹ A x 7-7/8 inch size common for formal invitations (such as wedding invitations), cover section 1 is, of course, approximately 5 ¹ A inches in height (the vertical dimension as shown in the Figures) and 7-7/8 inches in width (the horizontal dimension as shown in the Figures). Each of the side flaps 2 and 3 are approximately 5 ¹ A inches in height and 4 inches in width. Bottom flap 4 is approximately 3-3/16 inches in height and 7-7/8 inches in width. Seal flap 5 is approximately 7-7/8 inches in width and approximately 2-5/8 inches in width. The sides of seal flap 5 that extend upwardly (i.e., as depicted, toward the top of the figure) away from fold line 15 are approximately ¹ A inch long and angled very slightly toward the centerline of envelope 100 from the vertical, as is common in conventional envelopes. Liner 6 preferably has a chevron width in the range of about 0.375 to 0.5 inch, although this is a matter of design choice.

Of course, these dimensions are not limitations on the scope of the invention, as they would depend upon the size and appearance of the envelope desired, along with other design factors, such as the amount of the liner that is desired to be exposed before and after the envelope is sealed. In general, the invention may be practiced in sizes corresponding to commercial envelope sizes common in North America or the ISO C Series sizes common in other portions of the world. Also, it is not necessary that the envelope be "standard" in the sense of being a size recognized by the International Postal Union for business correspondence, although such sizes are preferred. In particular, the invention is preferred for use with the "Baronial" type of envelopes common for formal, personal correspondence, as they have a deep pointed seal flap and practice of the invention is particularly attractive in this style.

While triangular or pointed side and bottom flaps 2-4 and seal flap 5 are illustrated, it should be clear that sections having other shapes may be employed in other embodiments of the invention, such a the rectilinear sections and liner shown in Figure 10. Other examples include curved, elliptical, oval, semi-circular,

rectangular, and the like. Also while the illustrated embodiment shows the outlines of seal flap 5 and liner 6 as they appear when envelope 100 to be congruent (i.e., the same shape) and simply offset from each other by a constant amount, this is only a preferred embodiment. It is possible, as illustrated schematically in Figure 9 for example, for seal flap 5 to be generally triangular as previously illustrated, and for liner 6 to be another shape such that the distance between the two is a variable amount. In this vein, scalloped or other non-linear edges are possible for either seal flap 5 or liner 6, as illustrated in Figure 6.

As illustrated in Figure 7, no matter what the shape of the edges of either seal flap 5 or liner 6, another manner in which the two may be coordinated together is for one or more die-cut (or equivalently formed) openings 20 to be incorporated into seal flap 5 such that the outwardly facing outer surface 6b of liner 6 is visible, when viewed from the back of envelope 100, in regions other than where liner 6 extends beyond the edge of seal flap 5 in the direction lying in the plane of the figure (which, for all practical purposes, is the plane of seal flap

5). The shape, size, orientation, number, and other parameter(s) of opening(s) 20 are not limitations on the scope of the invention; the single heart shaped opening

20 shown in Figure 7 is only an example in number as well as in shape.

As illustrated in Figure 11, yet another manner of adding decoration to an embodiment of the invention is to place graphic elements (writing, symbols, and the like) onto (or embossed into) the outwardly facing outer surface 6b of the portion of liner 6 that extends beyond seal flap 5 (again, such extension is in the direction lying in the plane of the figure, or equivalently in the plane of seal flap

5). Yet another location is the portion of outwardly facing outer surface 6b that is visible through seal flap 5 as described above and illustrated in Figure 7. These two variations may be incorporated into the invention alone or in combination with each other.

No matter what the configuration chosen for the liner 6, the shape, dimensions, orientation angle, and other similar parameters of the sections of the invention may be adjusted to minor degrees not specifically illustrated or described here, according to known principles for ease of manufacturing, reduction of waste, and similar concerns.

While any paper otherwise suitable for construction of envelopes or liners may be used with the invention, preferred materials for the liner 6 include coated or uncoated paper, foil, onion skin, plastic, films, other synthetics and structured materials such as lenticular materials. Liner 6 may be a single material or may be a layered construction or laminate of two or more materials. As a practical matter, because liner 6 adds to the thickness of seal flap 5 and must itself be folded at fold line 15, approximately 60# stock is the maximum thickness of stock for liner 6. Conventional paper stocks used for envelopes may be used in the invention without modification, although 70# stock is a practical upper limit for the same reasons. The liner may contrast with the remainder of envelope 100 by one or more of color, texture, weight, finish characteristics (such as gloss or sheen), design, shape, material, and others known in the art.

Liner 6 is illustrated as a single layer of material, but a laminate of two or more layers (which need not necessarily be identical in shape or size) could be employed. This would permit a multi-striped chevron appearance to be created, such as the two stripes 7a and 7b created from the two layered liner 6 illustrated in

Figure 8.

As is known in the art, the selection of material influences the selection of adhesive, and vice versa, but any adhesive providing suitable bonding strength, peel test characteristics, and the like is suitable for use with the invention. As is known in the art, different adhesives are used on different portions of an envelope. Adhesion of the liner to the body and seal flap preferably employs a very tacky, quick drying adhesive so that the manufacturing of the envelope may occur in a

rapid, continuous line process. Adhesion of other portions of the envelope to each other preferably employs a slower drying adhesive that cures as a result of the pressure of applied to a stack of finished envelopes (e.g., after being boxed). The adhesives used on seal flaps (or liners in the case of the invention), if present, are re-moistened by the end user of the envelope, or provided with a release liner according to conventional principles.

In this vein, it should be understood in the above description and in the following claims that the word "adhere" and its variants (adhesive, adhesion, etc.) are to read as broadly defining the concept of joining or forming an attachment between various parts, and thus are intended to include other conventional and equivalent attachment techniques, such as adhesive tapes (whether single-sided or double-sided in their use of adhesive). The term includes moisture-activated ("lickable") adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, adhesives protected by a release liner prior to use, and other equivalent means for adhesion known in the art.

It is possible, but not required, for printing and other graphic elements to be included in the envelope 100 as desired, as illustrated in Figure 11. Similarly, it is possible but not required to add various other elements not specifically illustrated in Figures 1-4, but within the knowledge of those skilled in the art of decorating envelopes.

The following claims may use the language "first," "second," "third," and so on to specifically distinguish between various elements that are otherwise similarly named, such as fold lines, edges, and the like. These terms are not intended to imply any order of importance or time sequence in the manufacturing or use of the invention, unless other claim language specifically does so.

It should also be clear that the contents of the inventive envelope form no part of the invention. Indeed, it is not required that the object inserted into the invention be correspondence at all, although the aesthetic quality of the invention

is particularly desirable with formal correspondence such as wedding invitations and the like. In particular, while the invention has been described with respect to relatively flat envelopes, it should be equally apparent that the thickness of the inventive envelope is not a limitation on the scope of the invention. In fact, embodiments having additional sections to accommodate contents that are relatively thicker than conventional flat correspondence are equivalent to the invention as defined by the following claims.