Printed sheet mailers and methods of making

• US 5,769,457 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Progress Bank (Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Warther, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Daniel W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ADESH
• Application Number:
  US08/482,634
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 283/82, 283/83, 283/61, 283/62, 283/116
• US Class Current: 283/61
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/0093 Sheet materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/16 Bars or lines
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/47 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/027 Sheets or cards attached to a carrier strip or web shipping forms B42D15/006
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/149 Sectional layer removable

Abstract

A printed sheet product comprises a thin core having a pair of opposing major planar sides. A plurality of sets of variable data fields are printed on at least a first side of the core. One or more of the variable data fields of each set may be printed on the opposing second side of the core. Each set of printed variable data fields includes at least a first data field printed with a numeric code, the numeric code of each variable data field set being different from that of each other set printed on the first side of the core. Each set of variable data fields further includes a second data field printed with either a name and mailing address uniquely associated with a numeric code or with another representation of the numeric code. Where printed, the name and address of each variable data set differs from that of each other variable data set printed on the first side of the core. The sheet product is scored to at least define one removable element containing the first variable data field from each set printed on the sheet product. Where name and address data fields are printed, the sheet product may further be scored to separate the sheet product into individual sheet sections which can be inserted without folding into envelopes for direct mailing of the removable first element to an appropriate recipient.

Claims

1. A printed sheet product comprising:

a core and a separate strip, the core being planar and having opposing major sides and being printed on one major side in a variable data field with a name and mailing address of a particular person assigned a unique code, the separate strip being permanently secured partially covering one major side of the core while extending completely along the one major side of the core, the separate strip being spaced on the core laterally away from the printed variable data field, the product including an at least generally U-shaped scoring which scoring cuts at least sufficiently through the product to define a card element removable from a remainder of the product, the removable card element including only a portion of the separate strip, and the printed variable data field being left on the remainder of the sheet product.

2. The sheet product of claim 1 wherein the removable card element has a given material composition and the remainder of the product immediately adjoining the scoring has a material composition identical to the material composition of the removable card element, at least one portion of the sheet product including the removable card element being of a laminate construction with a predetermined plurality of layers including the core and another portion of the sheet product including the printed variable data field with the name and mailing address of the particular person being of fewer layers than the predetermined number of layers.

3. The sheet product of claim 2 wherein a portion of the sheet product bearing the name and address of the printed variable data field consists of only a single sheet layer, which single sheet layer is the core.

4. The sheet product of claim 3 wherein the core in the removable card element has a composition different from a composition of the core bearing the name and address of the printed variable data field in an other portion of the sheet product.

5. The sheet product of claim 2 wherein the one portion of the sheet product further includes at least one outer covering applied over one side of the sheet product at least entirely overlapping the removable card element and avoiding any overlap of the name and address of the printed variable data field.

6. The sheet product of claim 5 wherein the outer covering is permanently secured with the core of the removable card element and forms an outer surface of the removable card element and wherein a portion of the outer covering forming the outer surface of the removable card element is roughened sufficiently to accept and retain ball point pen ink.

7. The sheet product of claim 1 wherein the removable card element includes a portion of the core having a composition different from a composition of the core bearing the name and address of the printed variable data field.

8. The sheet product of claim 1 wherein the core includes separate first and second sheets fixedly secured together generally edge to edge, side by side such that only the first of the first and second sheets defines a first end of the core and only the second of the first and second sheets defines a second, opposing end of the core, the first sheet being of a first material and bearing the name and address of the printed variable data field and the second sheet being of a second material different from the first material and being permanently secured with the separate strip.

9. The sheet product of claim 8 further comprising a first outer covering permanently secured with one major side of the core at least partially overlapping each of the first and second sheets so as to fixedly secure together the first and second sheets, the first outer covering at least partially overlapping the removable card element and being cut by the scoring defining the removable card element such that part of the first outer covering forms part of the removable card element.

10. The sheet product of claim 9 further comprising another outer covering releasably adhered to one side of the sheet product at least partially overlapping the removable card element and wherein the other outer covering at least substantially lacks any of the scoring defining the removable card element of the sheet product.

11. The sheet product of claim 10 wherein the scoring extends in a continuous cut entirely around a closed perimeter defining the removable card element and wherein the removable card element is releasably retained in the sheet section by the other outer covering.

12. The sheet product of claim 9 further comprising a second outer covering permanently secured with an opposing major side of the core at least partially overlapping the second sheet and the removable card element and only partially overlapping the first sheet, the second outer covering being cut by the scoring defining the removable card element such that part of the second outer covering also forms part of the removable card element.

13. The product of claim 1 wherein the separate strip is magnetic and the unique code is magnetically encoded on the portion of the separate strip secured with the removable card element.

14. The sheet product of claim 1 wherein the portion of the separate strip includes a radio frequency transducer encoded with the unique code.

15. The sheet product of claim 1 in combination with a generally rectangular envelope having a length and a width and a front face with a window, the product having a length and a width sufficient for the product to be received in the envelope without folding and substantially without movement and with the name and mailing address of the printed first data field being aligned with and visible through the window of the envelope.

16. The sheet product of claim 1 further being printed on the one major side with a plurality of variable data fields, each of the variable data fields of the plurality including a name and mailing address of a particular person in an at least human readable form, each variable data field of the plurality being different in content from each other variable data field of the first plurality printed on the core, each printed variable data field being spaced apart from each other variable data field of the plurality along the length of the core such that the core can be severed transversely across its length into sheet sections each bearing a portion of the separate strip and only one of the plurality of printed variable data fields, and each sheet section laterally adjoining one of the variable data fields being encoded with a unique code assigned to the individual identified in the adjoining variable data field.

17. A printed sheet product comprising:

a generally planar core having a pair of opposing major sides, a width and a length greater than the width; and

a separate, flexible strip permanently secured with the core extending entirely along the length of the core on one of the major sides of the core only partially covering the one major side; and

the core being printed with a plurality of variable data fields, each of the variable data fields of the plurality including a name and mailing address of a particular person in an at least human readable form, each variable data field of the plurality being different in content from each other variable data field of the plurality printed on the core, each variable data field being spaced apart from each other variable data field of the plurality along the length of the core such that the core can be severed transversely to its length into a plurality of sheet sections, each sheet section bearing a portion of the secured flexible strip and only one variable data field of the plurality, and each sheet section laterally adjoining one of the variable data fields being encoded with a unique code assigned to the person in the adjoining variable data field.

18. The printed sheet product of claim 17 wherein the strip is magnetic.

19. The printed sheet product of claim 17 wherein the strip includes a plurality of radio frequency transducers, each transducer laterally adjoining a separate one of the plurality of variable data fields.

20. A printed sheet product comprising:

a generally planar core having a pair of opposing major sides, a width and a length greater than the width;

a separate, flexible magnetic strip secured with the core extending entirely along the length of the core on one of the major sides of the core only partially covering the one major side of the core; and

the core being printed with a plurality of variable data fields, each of the variable data fields including a name and mailing address of a particular person in at least human readable form, each line of the printed name and address extending in a direction generally parallel to the width of the core and generally perpendicular to the flexible magnetic strip, each variable data field being spaced apart from each other variable data field of the plurality along the length of the core such that the core can be severed transversely across its length into sheet sections, each sheet section bearing a portion of the affixed flexible magnetic strip and only one of the plurality of variable data fields.

21. A printed sheet product comprising a generally planar core having a pair of opposing major sides, the sides having a length and a width greater than the length, the core being printed on one major side in at least two, spaced apart locations with a common, unique code;

a separate, transparent, flexible strip permanently secured with the core extending entirely along the length of the core on one of the major sides of the core only partially covering the one major side; and

scoring extending sufficiently through the transparent flexible strip and the core and around only a first of the two, spaced apart locations sufficiently to define a card element removable from the printed sheet product including only the first of the two spaced apart locations and a first one of the at least two printed codes.

22. The printed sheet product of claim 21 having a length less than eight inches.

23. The printed sheet product of claim 22 wherein a remaining one of the at least two printed code locations underlies the transparent flexible strip.

24. The printed sheet product of claim 23 further comprising scoring extending sufficiently through the transparent flexible strip and the core and around a second of the at least two spaced apart printed code locations sufficiently to define a second card element removable from the printed sheet product and bearing the second location with second printed code.

25. The printed sheet product of claim 21 further comprising a name and address of a person assigned the unique code printed on the sheet product, the name and address being located on a portion of the core left uncovered by the transparent flexible strip.

26. The printed sheet product of claim 25 wherein the card element has been removed from the printed sheet product.

27. The printed sheet product of claim 25 wherein the one major side of the core is machine printed with the name and address of a person assigned the unique code printed on the sheet product has been assigned.