Printed sheet products and methods of making

• US 6,305,716 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Abbott, Paul Jonathan, Warther, Richard O., Steen, C. Raymond Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fridie, Jr., Willmon
• Application Number:
  US09/536,103
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 283/61, 283/62, 283/116, 283/117, 283/82, 283/81, 283/83, 428/42.2, 428/42.3, 428/43, 229/92.3, 229/92.8, 229/71
• 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

Printed sheet products comprise a thin, flexible core having a pair of printable, opposing major planar sides. A set of variable data fields are printed on at least a first side of the core of each individual sheet product in bar format, character format, or both. At least two or more of the variable data fields of each set are printed with a numeric code unique to the set and individual sheet product. Each set of variable data fields may include another data field printed with either a name and mailing address or other, information uniquely associated with that numeric code or with locations to manually receive that data. Each individual sheet product is scored to at least define a plurality of removable elements, at least one of the elements containing a variable data field from the set printed on the individual sheet product. Each individual sheet product further includes at least one redeemable coupon defined by scoring to be removable from the remainder of the product. Each individual sheet product may also further define a removable label bearing one of the printed code fields and a layer of an exposable adhesive.

Claims

1. A printed sheet product comprising:

a thin planar core of flexible, printable material having first and second opposing major sides;

a set of at least two separate variable data fields printed on a first major side of the core, at least one of the variable data fields of the set being a code field printed with a unique numeric code common to all variable data fields of the set with numeric codes printed on the core, the unique numeric code being printed in at least a bar code format, at least a second variable data field of the set being either a second code field printed with the unique numeric code or an identification code field printed with a unique name and address combination of an individual assigned the unique numeric code;

at least one static graphic field printed on the first major side of the core in addition to the set of code fields;

at least one static graphic field printed on the second major side of the core;

a first covering permanently fixed to the first major side of the core overlying at least the unique numeric code of one printed variable data field of the set and at least part of one static graphic field on the first major side, the first covering being sufficiently transparent to permit the unique numeric code printed in the underlying one variable field and the static graphic field printed on the first side of the core to be read through the first covering; and

scoring extending sufficiently through the core, the first covering and any other layers on the core, where present, to define at least three elements, separable by an end user from one another and any remainder of the printed sheet product, a first removable element bearing at least the first printed variable data field of the set and at least part of the first covering and another removable element in the form of a printed redeemable coupon bearing at least part of one of the printed first and second static graphic fields.

2. The printed sheet product of claim 1 further comprising:

an exposable adhesive layer on only a portion of a second side of the core and underlying only the second of the first and second printed variable data fields, at least part of the exposable adhesive layer being removable from a remainder of the sheet product on the second removable element to form a label.

3. The printed sheet product of claim 1 further comprising a second cover sheet permanently fixed to the second major planar side of the core underlying at least the first printed variable data field, the scoring extending through the second cover sheet such that at least a portion of the second cover sheet is removable with the first removable element, the first and second cover sheets fully covering opposing major sides of the first removable element.

4. The printed sheet product of claim 3 wherein the second cover sheet extends entirely across the remaining major side of the core in only one of two mutually perpendicular directions and underlies only the first of the first and second printed variable data fields of the set.

5. The printed sheet product of claim 4 wherein the first cover sheet extends entirely across the first side of the core in only one of two mutually perpendicular directions and covers only the first of the first and second printed variable data fields of the set.

6. The printed sheet product of claim 3 wherein at least one field is printed on the second major planar side of the core and at least part of the one printed field underlies the second cover sheet and wherein the second cover sheet is sufficiently transparent for at least the one printed field underlying the second cover sheet to be viewed through the second cover sheet.

7. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the scoring further defines a fourth element removable from the sheet product and bearing a third printed variable data field of the set with the unique numeric code.

8. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein at least the first and fourth removable elements differ from one another in size.

9. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the-scoring further forms a key ring hole defined by a closed perimeter opening extending transversely through the sheet product and through the first removable element.

10. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the first removable element..further bears at least the printed name of a unique person assigned the unique numeric code.

11. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the core is formed by a single layer of a single piece of the printable material.

12. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the core is formed by a two separate pieces of flexible, planar printable sheet material joined together side by side to form a single layer.

13. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the unique code printed in each code field of the set of variable data fields contains at least five decimal digits.

14. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the first and second removable elements differ in size.

15. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein one removable element defined by the scoring is separable from at least the first and the third elements defined by the scoring and bears a printed static graphic field in the form of an application card with areas identified to receive a manually entered name and address of an individual assigned the unique numeric code for identification.

16. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the removable coupon is printed with at least one numeric code in at least bar code format different from the unique code of the set printed in the first and second variable data fields.

17. The printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein at least one of the printed variable data fields of the sheet product includes a unique name and address combination identifying a person assigned the unique numeric code printed in the code fields of the product.

18. The printed sheet product of claim 1 being one individual sheet product of a collection of individual printed sheet products, printing on each individual printed sheet product of the collection being identical to printing on each other individual printed sheet product of the collection except for the unique codes of each of the printed code fields of the set of variable data fields of each sheet product of the collection, the unique code of the set of code fields printed on each individual sheet product of the collection differing from the unique code printed in the set of code fields of each other individual sheet, product of the collection, and for any person'"'"'s name and address combination of any printed identification code fields of the set of variable data fields of each sheet product of the collection identifying the person assigned the unique code.

19. The collection of printed sheet products of claim 18 wherein the removable coupon of each sheet product is printed with at least one numeric code in at least bar code format different from the unique code printed in the variable data fields of the set of the sheet product but identical to the numeric code printed on the removable coupon of each other sheet product of the collection.

20. The collection of printed sheet products of claim 17 wherein each sheet product includes at least a fourth removable element in the form of a second printed redeemable coupon bearing at least part of one of the static graphic fields printed on the sheet product, the second coupon of each printed sheet product being identical to the second coupon of each other printed sheet product of the collection.