Two way mailer

A two way mailer is formed from a single blank of sheet material, and has separably interconnected forwarding and return envelopes sharing a common rear panel. The return envelope is separable from the forwarding envelope along perforated lines located exclusively or substantially exclusively outside of the front panel of the forwarding envelope. Vulnerable segments of the perforated lines are securely overlapped by the front closure flap of the forwarding envelope.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to envelopes, and is concerned in 
particular with a two way mailer comprising the separable combination of a 
forwarding envelope and a return envelope formed from a single blank of 
sheet material. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Two way mailers are already known, as evidenced for example by the 
disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,360 (Fisher, et al.), as well as in the 
disclosures of a number of the prior art patents referred to therein. 
These known two way mailers suffer from various drawbacks, including for 
example difficult access to the contents of the forwarding envelope, 
difficult or awkward separation of the return envelope from the forwarding 
envelope, the possibility of damaging the contents of the forwarding 
envelope in the event of premature separation of the return envelope, 
unsightly perforated lines on the front face of the forwarding envelope, 
exposed segments of perforated lines which have a tendency to become 
caught up and inadvertently violated by the mechanisms of automatic 
envelope stuffers and other like handling machines, etc. Such drawbacks 
have retarded the widespread acceptance of two way mailers, particularly 
where the sender is concerned with the attractiveness of the forwarding 
envelope, and where the envelopes are to be automatically stuffed prior to 
being mailed to the recipients. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a novel and improved two way mailer 
which either obviates or at the very least substantially minimizes the 
above-noted drawbacks. 
More particularly, the two way mailer of the present invention includes a 
return envelope having a rear panel which also serves as the rear panel 
for the forwarding envelope. The return envelope is detachably secured to 
the forwarding envelope along perforated lines which are located 
exclusively or substantially exclusively in the common rear panel, thereby 
leaving the front panel of the forwarding envelope essentially free of 
unsightly perforations. Critical end segments of the aforesaid perforated 
lines are overlapped by the front closure flap of the forwarding envelope, 
thereby safeguarding the mailer from inadvertent violation by automatic 
processing equipment. 
The front closure flap of the forwarding envelope is opened in a 
conventional manner, and the return envelope is readily separable from the 
front panel of the forwarding envelope, thus facilitating both access to 
the contents of the forwarding envelope, and subsequent use of the return 
envelope. Because the perforated lines are located exclusively or 
substantially exclusively in the rear panel, separation of the return 
envelope is effected without damage to any contents of the forwarding 
envelope. 
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will 
become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the 
accompanying drawings, wherein:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
With reference initially to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a two way mailer 
in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a single 
blank of sheet material having first and second sections A,B separately 
interconnected at a first perforated line 10. The first section A includes 
a front panel 12 having a bottom edge coincident with the first perforated 
line 10, a top edge 14, and side edges 16a, 16b. A front closure flap 18 
extends outwardly from the top edge 14 of the first panel. 
The second section B includes a rear panel 20 and a return panel 22 joined 
one to the other at a fold line 24. The rear panel has a top edge 25, a 
bottom edge coincident with the fold line 24, and side edges 26a, 26b. The 
return panel 22 likewise has a bottom edge coincident with the fold line 
24, a top edge 28, and side edges 30a, 30b. 
Second perforated lines 32a, 32b are located in the rear panel 20 at 
locations spaced inwardly from and parallel to the respective side edges 
26a, 26b. The second perforated lines 32a, 32b are perpendicular to and 
intersect with the first perforated line 10. In order to insure that a 
clean corner is created during separation along the first and second 
perforated lines, there may be some minute "bleed over" of the second 
perforated lines across the first perforated line. Practically speaking, 
however, and regardless of whether bleed overs occur, the second 
perforated lines 32a, 32b are located substantially exclusively in the 
rear panel, i.e., in the second section B. The fold line 24 and the top 
edges 25, 28 are parallel to the first perforated line 10. 
A first adhesive means comprises glue lines 34a, 34b located on the rear 
panel 20 at locations spaced respectively inwardly of the second 
perforated lines 32a, 32b. A second adhesive means comprises glue lines 
36a, 36b located on the rear panel at locations spaced respectively 
outwardly of the second perforated lines 32a, 32b. 
The front panel 12 may be provided with a window opening 38 for viewing a 
mailing address printed on the contents to be stuffed into the forwarding 
envelope. Additional window openings (not shown) also may be provided at 
selected locations in the front panel. Advantageously, the front panel 12 
may also be provided with side flaps which are foldable inwardly about 
fold lines 42a, 42b aligned with the side edges 26a, 26b of the rear panel 
20. A third adhesive means comprising glue spots 44 is provided on the 
front closure flap 18. 
A return closure flap 46 extends outwardly from the top edge 25 of the rear 
panel. The return closure flap is detachably joined to the front panel 12 
at the first perforated line 10, and is provided with a fourth adhesive 
means in the form of a glue line 48. Advantageously, the return panel 22 
is also provided with side flaps 50a, 50b which are foldable inwardly 
about fold lines 52a, 52b aligned respectively with the second perforated 
lines 32a, 32b. 
The blank illustrated in FIG. 1 is formed into a two way mailer in the 
following manner: as illustrated in FIG. 2, the side flaps 50a, 50b are 
initially folded inwardly about their respective fold lines 52a, 52b onto 
the return panel 22. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the return panel 22 is 
folded about fold line 24 onto the rear panel 20, and the previously 
inwardly folded side flaps 50a, 50b are adhered to the rear panel by means 
of the glue lines 34a, 34b, thereby forming a return envelope. 
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the side flaps 40a, 40b are folded inwardly about 
their respective fold lines 42a, 42b , onto the front panel 12. Finally, 
as shown in FIG. 5, the return envelope is folded about the first 
perforated line 10 onto the front panel 12, and the inwardly folded side 
flaps 40a, 40b are adhered to the rear panel 20 by means of the glue lines 
36a, 36b to thereby form the forwarding envelope. 
After the forwarding envelope has been stuffed, and as shown in FIG. 6, the 
front closure flap 18 is folded about the top edge 14 of the front panel 
12 and is adhered to the rear panel 20 by means of the glue spots 44. The 
front of the thus filled and closed forwarding envelope is illustrated in 
FIG. 7. The recipient's address may be printed on the contents of the 
forwarding envelope for viewing through the window 38, and the sender's 
return address as well as any other appropriate indices, including 
advertising messages, may be printed on the front panel 12. 
It will be understood that the above described folding sequence may be 
varied to accommodate various designs and production techniques. For 
example, under certain circumstances, it might be desirable to fold in 
both sets of side flaps 50a, 50b, 40a, 40b before folding the return and 
rear panels 22, 20. 
A comparison of FIGS. 6 and 7 shows that the front panel 12 is free of 
unsightly perforated lines. More particularly, the first perforated line 
10 runs along the bottom edge of the envelope, and the second perforated 
lines 32a, 32b are located exclusively or substantially exclusively in the 
rear panel 20. Most importantly, the second perforated lines 32a, 32b are 
overlapped as at 54a, 54b by the front closure flap 18 at vulnerable 
locations where they might otherwise be caught up and violated by 
automatic processing equipment, or by careless manual handling. 
The recipient may gain access to the contents of the forwarding envelope by 
simply peeling open the front closure flap 18. Thereafter, as shown in 
FIG. 8, in order to make use of the return envelope, the recipient need 
only tear along the second perforated lines 32a, 32b and along the first 
perforated line 10. That portion of the rear panel 20 outside of the 
second perforated lines 32a, 32b which was adhered to the side flaps 40a, 
40b of the front panel 20 by the glue lines 36a, 36b will remain secured 
to the front panel. By the same token, the rear and return panels will 
remain adhered to one another along the glue lines 34a, 34b located 
inwardly by the second perforated lines 32a, 32b. The thus separated 
return envelope, ready to be filled by the recipient, is shown in FIG. 9. 
After the return envelope is filled, it may be closed by folding the 
return flap 46 and securing it in place by means of the glue line 48. 
A second embodiment of a two way mailer in accordance with the present 
invention is shown in FIGS. 10 to 15. Referring initially to FIG. 2, it 
will be seen that the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment 
of FIGS. 1-9, except with regard to the following: (a) the front panel 12 
lacks the side flaps 40a, 40b of the first embodiment, with the result 
that its side edges 16a, 16b are aligned with the side edges 26a, 26b of 
the rear panel 20; (b) the first perforated line 10 has been replaced by a 
separable tab 11 delineated by a first perforated lines 11a and by a 
parallel third perforated line 11b; (c) the return panel 22 lacks the side 
flaps 50a, 50b, with the result that its side edges 30a, 30b are aligned 
with the second perforated lines 32a, 32b; (d) the glue lines 34a, 34b of 
the first adhesive means are located on the return panel 22; and (e), the 
return closure flap 46 extends outwardly from the top edge 28 of the 
return panel 22. 
The procedure for forming the second embodiment into a two way mailer is as 
follows: as show in FIG. 11, the return panel 22 is folded about fold line 
24 onto the rear panel 20, and the two panels are adhered together by the 
glue lines 34a, 34b at locations spaced inwardly from the second 
perforated lines 32a, 32b, thus forming the return envelope. The return 
closure flap 46 overlies the tab 11, with the top edge 28 of the return 
panel being aligned with the third perforated line 11b. As shown in FIG. 
12, the return envelope is then folded about first perforated line 11a and 
is adhered to the front panel by means of the second glue lines 36a, 36b. 
This completes formation of the forwarding envelope. 
As shown in FIG. 13, after the forwarding envelope has been filled, it is 
closed by folding the front closure flap 18 about line 14 and adhering it 
to the rear panel 20 by means of the glue spots 44. It will thus be seen 
by comparing FIGS. 13 and 14 that the front panel 12 is again free of 
perforated lines, and that the second perforated lines 32a, 32b are safely 
overlapped by the front closure flap 18. 
Access to the contents of the forwarding envelope is again provided by 
simply peeling up the front closure flap 18. The return envelope is 
separated in this case by first peeling off the tab 11 along lines 11a, 
11b. Then the folded and joined return and rear panels are separated from 
the front panel 12 along the second perforated lines 32a, 32b. The 
resulting return envelope is shown in FIG. 15. 
Although not shown, it will be understood that the return panel 22 may also 
be provided with one or more window openings through which may be viewed 
preprinted addresses or other indicia on the contents of the return 
envelope.