Combination greeting card and shipping label

A combination shipping label and greeting card in which the entire printable surface of the greeting card is exposed and customizably printable by the shipper to include both shipping information as well as a customizable logo or photo and a personalized greeting selected by the sender if desired, all of which can be printed by the shipper utilizing a conventional laser printer for example. The back of the greeting card portion may be pre-printed with the shipper's or sender's general information or any other information the shipper/sender feels is desirable such as advertising or the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to shipping labels for packages and more particularly, relates to a combination shipping label and greeting card which is utilized initially as a shipping label and once opened, becomes a greeting card.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Companies and individuals that ship packages must include a shipping label on the outside of the package to indicate to whom the package is going. However, the same companies and/or individuals or customers of these companies and/or individuals often want to include some sort of greeting or gift indication to the intended recipient. This is especially true of companies and individuals sending gift packages or gift baskets through third parties.

Currently, shipping labels either do not include any capability of adding a greeting or message card or alternatively, such a greeting or message card is greatly limited either in size or printing orientation. In some situations, a greeting card/element may be provided however, the printing surface of this greeting card/element is limited to one side of the shipping label stock due to technical requirements to provide the shipping label with sufficient adhesive and a silicone coated removable shipping label adhesive protector on which no printing can be provided on one entire surface of a multi-fold label for example.

Accordingly, what is needed is a combination shipping label/greeting card that can be easily generated/printed with a shipping label and customized greeting utilizing standard printer technology currently owned by most companies and/or individuals. Moreover, such a combination shipping label/greeting card should include the ability to print on both sides of the greeting card portion of the combination shipping label/greeting card.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention features a combination shipping label and greeting card, configured for attachment to a shipping package. The combination shipping label and greeting card comprises a single, unitary, printable sheet of material, and comprises a greeting card portion and a shipping label portion. The greeting card portion is configured for being folded and stored under at least a portion of the shipping label portion during shipping.

The shipping label portion has a top surface portion and a bottom surface portion. The top surface portion is configured to receive printed shipping information while the shipping label portion bottom surface includes at least one region on which is disposed an adhesive material. The adhesive material is configured for affixing the shipping label portion to a shipping package. The bottom surface further includes a removable release layer, configured for covering the adhesive material and for preventing the adhesive material on from adhering to an object prior to its intended use of affixing the shipping label portion to the shipping package.

In the preferred embodiment, the single, unitary, printable sheet of material is made from card stock material. The greeting card portion preferably includes at least one fold line configured for allowing the greeting card portion to be folded.

In one embodiment, the greeting card portion is detachable from the shipping label portion by means of a perforation between the greeting card portion and the shipping label portion. In another embodiment, the greeting card portion includes at least one fold line configured for allowing the greeting card portion to be folded and is attached to the shipping label portion utilizing a plurality of foldable hinges.

In one embodiment, the entire shipping label portion bottom surface includes adhesive material on which is disposed the removable release layer, and wherein the removable release layer is configured for being removed from only a portion of the bottom surface of the shipping label portion for affixing the shipping label portion to the shipping package.

In one embodiment, the shipping label portion includes at least two slots cut into the shipping label portion and extending from the bottom surface through the top surface. The two slots are disposed diagonally opposite one another and configured for allowing first and second corner regions of the detached greeting card portion to be inserted into the two slots, for holding the greeting card portion under the shipping label portion during shipping and prior to release by an end user.

The shipping label portion preferably includes a removable region configured for allowing an end user to access the greeting card portion disposed under the shipping label portion.

In each embodiment, at least the top surface of the shipping label portion and at least one surface of the greeting card portion are configured for being printed on demand prior to the shipping label portion being attached to the shipping package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention features, in a first embodiment, a combination greeting card and shipping label10,FIG. 1which serves as a shipping label as shown inFIG. 1Aas well as including a greeting card as shown inFIGS. 1B-1D. One feature of the present invention is that the greeting card portion of the combination greeting card and shipping label can be printed on both sides and customizably printed on demand by the shipper at least on one side. For example,FIG. 1Cshows a front side of a printed greeting card;FIG. 1Bshows the back side of a greeting card portion of the invention; andFIG. 1Dshows the inside portion of the greeting card with a customizable message.

As shown inFIG. 2, the combination shipping label and greeting card according to the present invention includes 2 portions that are initially attached proximate one edge of the 2 portions. The first portion is the shipping label portion12and a second portion is the greeting card portion14which includes a fold line16.

The entire combination greeting card and shipping label10is preferably made of card stock, also often called cover stock or pasteboard, which is generally known as paper stock that is thicker and more durable than normal writing or printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard.

At least the shipping label portion is in essence a self-adhesive label comprised of a face layer70,FIG. 8, on which is printed shipping information as shown inFIG. 5; an adhesive layer72which allows the self-adhesive label to be attached to a package such as an envelope, box or the like; and a backing layer74which covers the adhesive layer72and which is typically a paper layer coated with silicone, to keep the label from sticking to objects before its intended use, as is well known in the art of self-adhering labels.

As shown inFIG. 2B, the greeting card portion14is folded in a Z-fold configuration (although a “barrel fold” configuration (well known in the art) is also contemplated by the present invention) onto the back of the label portion12as shown inFIG. 2C. Once the adhesive release layer18(for example a silicone coated paper layer) is removed, the adhesive (shown in gray inFIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C) is utilized to adhere the combination shipping label and greeting card onto a package20,FIG. 2D, with the shipping information (seeFIG. 5) prominently displayed and with the greeting card portion14including a customized or personalized greeting for the gift recipient safely stored underneath the center/shipping label portion12of the combination shipping label and greeting card10ready to be released by the recipient as will be described in greater detail below.

As shown in greater detail inFIG. 3, the combination greeting card and shipping label10according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a greeting card portion14and a shipping label portion12. One feature of the first embodiment of the present invention is the provision of three “hinges”22that serve to first of all keep the greeting card portion14removably attached to the shipping label portion12until detached by the recipient, and secondly, allow the greeting card portion14to “fold” upon the label portion12as previously shown in connection withFIG. 2B. The solid line portions24represent die cuts that are made when manufacturing the combination shipping label and greeting card10of the invention. Three perforated portions26keep the greeting card portion14attached to the shipping label portion12and allow the greeting card portion14to fold upon the shipping label portion12.

A perforation28in the shipping label portion12allows the shipping label itself to be removed as will be explained in greater detail in connection withFIG. 5exposing the greeting card portion14. A perforation line30in the greeting card portion allows the greeting card portion14to be removed from the combination shipping label and greeting card once the shipping label face has been removed.

FIG. 5shows the shipping label face and indicia of the shipping label portion12of the combination shipping label and greeting card10according to the present invention. All standard shipping information including name and address of the shipper, the recipient as well as appropriate bar codes and other shipping required information can be printed on the surface of the shipping label portion12. In addition, this portion12of the combination shipping label and greeting card10of the invention includes, in one embodiment, a small rectangular opening32which gives the user access to a pull tab34allowing the user to pull the release stripped36in the direction shown by arrows38around the outside perimeter of the shipping label face which allows the recipient to remove the shipping label face and access the greeting card stored underneath the shipping label face. As previously stated in connection withFIG. 3, the greeting card is not adhesively attached to the package but rather is loose under the shipping label face. The user need only remove the shipping label face as described; access the greeting card portion14and tear it along the perforation30,FIG. 3, to remove the greeting card thereby giving the user access to the greeting card shown inFIGS. 1B-1DinFIG. 1.

FIG. 4illustrates the back side of the combination shipping label and greeting card according to the present invention in a folded position. The hashed area40which corresponds to the gray area shown inFIGS. 2A-2Cis the adhesive that allows the combination shipping label and greeting card10of the invention to be adhered to the surface of a package. The adhesive area is covered by a thin release layer18,FIG. 2Asuch as a silicone coated paper. Once the greeting card portion14is folded onto the shipping label portion12, the adhesive covering or release layer18is removed as shown inFIG. 4and the label is adhered to the package as shown inFIG. 1A. Because the adhesive covered by release layer18is only found on the inner side of the shipping label portion12of the combination shipping label and greeting card10of the present invention, the inner side of the greeting card portion14of the present invention (seeFIG. 1B) may also be printed unlike the prior art which utilized shipping label stock having an adhesive layer on the entire insider bottom surface to provide a shipping label with a message printable only on the top or outer surface.

In a second embodiment of the combination shipping label and greeting card50,FIG. 6, the embodiment includes a greeting card portion14aand a shipping label portion12a. The greeting card portion14ais detachable from the shipping label portion12a by means of a perforated edge or line52.

The entire back or bottom portion54of the shipping label portion12ais covered in adhesive, sticky back material over which is provided a silicone coated release paper. In use, that portion of the silicone coated release paper shown in hashed marks and identified generally as56is removed to provide a large adhesive surface area to adhere the shipping label and greeting card combination to the package.

To use this second embodiment of the combination shipping label and greeting card50, the greeting card portion14a is detached from the shipping label portion12aby tearing along perforated line52. The card is folded along fold line57following which two or more corners of the folded greeting card portion14aare inserted into two or more slots60cut into the central back region58of the shipping label portion12aas shown inFIG. 7. This action produces a product which is similar to that shown inFIG. 2Cfollowing which the entire combination greeting card and shipping label50is adhered to the package20as shown inFIG. 2D.

The second embodiment, however, is somewhat less complex to manufacture in that there is less die cutting of the stock involved. Moreover, that portion of the silicone based release paper56which is removed provides a greater or larger area for the shipping label to adhere to the package20. Subsequently, as discussed and described in connection withFIG. 5, a pull tab34perforated as shown inFIG. 5and pulled in the directions of arrows38is utilized to release the greeting card from the shipping label as previously described in connection with the first embodiment.

The greeting curd portion14a and the second embodiment is, as described in connection with the first embodiment, customizable he printable on four sides in a different manner for each order.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a combination shipping label and greeting card in which the entire printable surface is exposed and customizably printable by the shipper to include both shipping information as well as a customizable logo or photo as well as greeting (seeFIG. 1D) which can be printed by the shipper utilizing a conventional laser printer for example. The back and/or front face of the greeting card portion may be pre-printed with the shipper's or senders general information or any other information the shipper/sender feels is desirable such as advertising, business logos, holiday greetings or the like.