A MAILER SET HAVING OFFSET THUMB NOTCHES

Abstract: An improved mailer set is proposed which makes for easier removal of the interior plies therefrom. The position of the thumb notches along the opposite edges of the mailer set, which in the past were located directly across from one another, have been relocated in an offset manner. This enables the opposing pressure needed to burst apart the mailer set to be reduced since the plurality of perforate lines are burst sequentially rather than simultaneously.

Description: TITLE A MAILER SET HAVING OFFSET THUMB NOTCHES Background of the Invention A. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a mailer set having one or more interior plies. More particularly, it relates to an improved design for such a mailer set in which the thumb notches which are usually positioned directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the mailer are repositioned such that the thumb notches are offset one from another. B. Prior Art In the past, mailer sets having interior plies were separated by holding one edge of the mailer set between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, grasping the opposite edge of the mailer between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand and pulling one edge of the document away from the other. To insure that the document came apart at the desired locations, perforation lines were judiciously located about the mailer set; In most of these former mailer sets, a pair of thumb shaped notches, one of which was perforated, were positioned on opposite edges of the mailer set directly across one from another. These notches were used as holding locations for pulling apart the mailer. Since they were directly across from each other, the pulling force was equally distributed along the perforation lines of the left hand thumb notch and the interior plies, and excessive force was needed to burst the document at the perforation seams. In fact, in many cases, the bursting or tearing occurred at another undesired location of the mailer set. Brief Description of the Invention A. Objects of the Invention Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unique and simple system which more easily achieves the correct bursting of the mailer set at the desired locations. It is another object of this invention to provide a system for applying sequential forces along the different perforated lines rather than applying equal forces along all of the perforated tear lines-simultaneously. It is a further object of this invention to provide a system for bursting a mailer set at a desired perforated line by locating a pair of thumb notches on opposite sides of the mailer set which locations are not directly across one from another. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a system for bursting apart a mailer set along perforated lines which system includes a perforated left handed thumb notch positioned in the upper left hand area of the mailer set and a right hand thumb notch positioned approximately in the center of the right hand edge of the mailer set. It is another object of this invention to provide a system for sequentially bursting apart a mailer set along a plurality of perforated lines in which a perforated thumb notch is positioned in an off-set manner from an opposing thumb notch such that the perforated thumb notch is initially burst apart and thereafter the perforated lines of any interior plies are burst apart starting at the center of the perforated lines thereof. B. Sumnary of the Invention In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a mailer set is provided which has one or more interior plies located between a front and a back ply. A perforated thumb notch is positioned along the left hand edge of the mailer set in the upper portion of that edge. Another thumb notch is positioned in the approximate center of the right hand edge of the mailer set. All of the interior plies have a perforated line passing down their right handed edge, which line is inboard of the right hand thumb notch. In those instances where there are multiple interior plies, the perforated lines are coincident one with another. By applying opposing pulling pressure on the opposite edges of the mailer set at the thumb notch locations, the pressure is not equally and simultaneously applied along all of the perforation lines. Rather, unequal, sequential forces are applied such that the perforated thumb notch bursts apart first and thereafter the interior ply perforation lines burst starting at the center of the perforated lines. Brief Description of the Drawings The foregoing objects and the summary will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a mailer set having thumb notches on opposite edges thereof as representative of the prior art, Figure 2 pictorially illustrates the herein proposed mailer set configuration in which the opposite thumb notches are shown in their preferred locations, and Figure 3 again pictorially illustrates the proposed -mailer set wherein the front ply is peeled away to reveal the snap perforation lines located on one or more of the interior plies. Detailed Description of the Invention The following detailed description will be more easily comprehended when it is read with reference to the foregoing drawings in which like reference numerals symbolize corresponding parts. Figure 1 pictorially illustrates the positioning of the thumb notches 12 and 14 on the mailer set 10 as representative of the prior art. When opposing forces are simultaneously applied to the mailer set 10 at thumb notches 12 and 14, the resulting force is equally distributed along the interior ply perforation 26 shown in Figure 3. Because of this equal force distribution, excessive forces needed to simultaneously burst apart the mailer set at the thumb notch 12 and the perforation line 26 (Figure 3) and many times the excessive force needed to accomplish this exceeds the tearing point of other unwanted areas of the mailer set. Figure 2 pictorially illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention. This mailer set 20 has opposing thumb notches 22 and 24 which are not directly across one from another. That is, they are positioned in an offset manner. The opposed pulling pressures applied, in this instance, to thumb notches 22 and 24 obviously are not simultaneously and equally applied to the perforated thumb notch 22 and the perforated interior ply lines 26 (Figure 3). Figure 3, which pictorially illustrates the mailer set, also shows the interior ply or plies 28 with their respective perforated snap lines 26. It accomplishes this by showing the mailer set with its front ply peeled back. Again, considering a pair of opposing forces being applied to the thumb notches 22 and 24, the following bursting sequence occurs. First, the smaller perforated line around thumb notch 22 separates and thereafter the force is applied to the center of the perforated lines 26 of the rte}or plies. In this manner, excessive opposing forces are not required and the potential for unwanted tearing is considerably reduced. In conclusion, the prior art system has a thumb notch directly across from the snap perforation. This causes the user to attempt to break all of the perforation ties simultaneously. With the thumb notches offset, one from another, the perforation ties are broken in sequence starting with the ties adjacent to the second printed thumb notch and moving toward both corners of the inner ply or plies. This allows the interior plies to snap out much easier. It will be understood from'the foregoing description that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. It is intended that this description is for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of this invention should be limited only by the language of the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. An improved mailer set comprising a front and a back ply, one or more interior plies positioned therebetween and attached along one edge thereof, each of said interior plies having a perforated line extending along said attached edge, said perforated line being positioned inboard of said edge attachment, a first and a second thumb notched portion located on said front ply and one of said thumb notched portions having a perforated line therearound, said first and second thumb notched portions being offset one from another such that the application of opposing forces to said first and second thumb notched portions causes a sequential bursting of the perforated lines to thereby allow easier removal of said interior plies. 2. The improved mailer set as described in claim 1 wherein said first thumb notched portion is positioned along the left hand edge of said mailer set in a manner offset from said second thumb notched portion positioned along said right hand edge and said first thumb notched portion includes a perforated line therearound. 3. The improved mailer set as described in claim 2 wherein the first thumb notched portion positioned along the left hand edge is between the center and the top of said left hand edge and said second thumb notched portion is positioned in the approximate center of the right edge of the mailer set. 4. The improved mailer set as described in claim 3 wherein the first thumb notched portion positioned along the left hand edge is between the center and the bottom of the left hand edge. 5. The improved mailer set as described in claim 4 wherein the second thumb notched portion is positioned between the center and the top of said right hand edge. 6. The improved mailer set as described in claim 5 wherein the second thumb notched portion is positioned between the center and the bottom of said right hand edge.

Inventors: TURNER, JAMES M.
Applicants: BURROUGHS CORPORATION (A MICHIGAN CORPORATION)
Application year: 1981
Main classification: B65D27
IPC codes: B41L1, B43M7, B65D27, B42D15