IMPROVED MAIL ENVELOPE

Abstract: An improved mail envelope (1) comprising at least a part of a surface thereof delimited to define a separable means (3) designed for operating as an "acknowledgment of receipt" and/or a receipt portion, having any desired shapes and size, for bearing thereon all or a portion of the information necessary to identify the sender, addressee, and spaces to be compiled by a signature, date and other optional indications, by an envelope receiving party, and further comprising, at said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) and inside a body of said envelope (1), a transfer means (4) for transferring onto a document held in said envelope (1) all or a portion of the information present on said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3), for example an opaque copying sheet (4) designed for fully concealing the corresponding zone of the surface of the document held inside said envelope.

Description: "IMPROVED MAIL ENVELOPE" Background of the invention The present invention relates to an improved mail envelope and, in particular, an envelope for holding herein letters or messages requiring an acknowledgment receipt confirmation, such as, for example, fiscal documents, bills, legal acts or the like, for which it would be expedient, necessary or indispensable to demonstrate an actually performed delivery. As is known, for sending "registered" or "insured" mail standard envelopes are used to which, if necessary, are coupled cards, usually called "acknowledgments of receipt" or "return receipts" which, as delivered to the addressee or other appointed parties, are signed, completed with the receipt date, stamped by the post office and then returned to the sender to prove a performed delivery. In this field are also known and frequently used so-called "pre-enveloped" or "selfenveloped" forms, generally comprising a form element folded one or more times on horizontal and/or vertical lines, printed as a single piece and then closed on three sides thereof, in which are provided, for example: a payment bill, a part for the sender communications and a part forming the front of the cover or sealed letter and usually bearing both the sender and addressee data. Such an envelope has been recently modified by forming on its rear, (with the envelope in a closed condition), a pre-etched portion defining a removable pre-printed "acknowledgment of receipt" to be returned to the sender. This type of form, which provides practical multifacturing, since it could be made by nearly flilly mechanized continuous printing and foπning methods, has been anyhow updated to meet recent data privacy requirements, i.e. to prevent the use of envelopes or covers in which a removal of a portion whereof would expose personal data to the view. Actually, the characteristics of these prior fonns do not meet both privacy rules and power authority dispositions related to bills or invoices for consumes and services. To the above a further requirement must be added of unequivocally proving both a receipt of the letter and its effective contents, for avoiding possible disputes which, for documents related to administrative insurance and judicial fields, could be very objectable. In fact, frequently a signed receipt of "return receipt" documents is released by members of a family, secretaries, appointed porters, thereby rendering an effective identification of an advice data very difficult. Thus, it would be necessary to prove the receipt both of an envelope or cover and the contents thereof, while fully meeting the personal data privacy law requirements both in Italy and other countries. The aim of the invention is just to meet the above mentioned requirements. In some cases it could be required to have a separable acknowledgment of receipt element having a greater substance than the substance of the envelope forming die cut element. Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the present invention, the above requirements and aim are solved by an improved mail envelope comprising built-in separable means for providing "acknowledgment of receipt" or reception functions as well as transfer means for transferring onto the letter held therein all or a portion of the infoπnation present on said receipt or "acknowledgment of receipt" element while preserving the privacy of the letter contents. Within the scope of this aim, a further object of the invention is to provide an envelope including a separable acknowledgment of receipt element or sheet having a substance greater than that of the envelope forming die cut element. Brief description of the drawings The mail envelope according to the present invention will be hereinbelow disclosed, by way of several indicative but not limitative examples, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, where: Figure 1 is a view of the front portion of the envelope, showing both the zone provided for receiving the addressee address and the "acknowledgment of receipt" forming portion; Figure 2 is a detail view of the components of the "acknowledgment of receipt" portion of the envelope shown in figure 1 ; Figure 3 illustrates an example of an envelope including a vertical "acknowledgment of receipt" portion; Figure 4 illustrates an example of an envelope including a rear "acknowledgment of receipt portion"; Figure 5 illustrates a top plan view of a paper die-cut element for forming a modified embodiment of the subject improved envelope; and Figure 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of an envelope made by the die-cut element shown in figure 5. Description of the preferred embodiments As shown in the accompanying figures, the present invention consists of an envelope (1) having any desired shapes and size. made of a paper or other material, forming the outer cover for a letter, i.e. any desired documents (2), said envelope (1) comprising at least a part of the surface thereof delimited to define an "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) also having any desired shapes and size, and designed for bearing thereon all or a portion of the information necessary to identify the sender, the addressee and the spaces to be marked with a signature, date and other optional information, by the person receiving the envelope. The body of the envelope (1) is provided, at said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3), with perimetrical pre-etched or weakened portions (3 a), as well as a marked corner (3b) for facilitating the removal of said acknowledgment of receipt or receipt portion (3) from the envelope body, as necessary; moreover, at said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3), inside the body of the envelope (1 ), an opaque copying sheet (4) designed to frilly conceal the zone corresponding to the surface of the document (2) held inside the envelope is provided; the bottom surface of the opaque sheet arranged under the "acknowledgment receipt" or receipt portion (3) comprising, at the bottom thereof, a copying layer responsive to the pressure of a writing instrument. Said opaque sheet (4) can comprise a plastics material, for example polystyrene or the like, or a chemical paper sheet, or a sheet made of a copying material such as a "carbon paper" material, having suitable size, weight and strength characteristics. Advantageously, the mentioned "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) has such a size and substance to provide a removable card. Further advantageously, both the " acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) and the opaque copying sheet (4) would have a size and shape related to the characteristics of the envelope therewith they will form an integrating part. Advantageously, the enveloped document will be imprinted in that zone thereof adjoining the region defined by the die-cut window (5) of the envelope (1), which region is usually left blank and unprinted, and, accordingly, is adapted to bear the information provided on the acknowledgment of receipt or receipt portion (3), including the signature of the party receiving the letter as well as the receipt date. The data printed both on the envelope and document would comprise all of the desired personal data, including the address and registry specific date, reference codes, reasons and anything other necessary for advice purposes. If from 1,000 to 5,000 letters per day are sent, then integrated laser printing infoπnation and automatic enveloping systems will be used, designed to print both on the document to be sent and on the envelope therefor the data held in a database. The operations for printing the document, printing the envelope and closing said envelope are of sequential type and comprise a single operating cycle and, accordingly, no error will occur in printing the data related to the document and envelope, since they will be taken from the data base for each cycle. This teclmical solution allows to confhm the definition of "impossibility of mismatching errors" as conventionally used in this field. In the case of greater volume daily deliveries, on the other hand, a different operating method will be carried out, providing to use a bar-code printed on the document to be put into the envelope near the personal data zone, preferably, though not exclusively, just above the latter; the bar-code printed on the document will be exposed through the envelope die-cut window after having introduced the document into the envelope and, accordingly, it can be seen, read-out and interpreted by suitable instruments. Said bar code printed on said document can be seen through the addressee window or through a suitable window (5a) specifically designed for highlighting it. This code allows to access a database holding all the data to be printed on the envelope, so as to customize said envelope even after the closure thereof, without any error possibilities. As included, the window (5a) for highlighting the bar code will be aπanged, preferably, though not exclusively, on the front of the envelope above the addressee window. Some operating embodiments of the improved mail envelope according to the present invention will be hereinbelow disclosed by way of an indicative but not limitative example. Example No. 1 Size: An envelope designed for holding one or more UNI 4 standard size sheets as differently folded, for example of 110x230 mm, 160x230 mm, 230x330 mm and so on size. Material: Manual use paper with substances varying depending on requirements, starting from 80 grams/m^ to high substances of the order of 120/130 grams/m^. An opaque copying sheet: A polystyrene sheet of a Dow Window type film printed on a side by a black ink and carbonated on the other one. Working: Printing either before or after its machine packaging. Example No. 2 Size: An envelope designed for holding one or more UNI 4 standard size sheets as differently folded, for example of 110x230 mm, 160x230 mm, 230x330 mm and so on size. Material: Manual use paper with substances varying depending on requirements, starting from 80 grams/m^ to high substances of the order of 120/130 grams/π_2. An opaque copying sheet: Chemical paper sheet. Working: Printing either before or after its machine packaging. Example No. 3 Size: An envelope designed for holding one or more UNI 4 standard size sheets as differently folded, for example of 110x230 mm, 160x230 mm, 230x330 mm and so on size. Material: Manual use paper with substances varying depending on requirements, starting from 80 grams/m2 to high substances of the order of 120/130 grams/m^. An opaque copying sheet: A plastics material sheet metalized on a side and carbonated on the other. From the above disclosure and as shown in the accompanying drawings, the operation of the envelope according to the present invention would be self evident, which operation would be anyhow herein disclosed by way of an indicative but not limitative example: First Step: The surface of the envelope (1) is pre-printed, based on the information provided on the document to be included, both at the "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) and at other points with other infoπnation useful or necessary for identifying and routing it, and into said envelope the document to be sent to the addressee will be introduced. Second Step: Upon arriving at destination, the envelope will be received by the receiving party which will appose the date and signature and will sign in the spaces provided for signing the "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3) thereby imprinting, owing to the provision of the underlaying opaque copying sheet, that same information on the surface of the document held herein; then the mailer will remove the duly compiled "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion (3). Even if the use of the subject envelope is a mainly mechanized one, considering the provided volumes, said envelope could anyhow be properly used even outside of a mechanized mailing managing system, and it could also include a blank or neutral acknowledgment of receipt or receipt portion. In both embodiments, the improved envelope according to the present invention can likewise be used for a manual delivery, if necessary to achieve a receipt proving a performed delivery. Reference is now made to the example shown in figures 5 and 6, in which, as a paper die-cut sheet for foπning the envelope 1 , it is possible to choose a conventional substance in grams for example of 150g/m2 whereas for the additional die-cut element 10 a sheet having a substance in grams of 80 g/m2 could be chosen. The additional die-cut element 10 would be preferably provided with a surface substantially equal to that enclosed by the pre-etched frame 3 a defining the separable sheet 3. The coupling of the additional sheet 10 in the pre-etched area 3a is carried out, for example, by an adhesive applied on the additional die-cut element 10 and/or on the envelope 1 foπning die-cut sheet or element. In the shown example, accordingly, the composite sheet 11 would have a substance, in grams, of 150 + 80 = 230 g/m2. With this embodiment the further advantage is obtained that it is provided a high substance separable sheet element without the need of simultaneously increasing the substance of the envelope foπning paper die-cut element. A further advantage is that the additional die-cut element can be perfoπned during the automatic processing for foπning the envelopes. The envelope according to the invention can have any required shape and size, and, moreover, also the "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion and corresponding opaque copying sheet could also have any desired shape and size and be arranged at any desired point of said envelope, without departing from the scope of the invention as indicatively disclosed and illustrated, and hereinbelow claimed.

Claims: Claims 1. An improved mail envelope, characterized in that it comprises at least a part of a surface thereof delimited to define a separable means designed for operating as an "acknowledgment of receipt" and/or a receipt portion, having any desired shapes and size, for bearing thereon all or a portion of the information necessary to identify the sender, addressee, and spaces to be compiled by a signature, date and other optional indications, by an envelope receiving party and in that said envelope further comprises, at said acknowledgment of receipt or receipt portion and inside a body of said envelope, a transfer means for transferring onto a document held in said envelope all or a portion of the infoπnation present on said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion, for example an opaque copying sheet designed for frilly concealing the corresponding zone of the surface of the document held inside said envelope. 2. An improved mail envelope according to claim 1, characterized in that said envelope body is provided, at said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion, with perimetrical pre-etched or weakened regions designed for facilitating the removal thereof as necessary. 3. An improved mail envelope according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom surface of said opaque sheet arranged under said "acknowledgment of receipt" or receipt portion comprises a copying layer responsive to a pressure of a writing instrument. 4. An improved mail envelope according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said opaque copying sheet comprises a Dow Window polystyrene sheet printed on a side thereof by a black ink and being carbonated on the other side thereof. 5. An improved mail envelope according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said opaque copying sheet comprises a chemical paper sheet. 6. An improved mail envelope according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said opaque copying sheet comprises a plastics material sheet metalized on a side thereof and carbonated on the other side thereof. 7. An improved mail envelope according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the data printed both on the envelope and the document comprise all the personal data including the address and specific registry data, reference codes, reasons and anything other necessary for advice purposes and allowing to process envelope mail volumes from 1,000 to 5,000 daily envelopes by integrated laser printing and automatic enveloping infoπnation systems, designed both for printing on the docmnent to be sent and on the related envelope the data held in a data base so that the document printing operation, envelope printing operation and printed envelope closure operation constitute sequential operations and a single processing cycle to prevent any mismatching errors from occurring, the data related to the document and envelope being taken from the database for each operating cycle. 8. An improved mail envelope according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the data printed both on the envelope and docmnent are all the personal data including the address and specific registry data, reference codes, reasons and anything other necessary for advice purposes and allowing to process high mail envelope volumes, larger than 5,000 pieces per day, by using an operating method providing to use a bar code printed on the docmnent to be put into said envelope near a zone designed for receiving the personal data, preferably, though not exclusively, just above the latter so as to be exposed tlirough an envelope die-cut window, or tlirough a suitable window designed for highlighting said personal data, after having put the document into said envelope thereby said docmnent can be seen, read-out and interpreted by suitable instruments, while allowing an access to a data base holding all the data to be printed on the envelope, to customize said envelope even after the introduction into said envelope of said document to prevent any errors from occurring. 9. An improved mail envelope according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said envelope has any set shape and size depending on requirements, said acknowledgment of receipt or receipt portion and corresponding opaque copying sheet, said address window and said bar code window also having any desired shapes and size and being aπanged at any point of said envelope. 10. An improved mail envelope, according to Claim 1 or one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that an additional die-cut element is provided, e.g. glued, in the area defining said separable sheet. 11. An improved mail envelope, according to Claim 10, characterized in that said additional die-cut element is applied either before or after having folded the envelope die-cut element.

Inventors: FERRARI ANGELO, VIGEZZI LORENZO, FERRARI, ANGELO, VIGEZZI, LORENZO
Applicants: CARTOLOMBARDA S R L, FERRARI ANGELO, VIGEZZI LORENZO, CARTOLOMBARDA S.R.L., FERRARI, ANGELO, VIGEZZI, LORENZO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B42D
IPC codes: B41L1