Abstract:
An enclosure, such as, an envelope or a box is formed with a main body having an opening receiving objects, documents, etc., and a flap arranged to close and seal said opening. Advantageously, the flap includes a plurality of rectangular strips having an adhesive on the side. The flap can be sequentially opened and closed by attaching each of the strips permanently to a receiving area on the main body and then separating the flap from the secured strip. A release sheet may be used to cover the adhesive side.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/350,880 filed Jun. 2, 2010 and incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    This invention pertains to several configurations and means for permanently sealing and reopening envelopes and boxes which enable a single envelope or box to be reused several times before discarding. The components and structure of the invention also enhance the security and record keeping aspects of the envelope/box which is especially significant when one needs to account for sensitive materials. 
         [0004]    B. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    By far, most envelopes and other similar packages presently available are single use devices, meaning that they are used once and are then discarded. Of course, this process is very wasteful and unacceptable to many environmentally conscious users. 
         [0006]    There have been a few exceptions to single use devices. Multiple interoffice envelopes are available that include an enclosure formed between two paper surfaces joined along three sides and a flap attached for selectively closing the envelope. The closing means could include an adhesive surface that can attached to a tacky area and can be opened and closed several times. Another example is a flap with a string. To close the envelope, the flap is folded over and the string is wound around a button. However, these devices are clumsy to use and not very efficient. 
         [0007]    Envelopes and boxes continue to evolve from simple “lick &amp; seal” items to more sophisticated shipping options one finds today. Regular intra-office envelopes, which aren&#39;t intended to be sent through the mail, have a designated area for employee signatures. After placing important documents inside the envelope an employee must use a string, which runs from the flap to the body of the envelope, to fasten or close the intra-office envelope by simply winding it over a secondary object. When all of the signature lines have been filled out the standard intra-office envelope is discarded, along with all of the employee signatures, for a new one. The problems with using a standard intra-office envelope for document security and record keeping include the following:
       The aforementioned approach doesn&#39;t prevent prying eyes from accessing the contents of the intra-office envelope when they shouldn&#39;t; one can simply unwind the string and access the contents of the envelope at will. This is a problem as it is often necessary to have important private documents viewed by a specific person in the office and then sent to another individual for their eyes only.   Current intra-office envelopes do not allow the user to detach the signature area of the envelope when it has reached its signature capacity and place it in the next envelope for record keeping. This is detrimental to managing the long-term record keeping of which employees have had access to specific documents and materials.       
 
         [0010]    Current Netflix™ envelopes only support two-way mailing which allows the company to send an envelope, containing a DVD, to a specific customer and then receive the said envelope with the original contents one time before the envelope is rendered useless and placed in the trash. The problems with using a common Netflix™ or similar type of envelope for sending and receiving media discs through the mail include:
       Inefficient design resulting in the contents of the envelope (a media disc in this case) being sent and returned only once, at which point the envelope is disposed of in the garbage.   The single send and receive limitation of the current Netflix™ envelope lends itself to significant costs in material usage due to the extremely high volume of envelopes Netflix™ ships daily.   The current one time send and receive design of the Netflix™ envelope coupled with the extraordinary high volume of DVD&#39;s shipped daily equates to massive amounts of material going into the already stressed landfills. A multi-use “send/receive design would use less raw material and be substantial more environmentally conscious.       
 
         [0014]    Most common two-way mailing envelopes have both of their adhesive strips located in the flap. Problems with placing the adhesive strips exclusively on the flap of the envelope include:
       Vulnerability to damage as a result of extending past the body of the envelope.   The inadvertent removal of the wax paper strips covering the adhesive before their intended to be used.       
 
         [0017]    Most shipping boxes, which are available in various sizes and shapes, come with four flaps designed to cover the contents of the box. Once a box is filled with the desired items a separate roll of tape is used to seal the flaps of the box securely for shipping. Problems with the aforementioned approach include:
       The need to use separate adhesive material, like packaging tape, to seal the shipping box. This creates a multi-step process for the user to properly seal their box prior to placing it in the mail.   Timely shipping of a package maybe delayed if a consumer finds one&#39;s self out of packaging tape or in possession of the wrong type of tape which is inadequate for shipping boxes.   Most shipping boxes are designed to be sent through the mail once which dramatically reduces their value and reusability.       
 
         [0021]    Current FedEx™ envelopes allow a user to send the said envelope through the mail once or twice depending on the customers needs. Problems with limiting a single FedEx™ envelope to be sent through the mail a maximum of two times include:
       Customers of FedEx™ typically use their service when there is a need to send important documents or items through the mail; as a result, the said correspondence may need to transpire several times between multiple parties before the business between all of the said parties is complete. Unfortunately, the aforementioned single or two time mailing envelope facilitated by FedEx™ does not permit such correspondences.   A standard FedEx™ envelope does not provide an area on the body of the envelope for multiple signatures and an easy method of detaching the said signatures from the body of the envelope for record keeping.       
 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    There is a need to depart from envelopes and boxes having a simple “lick &amp; seal” type-structure to more sophisticated shipping options one finds today. 
         [0025]    Briefly, an enclosure, such as an envelope, a box, etc., includes a main body forming a cavity or opening for receiving documents and/or other objects) and a flap formed of a plurality of strips having an adhesive side so that they can be selectively attached to the main body and thereby close the cavity. Optionally, the strips are covered with a release sheet. The strips are attached sequentially to a receiving area of the main body. Optionally, the receiving area is delineated by perforations or a frangible zone so that it can selectively removed from the enclosure. 
         [0026]    As mentioned above, the arrangement for these components includes wax paper (or other release sheet) that is attached to the adhesive substance found on the paper or cardboard strips which are separated from each other by perforated lines for easy tearing. This configuration allows the adhesive strips to be individually and sequentially attached to the envelope thereby facilitating multiple uses from the same envelope or package. Of course, in some instances, a release sheet may not even be necessary. 
         [0027]    Once the wax paper has been removed, from the furthest adhesive strip on the envelope or package flap, the adhesive section of the paper strip is pressed onto the envelope to form a secure seal. At this point the user can break the said sealed envelope by tearing the perforated paper line that runs parallel to the adhesive strip. In some cases, using a tear string to open the envelope/package instead of perforated lines would be preferable. 
         [0028]    After an envelope or package has been opened it can be resealed by removing the wax paper from the second adhesive strip and securing it to the envelope once more. Then the process can be repeated by having multiple perforated adhesive strips depending on how many times a specific product needs to be opened and permanently resealed. 
         [0029]    Once all of the adhesive strips, which have a designated area for signatures, have been used the entire section, containing all of the signed adhesive strips, can be detached from the body of the envelope and placed in another envelope to continue the record keeping. 
         [0030]    Depending on the embodiment of the envelope the adhesive strips can be arranged in a specialized manner to achieve their result. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a back view of a closed envelope constructed in accordance with this invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged view of the flap; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of the closed envelope; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  shows the back of the opened envelope; 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  shows a signature zone of an envelope being placed in a new envelope; 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the envelope of  FIGS. 1-4 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a box similar to the envelope of  FIGS. 1-4 ,  6 ; 
           [0038]      FIGS. 8A-8B  shows a flow chart of how the envelope is used; 
           [0039]      FIGS. 9-11  show details of an envelope suited for shipping and returning DVDs; 
           [0040]      FIGS. 12A-12B  show a flow chart for sending DVDs in the envelope of  FIGS. 9-11 ; 
           [0041]      FIGS. 13-15  show details of a two-way mailing envelope; 
           [0042]      FIG. 16  shows a first flow chart for using the envelope of  FIGS. 13-15 ; 
           [0043]      FIGS. 17-19  show details of a shipping box constructed in accordance with this invention; 
           [0044]      FIG. 20  shows a flow chart for using the box of  FIGS. 17-19 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 21  shows a back view of another type of envelope constructed in accordance with this invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0046]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-4  shows an interoffice envelope  2  constructed in accordance with this invention. The envelope includes having a back (not shown in this figure), a front  2 A and a composite flap  14 . Flap  14  is attached to the front  2 A along a fold line  6 B and includes multiple adhesive strips  4 A-I, separated by perforated lines  6 A. Each of the adhesive strips are covered on the rear by a respective release strip  9  made of wax paper or similar material. 
         [0047]    The invention allows the envelope  2 , which is used intra-office or through the mail, to be opened and permanently or “securely” resealed multiple times. In this manner, sensitive materials contained within the envelope  2  and can be responsibly accounted for when necessary. The benefits of the invention are applicable to shipping boxes, as discussed below. The invention provides intra-office envelope  2  users with the option of signing each perforated adhesive strip  4 A-I to keep a record of who has had access to the documents or material in the envelope  2  in chronological order. 
         [0048]    In one embodiment, a first user inserts a document or other material into envelope  2 . Then he signs the first adhesive strip  4 A, removes the release sheet  9  from its backside, and presses or seals the strip  4 A to the back face  2 B of the envelope  2 . When the contents of the envelope  2  need to be accessed, the next person to use the envelope  2  separates the perforated line  6 A holding the former adhesive strip  4 A in place to open the top portion of the flap  14  of the envelope  2 . The process is repeated until all of the adhesive strips  4 A-I have been permanently attached to the body of the envelope  2  and removed from the flap  14 , and more particularly into a signature section  16  on the front  2 A. Once all of the adhesive strips  4 A-I on the intra-office envelope  2  have been signed the entire signature section  16  can be removed, by using a scissor, or by providing the front face  2 A with a plurality of perforated lines  6 C forming a rectangular zone including the area  16 . Once separated, area  16  can placed into another next intra-office envelope  2 X for record keeping. Also, as an extra safe guard, a small thin piece of paper can run from one side of the intra-office envelope  2  to the other side at the mid point of detachable adhesive strips  4 A-I. This extra piece of material acts like a belt loop holding the top portion of the flap  15  close to the body of the envelope  2  so people can not remove the contents of the envelope  2  from the space which is created when the first couple of adhesive strips  4 A &amp; B are being utilized. 
         [0049]    An embodiment for medical practitioners retains the aforementioned improvements, i.e. securely sealing an envelope/bag multiple times with augmented record keeping capability, while using a special bag (made of plastic or similar material) more suitable to handling medical items. 
         [0050]    Another embodiment of the invention allows a company to mail a bill without having to place a return envelope, for the customer&#39;s payment/check, inside the original mailing envelope  36  &amp;  48 . This is accomplished by having one adhesive strip  40 A on the envelope flap  43  and one adhesive strip  41  on the envelope body  36  which enables the customer to return payment in the original envelope  36 . In a second version of this embodiment both of the adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B are placed on the body of the envelope  48  to mitigate the possibility of the adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B getting damaged before they&#39;re purposefully used for their intended function. This is in contrast to placing the adhesive strip  40 A on the flap  43  of the envelope which leaves them more vulnerable to external damage. 
         [0051]    Our intra-off ice embodiment  2  of the invention facilitates a viable option for office employees to securely seal the contents of an intra-office envelope  2  and then have it safely sent to the next appropriate office employee without worry of unintended malevolent interception by utilizing multiple adhesive signature lines  4 A-I which permanently bind to a detachable section  16  of the envelope  2 . A standard intra-office envelope forces the record of signatures to be discarded with the envelope. By contrast, our invention  2  facilitates a solution for this inadequacy by making the entire signature area  16  of an intra-office envelope  2  detachable via a perforated line  6 B which follows the circumference of the entire signature area  16 . 
         [0052]    Another embodiment of the invention allows a company like Netflix™ or Gamefly™ to reuse their DVD carrying envelope multiple times before it&#39;s necessary to throw it into the garbage. This is accomplished via the novel placement of adhesive strips  20 A-D and line perforations ( 22 A &amp; B) ( 23 A &amp; B). When the Netflix™ type of envelope  32  is sent through the mail for the first time none of the four adhesive strips  20 A-D is sealed to the body of the envelope  32 . Instead, once the customer receives the envelope  32 , the detachable portion  18  is separated from the envelope flap  19  on the left side and the body of the envelope  32  on the right side via two perforated lines  22 A &amp; B. Once the customer views the DVD they can simply place it back in the envelope  32 , remove the wax paper sheet  9  from the first adhesive strip  20 A, seal it to the body of the envelope  32 , and place it back into the mail for delivery. At this point, the movie company receives the envelope  32  with the DVD inside, proceeds to separate the perforated line  22 A to the left of the first adhesive strip  20 A, which is permanently fixed to the body of the envelope  32 , and retrieve the DVD inside. Now the movie company can reuse the envelope by placing another DVD inside, attaching a separate specialized sheet  18  to the body of the envelope  32  with the customer&#39;s mailing address  24 , and placing it in the mail for delivery. Once the customer receives the envelope  32  containing the DVD, the aforementioned process can be repeated until all of the adhesive strips  20 A-D are utilized on the flap  19  of the envelope  32 . This dramatically extends the longevity of every Netflix™ envelope  32  while significantly reducing the amount of landfill garbage which results from the single use envelope model. 
         [0053]    Our embodiment of the Netflix™ or similar type of envelopes  32  stands in contrast to the conventional envelope currently being used by Netflix™ which allows our design to be sent through the mail a minimum of four times before it must be discarded. This adds measurable revenue to the company&#39;s bottom line in material cost savings while simultaneously remaining echo friendly. A conventional Netflix™ or similar type of envelope has a single adhesive strip which limits the envelope to one return trip to the original sender. 
         [0054]    Our second embodiment ( FIG. 15 ) of the two-way envelope  48  provides a more secure area where the adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B are placed on the body of the envelope  48  as opposed to the flap  45  of the envelope. Whereby reducing the probability of damage to the adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B before their intended use. The added protection comes not only from being located on the body of the envelope  48 , where they don&#39;t stick out, but also from being covered by the flap  45  of the envelope  48  before they are purposefully used. 
         [0055]    Our embodiments of shipping boxes  49  &amp;  58  do not require the user to seal the said boxes with packaging tape, which is sold separately. In contrast, adhesive strips ( 56 D &amp; C) ( 62 A &amp; B), which are attached to the flaps ( 50 A,  60 A &amp; C) on the boxes  49  &amp;  58 , are used to securely seal the boxes  49  &amp;  58  for shipping. By attaching two adhesive strips  56 D &amp; C to one flap  50 A or attaching one adhesive strip  62 A &amp; B to two separate flaps  60 A &amp; C a single box  58  can be sent through the mail twice thereby adding significant value to a business or customer&#39;s shipping needs. 
         [0056]    Another embodiment of the invention allows products, purchased over the internet or through mail order, to be returned in the same box  49  &amp;  58  they were received in while providing a sealed package that&#39;s just as secure the second time it&#39;s mailed as it is the first. This is accomplished via two different methods; the first is a shipping box  49 , which can come in different shapes and sizes, with four traditional cardboard flaps  50 A-D which are used to close the top of the box  49 . However, one flap  50 A has two adhesive strips attached to the distal end of it. Once the three other flaps  50 B, C, &amp; D are folded over the contents of the box  49  the most distal adhesive strip  56 D is secured to the box  49  by removing the wax paper  9  and pressing the strip  56 D onto the box  49 . If the consumer needs to send the item back in the same box  49  they can follow the aforementioned steps and seal the box  49  with the second adhesive strip  56 C which is more proximal to the flap  50 A then the first adhesive strip  56 D. The second method places a single adhesive strip  62 A on one flap  60 A and another adhesive strip  62 B on an opposing flap  60 C which also allows a single box  58  to be sent through the mail twice. The first flap  60 A with an adhesive strip  62 A is slightly longer then the opposing flap  60 C with an adhesive strip  62 B; this allows the sealing function of both adhesive strips  62 A &amp; B to perform their intended purpose without interfering with each other, i.e. sealing to the box  58  and not together. 
         [0057]    Another embodiment of the invention augments the value and function of a typical FedEx™ envelope by not only enabling a single envelope  66  to be reused multiple times but also by providing a detachable record keeping section  70  of signatures, dates, and times  72 A-D. When the envelope  66  is ready to be disposed of the signature section  70  can be separated from the body of the envelope  66 , via a perforated line, and filed. The backside of the signature area has lines where more information can be written regarding the contents of the envelope  66  or to reference what the signatures  72 A-D were for once the entire signature section  70  has been removed from the body of the envelope  66  (*note, a drawing of this section isn&#39;t shown in the provisional patent). 
         [0058]    All of the embodiments of the invention are very environmentally friendly as they reduce the amount of paper garbage going into landfills. 
         [0059]    Our embodiment of a FedEx™ envelope  66  is superior to the standard FedEx™ offering in various ways which include the utilization and strategic placement of several adhesive strips  72 A, B, C, &amp; D on the flap  75  of the envelope  66 . The topside of these adhesive strips  72 A, B, C, &amp; D provide an area for the recipient&#39;s signature, date, and time. The placement of these adhesive strips  72 A, B, C, &amp; D not only allows the user to send and receive a single envelope  66  through the mail up to four times but they also allow all of the signatures to be detached, via a perforated section  70 , from the body of the envelope  66  for record keeping once all of the adhesive strips  72 A, B, C, &amp; D have been permanently fixed to the specialized section  70  of the envelope  66 . 
         [0060]    The prior art mainly facilitates various options for the user to seal or open different envelopes or boxes a single time whether it&#39;s a stronger glue vs a weaker glue or a pull string opening method vs a perforated line opening method whereas, our invention focuses on reusing the same envelope or box multiple times before there is a need to discard it. 
         [0061]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an intra-office envelope  2  showing multiple permanent adhesive strips  4 A-I separated by perforated lines  6 A. Each end of the perforated lines  6 A employ a half circle cutout  10  which allows the tip of the user&#39;s finger to easily break the perforated line  6 A and separated one adhesive strip  4 A from the next  4 B. 
         [0062]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the signature section which is completely filled out and permanently adhered to the detachable portion  16  of the intra-office envelope  2 . Here you find the detachable  16  completed signature section removed from the body of the intra-office envelop  2  which makes it ready to be filed for record keeping. 
         [0063]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an intra-office envelope  2  with its completed signature section  16  detached from the body of the envelope  2  via a perforated line  6 B which follows the circumference of the entire signature area  16 . This view reveals the empty space  14  which is left after the signature area  16  is removed from the body of the envelope  2 . 
         [0064]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an intra-office envelope  2  with its flap  14  in an open position revealing the bottom side of the adhesive strips  4 A-I, which are covered by wax paper strips  9 , on the flap&#39;s  14  underside. Here you can see one adhesive strip  4 A with its wax paper release sheet  9  partially removed revealing an adhesive substance  5  underneath. 
         [0065]      FIG. 5  is a front view of an intra-office envelope  2 X receiving a detached completed signature section  16  from the previous envelope  2  which allows the contents of the envelope to be transitioned to the new envelope  2  along with the records  16  of who has had access to the material inside the envelope  2  from its origin. 
         [0066]      FIG. 6  is a side or profile view of the intra-office envelope  2  which reveals some dimensionality of the invention. This embodiment is well suited for holding documents. 
         [0067]      FIG. 7  is a side or profile view of the intra-office box  3  which reveals some dimensionality of the invention. This embodiment of the invention is better suited to securely hold bulkier materials because it has a more substantial depth. 
         [0068]      FIGS. 8A-8B  show a flowchart showing a side view of the intra-office envelope  2 . In  FIG. 8A , the envelope on the right has two of the adhesive strips  4 A and  4 B are sealed to the face of the envelope  2 . The envelope on the left has all of the adhesive strips  4 A-I sealed to the detachable section  16  of the envelope  2 . 
         [0069]    In  FIG. 8B  a completed signature section  16  is being detached from the body of the envelope  2  and placed into a new intra-office envelope  2 X for the purpose of continued recording keeping of who has had access to the relative materials found in the envelope  2 . Envelope  2 X can have the same structure as envelope  2  but can have a different structure as well. 
         [0070]      FIG. 9  is a back view of a Netflix™ or similar type of envelope  32  for shipping DVDs or other digital media showing multiple adhesive strips  20 A-D configured in such a way as to allow a single envelope  32  to be sent and returned through the mail a minimum of four times. The said adhesive strips  20 A-D comprise the flap  19  of the envelope  32  and are separated by perforated lines  22 A. In the envelope&#39;s  32  original state the section  18  with the customer&#39;s mailing address  24  is still attached to the main Netflix™ styled envelope  32 . This detachable component  18  of the envelope  32  is separated for the first time via perforated lines found on the left  22 A and right  22 B sides. 
         [0071]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the detachable portion  18  of the Netflix™ styled envelope  32  which contains the customer&#39;s mailing address  24 . The detachable section  18 , with the customer&#39;s mailing address  24 , is separated from the main envelope  32  the second through the fourth time it&#39;s mailed via perforated lines  23 A &amp; B found on the left  23 A and right  23 B sides of the detachable portion  18  of the envelope  32 . 
         [0072]      FIG. 11  is a back view of a Netflix™ type of envelope  32  with the detachable section  18  removed and the company&#39;s return address  34  revealed underneath. Here you see the first  20 A of four adhesive strips  20 A-D used (by removing the wax paper release sheet  4 C and sealing  30 A the strip to the envelope  32 ) for the envelope&#39;s return trip to the original sender. 
         [0073]      FIG. 12A  is the first part of a flowchart showing a Netflix™ or similar type of envelope  32  being sent to the customer  24  and then returned to the original company  34  a total of two times. This is accomplished via the specialized arrangement of adhesive strips  20 A-D, line perforations ( 22 A &amp; B and  23 A &amp; B), and detachable sections  18  containing the customer&#39;s mailing address  24 . After the envelope  32  has been sent, to the customer  24 , and then returned to the original sender  34  through the mail the initial time the process functions slightly different the remaining three times as a result of the left adhesive strip  28 A, on the detachable section  18 , being sealed to the “top” of the second adhesive strip  20 B on the envelope flap  19  and the right adhesive strip  28 B, on the detachable section  18 , being sealed to the body of the envelope  32 . Whereby, once the envelope is received by the customer  24  for the second time they can simply break the perforated lines  23 A &amp; B on the left  23 A and right  23 B sides of the detachable section  18  and then return the DVD to the company  34  of origin by sealing  30 B the second adhesive strip  20 B, on the flap  19 , to the body of the envelope  32 . 
         [0074]      FIG. 12B  is the second part of the flowchart found in  FIG. 12A . Here the aforementioned steps from  FIG. 12A  are repeated to send the same envelope  32  to the customer  24  and then return it to the company  34  of origin two more times which equates to a total of four round trips for a single envelope  32  before it must be discarded. 
         [0075]      FIG. 13  is a back view of a two way mailing envelope  36  showing the flap  43  in the down position. The flap  43  has an adhesive strip  40 A and a strip of plain paper  42 A which are separated by a perforated line  38 A. 
         [0076]      FIG. 14  is a back view of a two way mailing envelope  36  showing the flap  43  in the up position which reveals the bottom side of the adhesive strip  40 B and the bottom side of the strip of plain paper  42 B which are separated by a perforated line  38 A. Also visible is a second adhesive strip  41  located on the body of the envelope  36 . 
         [0077]      FIG. 15  is a back view of a second embodiment for a two way mailing envelope  48  which has the flap  45  in an upright position. The flap  45  consists of two strips of plain paper  44 A &amp; B (no adhesive) which are separated by a perforated line  38 B while the body of the envelope  48  presents two adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B. This formula allows the plain paper strips  44 A &amp; B found in the flap  45  to be individually attached to the body of the envelope  48  via the aforementioned adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B. 
         [0078]      FIG. 16  is a flowchart for the first embodiment of the two way mailing envelope  36  with one adhesive strip  40 A &amp; B found on the flap  43  and the other adhesive strip  41  found on the body of the envelope  36 . Here one can see how the same envelope  36  can be sent through the mail twice by first sealing the envelope  36  with the adhesive strip  40 A &amp; B found in the flap  43  and then sealing the envelope  36  a second time with the adhesive strip  41  found on the body of the envelope  36  by attaching it to the plain paper strip  42 A &amp; B found on the flap  43 . 
         [0079]      FIG. 17  is a top view of a shipping box  49  with all of the four flaps  50 A-D in a closed position. Here you can see a top view of two adhesive strips  56 A &amp; B which are separated by perforated lines  54 ; each line perforation  54  has a small pull-tab  52  at the end which allows the user to separate the lines  54  easily. 
         [0080]      FIG. 18  is a top view of a shipping box  49  which is opened or has all four of its flaps  50 A-D extending outward. In this position, one can see a bottom view of the first flap  50 A revealing two adhesive strips  50 D &amp; C located at its distal end separated by the perforated pull-string  54 . 
         [0081]      FIG. 19  is a top view of a second embodiment for a shipping box  58  which allows the said box  58  to be sent through the mail twice. The box  58  is opened with the four flaps  60 A-D extended outward exhibiting a bottom view of the said flaps  60 A-D with one adhesive strip  62 A located on the top flap  60 A and the other adhesive strip  62 B located on the bottom flap  60 C. The length of the top flap  60 A is proportionally longer to the length of the bottom flap  60 C by at least the length of the adhesive strip  62 A to ensure they do not over lap when the box  58  is sealed. Once the box  58  is sealed it can be reopened at the top  60 A and bottom flaps  60 C via respective perforated pull-strings  64 A &amp; B. 
         [0082]      FIG. 20  is a flowchart illustrating how the first embodiment of the shipping box  49  moves from an open to a sealed position by covering the contents of the box  49  with the three flaps ( 50 B, C, &amp; D), which do not contain any adhesive strips, and then sealing it with the most distal adhesive strip  56 B/D found on the last flap  50 A to be moved into its final position. 
         [0083]      FIG. 21  is a back view of a FedEx™ type of envelope  66  which allows the user to mail the same envelope  66  several times before it must be discarded. This is accomplished via the use of multiple adhesive strips  72 A-D found in the flap  75  of the envelope  66 . Each adhesive strip  72 A-D has an area for record keeping of the envelope&#39;s  66  recipients and perforated lines  74  separating one adhesive strip  72 A from the next  72 B. Once all of the adhesive strips  72 A-D have been permanently fixed to the body of the envelope  66  the entire signature section  75  can be detached from the body of the envelope  66 , via a perforated line  70  which follows the circumference of the signature section  75 , for continued record keeping if necessary. 
         [0084]    The components of my invention are:
         2  is the body of an intra-office envelope.     3  is the body of an intra-office box, which maybe desirable in place of an envelope with regard to handling certain materials.     4 A-I are the front side of individual detachable adhesive strips, for an intra-office envelope, with an area for signature, date, and time.     5  is adhesive material found underneath the wax paper  9  which permanently binds the strip  4 A to the envelope  2 .     6 A is a perforated line which attaches each adhesive strip  4 A-I to the next one above and below it.     6 B is fold line separating the top flap from the rest of the envelope;     6 C shows a perforated line which runs around the perimeter of all of the adhesive strips  4 A-I which allows the entire section  16  to be removed for record keeping.     7  is the backside of a detachable adhesive strip.     8  shows an area where one of the perforated lines  6 A has been broken between two adhesive strips  4 A &amp;  4 B.     9  is a wax paper release sheet which is removed to bind the adhesive  5  found underneath onto the detachable portion  16  of the envelope. Also, the same wax paper release sheet  9  can be used for the other embodiments of the invention found in the provisional patent.     10  is an area with a small section of paper removed to enable the tip of the user&#39;s finger to break the perforated line  6 A more easily.     12 A is an area for a person&#39;s signature on the face of the adhesive strip  41 .     12 B is an area for the date to be written on the face of the adhesive strip  41 .     12 C is an area for the time of day to be written on the face of the adhesive strip  41 .     14  is the flap of the intra-office envelope  2  which consists of the adhesive strips  4 A-I.     16  is a detachable portion of the envelope which contains all of individually adhered strips  4 A-I with the signatures  12 A, dates  12 B, and times  12 C on them. When all of the adhesive strips  4 A-I are used this section can be detached, via line perforation  6 B around its entire perimeter, for record keeping.     18  is the body of the detachable portion of the envelope which contains the customer&#39;s mailing address  24 . This embodiment improves a Netflix™ type of envelope or something similar.     19  is the flap of a Netflix™ type of envelope which contains four adhesive strips  20 A-D.     20 A, B, C, &amp; D are the topsides of adhesive strips found on a Netflix™ or similar types of envelopes  32 .     22 A is a perforated line which separates each adhesive strip  20 A, B, C, &amp; D individually on the Netflix™ type of envelope  32 .     22 B is a perforated line found on the opposing side of the envelope flap, which contains the four adhesive strips  20 A-D, and is part of the envelope when it&#39;s mailed for the first time only. This relates to the Netflix™ type of envelope embodiment  32 .     23 A is a perforated line adjacent to the inside boarder of the left adhesive strip  28 A found on the detachable portion  18  of the Netflix™ mailer  32 .     23 B is a perforated line adjacent to the inside boarder of the right adhesive strip  28 B found on the detachable portion  18  of the Netflix™ mailer  32 .     24  is an area for the customer&#39;s mailing address, which is found on the detachable portion  18  of the envelope  32 . This relates to the Netflix™ type of envelope embodiment.     26  is a postage area.     28 A &amp; B are the right &amp; left adhesive strips found on the detachable portion  18  of the envelope  32  which contains the customer&#39;s mailing information  24 . This relates to the Netflix™ type of envelope embodiment.     30 A, B, C, &amp; D show a dark area on the adhesive strip which indicates the wax paper  9  (not visible here) has been removed and the strip has been attached to the body of the envelope  32 .     32  is the body of a Netflix™ or similar type of envelope.     34  is an area for the return address, in this case it&#39;s a movie company but it can be any type of business.     36  is the body of an envelope designed for two way mailing.     38 A is a line perforation between a paper strip  40 A (top view) with adhesive  5  and a paper strip  42 A (top view) without adhesive  5 .     38 B is a line perforation between two paper strips  44 A &amp; B without adhesive material  5  on either of them.     40 A is an adhesive strip (top view) with a wax paper release sheet  9  (not visible from this viewpoint) which prevents the strip from binding to the body of the envelope  36  until it&#39;s desirable.     40 B is an adhesive strip (bottom view) with a wax paper release sheet  9  which prevents the strip from binding to the body of the envelope  36  until it&#39;s desirable.     41  is an adhesive strip located on the body of the envelope  36  with a wax paper release sheet  9  covering it.     42 A is a strip of paper (top view) without adhesive material  5  or wax paper  9 .     42 B is a strip of paper (bottom view) without adhesive material  5  or wax paper  9 .     43  is the flap of a two way mailing envelope  36  with one adhesive strip  40 A on the flap  43  and the other adhesive strip  41  on the body of the envelope  36 .     44 A &amp; B are two paper strips without adhesive  5  or wax paper  9 .     45  is the flap of a two way mailing envelope  48  with both adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B located on the body of the envelope  48 .     46 A &amp; B are two adhesive strips found on the body of the envelope  48  instead of being located on the flap  45  of the envelope  48 .     48  is the body of a two way mailing envelope which has both adhesive strips  46 A &amp; B located on the body of the envelope  48  instead of the flap of the envelope  45 .     49  is the body of a shipping box with two adhesive strips  56 A &amp; B (top view) attached to the distal end of a single cardboard flap  50 A.     50 A is a cardboard flap found on a shipping box  49  which has two adhesive strips  56 A &amp; B (top view), separated by a pull-strings  54 .     50 B, C, &amp; D are cardboard flaps attached to box  49  (these flaps do not have any adhesive strips attached to them).     52  is tab attached to a pull-string  54 .     54  is a pull-string which is used to detach one adhesive strip  56 A from the other  56 B once it&#39;s been used.     56 A is the topside of an adhesive strip which is proximal to the cardboard flap  50 A.     56 B is the topside of an adhesive strip which is distal to the cardboard flap  50 B.     56 C is the bottom side of an adhesive strip, with a wax paper release sheet  9  covering it, which is proximal to the cardboard flap  50 A.     56 D is the bottom side of an adhesive strip, with a wax paper release sheet  9  covering it, which is distal to the cardboard flap  50 A.     58  is the body of a shipping box with two separate adhesive strips  62 A &amp; B attached, individually, to two separate cardboard flaps  60 A &amp; C.     60 A is a cardboard flap found on a shipping box  58  which also has a single adhesive strip  62 A attached to the distal end of the flap; the flap  60 A is also slightly longer then the opposing flap  600 . The adhesive strip  62 A and the cardboard flap  60 A are separated by a perforated line  64 A.     60 B is a cardboard flap attached to box  58 .     60 C is a cardboard flap found on a shipping box  58  which also has a single adhesive strip  62 B attached to the distal end of the flap; the flap  60 C is slightly shorter then the opposing flap  60 A. The adhesive strip  62 B and the cardboard flap  60 C are separated by a perforated line  64 B.     60 D is a cardboard flap attached to box  58 .     62 A is the bottom side of an adhesive strip, with a wax paper release sheet  9  covering it, which is attached to a cardboard flap  60 A.     62 B is the bottom side of an adhesive strip, with a wax paper release sheet  9  covering it, which is attached to a cardboard flap  60 C.     64 A is a pull-string which is used to detach a single adhesive strip  62 A from a cardboard flap  60 A.     64 B is a pull-string which is used to detach a single adhesive strip  62 B from a cardboard flap  60 C.     66  is the body of a multi use FedEx™ or similar type of envelope.     68  represents the four corners of a clear plastic area which accommodates a mailing address for a FedEx™ or a similar type of envelope.     70  is a perforated section in the body of the FedEx™ or similar type of envelope which extends both horizontally and vertically around the perimeter of the signature area.     72 A is a top view of the most distal adhesive strip from the envelope which is utilized for individual signature and record keeping.     72 B is an adhesive strip which is next inline to be used after the most distal adhesive strip  72 A.     72 C is an adhesive strip which is used after the one in front of it  72 B.     72 D is an adhesive strip which is proximal to the body of the envelope and is utilized last for signing and record keeping.     74  is a perforated line and pull string which has been used to separate one adhesive strip  72 A from the next  72 B.     75  is the flap of the FedEx™ or a similar type envelope which contains all of the adhesive strips  72 A, B, C, &amp; D.     76  is a pull tab which detaches one adhesive strip from the next via line perforation.       
 
         [0155]    Numerous modifications may be made without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.