Abstract:
A device for mailing and displaying one or many photographs and other flat objects. The mailer offers a convenient means of mailing more than twenty photographs or other flat objects in an attractive envelope that has a preprinted area for a mailing address and an easily removed perforated panel that allows the recipient to quickly view the mailer contents. A foldable panel serves as an easel for quick and easy display of the exposed photograph.

Description:
[0001]    This patent claims priority from and incorporates by reference the provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/849,166 filed by the same co-inventors on Oct. 2, 2006. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the fields of parcel mailers and photograph albums, namely devices that may be used for mailing, displaying, and viewing photographs. Current art does not contain all the features claimed by the present invention. The present invention offers a combination of utility, convenience, aesthetics, and affordability not available in current photograph mailers. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the non-decorative side of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in its flat, cut-out, unfolded, initial configuration, including a single line of sample text (“See back for peel away frame!!”) printed on frame front panel  10 . 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a partially folded configuration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention viewed from the same perspective as  FIG. 1 . The single line of sample text printed on panel  10  is exposed. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the decorative side of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a partially folded configuration that illustrates one of the multitude of available printed decorative patterns, including printed text and graphics on panels  13  and  16 .  FIGS. 2 and 3  show opposite sides of the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of the decorative side of a portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention after it has been removed along perforations around an aperture in one panel of the preferred embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with a photograph visible in the aperture. 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with a photograph visible in the aperture. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0009]    “Photograph” in the present Description and Claims means an image of text or graphics or a reproduction of an image of text or graphics produced by human means, a camera, computer, scanner, or by any other means of producing hard copy, in and on any medium. 
         [0010]    “Blank” in the present Description and Claims means the product of a stamping, die-cutting, laser-cutting, blade-cutting, or any other process capable of forming a desired shape from a sheet of raw material including but not limited to paper, plastic, fiber, cloth, rubber, foam, wood, or metal. 
         [0011]    “Occasion” in the present Description and Claims means a season, holiday, activity, or any event deemed worthy of memorializing or celebrating. 
         [0012]    “Mailer” in the present Description and Claims means a device capable of containing articles for transport via a postal system. 
         [0013]    The structure and operation of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. The inventors present herein the best mode for carrying out the present invention in terms of its preferred embodiment (hereafter called “mailer”) that is depicted within the aforementioned drawings. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is an unfolded front view of the non-decorative side of mailer  100  in its blank form, showing a single line of sample text (“See back for peel away frame!!”) printed on the visible side of frame front panel  10 . Panel  10  has an aperture panel  13  defined by perforated aperture border  11 . Frame front panel  10  also has two wing panels  12  that are foldably connected to frame front panel  10  about fold lines  17 . Frame rear panel  14  is foldably connected to frame front panel  10  about fold line  18 . Easel panel  16  is foldably connected to frame front panel  10  about fold line  19 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a partially folded front view in which some of the decorative side of mailer  100  can be seen. Despite its ornamental appearance, the decorative side of the mailer can perform a useful function. The mailers are decorated with several different graphic designs that have a discernible relationship to the items mailed within. Someone may receive and display hunting and fishing photographs in a mailer decorated with a camouflage motif, baby pictures in a mailer decorated with infant scenes, sports pictures in a mailer decorated with soccer balls, baseballs, and footballs, and birthday photos in a mailer decorated with cakes and candles. The mailer essentially becomes gift wrapping for the items within. 
         [0016]    The configuration of  FIG. 2  is assembled by folding wing panels  12  about fold lines  17 , folding frame rear panel  14  about fold line  18 , and applying adhesive between the overlapping areas of wing panels  12  and frame rear panel  14 . The pocket thus formed between frame front panel  10  and frame rear panel  14  accommodates photographs and other substantially flat or thin items. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a partially folded rear view of mailer  100 . The configuration of  FIG. 3  is the flip side of the  FIG. 2  configuration. Fold line  19  separates front frame panel  10  from easel panel  16 . In the illustrated configuration aperture panel  13  exhibits printed information, the product trademark, a bar code, and instructions, as well as decoration. Easel panel  16  exhibits printed information, instructions, the product trademark, an area for postage, and white space for a mailing address, as well as decoration. 
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows the decorative side of aperture panel  13  after it has been removed along perforations defining aperture border  11  (see  FIG. 1 ) in frame front panel  10 . Removing aperture panel  13  reveals the gift within mailer  100 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows mailer  100  with a photograph  50  inserted into the pocket formed by frame rear panel  14  and frame front panel  10  (see  FIG. 2 ). Photograph  50  is visible through the view port created when aperture panel  13  is removed from frame front panel  10 . Photograph  50  could be a single gift, or it could be the top image on a stack of similar gifts. 
         [0020]    After the gift or gifts are placed in the pocket formed by frame rear panel  14  and frame front panel  10 , the sender may then fold mailer  100  about fold line  19  so that the decorative sides of panels  10 ,  13 , and  16  are exposed. The sender may then seal mailer  100  by applying tape or adhesive along the edge of easel panel  16  in the vicinity of an indicator such as the text “OPEN HERE” illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . Alternatively, the sender could seal the mailer with a staple, or, in a different embodiment, with a tab foldably attached to easel panel  16  in the vicinity of the “OPEN HERE” graphics, or on front panel  10 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  shows mailer  100  in a display configuration with easel panel  16  folded out rearward from frame front panel  10  along fold line  19  after the recipient opens mailer  100  by breaking whatever seal was applied by the sender. Easel panel  16  supports frame front panel  10  and frame rear panel  14  so that photograph  50  is prominently displayed. The mailer&#39;s easel feature permits consumers to send, for the modest expense of an envelope, a means for displaying photographs without the expense of a photo album. 
         [0022]    It will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the relevant art having the benefit of this disclosure that the present invention provides a device for mailing and displaying photographs. It is understood that the form of the invention shown and described in the detailed description and the drawings is to be taken merely as the presently preferred embodiment, and that the invention is limited only by the language of the claim. The drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed. While the present invention has been described in terms of one preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that form and detail modifications can be made to that embodiment without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.