Abstract:
A form is provided which is especially adapted for printing which includes a carrier sheet having a backing sheet and a matrix sheet and at least one card adhered to the carrier sheet and positioned within an opening in the matrix sheet. The card is imprinted with indicia and the portion of the backing sheet visible within the opening of the matrix sheet when the card is removed is printed with an image similar or the same as the indicia so that when the card is removed, the information or impression conveyed by the indicia is still seen on the carrier sheet. The card is preferably removably adhered to the backing sheet by a layer of adhesive. The card may include a magnetic element so that when removed, it is self supporting when placed on a ferromagnetic surface. The upper surface of the card, when positioned on the carrier sheet within the opening, is preferably substantially co-planar with the top side of the matrix sheet.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/953,011 filed Sep. 11, 2001, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/135,586 filed Apr. 30, 2002, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention concerns a web of paper or other non-magnetic material serving as a carrier and which includes a card detachably coupled to the carrier. The carrier page carries the card within a recess provided in the carrier page which helps to maintain a substantially even thickness of the carrier page and facilitates printing of the carrier page when the card is attached. The card and the underlying portion of the carrier page are preferably printed with similar images, and the card may include a magnet component.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Flexible magnetic material has been available for a variety of uses, and provides a convenient way to display information or attach papers to surfaces such as iron, steel, nickel or other ferromagnetic material which is capable of magnetic connection. Such uses have included business cards and “refrigerator magnets” where the flexible magnetic material has been capable of holding paper to a steel surface. Further, paper overlays have been adhesively attached to flexible magnetic backings to provide calendars or perforated redeemable coupons.  
           [0006]    These uses of flexible magnetic material have met with certain limitations. While generally capable of imprinting by itself, the flexible magnetic material has not been provided in such a way as to provide for imprinting as an integrated component of a composite element or form. Moreover, magnetic attraction between the cards and the steel components of printing presses causes the magnetic cards to interfere with the feeding and printing processes both during typical flexographic and offset printing as well as ordinary desktop printers such as laser jet printers and ink jet printers.  
           [0007]    Business cards and similar products have also been used for some time as a means of providing information to prospective customers and other interested parties. One problem presented when business cards are attached to another sheet of paper such as by a paper clip is that upon removal of the business card, the information provided thereby is no longer found on or associated with the sheet of paper to which the business card is attached.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention largely solves these problems and presents new opportunities by the composite form construction which readily lends itself to printing and ease of use. Moreover, the form of the present invention is especially useful in bound publications as a page which provides detachable cards, which may be of a variety of different materials and may include a magnet component. In especially preferred forms, the form hereof provides a card with printed information which, when removed, presents a corresponding image in the recess of the carrier page vacated by the card.  
           [0009]    Broadly speaking, the present invention concerns a form which includes a carrier page of a non-magnetic material and a detachable card. The card may be of paper, synthetic resin, metal, foil, composite materials, or combinations, and may include magnetic material capable of attachment to ferromagnetic surfaces. The carrier page preferably includes a backing sheet with an adhesive coating on at least a portion of one surface thereof which is printable on both sides, and a matrix sheet presenting at least one opening therein. The matrix sheet is adhered to the backing sheet. A card with a paper or other printable top side and which may include a flexible magnetic component is preferably inserted into the opening and held by adhesive until ready to be removed, the card remaining with the carrier page during printing subsequent to such attachment. As used herein, “adhesive” or “adhesively” is intended to include all methods of adhesion, including wettable adhesives, pressure sensitive adhesives, cohesives and dry technology bonding. The card is relatively thin, preferably of a thickness such that when coupled to the backing sheet of the carrier page, the upper surface of the card is substantially co-planar with the top side of the matrix sheet.  
           [0010]    The carrier page is uniquely provided to be printed not only on the back face of the backing sheet and the top side of the matrix sheet, but also printable on the front face of the backing sheet which carries the adhesive thereon. The printing on the front face of the backing sheet may be applied over the adhesive, and positioned in registry with the printing applied to the removable cards, such that upon removal of the cards, a similar image to that of the upper surface of the card is revealed in the space vacated by it. In this way, the image printed on the card is either repeated or replicated so that upon removal of the card, a similar image is shown within the opening in the matrix sheet vacated by the card. This is especially advantageous when the form is bound into a publication such as a directory, catalog, magazine or the like which will be retained, so that the image of the upper surface of the card is replicated and remains in the publication after the card is removed.  
           [0011]    The form hereof is constructed to be produced in commercial quantities in automated manufacturing facilities so as to be economically produced, printed and, when desired, bound into a publication. One preferred method of producing the form includes initially providing a matrix sheet stock which is die cut to provide openings for receiving the card. In this process, a backing sheet stock is provided, preferably with a liner which is removed so that the front face of the backing sheet stock is printed with an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink. The backing sheet stock with its liner removed is then mated to the matrix sheet stock whereupon the back face of the backing sheet and the top side of the matrix sheet may be printed. The printing applied on the front face of the backing sheet is in preselected spacing or registry corresponding to the positioning and size of the openings in the matrix sheet stock so that the printing on the front face of the backing sheet stock appears within the openings in the matrix sheet stock. The card or cards are provided from card stock which is printed on its upper surface, die cut to provide individual cards, which may be of the same or different sizes, and then adhered to the front face of the backing sheet stock and inserted into the openings of the matrix sheet stock. The matrix sheet stock and backing sheet stock with the cards adhered thereon are then cut to appropriate sizes into, for example, page-sized sheets, for further customized printing if desired, insertion and binding into a publication, or are ready for use as individual forms. The cards maybe removed from the form and are then ready for retention by the recipient and when the cards include a magnet element, may be magnetically attached to a surface capable of holding a magnet. The magnet element, when a part of the card, is uniquely constructed so as to remain with and not become detached from the form as it moves around rollers and the like during printing and not interfere with the operation of desktop printers when customization is desired. Advantageously, the printing on the front face of the backing sheet allows the information printed thereon, preferably similar if not the same as that of the magnetic card, to be visible in the opening and thus the removal of the card does not result in the loss of the information. Such a presentation is beneficial to advertisers in a publication so that the message sought to be conveyed is not lost from the publication when the card is removed. The character of the adhesive remaining on the front face of the backing sheet and the type of sheet adjacent to the form in publications are preferably such that upon removal of the card, the adjacent page of a publication facing the front face of the backing sheet does not unacceptably adhere to the form.  
           [0012]    These and other advantages will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and description which follow. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is diagrammatic view of a press assembly for producing the form of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a publication including the form hereof, showing one of a plurality of magnetic cards of the form removed to show the adhesive and printing in the opening vacated by the removed card and another card being pulled away therefrom; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the form taken through one of the magnetic cards to show the construction of the form and the substantially constant thickness of the form while the card remains adhered to the backing sheet. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings, a form  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown in section in FIG. 3 and broadly includes a plurality of cards  12  and a carrier sheet  14  adhesively carrying the cards  12 . The carrier sheet  14  includes a backing sheet  16  and a matrix sheet  18 . The matrix sheet  18  is provided with at least one and preferably a plurality of openings  20  for receiving the cards  12  therein.  
         [0017]    In greater detail, the cards  12  maybe of paper, synthetic resin, composite materials, metals, foil, or combinations thereof. In one particularly preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the cards  12  are laminated to include a flexible magnetic element  22  and a top laminate  24  of paper, synthetic resin or other printable stock adhered to the magnet element  22  by a layer of adhesive  26 . The adhesive  26  may be any conventional adhesive providing good adherence such as a pressure sensitive adhesive as it is intended that the magnet element  22  and the top laminate  24  preferably, though not necessarily, be permanently bonded in registry. The cards  12  have an upper surface  28  and a bottom surface  30  and are flexible, and in that regard the magnet element  22  may be constructed of ferrite powder bonded with rubber as is well known to those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the magnet element  22  is especially magnetically influenced for use in printing so as to be printable by desktop printers such as laser printers and ink jet printers as well as in offset, flexographic and other presses for larger production runs. It has been found that a particularly beneficial construction of the magnet element  22  is a 7 mil thickness flexible magnetic material such as that sold by Magnum Magnetics of Marietta, Ohio under the trademark Digimag, and the top laminate is of a semi-gloss paper or a synthetic resin laminate having a thickness of about 5 mil thickness whereby the thickness of the card  12  is about 12 mils. The cards  12  having a magnet element  22  are initially provided on a magnetic card stock  32  passed by a magnetic influencer with an air gap of about 0.005 to about 0.010 inch between the influencer and the magnetic card stock  32 , thereby creating a magnetic field in the magnetic card stock  32  with a magnetic density of about 14 poles per inch and a resulting field strength of about 85 gauss for each pole when measured at a distance of about 0.004 inches from the bottom surface  30  and 65 gauss when measured at a distance of about 0.015 inches from the bottom surface  30 . The top laminate  24  acts as a shield and thus results in a very low and almost undetectable magnetic field strength when measured from the upper surface  28  of the card  12 . The magnetic card stock  32  is die cut into the individual magnetic cards  12  so that the surrounding edges  34  of the top laminate  24  and the magnet element  22  are aligned and co-extensive. Indicia is preferably printed on the upper surface  28  of the cards  12 , and as shown in FIG. 2, the indicia  36 A,  36 B,  36 C,  36 D,  36 F,  36 G and  36 H corresponding to each of a multiplicity of cards  12 A,  12 B,  12 C,  12 D,  12 E,  12 F,  12 G and  12 H of the form  10  maybe different.  
         [0018]    The backing sheet  16  may be provided of paper or synthetic resin or other non-magnetic material, and is provided from a backing sheet stock  38  which includes the backing sheet  16  material, adhesive  40  and a liner  42  such as a silicone release liner. The backing sheet  16  thus has a front face  44  and a back face  46 , and a surrounding margin  48 . The character of the adhesive  40  is such that it may receive ink thereon, and in particular a UV curable ink, without impairing the quality of the printing received thereon, impairing the adhesion between the backing sheet  16  and the magnetic card  12 , or transferring to the magnetic card  12  when detached from the backing sheet  16 . One suitable material useful as the backing sheet stock is MatLitho/PS402/40DT available from Precision Web Coating of Dayton, Ohio.  
         [0019]    Alternatively, a conventional pressure sensitive adhesive may be used to connect the matrix sheet  18  and the backing sheet  16 , and the adhesive  40  for coupling the magnetic card  12  to the backing sheet  16  may be provided as a UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive which is applied directly to the bottom surface  30  of the magnetic card stock  32  by pattern coating. The application of the UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive as adhesive  40  is then be applied within the area of the individual cards  12  to be defined by die cutting of the surrounding edges  34 . The UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive in this instance is cured by UV radiation supplied by a UV radiation source prior to die cutting and tipping of the cards  12  into the openings  20 . One suitable UV pressure sensitive adhesive for this application is a repositionable adhesive which remains with the cards  12  after separation from the carrier sheet  14  and which enables the magnet cards  12  to be held not only by ferromagnetic surfaces but by any surface which accepts the adhesive, and permits the cards  12  to be successively repositioned on different receiving surfaces. Such a repositionable UV pressure sensitive adhesive also avoids leaving a residue of adhesive on the backing sheet  16  once the individual cards are removed.  
         [0020]    The matrix sheet  18  is a non-magnetic material such as paper or synthetic resin, supplied as matrix sheet stock  50  as shown in FIG. 1. The matrix sheet  18  has a top side  52  and an inner side  54  facing the backing sheet  16 , and an outer perimeter  56  which is in registry with the surrounding margin  48  of the backing sheet  16  when adhered thereto in superposed relationship. The material, such as a non-gloss paper, used for the matrix sheet  18  is such that it is preferably permanently adhered to the backing sheet  16 , although a lesser degree of adhesion permitting separation between the backing sheet  16  and the matrix sheet  18  may be desired in some applications. During an automated process for making the form  10 , the matrix sheet stock  50  is die cut whereby chads  58  are removed to provide openings  20 . The matrix sheet  18  is preferably of the same thickness as the magnetic card  12 , for example a 12 mil 100 pound tag semi-gloss paper. The openings  20  have an inner perimeter  60  with dimensions slightly greater than the surrounding edges  34  of the cards  12  so that the cards  12  are inlayed and fit completely within the openings  20  without overlap between the cards  12  and the matrix sheet  18 , and a gap  62  is presented between the cards  12  and the surrounding matrix sheet  18 .  
         [0021]    The carrier sheet  14  may also be printed. Printing may be applied both to the top side of the matrix sheet  18  and the back face of the backing sheet. Further the front face of the backing sheet  16  may be printed, either before the application of the adhesive  40  or after removal of the liner  42  and over the adhesive  40  and then cured. The printing applied to the front face of the backing sheet  16  is most preferably in preselected, spaced locations corresponding to the location of the openings  20  when the matrix sheet  18  is adhered to the backing sheet  16 , so that the printing is within an area of the backing sheet  16  defined by the inner perimeter  60  of each opening as shown in FIG. 2. The printing on the front face of the backing sheet  16  corresponds to and is preferably the same or very similar to that appearing on the upper surface of the cards  12 . By “similar” as used herein, it is to be understood that minor changes, additions or deletions from the indicia  36  on the upper surface of cards  12  may be made on the printing appearing on the front face of the backing sheet  16  but that the images substantially correspond to one another. For example, if four color printing is used to print indicia  36 A or  36 B on cards  12 A and  12 B, then the use of one or two color printing for the corresponding images  64 A and  64 B as shown in FIG. 2 would be “similar”.  
         [0022]    The form  10  hereof may be produced as separate sheets, provided as a plate having a plurality of sheets which may later be separated along lines of weakness, or as a continuous form separated by perforations and fan-folded or rolled as is well known in the art. The form may be provided in various sizes and have one or a plurality of cards  12  carried on the carrier sheet  14 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the form  10  may be bound along one side of the margin of the carrier sheet and thus incorporated into a publication  66  such as a magazine, catalog or directory. When so bound, the top side of the matrix sheet  18  is preferably opposed to a facing sheet  68  of synthetic resin, gloss or semi-gloss paper so that upon removal of a card  12 , any adhesive  40  remaining in the opening does not adhere sufficiently to the facing sheet  66  to cause tearing or defacing. In addition, the form  10  may be provided as a loose insert into the publication  66  without binding.  
         [0023]    In making the form  10  hereof, the matrix sheet stock  50  is provided and routed by various tensioning rollers and past printers, if desired, to a die cutting station  70 . There, the openings  20  are cut into the matrix sheet stock  50  and the resulting chads  58  are removed by pressurized air from an air jet station  72 , a vacuum  74 , or both as shown in FIG. 1. The backing sheet stock  38  is also provided and routed past various rollers for tensioning and feeding in proper registry and then the liner  42  is temporarily separated from the backing sheet  16  so that the latter may be routed to a first print station  76  where indicia  36  is printed and then past UV emitter  78  for curing of the ink applied thereon. The backing sheet  42  may again be mated to the liner  42  prior to delamination station  80  where the liner is separated again and then routed to a liner take-up station  82 . The backing sheet  16  is then routed to second print station  84  where it is mated to the matrix sheet stock  50  after die cutting and removal of the chads  58 , the backing sheet  16  being mated to the matrix sheet stock  50  in proper alignment and registry so that the image  64  is located in proper alignment and viewable through the openings  20  cut into the matrix sheet stock. Additional indicia is preferably printed at second print station  84  on the top side of the matrix sheet stock  52  and the back face of the backing sheet stock  38 . The card stock  32  may be printed online or in the example shown in FIG. 1, may be preprinted at a separate station. The card stock  32  is introduced to mate with the matrix sheet stock  50  at card die cut station  86  where the individual cards  12  are die cut and immediately tipped into inlaid positions within the openings  20 . The waste from the card stock  32  (the portion left after the cards  12  are die cut and tipped in) is then fed to a take up roll  88 . The joined cards  12 , matrix sheet stock  50  and backing sheet  16  may then be cut into individual forms  10  at sheeting station  90 , or alternatively may be perforated and fan folded, rolled, or cut into plates having a plurality of such forms  10 . The individual cards  12  may be removed in use, and where an indicia was displayed on the removed card  12 , a corresponding and similar image  64  is revealed in the opening  20  as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0024]    In the alternate process of making the form  10  referenced above, the card stock  32  may be pattern coated with adhesive  40  by, for example, spraying on the adhesive  40  to the bottom surface  30  of the card stock  32  in locations corresponding to where the individual cards  12  will be die cut at card die cut station  86 . In this instance, the backing sheet  16  is provided with a release coating which may receive printing thereon, and the use of the liner  42  is not required. The adhesive  40 , such as a repositionable adhesive, remains with the card  12  after removal. When cards  12  without a magnetic element  22  are used, the card  12  may nonetheless be applied and self supporting on a receiving surface in the same manner as when a magnetic element  22  is a part of the card  12  which is applied onto a ferromagnetic surface.  
         [0025]    Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is byway of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of printing the indicia  36  and the image  64 , the indicia and the image could be embossed, engraved by laser, or created by some other method. In addition, the card can be of paper, foil or other material as described above, and may be of opaque, translucent or transparent material.  
         [0026]    The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.