Patent Publication Number: US-7213844-B2

Title: Envelope with integrated tracking labels

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an envelope with integrated tracking labels detachable from the envelope and providing proof of mailing and reception of the envelope and its contents. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     When shipping important articles in envelopes, such as passports, computer discs, and other such important material, it is necessary to provide proof of mailing and reception of such envelope. Usually this is done by providing envelopes with detachable forms that are filled out, signed by both sender and recipient, and often by the shipper. These forms are usually adhesively secured to the package and copies are detached at the point of expedition to the point of reception. A disadvantage of such forms is that they can be damaged during transport and they require a two-step assembly when making the envelope, namely, the envelope making assembly and the form attaching step. Also, many sheets of paper are required to produce such a form and it is costly. For examples of such mail tracking products, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,120,063 and 6,133,195. 
     There is therefore a need to provide an envelope which is easy to produce, and preferably from a single paper sheet, and which incorporates therein tracking material to identify the envelope and provide proof of forwarding and reception of such envelope and contents placed therein. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide an envelope with integrated tracking labels which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and which fulfill the required need. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide an envelope which is produced from a single sheet of reinforced paper stock material and which provides a detachable receipt tab as well as one or more tracking labels matching the tracking code printed on the envelope. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide an envelope for mailing important articles such as documents, passport, computer discs, etc. and wherein the envelope has reinforced edges and is provided with integrated tracking labels all formed from the envelope made of reinforced paper stock material. 
     According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides an envelope which comprises a front panel and a rear panel. An edge opening is provided for access to an interior of the envelope between the panels. Sender and receiver address labels are printed on an exterior face of at least one of the panels. A securing flap is formed in one of the panels and projects from a fold line adjacent the edge opening. A receipt tear panel is formed in a free end section of the securing flap and has a tracking number printed thereon. A glue strip extends longitudinally across an inner face of the securing flap. A release liner is removably retained over the glue strip. A tracking label having the tracking number is die-cut in the securing flap over the release liner. The release liner is die-cut to form a tracking label release liner section adhered to the glue strip about the tracking label whereby to retain the tracking label in the securing flap. The glue strip secures the securing flap to an edge section of the other of the panel when folded thereon on the fold line. The tracking number is also printed on one of the panels. The tracking label is removed from the tracking label release liner of the securing flap as proof of sending or reception of the envelope. 
     According to a further broad aspect of the present invention, there are two of these tracking labels die-cut in a securing flap and each retained therein by respective ones of tracking label release liner sections. 
     According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a tear tab strip formed by perforation lines in the securing flap adjacent the fold line for access to the interior of the envelope when sealed by the securing flap. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a single sheet of paper stock material in which the mail envelope of the present invention is die-cut and illustrating the construction of the inner surface of the securing flap; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmented perspective view illustrating the release liner being removed from the securing flap to expose a glue strip whilst leaving on the glue strip tracking label release liner sections; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of one of the panels over which the securing flap has been adhesively secured; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmented view of a corner section of the envelope showing the receipt tear panel being detached from the securing flap; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the other panel; 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmented view of a form or record keeping sheet showing the use of a tracking label which has been removed from the mail envelope of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a fragmented perspective view showing a manner in which a tracking label can be removed from the envelope. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown generally at  10  a mail envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention and formed from a sheet of reinforced paper stock material  11 . The stock material  11  is formed of two layers of paper  8  and  8 ′ with a layer of plastic film  9  in between. The form is die-cut to form a single sheet blank which defines a front panel  12  and a rear panel  13  interconnected to the front panel by a bottom edge fold line  14 . Opposed side edge flaps  15  and  15 ′ are integrally formed with one of the panels, herein the front panel  12  and is inwardly foldable over the interior face  12 ′ of the front panel along fold lines  16  and  16 ′. An adhesive  17  may be provided along an edge of an inner face  13 ′ of the rear panel to secure to the folded edge flaps  15  and  15 ′, respectively, whereby to form a reinforced envelope along the side edges. These reinforced edges prevent tearing of the envelope during shipment by shifting flat rigid articles placed in the envelope such as computer discs, important documents such as passports, etc. and wherein delivery and proof of reception is mandatory. 
     As hereinshown a securing flap  18  is formed integral with one of the panels, herein the front panel  12  and projects from a fold line  19  adjacent an edge opening formed by securing the rear panel to the front panel via the side edge flaps. Receipt tear panel  20  is formed in a free end section of the securing flap and detachable therefrom by a perforation line  21 . 
     With additional reference to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that a glue strip  22  extends longitudinally across an inner face  23  of the securing flap  18  with a release liner  24  removably retained over the glue strip. As hereinshown, a tear tab strip  25  is also provided across the securing flap  18  and formed by a pair of perforation lines  26  spaced adjacent the fold line  19  of the securing flap to provide access to the interior of the envelope when sealed by the securing flap. As also herein shown, the glue strip extends over the tear tab strip and the-perforation lines  26  extend through the release liner  24  whereby a section of the release liner will remain attached to the tear strip when removed. The tear strip  25  exceeds the edges  29  of the flap to be readily grasped by the fingers to open the envelope. The end projections  28  may also be colored for ease of location of the tear strip  25 . 
     With additional reference now to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the receipt tear panel  20  is provided with a tracking number or code  30  representative of the specific envelope  10  intended to be utilized. The receipt tear panel  20  also contains a telephone number  31  should the sender require information about the location of the envelope after mailing. The telephone number is that of the carrier company handling the delivery of the envelope. After the contents are placed in the envelope, the receipt tear panel is removed from the securing flap  18  and retained by the sender. One of the panels, herein the rear panel  13 , is also provided with printed matter  32  to permit the sender to write in his name and address information as well as the receiver name and information. A barcode  33  is also printed on one of the panels for quick identification by scanning equipment as is well known in the art. The tracking number  30  is also printed on one of the panels and matches the tracking number  30  on the receipt tear panel. 
     Once the contents are placed in the envelope, in order to seal the securing flap, it is necessary to remove the release liner  24  as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the release liner is removed, the glue strip  22  is exposed to seal the securing flap to one of the panels. As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the securing flap  18  is also provided with at least one, herein two, tracking labels  34  and  34 ′, each of which is also provided with the tracking number  30 . These tracking labels  34  and  34 ′ are die-cut in the securing flap over the release liner  24 . The release liner  24  is also die-cut at  35  to form a tracking label release liner  36  which is better illustrated in  FIG. 2  and which is also adhered to the glue strip  22  about the tracking labels  34  and  34 ′. These tracking label release liner sections  36  and  36 ′, shown in  FIG. 1 , retain their respective tracking labels  34  and  34 ′ in the securing flap  18 . There may be provided one or two or more of the tracking labels  34  and  34 ′ depending on the intended use of the envelope. In this particular application where there are two tracking labels, one of the labels is removed by the sender for his particular use for record keeping. These tracking labels have the adhesive  22  on the backside thereof and therefore can be stuck into record keeping ledgers, etc. The other tracking label may be retained by the transporter as proof of delivery and, as shown in  FIG. 6 , it is stuck also in a ledger book together with the signature  37  of the receiver person. The ledger book would also contain a date of delivery, such as indicated by reference numeral  38 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the front panel and as hereinshown, it only contains wording  39  indicative of the use of the envelope  10  such as prepaid express post delivery to identify the nature of the envelope to the transporter. 
     Detachable tracking labels  34  and  34 ′ are small narrow tracking labels formed integral with the securing flap and these may have other shapes. These tracking labels, as hereinshown, are formed with a rounded end  40  whereby to identify the grasping end for the removal of same from the securing flap. The rounded end also has a solid color  41  for easy identification. These labels are grasped from this end by inserting the fingernail under the rounded end and simply peeling it off. They can also be removed by applying a folding force by the fingers to form a fold  42  in the securing flap as shown in  FIG. 7  and extending across an end section of the tracking labels whereby an end section of the label becomes automatically detached from the tracking label release liner  36  or  36 ′. 
     It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment described herein provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.