Patent Publication Number: US-6713142-B1

Title: Sampling kit form

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/250,343 filed Nov. 30, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed generally to a business form and, more particularly to a form for use in collecting sample material, such as organic sample material, and forwarding it to a laboratory for analysis. 
     Analysis of the organic matter is often conducted at locations remote from the sampling site. By way of example, techniques used to track the lineage of purebred animals involve obtaining hair or blood samples from an animal, then mailing the samples to a laboratory for DNA analysis. In a conventional sampling approach, the sample is packed in a vial labelled with salient information about the sample. The vials, however, tended to be fragile and bulky, thus making them susceptible to being damaged in transit, thereby subjecting the samples to contamination. The advent of accurate DNA analysis on hair samples has made possible alternative methods of packaging and shipping such samples. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,298 (hereinafter the &#39;298 patent), issued to Clayton, teaches sampling kit forms for hair samples that alleviate the shortcomings of the conventional vial-based approach. The business form of the &#39;298 patent includes a sampling kit having a foldable sheet substrate with die cut openings and a transparent cover over the opening, and an adhesive area on the sheet adjacent the opening. A removable release liner covers the layer of adhesive, while a line of weakening located in the sheet extends through the adhesive area in the general direction of the opening. The material to be sampled may be adhered to the adhesive area after removal of the release liner so that the material extends over the opening. The sheet is then folded upon itself on the line of weakening and held folded in this position by the adhesive. 
     While the kit of the &#39;298 patent functions well, the varying thickness across the form width hampers its use in some printers. For example, when multiple forms are superimposed one on top of another for cut-sheet applications, such as those where individual forms are loaded into a cut-sheet printer tray or cartridge (as found on a conventional desktop printer), the greater thickness of the portions with adhesive and overlaid labels produces an uneven, or leaning, stack. This can limit the number of forms stackable into the printer cartridge, thereby reducing the effectiveness of an otherwise automated process. Similar difficulties exist for printers that accept continuous web sheets, such as Z-fold webs or continuous rolls, examples of which include impact dot matrix, train, band and daisy wheel printers, as well as non-impact continuous laser printers and thermal transfer printers. The increased volume and decreased symmetry also make handling and transporting large quantities of the forms more cumbersome. Additionally, the inclusion of transparent windows leads to relatively complex construction of the kit, increasing manufacturing costs. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a sampling kit form for collecting samples of organic matter in which the form may be simply manufactured, and in which the form may be printed with various types of printers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These needs are met by the sampling kit form of the present invention, which is directed to a kit for collecting sample material, such as organic sample material. The kit containing the organic sample material can be conveniently handled and conveyed to a laboratory for analysis. According to one aspect of the present invention, a sampling kit form for organic material is disclosed. The sampling kit form is made up of a sheet that can accept printed indicia on one or both of its surfaces. The sheet in turn is made up of a first ply, a second ply, an adhesive and a release coating. Both the adhesive and the release coating are disposed between the inner surfaces of the first and second plies. One or more fold lines are disposed between opposing edges of the sheet. The first ply is defined by a first ply outer surface, a first ply inner surface and a die cut defining a coplanar removable inset portion. The second ply is stackably coupled to the first ply such that corresponding edges of the first and second plies are substantially aligned. As used in conjunction with the present disclosure, the term “substantially” refers to an arrangement of elements or features that, while in theory would be expected to exhibit exact correspondence or behavior, may, in practice embody something slightly less than exact. The second ply is defined by outer and inner surfaces, the latter of which faces the first ply inner surface. Upon removal of the inset portion, at least a portion of the second ply inner surface is exposed to accept the organic material thereon. After adhesively placing the organic material on part of the exposed second ply inner surface, the sheet can be folded along the one or more fold lines to protect the organic material within. 
     Optionally, the sampling kit form may be adapted to be suitable as a mailer intermediate. In this arrangement, each ply preferably has perforation lines (such as lines of weakness) that define marginal tear strips disposed around the form&#39;s periphery. The sampling kit form may also include die cuts around at least a portion of the periphery of the first and second plies. These die cuts define liner pieces that can be removed to expose adhesive disposed underneath. Upon removal of these liner pieces, the form may be folded, then sealed with the exposed adhesive. Once the mailed form is delivered, the recipient may tear away the marginal tear strips at their respective perforations to open the mailer. 
     Moreover, the first and second plies, as well as the adhesive and the release coatings, are disposed relative to one another such that a stacking surface defined by the sheet is substantially free of undulation, thereby improving the resistance of a stack of sheets to leaning. This is especially beneficial when fed into a conventional cut-sheet desktop printer. The sampling kit form can further include a line of weakness disposed between opposing edges of the sheet such that a detachable postcard connected to the sheet along the line of weakness is removable. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a sampling kit form for organic material is disclosed. The sampling kit form is made from a substantially rectangular sheet with opposing planar surfaces. The sheet includes a first ply, a second ply coextensively laminated to the first ply with an adhesive, one or more fold lines each disposed between opposing edges of the sheet, and a detachable postcard connected to one edge of the sheet along a line of weakness in one or both plies. A removable inset portion is defined by a die cut in the first ply so that when the inset portion is removed, at least a portion of the adhesive on the second ply is exposed such that the adhesive coating portion facilitates adhesion of the organic sample. The outer surface of the first and second plies are configured to accept printed indicia. Preferably, the organic material is hair, such as human or animal hair, and is placed on the second ply inner surface such that the roots of the hair do not contact any of the adhesive, thus preventing. contaminants that may be present in the adhesive from tainting the hair sample. The placement of the adhesive and release coating, as well as the configuration of the two plies, promotes a substantially uniform thickness across a significant portion of the sheet. This avoids leaning problems when numerous sheets are stacked, such as when preparing the stack for printing or shipping. As used in the present context, the term “significant” implies that enough of the form surface is sufficiently undulation-free, even though there are discrete sections where slight thickness variations may be present (most notably in the region defined by the inset portion), to prevent leaning stacks. 
     Optionally, the second ply inner surface of the sampling kit further comprises a release coating portion disposed across at least one of the fold lines from the adhesive coating portion. This allows the hair placed onto the adhesive coating portion to be protectively sandwiched between the adhesive and the release coating when the sheet is folded along that fold line. Furthermore, the sheet is configured to be folded along additional fold lines such that it can be repeatedly folded and fit into a storage container that has at least one dimension smaller than that of the unfolded sheet. Preferably, the printed indicia that can be placed on the outer surfaces of the sheet is instructional information, such as how to operate the kit form, mailing instructions or the like. The second ply inner surface can further comprise additional release coating portions. The first ply inner surface can further comprise an adhesive coating portion in removable contact with one of the additional release coating portions of the second ply inner surface to facilitate removal of the inset portion. Preferably, at least a portion of the first and second plies are permanently bonded to one another to produce the sheet, and that this portion extends around substantially the entire periphery of the sheet, at or near the sheet edges so that the sheet edges will not fray or otherwise separate. As with the previous aspect of the invention wherein the form is adapted to be a mailer intermediate, marginal tear strips may extend beyond the permanently bonded periphery of the sheet. Within these marginal tear strips, the two plies can have die cuts that define removable liner pieces. These die cuts define liner pieces that can be removed to expose adhesive disposed underneath. Upon removal of these liner pieces, the mailer intermediate may be folded, then sealed using the exposed adhesive. Once the mailer is delivered, the recipient may tear away the marginal tear strips at their respective perforations to open the mailer. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a sampling kit form for hair samples is disclosed. The sampling kit form is made up of a substantially rectangular sheet defining opposing planar surfaces. The sheet includes one or more fold lines each disposed between opposing lateral edges of the sheet, a first ply, a second ply and a detachable postcard connected by a line of weakness, such as perforations in the sheet. The first ply is defined by a first ply outer surface, a first ply inner surface, and a die cut substantially circumscribing a removable inset portion. The inner surface of the first ply has a release coating portion. The second ply is coextensively laminated to the first ply, and is defined by an outer surface and an inner surface, the latter of which includes both an adhesive coating portion and a release coating portion disposed thereon. Upon removal of the inset portion from the die cut, the hair sample may be adhered to the adhesive coating on the second ply. The release coating portion of the second ply is situated across at least one of the laterally extending fold lines from the adhesive coating portion such that, upon adhesion of the hair onto the adhesive coating portion and subsequent folding of the sheet along the fold line, the hair is securely contained within the sheet between the adhesive coating portion and the release coating portion of the second ply. Both the first and second ply outer surfaces are configured to accept printed indicia, such as that from a conventional desktop printer. The first ply and the second are disposed relative to one another such that a significant portion of a stacking surface defined by the outer surface of the first ply is substantially free of undulation, thereby promoting lean-free stacking. 
     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of packaging an organic material sample is disclosed. The method includes configuring a sampling kit form to include a sheet that can accept printed indicia on at least one of its surfaces, removing an inset portion defined by a die cut from one of the plies making up the sheet to expose at least a portion of an adhesive that is situated between the sheet plies, placing an organic material sample on the exposed adhesive and folding the sheet along at least one fold line so that the sample is disposed between the adhesive and a release coating that is also situated between the sheet plies. The sheet includes a first ply with outer and inner surfaces and a die cut defining a removable inset portion, a second ply (also with outer and inner surfaces) stackably coupled to the first ply such that the corresponding edges of the two plies are substantially aligned and that the inner surfaces of the two plies face each other. Upon adhesive placement of the organic material on the second ply inner surface, the sheet can be folded along the fold line to protect the organic material within the folded sheet. 
     Optionally, the method includes the additional step of removing a detachably connected postcard from the sheet. In addition, instructional information can be printed on at least one of the sheet surfaces prior to removing the inset portion. Furthermore, a plurality of sheets can be stacked and placed in operative response to an automated printing device prior to removing the inset portion. The stack does not lean due to the relative lack of surface undulations and resultant generally planar stacking surface. Preferably, either a cut-sheet printer or a continuous-feed printer is used to perform the step of printing instructional information on the sheet. Examples of cut-sheet printers include desktop units, such as laser and ink-jet printers. Examples of continuous-feed printers include impact devices such as dot matrix, band, train and daisywheel printers, and non-impact devices such as laser or thermal transfer printers. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of making an organic material sampling kit form is disclosed. The form is made from a multi-ply sheet that includes a first ply, a second ply coupled to the first ply such that corresponding edges of the first and second plies are substantially aligned, an adhesive disposed between at least a portion of the inner surfaces of the first and second plies, and a release coating disposed between at least a portion of the first and second ply inner surfaces. At least a portion of the adhesive between the plies is to facilitate adhesive contact between the second ply inner surface and the organic material. The method includes forming a sheet such that opposing planar surfaces of the sheet exhibit substantial uniformity of thickness along at least one of the sheet&#39;s lateral or longitudinal dimensions to establish substantially undulation-free construction across that dimension, forming a die cut in the first ply to define a removable inset portion therein such that, upon removal of the inset portion, at least a portion of the second ply inner surface and adhesive is exposed to accept a sample of organic material, and placing one or more fold lines between opposing edges of the sheet such that, upon placement of the organic material on the adhesive, the sheet can be folded along the one or more fold lines to protect the organic material within the folded sheet. 
     Optionally, an additional step includes placing printed indicia on at least one surface of the sheet. Such printed indicia can be placed on the sheet surface(s) by a conventional automated printing device. In addition, a plurality of sheets can be placed into the printer tray to form a stack therein, where the uniformity of thickness of the sheets prevents the stack from leaning. Moreover, the printer tray can accept either a continuous roll of the sheets, or individually cut sheets. Moreover, the one or more fold lines in the sheets may be perforate. As with the previous aspects of the invention, the two plies making up the form can have die cuts that define removable liner pieces. Similarly, each ply can also have perforation lines that define tear strips such that the form can be used as a mailer. 
    
    
     Other advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of the drawings in conjunction with the detailed description of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B are edge-on views of an individual form and of a stack of forms, respectively, according to the prior art; 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are edge-on views of an individual form and of a stack of forms, respectively, according to one aspect of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sampling kit form of the present invention, showing the first ply; 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the sampling kit form of FIG. 3, showing the arrangements of coatings and bonds; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inner surface of the first ply of the sampling kit form of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inner surface of the second ply of the sampling kit form of FIG. 3; 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the manner of using sampling kit form of FIG. 3; 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 are plan views of the outer surfaces of first and second plies of a sampling kit form arranged to be folded in a Z-fold manner; and 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sampling kit form of FIGS. 9 and 10, showing a manner in which it may be folded in use. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring first to FIGS. 1A and 1B, edge-on views of the sampling kit form  1  of the prior art is shown. A substrate  2  extends laterally from a left edge  2   a  to a right edge  2   b , with a die-cut opening  2   c  disposed therein. A pinfeed margin  3  contains perforations so that, once fed through a printer tractor wheel (not shown), the pinfeed margin may be removed along longitudinal perforations. A series of labels  4 A,  4 B are stacked on top of substrate  2 , held in place in an adhesive area  5  by adhesive  6 . A transparent cover  7  is disposed over die-cut opening  2   c , held in place by adhesive  6 . Since the same number of layers do not extend substantially across the entire upper surface of form  1 , the thickness of the form  1  varies along its lateral dimension, as shown in the figure. The problem associated with the varying thickness of form  1  is made manifest in FIG. 1B, where numerous sheets are arranged in a stack  8 , such as would be encountered in a cut-sheet printer tray  9 . To provide high form throughput and user-defined printed indicia placed thereon, it is often desirable to have the surfaces of the form  1  be blank. In such circumstances, automated or semi-automated feeding of numerous sheets into a printer (not shown) is preferred, so that large quantities of printed forms can be produced with a minimum amount of user input. However, the stack  8  of forms  1 , being thicker on one side than the other, leans considerably. This leaning tendency limits the number of forms  1  that can be placed in tray  9 , thus necessitating additional user oversight. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, edge-on views of a sampling kit form according to an aspect of the present invention are shown. The form is a sheet  10  made up of a first ply  20  and a second ply  50 . First ply  20  has an outer surface  22  and an inner surface  29 , while second ply  50  includes an outer surface  52  and an inner surface  59 . The two plies are coextensively laminated together during manufacture. As used in the present context, the term “coextensively” refers to an alignment of two or more plies of sheet-like substrate such that respective top, bottom, and longitudinal edges substantially align. Layers of pressure sensitive adhesive  43  and release coating  46  are disposed on various portions over the surface of each ply in such a way to ensure that the thickness of each sheet  10  is substantially uniform throughout a significant portion of its entire surface. A relatively undulation-free stacking surface  15  is made possible in part by this coextension of the first and second plies  20  and  50 , respectively, as well as by the substantially uniform thickness of pressure sensitive adhesive  43  and release coating  46 . By necessity, the stacking surface  15  extends along the substantial entirety of the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the sheet  10 , rather than merely a fraction thereof, so that a stack of such sheets does not lean. Discrete segments within sheet  10  can be created such that they are free of adhesive  43 , release coating  46  or first ply  20  in order to define preferential form attributes, such as die cut  21  (discussed in more detail below), lift area (not presently shown) and unbonded ooze-free zone  32  around the form periphery. Additional discrete segments appear in the region (discussed in more detail below) where samples are to be placed. As shown with particularity in FIG. 2B, the sheets  10  can be placed in a stack  11  in a cut-sheet printer tray  9  without lean. This lack of side-to-side lean in the sheet  10  is also present in the longitudinal direction (not shown). This relative uniformity of the surface in both the longitudinal and lateral directions allows similar stacking results to be obtained when the forms are continuously fed from, for example, a Z-fold stack, which can be used in conjunction with a continuous-feed printer (not shown). 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, plan views of the generally rectangular sheet  10  are shown. The sheet  10  includes aligned top, bottom and first and second longitudinal edges  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 , respectively. First ply  20  is preferably a thin ply, such as densified kraft base paper liner that is super calendared to a thickness of approximately 2.5 mils. Such paper is available from Rhinelander Paper Company of Rhinelander, Wis. Die cut  21  is cut through first ply  20 , and circumscribes an inset portion  21 A that is adhesively coupled to second ply  50 . Inset portion  21 A can be removed along die cut  21  by grasping lift area  21 B. The outer surface  22  preferably includes instructional information  28  on how to use the kit, including information related to removing the inset portion  21 A, and where to adhere the sample (not presently shown). This instructional information  28  can either come preprinted prior to assembly of sheet  10 , or by means of either impact or non-impact printers (not shown). The instructional information  28  also indicates both a point of detachment of a postcard  27  along a line of weakness  23 , as well as a folding location along at least one of first, second, and third fold lines,  24 ,  25  and  26 , respectively. Preferably, the line of weakness  23  and the fold lines  24 ,  25  and  26  are defined by perforation lines that extend completely through both plies  20  and  50 . Additional instructional information  28  can include a preprinted address on the face of postcard  27 . As shown with particularity in FIG. 5, the first ply inner surface  29  includes patterns of uncoated portions  47 , pressure sensitive adhesive portions  43 A,  43 B and  43 C, and silicone release coating portions  46 A, and  46 B. Adhesive portions  43 A,  43 B and  43 C are all preferably the same pressure sensitive adhesive, and may be applied during manufacture from one printing plate, as can release coating portions  46 A and  46 B. 
     The second ply  50 , shown with particularity in FIG. 6, has an outer surface  52  and an inner surface  59  on the opposing side. Second ply  50  is preferably a paper of sufficient thickness to meet postal specifications for post cards when combined with the thickness of first ply  20 , yet thin enough for the combined plies to feed readily through a conventional laser printer. An acceptable material for the second ply  50  is a 32# ledger paper. Postal specifications require minimum overall postcard thickness to be 7.0 mils. These sheets may be either simplex printed or duplex printed. The outer surface  52  can include pre-printed indicia (not shown) similar to the pre-printed instructional information  28  on the outer surface  22  of first ply  20 . As with the first ply  20 , the second ply  50  can be either preprinted or blank, the latter to receive variable printing via impact or non-impact printers, with laser printers being most preferable. The inner surface  59  has uncoated portions  57 , first and second pressure sensitive adhesive portions  43 X and  43 Y, respectively, and first and second release coating portions  46 X and  46 Y, respectively. 
     Referring with particularity to FIG. 4, sheet  10  includes form portions that are permanently bonded together, portions that are releasably bonded together, and portions that are not bonded. For example, permanent bond portions  30 A and  30 B define a significant portion of the periphery, as does a minute unbonded strip portion  32 , the latter preferably located between the edge and the former to prevent the occurrence of potential adhesive spillover problems during lamination of the former. In the present context, a “permanent” bond is one between two adhesive layers, or an adhesive layer and a non-coated layer of paper such that an attempt to separate the joined layers will result in significant damage to either or both of the layers. In addition, first, second, and third releasable bond portions  34 A,  34 B and  34 C, respectively, define regions that are intended to be accessed more than once. Releasable bond portions  34 A and  34 C are formed with adhesive portion  43 X and  43 Y located on second ply inner surface  59  and release coating portions  46 A and  46 B, respectively, located on first ply inner surface  29 . Releasable bond portion  34 B is formed from transverse adhesive strip  43 A located on first ply inner surface  29  and second release coating portion  46 Y located on second ply inner surface  59 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, use of the sheet  10  is shown. Inset portion  21 A (not presently shown) is removed along die cut  21 . The organic sample  62 , preferably hair, is adhered to the first adhesive portion  43 X of second ply  50  (shown partially exposed through die cut  21 ). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the various aspects of the present invention have tacitly incorporated animal hair as the genetic material, the scope of the invention is not so limited. For example, the present inventors have discovered that the present invention could be used with equal efficacy on human hair and related materials. Preferably, but not essentially, the roots of the hair in the sample  62  are placed outside the area defined by die cut  21  (yet still within the edges defined by sheet  10 ) to avoid contamination by the pressure sensitive adhesive  43 X,  43 Y present on portions of the inner surface  59  of second ply  50 . The post card  27 , which preferably includes a waiver or related information on the back (not shown), is removed along weakness  23  and signed, after which it can be mailed to an appropriate registration association identified on the front surface thereof. Once the post card  27  is detached, the upper portion of the sheet  10  may be folded first along fold line  24  so that first release coating portion  46 X contacts first adhesive portion  43 X and samples  62 , while second release coating portion  46 Y contacts second adhesive portion  43 Y. Sheet  10  can then be folded along fold lines  25  and  26  to further encase sample  62 . The now substantially V-shaped folded sheet  10 , minus the post card  27 , is then slipped into a plastic storage sleeve  70  similar to those commonly used in storing 35 mm film negatives. The folded portion stored in the plastic sleeve  70  creates a permanent record containing genetic materials unique to the particular sample. Due to the adhesive and release coating alignment of the two plies  20  and  50 , the sheet  10  can be opened and closed as desired. The folded sheet  10  can then be inserted into a pre-addressed envelope (not shown) and mailed to a testing facility for subsequent analysis of sample  62 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9-11, while sheet  10  is preferably a cut sheet product, designed for use in cut sheet printers such as laser printers and ink jet printers, an alternative can include a series of such sheets connected in a continuous web, such as those used in a Z-fold configuration. In either cut sheet or Z-fold configuration, the sample kit form of the present invention is of substantially uniform thickness throughout, as there are no areas of a thickness in excess of that provided by the two plies and accompanying adhesive and release coat layers, nor does it include layers that would present edges that could become caught on paper transporting components. Consequently, the sample kit form can be printed using any of a variety of conventional printers, including laser printers and ink jet printers, whether cut-sheet or continuous. The present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in all respects except that it is intended to be used as a Z-fold mailer intermediate in which the post card  127  portion of the sheet  110  remains attached throughout its use as a mailer. To secure the sampling kit sheet  110  in a Z-fold mailer configuration, as illustrated with particularity in FIG. 11, adhesive strip  183 A is provided on the lower outer surface of the second ply  150 , shown in FIG. 10, while adhesive strip  183 B is provided on the upper outer surface of the first ply  120 , shown in FIG.  9 . In addition, U-shaped die cuts  122 A in second ply  150  (shown in FIG. 10) and  122 B in first ply  120  (shown in FIG. 9) cover the adhesive strips  183 A,  183 B during the printing operation and during the collection of the genetic sample (not shown). As with the previous embodiments, die cut  121  of the first ply  120  defines an inset portion  121 A that covers adhesive and release coating portions (not presently shown). Die cuts  122 A and  122 B define removable liner pieces  193 A and  193 B that can be peeled off to expose adhesive strips  183 A and  183 B. When the sampling kit sheet  110  is to be folded into a Z-fold configuration as shown in FIG. 11, the removable liner pieces  193 A and  193 B, which carry silicone release coatings to facilitate their separation, are removed from their respective plies  150  and  120 , exposing the adhesive strips  183 A,  183 B. The sampling kit sheet  110  of FIGS. 9-11 includes additional perforation lines, all of which are generally designated  123 . These perforation lines  123  collectively define marginal tear strips  133  that extend around most or all of the periphery of sheet  110 . When the sampling kit sheet  110  is received by an analyzing laboratory, it is opened by tearing along perforation lines  123  and removing all of the tear strips  133 . 
     Having described the invention in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.