Abstract:
A multi-layer promotional product has a first film layer, patterned adhesive layer and a second layer fixedly attached to the first layer by the adhesive layer with a product carrying region defined therebetween. Prior to attaching the second layer, which could also carry the product, an intermediate layer with a release coating can be applied to the adhesive layer and removed prior to second layer being applied to the adhesive. A pull tab can be formed on the first or second layers to facilitate product removal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention pertains to product mailers. More particularly, the invention pertains to easily openable, substantially planar, multi-layer product mailers.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A variety of disk mailers are known. Known mailers have been formed of paper stock folded and glued to form a padded envelope with a disk receiving interior. Promotional mailers are also known.  
           [0003]    Known promotional mailers require folding and gluing a blank, perhaps while incorporating a disk and providing an access feature such as a tearable tab or closure.  
           [0004]    Some of the known mailers do not provide a view of the product they contain. One piece blanks can be pre-printed. However, they do not lend themselves to customer customizing and automated addressing as effectively as customer creatable roll or sheet stock intended to be integrated into a customer specific mailer.  
           [0005]    It is also known in the prior art to form a multi-layer mailer with a base carrier sheet coated with a silicon release layer. A transparent film cover sheet is coated with an adhesive layer. A transparent film patch is deposited on the adhesive layer to form an adhesive-free region bounded by adhesive. The composite cover sheet, adhesive layer and patch are adhered to the release layer of the base carrier.  
           [0006]    In subsequent processing, the composite is separated from the release layer and adhered to a product carrying base sheet without a release layer. The portion of the adhesive not covered by the patch adheres to the base sheet trapping the product between the patch, the base sheet and the bounding adhesive.  
           [0007]    In the above mailer, the patch represents both an expense and a manufacturing complication. In addition, the product is always viewed between three layers, film-adhesive-film.  
           [0008]    There continues to be a need for customizable mailers that display a product being delivered. Preferably such mailers would be cost effective to manufacture, easily openable by the ultimate recipient while at the same time effectively protecting the product during shipment.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    A multi-layer promotional product package provides product security, ease of access as well as customization opportunities for the product supplier. The package structure is suited to multi-stage processing.  
           [0010]    A product precursor has a first planar film layer, a layer of patterned adhesive, and a second, release layer. The patterned adhesive is sandwiched between the layers. The adhesive is deposited so as to bound an interior, adhesive-free region. The layers and the patterned adhesive define a bounded, adhesive free, internal region.  
           [0011]    Pluralities of product precursors can be formed as separate die cut sheets or as a continuous roll. Subsequent processing, which could be remote in both time and place, converts the pluralities of product precursors into deliverable product containing packages.  
           [0012]    In the deliverable product containing package, the release layer is replaced with a product carrying paper or film backing layer which permanently attaches to the adhesive. The first film layer, the adhesive and the backing layer together, form a closed, product carrying container. The adhesive is excluded from an interior, product carrying adhesive-free region.  
           [0013]    Representative products, without limitation include phone cards, booklets, scratch-off game cards, consumer product samples such as scratch and sniff cards, planar parts such as washers and the like as well as any other type of planar product which is to be delivered by a third party delivery service to an end user. The details of the product being delivered are not a limitation of the present invention.  
           [0014]    In a preferred embodiment, a mailer for a compact disk such as a CD or a CD-ROM, has a flexible film layer with a tear or zipper-type tab for opening same. A second planar layer, which could be a resin film or a paper sheet member, is permanently attached to the first layer by a patterned pressure sensitive adhesive layer.  
           [0015]    The patterned adhesive layer, located between the planar layers, defines, in part, an internal, adhesive free product receiving region. The adhesive free region can receive a disk.  
           [0016]    The first film layer can be formed of a clear or translucent film. Representative film layers include polyester, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride. The second layer can include delivery information.  
           [0017]    The adhesive can be pressure sensitive, heat sensitive or radiant energy sensitive. The planar layers can exhibit a square, rectangular or circular cross section.  
           [0018]    An ultimate recipient of the package is able to view the product through a single film layer. The patterned adhesive layer forms a bounding periphery for the product containing region.  
           [0019]    Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a multilayer pouch having a predetermined perimeter in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a section taken along plane  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an alternate configuration of a pouch in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 D illustrate steps in a process of manufacturing delivery pouches in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0024]    FIGS.  5 A-D illustrate respectively final processing and completed packaging in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawing and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 illustrates a top plan view of an initial configuration of a multilayer pouch  10 . The configuration  10  has a first or top layer  12  of a predetermined shape which could be formed of a clear or a translucent film. As illustrated, pouch  10  has an exemplary rectilinear shape with a height H and a width W.  
         [0027]    The film can be polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene or polyvinylchloride. Thickness of the top ply  12  can vary in a range from 1 mil to 6 mils without limitation.  
         [0028]    Pouch  10  includes a second or bottom ply  14  which can be formed of film, paper or the like without limitation. The thickness of appropriate film can be in a range of 0.5 mil to 2.0 mils. If paper, the bottom ply  14  can be in a range of 40 pound basis weight to 100 pound basis weight. The lower ply  14  is coated with a release layer  16 , such as silicon.  
         [0029]    A layer of patterned adhesive, indicated generally at  20 , is sandwiched between the top ply  12  and the bottom ply  14 . The adhesive can form a continuous periphery  20  illustrated in FIG. 1 or, if desired, can form a discontinuous periphery of a predetermined size and shape. The adhesive  20  bounds an adhesive free region indicated generally at  22  wherein a planar product, such as a compact disc, CD, can be placed for subsequent delivery.  
         [0030]    Those of skill in the art will understand that the adhesive pattern  20  can take on a variety of shapes without limitation. Similarly, the exterior peripheries of the top ply  12  and bottom ply  14  also can be formed in a variety of shapes all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Advantageously, however, all of these respective perimeters of the top and bottom plys  12 ,  14  in combination with the patterned adhesive  20  will produce an interior, substantially closed region for receipt of a selected product.  
         [0031]    The adhesive  20  can be pressure-sensitive adhesive, temperature responsive adhesive or radiant energy responsive adhesive of a type known to those of skill in the art which can be deposited in a predetermined form on either the top ply  12  or bottom ply  14  as the multilayer assemblage  10  is being manufactured. The exact nature of the adhesive is not a limitation of the present invention.  
         [0032]    The release layer  16  is provided so that the selected adhesive will not permanently bond to the bottom ply  14 . As discussed subsequently, bottom ply  14  will be removed and replaced in the process of manufacturing a completed product delivery container  10 ′.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 1 also illustrates a preformed zipper-type perforated strip  24  by which a recipient of a delivered container or mailer  10 ′ can conveniently open same without having to separate the layers  12 ,  14 . The recipient merely pulls on a free end  24   a  of strip  24  tearing same from first ply  12  and opening the internal region  22 . The delivered product can then be extracted from the adhesive free region.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of an alternate multilayer pouch  30 . Pouch  30  has a top ply, film layer  32 , a bottom ply  34  which carries a release layer, comparable to the release layer  16  and a layer of patterned adhesive indicated generally at  36 . The pouch  30  as illustrated in FIG. 3 is cylindrical with the patterned adhesive layer  36  forming an annular ring around an adhesive-free central region  38 .  
         [0035]    The multilayer pouch  30  also carries a perforated opening strip  40  with a pull tab  40   a  comparable to the perforated strip  24  and pull tab  24   a.    
         [0036]    While the pouch  10  has been illustrated as generally rectangular or polygonal and the assemblage  30  has been illustrated as cylindrical, it will be understood that other external peripheries, oval, elliptical, triangular and the like come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0037]    The pouches  10  or  30  are particularly advantageous in that they can be manufactured in roll or sheet form and then forwarded to a third party finisher who in turn combines the respective pouches  10  or  30  with a permanently attached label and a product contained in the adhesive-free region such as  22  or  38 .  
         [0038]    FIGS.  4 A-D illustrate a process of manufacturing multilayer pouches such as  10  or  30 . As illustrated in FIG. 4A, in an initial step  100 , sheet film  102 , usable for the first or upper ply  12  or  32  is extracted from a roll and fed into an adhesive pattern coater  104  in a step  106  illustrated in FIG. 4B.  
         [0039]    The pattern coater  104  is effective to apply a plurality of spaced apart adhesive patterns indicated generally at  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   n  on the film  102 . Each of the adhesive patterns, such as pattern  104   b , corresponds to a predetermined adhesive pattern such as adhesive pattern  20 , FIG. 1 or  36 , FIG. 3. While coater  104  has been illustrated applying pressure-sensitive adhesive to the film  102 , it will be understood that other types of adhesive, thermally activated as well as radiant energy activated, could be applied without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0040]    In a step  110 , illustrated in FIG. 4C, release liner  112 , corresponding to liner  14 , FIG. 1 or  34 , FIG. 3, in sheet form is drawn off a roll and laminated or nipped to the adhesive coated film  102  thereby forming a multilayer web  114  having a plurality of spaced apart adhesive-free regions, such as region  22  or  38 . The members of the plurality, in a step  116 , illustrated in FIG. 4D, can be die cut forming a finished multilayer product  118 , corresponding to the product  10  or  30  either in roll or sheet form.  
         [0041]    The product  118  can then be fed, in either roll or sheet form to a product carrier, for example a carrier with a plurality of compact disks, and can be hand-affixed thereto. Alternately, members of the plurality can be or automatically affixed by removing release liner, such as the liner  14  or  34  and combining the top ply  12  or  32  along with the patterned adhesive layer  20  or  36  with a carrier in either roll or sheet form. The carriers can be preprinted with a plurality of advertisements, delivery instructions such as mailing addresses or the like. In the process, the respective product such as a CD, can be inserted into the respective adhesive free regions such as  22  or  38  for subsequent access by the recipient of the package.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 5A illustrates processing steps for converting the package precursors  118 , illustrated in roll form, into final product carrying packages. The roll of product precursors,  118 , is split into a web of pouches  102  carrying patterned adhesive and a pealed off release liner  112 . The pouch/adhesive web  102  is fed into pouch dispensing apparatus  130 . The apparatus  130  laminates the web of pouches  102  onto a properly registered backing web  120  which is carrying a plurality of spaced apart products, such as product  120   a . The products, such as product  120   a , are enclosed in respective closed packages in mailer web  120   b . Web  120  can also carry advertising, or other informational text or diagrams. Web  120  can be a bonded or a cover weight paper.  
         [0043]    Web  118  can be preprocessed by printer or label applier  132 . Delivery information can be printed onto the web  118 . Alternately, preprinted labels can be applied to the web  118  in unit  132 .  
         [0044]    The web  120   b  can be fed through die cutting unit  134  to form a stack or plurality of separate, deliverable carriers  122 . FIGS.  5 B-D illustrate aspects of representative completed mailers such as the mailer  124   c.    
         [0045]    In mailer  124 , a transparent film cover  140  enables an ultimate recipient of the delivered carrier to directly view the enclosed product, such as product  142  which could a compact disk, phone card or any other type of planar product to be delivered. A backing sheet  144  closes the product carrying region  146  which is bounded by a peripheral adhesive layer  148 .  
         [0046]    A tear open tab, such as tab  24   a  and strip  24 , can be used to open cover  140  to enable a recipient to remove the product  142 . An alternate form of a tab can be formed on a corner of the cover  140 . A recipient can pull the cover  140  from the backing sheet  144  using the tab. Other opening mechanisms can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0047]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.