U.S. patent application number 11/071476 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-07 for easily opened envelope.
Invention is credited to Jorge Parera.
Application Number | 20060196922 11/071476 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36943181 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060196922 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Parera; Jorge |
September 7, 2006 |
Easily opened envelope
Abstract
An easily opened envelope includes a cutting filament extending
across at least one interior edge of the envelope. A tear line that
terminates adjacent one end of the cutting filament is torn to
expose and thereby permit the user to grasp the thus-exposed end of
the cutting element. The edge of the envelope along which the
cutting filament extends is severed by pulling the cutting filament
along the edge, thereby to provide access to the interior of the
envelope.
Inventors: |
Parera; Jorge; (New Canaan,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARVIN N. GORDON
277 WEST END AVE
NEW YORK
NY
10023
US
|
Family ID: |
36943181 |
Appl. No.: |
11/071476 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/311 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 27/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/311 |
International
Class: |
B65D 27/38 20060101
B65D027/38 |
Claims
1. An en envelope comprising: a front panel and a rear panel each
having a lower edge, an upper edge and opposing side edges; an
overlapping closure flap foldably connected to the upper edge of
said rear panel at a fold line and having an adhesive provided
along its lower end portion; an elongated thin, relatively rigid
cutting filament secured at at least its opposite ends to the
interior of the envelope and extending along one of said upper or
side edges of one of said front and rear panels, and a diagonal
tear line that extends from one edge of one of said front and rear
panel or closure panel and terminating at its opposite end at a
location adjacent to one end of said cutting filament, whereby the
tearing of said tear line exposes said one end of said cutting
filament and thus enables an individual to grasp said one of said
cutting filament and to then move said cutting filament along said
one edge, thereby to sever said one edge and provide access to the
interior of the envelope.
2. The envelope of claim 1, in which said cutting filament extends
along and is secured at least at its ends to the upper edge of said
rear panel at said fold line.
3. The envelope of claim 1, further comprising a second diagonal
tear line having one end terminating adjacent the opposite end of
said cutting filament.
4. The envelope of claim 2, in which said cutting filament extends
along and is attached to said lower edge of said rear panel.
5. The envelope of claim 4, in which said cutting filament is
secured to and extends along a side edge of said rear panel.
6. The envelope of claim 5, in which said cutting filament extends
along at least one side edge and at least the upper or lower edge
of said rear panel.
7. The envelope of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of
spaced tiny holes disposed along said at least one edge.
8. The envelope of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of
spaced tiny holes disposed along said fold line.
9. The envelope of claim 1, in which said cutting filament is made
of a yarn, plastic or metal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to envelopes, and
more particularly to an envelope which can be easily opened.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Millions of envelopes are opened each day in homes and
offices in the United States and around the world. Typically, the
individual inserts his or her index finger or a letter opener under
the closure or seal flap which has been previously sealed by an
adhesive to the rear panel of the envelope. The index finger or
letter opener is then pivoted upward to pry open the seal flap,
thereby to allow access to the interior of the envelope and the
removal of its contents. It has long been recognized that this is
an awkward procedure, which often requires the tearing or cutting
of the seal flap or the body of the envelope. This in turn may
cause damage to the envelope's contents or injury to the
individual.
[0005] In recognition of these drawbacks in envelope designs, the
prior art is replete with proposed designs of envelopes that
purport to facilitate the opening of the envelopes. As described,
for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,716,150; 6,491,213; 5,791,566;
5,163,612; 4,470,511; and 4,166,539, envelopes have been provided
with tear strips, perforations or other self-opening means to
facilitate the opening of the envelope to facilitate access to the
contents of the envelope. The use of tear guides to provide easier,
more controlled access to the envelope's contents is disclosed, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,161,958, which discloses a cutting
element secured between the upper and lower edges of the inner rear
face of the envelope. Other envelope designs of interest are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,956,727 and 3,392,908.
[0006] These prior art designs are, however, relatively complicated
and thus relatively expensive to fabricate, and/or are still
difficult or inconvenient to use. There thus remains a need for an
envelope which can be economically manufactured and which can also
be easily opened without injury to the user or damage to the
contents of the envelope.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] To these ends, the envelope of the present invention
includes a cutting strip in the form of an elongated, thin cutting
filament that extends along a vertical or horizontal edge in the
envelope interior and is secured at least at its opposite ends to
the envelope at or near that edge. In one embodiment of the
invention herein described, the cutting filament extends along the
fold line defined at the intersection of the closure or seal flap
and the rear panel of the envelope. At least one perforated
diagonal tear line terminates at its lower end adjacent one end of
the cutting filament so that when the tear strip is torn open the
user can easily grasp an exposed end of the cutting filament and
then pull the cutting filament along and through the edge along
which it extends, thereby to easily and reliably sever that edge
and permit ready access to the interior of the envelope. In another
aspect of the inventions, a plurality of spaced tiny openings are
provided along the edge along which the cutting filament extends to
weaken it and thus facilitate its severance as the cutting strip is
passed through it.
[0008] To the accomplishment of the above and such further objects
as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to an
easily opened envelope, substantially as defined in the appended
claims as considered in conjunction with the following detailed
description of a preferred embodiment thereof along with the
accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an elevation of an envelope form from which an
envelope according to one embodiment of the present invention can
be made;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an elevation of an envelope of the present
invention made from the form of FIG. 1 when it is closed and
sealed;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an elevation of the envelope of FIG. 2 when it is
open and unsealed;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an elevation of the envelope of FIG. 2
illustrating an initial step in opening and unsealing the
envelope;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in
fabricating an envelope according to a second embodiment of the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an envelope made from the envelope form of FIG.
5;
[0015] FIG. 7 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in
fabricating an envelope according to a third embodiment of the
invention;
[0016] FIG. 8 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in
fabricating an envelope according to a fourth embodiment of the
invention; and
[0017] FIG. 9 is an elevation of an envelope form for fabricating
an envelope according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] As illustrated in an exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3,
made from the form illustrated in FIG. 1, the envelope of the
present invention generally designated 10 includes a body having,
as is conventional, a rear panel 12 and a front panel 14, each of
which has side edges and upper edges. Connected to the upper edge
16 of front panel 14 is a closure flap or seal flap 18, which
includes an adhesive along its lower part. The intersection of
closure flap 18 and rear panel 12 defines a fold line 20 at which
closure flap 18 is folded and sealed to front panel 14 to seal the
envelope and its contents, as shown in FIG. 2. Rear panel 12 may,
as conventional, include side adhesive flaps 22, 24, which in the
assembled envelope illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, are folded inwards
and secured by an adhesive to front panel 14.
[0019] In accordance with the present invention, a thin, elongated
cutting filament or strip 26 is secured at least at its opposite
ends by any suitable adhesive to rear panel 12 near or at the
location of the fold line 20, and extends, as shown in FIGS. 1 and
3, along substantially the entire length of the fold line. Cutting
filament 26 may be of any relatively rigid and sharp material such
as a thread made, for example, of a textile material or nylon; a
plastic filament or a metallic wire. A diagonal punched or
perforated tear line 28 is formed at each end of the closure flap
18. As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 3, tear lines 28 extend diagonally
from one side of closure flap 18 and terminate substantially at
fold line 20 at a location slightly inward or adjacent one end of
cutting filament 26. A plurality of spaced tiny perforations or
microholes 30 are preferably formed in closure flap 18 along the
fold line 20.
[0020] To open the envelope, the user lifts either the left or
right lower corner of closure flap 18, depending on whether the
user is right- or left-handed, to tear the closure flap along one
of the tear lines 28. This operation raises an upper corner 32 of
closure flap 18 (FIG. 4), thereby to expose an end of cutting
filament 26, as also shown in FIG. 4. The user then holds the
envelope in one hand, and with the thumb and forefinger of the
other hand grasps this free end of the cutting filament 26 and
pulls it first upwards and then toward the right, as viewed in FIG.
4, or to the left if the left-hand tear line were severed. As the
cutting filament 26 is pulled in the direction of the arrow 34 it
acts against the closure flap 18 along the fold line 20 to easily
cut through the closure flap, which is weakened, and thus more
easily severed from the body of the envelope as a result of the
provision of the microholes 30. In this manner, closure flap 18 is
easily and safely separated and removed from the envelope body,
thereby permitting ready access to the contents of the envelope, as
desired.
[0021] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5
and 6, in which elements corresponding to those of the first
embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 are identified by corresponding reference
numerals, the cutting filament 26a is secured and extends along a
lower fold line 36 defined at the intersection of the lower edge of
rear panel 12 and the upper edge of front panel 14. Perforated
diagonal tear lines 28a and 28c extend respectively from the lower
parts of the opposing side edges of rear panel 12 and terminate at
the lower fold line 36 inwardly of the opposing ends of cutting
filament 26a. Other diagonal tear lines 28b and 28d extend from the
upper parts of the opposing side edges of front panel 14 and also
terminate at the fold line 36 at the terminations of tear lines 28a
and 28c. As seen best in FIG. 6, the envelope may be opened by
tearing the bottom of the envelope 10a at one of the tear lines
28a-d to expose one end of the cutting filament 26a, which is then
pulled along the lower fold line 36 to sever it and provide access
to the interior of the envelope.
[0022] In the envelope 10b illustrated in FIG. 7, the cutting
filament 26b is secured to and extends along the inner left edge
(as viewed in FIG. 7) of rear panel 12. Diagonal tear lines 28e and
28g extend respectively from the upper and lower edges of rear
panel 12 and terminate adjacent the opposite ends of the cutting
filament 26b. Other diagonal tear lines 28f and 28h extend from the
upper and lower ends of side flap 22 and terminate adjacent the
opposing ends of the cutting filament 26b.
[0023] The envelope 10c illustrated in FIG. 8 is similar to that of
FIG. 7 except that the cutting filament 26c is secured to and
extends along the right edge of rear panel 12. Tear holes 28j and
28k respectively extend from the upper and lower edges of rear
panel 12 to the opposing ends of the cutting filament 26c. Diagonal
tear lines 28i and 281 extend respectively from the upper and lower
ends of side flap 24 to terminate adjacent the opposing ends of the
cutting filament 26c.
[0024] The envelope 10d illustrated in FIG. 9 includes four cutting
filaments 26d, 26e, 26f and 26g, respectively secured to and
extending along the opposing side and upper and lower edges of rear
panel 12. Diagonal tear lines 28m-28t extend respectively from the
outer edges of the closure flap 18 and front panel 14 and from the
upper and lower portions of the opposing side edges of rear panel
12; all terminate adjacent or inwards of one of the opposite ends
of their associated cutting filament 26d,26e,26f or 26g.
[0025] It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of a
presently preferred embodiments thereof that the present invention,
as described hereinabove, provides an envelope that is easily and
safely opened. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary
skill in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments
specifically described above without necessarily departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
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