U.S. patent application number 12/702696 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for mailpiece with personalized communication and return slip and related method utilizing wrapper system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Bowe Bell + Howell Company. Invention is credited to Gerard A. DeRome, Elizabeth L. Manning, Mark Van Gorp.
Application Number | 20110192892 12/702696 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43756048 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110192892 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Van Gorp; Mark ; et
al. |
August 11, 2011 |
MAILPIECE WITH PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATION AND RETURN SLIP AND
RELATED METHOD UTILIZING WRAPPER SYSTEM
Abstract
The present teachings relate to a mailpiece and method for
assembling a mailpiece using a document processing system such as a
wrapper system. The assembled mailpiece has outgoing and reply
envelope functionality. In the outgoing format, the mailpiece may
optionally contain advertisements, inserted documents, or
coupons.
Inventors: |
Van Gorp; Mark; (Cary,
NC) ; Manning; Elizabeth L.; (Raleigh, NC) ;
DeRome; Gerard A.; (Cary, NC) |
Assignee: |
Bowe Bell + Howell Company
|
Family ID: |
43756048 |
Appl. No.: |
12/702696 |
Filed: |
February 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/301 ;
229/314; 229/70; 29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0207 20130101;
B43M 5/04 20130101; B43M 3/04 20130101; G07B 2017/00491 20130101;
Y10T 29/49826 20150115; G06Q 30/0241 20130101; B65D 27/06 20130101;
G07B 17/00467 20130101; B42D 15/045 20130101; G06Q 30/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/301 ;
229/314; 29/428; 229/70 |
International
Class: |
B65D 27/06 20060101
B65D027/06; B65D 27/34 20060101 B65D027/34; B23P 17/04 20060101
B23P017/04; B65D 27/00 20060101 B65D027/00 |
Claims
1. A method of assembling a mailpiece having outgoing and reply
envelope functionality by way of a wrapper, the method comprising
steps of: printing information on both sides of a sheet of paper,
the printed sheet of paper including: a first address printed on
the first side of the sheet of paper, the first address associated
with the outgoing envelope, a personalized communication and
detachable return slip printed on the second side of the sheet of
paper, the personalized communication being associated with an
addressee identified in the first address and the width of the
detachable return slip is smaller than the width of the
personalized communication, and adding a reply envelope to be
wrapped within the sheet of paper; folding the sheet of paper along
a plurality of fold lines such that the first address is viewable
on an exterior of the folded sheet, and the personalized
communication and detachable return coupon are concealed in an
interior of the sheet facing the reply envelope; sealing the folded
paper along one of more adhesive portions positioned along one or
more side edges of the folded sheet; and cutting the folded sheet
from a continuous web of paper to form an assembled mailpiece.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming a
plurality of perforations on the folded sheet of paper by way of
perforation rollers.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: adding
one or more pages of assembled inserts prior to the folding
step.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing of the
personalized communication includes printing a billing statement,
advertisement or banking statement.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing of the
detachable return slip includes printing a change of address
request slip, a payment slip, an invoice slip, an advertisement
acceptance slip, or an acknowledgement of funds transfer slip.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing step is
performed by way of a duplex printer.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more
perforations are added to the sheet of paper prior to or after the
printing step.
8. A mailpiece having outgoing and reply envelope functionality to
be assembled by way of a wrapper, the mailpiece comprising: a reply
envelope to be inserted and wrapped within the mailpiece by way of
the wrapper; and a sheet of paper including printed material on
first and second sides of the sheet of paper, the sheet of paper
comprising: a first address printed on the first side of the sheet
of paper, the first address associated with the outgoing envelope,
a personalized communication and a detachable return slip printed
on the second side of the sheet of paper, wherein: the personalized
communication is associated with an addressee identified in the
first address, the detachable return slip is capable of being
inserted into the reply envelope in an unfolded state after
detachment from the sheet of paper and an adjacent stub, a
plurality of fold lines extending across a width of the sheet of
paper such that the sheet of paper is folded along the fold lines
by the wrapper and the reply envelope is wrapped therein, wherein
the first side of the sheet of paper forms an exterior of the
mailpiece, and at least one adhesive region positioned on at least
the second side of the sheet of paper sealing the mailpiece.
9. The mailpiece according to claim 8, wherein the reply envelope
is an addressed reply envelope having a second address different
from the first address.
10. The mailpiece according to claim 8, further comprising a
plurality of perforated lines for detaching the detachable return
slip and for opening the assembled mailpiece.
11. The mailpiece according to claim 10, wherein at least one of
the perforated lines for detaching the return slip extends
vertically from a top side of the return slip towards, but not all
the way to, a bottom edge of the sheet of paper.
12. The mailpiece according to claim 8, wherein the at least one
adhesive region comprises a plurality of glue strips extending
across the second side of the sheet of paper.
13. The mailpiece according to claim 8, further comprising one or
more pages of assembled inserts to be included inside the assembled
mailpiece.
14. The mailpiece according to claim 8, wherein the personalized
communication includes a billing statement, advertisement or
banking statement.
15. The mailpiece according to claim 8, wherein the detachable
return slip is selected from: a change of address request slip, a
payment slip, an invoice slip, an advertisement and acceptance
slip, or an acknowledgement of funds transfer slip.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application relates to copending application Ser. No.
12/642,539, filed on Dec. 18, 2009, entitled ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE
FOR USAGE AS AN INTEGRATED BIDIRECTIONAL MAILPIECE AND METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED BIDIRECTIONAL MAILPIECES, and copending
application Ser. No. 12/642,258, filed on Dec. 18, 2009, entitled
METHOD AND SYSTEM TO MANUFACTURE AN INTEGRATED RETURN MAIL PIECE ON
WRAPPING DOCUMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM, the disclosures of which are
entirely incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present subject matter relates to mailpieces printed on
document processing equipment that individually wraps each printed
form in a manner that produces a mailpiece that is an outbound
(i.e. going to a customer) envelope containing a reply envelope
(i.e. returned to a business) wrapped within the outgoing
mailpiece.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Current mail production operations have seen many changes
and trends over the past decade, including increases in costs,
shrinking margins, lower volumes, market consolidation, changing
postal regulations, and increased competition. What has remained
constant, however, is the need to produce communication pieces that
derive a desired response, and are produced with integrity and in a
highly automated and efficient manner.
[0004] The current systems that mailers use for creating the
majority of their work range from low-speed inserters with no
intelligence to high-speed finishing systems that are intelligent
and connected to some form of an automated document factory. The
systems used are typically determined by the application being
processed and the capital investment available for growth.
[0005] Existing inserting systems have many factors that determine
their overall speed and efficiency. Even high-end systems have
limitations that prevent them from realizing their maximum
potential. These limitations include: the number of supported input
channels; the speed at which materials are personalized and
assembled; and the number of stops from jams or other errors; the
rate at which inserts can be added. The lack of a continuous flow
of material through the inserter due to the requirement to have a
stationary envelope at the point where material is inserted into
the envelope is a factor in achieving high throughput and a low
rate of jam stops.
[0006] Current document processing approaches involve creating a
document, such as a statement, to be folded and inserted into a
pre-manufactured envelope. The envelope is frequently windowed to
allow the address printed on the document to be seen through the
window. This approach is favored for personal mail versus printing
the address after the mailpiece manufacture is completed. The
window approach is used to insure that the contents of the
mailpiece and address match. In addition, coupons and inserts are
separately printed and cut and matched with the document prior to
insertion into the windowed envelope. Frequently, a return mail
envelope is separately manufactured and inserted into the envelope
with the other material. This process and inserter system are very
complex with multiple feeders and cutters and numerous pieces of
material that need to be manufactured in separate processes and
loaded numerous times on to the inserter.
[0007] In addition to improving the document processing system,
there is frequently additional cost associated with material that
is included in the mailpiece. For example, the return envelope
needs to be a #10 in size since the slip/stub that is must be
returned is the full width of the statement.
[0008] Hence a need exists for a mail preparation process that uses
a prepared group of forms printed on a continuous paper roll which
is processed on a wrapping document processing system that
eliminates the separate steps mentioned above and allows for a
smaller integrated return slip that will fit in a reply envelope
that is smaller in size such as a #7 reply envelope.
SUMMARY
[0009] It is desirable to provide a method for assembling a
mailpiece having outgoing and reply envelope functionality by way
of a wrapper. The method includes printing information on both
sides of a sheet of paper. The printed sheet of paper includes a
first address printed on the first side of the sheet of paper
wherein the first address is associated with the outgoing envelope.
A personalized communication and a detachable return slip are
printed on the second side of the sheet of paper. The personalized
communication is associated with an addressee identified in the
first address. The return slip is capable of being inserted into
the reply envelope in an unfolded state. A reply envelope is added
and is to be wrapped within the sheet of paper. The paper is folded
along fold lines such that the first address is viewable on an
exterior of the folded sheet, and the personalized communication
and detachable return slip are concealed in an interior of the
folded sheet facing the reply envelope. The folded paper is sealed
along one of more adhesive portions positioned along one or more
side edges of the folded sheet. The folded sheet is cut from a
continuous web of paper to form the assembled mailpiece.
[0010] It is further desirable to provide a mailpiece having
outgoing and reply envelope functionality to be assembled by way of
a wrapper. The mailpiece comprises a reply envelope to be inserted
and wrapped within the mailpiece by way of the wrapper. The
mailpiece is further comprises of a sheet of paper including
printed material on first and second sides of the sheet of paper.
The sheet of paper includes a first address printed on the first
side of the sheet of paper wherein the first address is associated
with the outgoing envelope. A personalized communication and a
detachable return slip are printed on the second side of the sheet
of paper. The personalized communication is associated with an
addressee identified in the first address. The detachable return
slip is capable of being inserted into the reply envelope in an
unfolded state after detachment from the sheet of paper and an
adjacent stub. Fold lines extend across a width of the sheet of
paper such that the sheet of paper is folded along the fold lines
by the wrapper and the reply envelope is wrapped therein. The first
side of the sheet of paper forms an exterior of the mailpiece. At
least one adhesive region is positioned on at least the second side
of the sheet of paper sealing the mailpiece.
[0011] Additional objects, advantages and novel features will be
set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part
will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination
of the following and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by
production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages
of the present teachings may be realized and attained by practice
or use of the methodologies, instrumentalities and combinations
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in
accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by
way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to
the same or similar elements.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a wrapping document processing system
that can create a mailpiece from single page forms printed on a
paper roll and insert a reply envelope.
[0014] FIG. 1A is a representation of a wrapping document
processing system with emphasis on the wrapping mailpiece
preparation subsystem.
[0015] FIGS. 2A and 2B are an exemplary single page personalized
communication and return slip for the inside of the to be assembled
mailpiece and an outside of the to be assembled mailpiece,
respectively.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representative of the components of
the wrapping system needed to create a multi-functional
mailpiece.
[0017] FIG. 3A is a representative drawing of a hot glue
application system.
[0018] FIG. 3B is a representative drawing of a portion of a
wrapping system.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an exemplary process flow of the paper roll
creation and wrapping document processing system operational
steps.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a network or host computer platform, as
may typically be used to implement a server.
[0021] FIG. 6 depicts a computer with user interface elements, as
may be used to implement a personal computer or other type of work
station or terminal device.
[0022] FIG. 7 is an exemplary reply mailpiece showing the markings
required for business reply mail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] In the following detailed description, numerous specific
details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a
thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it
should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present
teachings may be practiced without such details. In other
instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and
circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without
detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the
present teachings.
[0024] The present teachings alleviate one or more of the above
noted problems by providing a process to provide an integrated
mailpiece using a document processing system such as a wrapping
document processing system. The manufactured mailpiece has outgoing
and reply envelope functionality and includes a personalized
communication and return slip. In the outgoing format, the
integrated mailpiece may optionally contain printed advertisements,
inserted documents, or coupons. Other documents may be added to the
mailpiece as inserts.
[0025] A plurality of forms containing the group of items listed
above are aggregated and printed on a paper roll. Some types of
glue strips and perforation tear or fold lines may be added to the
roll of paper before it enters the printer or immediately after
printing. The finished printed roll of paper is processed on a
wrapping document processing system that will add glue strips and
perforations as needed and wrap the prepared paper along fold lines
to form an integrated mailpiece with outbound and reply
functionality. The resulting strip of paper is cut to form the
individual outbound mailpieces. The outbound mailpiece may
optionally contain other documents which may be added as inserts in
addition to the reply envelope.
[0026] The present teachings provide an eco-friendly document
processing system that is dynamically capable of creating
personalized communications such as, but not limited to, bills and
statements, at significant savings over conventional mailpieces.
The present teachings enable the creation of mail documents in all
standard formats on a single machine, delivers significant
improvements in efficiency, and dramatically reduces paper costs
and usage.
[0027] In certain examples, the present teachings provide for a
document processing system using roll-fed paper material to create
an integrated mailpiece that replaces the traditional elements in a
statement or invoice and return slip that is sized to fit into a
small reply envelope. The reply envelope is inserted at the single
sheet wrapping and sealing phase.
[0028] Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated
in the accompanying drawings and discussed below. FIG. 1
illustrates a wrapping document processing system 100. As
illustrated, there are two major subsystems 101 and 102. The first
subsystem is the wrapping mailpiece preparation subsystem 101,
which forms mailpiece 170 from a single page form (FIGS. 2A, 2B),
that originates on a paper roll 140. The Bowe Bell+Howell
MAILStream Inveloper is an example of a machine that contains the
technology needed to configure the wrapping mailpiece preparation
subsystem 101 plus the insert feeders 136 and 135 of the document
and insert subsystem 102. The mailpiece is characterized by the
formation of an outbound mailpiece which is created from numerous
single page forms printed on a continuous roll of paper and
contains a large format personalized communication and return slip.
The mailpiece is not cut from the continuous web of paper 141
containing a stream of printed forms 95 until the mailpiece 170 is
completed/assembled.
[0029] The document and insert subsystem 102 is the second
subsystem. This subsystem contains at least one feeder 136 to feed
the reply envelope onto the paper web 141 as it is wrapped and
sealed in section 103. The remainder of the subsystem 102 is
optional to the formation of mailpiece 170. The subsystem 102 can
be readily integrated onto the wrapping mailpiece preparation
subsystem 101 with standard components, as understood by those
skilled in the art. The subsystems 101 and 102 may or may not be
under the control of one or more control processors 200, which
coordinates and controls the actions of one or more devices within
the subsystems 101 and 102.
[0030] The wrapping mailpiece preparation subsystem, referred to as
subsystem 101 hereinafter, is designed to take pre-print forms 95
on a paper roll 140 and prepare the roll of paper 140 to be formed
into a mailpiece. Details of the form are discussed below with
respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The continuous web of paper 141, from
the paper roll 140, is fed under the perforation and glue section
150 to an optional printer 145. Additional data can be printed on
the forms as the paper web passes through the printer 145. For
example, if form 95 did not contain any customer specific data,
then the customer's address maybe printed by the printer 145.
Mailpiece designers skilled in the art can add any required
additional printed data as desired with the printer 145 option. The
continuous web 141 proceeds to the perforation and glue section 150
where various glue types are applied and longitudinal perforations
are added as required. FIG. 3 provides additional detail for the
operation of the perforation and glue section 150. The continuous
web 141 is reoriented in direction by 90 degrees in the perforation
and glue section 150 and fed into the wrapping section 103 where
individual panels 92, 94 are wrapped along the fold lines 40 and
45, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
[0031] Following the wrapping step 103, which also seals any
pressure sensitive or contact glue strips, the outbound mailpiece
165, which is still a part of the continuous web 141, goes into a
set of perforation rollers 155 and then into a set of cutter
rollers 160 for cutting the out bound mailpiece 165 from the
wrapped (folded) continuous web 141a to form the finished mailpiece
170. The finished mailpieces 170 will be transferred to the output
section 175 where the finished mailpieces will be stacked and
grouped into mail trays, either automatically or with operator
assistance. The perforation rollers 155 and 156 (FIG. 3) can be
designed in numerous styles based on the positioning of the
perforation cutters. These variations make it possible to cut all
layers of the finished mailpiece 170, cut only select layers, and
limit the perforation cuts to only a partial section instead of the
full width as required for perforation 75 (FIGS. 2A and 2B).
[0032] The document and insert subsystem 102 is required if inserts
are desired to be part of the finished mailpiece 170. Documents are
either on a roll of paper 105 or in a fan folded stack of paper.
The documents are fed into a cutter 110 to make individual sheets
and then into an accumulator folder 115 to accumulate multiple
sheets that make up the document and then fold the sheets into a
form facter compatable with the space available in the wrapped
mailpiece. The Bowe Bell+Howell 310 High Speed Cutter and the 4911
Combined Accumulator/folder are representative of the technology
used for items 110 and 115, respectively. The assembled document
120 is placed on a collation track 125. The collation track 125
will advance the document 121 under an insert feeder 135 where an
insert will be added to form a collection material including
inserts and a document 122. If additional inserts are required,
additional feeders, similar to 135 are used to add inserts to the
collection of material to be wrapped into the out bound mailpiece
165. One of the feeders 136 will feed a reply envelope, such as
business reply envelope 700, onto the collation track. The business
reply envelope 700 for this example is a #7 envelope that measures
approximately 3.75 inches by 6.75 inches which is an ideal size for
a return slip 72 and an accompanying check if required. As shown in
FIG. 7, the business reply envelope 700 contains features 701
through 704 which can easily be added to the return envelope to
meet postal authority business reply standards. Feature 701 is a
machine readable indicator that this is a business reply mailpiece.
Feature 702 is an indication of business reply postage
requirements, feature 703 is a human readable indication that the
mailpiece is a business reply mailpiece along with an indication of
the class of delivery service requested and a permit number for
postage billing and 704 is the delivery point barcode corresponding
to the return address. Other formats of the return envelope can be
implemented by those skilled in the art, with the minimum version
containing only the return address 705.
[0033] The collation track 125 either moves the documents at the
same speed as the paper web 141 or synchronizes the speed of the
last group of inserts and document 123 so that the inserts and
document can be placed onto the correct area of the center panel 93
(FIG. 2A). The components and features of both the wrapping
mailpiece preparation subsystem 101 and the document and insert
subsystem 102 can be reconfigured, by those skilled in the art, to
support numerous mailpiece designs that are suitable for operation
on a wrapping document processing system 100.
[0034] In FIG. 1A, a representation of a wrapping document
processing system with emphasis on the wrapping mailpiece
preparation subsystem 101 is shown. The majority of FIG. 1A is
devoted to the wrapping mailpiece preparation subsystem 101 with
only the trailing edge of the collation track 125 shown for the
document and insert subsystem 102. The paper roll 140 is shown
installed on the support and unwind mechanism 104, with the paper
web 141 entering the perforation and glue system 150. The optional
printer is not shown, as well as the sub-components of the
peroration and glue system 150. A portion of the wrapping section
103 is visible next the perforation rollers 155 and the cutting
rollers 160. The output section is not shown but it is attached at
location 175.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B for an exemplary illustration
of form 95 that demonstrates many of the features that may be
included in the mailpiece. FIG. 2A shows the face-up side of the
form 80 as it comes off the paper roll 140 and as it transitions
into the wrapping section 103. The direction of travel through the
machine is indicated by directional arrow 5. FIG. 2B is the
face-down side of the form 90 as it comes off the paper roll 140
and as it transitions into the wrapping section 103. To correctly
visualize the face-down or backside of the form 90 as it is duplex
printed, rotate form 90 counterclockwise under the upward facing
form 80. As a result, the printed material 86 is directly
underneath the optional insert section of form 80. The form 80 is
divided into three panels 92, 93 and 94 which will be folded in the
wrapping section 103. Each panel can contain a variety of options
for the printed material. The example in FIGS. 2A and 2B is not
intended to be limiting in nature as other possibilities are
available depending the desired type of communication. The sample
form 95 is an example of a bank statement 84 and a change of
address slip 72 that are printed primarily on panels 92 and 93, but
overlap across the fold line 45 into panel 94. Perforation 35 is
produced either during the preparation of the printer ready roll of
paper 332 (FIG. 3) or is added by a perforation wheel in the
perforation and glue section 150.
[0036] Perforation 35 is needed to allow the customer to remove the
statement from the return slip 72. Perforation 75 is required to
allow for easy removal of the detachable and disposed of section 73
of the return slip 72. Perforation 75 does not extend to the edge
of the sheet of paper in order to prevent the perforation from
tearing during the wrapping operation 103. As a result, the
perforation stops 76 approximately 0.12 inches from the edge to the
paper web 141. The required length of the no perforation area 76 is
dependant on the wrapper 101 design. The removal of section 73 is
required for the return slip to fit in the small reply envelope in
an unfolded state. For the current example, the return slip is a
change of address form. The return slip 72 maybe a payment slip for
a payment statement of bill, an advertisement acceptance form,
acknowledgement of funds transfer, or numerous other slip forms
depending on the propose of the printed material in section 84.
Those skilled in the art will devise designs suitable to their
communication needs. Changes to the location of perforations 35 and
75 will change along with design changes. The bottom side of panel
92 is the customer address 87.
[0037] The bottom side of panel 93 contains printed information 86
which may include but is not limited to: instructions for opening
the mailpiece, making a payment with the payment slip, a method of
payment such as a check, a green message related to the reduced
amount of material required for the mailpiece or advertisements.
The printed information in sections 84, 85 and 86 can be used for
numerous purposes depending on the type of mailpiece being
generated, but non-limiting examples include statements,
advertisements, coupons, customer alerts, and instructions. Glue
strips are applied in the perforation and glue section 150. If
pressure glue is used, either glue strips 20, 22 or 33, 34 are
applied. Both strips 30 and 32 are not needed for pressure
sensitive glue. Other glue options are possible such as contact
glue which will only bind when the opposite glue strip comes in
contact. In this case, all six strips maybe applied. The business
reply envelope 700 is placed on the panel 93 before the wrapping
section 103 (FIG. 1). The glue is applied with a jet system or a
roller with a glue applicator. Those skilled in the art will adapt
existing application technology based on the application
requirements. The outbound mailpiece 170 is formed by first
wrapping panel 94 on top of panel 93 along fold line 45 to enclose
the return envelope and then wrapping panel 92 along fold line 40
to form the finished mailpiece. Following the wrapping section 103,
perforation rollers 155 are used to form the perforation lines 61
and 62 by cutting perforations through the closed mailpiece. The
outbound mailpiece 170 (FIG. 1) is cut from the continuous web 141a
with cutter rollers 160. Perforations 61 and 62 are required as
tear lines to remove the glue strips and open the mailpiece by the
customer.
[0038] FIG. 3 identifies an exemplary illustration of the component
parts needed to form a finished mailpiece 170. The processes as
identified maybe performed by separately run processes done at
different times or even by different companies. The process starts
with a blank paper roll 330. Perforations 35 maybe applied to the
blank roll of paper 330 with a perforation wheel system 340.
Depending on the production setup, the paper web from roll 330 may
be re-rolled 332 before being loaded onto the printer 333 or sent
directly into the printer 333. The printer 333 maybe duplex and
color or black and white as required for form 95 FIGS. 2A, 2B The
printer output is rerolled 140 for use by the wrapping document
processing system 100 or fed directly into the system 100. The
optional printing system 145 is not shown.
[0039] The subcomponents of the perforation and glue system 150
have numerous component types and features that are available and
configurable by those skilled in the art to perform the functions
dictated by the type of form to be processed. The functions of
system 150 illustrated in FIG. 3 are in reference to form 95 (FIGS.
2A, 2B). Perforation 75 is formed by perforation rollers 156 to the
paper web 141. Optional glue lines 30 and 32 are applied with
spraying system 345. These glue lines are often omitted since they
may interfere with the inclusion of the return/reply envelope 700
or inserts by the document and insert subsystem 102. A glue
applicator 340 applies the pressure sensitive glue strips 21, 22
and 33, 34. Spraying, wiping, and rolling glue onto the paper web
are common methods, but the application process is not limited to
these methods. The wrapping section 103 will accept the return
envelope 700 and inserts and fold panel 94 along fold line 45 onto
panel 93 and seal the pressure sensitive glue strips 21 and 22. The
next stage wraps panel 92 on top of panel 94 alone fold line 40 and
seals the glue strips 33 and 34. Crosswise perforations 61 and 62
are created by the perforation rollers 155 and then the outbound
mailpiece is cut from the continuous web 141a FIG. 1 with cutter
rollers 160 to form the finished mailpiece 170.
[0040] FIG. 3A is a representative glue application system 340 and
345 as shown in FIG. 3. The figure depicts an example of a melter 1
such as a ProBlue.RTM. melter make by Nordson Corporation. The
melter 1 liquefies solid form hot melt and maintains the hot melt
at the desired temperature. When the glue jets 2 are activated, the
melter pumps the liquefied hot melt through the hoses 3 and out the
jet nozzles, where it is applied to the upward facing side form 80.
The melt and pump solid form hot melt materials are engineered to
be liquefied and extruded at temperatures below 230 degrees
Celsius. The glue system is included in the perforation and glue
system 150.
[0041] FIG. 3B is a representative drawing of a wrapping system 103
which has an input of the continuous paper web 141 and outputs a
continuous paper web 141a that has been folded and sealed and is
ready to be cut into individual mailpieces 170 (FIG. 1). The
continuous paper web 141 enters the wrapping system 103 from below
the deck plate 245 after glue and crosswise perforation 75 have
been added. The fold line 45, which is between panels 93 and 94, is
formed by the creasing and twisting action created between roller
210 and guide member 205. The return/reply envelope 700 and
optional inserts (not shown) are inserted onto panel 93 by belt 230
and pulley 235 systems. A bottom belt (not shown) is used below
belt 230 to ensure that the inserts are moving at the same speed as
the continuous paper web 141. Guide fingers 240 are used to ensure
that the return envelope 700 and inserts are placed flat and
oriented correctly as they are placed on the continuous paper web
141. Similarly, fold line 40, which is between panels 92 and 93, is
formed by the creasing and twisting action created between roller
225 and guide member 220. The continuously moving paper web and
return envelope plus inserts that transition into a wrapping system
103 enable higher throughput (i.e. mailpieces manufactured per
hour) than can be achieved by conventional envelope inserters.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a process flow of the paper roll 140 creation and
the wrapping document processing system 100 operational steps. This
process will produce a mailpiece from a sheet of paper which is cut
from a continuous web 141 of paper after the mailpiece is created.
Steps S410 and S415 involve the creation of the printed material to
be processed on the wrapping document processing system 100. The
process starts with a blank paper roll of paper 330. If perforation
35 is required, a perforated blank roll of paper 332 may be desired
for the production process. Step S410 defines the duplex printing
of the top side of the paper, form 80 and the bottom side of the
paper with form 90 which are printed on the roll of paper 332. The
roll of paper 332 may have a longitudinal perforation 35, as
required by the applications being run on the wrapping document
processing system 100. The bottom side form 90 will have at least
the customer address and the return address. Step S415 defines the
additional printed material that may be added to the printed roll.
For the bottom side 90 printing may include, but is not limited to,
an advertisement 85, instructions for opening the mailpiece, a
green message 86, and a customer address 87. Other printed items
needed or desired to make a valid outbound mailpiece may be
added.
[0043] Steps S420 through S455 are performed by the wrapping
document processing system 100. The paper roll 140 is loaded onto
the wrapping machine 100 in step S420. The paper roll 140 contains
the duplex printed form 95, plus perforations and glue strips as
required by the application. The pressure sensitive glue strips 20,
22 and 33, 34 are applied in step S425. If required, glue strips
30, 32 are applied. If optional printing is used, this step is
performed between steps S420 and S425. In step S430, the crosswise
perforation 75 is applied. The wrapping and folding process is
performed on the continuous web 141 of paper forms in step S445.
For form 95 (FIG. 2), the first panel 94 is folded along fold line
45 and return/reply envelope 700 and optional inserts plus
documents 123 are added before the seal pressure sensitive glue
strips 20, 22 are sealed with panel 93. In Step S450, mailpiece 165
is formed by folding panel 92 along fold line 40 and then sealing
the glue strips 33 and 34.
[0044] In Step S455, perforations 61 and 62 are formed across the
mailpiece with perforation rollers 155 and the mailpiece is cut
from continuous paper web 141 with cutter rollers 160 to produce an
individual outbound mailpiece 170. The order of and processes
contained in individual steps may be changed by those skilled in
the art to accommodate different form structures and wrapping
document processing system configurations.
[0045] As shown by the above discussion, functions relating to the
preparation of the mailpiece may be implemented on one or more
computers operating as the control processor 200 connected for data
communication with the processing resources as shown in FIG. 1.
Although special purpose devices may be used, such devices also may
be implemented using one or more hardware platforms intended to
represent a general class of data processing device commonly used
to run "server" programming so as to implement the functions
discussed above, albeit with an appropriate network connection for
data communication.
[0046] As known in the data processing and communications arts, a
general-purpose computer typically comprises a central processor or
other processing device, an internal communication bus, various
types of memory or storage media (RAM, ROM, EEPROM, cache memory,
disk drives etc.) for code and data storage, and one or more
network interface cards or ports for communication purposes. The
software functionalities involve programming, including executable
code as well as associated stored data, e.g. files used for the
workflow templates for a number of production jobs as well as the
various files for tracking data accumulated during one or more
productions runs. The software code is executable by the
general-purpose computer that functions as the control processor
200 and/or the associated terminal device. In operation, the code
is stored within the general-purpose computer platform. At other
times, however, the software may be stored at other locations
and/or transported for loading into the appropriate general-purpose
computer system. Execution of such code by a processor of the
computer platform enables the platform to implement the methodology
for generating an integrated mailpiece, in essentially the manner
performed in the implementations discussed and illustrated
herein.
[0047] FIGS. 5 and 6 provide functional block diagram illustrations
of general purpose computer hardware platforms. FIG. 5 illustrates
a network or host computer platform, as may typically be used to
implement a server. FIG. 6 depicts a computer with user interface
elements, as may be used to implement a personal computer or other
type of work station or terminal device, although the computer of
FIG. 6 may also act as a server if appropriately programmed. It is
believed that those skilled in the art are familiar with the
structure, programming and general operation of such computer
equipment and, as a result, the drawings should be
self-explanatory.
[0048] For example, control processor 200 may be a PC based
implementation of a central control processing system like that of
FIG. 6, or may be implemented on a platform configured as a central
or host computer or server like that of FIG. 5. Such a system
typically contains a central processing unit (CPU), memories and an
interconnect bus. The CPU may contain a single microprocessor (e.g.
a Pentium microprocessor), or it may contain a plurality of
microprocessors for configuring the CPU as a multi-processor
system. The memories include a main memory, such as a dynamic
random access memory (DRAM) and cache, as well as a read only
memory, such as a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM or the like. The
system memories also include one or more mass storage devices such
as various disk drives, tape drives, etc.
[0049] In operation, the main memory stores at least portions of
instructions for execution by the CPU and data for processing in
accord with the executed instructions, for example, as uploaded
from mass storage. The mass storage may include one or more
magnetic disk or tape drives or optical disk drives, for storing
data and instructions for use by CPU. For example, at least one
mass storage system in the form of a disk drive or tape drive,
stores the operating system and various application software as
well as data. The mass storage within the computer system may also
include one or more drives for various portable media, such as a
floppy disk, a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), or an
integrated circuit non-volatile memory adapter (i.e. PC-MCIA
adapter) to input and output data and code to and from the computer
system.
[0050] The system also includes one or more input/output interfaces
for communications, shown by way of example as an interface for
data communications with one or more other processing systems.
Although not shown, one or more such interfaces may enable
communications via a network, e.g., to enable sending and receiving
instructions electronically. The physical communication links may
be optical, wired, or wireless.
[0051] The computer system may further include appropriate
input/output ports for interconnection with a display and a
keyboard serving as the respective user interface for the
processor/controller. For example, a printer control computer may
include a graphics subsystem to drive the output display. The
output display, for example, may include a cathode ray tube (CRT)
display, or a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other type of display
device. The input control devices for such an implementation of the
system would include the keyboard for inputting alphanumeric and
other key information. The input control devices for the system may
further include a cursor control device (not shown), such as a
mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, stylus, or cursor direction keys.
The links of the peripherals to the system may be wired connections
or use wireless communications.
[0052] The computer system runs a variety of applications programs
and stores data, enabling one or more interactions via the user
interface provided, and/or over a network to implement the desired
processing, in this case, including those for generating an
integrated mailpiece, as discussed above.
[0053] The components contained in the computer system are those
typically found in general purpose computer systems. Although
summarized in the discussion above mainly as a PC type
implementation, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
class of applicable computer systems also encompasses systems used
as host computers, servers, workstations, network terminals, and
the like. In fact, these components are intended to represent a
broad category of such computer components that are well known in
the art. The present examples are not limited to any one network or
computing infrastructure model--i.e., peer-to-peer, client server,
distributed, etc.
[0054] Hence aspects of the techniques discussed herein encompass
hardware and programmed equipment for controlling the relevant
document processing as well as software programming, for
controlling the relevant functions. A software or program product,
which may be referred to as a "program article of manufacture" may
take the form of code or executable instructions for causing a
computer or other programmable equipment to perform the relevant
data processing steps regarding the manufacturing of an integrated
mailpiece, where the code or instructions are carried by or
otherwise embodied in a medium readable by a computer or other
machine. Instructions or code for implementing such operations may
be in the form of computer instruction in any form (e.g., source
code, object code, interpreted code, etc.) stored in or carried by
any readable medium.
[0055] Such a program article or product therefore takes the form
of executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or
embodied in a type of machine readable medium. "Storage" type media
include any or all of the memory of the computers, processors or
the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various
semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like,
which may provide storage at any time for the software programming.
All or portions of the software may at times be communicated
through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks.
Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the
relevant software from one computer or processor into another, for
example, from a management server or host computer into the image
processor and comparator. Thus, another type of media that may bear
the software elements includes optical, electrical and
electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces
between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks
and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such
waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like,
also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used
herein, unless restricted to tangible "storage" media, terms such
as computer or machine "readable medium" refer to any medium that
participates in providing instructions to a processor for
execution.
[0056] Hence, a machine readable medium may take many forms,
including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier
wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage
media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any
of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like. Volatile
storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a
computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial
cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that
comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission
media can take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or
acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio
frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms
of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy
disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic
medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch
cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns
of holes, a RAM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory
chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or
instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or
any other medium from which a computer can read programming code
and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be
involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more
instructions to a processor for execution.
[0057] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be
the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various
modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter
disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples,
and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications,
only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by
the following claims to claim any and all applications,
modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the
present teachings.
* * * * *