Multipurpose Mailer

Abstract

A letter sheet suitable for use as combined picture postcard, advertising form, reservation form, stationary and envelope. The letter sheet constitutes an envelope portion and a message portion separated by a narrow third portion. The envelope portion and the message portion are foldable into three segments along a pair of coextensive fold lines. The narrow third portion connects the said envelope portion and message portion in the area between said pair of coextensive fold lines and may be rectangular or trapazoidal. A flap is connected to the center segment of one of the envelope portions opposite the narrow third portion. Each of the outer of the segments of the envelope portion has an adhesive edge. The adhesive edge of one of said outer segments of the envelope is separated from said outer segment by a perforated tear strip. The outer segment has undercut edges making the outer third adaptable for being tucked under the opposite outer segment. The message portion is connected to said narrow third portion by a perforated line.

Description

Our invention relates to a combination of picture postcard, advertising form, reservation form, and stationery for use in the motel, hotel industry.

More particularly, our invention is to a single foldable sheet which is a combination of a picture postcard, advertising brochure, reservation form, stationery for placing in rooms and an envelope for mailing the above.

Many previous multipurpose mailers have the severe drawback that they require fasteners or staples of some sort in order to keep the folded items together. This drawback is obviated by the present invention.

In most hotel or motel rooms, stationery is placed in the rooms together with envelopes for mailing the same. Picture postcards are also placed in the motel rooms. The advertising brochure, which is found in the hotel or motel room, is usually not sent by the guests to his friends to illustrate the particular place, primarily because of the bulk involved and secondarily, because the guests do not normally think of such a procedure.

The present invention obviates this by providing in a single sheet a picture postcard, an advertising brochure, a reservation form, together with the stationery which a guest may send his friend or friends in an envelope for mailing the same.

The literature which is placed in hotel lobbies, train stations, railroad stations, bus stations, etc., and travel agencies, normally constitute merely an advertising brochure, the reservation form normally not being enclosed therewith nor an envelope for mailing the same back to the hotel. As a result, the guest may see a particular hotel or motel to which he may desire to go but while obtaining the stationery for mailing his reservation, may look at several of the other brochures and pick another hotel or motel. The present invention is an attempt to obviate the above-mentioned difficulties.

The combination or multipurpose mailer of the present invention can be used as a direct return mail reservation advertising piece. When used in conjunction with a separate rate schedule, which may vary according to the particular time of year, the mailer, when properly folded, according to its integral directions, serves as a combination picture postcard, advertising brochure, reservation piece and an envelope for mailing the same. The addressee is a prospect, while the reverse side is a full photograph or photographs of the business establishment. Obviously, this photograph or photographs may be in color. Upon receipt, the addressee may indicate his room reservation, include a check for deposit, remove the message or brochure portion for his information, and by properly folding and sealing the envelope portion of the mailer, returns his reservation and deposit in a completely sealed envelope.

A guest in a hotel or motel may use this envelope for similar purposes by using the space provided as stationery. The addressee of the hotel or motel may, upon examining the information in the brochure, sent in conjunction with the letter, may feel that he too should be a guest at the business establishment at which his friend or friends had stayed. It then becomes a simple matter for him to indicate his room reservation, etc.

The mailer may also be prefolded so that the return address is visible and handed out to guests as a brochure. Still further, the message or brochure portion or section can be separated completely and used separately.

As indicated above, the advertising brochure, may be placed in train stations, airports, travel agencies, and the like, making it very easy for the potential guest to make his room reservation, provide a check for deposit, maintain the advertising brochure portion for his information by properly folding and sealing the brochure.

The letter sheet constitutes an envelope portion and a message portion separated by a narrow third portion. The envelope portion and the message portion are foldable into three segments along a pair of coextensive fold lines. The narrow third portion connects the said envelope portion and message portion in the area between said pair of coextensive fold lines and may be rectangular or trapazoidal. A flap is connected to the center segment of one of the envelope portions opposite the narrow third portion. Each of the outer of the segment segments the envelope portion has an adhesive edge. The adhesive edge of one of said outer segments of the envelope is separated from said outer segment by a perforated tear strip. The outer segment has undercut edges making the outer third adaptable for being tucked under the opposite outer segment. The message portion is connected to said narrow third portion by a perforated line. The message portion may be divided into unequal segments, at least one outer segment thereof being longer than the central third segment thereof. Alternatively, a plurality of pages may be attached to the message portion at one edge or along the fold lines. In this last alternative, staples may be used, although not desirable for mailing.

While the multimailer of the present invention is specifically suitable for the needs of the hotel or motel industry, it can, with mere printing modifications, find use in other industries. For example, the room reservation form may become a request for further information on banquets, meetings and special occasions, thus making the mailer suitable in the restaurant industry. Similar modifications would make it usable in real estate, land development industries, etc.

For a better understanding of the invention and other objects thereof, reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a blank multipurpose mailer embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is the rear of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 to 5 show sequential steps in folding the mailer;

FIG. 6 constitutes a perspective view of the folded mailer;

FIG. 7 shows the manner of folding the return envelope portion prior to returning;

FIG. 8 shows a variation with an accordian pleat; and

FIG. 9 shows another variation containing a booklet.

Similar reference numerals are used throughout to indicate the same feature.

The blank in FIG. 1 consists of envelope portion 1 and message portion 2. These portions are interconnected by a narrow interlocking or connecting portion 3. Suitable arrangements of the portions 1 and 2 in conjunction with the narrow connecting portion 3 results in the proper folding of the envelope.

In envelope portion 1, space is provided at 4 for addressing the item to a prospect while 5 provides for the return address. At 6 is a typical postcard view. The dotted lines at 7 and 8 refer to a perforation suitable for tearing while 9 constitutes a sealing strip. The dotted lines at 10 also constitute perforations for tearing.

The three segments of 1 contain therein directions for use, room reservation forms, and room layouts for photographs of rooms on each of the separate segments, respectively. These may be in any order on the sheets. 11 constitutes a sealing strip, as does 12. At 13 and 14 are places for a letter and brochure material. This may be printed either in the horizontal or vertical direction. It is apparent that sections 13 and 14 may be readily exchanged.

The present invention is suitable for use as a standard personal letter, a business envelope or a jumbo envelope. The difference is primarily in size.

The mailer, after writing the letter on half of the section, that is 13 or 14, or fractions thereof as space is provided, is folded upwardly along lines 15 and 16 to provide the arrangement shown in FIG. 3. In the event the mailer is to be folded into a standard envelope, one proceeds as is seen in FIG. 4 and folds the sheet along fold line 17 to give the arrangement in FIG. 4. In the event one folds the mailer into a business size envelope, then the envelope portion 1 is made long enough to accommodate the entire tail produced by folding the sheet 2 along fold lines 15 and 16. The envelope is then folded along fold line 18 to present the view shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the flap 19 is tucked in the direction of the arrow and followed sequentially by flaps 4 and 5. This results in the completely folded mailer of FIG. 6.

The recipient, upon receiving the mailer, snaps it open by pulling perforated tab 20, between perforations 7 and 8. He then proceeds to open the mailer in reverse direction. If the recipient is desiring to send a return to the hotel or motel, he merely detaches the envelope along perforation 10 and folds the envelope portion as seen in FIG. 7. Narrow portions 3 and 21 are respectively turned in, in the direction of the arrows, followed by segment 4 from which perforated tab had been removed. Flap 8 is now placed upon the entire ensemble. The glued portion of portion 11 is used to seal the flap.

In FIG. 8 a variation of the invention is shown. The message portion 2 is elongated on one side. This elongated portion 22 may contain printed advertising material and is folded by an accordian pleat so that it can be folded as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. It should be noted that the third portion 3 has, in this Figure, a tapered or trapazoidal shape to simplify folding.

FIG. 9 shows a variation of the invention where additional pages 23 are added in booklet form. The pages, as illustrated, are stapled at one of the fold lines. However, they can also be stapled at one edge. The additional pages are suitable for brochure material to further illustrate the establishment.

Attention is invited to the undercutting the envelope portion. This is mailer 24 in FIG. 8 but also is seen in the other Figures. This undercutting makes it easy to see how in FIG. 7 the sheet is readily folded together. The undercutting has the advantage that precludes the bulkiness which would otherwise occur if the sheet were not undercut. It also makes it possible to use the sealing on both sides.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, there is an additional flap 25 to provide for the extra bulkiness, caused by extra pages. This flap, not shown in the other Figures, is not required when a relatively thin sheet is used.

Variations of the invention other than specifically described are possible. For instance, a plurality of accordian sheets may be used in conjunction with the arrangement of FIG. 9.

Claims

We claim:

1. A letter sheet constituting an envelope portion and a message portion separated by a separable narrow third portion, said envelope portion and said message portion being foldable into three segments along a pair of coextensive fold lines, said narrow third portion connecting the said envelope portion and message portion in the area between said pair of coextensive fold lines, a flap connected to the center segment of one of said envelope portions opposite said narrow third portion, each of the outer of said segments of said envelope portion having an adhesive edge, the adhesive edge of one of said outer segments being separated from the remainder of said one of said outer segments by a perforated tear strip, said outer segment having undercut edges making said outer segment adaptable for tucking under the opposite outer segment, the message portion being connected to said narrow third portion by a perforated line.

2. The letter sheet of claim 1, wherein the message portion is divided into unequal segments, at least one outer segment of said message portion is longer than the central third segment of said message portion.

3. The letter sheet of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pages are attached to said message portion at one edge.

4. The letter sheet of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pages are attached to said message portion at one of said fold lines.