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US 2002/0130169 A1Published application
Easy open envelope
OwnerDouglas K. Purcellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An envelope comprising a tear strip that functions as an efficient opening means for access to the envelope contents.
Claims6
An envelope comprising:
- a) a body formed from a front panel, said front panel having two opposing side edges, and a rear panel also having two opposing side edges;
- b) an overlapping seal flap, which is foldably connected to the front panel, having two side edges and further having an upper free edge thereof;
- c) side flaps, each side flap being formed as an extension of a side edge of the front panel;
- and
- d) a tape strip affixed in contiguous, unbroken fashion along one side edge of the front panel and along the corresponding side edge of the seal flap;
- wherein the cut edge of the tape strip at the upper free edge of the seal flap is contiguous with, and symmetrical in alignment to, said free edge of the seal flap;
- e) a perforated region along the length of the seal flap adjacent to the tape strip;
- and
- f) a perforated region in the lower region of the front panel, said perforation being disposed at an angle in relation to the lower end of the tape strip;
- wherein a rip tab is formed by the aligned free edges of the tape strip and seal flap and said perforated region along the length of the seal flap.
7 more elements
A method of making an envelope having an easy opening feature comprising:
- a) cutting a blank from a paper-based substrate;
- b) scoring the blank to form a front panel, rear panel, seal flap and side flaps;
- c) applying a gum adhesive at the inside outer edge of the seal flap;
- d) affixing a tape strip lengthwise along one side edge of the front panel and along the corresponding region of the seal flap, the upper free edge of said tape strip being longer in length than the total length of the front panel and seal flap, and extending beyond the free edge of the seal flap;
- e) trimming the corners of the seal flap, thereby removing excess substrate and tape strip, such that the upper free edge of the tape strip is contiguous with, and symmetrical in alignment to the free edge at the corresponding corner of the seal flap, said aligned free edges of the seal flap and tape strip forming a rip tab for opening the envelope;
- f) adhering the side flaps to the interior of the rear panel to form the envelope body.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.