# US 2014/0191023 A1 · Separable or opening portions for printable sheet material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191023 A1 - Document ID: US20140191023A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/208,010 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-28 - Inventors: Gary G. Emmott - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191023A1 ## CPC - B65D 27/34: Lines of weakness - B65D 27/06: with provisions for repeated re-use - Y10T 428/15: Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A printable sheet material includes a panel having an integral separable portion and a starting mechanism formed on the separable portion. At least one tearable line is formed in the panel permitting the separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of the panel. The tearable line includes a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts spaced along the line, each of the channeling cuts formed by a converging pair of cuts having a wider spaced end and a narrower spaced end. The channeling cuts are oriented with the wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism to point in a tearing direction extending away from the starting mechanism. A patch is affixed to the remaining portion solely by an adhesive attachment device on the remaining portion and the patch overlaps less than an entire facing surface of the separable portion wherein when the sheet material is formed into an envelope and the separable portion is at least partially separated from the remaining portion an opening is created between an edge of the patch and the separable portion for at least one of direct view of, access to, and extraction of contents within the envelope. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printable sheet material having an opening structure comprising: a panel having an integral separable portion; a starting mechanism formed on the separable portion; and at least one tearable line formed in the panel permitting the separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of the panel, the at least one tearable line including a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts spaced along the at least one tearable line, each of the channeling cuts formed by a converging pair of cuts having a wider spaced end and a narrower spaced end, the channeling cuts being oriented with the wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism to point in a tearing direction extending away from the starting mechanism. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the starting mechanism is adjacent a void area formed in the panel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet material according to claim 2 wherein the starting mechanism is shaped as one of a tab extending from the separable portion, a curved edge extending into the separable portion, a curved edge of the separable portion and a corner of the separable portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 including at least one of a straight cut, an angled cut, an arcuate cut and a hockey stick shaped cut formed in the panel between the starting mechanism and the channeling cuts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the separable portion is a tear strip extending between opposite edges of the panel, the at least one tearable line forming an edge of the tear strip and another tearable line of the open “V” channeling cuts spaced from and forming a parallel edge of the tear strip, all of the open “V” channeling cuts pointing in the tearing direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sheet material according to claim 5 wherein the tearable lines extend from one of the opposite edges of the panel to adjacent to and spaced from another one of the opposite edges. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The sheet material according to claim 5 wherein the tear strip is a first tear strip and the at least one tearable line and the another tearable line are a first pair of tearable lines, and including a second tear strip integral with the panel and extending between the opposite edges, a second pair of pair of open “V” channeling cut tearable lines forming parallel edges of the second tear strip, all of the open “V” channeling cuts of the second pair of tearable lines pointing in another tearing direction opposite the tearing direction of the first pair of tearable lines, and including another starting mechanism formed on the second tear strip. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sheet of material according to claim 7 wherein one of the tearable lines of the second pair of tearable lines is positioned between the tearable lines of the first set of tearable lines. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the separable portion has a generally rectangular shape that extends from the starting mechanism to a side flap of the panel, including another tearable line formed in the panel parallel to the at least one tearable line with a plurality of the open “V” channeling cuts being oriented with wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism, and including a plurality of cut lines formed as overlapping “hockey stick” shapes that extend from the starting mechanism to the tearable lines at angles relative to the tearable lines. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the separable portion is formed with a generally circular shape and is fully separable from the remaining portion of the panel, the at least one tearable line being arcuate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the separable portion has a generally rectangular shape and is fully separable from the remaining portion, the separable portion being surrounded by a line of channeling cuts, including the at least one tearable line, interrupted by the starting mechanism. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sheet material according to claim 11 wherein the separable portion is tilted with only a corner forming the starting mechanism and overlapping a portion of a rectangular area of an attachment device where there is no adhesive, the attachment device being adjacent a window formed in the remaining portion of the panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the at least one tearable line is curved. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 wherein no other cut lines are positioned between adjacent ones of the channeling cuts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The sheet material according to claim 1 including a patch material adhesively affixed to the panel with adhesive extending along opposite sides of the at least one tearable line to enable the separable portion when fully separated from the remaining portion of the panel to be removably or permanently affixed to one of the remaining portion of the panel and a separate object. ### Claim 16 A printable sheet material for forming an envelope having an opening structure comprising: a front panel having an integral separable portion; first and second tearable lines formed in said front panel, each said tearable line positioned at an associated edge of said separable portion; a tearing starting mechanism integrated between said tearable lines, said tearing starting mechanism and said tearable lines permitting said separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of said front panel; and a patch affixed to said front panel remaining portion solely by an adhesive attachment device on said front panel remaining portion and said patch overlapping less than an entire facing surface of said separable portion wherein when the sheet material is formed into an envelope and said separable portion is at least partially separated from said front panel remaining portion an opening is created between an edge of said patch and said separable portion for at least one of direct view of, access to, and extraction of contents within the envelope. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sheet material according to claim 16 wherein said separable portion is at least partially detachable along a third tearable line formed in said front panel and extending between said first and second tearable lines. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The sheet material according to claim 16 wherein said separable portion is positioned to enable removal of at least one of addressing information, address correction information, interoffice routing, postage evidencing methods, shipping, advertising and instructional information from said front panel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The sheet material according to claim 16 wherein a remaining separable portion of said separable portion remains attached to said front panel after a detachable portion of the said separable portion is removed, said remaining separable portion including an attachment device for resealing for reuse or subsequent re-access when the sheet material is formed into an envelope. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The sheet material according to claim 16 wherein when the sheet material is formed into an envelope and said separable portion is least partially separated from said remaining portion, graphics or information on said patch is displayed including at least one of return or reply graphics, instructions, addressing information, postage evidencing methods, indicia, postage labels, interoffice use, filing, and other information that is useful for forwarding, shipping, mailing, reuse, re-mailing, reshipping the said remaining portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The sheet material according to claim 16 wherein said first and second tearable lines each include a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts formed by converging pairs of cuts.