Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
1
Ei~~'~L,OPE
~ackgroundl and ~'ierd of tl~e Inventioat
This invention relates to ar_ ant,°elope with a perforated line.
~velopes are used to contain separate ar4zcles such as letters for mailing.
Envelopes are
normally rectangular in shape having an ope~nin~ for inserting the article and
for sealing
thereafter.
r0 ~iowever when an envelope is sealed, it needs to be cut open with scissors
or a letter-opener
to create an openinJ for retrieving the. content. This causes irnconvenience
to the recipient
especially if no cutting instruzr~ent is immediately available. It is likely
that the recipient
will simply tear the envelope open harstzly to get the content out with. a
feelinb of
frustration, possibly daxnagin~; the content in the process.
Uver the years, a numoer ofiznprovements have been proposed to create ''easy-
open"
envelopes particularly to make them more user friendly, improved technical
desi~ and
more economical. Although these improvements are able to perform the intended
function, it increases the manufacturing costs of such envelopes si~ifieantly
so much so
that the mass public, government departments ar~.d paivate institutions
recognise their
usefulness but are reluctant to implement them due to its higl~i costs.
~'or example, there have been proposed envelopes which can be. opened
relatively easily
such as an envelope proposed in pat~t document US 6,22~,977.1"his envelope has
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
opening features that also ser~%e as tamper eviden; indicators. However, such
envelopes
axe costly to manufacture and require specialised :nachineiy. Further, an
patent document
U~ 8,457,638, an eriVelop° :.S dISCIOSed ~ulkich requires a separate
pull opener comg~rising
a pair of pull-tabs and a tearing filament. This increases tine cost of the
envelope since the
S puL.-tab adds to the cost of producing the envelope apart from *.he heavy
investanent oar
the machinery.
It is an object ofthe present inventian to provide an improved envelope vrhich
alleviates
at least one of the above disadvantages and to provide the p~xblic with a
useful choice.
I0
Summary of Inwentio~a
rn a first aspect of the invention, there a provided an envelope comprising a
flap attached
to an edge of the envelope movable between an open position and a sealed
position in
15 which in the sealed position the flap is folded on to the remainder of the
envelope, and
a perforated line formed on the envelope vvhereb~l, when the flap is in the
sealed position,
the perforated lire runs through the remainder of the envelope.
E1n advantage of the describe d embodiment of the invention is tha~~ it alloys
opening of
20 a sealed envelope in a proper and convenient manner since one's firagers
can simply be
used to tear along the line formed by the perforations readily °uithout
the need to use a
cutting instrument such as scissors or a letter opener. Further, having the
perforated line
running through the flap and the remainder of the envelope allows the line to
be visible
on bath sides of the envelope and thus a recipient is more li:~ely to how the
presence of
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
such a feature as cernpared uo other prior art envelopes in which tree pull
mechanism are
usually visible from one side- of the envelop.
Typically, the envelope is us~:d to contain separate articles to be mauled.
In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a
perforated
line on an envelope having a flap movable between an open and a sealed
position in
which in the sealed position, the flap is folded on to the remainder of the
envelope, the
method comprisinb the steps of; folding the flap to the sealeoi position, and
lo thereafrer forming a perforated line through the clap and the remainder of
the envelope.
~n a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a
perforated
line on. an envelope having a flap movable between an open and a sealed
position in
which in the sealed position, !he flap is folded an to the rerruainder of the
envelope, the
method comprising the step of; forming a perforated line on the envelope,
characterised
in that vc~hen the flap is in the sealed position, the perforated. line runs
throujh the flap
and the remainder of the envelope_
Ln a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an envel~pe co:mprising
a perforated
line formed on the surface parallel in proximity to the edge of tire envelope
preferably at
the shorter edge characterized by said line formed over the closed f((ap of
the envelop°.
The envelope as described. in the present invention. is user friendly to the
recipient since no
separate pull-tabs or strings are needed to open the envelope. 'a'his can be
useful for
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
4"
government deparxrtents and private institutions such as bays and insurance
companies etc. ih3t seek to p.ovide better service to the public and their
customers.
brief Descripti~n of the Dra~imgs
Yn order th.a. the present inv entron may be more readily understood, the
follo~ng descriptions are even by way of example, of a specific emhodiment of
an
envelope made in accordance to the present invention. FLefererce will he made
to the
accompanying drawings in which:
lo
Fig. l shows a front elevation view of an envelope in acGOr<iance with a
preferred
embodiment of the ~~resent invention.
~'ij. ? shovcrs a rear elevation view of the envelope of Fig. 1.
IS
~'zg. 3 illustrates ho~~ the envelope is being opened by tea~ino along a
perforated line.
Defeated Description of tlm preferred Ernbodicnent
lteferrin~ to Fig. l, it can be seen that the perforated line 1 is formed
parallel in
proximity to the shorter edge '? of an envelope IO from one edge 3 extending
to thz
opposite edge 4. It is preferred that the perforated line J, be situated riot
too far from tlse
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
said edge 2 so that tearing along the perforations can be done without being
obstructed by
tile content inside the envelope 10.
Fig. 2 shows ',he opposite side of tile envelope 10 shown in Fig. 1. It can be
seen that the
5 perforated line 1 corresponds with the perforatEd line 1 shown in Fig. I
since the
perforations are cut through lo the other side of the envelope; 10, 'The flap
5 is in a closed
fashion before the perforations are s°~mped over it so that the
'nvelope 10 can be opened
by tearin' along the perforated line 1 when the closed flap S is sealed. It
will be agparent that
a conventional. pe~foratior~ tool can be used to form the perfozate~l. line 1,
since the liras I is
to fornled after fozirLing the envelcspe 10 h-orxt a blank
F'ig. 3 illustrates the opeuin3 of the envelope 10 in use by tearing along the
perforated line 1.
This is done by gripping hold of ea.eta part ~ and 7 of the envelope 10 with
the perforated
line 1 in between and tearinJ progressively begiiuling froth one; end of the
line until both
t5 parts are completEly separated.
For mass production of the envelope 10 according to the preferred embodiment,
the
convention perforation tool car_ easily be adapted to an existing rnaclline at
the end of the
envelope making process. A.s and when, normal envelopes without the perforated
line 1 are
20 needed, the perforation tool can simply be removed. Thus, this makes it
very economical and
cost effective no produce the env elopes 1 O of the present invention. sire no
new machinery is
needed and thus no upfront im~estrnent_ Furdler, tl~ae costs ofthe ~erwexopd
10 would remain
competitive (possibly at tile same cost) to a conventional envelope without
the perforated line
1. It vcriil thus be appreciated that the envelope 10 of the present invention
achieves obj ectives
CA 02453933 2003-12-22
ofbLinb simple to open and ai the sair:e time, reduci:~~ the manufacturing
costs of produ~i~
such envelopes since there is r~o need to i!-wesl in expezisive ne":v
mmacc'n:nery, unlike the prior
art envelopes- It shall be understood that the perfora.~d line 1 can be
applied to all sizes and
types of envelopes. It is suggested that explanatory instruction be printed
beside the
perforated line 1 example "'To open, please tear aloa~,, perforated line."
Alternatively, a
simple instruction such as ''Upen here'' is printed beside or near the
perforated line 1
to draw tire recipien.t's attention to such a feature.
The described embodiment should not be constnzed as lirnitative. for example,
although it
1o is preferred to form the perforated line 1 after folding the flap j, it is
also envisaged that
with the flap 5 extended, a perforated line is formed sepatateLy on the flap 5
and the
envelope 10 such that when the flap .~ is folded, both perforated lines are
aligned and thus
still vans all the way through the envelope I0.
It wi.Il ofcourse be realised that ~.vhilst the above has been gzven by way of
a preferred
exarnpie of the invention, all such otl-~~er modifications and variations
thereto as would be
apparent to the persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within. the
faroad scope of the
Javention as claimed.
