Printed matter – Method
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2001-04-10
Wellington, Andrea L. (Department: 3722)
Printed matter
Method
C156S001000, C229S092800, C283S080000, C283S107000, C428S041800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213518
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a business form adapted for receiving variable printing of information on both sides of the form an subsequent attachment to a substrate. In one particular usage, it is more particularly concerned with a business form which may be used as a combination address label and packing list for use in shipping articles to a customer, and may include a return label portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of adhesive labels has become a growing segment of the business forms industry with the emergence of catalog sales and other home shopping vehicles. In addition to traditional wholesale shipments and delivery to commercial accounts, consumers increasingly elect to make purchases through telephone solicitations, through global computer networks, and catalogs. Shippers have thus looked for methods of increasing the efficiency of the shipping and handling process.
A variety of different labels have heretofore been developed for use in shipping products. These labels increasingly use ready to apply adhesives such as pressure sensitive adhesives, rather than adhesives which require wetting for activation, because of greater reliability of adhesion and ease of application. Such ready-to-use adhesives typically require the use of a coated liner to prevent premature adhesion, the liner being discarded as waste. However, with the increased need for security and efficiency in the shipping of packages, there has arisen a need for improved business forms which will minimize the number and size of the sheets in the form, while providing for selective adhesion to the underlying substrate and security in regard to the contents of the package, and also matches the shipping label and contents set forth on the packing list.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These needs have largely been met by the duplex carton label/packing list of the present invention. That is to say, the present invention provides a simple and economical business form which is easy to use, provides good adhesion to the underlying package or other substrate, limits waste, minimizes the number of sheets required in the form by performing multiple functions and provides good security by limiting the ability to view the packing list after application to the package. A portion of the liner sheet also functions as a packing list, thus limiting the number of plies necessary during manufacture and use. Moreover, the invention contemplates duplex printing of the liner in a single pass through a printer, so that both the addressee information and the packing list can be simultaneously printed on the form which is then ready to use. Lines of weakness and separation are provided in the face ply and release liner to permit access by the recipient to desired portions while the remainder stays affixed to the substrate. Adhesive is selectively applied in patterns between the face ply and the backing ply to provide good adhesion to the substrate without overextending into the areas serving as the packing list.
Broadly speaking, the present invention includes a face ply having a top face and an inner face and a release liner having a release face which is pattern coated with silicone release liner to provide both coated and uncoated regions, and a printable back face. Adhesive, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive, is applied in a pattern between the plies. Preferably, the patterning of adhesive and silicone release coating provides areas between the face ply and release liner which are free of both silicone coating and adhesive, and some areas which have adhesive only to provide permanent adherence between the plies. Lines of perforation or separation are preferably provided in the face ply to define a central portion which may be further divided by perforation lines for use as an address label, return label, or pull tabs, and a surrounding border portion for adhering to the substrate, as well as a tear strip for facilitating access to the central portion. The release liner may be provided with lines of perforation or separation to permit removal of the release liner in a surrounding border for adherence to the substrate, and a remaining packing label or list portion.
In preferred embodiments, the placement of the adhesive and silicone release can be varied to provide alternate configurations for the label. For example, in a first embodiment, the central label portion can be of double thickness by providing adhesive but not silicone release between the face ply and the release liner in the central label area. This yields a document suitable for filing and a more durable label which has greater tear resistance. In a second embodiment, the label portion may be divided by lines of perforation or severance so that a double thickness end tabs are provided, but single thickness address labels and return address labels are provided separate from a printable area on the release liner. It is desirable that one of the inner face and release face be printed with ink so as to cover and visibly screen the printing appearing on the printable back face of the liner to prevent viewing after application to the package without removal from the package.
The duplex carton label/packing list is easy to use. After preprinting each of the face ply and release liner as desired, applying the silicone liner and adhesive in the desired patterns, and making the appropriate perforation lines and lines of separation through perforation wheels or die cutting, for example, the forms, which are preferably provided as continuous webs separated into individual forms by transverse perforations, are ready for local use. The user inserts the form into an ordinary printer where no stylus is required. Most preferably, duplex printers for simultaneously printing both the back face and top face are used, although the form permits sequential printing of top face and back face. Thus, computerized information can quickly be printed giving both the recipient's address on the top face and the packing list on the back face. Either continuous feed or cut sheet versions can be used. The perimeter portion of the release liner is removed and the remainder of the form is then applied to the package, with the address visible on the top face. When the package arrives at the recipient, access is gained to the packing list by placing a finger under one edge at a designated location between the tear strip perforations and pulling on the tear strip. The central portion is then pulled free through die cuts on the release liner and perforations or other lines of weakness in the face ply, exposing the rear of the central portion as a packing list while the remainder of the form is adhered to the package.
As a result, high volumes of labels and packing lists can be generated as a single form, as a single pass through a high-capacity duplex printer can generate and print the necessary information. As no carbon paper or other transfer media is employed to reprint the image on different plys, no stylus is necessary and ink-jet, laser or thermal-transfer printers may be used. The form can be preprinted with the exception of the individualized information to save time. Application of the address label and packing list to the package simply requires removal of the protective portion of the release liner, preferably located around the perimeter of the central area, and application to the package. This avoids the possibility that the packing list and address label will be separated and misapplied to different substrates. Upon receipt, the user grasps the tear strip which separates from the backing to allow the central area to be torn free and exposing the back face of the central area bearing the printing showing the contents or other information to be revealed to the recipient. The label is also tamper evident, such that the recipient can readily see tears to the form if others have sought access to the information on the back face.
The principal benefits and uses of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skil
Carter Monica S.
Hovey Williams Timmons & Collins
Ward Kraft, Inc.
Wellington Andrea L.
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