US3103307A

US3103307A - Mailer

Info

Publication number: US3103307A
Application number: US223111A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shapiro Martin David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-09-12
Filing date: 1962-09-12
Publication date: 1963-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1980-09-10

Description

Sept. 10, 1963 M. D. SHAPIRO MAILER Filed Sept. 12, 1962 F/GI I N VE NTOR MART/N D. SHAP/RO A7 7' OR/VE Y United States Patent O 3,103,307 MAILER Martin David Shapiro, 1138 Boxwood Road, Jenkintown, Pa. Filed Sept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,111.

. 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-74) The present invention relates to a mailer, and more particularly to a mailer including a mailing bag having attached thereto a mailing tag which can be folded into a box containing the mailing bag.

In the processing of photographic film it has become the practice to sell film processing either with the roll of film, or as a separate commodity. To permit the film user to mail the film to the film processor with the processing being prepaid, film processing is sold in the form of a mailer which includes a mailing bag having attached thereto a mailing tag with the processors address thereon. Thus, when the film user buys film processing along with the film, he receives a mailer. When the film is completely exposed and ready for processing, the user-merely secures the roll of film in the mailing bag and mails it to the processor. To facilitate the selling of the processing mailers, the mailer is usually placed in a small separate box. The box containing the mailer can then be attached to a box of film for sale of the processing with the film, or can be sold separately.

Since the processor must pay the cost of the mailer and its container, he is desirous of keeping the cost of this at a in order to keep his processing cost at a minimum. However, the processor still desires a small, compact container for the mailer in order to facilitate the sale of the processing. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a mailer which is relatively inexpensive, but which can be arranged in a small, compact package for ease of sale.

It is an object of the present novel mailer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel mailer including a mailing bag having a mailing tag attached thereto.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mailer including a mailing bag having a mailing tag attached thereto which can be folded into a small, compact package.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mailing bag having attached thereto a mailing tag which can be folded into a small, compact box containing the mailing bag.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a mailer which is relatively inexpensive, and which can he arranged into a small, compact self-contained package.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred, it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the mailer of the present, invention in its open, flattened condition.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the mailer in its condition for mailing.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the mailer of the present invention folded into its condition as a small, compact package.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the mailer invention to provide a 3',10 33 0'7 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 "ice of the present invention mounted on a package of photographic film.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, the mailer of the present invention is generally designated as 10. Mailer 10 comprises a mailing bag 12, and a mailing tag 14 attached to the mailing bag.

The mailing bag 12 is substantially rectangular when flattened, and may be made of cloth, plastic or other flexible material. The open end of the mailing bag 12 is folded back and secured to itself to form a loop -16. A draw string 18 extends through the loop 16 with the ends of the draw string extending \from open ends of the loop. The draw string 18 is'used to tightly close the open end of the mailing bag 12 when mailing film therein.

The mailing tag 14 comprises a rectangular strip of cardboard, stilf paper, plastic or the like relatively stiff but 'foldable material. The rectangular strip has five parallel, spaced fold lines 20*, 22, 24-, 26 and 28 extending th-ereacross. Fold line 28 is preferably a perforated line to permit ease of tearing thereal-ong. The fold line 2!) is relatively close to one end of the tag 14 to provide a bag mounting tab 30 across one end of the tag. The fold line 22 is spaced from the fold line 20 to provide a side panel 32. The fold line 24 is spaced from the fold line 22 a distance substantially the same as the distance between the fold line 20 and the end of the tag 14 toform.

an edge panel 34 of substantially the same size as the mounting tab 30. The spacing between the fold line 24 and the fold line 26 is equal to the spacing between-fold line 22 and fold line 20 to form a second side panel 36 of the same size as side panel 32. The

fold lines

26 and 28 are spaced apart a distance to form a second edge panel 38 of the same size as edge panel 34. The tag 14 is of a length so that the remaining space between the fold line 28 and the other end of the tag provides a cover side panel 40 of the same size as

side panels

32 and 36.

A pair of identical end closure strips 42 are integral with the end edges of the second side panel 36 along fold lines 44'. Fold lines 44 are preferably perforated lines to permit ease of tearing therealong. Each end closure strip 42 is provided with a fold line 46 which is parallel to and spaced from the fold line 44 to form an end closure panel 48 and a tuck-in panel 50. The end closure panels 48 extend along the entire end edge of the second side panel 36. The tuck-in panels 50 are tapered toward the free ends of theclosure strips '42.

A securing tab 52 is integral with the free end of cover side panel 40 along a fold line 54'. The fold line 22 is provided with a slit 56 therethrough of the same width as the securing tab 52.

The closed end of the mailing bag 12 extends across and is secured to the mounting tab 30 of the mailing tag 14. As shown in FIGURE 4, the mailing bag 12 is secured to the mounting tab 30 by a line of stitching 58. However, the mailing bag 12 may be secured to the mounting tab 30 by a cement, or by any other suitable means.

In the use of the mailer 10 of the present invention, the seller of photographic film and film processing receives the mailer 10 in its open, flat form as shown in FIGURE 1. In this form, a large number of the mailers 10 can be stored in stacked relation, and still take up only a minimum amount of space. When a mailer .10 is to be sold as film processing, the mailer 10 is folded into its compact package condition shown in FIGURE 3.

To form the mailer 10 into its package condition, the mounting tab 30 is folded along fold line 20, and the mailing bag 12 is placed across the mailing tag 14. The mailing tag 14 is then folded along

fold lines

22 and 24 to place the side panel 32 over the second side panel 36', and spaced therefrom by the edge panel 34. In this condition of the mailing tag 14-, the mounting tab 30 is over and extends along the fold line 26 to help support the side panel 32 spaced from the second side panel 36, see FIGURE 4. The mailing tag 14- is then folded along fold lines 26 and 28' so that edge panel 38 extends along the mounting tab 30, and cover side panel 40' extends across side panel 32 as s hown in FIGURE 4. To secure the mailer in its package condition, the securing tab 52 is inserted through the slit 56. Instead of the securing tab 52 and slit 56, the cover side panel 40 may be coated with a stripe of a pressure sensitive adhesive by which the cover side panel 40 can be secured to the side panel 32. The adhesive stripe can be covered with a protective strip of oiled paper or the like until it is needed.

As the mailing tag .14 is folded into its package condition, the mailing bag 12 is folded Within the mailing tag so as to be enclosed therein. To completely enclose the mailing bag 12 within the mailing tag package, the end closure strips 48 are each folded along fold lines 4-4 and 46. As shown in FIGURE 5, the tuck-in panels 50 are inserted between the side panel 32 and the cover side panel 40. This places the end closure panels 48 across the space between the side panel 32 and the second side panel 36 to completely close the tag package around the mailing bag 12.

In the folded package condition of the mailer 10 of the present invention, the mailer 10 is in the form of a self-contained small, compact package which can be easily sold to the user of photographic film as a mail-in processing for the film. If desired, the mailer 10 of the present invention can be easily mounted in piggy back relation on a package of photographic film for sale there-,

with. For this purpose, the tuck-in panels 50 are removed from between the side panel 32 and the cover side panel 40 and positioned in alignment with end closure panels 48 so that they project beyond cover side panel 40. As shown in FIGURE 6, the mailer 10' can then be placed on a photo-graphic film package 6d, shown in phantom in FIGURE 6. The tuck-in panels 50 can then be inserted betwen the side flaps of the film package 60 to secure the mailer 10 on the film package.

When the user of the film is ready to mail the exposed film to the processor, he opens the mailer 10 of the present invention to its fiat, open condition. The user places the film in the mailing bag 12, and tightly closes the open end of the mailing bag 12 by means of the draw string 18 as shown in FIGURE 2. Also as shown in FIGURE 2, the user removes the end closure strips 42 and the cover side panel 40 by tearing along

fold lines

44 and 28 respectively. The cover side panel 40 may have a number printed thereon corresponding with a number printed on the remaining portion of the mailing tag :14 so that the cover side panel 40 can act as a receipt. The remaining portion of the mailing tag 14 may have the prccessors address printed thereon, and a place for the user, to place his return address. After placing the proper postage on the mailing tag 14,-the mailer 10 can then be mailed to the processor.

Thus, there is provided by the present invention a mailer which can be easily stored in a minimum amount of space in its flat condition, yet can be folded into a small, compactpackage for sale as mail-in film processing. Since the mailer of the present invention can be folded into a self-contained package, it requires no additional boxes, and is therefore less expensive than previously used mailers. In addition, the mailer of the present invention can be easily stored in its folded package condition by the user of the photographic film, and can provide a receiptfor the film when it is mailed to the film processor.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mailer comprising a mailing bag and a substantially rectangular mailing tag secured at one end to the closed end of the mailing bag, said mailing tag having five fold lines extending thereacross, said fold lines dividing said mailing tag into a mounting tab at said one end of the tag to which the mailing bag is secured, a side panel next to said mounting tab, an edge panel next to said side panel, a second side panel next to said edge panel, a second edge panel next to said second side panel and a cover side panel next to said second edge panel and at the other end of the tag said side panels being of the same size and said edge panels being of the same size, said tag being foldable along said fold lines into a substantially rectangular package containing said mailing bag therein; a separate end closure strip secured to and extending across each end of the second side panel of the mailing ta said end closure strips being foldable to extend across the space between the ends of the side panels when the mailing tag is in its folded package condition; and means for releaseably securing the cover side panel across and to the first said side panel when the mailing tag is in its folded package condition.

2. A mailer in accordance with claim 1 including a fold line at the junction of each of the end closure strips and the second side panel, and a fold line across each end closure strip spaced from and parallel to said junction fold line, said fold lines dividing each of said end closure strips into an end closure panel next to said second side panel and a tuck-in panel at the end of the end closure strip, said end closure panels adapted to extend across the space between the ends of the side panels with the tuck-in panels being insertable between the first said side panel and the cover side panel when the mailing tag is in its folded package condition.

3. A mailer in accordance with claim 1 in Which the releasable securing means comprises a securing tab extending from the other end of the mailing tag, and a slit in the fold line between the first side panel and the first edge panel, said securing tab being insertable through said slit when the mailing tag is in its folded package condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,432 Simpson et 'al Oct, 19, 1915 2,224,455 Hoffmann Dec. 10, 1940 2,399,537 Belden Apr. 30, 1946 2,619,226 Adams Nov. 25, 1952 2,964,233 McFarland Dec. 13, 1960

Claims

1. A MAILER COMPRISING A MAILING BAG AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR MAILING TAG SECURED AT ONE END TO THE CLOSED END OF THE MAILING BAG, SAID MAILING TAG HAVING FIVE FOLD LINES EXTENDING THEREACROSS, SAID FOLD LINES DIVIDING SAID MAILING TAG INTO A MOUNTING TAB AT SAID ONE END OF THE TAG TO WHICH THE MAILING BAG IS SECURED, A SIDE PANEL NEXT TO SAID MOUNTING TAB, AN EDGE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SIDE PANEL, A SECOND SIDE PANEL NEXT TO SAID EDGE PANEL, A SECOND EDGE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SECOND SIDE PANEL AND A COVER SIDE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SECOND EDGE PANEL AND AT THE OTHER END OF THE TAG SAID SIDE PANELS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE AND SAID EDGE PANELS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE, SAID TAG BEING FOLDABLE ALONG SAID FOLD LINES INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PACKAGE CONTAINING SAID MAILING