Duplex carton label/packing list

Abstract

A business form is provided which is particularly useful in shipping products where certain preprinted information can be provided and then individualized information is printed before the form is applied to a substrate. The form includes a face ply which has a pattern of adhesive applied to at least a portion of the inner face, and a release liner which includes a pattern of adhesive which exposes a portion of the release liner to direct adhesive contact to the face ply without intervening release coating to permanently adhere a part of the release liner to the face ply. The release liner has a surrounding protective border provided with release coating on the release face thereof and which is removed prior to application to the substrate, and a slip which remains with the form as applied to the substrate. The face ply includes lines of perforation defining a central portion. At least a part of the central portion is directly adhered by the adhesive to the slip without intervening release coating between the adhesive and the slip or the central portion. Individualized indicia, such as an address, may be printed on a label area of the top face of the central portion, while other individualized indicia, such as the content of a package, may be printed on the back face of the slip. Masking indicia is preferably provided on one of the inner face of the top ply or the release face of the release liner to inhibit viewing of the content indicia until the slip is removed from the package.

Description

54 34 is strategically applied in a pattern between the face ply and the release liner. Preferably, the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive, and is applied in a border pattern 86 on the inner face 28 of the face ply 22 beneath the border portion 66, but preferably recessed about 1 mm outwardly from the perforation lines 74, 80, 82 and 84 to resist adhesive migration and undesired attachment between the face ply 22 and the release liner 24. The border adhesive pattern 86 is not continuous in that part of the border portion 66 on the inner face 28 which is between tear strip perforation lines 74 and 76 except for a patch 88 of adhesive shown in FIG. 5 to facilitate access to the tear strip 78 by the user but inhibit premature separation of the face ply 22 from the release liner 24. A second, label adhesive pattern 90 is applied to the inner face of face ply 22 spaced interiorly of the perforation lines 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84 to provide an adhesive free ring 92. A packing slip 94 is provided by a die-cut line of separation 96 in the release liner. The adhesive-free ring preferably extends from about 1 mm outwardly of perforation lines 78, 76, 80, 82 and 84 to about 1 mm inside the line of separation 96, thus not only avoiding adhesive build up on cutting members during manufacture but also aiding in separation of the label and packing slip from the remainder of the form 20. The adhesive 34 may be applied within adhesive patterns 86 and 90 in a continuous coating or as an intermittent coating to vary the amount of adhesion desired.

Silicone release coating 36 is applied over the release face 30 of the release liner in a release pattern 98. The release pattern 98 preferably overlies the protective border 100 of the release liner 24 and extends slightly inboard of the line of separation 96. However, at least a part of the release face 30 interiorly within the line of separation 96 is not included in the release pattern 98, whereby direct adhesive connection is provided between the face ply 22 and the release liner 24 without any release coating therebetween. Preferably, this release-liner free area 102 is recessed about 1 mm interiorly of the circumscribing line of separation so that release coating is provided on the protective border 100 and across the line of separation 96. As a result, the central portion 62 providing an address label of the face ply 22 is securely and substantially permanently bonded to the packing slip 94 in a two ply construction, with the remainder of the face ply 22 and release liner 24 outboard therefrom separable because any adhesive 34 on the face ply 22 contacts the release coating 36 and does not directly contact the release liner 24.

Preferably, the preprinted indicia 68 includes a printed masking area 104 printed on the inner face 28, or alternatively on the release face 30. The indicia printed on form 20 to provide the masking area 104 is most preferably provided by ink or other visible coating which minimizes the transparency and translucency of the area to which it is printed. The printed indicia in the masking area 104 may be either continuous printing, as shown, or masking indicia as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,048 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) as masking printing 31 or masking indicia 48, and preferably covers more than 50% of the surface area within the line of separation 96. That is to say, the actual ink coating is applied in a pattern or continuous coverage in the masking area effectively prevents viewing through the face ply 22 to see any printing on the back face 32 of the release liner 24.

In use, the form 20 is fed through a printer 106 as shown in FIG. 1 and 2 whereby individualized indicia 108 is printed on each form 20. While the top face 26 may be printed and the form 20 removed and reversed to present the base face 32, the form 20 is most efficiently employed using a duplex printer 106 whereby in the same pass through the printer, individualized indicia in the form of address indicia 110 may be printed on the face ply 26 while at the same time content indicia 112 may be printed on the back face 32. Because no transfer medium is employed, ink jet printers, laser printers, thermal printers or other non-stylus printers may be employed as well as typewriters, dot matrix, daisy wheel or other stylus-type printers.

After the individualized indicia 108 is printed, the protective border 100 is peeled away from the border portion 66 of the face ply 22 of form 20 as shown in FIG. 5. This exposes the adhesive so that the form 20 may be securely adhered to a substrate, such as a package 114 as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 6 shows the form 20 as applied to the package in FIG. 8, and as may be seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, the address label 64 presenting the address indicia 110 is clearly visible, while the content indicia 112 printed on the back face 32 is obscured from view. The construction and method of application substantially ensure a match between the intended recipient and list of contents, avoiding the possibility of mixing up an address label and a packing list because from the time of printing to application, the two are not separated or separable. This inhibits the likelihood of incurring the substantial costs and onerous tasks associated with mismatched labels and packages. Access to the back face 32 is only possible by tearing the tear strip 78 along tear strip perforation lines 74 and 76, as shown in FIG. 7. By tearing the tear strip 78 and then pulling up the central portion 62 along the perforation lines 80 and 82 as directed by the instruction indicia 70, the recipient gains access to the address label 64 bonded to the packing slip 94. The two plies of the bonded central portion 62 resist tearing and aid in maintaining the packing slip intact during tearing from the border portion. The recipient then need only tear along the label perforation line 84 to remove the packing slip 94 from the package 114, and thereby review the information on the back face 32 as shown in FIG. 9. Tampering is evidenced by tearing of the perforations 74, 76, 80, 82, or 84, or around the border portion 66.

A second embodiment is shown as form 120 and is in many respects similar in construction and use to form 20. To the extent that elements referenced above with respect to form 20 are shown or described with respect to form 120, the reference characters are the same. The form 120 shown in FIG. 10 is illustrated as a cut-sheet form but could also be provided as a continuous web of forms separated by cross-perforation lines and having feed strips as discussed with reference to form 20.

Form 120 has a face ply 122 and a release liner 124, wherein the face ply 122 has a surrounding margin 125 recessed interiorly of the perimeter 126 of the release liner 124 as shown in FIG. 10. The provision of a recessed area 128 provides ease of separation of the protective border 100 during use of the form 120. Additionally, the central portion 130 includes not only the address label 64 but also pull tabs 132 and 134 and a return label 136, defined by pull tab perforation lines 138 and 140 and another release label perforation line 142 which are parallel to label perforation line 84 and extend between transverse perforation lines 80 and 82.

Adhesive 34 is applied to the inner face 28 in an adhesive pattern 144 as shown by the shaded area in FIG. 12. The adhesive pattern extends into the central portion but does not extend to the address label 64, that is, the area bounded by perforation lines 80, 82, 140 and 142, and preferably about a 1 to 2 mm adhesive-free area is provided between any adhesive and the perforation lines 80, 82, 84, 140, 142 and tear strip perforation lines 74 and 76. The masking area 104 is shown as reverse printing indicia 143, i.e. the printing within the masking area creates indicia by the absence of ink, whereby both masking of the content indicia 112 and additional preprinted instruction indicia 70a may be provided on the face ply 122. The masking area 104 is shown as only extending across inner face of the address label 64, but it may be understood that the masking area could extend to the inner face of the return label 136, the pull tabs 132 and 134, or indeed the border portion 66 if desired.

FIG. 13 shows the release pattern 146 of release coating 36 applied to the release face 30 of the release liner 124, with the dotted lines showing the margin and perforation lines of the face ply 122 for purposes of comparison and to show the registry between the face ply 122 and the release liner 124. The diagonal lines show the coverage of the release pattern 146, which may also extend about 1 mm across the die cut line of separation 96 if desired to assist in the separation of the packing slip 94 if the pattern of adhesive 144 is slightly misaligned, or outwardly to the perimeter of the release liner. As shown in FIG. 14, the back face 32 of the release liner 124 is provided with individualized indicia 108, such as the content indicia 112 shown. Form 120 permits the preprinted indicia 68 to include return address identifying indicia 72a and the additional preprinted instruction indicia 70a, as well as instruction indicia 70 and identifying indicia 72 as shown with reference to form 20.

Form 120 is made similarly to form 20 in that the face ply 122 and release liner 124 are initially printed with the preprinted indicia 68, adhesive is applied in the desired pattern 144 to the inner face 28 and release coating 36 is applied in the desired release pattern 146 either to the release face 30 or to the inner face 28 after the adhesive pattern 144 has been applied, and the face ply 122 is mated in registry to the release liner 124. The continuous web 38 of the mated face ply 122 and release liner 124 is then perforated through die cutting, perforation wheels or other conventional mechanisms, and the line of separation 96 is applied to the release liner 124 to provide the packing slip 94. As noted above, the continuous web 38 may be cross perforated or individual forms 120 provided by cutting into separate cut sheets as shown in FIGS. 10, 12, 13 and 14. FIG. 10 shows the use of a control number indicia 148 and a bar code indicia 150 to provide additional ease of internal accounting by the sender.

Form 120 is also used similarly to form 20. Individualized indicia 108 including address indicia 110 and content indicia 112 are respectively printed on the top face 26 and the back face 32 are printed by printer 106 at the time of use, preferably by using computerized information regarding the recipient. The protective border 100 is then peeled away so that the form 120 may be adhesively secured to a substrate, such as package 114, with the top face 26 bearing the address label 64 with instruction indicia 70 and identifying indicia 72 as well as address indicia 110 visible, but content indicia on back face 32 hidden and masked by masking area 104.

The recipient may grasp and pull the tear strip along tear strip perforation lines 74 and 76. Adhesive 34 directly contacts portions of the face ply 122 and release liner 124 within the pull tabs 132 and 133 without intervention of a release coating to provide two plys and reinforcement when the central portion 130 including the packing slip 94 are torn free from the border portion 66. However, in form 120, adhesive pattern 144 does not extend on the inner face 28 of the face ply 122 within the address label 64, so that the address label 64 may be separated along perforation lines 140 and 142 from the pull tabs 132 and 134 and thus also from the packing slip 94. This enables the instruction indicia 70a provided by the reverse printing within the masking area 104 to be visible to the recipient, thereby providing an additional printed surface as shown in FIG. 12 while retaining the reinforcement provided by the two-ply pull tabs 132 and 134 and the masking function inhibiting viewing of the content indicia 112 until the packing slip 94 is torn free.

Applicant has shown the form 20 as a continuous form with tractor feed strips and form 120 as a cut-sheet form. The particular manner of production is intended to illustrate examples, rather than limitations as to the size or whether multiple forms or continuous forms are attached to one another. For example, form 20 is readily useful without the tractor feed strips shown, either as a continuous form which may be fan-folded or provided on rolls, or as a cut-sheet form. As a cut sheet form, for example, form elements 20A and 20B may be provided on a single standard-sized 8.5 inch by 11 inch sheet without the need for feed strips 44 and 46 and separated by a cross-perforation line 20, although the size of the sheet is not intended to be limiting. Similarly, form 120 may be provided not as a single cut-sheet form, but also as a continuous form as shown with respect to form 20, which may be fan-folded or provided on a roll, or multiple forms 120 may be provided on a single sheet as described above.

Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the masking area 104 can be printed on either the inner face of the top ply or the release face of the release liner, and may extend beyond the central portion and across the border portion. The adhesive may be applied in a continuous coating or a pattern coating within the adhesive pattern depending on the degree of adhesion desired. It may also be appreciated that scoring or other weakening may be used in place of perforation lines to provide lines of weakening, and that such lines of weakening can be used in place of lines of separation. Additionally, the perforation lines need not be straight lines as shown, but can be arcuate or in other shapes as desired.

The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.

Claims

1. A business form for adhesive application to a substrate and for carrying publicly displayed indicia on one side and hidden indicia on a second, opposite side, said business form comprising:

a face ply having a top face and an inner face, a surrounding margin including a top margin, a bottom margin and first and second side margins, a tear strip defined by first and second generally parallel transversely extending lines of perforation between said first and second side margins and generally parallel thereto, and a separable central portion located between one of said tear strip lines of perforation and a label perforation generally parallel to said tear strip lines of perforation, and a pair of spaced apart transverse lines of perforation angularly oriented relative to said tear strip lines of perforation, said central portion including preprinted indicia on said top face, and a border portion generally surrounding said central portion;

indicia printed within said central portion of said top face;

a release liner having a release face and a back face, said release liner including a line of separation therein defining a centrally located slip area generally positioned beneath said central portion of said face ply and a protective border positioned generally beneath said border portion;

indicia printed within said slip area of said back face;

a layer of adhesive applied in a pattern between said inner face of said face ply and said release face of said release liner, said adhesive pattern including adhesive between at least a portion of said border portion and said protective border and adhesive between a part of said central portion and said release liner; and

a layer of release coating applied in a pattern between said inner face of said face ply and said release face of said release liner, said release pattern including release coating between at least a portion of said border portion and said protective border, and including a release coating-free area between at least a part of said central portion and said release liner.

2. A business form as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said pattern of release coating is applied intermediate a portion of said pattern of adhesive coating and said release liner.

3. A business form as set forth in claim 2, wherein a majority of said slip area of said release face of said release liner is not covered with release coating and contacts said adhesive of said adhesive pattern.

4. A business form as set forth in claim 2, wherein said tear strip of said face ply relatively inboard of said transverse lines of weakening is not covered on its inner face by adhesive from said pattern of adhesive.

5. A business form as set forth in claim 4, including a patch of adhesive applied between said inner face of said face ply relatively outboard one of said transverse lines of weakening and said release face of said release liner.

6. A business form as set forth in claim 2, wherein said adhesive pattern is spaced from said line of weakening to provide an adhesive-free zone outboard and inboard of said line of weakening.

7. A business form as set forth in claim 2, including a masking area printed on one of said inner face or release face intermediate said top face and said indicia printed within said slip area of said back face.

8. A business form as set forth in claim 7, wherein said masking area is reverse printed to provide a printed area within said masking area.

9. A business form as set forth in claim 2, wherein said pattern of adhesive and pattern of release coating are applied to provide first and second discrete and laterally spaced pull tabs where the face ply and release liner are directly adhesively connected without intervention of release coating therebetween.

10. A business form as set forth in claim 9, including two spaced, substantially parallel pull tab perforation lines in said central portion and a label area for receiving address indicia on said top face thereof and located between said pull tabs, said label area being separable from said slip area.

11. A business form as set forth in claim 10, including another perforation line substantially parallel to said pull tab perforation lines for defining a return label between said label area and one of said pull tabs, said pattern of adhesive including adhesive between at least a part of the inner face within said return label and said release liner, and said pattern of release coating including release coating intermediate the adhesive within said return label and said release face.

12. A business form as set forth in claim 1, wherein said form is provided as a continuous web.

13. A business form as set forth in claim 1, wherein said form is provided as an individual two-ply sheet.

14. A business form for adhesive application to a substrate and for carrying publicly displayed indicia on one side and hidden indicia on a second, opposite side, said business form comprising:

a first ply having a top face and an inner face and a surrounding margin;

a second ply having a liner face and a back face and a surrounding perimeter, said second ply being superposed below said first ply;

adhesive applied between at least part of said first ply and said second ply for adhesively interconnecting said first ply and second ply;

release coating located between at least a part of said adhesive and at least a part of said second ply;

a line of separation in said second ply located inboard of said perimeter to define a packing slip within said second ply;

a first line of weakness in said first ply defining a central portion inboard of said surrounding margin, said line of weakness defining said central portion being in substantial registry with said line of separation;

a second line of weakness in said first ply extending from said margin substantially across said first ply and parallel to at least a part of said first line of weakness.

15. A business form for adhesive application to a substrate and for carrying publicly displayed indicia on one side and hidden indicia on a second, opposite side, said business form comprising:

a face ply including a top, face, an inner face, and a face outer edge,

said face ply further including a line of weakness defined therein and located inboard of the face outer edge to present a separable central portion,

said face ply further including a surrounding margin defined between the face outer edge and the line of weakness;

a release liner including a release face oriented toward the inner face of the face ply, a back face, and a release outer edge,

said release liner further including a line of separation defined therein and located inboard of the release outer edge,

said line of separation being spaced inwardly from the face outer edge; and

a layer of adhesive applied in a pattern between said inner face of said face ply and said release face of said release liner, said adhesive pattern including adhesive between the release liner and at least a portion of the surrounding margin.

16. A business form as set forth in claim 15, and

a layer of release coating between said inner face of said face ply and said release face of said release liner.

17. A business form as set forth in claim 15,

said line of separation being in substantial registry with the line of weakness.

18. A business form as set forth in claim 17,

said line of separation being spaced slightly inward from the line of weakness.

19. A business form as set forth in claim 16,

said adhesive pattern including adhesive between at least part of said central portion and said release liner.

20. A business form as set forth in claim 19,

said release coating being applied in a pattern such that the central portion is securely and substantially permanently bonded to the release liner.

21. A business form as set forth in claim 20,

said line of separation defining a packing slip within the release liner, said packing slip being bonded to the central portion.

22. A business form as set forth in claim 15; and

indicia printed within said central portion on said inner face.

23. A business form as set forth in claim 22,

indicia printed within said central portion of said top face including package addressing information.

24. A business form as set forth in claim 15,

said form being provided as a continuous web.