Easily openable envelope

Claim 1

An easily openable envelope for an enclosure, said envelope including generally rectangular panels overlying each other and interconnected along two adjacent edges of said panels to close two adjacent sides of said envelope to provide a pocket provided between said panels, one of the other two remaining edgeS of said envelope having between said panels a closeable insert opening through which an enclosure can be placed in said pocket, the other one of the remaining edges of said envelope having between its panels a withdrawal opening from which said enclosure can be subsequently withdrawn, a tab extending from a side edge portion of one panel across said withdrawal opening for holding contents in said envelope, said tab having a fold extending across the closing a portion of the withdrawal opening and positioning a portion of said tab in face-to-face contact with the inside of the other panel, said fold and the side edges of both panels being substantially in alignment, said tab being sufficiently flexible and the contacting faces of said tab and of said other panel being at least substantially unattached so that the withdrawal of said enclosure of said envelope through said withdrawal opening can be done by an operator without a rupturing of said tab into two part because said tab will unfold as an abutting edge of said enclosure presses against said tab during said withdrawal, a closure flap integral with one of said panels at the closeable insert opening for folding over the enclosure to engage the other of said panels, the remainder of said withdrawal opening being open so an operator can grasp said contents therethrough, said other panel having a suction element receiving means disposed opposite and exposing a lapping portion of said tab, said suction element receiving means being of substantial size for permitting an annular suction element of a content insertion machine to engage said tab on the same side of said envelope as said other panel for pulling said tab away from said one panel by suction so as to permit said contents to be placed in said envelope through said insert opening without excessive damage to said tab and envelope, said tab extending across less than the majority of the length of the adjacent side edge of said envelope.