Two-way mailing envelope and method of making and addressing the same

Claim 1

A two-way mailing envelope adapted for either manual or automatic processing by mail processing machinery having optical character readers which can read address indicia in a preset OCR mailing address read area delimited by the U.S. Postal Service on the front of the envelope and print a bar code on a bar code read area on the front of the envelope below the preset OCR mailing address read area, the mailing address read area having an upper read area limit spaced a preset height above the lower edge of the envelope, the upper read area limit being spaced below the upper edge of the envelope to provide an upper area on the front of the envelope for a return address and for postage, the two-way mailing envelope being formed from a single elongated blank comprising a generally rectangular front panel having upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges and a generally rectangular rear panel having upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges, the front and rear panels being integrally joined at their upper side edges along a panel fold line, a first closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the front panel along a first flap fold line, a second closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the rear panel along a second flap fold line, end flap means connecting the front and rear panels together along their end edges to form a pocket, the second closure flap being initially folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel and inserted into the envelope pocket between the front and rear panels, the first closure flap being adapted to be folded along the first fold line relative to the front panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the rear panel and having first flap seal means for sealing the first closure flap to the rear panel for a first mailing of the envelope, the first flap fold line being spaced a first distance below the panel fold line and defining a first envelope lower edge during the first mailing, the second closure flap being removable from the envelope pocket after the envelope is opened and the second closure flap being adapted to be folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the front panel and having second flap seal means for sealing the second closure flap to the front panel of the envelope for a return mailing of the envelope, the second flap fold line being spaced below the panel fold line a second distance less than said first distance and defining a second envelope lower edge during said return mailing, the second closure flap having a free upper edge and being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the return mailing, at least a portion of said free upper edge is spaced above the second flap fold line a distance less than said preset height of the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area, printed OCR readable return address indicia on the front panel oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the return address indicia including a lowermost line containing the city, state and zip code of the return address at a location to be below the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area and above said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap when the latter is folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation with the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, the return address indicia also including a return name and return delivery address in lines located above the upper read area limit of the preset OCR mailing address read area, the front panel having printed OCR readable mailing address indicia in said preset OCR mailing address read area and oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the mailing address indicia including at least the mailing addressee's name, delivery address and city, state and zip code, with the city, state and zip code in the lowermost line of the mailing address, and the second closure flap being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, it covers the bar code read ara on the front panel and all of the mailing address indicia in the preset OCR read area on the front panel but has said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap disposed below the lowermost line of the return address indicia whereby all of the return address indicia remains exposed for use in manual or automatic processing during the second mailing.

Claim 9

A method of making and addressing a two-way mailing envelope adapted for either manual or automatic processing by mail processing machinery having optical character readers which can read address indicia in a preset OCR mailing address read area delimited by the U.S. Postal Service on the front of the envelope and print a bar code on a bar code read area on the front of the envelope below the preset OCR mailing address read area, the mailing address read area having an upper read area limit spaced a preset height above the lower edge of the envelope, the upper read area limit being spaced below the upper edge of the envlope to provide an upper area on the front of the envelope for a return address and for postage, (a) providing a two-way mailing envelope having a generally rectangular front panel with upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges and a generally rectangular rear panel having upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges, the front and rear panels being integrally joined at their upper side edges along a panel fold line, a first closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the front panel along a first flap fold line, a second closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the rear panel along a second flap fold line, and end flaps connecting the front and rear panels together along their end edges to form a pocket, the second closure flap being initially folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel and inserted into the envelope pocket between the front and rear panels, the first closure flap being adapted to be folded along the first flap fold line relative to the front panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the rear panel and having first flap seal means for sealing the first closure flap to the rear panel for a first mailing of the envelope, the first flap fold line being spaced a first distance below the panel fold line and defining the lower edge of the envelope during the first mailing, the second closure flap being removable from the envelope pocket after the envelope is opened and the second closure flap being adapted to be folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the front panel and having second flap seal means for sealing the second closure flap to the front panel of the envelope for a second mailing of the envelope, the second flap fold line being spaced below the panel fold line a second distance less than said first distance and defining the lower edge of the envelope during said second mailing, the second closure flap having a free upper edge and being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, at least a portion of said free upper edge is spaced above the second flap fold line a distance less than said preset height of the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area, (b) applying a printed OCR readable return address indicia on the front panel prior to the first mailing oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the return address indicia including a lowermost line containing the city, state and zip code of the return address at a location to be below the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area and above said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap when the latter is folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation with the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, the return address indicia also including a return name and return delivery address in lines located above the upper read area limit of the preset OCR mailing address read area, (c) applying a printed OCR readable mailing address indicia on the front panel prior to the first mailing in said prest OCR mailing address read area and oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the mailing address indicia including at least the mailing addressee's name, delivery address and city, state and zip code, with the city, state and zip code in the lowermost line of the mailing address, and the second closure flap being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, it covers the bar code read area on the front panel and all of the mailing address indicia in the preset OCR read area on the front panel but has said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap disposed below the lowermost line of the return address indicia whereby all of the return address indicia remains exposed for use in manual or automatic processing during the second mailing.

Claim 10

A method of making and addressing a two-way mailing envelope adapted for either manual or automatic processing by mail processing machinery having optical character readers which can read address indicia in a preset OCR mailing address read area delimited by the U.S. Postal Service on the front of the envelope and print a bar code on a bar code read area on the front of the envelope below the preset OCR mailing address read area, the mailing address read area having an upper read area limit spaced a preset height above the lower edge of the envelope, the upper read area limit being spaced below the upper edge of the envlope to provide an upper area on the front of the envelope for a return address and for postage, (a) providing a two-way mailing envelope having a generally rectangular front panel with upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges and a generally rectangular rear panel having upper and lower side edges and end edges extending between its side edges, the front and rear panels being integrally joined at their upper side edges along a panel fold line, a first closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the front panel along a first flap fold line, a second closure flap integrally joined to the lower side edge of the rear panel along a second flap fold line, and end flaps connecting the front and rear panels together along their end edges to form a pocket, the second closure flap being initially folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel and inserted into the envelope pocket between the front and rear panels, the first closure flap being adapted to be folded along the first flap fold line relative to the front panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the rear panel and having first flap seal means for sealing the first closure flap to the rear panel for a first mailing of the envelope, the first flap fold line being spaced a first distance below the panel fold line and defining the lower edge of the envelope during the first mailing, the second closure flap being removable from the envelope pocket after the envelope is opened and the second closure flap being adapted to be folded along the second flap fold line relative to the rear panel upwardly into overlapping relation with a lower portion of the front panel and having second flap seal means for sealing the second closure flap to the front panel of the envelope for a second mailing of the envelope, the second flap fold line being spaced below the panel fold line a second distance less than said first distance and defining the lower edge of the envelope during said second mailing, the second closure flap having a free upper edge and being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, at least a portion of said free upper edge is spaced above the second flap fold line a distance less than said preset height of the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area, (b) applying a printed OCR readable return address indicia on the front panel prior to the first mailing oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the return address indicia including a lowermost line containing the city, state and zip code of the return address at a location to be below the upper read area limit of said preset OCR mailing address read area and above said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap when the latter is folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation with the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, the return address indicia also including a return name and return delivery address in lines located above the upper read area limit of the preset OCR mailing address read area, (c) applying a printed OCR readable mailing address indicia on the front panel prior to the first mailing in said prest OCR mailing address read area and oriented to be right side up for visual and optical character reading when the envelope is oriented with the panel fold line at the top of the envelope, the mailing address indicia including at least the mailing addressee's name, delivery address and city, state and zip code, with the city, state and zip code in the lowermost line of the mailing address, and the second closure flap being shaped and dimensioned such that, when folded upwardly along the second flap fold line into overlapping relation to the lower portion of the front panel for the second mailing, it covers the bar code read area on the front panel and all of the mailing address indicia in the preset OCR read area on the front panel but has said portion of the free upper edge of the second closure flap disposed below the lowermost line of the return address indicia whereby all of the return address indicia remains exposed for use in manual or automatic processing during the second mailing.