GB2040868A

GB2040868A - Document holders

Info

Publication number: GB2040868A
Application number: GB7938258A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GS PACKAGING Ltd
Current assignee: GS PACKAGING Ltd
Priority date: 1979-01-30
Filing date: 1979-11-05
Publication date: 1980-09-03

Abstract

A document holder 10 comprises an envelope 11 of glass-clear polypropylene having a slit 12 extending lengthways across a first major face of the envelope. Two rectangular strips of polymeric adhesive on the face of the envelope extend parallel to the slit 12 and are protected by respective release sheets 13 of silicone-treated high density polyethylene. In use, a delivery note or other document can be inserted into the envelope through the slit 12, the release sheets 13 stripped off, and the holder 10 pressed to the article to which the document relates. As a result the document is securely held in the holder 10 to the relevant article. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Document holders The present invention relates to document holders.

In particular, the present invention is concerned with document holders which in use are affixed to a package, container or the like article and contain a document relating to the article. As an example, such a document holder might be used for a delivery note for a case which is made of corrugated paper and contains an object identified by the delivery note.

The present invention provides a document holder which comprises an envelope of transparent material having a slit extending across a first major face, areas of adhesive on the major face to either side of the slit, and a protective release sheet applied to each adhesive area.

In using such a document hoider, a document is inserted through the slitinto the envelope in a manner such that information on the document can be viewed through the other, second major face of the envelope. The protective release sheets are then detached from the adhesive areas and the said first major face of the document holder is pressed to the relevant article to which the document relates. The document holder is thereby secured to the article in a manner in which the slit is effectively closed by the adjacent surface of the article and the document is safely retained in the holder with the information on the document exposed to view.

For preference, the envelope is of transparent synthetic plastics material, more preferably such a material which is glass-clear e.g. glass-clear polypropylene. Conveniently the envelope is rectangular and the slit extends the full length of the major thereof. If desired the slit need not extend fully across the major face, nor need it extend lengthways ofthe major face.

In a particularly preferred construction a rectangular envelope has a length-wise extending slit symmetrically disposed parallel to the longer edges of the major face of the envelope.

In order to ensure that the holder can be adequately secured to the respective article while at the same time achieving an effective seal of the slit, the areas of adhesive preferably extend at least the same distance as the slit across the first major face of the envelope. Preferably the adhesive is a tacky synthetic polymer and preferably the adhesive areas comprise a rectangular strip of adhesive to either side of the slit and parallel thereto.

A separate release sheet is preferably used for each area of adhesive, through a common release sheet may be employed. The or each release sheet can be of paper or plastics material and will usually have a surface layer of a release agent such as a silicone oil. A particularly appropriate material for the release sheet is a high density polyethylene; when used with an envelope of polypropylene there is an attendant manufacturing advantage which can be realised.

Referring now to the manufacture of the present document holders, we prefer to make them on a continuous basis. More especially, the present invention provides a method for making the document holders which comprises advancing a web of transparent material, forming longitudinal folds in the web such that the transverse edges of the web lie alongside one another and define a slit between them, applying adhesive to the areas of the folded portions of the web on either side of the slit, protecting the adhesive with release sheet material, securing the folded portions of the web to the rest of the web at spaced intervals along the web, and dividing the web and if necessary the release sheet material at the said spaced intervals to form successive document holders in accordance with the invention.The manufacturing steps need not be performed in the sequence in which they have been recited, and certain of them may be combined and performed in one operation.

It is much preferred that the adhesive areas are applied by a transfer coating procedure. Such transfer coating can conveniently be carried out using a tape of release sheet material which is coated with the adhesive and then the adhesive-coated face is applied to the folded portions of the web. The adhesive is thus transferred to the web and simultaneously the release sheet material is applied.

The use of a thermoplastics web permits the folded portions of the web to be secured by a heat sealing operation. Advantageously a hot knife is used for this operation and the release sheet is of silicone-coated or silicone-impregnated thermoplastics material of higher melting point than the web material.in this way as the web is advanced stepwise the hot knife can heat-seal the folded web portions and also divide both the web and the release sheet material without at the same time heat-sealing the release sheet material to the web. A suitable combination of materials is provided by a polypropylene web and a high density polyethylene release sheet material.

An embodiment of a document holder according to the present invention will now be described by way of example, together with an example of the method provided by the invention for making such a document holder. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section across a document holder embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a view from above of the document holder of Figure 1; and Figure 3 illustrates in schematic fashion successive steps in the manufacture of the document holder of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a document holder 10 comprises an envelope 11 of glass-clear polypropylene having a slit 12 extending lengthways across a first major face of the envelope. In this instance the envelope is rectangular, approximately 10cm by 20cm, and the slit is 3mm wide arranged centrally on the major face.

Two rectangular strips of polymeric adhesive on the face of the envelope extend parallel to the slit 12 and are protected by respective release sheets 13 of silicone-treated high density polyethylene.

In use, a delivery note or other document can be inserted into the envelope through the slit 12, the release sheets 13 stripped off, and the holder 10 pressed to the article to which the document relates.

As a result the document is securely held in the holder 10 to the relevant article.

Referring now also to Figure 3, the document holder of Figures 1 and 2 can be produced on a continuous basis from a web 14 of the glass-clear polypropylene and two reels (not shown) of the material for the release sheets 13. As shown schematically by the steps (a) to (b) of Figure (3) longitudinal folds 15 are formed at a folding station (step(a)) and as the web is advanced stepwise the web is folded over such that the transverse edges 16 lie alongside one another and define slit 12 between them (step (b)).

The adhesive and release sheets material are then applied by a transfer coating procedure in which the adhesive is first applied to the tapes of release sheet material and then the adhesive-coated faces of the tapes are applied to the folded portions of the web (step (c)). In this way the strips of adhesive and the release sheets are applied to the embryonic document holder; in Figure 3 (c) the release sheets material has been indicated as release sheets 13 though it will be appreciated that the sheets and more generally the document holders do not as yet have a separate existence.

From the transfer coating step, step (c), the web is advanced stepwise to a heat-sealing/dividing station. A hot knife 17 is lowered at appropriate intervals and serves to secure the folded portions of the web to the rest of the web and to cut through the release sheet material and the web. With each succeeding stroke of the knife a complete document holder 10 is obtained, step (c).

The document holders 10 are thus simple to manufacture; they can be produced in high volume on currenly available machinery and in an economic manner

Claims

1. A document holder which comprises an envelope of transparent material having a slit extending across a first major face, areas of adhesive on the major face to either side of the slit, and a protective release sheet applied to each adhesive area.

2. A document holder according to claim 1, wherein the envelope is of transparant synthetic plastics material.

3. A document holder according to claim 2, wherein the envelope is ofglass-clear polypropylene.

4. A document holder according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the envelope is rectangular and the slit extends the full length of the major face thereof.

5. A document holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the envelope is a rectangular envelope with a lengthwise extending slit symmetrically disposed parallel to the longer edges of the major face of the envelope.

6. A document holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the areas of adhesive extend at least the same distance as the slit across the first major face of the envelope.

7. A document holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the adhesive is a tacky synthetic polymer and the adhesive areas comprises a rectangular strip of adhesive to either side of the slit and parallel thereto

8. A document holder according to any preceding claim, wherein a separate release sheet is used for each area of adhesive.

9. A method for making a document holder which method comprises advancing a web of transparant material, forming longitudinal folds in the web such that the transverse edges of the web lie alongside one another and define a slit between them, applying adhesive to the areas of the folded portions of the web on either side of the slit, protecting the adhesive with release sheet material, securing the folded portions of the web to the rest of the web at spaced intervals along the web, and dividing the web and if necessary the release sheet material at the said spaced intervals to form successive document holders.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the adhesive areas are applied by a transfer coating procedure.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the release sheet is of a silicone-coated or siliconeimpregnated theremoplastics material of higher melting point than the web material and with stepwise advancement of the web the securing and dividing steps are performed by a hot knife which heat-seals the folded web portions and also divides both the web and release sheet material without at the same time heat-sealing the release sheet material to the web.

12. A document holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

13. A method for making document holders, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.