This invention of a product and method relates to a personalized envelope assembly secured to the interior of a printed publication such as a magazine and, more particularly, to the means and method for binding in the envelope assembly to a personalized and/or customized publication.
Over the years, publishers have been interested in both customizing and personalizing signatures of magazines--as seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,370 and 5,114,128. The '370 patent disclosed the idea of tipping an addressed envelope on the magazine's exterior. The '128 patent described a means and method for correlating a personalized signature with the addressee information on the cover sticker. More particularly, the '128 patent was concerned with avoiding the possibility of mix-up--to prevent the personalized signature from going to no person or to the wrong person. Neither patent, however, suggested the idea of binding into the publication an envelope assembly having high level personalization and/or computerized printing on interior and exterior plies that may include directed messages, personal data, statistical information, pictures, maps, graphs, and/or logos, and have this information correlate with the particular recipient of said publication.
More particularly, there was no teaching of providing a publication having a personalized insert-containing envelope bound therein. More specifically, there was no teaching of providing a means on an insert-containing envelope assembly for attaching the same to the interior of a publication. There have been teachings of securing cards, return envelopes and pouches to the interior of magazines--as seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,819,173; 5,141,152 and 4,084,696. But none of the prior art teachings suggested providing a method and means for binding in a personalized, envelope assembly to the interior of a publication--and this irrespective of whether the signatures component are assembled either by saddle stitching or perfect binding. Normally, those publications over about 48 pages were perfect bound. The instant invention provides means associated with the envelope assembly for attaching in either type of binding.
In one preferred embodiment, this binding means takes the form of an integral extension of one or both of the outer plies of the envelope assembly. This extension may be flap-like in the case of saddle stitching for folding so as to have at least a portion of the extension or flap draped over the saddle conveyor chain. In such a case, the flap to have a dimension perpendicular to the line of perforation for envelope detachment up to about 3-1/2" (90 mm.). Where, however, the envelope assembly is produced for perfect binding, a shorter extension can be used to advantage. In any event, the flap in the perfect binding is of a stiffness approximating that of the signatures --so as to be able to stand on edge. This can be obtained by having flap extensions on both outer plies or making the extension on the extending ply of stiffer material. In either the case of saddle stitching or perfect binding, we equip the binding means or extension with a line of weakness--such as perforation--so as to permit convenient and easy detachment of the envelope assembly.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the ensuing specification.