Envelopes with flood-coated bonding element
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PREGIS LLC
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
The abstract encapsulation has a majority of bonding elements, such as adhesive materials, applied to at least one inner wall surface of the container, such that a seal defining the container dimensions can be formed by the bonding elements at any desired location along the height or length of the web forming the container.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An envelope for holding an item, comprising: a first flexible wall; a second flexible wall overlying the first flexible wall and affixed to the first flexible wall about at least a portion of a pocket border, which pocket border encloses a pocket defined at least in part by the first and second flexible walls and configured and dimensioned to contain the item, at least one of the first and second flexible walls defining a pocket opening allowing access to the pocket from an exterior of the envelope for loading the item into the pocket, the second wall being affixed to an adjacent portion of the envelope by at least a first seal; and a bonding element covering a majority of a surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls, wherein the first seal is formed from the bonding element.
2. The envelope of claim 1, wherein the bonding element comprises a heat-activatable material.
3. The envelope of claim 2, wherein the heat-activatable material comprises a heat-sealable material.
4. The envelope of claim 2, wherein the heat-activatable material comprises a hot melt adhesive.
5. The envelope of claim 1, wherein the first seal extends in a lengthwise direction of the envelope.
6. The envelope of claim 5, wherein the second wall is further affixed to the first wall by a second seal extending in a direction generally transverse to the lengthwise direction of the envelope, the second seal being formed from the bonding element.
7. The envelope of claim 6, wherein: the second wall is further affixed to the first wall by a third seal extending in a direction generally transverse to the lengthwise direction of the envelope, the third seal being formed from the bonding element; and the second and third seals define at least a portion of the pocket border.
8. The envelope of claim 7, wherein: the first seal extends along a first side edge portion of the envelope; and the second and third seals extend between the first seal and a second side edge portion of the envelope.
9. The envelope of claim 1, wherein the bonding element covers a substantial entirety of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls.
10. The envelope of claim 1, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 85 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls.
11. The envelope of claim 10, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 90 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls.
12. The envelope of claim 11, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 100 percent of the surface of the first and second flexible walls.
13. The envelope of claim 1, wherein the first and second walls comprise paper.
14. The envelope of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third seals are formed from activated portions of the heat-activatable material.
15. The envelope of claim 14, wherein a portion of the heat-activatable material is not activated.
16. A system for forming an envelope, comprising: the web stock of claim 7; and a bagging machine comprising a sealing device configured to locally heat the web stock to form, from the bonding element, the second seal and the third seal.
17. A method for forming a envelope configured to hold an item to be packaged, the method comprising: providing a web stock comprising: a first wall; a second wall overlying the first wall and affixed to the first flexible wall about at least a portion of a pocket border that encloses a pocketdefined between the first and second walls and configured to contain the item; and a bonding element covering a majority of a surface of at least one of the first and second walls, the bonding element forming a first seal extending in a generally lengthwise direction of the web stock; and forming, from the bonding element, a second seal and a third seal between the first and second walls, wherein at least the second and third seals form a portion of the pocket.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein: the second and third seals extend in a generally transverse direction of the web stock; and the method further comprises advancing the web stock in a lengthwise direction of the web stock by a first distance after forming the second seal and before forming the third seal, the first distance corresponding to a desired dimension of the envelope in a lengthwise direction of the envelope.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein: forming the second seal and the third seal comprises forming the second seal and the third seal using a sealing device configured to apply heat to the web stock; and advancing the web stock in a lengthwise direction of the web stock by a first distance comprises advancing the web stock to align a location on the web stock at which the third seal is to be formed with the sealing device.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: inserting the item to be packaged into the pocket after forming the second seal and before forming the third seal; andseparating the envelope from the web stock by forming a line of separation through the third seal.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein: the envelope is a first envelope; and the method further comprises advancing the web stock by a second distance after separating the envelope from the web stock, the second distance corresponding to a desired lengthwise dimension of a second envelope to be formed from the web stock.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second distance is unequal to the first distance.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein forming a third seal between the first and second walls comprises forming the third seal at a location spaced from the second seal in the lengthwise direction of the web stock by a distance about equal to a desired dimension of the envelope in the lengthwise direction of the web stock.
24. The method of claim 17, further comprising varying a spacing between the second and third seals to provide the envelope with a predetermined dimension in the lengthwise direction of the web stock.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein:advancing the web stock by a second distance after separating the envelope from the web stock comprises advancing the web stock to align a location on the web stock at which a fourth seal is to be formed by the sealing device; and the method further includes forming the fourth seal in the generally transverse direction of the web stock using the sealing device.
26. The method of claim 17, further comprising spacing the third seal from the second seal in the lengthwise direction of the web stock so that the pocket is dimensioned to hold the item.
27. The method of claim 17, wherein forming a second seal between the first and second walls comprises applying localized heat and pressure at a position on at least one of the first and second walls corresponding to a desired location of the second seal; and forming a third seal between the first and second walls comprises applying localized heat and pressure at a position on at least one of the first and second walls corresponding to a desired location of the third seal.
28. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding element comprises a heat-sealable material.
29. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding element comprises a hot-melt adhesive.
30. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a pocket opening configured to allow access to the pocket from an exterior of the envelope for loading the item into the pocket.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising inserting the item into the pocket by way of the pocket opening.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein forming a third seal between the first and second walls comprises forming the third seal after inserting the item into the pocket.
33. The method of claim 17, wherein: the first seal extends along a first side edge portion of the web stock and fixes the first wall to the second wall; and the second and third seals extend between the first seal and a second side edge portion of the web stock.
34. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding element covers a substantial entirety of the surface of at least one of the first and second walls.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 85 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second walls.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 90 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second walls.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 95 percent of the surface of at least the one of the first and second walls.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the bonding element covers at least about 100 percent of the surface of at least the one of the first and second walls.
39. The method of claim 17, wherein: the first seal extends along a first side edge portion of the web stock; the web stock further comprises a fourth seal formed from the bonding element and extending in a generally lengthwise direction of the web stock and along a second side edge portion of the web stock; and the fourth seal further affixes the first wall to the second wall.
40. The method of claim 17, wherein the web stock comprises paper.
41. The method of claim 17, wherein providing a web stock comprises: providing a first and a second sheet of stock material, at least one of the first and second sheets having a surface coated with the bonding material over a majority thereof; aligning respective edges of the first and second sheets of stock material; bringing the first and second sheets of stock material into contact; and applying localized heat and pressure to at least one of the first and second sheets to form the first seal.
42. The method of claim 17, wherein providing a web stock comprises: providing a sheet of stock material having a surface coated with the bonding material;folding the sheet about at least one fold line extending generally in the lengthwise direction of the web stock so that edge portions of the sheet overlap; and applying localized heat and pressure to the edge portions to form the first seal.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein folding the sheet about at least one fold line extending generally in the lengthwise direction of the web stock so that edge portions of the sheet overlap comprises folding the sheet about a first and a second fold line.
44. A system for forming an envelope, comprising: a web stock comprising a first wall, a second wall overlying the first wall, and a bonding element covering a majority of a surface of at least one of the first and second walls, the bonding element forming a first seal extending in a generally lengthwise direction of the web stock; and a bagging machine comprising a sealing device configured to locally heat the web stock to form, from the bonding element, a second seal and a third seal between the first and second walls, wherein the second and third seals form at least a portion of a pocket border that encloses a pocket defined between the first and second walls and configured to contain the item.
45. The system of claim 44, wherein: the second and third seals extend in a generally transverse direction of the web stock; the bagging machine further comprises a controller, a traction roller, and a drive motor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to rotate the traction roller; and the controller, the traction roller, and the drive motor are configured to advance the web stock in a lengthwise direction of the web stock by a first distance after forming the second sealand before forming the third seal, the first distance corresponding to a desired dimension of the envelope in a lengthwise direction of the envelope.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein the controller, the traction roller, and the drive motor are further configured to advance the web stock to align a location on the web stock at which the third seal is to be formed by the sealing device.
47. The system of claim 46, wherein the sealing device comprises a cutter-sealer further configured to separate the envelope from the web stock by forming a line of separation through the third seal.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein: the envelope is a first envelope; and the controller, the traction roller, and the drive motor are further configured to advance the web stock by a second distance after separating the envelope from the web stock, the second distance corresponding to a desired lengthwise dimension of a second envelope to be formed from the web stock.
49. The system of claim 48, wherein the second distance is unequal to the first distance.
50. The system of claim 48, wherein: the rollers are further configured advance the web stock by the second distance to align a location on the web stock at which a fourth seal is to be formed by the sealing device; andthe sealing device is further configured to form the fourth seal in a generally transverse direction of the web stock.
51. The system of claim 44, wherein the bonding element comprises a heat-sealable material.
52. The system of claim 44, wherein the bonding element comprises a hot-melt adhesive.
53. The system of claim 44, further comprising a cutting device configured to tear or cut one of the first and second walls to form a pocket opening configured to allow access to the pocket from an exterior of the envelope for loading the item into the pocket.
54. The method of claim 44, wherein the bonding element covers a substantial entirety of the surface of at least one of the first and second walls.
55. The method of claim 44, wherein the web stock comprises paper.