Release liner for mailer packages

Abstract

Mailer package assemblies include one or more fixed release liners and one or more mailer packages. The fixed release liner(s) are removably coupled to corresponding ones of the mailer package(s) by an adhesive layer. The fixed release liner(s) include one or more wickets (e.g., openings) such that the fixed release liner(s) may be mounted to an external surface by inserting fasteners or structures (e.g., tack(s), pin(s), paper wicket structure, etc.) into the openings. The mailer package(s) may be removed, detached, or decoupled from the fixed release liner(s) by pulling on the mailer package(s), decoupling the fixed release liner(s) from the one or more mailer package(s). After removal, a product may be placed within the mailer package for shipping. After a mailer package is removed from a corresponding fixed release liner, the other ones of the one or more fixed release liners remain mounted to the external surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 750,699 filed Jan. 28, 2025. The aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUNDTechnical Field

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to stacked packaging systems including release liners coupled together and coupled to mailer packages.Description of the Related Art

[0003] Generally, mailer packages are utilized to mail products, items, or some other type of objects to a consumer that has purchased them either through an online website (e.g., online portal), over the telephone, or by some other type of remote communication. These mailer packages generally have a release liner that covers an adhesive layer on a closure flap of the mailer package. The release liner is removed by an employee (e.g., user, packager, packing associate, etc.) to expose the adhesive layer on the closure flap. The release liner is generally removed by peeling off the release liner from the adhesive layer. By removing the release liner from the closure flap, the release liner is completely separated from the mailer package and is thrown into a disposal receptacle (e.g., trash can, waste can, etc.). The employee then places the product or item within a cavity of the mailer package, folds the closure flap towards an outer surface of the mailer package, and seals the cavity of the mailer package by pressing the adhesive layer onto the outer surface adhering the closure flap to the outer surface sealing off the cavity within the mailer package. These release liners covering the adhesive layer are generally metallized.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of mailer packages each including a fixed release liner removably coupled to an end of the mailer package. The fixed release liner includes a flap removably coupled to the end of the mailer package by an adhesive layer. The flap is removably coupled to a closure flap of the mailer package by the adhesive layer such that the mailer package may be removed from the fixed release liner by pulling on the mailer package removing the closure flap from the flap of the fixed release liner.

[0005] One or more of the fixed release liners may be coupled together such that one or more mailer packages are indirectly coupled together as well. For example, the one or more release liners may be coupled together by one or more fasteners (e.g., staple, pronged fastener, etc.). Each one of the one or more mailer packages is coupled to a corresponding one of the flaps of the one or more fixed release liners by one or more adhesive layers. The one or more mailer packages may then be removed from the one or more fixed release liners, including by pulling on the one or more mailer packages individually to remove the one or more mailer packages one by one from a corresponding one of the fixed release liners of which are all coupled together by one or more fasteners. For example, a packaging employee removes one of the mailer packages from one of the fixed release liners by pulling on the mailer package, removing the mailer package from the flap of the fixed release liner by applying enough force to overcome the adhesive layer coupling the mailer package to the flap of the fixed release liner. Removing the mailer package results in the adhesive layer remaining on the closure flap of the mailer package and exposes the adhesive layer on the closure flap. The adhesive layer exposed on the closure flap may then be utilized to seal a cavity of the mailer package by adhering the closure flap to a region of an outer surface of the mailer package utilizing the adhesive layer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the fixed release liners may be physically coupled directly to the closure flap by tear away portions that are between perforations. Each one of the tear away portions may be between adjacent ones of the perforations. When a packaging employee pulls on the mailer package, the tear away portions between the perforations are torn resulting in the mailer package being removed from the corresponding one of the fixed release liners.

[0007] In some embodiments, the fixed release liners may include one or more wickets or openings that extend through the fixed release liners such that the fixed release liners may be fixed or stationarily mounted to an external surface (e.g., a wall, a table, etc.) by placing a fastener through the one or more wickets or openings fixing or stationarily mounting the fixed release liners to the wall. As the packaging employee removes the one or more mailer packages from the fixed release liners, the flaps remain coupled to the wall. As the fixed release liners are coupled together by one or more fasteners or, in some embodiments, by welds, the fixed release liners will remain together and will be heavier together than alone or individually.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] For a better understanding of the embodiments, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify the same or similar elements or acts unless the context indicates otherwise. The sizes and relative proportions of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, some of these elements may be enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility.

[0009] FIG. 1A is a top plan view of an embodiment of a fixed release liner structure of the present disclosure coupled to one or more mailer packages;

[0010] FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the embodiment of the fixed release liner structure coupled to one or more mailer packages as shown in FIG. 1A;

[0011] FIGS. 2A-2D are perspective views of an embodiment of a method of removing a first mailer package from the embodiment of the fixed release liner structure as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B;

[0012] FIGS. 2E-2F are perspective views of the embodiment of the method of removing a second mailer package from the embodiment of the fixed release liner structure successively after the first mailer package has been removed from the embodiment of the fixed release liner structure as shown in FIGS. 2A-2D;

[0013] FIGS. 3A-3D are perspective views directed to an alternative embodiment of a method of removing a mailer package from an alternative embodiment of a fixed release liner structure of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIGS. 4A-4D are perspective views directed to an alternative embodiment of a method of removing a mailer package from an alternative embodiment of a fixed release liner structure of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of a stacked packaging system including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging assembly including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 8A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 8B is a perspective side view of the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 8A;

[0020] FIG. 8C is a perspective side view of the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system including fixed release liners coupled to mailer packages of the present disclosure as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B with a first mailer package partially torn away and a metallized layer of a bridge layer exposed;

[0021] FIGS. 9A-9E are perspective side views of a method of removing a first mailer package from the packaging system as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C;

[0022] FIG. 10A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of a simplified version of the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system of FIG. 10A, taken along lines 10B-10B as defined in FIG. 10A;

[0024] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of packing a product into the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system of FIGS. 10A and 10B of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIGS. 12A-12D are perspective views illustrating the method of packaging the product according to the flowchart of FIG. 11;

[0026] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method of packing a product into an embodiment of the stacked packaging systems of the present disclosure; and

[0027] FIGS. 14A-14C are perspective views illustrating a method of packing a product into an embodiment of the stacked packaging systems of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with mailer packages and packaging methods have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising,” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.”

[0030] The use of ordinals such as first, second, third, etc., does not necessarily imply a ranked sense of order, but rather may only distinguish between multiple instances of an act or a similar structure or material.

[0031] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0032] The terms “left,”“right,”“top,”“bottom,”“upper,” or “lower” are used for only discussion purposes based on the orientation of the components in the discussion of the Figures in the present disclosure as follows. These terms are not limiting as the possible positions explicitly disclosed, implicitly disclosed, or inherently disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0033] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0034] While various embodiments are shown and described with respect to fixed release liners coupled to one or more mailer packages, it will be readily appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. In various embodiments, the structures, devices, methods and the like described herein may be embodied in or otherwise utilized in any suitable type or form of a fixed release liner coupled to one or more mailer packages.

[0035] The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of mailer packages that are removably coupled to a fixed release liner at an end of the mailer package. In at least one embodiment, the fixed release liner includes a flap removably coupled to the end of the mailer package by an adhesive layer. The flap is removably coupled to a closure flap of the mailer package by the adhesive layer such that the mailer package may be removed from the fixed release liner by pulling on the mailer package removing the closure flap from the flap of the fixed release liner.

[0036] One or more of the fixed release liners may be coupled together such that one or more mailer packages are indirectly coupled together as well. For example, the one or more release liners may be coupled together by one or more fasteners (e.g., staple), and the fixed release liners that are coupled together may position the one or more mailer packages in a stacked configuration. Each one of the one or more mailer packages is coupled to a corresponding one of the flaps of the one or more fixed release liners by one or more adhesive layers. The one or more mailer packages may then be removed from the one or more fixed release liners, including by pulling on the one or more mailer packages individually to remove the one or more mailer packages one by one from a corresponding one of the fixed release liners of which are all coupled together by one or more fasteners. The coupled together fixed release liners may be a fixed release liner structure. For example, a packaging employee removes one of the mailer packages from one of the fixed release liners by pulling on the mailer package removing the mailer package from the flap of the fixed release liner by applying enough force to overcome the adhesive layer coupling the mailer package to the flap of the fixed release liner. Removing the mailer package results in the adhesive layer remaining on the closure flap of the mailer package and exposes the adhesive layer on the closure flap. The adhesive layer exposed on the closure flap may then be utilized to seal a cavity of the mailer package by adhering the closure flap to a region of an outer surface of the mailer package utilizing the adhesive layer.

[0037] The fixed release liners may include one or more wickets or openings that extend through the fixed release liners such that the fixed release liners may be fixed to a wall by placing a fastener through the one or more wickets or openings fixing the fixed release liner to the wall. As the packaging employee removes the one or more mailing packages from the fixed release liners, the flaps remain coupled to the wall. As the fixed release liners are coupled together by one or more fasteners or by welds (e.g., heat, laser, adhesive, etc.), the fixed release liners will remain together and will be heavier together than alone or individually.

[0038] Generally, conventional mailer packages are each kept separate and distinct from each other such that a packaging employee picks up one of the conventional mailer packages, orients the conventional mailer package, inserts a product or item to be shipped to a purchaser into a cavity in the conventional mailer package, grasps a release liner covering an adhesive layer on a closure flap of the respective conventional mailer package, removes the release liner to expose the adhesive layer, and folds the closure flap to adhere the closure flap to an external surface of the conventional mailer package utilizing the adhesive layer previously covered by the release liner. The release liner is then disposed into a trash or waste receptacle individually and alone. The release liners are relatively lightweight such that the release liners may be blown away by a slight wind or gust when placed within the trash or waste receptacle causing environmental pollution. The above process may also increase a speed at which a packaging employee may package a product or item as the packaging employee may not need to spend extra time worrying about an orientation of the mailer package when packaging the product or item as the mailer package will already be in the optimal orientation when utilized by the packaging employee.

[0039] The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of stacked packaging systems in which multiple release liners are kept together reducing the likelihood of pollution entering the environment as compared to utilizing and disposing of the individual and separate release liners of the conventional mailer packages as discussed above. Keeping multiple ones of the fixed release liners together as in the embodiments of the present disclosure results in the multiple ones of the fixed release liners coupled together being heavier than those individual and separate ones of the release liners that are thrown in the trash or waste receptacle individually when utilizing the conventional mailer packages. The heavier weight of the fixed release liners being coupled together reduces the likelihood of the fixed release liners blowing out of or exiting the commercial trash or waste receptacle. This reduces the likelihood or prevents the fixed release liners from entering the environment as pollution, which may be potentially harmful to the environment such as surrounding habitats and wildlife.

[0040] Generally, the present disclosure is directed to a stacked packaging system in which multiple release liners are kept together, thereby reducing handling difficulties or issues when packaging products within a mailer package. For example, as discussed above, when the packaging employee removes the release liner to expose the adhesive layer on the closure flap of the respective conventional mailer package, the release liner may have static build up such that the release liner statically sticks to the packaging employee. This static sticking of the release liner to the packaging employee may reduce the efficiency of the packaging employee to satisfy a packaging quota during their work shift.

[0041] FIG. 1A is a top plan view of an embodiment of a stacked packaging system 100 in which one fixed release liner 102 of the present disclosure is shown removably and detachably coupled to one mailer package 104 of the stacked packaging system 100. FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the embodiment of the stacked packaging system 100 of a plurality of the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIG. 1A coupled together at one or more coupling locations 106. The plurality of the fixed release liners 102 may be coupled together by one or more fasteners (e.g., one or more staples), by welds (e.g., laser welds, heat welds, etc.), or by some other like or suitable coupling structure or coupling technique at the one or more coupling locations 106. As shown in FIG. 1B, the plurality of the fixed release liners 102 are coupled together by heat welds at the coupling locations 106. As shown in FIG. 1B, each one of the fixed release liners 102 is removably or detachably coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of the mailer packages 104 as shown in FIG. 1A. For example, each one of the fixed release liners 102 is coupled to a corresponding one of the mailer packages 104 by a corresponding adhesive layer or a plurality of adhesive layers. The plurality of fixed release liners 102 that are coupled together at least at the coupling locations 106 may be referred to as a fixed release liner structure, a fixed release liner header, or some other similar or like reference to the plurality of fixed release liners 102 that are coupled together at the coupling locations 106.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1A, the fixed release liner 102, which is the upper most or top most fixed release liner 102 in the stacked configuration as shown in FIG. 1B, is coupled to an upper end or closure end 108 of the mailer package 104, which is at the left-hand side of FIG. 1A based on the orientation as shown in FIG. 1A. The fixed release liner includes a first opening 110a and a second opening 110b that are spaced apart from each other. The first and second openings 110a, 110b may be referred to as wickets, wicket openings, or some other suitable reference to the first and second openings 110a, 110b, respectively.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1B, a plurality of the fixed release liners 102 are coupled together such that a plurality of the mailer packages 104 are stacked up on each other by the coupling of the fixed release liners 102 to each other at the coupling locations 106. Each respective one of one or more flaps 112 of the plurality of the fixed release liners 102 is removably coupled to a corresponding one of the closure ends 108 of the mailer packages 104. In other words, each one of the closure ends 108 of the one or more mailer packages 104 is removably coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102. Each one of the one or more mailer packages 104 is removably coupled to each one of the one or more flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 by a corresponding adhesive layer. A respective one of the one or more mailer packages 104 may be individually removed from the corresponding flap 112 by individually pulling on the respective mailer package 104 to overcome the adhesive layer that couples the closure end 108 of the respective mailer package 104 to the corresponding flap 112. Overcoming the adhesive layer results in decoupling the respective mailer package 104 from the corresponding flap 112 of the corresponding fixed release liner 102 of the fixed release liner structure.

[0044] Each one of the fixed release liners 102 further includes the one or more wickets 110a, 110b that extend into and through each one of the fixed release liners 102. The one or more wickets 110a, 110b in each one of the fixed release liners 102 are aligned with each other such that the wickets 110a, 110b of the fixed release liners 102 may be utilized to fixedly couple the fixed release liners 102 to an external surface (e.g., a wall, a tablet, or some other suitable type of surface) in a fixed or stationary position with respect to the external surface. For example, one or more pins (e.g., tacks, nails, or some other suitable type of structure or component) may be passed through the one or more wickets 110a, 110b of the fixed release liners 102, and the pins may then be inserted into the external surface to fixedly couple or stationarily mount the fixed release liners 102 to the external surface by pushing the pins into the external surface. Once the stacked packaging system 100 is mounted to the external surface, a packaging employee or worker may then quickly and easily remove the one or more mailer packages 104 from the fixed release liners 102 fixedly coupled to the external surface by simply pulling on respective ones of the mailer packages 104 removing them one by one from the fixed release liners 102 in succession based on their stacked configuration (see FIG. 1B of the present disclosure).

[0045] Closure flaps 114 of each of the one or more mailer packages 104 are coupled to the one or more flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 such that when one of the mailer packages 104 is removed from the corresponding fixed release liner 102, the corresponding closure flap 114 is removed from the corresponding flap 112 of the corresponding fixed release liner 102. The closure flaps 114 are at the closure ends 108 of the mailer packages 104. After removing the mailer package 104, at least enough of the adhesive layer remains on the closure flap 114 for adhering the closure flap 114 to an outer surface 116 of the mailer package 104 to seal a cavity 118 within the mailer package 104 by utilizing the remainder of the adhesive layer on the closure flap 114. For example, the closure flap 114 may be folded over an opening 120 in fluid communication with the cavity 118 at the closure end 108 of the mailer package 104 and an inner surface 122 of the closure flap 114 at which the adhesive layer is present is then coupled to the outer surface 116 of the mailer package 104 sealing off the cavity 118 and the opening 120 to ship an item or product within the mailer package 104 to a consumer, customer, purchaser, etc.

[0046] In at least the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1B, each one of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 has a curved or folded end 124 such that each of the flaps 112 is folded over itself and is made of a single continuous material. The curved or folded end 124, which may have a U-like shape (see FIGS. 1B and 2A-2F of the present disclosure), a V-like shape (see FIGS. 3A-3D of the present disclosure), or some other suitable curved or folded shape, has a respective end coupled to a corresponding one of closure flaps 114 of the mailer packages 104. Removing the mailer packages 104 from the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 of the fixed release liner structure will be discussed in detail with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F of the present disclosure.

[0047] In at least the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1B, each one of the closure flaps 114 of the mailer packages 104 includes a plurality of perforations 126 that define a tear strip 128 that allows a consumer, customer, purchaser, etc., to open the mailer package 104 to access a product or item that has been packaged within the mailer package 104. For example, the user may pull on the tear strip 128 tearing a plurality of extensions between the plurality of perforations 126 allowing the consumer, customer, purchaser, etc. to gain access to the cavity 118 through the opening 120 in which the product or item is present during shipment without overly damaging the mailer package 104. This allows the consumer, customer, purchaser, etc., to reutilize the mailer package 104 if the product or item is to be returned to a seller or distributor.

[0048] FIGS. 2A-2F are directed to an embodiment of a method of removing the mailer packages 104 from the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIG. 1B. While not shown in FIGS. 2A-2F, the fixed release liners 102 may be fixed to an external surface 130 (e.g., a wall, a table, etc.) by placing a fastener (e.g., tack, pin, etc.) through the wickets or openings 110a, 110b fixing the fixed release liners 102 such that the fixed release liners 102 of the stacked packaging system 100 are mounted to the external surface 130, which may be referred to as a wall herein. The packaging employee may then remove the mailer packages 104 from the fixed release liners 102 one by one in succession based on their stacked configuration, and, as the mailer packages 104 are removed one by one from the fixed release liners 102, the fixed release liners 102 remain coupled together (e.g., heat welds, staples, etc.) and remain mounted to the wall 130 until all of the mailer packages 104 have been utilized and removed from the fixed release liners 102 of the stacked packaging system 100. As the fixed release liners 102 are coupled together by staples or heat welds and are mounted to the wall 130 by the tacks, the fixed release liners 102 will remain together and will be heavier together than if they were not coupled together by the staples or heat welds and instead were simply laying around individually and not coupled together.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2A, the fixed release liners are mounted to the wall 130 as discussed earlier such that the mailer packages 104 may be removed from the fixed release liners 102 by pulling down individual ones of the mailer packages 104. For example, the user (e.g., a packaging employee or worker) grabs or grasps one of the mailer packages 104 and pulls down on the mailer package 104.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, as the user pulls on a first one of the mailer packages 104, the user applies enough of a pulling force to overcome the adhesive layer such that the closure flap 114 at the closure end 108 of the first mailer package 104 decouples from the corresponding fixed release liner 102. Some or all of the adhesive layer previously coupling the closure flap 114 of the mailer package 104 to the corresponding fixed release liner 102 remains on the inner surface 122 of the closure flap 114 such that the user may then close off the mailer package 104 by pressing the remaining portion of the adhesive layer on the inner surface 122 of the closure flap 114 to the outer surface 116 of the mailer package 104.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2D, once the user has applied enough of a pulling force for enough time, the first mailer package 104 is removed from the corresponding one of the corresponding fixed release liners 102 and the user may then pack and seal the first mailer package 104 to ship an item or product to a consumer, customer, purchaser, etc., placed within the mailer package 104. After the first mailer package 104 is removed, the corresponding fixed release liner 102 previously coupled to the first mailer package 104 remains coupled to the other ones of the corresponding fixed release liners coupled to the other ones of the mailer packages. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the user may have already placed the product or item within the cavity 118 of the mailer package 104 before removing the mailer package 104 from the corresponding flap 112 of the fixed release liners 102.

[0052] After the first mailer package has been removed as shown in FIG. 2D, a second mailer package 104 is removed from the corresponding fixed release liner 102 as shown in FIGS. 2E and 2F. The same process as discussed with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C is carried out by the user to remove the second mailer package 104 from the corresponding flap of the fixed release liners 102, and the corresponding fixed release liner 102 previously coupled to the second mailer package 104 remains coupled to the other ones of the fixed release liners 102, which includes the corresponding fixed release liner 102 previously coupled to the first mailer package 104. This process may be repeated over and over again in succession until all of the mailer packages 104 have been removed from the fixed release liners 102 by a packaging employee packaging various products or items to be shipped to consumers, customers, purchasers, etc., of the various products or items.

[0053] Once all of the mailer packages 104 are removed from the fixed releaser liners 102, the fixed release liners 102 may be decoupled from the wall 130 by removing the tacks from the plurality of wickets 110a, 110b such that the fixed release liners 102 are removed from the wall 130. A new set of fixed release liners 102 with a new set of mailer packages 104 is then mounted to the wall 130 by the tacks. This allows for the user to quickly deploy new mailer packages 104 to continue to package items or products to be shipped to consumers, customers, purchasers, etc. After the fixed release liners 102 have been removed and replaced by the new set of fixed release liners 102 such that a new stacked packaging system 100 replaces the old packaging system 100, the fixed release liners 102 are placed within a waste receptacle (e.g., waste bin, waste can, waste container, etc.). Once the waste receptacle is full the waste receptacle may be emptied into a larger commercial waste receptacle outside a packaging facility to be transferred to a waste processing site (e.g., garbage dump, recycling center, etc.). As the fixed release liners 102 are coupled together by one or more fasteners or heat welds at the coupling locations 106, the fixed release liners 102 will remain together and together will be heavier than not being coupled together and thrown about loosely alone and individually. This heavier weight of the fixed release liners 102 being coupled together at the coupling locations 106 reduces the likelihood of or prevents the fixed release liners 102 blowing away out of or exiting the commercial waste receptacle such that the fixed release liners 102 enter the environment as pollution, which may be potentially harmful to the environment such as surrounding habitats and wildlife. In other words, the heavier weight of the fixed release liners 102 being coupled together reduces the likelihood of or prevents pollution from entering the environment.

[0054] FIGS. 3A-3E are directed to an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system 200 and a method of removing mailer packages 104 from an alternative embodiment of fixed release liners 102 of the present disclosure. The process for removing the mailer packages 104 from the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E is the same as or similar to the process as discussed earlier with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F. Accordingly, the process for removing the mailer packages 104 from the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E should become readily apparent based on the discussion with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F and based on the illustrations as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E.

[0055] As readily visible in FIG. 3B, the alternative embodiment of the flap 112 of the fixed release liner 102 is shown as including a fold 202 along the flap 112, which is removably coupled to a mailer package 104 of the present disclosure, such that the flap 112 of the fixed release liner 102 has a V-like shape or structure. In this alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system 200 as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E, each one of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 may include a first portion and a second portion that are coupled together along or near the fold 202. For example, a first portion and a second portion of each one of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E may be stitched together along line 204, may be heat welded together along line 204, or may be coupled together with some other like or suitable coupling technique. In some alternative embodiments, the first and second portions may be integral with each other and made of a single continuous material. In some alternative embodiments, the first and second portions may be heat welded together. The flaps 112 with the V-like shapes or structures allows for the mailer packages 104 as shown in FIG. 3B to be easily removed from the corresponding flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 of the fixed release liner structure. Removing the mailer packages 104 from the fixed release liners 102 of the fixed release liner structure is performed in the same or similar fashion as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIGS. 4A-4D are directed to an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system 300 and an alternative embodiment of a method of removing the mailer packages 104 from the alternative embodiment of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 of the present disclosure. The process for removing the mailer packages 104 from the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D is the same or similar as the process as discussed earlier with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F. Accordingly, the process for removing the mailer packages 104 from the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D should become readily apparent based on the discussion with respect to FIGS. 2A-2F and based on the illustrations as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D.

[0057] In the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system 300 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, the alternative embodiment of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liner 102 are flat continuous flaps such that the flaps 112 may be relatively straight as compared to the U-shaped embodiment of the flaps 112 as shown in FIGS. 2A-2F of the present disclosure and the V-shaped embodiment of the flaps 112 as shown in FIGS. 3A-3E of the present disclosure. In other words, the flaps 112 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D do not include a curved flap or a fold like those as shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A-2F, and 3A-3D, respectively. For example, the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 do not include the U-like shape or V-like shape of the flaps 112 as shown in FIGS. 2A-2F and 3A-3D, respectively. Each one of the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102 includes an end 302 that is coupled to a corresponding one of the mailer packages 104. The ends 302 may be coupled to the corresponding ones of the mailer packages 104 by an adhesive. However, in some alternative embodiments, the fixed release liners 102 may be physically coupled to the mailer packages by tear away portions between perforations that are present at the end of the flaps 112 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D such that the tear away portions are torn to remove and decouple the mailer packages 104 from the flaps 112 of the fixed release liners 102.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of stacked mailer package system 400 including fixed release liners 402 coupled together and each including flaps 404 coupled to corresponding ones of one or more mailer packages 406 of the present disclosure. Similar to as shown in FIG. 2B, multiple ones of the mailer packages 406 as shown in FIG. 5 may be stacked together by coupling multiple ones of the fixed release liners 402 as shown in FIG. 5. For example, multiple ones of the fixed release liners 402 may be coupled together by stapling multiple ones of the fixed release liners 402 together. Alternatively, when the fixed release liners 402 are made of a poly-plastic material such as a polyethylene material, the fixed release liners 402 may be heat welded or laser welded together. The fixed release liners 402 and the flaps 404 of the fixed release liners 402 may be the same as or similar to those discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B, 2A-2F, 3A-3D, and 4A-4D, respectively.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, the fixed release liners 402 are coupled to closure flaps 408 of the mailer packages 406. The fixed release liners 402 as shown in FIG. 5 may be mounted to an external surface utilizing alligator clips or some other type of component or structure that may be utilized to mount the fixed release liners 402 to an external surface, for example, similar to the external surface 130.

[0060] While not present in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, in some alternative embodiments, the fixed release liners 402 include one or more openings (e.g., wickets), which may be similar to the openings 110a, 110b (e.g., wickets) as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, that extend entirely through the fixed release liners 402. In this alternative embodiment, a pin or tack may be inserted into each one of the openings to mount the fixed release liners 402, which are all coupled together, to an external surface such as a wall, for example, similar to the external surface 130. The fixed release liners 402 may be referred to as primary liners, primary headers, release headers, or some other suitable or like reference to the fixed release liners 402 of the fixed release liner structure. Respective flaps 404 of the fixed release liners 402 are each coupled to a corresponding one of the closure flaps 408 of the mailer packages 406 by a corresponding one of one or more primary adhesive layers 409, which are covered by a respective portion of a corresponding flap 404 of one of the fixed release liners 402. The primary adhesive layers 409 may be referred to as closure adhesive layers. For example, the respective portion of the fixed release liner 402 covering the primary adhesive layer 409 is coupled to the respective closure flap 408 by the respective primary adhesive layer 409.

[0061] The closure flap 408 of the mailer package 406 as visible in FIG. 5 is coupled to a package portion 410 of the mailer package 406. The package portion 410 of the mailer package 406 includes a cavity 412, which may be the same or similar to the cavity 118, within the package portion 410 in which an item or a product may be placed within to ship the item or the product to a consumer. The package portion 410 of the mailer package 406 further includes an opening 414, which may be the same as or similar to the opening 120, in fluid communication with the cavity 412 in the package portion 410 such that the item or the product may be placed within the cavity 412 through the opening 414.

[0062] The opening 414 may be sealed off by decoupling the closure flap 408 of the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 402. Decoupling the closure flap 408 from the fixed release liner 402 exposes a portion of the primary adhesive layer 409 still remaining on an inner surface 416 of the closure flap 408. The opening 414 may be sealed off by folding the closure flap 408 over and pressing the remaining portion of the primary adhesive layer 409 on the inner surface 416 to an outer surface 418 of the package portion 410 of the mailer package 406. The inner surface 416 may be the same as or similar to the inner surface 122, and the outer surface 418 may be the same as or similar to the outer surface 116.

[0063] The mailer package 406 further includes a tear strip 420 and a secondary liner 422 covering a secondary adhesive layer under the secondary liner 422. The tear strip 420 and the secondary liner 422 are on the inner surface 416 of the closure flap 408. The tear strip 420 allows a consumer who is to receive the item or the product shipped within the mailer package 406 to easily and simply access the cavity 412 through the opening 414 by pulling on the tear strip 420 removing the tear strip 420 from the mailer package 406. Removing the tear strip 420 allows the consumer to open the closure flap 408 exposing the opening 414 and providing access to the cavity 412 within the package portion 410. The consumer may then remove the item or the product from the cavity 412 such that the consumer may obtain the item or the product within the cavity 412 through the opening 414.

[0064] If the consumer is to return the item or the product after removing the item or the product from the package portion 410 and inspecting the product or item, the consumer may reutilize the mailer package 406 to ship the product back to the seller. For example, the consumer places the item or product to be returned within the cavity 412 through the opening 414. After placing the item or the product within the cavity 412 through the opening 414, the consumer then removes the secondary liner 422 from the inner surface 416 of the closure flap 408 exposing the secondary adhesive layer previously underneath and covered by the secondary liner 422. Once the secondary adhesive layer is exposed, the consumer folds over the closure flap 408 and presses the secondary adhesive layer against the outer surface 418 of the mailer package 406 adhering the closure flap 408 to the outer surface 418 of the mailer package 406. The consumer may then drop off the mailer package 406 that contains the item or product to be returned to a mailing outlet.

[0065] As may readily be seen in FIG. 5, the tear strip 420 is positioned between the secondary liner 422 and the primary adhesive layer 409 such that the secondary liner 422 is not removed from the closure flap 408 when the tear strip 420 is torn off by the consumer. This provides the ability for the consumer to reutilize the mailer package 406 if the item or the product is to be returned to a seller or distributor of the item or product.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system 500 including alternative embodiments of fixed release liners 502 that are each coupled to a corresponding one of the mailer packages 406. For the sake of simplicity or brevity of the present disclosure, the following discussion of the stacked packaging system 500 as shown in FIG. 6 will focus on additional or different details of the stacked packaging system 500 as compared to the stacked packaging system 400 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0067] The fixed release liners 502 include a plurality of weld pins 506 that may be utilized for coupling multiple ones of the fixed release liners 502 together. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of weld pins 506 may be surrounded by perforated areas 507 such that prongs of a paper prong fastener may pass through the weld pins 506 to couple ones of the fixed release liners 502 together such that the ones of the fixed release liners 502 are held together by the paper prong fastener. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the fixed release liners 502 may be welded together (e.g., heat, laser, adhesive, etc.) at the weld pins 506 and the weld pins 506 may not be perforated such that the fixed release liners 502 are robustly melted together at the plurality of weld pins 506 and the perforated areas 507 are not present around the weld pins 506.

[0068] Once the fixed release liners 502 are coupled together utilizing the weld pins 506, which may include inserting the prongs of the paper prong fastener through the weld pins 506 breaking away respective portions of the fixed release liners 502 enclosed within the perforated areas 507 in some embodiments, wicket holes 508 in the fixed release liners 502, which will be generally aligned with each other, are then utilized for mounting the multiple ones of the fixed release liners 502 to an external surface. For example, pins or tacks are passed through and inserted into the wicket holes 508 for mounting the multiple ones of the fixed release liners 502 to a wall, a table, or some other suitable type of external surface to which the fixed release liners 502 may be mounted. This external surface may be the same or similar as the external surface 130.

[0069] In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of weld pins 506 and the perforated areas 507 may be replaced by openings similar to the wicket holes 508 and multiple ones of the fixed release liners 502 may be held together by inserting prongs of a paper prong fastener through the openings and folding over prongs of the paper prong fastener. In this alternative embodiment, the paper prong fastener holds together multiple ones of the fixed release liners 502 of the fixed release liner structure.

[0070] Unlike the embodiment of the stacked packaging system 400 as shown in FIG. 5 in which the flaps 404 are coupled to the mailer packages 406 by the primary adhesive layers 409, the fixed release liners 502 are physically coupled to the closure flap 408 by tear away portions 510 between ones of perforations 512 in the fixed release liners 502. In other words, the primary adhesive layer 409 on the inner surface 416 of the closure flap 408 is exposed such that the primary adhesive layer 409 is not covered by a flap of one of the fixed release liners 502, which is unlike as discussed earlier herein with respect to FIG. 5. After the fixed release liners 502 are coupled to the external surface utilizing the openings 508, the mailer packages 406 may be removed from the fixed release liners 502 in succession. For example, a packaging employee may pull on one of the mailer packages 406 causing the tear away portions 510 between the perforations 512 to tear or rip resulting in the decoupling and removal of the mailer package 406 from the corresponding one of the fixed release liners 502. This tear away process may be performed over and over again in succession until all of the respective mailer packages 406 are removed by the packaging employee from each one of the corresponding fixed release liners 502. Once all of the mailer packages 406 are removed from the fixed release liners 502, the fixed release liners 502 may be disposed of together as the fixed release liners 502 remain coupled together even after the mailer packages 406 have been removed from the fixed release liners 502. The fixed release liners 502 remaining coupled together when disposed or thrown out results in the coupled together fixed release liners being heavier than if the fixed release liners were thrown out individually and loosely. The heaviness of the fixed release liners 502 remaining coupled together when disposed reduces the likelihood of or prevents the fixed release liners entering the environment as pollution.

[0071] In an alternative embodiment similar to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6, the tear away portions 510 and the header perforations 512 may be replaced with a respective flap of the fixed release liner 502 that is coupled to the mailer package 406 by an adhesive layer. This would be similar to the flap 404 of the fixed release liner 402 being coupled to the closure flap 408 by the adhesive layer 409 as shown in embodiment of the stacked packaging system 400 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system 600 including fixed release liners 602 that are each coupled to a corresponding one of the mailer packages 406. Unlike the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 in which the weld pins 506 are spaced inwardly from the wicket holes 508, the weld pins 506 as shown in FIG. 7 are spaced outwardly from the wicket holes 508. The weld pins 506 may be at locations at which multiple ones of the fixed release liners 602 are coupled (e.g., by prongs of a paper prong fastener) or welded (e.g., laser, heat, etc.) together such that there is a fixed release liner structure that includes a stack of fixed release liners 602. Each one of the fixed release liners 602 of the fixed release liner structure may be coupled to a corresponding mailer package in a stack of the mailer packages 406 that are stacked on each other, respectively. These additional ones of the fixed release liners 602 and the mailer packages 406 in these stacks may be behind the fixed release liner 602 and the mailer package 406 as shown in FIG. 7. Positioning the weld pins 506 to be spaced outwardly from the wicket holes 508 may reduce stresses on the fixed release liners 602 and the mailer packages 406 to avoid tearing the fixed release liners 602 or tearing the mailer packages 406 in an unexpected fashion that damages the mailer packages 406 when removing one of the mailer packages 406 from the fixed release liners 602.

[0073] Unlike the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6, the alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 7 includes a pair of opposing punch openings 604 that extend through one or more of the fixed release liners 602. The opposing punch openings 604 may reduce the likelihood of tearing of the fixed release liner 602 and the mailer package 406 when removing the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 602. In other words, the opposing punch openings 604 may disperse stress and strain at these locations to reduce the likelihood or prevent tearing of the fixed release liner 602 or the mailer package 406 when removing the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 602.

[0074] The punch openings 604 may be formed when manufacturing the stacked packaging system 600 as shown in FIG. 7 including the mailer packages 406 and the fixed release liners 602 as shown in FIG. 7. The punch openings 604 are adjacent to opposing ends of the header perforations 512 (see FIG. 7) to avoid heat seal beads forming along edges of the fixed release liners 602 and the mailer packages 406 at locations corresponding to the punch openings 604 when forming the stacked packaging system 600. The tear away portions 510 are between the header perforations 512.

[0075] Without the punch openings 604 at the locations as shown in FIG. 7, heat seal beads may be formed at these locations corresponding to the punch openings 604 that weld ones of the fixed release liners 602 to ones of the mailer packages 406 when forming the stacked packaging system 600. For example, as the mailer package 406 and the fixed release liner 602 or stacks of mailer packages 406 and stacks of fixed release liners 602 are cut to form the stacked packaging system 600, the punch openings 604 are formed such that when a blade cuts the mailer package 406 and the fixed release liner 602 or cuts stacks of the mailer packages 406 and stacks of the fixed release liners 602 to form the stacked packaging system 600, the punch openings 604 reduce the likelihood or prevent the fixed release liner or liners 602 from being partially or fully welded to the mailer package or packages 406 by preventing the formation of heat seal beads at these locations corresponding to the punch openings 604. For example, if one of the fixed release liners 602 is fully or partially welded to a corresponding one of the mailer packages 406 by the formation of these heat-sealed beads, the corresponding one of the mailer packages 406 or the one of the fixed release liners 602 may tear in an unexpected fashion when removing the corresponding one of the mailer package 406 from the one of the fixed releaser liners 602. This unexpected tearing may damage the mailer package 406 rendering the mailer package 406 unusable for shipping a product or item to a customer. In other words, the punch openings 604 reduce the likelihood or prevent formation of these heat-sealed beads at the locations at which the punch openings 604 are present when forming the stacked packaging system 600. The punch openings 604 may be formed before the mailer package 406 and the fixed release liner 602 or the stack of mailer packages 406 and the stack of the fixed release liners 602 are cut by the blade or some other suitable singulation tool to form multiple ones of the stacked packaging systems 600 or individual ones of the mailer packages 406 and the fixed release liners 602 that may then be utilized to form the stacked packaging system 600.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 7, the punch openings 604 are triangular shaped. However, in some alternative embodiments, the punch openings 604 may be semi-circular (e.g., half-circles) or some other shape that is selected to reduce the likelihood or prevent tearing of the fixed release liner 602 or the mailer package 406 when removing the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 602. In some alternative embodiments, the punch openings 604 may be semi-circular (e.g., half-circles) or some other shape that is selected to reduce the likelihood or prevent the formation of the heat seal beads at the locations at which the punch openings 604 are present as shown in FIG. 7. When the stacked packaging system 600 as shown in FIG. 7 includes a stack of fixed release liners 602 and a stack of mailer packages 406, the punch openings 604 may extend through each one of the stacked fixed release liners 602 and may extend through each one of the stacked mailer packages 406 at the locations at which the punch openings 605 are located, respectively.

[0077] The fixed release liner 602 as shown and visible in FIG. 7 overlaps the primary adhesive layer 409 on the closure flap 408 of the mailer package or bag 406. In some embodiments (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), the fixed release liner 602 is coupled to the closure flap 408 by the closure adhesive such that the fixed release liner 602 is removable from the closure flap 408 of the mailer package 406. Alternatively, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the fixed release liner 602 is physically coupled to the closure flap 408 by the tear away portions 510 between the header perforations 512, respectively. When the closure flap 408 of the mailer package 406 is decoupled from the fixed release liner 602 by a user such as by pulling on the mailer package 406, the tear away portions 510 coupling the closure flap of the mailer package 406 to the fixed release liner 602 between the header perforations 512 are torn. The primary adhesive layer 409 on the closure flap 408 remains with the closure flap 408 when removing the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 602 by tearing the tear away portions 510. The primary adhesive layer 409 may already be exposed at the time of removing the mailer package 406 from the fixed release liner 602. After the mailer package 406 has been removed from the fixed release liner 602, the primary adhesive layer 409 remains present on the closure flap 408 of the mailer package 406 and is exposed. For example, the primary adhesive layer 409 remains on the inner surface 416 of the closure flap 408 after the mailer package 406 has been removed from the fixed release liner 602. The closure flap 408 is then folded over to seal the closure flap 408 to outer or exterior surface 418 of the mailer package 406 to enclose a product or item to be shipped to a consumer within the cavity 412 within package portion 410 of the mailer package 406. The product or item may have been placed into the cavity 412 of the mailer package 406 through the mailer package / bag opening 414 before the mailer package 406 is decoupled from the fixed release liner 602 or after the mailer package 406 is decoupled from the fixed release liner 602.

[0078] The mailer package 406 enclosing the product or item may be shipped to the customer, consumer, purchaser, etc. To access the product or item enclosed within the mailer package 406, the customer tears the closure flap 408 along the tear strip 420 to expose the cavity 412 of the mailer package 406 and access the product within the cavity 412 of the mailer package 406. If the customer decides to return the product, the customer may remove the secondary liner 422 (e.g., an adhesive cover such as a strip of material that may include a plastic, a metallized material, or some other polymer material or suitable material to cover the adhesive) to expose an optional release liner adhesive. The secondary liner 422 may be referred to as a liner layer that covers the optional release liner adhesive. The customer may then adhere a portion of the mailer package 406 on which the optional release liner adhesive is present and exposed by removing the secondary liner 422 to enclose the product or item to be returned within the mailer package 406. Once the product is enclosed within the cavity 412 of the mailer package 406, the consumer may then return the product or item to the seller by dispensing the packed mailer package at a mailing outlet.

[0079] In an alternative embodiment similar to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the tear away portions 510 and the header perforations 512 may be replaced with a respective flap of the fixed release liner 602 that is coupled to the mailer package 406 by an adhesive layer. This would be similar to the flap 404 of the fixed release liner 402 being coupled to the closure flap 408 by the adhesive layer 409 as shown in embodiment of the stacked packaging system 400 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0080] The above discussed respective embodiments of the stacked packaging systems 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, which may be referred to as mailer package assemblies, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A-2F, 3A-3D, 4A-4D, 5, 6, and 7 may be made of poly-plastic materials or may be made of other materials such as paper-based materials. These poly-plastic materials may be high density polyethylene (HDPE) materials, low density polyethylene (LDPE) materials, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE) materials, polypropylene (PP) materials, polystyrene materials, polyvinyl chloride (PVC, vinyl) materials, or some other or similar type of poly-plastic material that may be utilized for the mailer package assemblies. These paper-based materials may be plant-based materials such as cotton, whet straw, flax, bamboo, wood, linen, hemp, or some other or similar type of plant-based material that may be utilized for the mailer package assemblies. In some embodiments, the mailer package assemblies as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be a combination of poly-plastic material, paper materials, or some other or similar types of materials.

[0081] The multiple fixed release liners of the embodiments of the stacked packaging systems 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 that are coupled together in these various embodiments of the present disclosure may be referred to as fixed release liner structures, a fixed release liner header, a fixed releaser liner header structure, or some other suitable reference to multiple ones of the fixed releaser liners coupled together. For example, these various embodiments of the fixed release liner structures each include a plurality of the fixed release liners that are coupled together such that multiple ones of the fixed release liners and the mailer packages of the present disclosure are in a stacked configuration when mounted to an external surface.

[0082] FIGS. 8A-8C are directed to an alternative embodiment of a packaging system 700. FIG. 8A is directed to a front view of the alternative embodiment of the packaging system 700, which includes fixed release liners 702 that are removably coupled to corresponding ones of mailer packages 704. While not readily visible in FIG. 8A, the fixed release liners 702 are stacked on each other and the mailer packages 704 are stacked on each other (see, e.g., FIGS. 8B, 8C, and 9A-9E of the present disclosure).

[0083] The fixed release liners 702 are coupled together by one or more welds or weld pins 706. At these welds or weld pins 706, the fixed release liners 702 may be melted or welded together (e.g., by a laser or heat welding tool) such that the fixed release liners 702, which are stacked on each other, are fixedly coupled to each other. For example, when one or multiple of the mailer packages 704 are removed from corresponding ones of the fixed release liners 702, the fixed release liners 702 still remain together as the fixed release liners 702 are fixedly coupled together by the welds or weld pins 706.

[0084] In some embodiments, the welds or weld pins 706 may be replaced with another type of coupling or fastening technique or structure. For example, the welds or weld pins 706 may be replaced by staples to couple together multiple ones of the fixed release liners 702, may be replaced by binder clips or pronged clips to hold together multiple ones of the fixed release liners 702, may be replaced by bored holes filled by an adhesive to couple together multiple ones of the fixed release liners 702, or may be replaced by some other structure or technique to couple or hold together multiple ones of the fixed release liners 702. For example, if the mailer packages 704 and the fixed release liners 704 were made of a paper-based material, the weld or weld pins 706 could be replaced with fasteners such as those discussed above. However, in some other alternative embodiments, if the mailer packages 704 and the fixed release liners 702 were made of a poly-plastic based material, the welds or weld pins 706 may be replaced with the fasteners as discussed above instead of having multiple fixed release liners 702 welded together.

[0085] One or more holes 707 extend fully through the fixed release liners 702 that are stacked on each other. The one or more holes 707 are configured to, in operation, receive a wicket paper holder, wicket paper fastener, or some other similar or like structure that may be utilized to mount the fixed release liners 702 to a stationary surface. This mounting of the fixed release liners 702 to the stationary surface allows a packaging associate or employee to easily and quickly remove the mailer packages 704 from the fixed release liners 702 without having to reorient the fixed release liners 702, for example, when packaging multiple products in multiple mailer packages 704 in succession. In other words, when the packaging associate or packaging employee is packing products to be shipped to a consumer, the fixed release liners 702 may be mounted to the stationary surface utilizing the holes 707. The stationary surface may be a wall, a table top surface, or some other stationary surface to which the fixed release liners 702 may be coupled such that when the packaging associate pulls on at least one of the mailer packages 704, the mailer package is removed from the corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702.

[0086] While the one or more holes 707 may be utilized to mount the fixed release liners 702 to the stationary surface as discussed above, in some alternative embodiments, the fixed release liners 702 may be mounted to the stationary surface by some other fastening or mounting device, component, or structure such as an alligator clip or some other similar or suitable fastening or mounting device, component, or structure.

[0087] Each one of the fixed release liners 702 is coupled to a corresponding closure flap 708 of each one of the mailer packages 704. Each one of the fixed release liners 702 is coupled to the corresponding closure flap 708 by a plurality of tear away portions 710 that are between adjacent ones of a plurality of perforations 712. In other words, ones of the tear away portions 710 are between pairs of the plurality of perforations 712. The plurality of tear away portions 710 are configured to, in operation, be torn to remove the corresponding closure flap 708 from the corresponding fixed release liner 702. As the tear away portions 710 couple each one of plurality of the mailer packages 704 to a corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702, each one of the mailer packages 704 may be made of a continuous and integral material along with the corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702.

[0088] In some embodiments, the tear away perforations 712 and the tear away portions 710 may be replaced with a full cut instead. For example, the tear away portions 710 would not be present such that the fixed release liner 702 is only coupled to the closure flap 708 by the closure adhesive 720 between the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 and the closure flap 708. In other words, the mailer package 704 would be completely separated from the corresponding fixed release liner 702 by the full cut, which would be located where the tear away portions 710 are shown in FIG. 8A. In other words, each one of the mailer packages would not be made of a continuous and integral material along with the corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702 as the full cut would separate that corresponding portion of the fixed release liner 702 from the corresponding closure flap 708.

[0089] Bridge layers or flaps 714 are coupled between each one of the fixed release liners 702 and each one of the mailer packages 704. In other words, in this embodiment of the packaging system 700, there is a one-to-one relationship between the mailer packages 704, the fixed release liners 702, and the bridge layers 714. Each one of the bridge layers 714 includes a first end 716 coupled to a respective surface of a corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702, and a second end 718 coupled to a closure adhesive 720 on a respective surface of the corresponding one of the closure flaps 708. The first end 716 of each bridge layer 714 is opposite to the corresponding second end 718 of each bridge layer 714.

[0090] The bridge layers 714 each include a first layer 714a and a second layer 714b. The first layer 714a is coupled to the corresponding fixed release liner 702 at the first end 716, and the second layer 714b is coupled to the corresponding closure flap 708 at the second end 718. The first layer 714a may be coupled to the fixed release liner 702 by an adhesive, by stitches, by welding, or by some other suitable technique for coupling the first layer 714a at the first end 716 of the bridge layer 714 to the corresponding fixed release liner 702. The second layer 714b is coupled to the corresponding closure flap 708 by the closure adhesive 720 that is sandwiched between the second layer 714b and the respective surface of the corresponding closure flap 708. The second layer 714b is between the first layer 714a and the closure flap 708, and the second layer 714b is sandwiched between the first layer 714a and the closure adhesive 720 on the closure flap 708.

[0091] The second layer 714b includes a first end 719 and a second end 721 opposite to the first end 719. The first end 719 of the second layer 714b terminates before reaching the first end 716 of the first layer 714a and the second end 721 of the second layer 714b is at the second end 718 of the bridge layer 714.

[0092] The first layer 714a may be a plastic-based material such as a poly-plastic material, for example, a polyethylene material, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) material, or some other suitable type of poly-plastic material.

[0093] In some embodiments, the second layer 714b is a metallized layer. The second layer 714b may include a plastic-based material such as a poly-plastic material (e.g., a polyethylene material, biaxially oriented polypropylene, a PET material, or some other suitable type of poly-plastic material) that is metallized with a metal material (e.g., aluminum or some other suitable metal material for metallizing the plastic-based material). A silicone-based material may then be formed on the metal material to form a silicone-based layer on the metal material when the second layer 714b is the metallized layer. The silicone-based layer is at least on one side of the second metallized layer 714b. The silicone-based layer is between the metal material of the second layer 714b and the closure adhesive 720 to further facilitate releasing of the second layer 714b from the closure adhesive 720 when removing the corresponding mailer package 704 from the corresponding fixed release liner 702 to expose the closure adhesive 720.

[0094] In other embodiments, the second layer 714b may include a plastic-based material such as a poly-plastic material (e.g., a polyethylene material, a biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) material, a PET material, or some other suitable type of poly-plastic material) that is not metallized with the metal material as discussed above. When the second layer 714b is not a metallized layer, the second layer 714b is at least partially coated on at least one side with the silicone-based material, and the silicone-based material may function in the same or similar fashion as when the second layer 714b is the metallized layer as discussed above. In other words, the silicone-based layer of the silicone-based material is formed on the poly-plastic material of the second layer 714b when the second layer 714b is not metallized. The silicone-based layer is at least on one side of the second non-metallized layer 714b. The silicone-based layer is between the poly-plastic material of the second layer 714b and the closure adhesive 720 to further facilitate releasing of the poly-plastic material of the second layer 714b from the closure adhesive 720 when removing the corresponding mailer package 704 from the corresponding fixed release liner 702 to expose the closure adhesive 720.

[0095] The embodiments without the second layer 714b being metallized are less expensive to manufacture relative to when the second layer 714b is metallized as no metallization process to metallize the second layer 714b is carried out or performed. However, the embodiments with the second layer 714b being metallized, which are more expensive to manufacture, may be utilized in some instances and situations in which static issues may occur that could result in handling difficulties or issues by a packager when packaging a product.

[0096] The second layer 714b may be coupled to the first layer 714a in a permanent manner. For example, when a packaging associate or employee removes one of the mailer packages 704, the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 previously coupled to the removed mailer package 704 remains with and coupled to the first layer 714a of the bridge layer 714.

[0097] While in FIG. 8A the tear away perforations 712 are shown as dashed lines, the bridge layer 714 overlaps the tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforations 712 such that the bridge layer 714 covers the tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforations 712 before a respective mailer package 704 is removed from a corresponding one of the fixed release liners 702. In other words, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 8A, the tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforations 712 are under and behind the bridge layer 714 based on the orientation as shown in FIG. 8A. The tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforation 712 being overlapped and behind a corresponding bridge layer 714 may more readily be seen in FIG. 8C in which a respective mailer package 704 is partially torn away from a respective fixed release liner 702 in which tear away portions 710 have been torn from a corresponding closure flap 708 previously coupled to the closure flap 708 such that the closure flap 708 of the mailer package 704 is partially removed from the tear away portions 710 and partially removed from the bridge layer 714.

[0098] In some embodiments as discussed above, the tear away perforations 712 and the tear away portions 710 may be replaced with the full cut as described earlier herein such that the fixed release liner 702 is only coupled to the closure flap 708 by the closure adhesive 720 between the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 and the closure flap 708.

[0099] In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 8A, each of the mailer packages 704 includes a tear strip 722 between an opening 724 of the corresponding mailer package 704 and the corresponding closure flap 708 of the mailer package 704. While the tear strip 722 is present in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 8A, in some alternative embodiments, the tear strip 722 may not be present as the tear strip 722 may be optional. However, when the tear strip 722 is present, the tear strip 722 may be torn to open the mailer package 704 by a consumer to access a product within a cavity 726 without damaging the mailer package 704 after receipt of the shipped product by the consumer within the mailer package 704. The undamaged mailer package 704 may then be reutilized by the purchaser to repackage the purchased product to then be returned to a seller.

[0100] In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 8A, each of the mailer packages 704 includes a liner layer 728 and a return adhesive 730 that is covered by the corresponding one of the liner layers 728. In some embodiments, the liner layer 728 and the return adhesive 730 may not be present as the liner layer 728 and the return adhesive 730 may be optional. However, when the tear strip 722, the liner layer 728, and the return adhesive 730 are present, after the tear strip 722 has been torn by the consumer to access the product within the cavity 726 and when the consumer then decides to return the product to the seller, the consumer may reinsert the product into the mailer cavity 726 and remove the liner layer 728 by pulling on the liner layer 728 to expose the return adhesive 730. After the return adhesive 730 is exposed, the consumer folds over the left-over or remaining portion of the closure flap 708 still coupled to the mailer package 704 that remains after removing the tear strip 722 and adheres the return adhesive 730 to the external surface of the mailer package 704. This seals and closes the opening 724 such that the product may be returned to the seller in the mailer package 704.

[0101] An opposing pair of punch openings 732 are present at opposite ends of the tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforations 712. The pair of punch openings 732 extends through all of the mailer packages 704 and the fixed release liners 702 that are stacked on each other in the packaging system 700. The opposing pair of punch openings 732 may reduce the likelihood of tearing of the fixed release liner 702 and the mailer packages 704 when removing the mailer packages 704 from the fixed release liners 702. In other words, the opposing punch openings 732 may disperse stress and strain at these locations to reduce the likelihood or prevent tearing of the fixed release liners 702 or the mailer packages 704 when removing ones of the mailer packages 704 from corresponding ones of the fixed release liners 702.

[0102] The punch openings 732 may be formed when manufacturing the stacked packaging system 700 as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C. The punch openings 732 are adjacent to opposing ends of the tear away portions 710 and the tear away perforations 712 to avoid heat seal beads forming between and along edges of the fixed release liners 702 and the mailer packages 704 at locations corresponding to the punch openings 732 when forming the stacked packaging system 700. Without the punch openings 732 at the locations as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, heat seal beads may be formed at these locations during manufacturing of the packaging system 700 corresponding to the punch openings 732. The unintended formation of these heat-sealed beads may result in unintended welding between ones of the fixed release liners 702 and ones of the mailer packages 704. For example, as the mailer packages 704 and the fixed release liners 702 or stacks of mailer packages 704 and stacks of fixed release liners 702 are cut to form the stacked packaging system 700, the punch openings 732 are formed such that when a blade cuts the mailer package 704 and the fixed release liner 702 or cuts stacks of the mailer packages 704 and stacks of the fixed release liners 702 to form the stacked packaging system 700, the punch openings 732 reduce the likelihood or prevent the fixed release liner 702 from being partially or fully welded to a non-corresponding mailer package or packages 704 either below or above the fixed release liner 702 in the stacked packaging system 700. Preventing the formation of heat-sealed beads at these locations corresponding to the punch openings 732 reduces the likelihood of unintended tearing occurring in the mailer packages 704 and the fixed release liners 702 when the stacked packaging system 700 is being utilized by a packaging associate or employee to pack and ship products to consumers. For example, if one of the fixed release liners 702 is fully or partially welded to a non-corresponding one of the mailer packages 704 by the formation of these heat-sealed beads, the non-corresponding one of the mailer packages 704 or the one of the fixed release liners 702 may tear in an unexpected fashion when removing the corresponding one of the mailer packages 704 from the corresponding fixed releaser liner 702. This unexpected tearing may damage the non-corresponding mailer package 704 rendering the non-corresponding mailer package 704 unusable for shipping a product or item to a customer. In view of the above discussion, the punch openings 732 reduce the likelihood or prevent formation of these heat-sealed beads at the locations at which the punch openings 732 are present when forming the stacked packaging system 700. The reduction in the formation of these heat-sealed beads at these locations may reduce waste costs.

[0103] The punch openings 732 may be formed before the mailer package 704 and the fixed release liner 702 or the stack of mailer packages 704 and the stack of the fixed release liners 702 are cut by the blade or by some other suitable singulation tool to form the stacked packaging systems 700.

[0104] FIGS. 9A-9E are perspective side views of a method of removing a first mailer package 704 from the packaging system 700. While this method is discussed with respect to removing the first mailer package 704, the steps may be repeated over and over again in succession until all of the mailer packages 704 of the stacked packaging system 700 have been removed from the stacked fixed release liners 702.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 9A, the first mailer package 704 is still coupled to the first fixed release liner 702. The first mailer package 704 as shown in FIG. 9A is the uppermost mailer package 704 of the stacked packaging system 700 and is to be removed from the first fixed release liner 702, which is the uppermost fixed release liner 702 of the stacked packaging system 700. The process of removing the first mailer package 704 from the first fixed release liner 702 will be discussed in detail with respect to FIGS. 9B-9E as follows herein. However, before this process is initiated by a processing associate or employee, the stacked fixed release liners 702 are mounted to a stationary surface (e.g., a surface of a wall, a surface of a tabletop, or some other suitable stationary surface), for example, utilizing the one or more holes 707 or a wicket fastener or holder structure that is passed through the one or more holes 707 and then mounted to the stationary surface in a stationary and fixed manner.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 9B, a packaging associate or employee initiates pulling on the first mailer package 704 in a direction that is directed away from the first fixed release liner 702 such that adhesion between the closure adhesive 720 and the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 is overcome. As the adhesion is overcome, the closure adhesive 720 releases from the second layer 714b (e.g., metallized layer) and remains present on the closure flap 708 of the mailer package 704. Simultaneously along with overcoming the adhesion between the closure adhesive 720 and the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714, the tear away portions 710 coupling the first fixed release liner 702 and the first mailer package 704 are torn. As shown in FIGS. 9C and 9D, the packaging associate or employee continues to pull on the first mailer package 704 such that the adhesion between the closure adhesive 720 continues to be overcome along the entirety of the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 and such that the tear away portions 710 continue to be successively torn along the entirety of the length of the first fixed release liner 702. As shown in FIG. 9C, once the first mailer package 704 is fully removed from the first fixed release liner 702 and the bridge layer 714, all of the tear away portions 710 are torn and the closure adhesive 720 has been removed from the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714b. Overcoming the adhesion of the closure adhesive 720 adhered to the second layer 714b of the bridge layer 714 results in the closure adhesive 720 being exposed and remaining present on the closure flap 708. The closure adhesive 720 now exposed and present on the closure flap 708 is utilized to seal the opening 724 of the mailer package 704 by folding over the closure flap 708 and applying the closure adhesive 720 to an external surface of the mailer package 704.

[0107] Either before removing the first mailer package 704 from the first fixed release liner 702 or after removing the first mailer package 704 from the first fixed release liner 702, a product or item purchased by a consumer may be positioned within the cavity 726 of the mailer package 704 through the opening 724. The product or item being placed within the cavity 726 through the opening 724 before removing the first mailer package 704 from the first fixed release liner 702 and the second layer 714b of the first bridge layer 714 may be preferred to reduce the likelihood of the packaging associate or employee adhering the closure adhesive 720 to something in an unintended fashion before packing the product or item within the cavity 726 through the opening 724. For example, adhering the closure adhesive 720 to the product itself or to a respective surface of the mailer package 704 in an unoptimized manner such that the opening 724 of the mailer package 704 is not appropriately sealed.

[0108] The method with respect to removing the first mailer package 704 is repeated in succession until all of the mailer packages 704 have been removed from the corresponding fixed release liners 702 of the stacked packaging system 700. Once all of the mailer packages 704 have been removed from the fixed release liners 702, the stacked fixed release liners 702 as well as the bridge layers 714, which includes the first layer 714a and the second layer 714b, remain coupled together such that all of the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 may be disposed together. For example, the welds or weld pins 706 hold together the fixed release liners 702, the first bridge layers 714a of the bridge layers 714 remain permanently coupled to their corresponding fixed release liner 702, and the second bridge layers 714b of the bridge layers 714 remain permanently coupled to their corresponding first bridge layer 714a of the bridge layers 714. The stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 remaining coupled together results in the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 being heavy enough such that once they are put in a garbage disposal receptacle or bin and placed outside to be picked up by a waste management employee, the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 are not blown away when exposed to a gust of wind. In other words, the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 do not blow away as the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 are heavier together than if they were separate and distinct from each other. This heaviness of the stacked fixed release liners 702 and the bridge layers 714 reduces or prevents contamination from entering the environment as they do not blow out of the waste receptacle or bin.

[0109] FIG. 10A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a stacked packaging system 800 of the present disclosure. The stacked packaging system 800 of the present disclosure includes a corresponding fixed release liner 802 that is removably and detachably coupled to one mailer package 804. The fixed release liner 802 is coupled to a plurality of other fixed release liners 802 (hidden behind the fixed release liner 802 as shown in FIG. 10A) such that the fixed release liners 802 are in a stacked configuration. The plurality of fixed release liners 802 are all coupled together by one or more fasteners 806 (e.g., a staple or other type of fastener that couples and holds together the plurality of fixed release liners 802). Each fixed release liner 802 is coupled to a corresponding mailer package 804 of a plurality of mailer packages 804 in the stacked configuration. In other words, the plurality of fixed release liners 802 and the plurality of mailer packages 804 are stacked on one another such that the plurality of mailer packages 804 are capable of being removed successively from the plurality of fixed release liners 802 as discussed in detail earlier herein.

[0110] In some alternative embodiments, the plurality of fixed release liners 802 are coupled or held together by some other suitable technique or structure. For example, in various embodiments, the plurality of fixed release liners 802 are welded together, held together by an alligator clip, adhered together by an adhesive, or held or coupled together by some other suitable type of technique or structure such that the plurality of fixed release liners 802 remain coupled together as the plurality of mailer packages 804 are successively removed from the plurality of fixed release liners 802. Alternatively, the plurality of fixed release liners 802 may be integral with each other such that the plurality of fixed release liners 802 are made of a single continuous or monolithic material.

[0111] In at least one embodiment of the stacked packaging system 800, the plurality of fixed release liners 802 are made of a first material and the plurality of mailer packages 804 are made of a second material different from the first material. In at least one embodiment of the stacked packaging system 800, the first material is a paper or other plant-based material and the second material is a polymer, plastic, or poly-plastic based material.

[0112] In at least one embodiment, when the first material is the paper or plant-based material, the first material may be at least one of the following: cotton, whet straw, flax, bamboo, wood, linen, hemp, or some other or similar type of plant-based material suitable for the mailer package assemblies. In at least one embodiment, when the second material is the polymer, plastic, or poly-plastic based material, the polymer, plastic, or poly-plastic based material is a waterproof or water-resistant material. For example, the polymer, plastic, or poly-plastic material may be at least one of the following: high density polyethylene (HDPE) materials, low density polyethylene (LDPE) materials, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE) materials, polypropylene (PP) materials, polystyrene materials, polyvinyl chloride (PVC, vinyl) materials, or some other or similar type of poly-plastic material suitable for the mailer package assemblies.

[0113] When the polymer, plastic, or poly-plastic material is made of the water-resistant or waterproof material, items or products such as a container (i.e., a bottle, a vial, or some other similar or suitable container that is capable of containing a liquid) that contain liquids can be readily packaged and shipped to customers. In the event that the container of the item becomes punctured or breaks resulting in a leak, the liquid contained within the water-resistant or water-proof material may prevent or reduce the likelihood of the liquid being released from the mailer package 804, preventing or reducing the likelihood of contaminating other packages being shipped. In other words, this can prevent or reduce the likelihood of spills resulting in damaging multiple products or items being shipped to customers, potentially reducing operation costs due to damage to packages.

[0114] Each respective mailer package 804 of the plurality of mailer packages 804 includes an opening 808 and an internal cavity 810. The opening 808 is configured to allow a product to be inserted for shipment within mailer package 804. The opening 808 is at a first end 812 of the mailer package 804 opposite a second end 813 of the mailer package 804.

[0115] Each fixed release liner 802 extends into the cavity 810 of the corresponding mailer package 804. More specifically, an end 814 (FIG. 10B) of each fixed release liner 802 is present at least partially within the cavity 810 of the corresponding mailer package 804. Accordingly, each fixed release liner 802 includes an end 814 extending into the cavity 810 of the corresponding mailer package 804.

[0116] In at least one embodiment, a separate adhesive layer 816 couples together each individual fixed release liner 802 to the corresponding mailer package 804 in the stack. The adhesive layer 816 is located between the two broken lines positioned between the end 814 of the fixed release liner 802 and the opening 808 of the mailer package 804. In other words, there is a corresponding adhesive layer 816 that couples together each fixed release liner 802 to each mailer package 802 in the stack. The plurality of adhesive layers 816 removably couple together each mailer package 804 to the corresponding fixed release liner 802 such that each mailer package 804 can be independently removed from the corresponding fixed release liner 802.

[0117] In at least one embodiment, the adhesive layers 816 are also used to seal the openings 808 of the plurality of mailer packages 804 after the respective mailer packages 804 of the plurality of mailer packages 804 are removed from the plurality of fixed release liners 802 and an item is placed in the cavity.

[0118] One or more openings 818 can extend through the fixed release liner 802. Each opening 818 can be aligned with all the other corresponding openings when the plurality of fixed release liners 802 are coupled together in the stacked configuration. The one or more openings 818 are configured to, in operation, receive a paper wicket to mount the plurality of fixed release liners 818 to an external surface such that the stacked packaging system 800 is mounted and stationary when an individual is using the stacked packaging system 800 to pack and ship items.

[0119] FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of this embodiment of the stacked packaging system 800 taken along line 10B-10B as defined in FIG. 10A. It is a simplified cross-sectional view that shows, for reference and for the purpose of discussion, only two fixed release liners 802 and two mailer packages 804 from the plurality of fixed release liners 802 and the plurality of mailer packages 804. While only two are shown, there can be any number of fixed release liners 802 and mailer packages 804 in the stacked packaging system 800.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 10B, each mailer package 804 includes a first interior surface 815 and a second interior surface 817 opposite and facing the first interior surface 815. Each illustrated adhesive layer 816 is positioned on the corresponding first interior surface 815. In some embodiments, the adhesive layers 816 are configured to, in operation, be utilized to seal the corresponding opening 812 of the corresponding mailer package 804 for enclosing an item within the cavity 810 for shipping. For example, in at least one situation, the respective adhesive layer 816 on the respective first interior surface 815 of the respective mailer package 804 is adhered to the respective second interior surface 817 of the respective mailer package 804 resulting in the respective opening 812 to be sealed. For example, in at least another situation, the respective adhesive layer 816 on the respective first interior surface 715 of the respective mailer package 804 is adhered to a respective exterior surface (i.e., an outer surface of the respective mailer package 804).

[0121] In at least on alternative embodiment, the respective end of the respective mailer package 804 at which the respective second interior surface 817 terminates may be slightly lower than the respective end of the respective mailer package 804 at which the respective first interior surface 815 terminates. In this alternative embodiment, this allows for the respective adhesive layer 816 on the respective first interior surface 815 of the respective mailer package 804 to be more readily adhered to a respective exterior surface (i.e., an outer surface of the respective mailer package 804).

[0122] FIG. 11 is a flowchart 850 for an embodiment of a method of packing mailer packages 804 according to the alternative embodiment of the stacked packaging system 800 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B of the present disclosure and described above. The flowchart 850 includes a first step 852 of mounting a fixed release liner to a surface; a second step 854 of placing a product into a mailer package; and a third step 856 of removing the mailer package from the fixed release liner and sealing the mailer. The illustrated and described methods allow for rapid, sequential use of mailer packages 804 to quickly package and ship a number of products.

[0123] In the first step 852, a user mounts the stacked packaging system 800 to a surface or other structure 858, as shown in FIG. 12A. In the illustrated embodiment, structure 858 is an edge of a table; the illustrated mailer packages 804 hang vertically therefrom. The stacked packaging system 800 of FIG. 12A is removably mounted to structure 858 by passing a paper wicket structure 860 through the one or more of the openings 818 in the fixed release liners 802 and into the structure. In some alternative embodiments, the stacked packaging system 800 is mounted to the structure 858 with other suitable fasteners or techniques such that the stacked packaging system 800 is removable mounted to the external surface, region, or structure 858.

[0124] In the second step 854, as illustrated in FIG. 12B, the user pulls on an exposed edge of the mailer package 804 to open the package and insert a product 862. More specifically, the user can pull on the first end 812 of the top / closest mailer package 804 (i.e., the mailer package 804 at the front of the stacked packaging system 800). The user pulling on the top edge of the mailer package 804 with one hand widens the opening 808, expanding it enough that the user can quickly and easily insert a product 862 into the cavity 810 of the mailer package 804 with the other hand. The user can pull the mailer package 804 with one hand and insert the product into the cavity 810 with the other hand with no additional steps or transfers required, all in a rapid, smooth, and efficient sequence.

[0125] In the third step 816, as illustrated in FIG. 12C, the user separates the mailer package 804 and, inside it, the product 862 from the fixed release liner 802 and the remainder of the mailer packages in the stacked packaging system 800. The user can pinch opposing edges of the mailer package 804 at a location near where the mailer package 804 is coupled to the fixed release liner 802. The user then pulls downward as represented by arrow 864 and outward as represented by arrow 866 with sufficient force to overcome an adhesion force of the adhesive layer 816 between the mailer package 804 and the fixed release liner 802. Some or all of the adhesive layer 816 remains on the first interior surface 815 of the corresponding mailer package 804 after the mailer package 804 is removed from the fixed release liner 802. By overcoming the adhesion force of the adhesive layer 816, the mailer package 804 is removed from the corresponding fixed release liner 802. As the user pulls downward 864 and outward 866 to remove the mailer package 804 from the fixed release liner 802, the user also pulls the opposing edges of the mailer package 804 laterally outward (i.e., as represented by arrows 868). As the mailer package 804 separates from the fixed release liner 802, the lateral outward forces cause the first and second interior surfaces 815, 807 of the mailer package 804 to be tensioned, urging the two surfaces against each other, causing adhesive layer 816 between the two surfaces to adhere them to each other. In other words, adhering the first interior surface 815 to the second interior surface 817 occurs in tandem or close succession following the mailer package 804 being removed from the fixed release liner 802, further increasing a speed at which the user can pack and seal the product 862 within the mailer package 804.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 12D, after the mailer package 804, containing product 862, has been removed from the fixed release liner 802 and the stacked packaging system 800, the opening 812 has also been sealed by the adhesive layer 812 resulting in the product 862 being sealed within the mailer package 804 such that it can be further packaged or shipped in the mailer package 804.

[0127] FIG. 13 is a flowchart 870 for an embodiment of a method of packaging mailer packages 104 using the stacked packaging system 100 shown and described in connection with FIGS. 1A and 1B. The flowchart 870 illustrates a first step 872 of mounting a fixed release liner to a surface; a second step 874 of activating an air supply system to eject a flow of air; a third step 876 of placing a product into the mailer package 104; a fourth step 878 of deactivating the air supply to eject a flow of air; a fifth step 880 of removing the mailer package 104 from the fixed release liner; and a sixth step 882 of sealing the mailer package with the product in it. FIGS. 14A-C are perspective views illustrating each step in the method of packaging items into mailer packages 104 of the stacked packaging system 100 utilizing the steps described in the flowchart 870 of FIG. 13.

[0128] The first step 872, illustrated in FIG. 14A, is similar to the first step 852 discussed above; however, in this method, the stacked packaging system 100 is mounted the structure 858 by passing the paper wicket structure 860 through the first opening 110a and the second opening 110b such that the opening 120 in the mailer package 104 at the top of the stacked packaging system 100 is aligned with an air supply system 884, as shown in FIG. 14A. More particularly, an entrance of the opening 120 in the top mailer package 104 of the stacked packaging system 100 is aligned to receive air from an air ejection nozzle 886. The air ejection nozzle 886 is in fluid communication with a valve 888 that is opened and closed to control the flow of air flow from an air source 890 through the valve 888 to the air ejection nozzle 886.

[0129] In the second step 874, illustrated in FIG. 14B, the air supply system 884 is activated by opening the valve 888 such that air flows from the air source 890 out of the air supply nozzle 886. The flow of air through the air supply system 884 is represented by arrows 892, and the flow of air out of the air ejection nozzle 886 is represented by arrows 894. As the air flow 894 is ejected out of the air ejection nozzle 886, the air flow is directed at the opening 120 of the mailer package 104 at the top of the stacked packaging system 100 such that the opening 120 is opened and expanded by the air flow 894. This prepares the mailer package 120 to receive an item in the cavity 118 through the opening 120. While not shown, the air supply system 800 can be activated by a user activating the air supply system 800 by opening the valve 888 with a mechanical, electronic, or wireless controller or switch, or some other similar or like type of control mechanism for controlling the opening and the closing of the valve 888.

[0130] In the third step 876 the user inserts an item into the cavity 118 of the mailer package 104 through the opening 120 while the opening 120 is opened or expanded by the air flow. This step allows the user to insert the item into the cavity 118 without having to touch the package, reducing the need to spend time manually expanding the opening 120 of the mailer package 104. Instead, the user can merely actuate the air valve 888 while simultaneously preparing the item to be inserted into the cavity 118.

[0131] In the fourth step 878, the air supply system 884 is deactivated by closing the valve 888, stopping the air flow through the air supply system 884 and stopping the ejection of air from the air ejection nozzle 886. While not shown, the air supply system 800 can be deactivated by a user closing the valve 888 with a mechanical, electronic, or wireless controller or switch, or some other similar or like type of control mechanism for controlling the opening and the closing of the valve 888. In at least one alternative embodiment of a method, the fourth step 878 is not preformed and the air supply system 884 simply remains continuously on and ejects air flow from the air ejection nozzle 886 even after the item has been inserted into the cavity 118.

[0132] In the fifth step 880, the mailer package 104 is removed from the fixed release liner 102 by, for example, carrying out the method described and discussed in detail herein in connection with FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A-2F. The beginning of this removal step is illustrated in FIG. 14C. In the alternative embodiment in which the air flow continuously remains on, the user removes the mailer package 104 while the air flow is continuously ejected from the air ejection nozzle 886.

[0133] In the sixth step 882, the opening 120 of the mailer package 104 is sealed closed using the remainder of the adhesive of the closure flap 114 to seal the closure flap to the outer surface 116 as described and discussed in detail earlier herein at least with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A-2F of the present disclosure.

[0134] While the above discussion of the respective steps 872, 874, 876, 878, 880, 882 of the flowchart 870 is with respect to utilizing the air supply system 884 with the embodiment of the stacked packaging system 100 as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A-2F, it will be readily appreciated that any of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be utilized along with the air supply system 884 to increase the speed and consistency at which a user can pack the mailer packages of the embodiments of the stacked packaging system of the present disclosure or within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0135] For example, when the stacked packaging system 800 is utilized with the air supply system 884, when the air supply system 884 is activated by opening the valve 888 to eject the air flow out of the air ejection nozzle 886 at and towards the opening 808 resulting in the opening 808 being opened and expanded to receive an item or product to be shipped to a customer. Then the item or product is placed into the cavity 810 through the opening 808 and the necessary steps are then taken to remove the mailer package 804 from the fixed release liner 802 and then seal the mailer package 804 such that the item or product is sealed within the mailer package 804 for shipment.

[0136] By utilizing the air supply system 884 to pack the mailer packages 804, the user can perform the steps of the process with greater ease and speed while reducing mistakes, which may result in damage to the mailer package while packing. Increasing the speed at which the user can package the mailer packages of the stacked packaging systems of the present disclosure increases a yield number. Reducing the likelihood of or preventing mistakes when packing the mailer packages of the stacked packaging systems reduces operating costs as the items or products are not damaged and the mailer packages themselves are not damaged during the packaging process.

[0137] At least one embodiment of a packaging system of the present disclosure may be summarized as including a fixed release liner; a mailer package including a closure flap coupled to the fixed release liner; a plurality of perforations between the fixed release liner and the mailer package; a plurality of tear portions between adjacent pairs of the plurality of perforations that couple the fixed release liner to the closure flap of the mailer package, the plurality of tear portions are configured to be torn to separate the closure flap from the fixed release liner separating the mailer package from the fixed release liner; a closure adhesive on the closure flap; a bridge layer including: a first layer coupled to the fixed release liner; and a second layer coupled to the first layer and coupled to the closure adhesive on the closure flap, the second layer covering the closure adhesive.

[0138] The fixed release liner may include one or more holes extending through the fixed release liner.

[0139] The one or more holes may be configured to, in operation, be utilized to mount the fixed release liner to a stationary surface.

[0140] The first layer may be a plastic material.

[0141] The second layer may be a metallized layer.

[0142] The second layer may be a metallized layer.

[0143] The metallized layer may be configured to, in operation, be pulled away from the closure adhesive such that the closure adhesive remains present on the closure flap when the closure flap is separated from the fixed release liner by tearing the tear away portions.

[0144] The mailer package may include an opening adjacent to the closure flap, and the closure adhesive on the closure flap may be configured to, in operation, be adhered to an external surface of the mailer package to close the opening when shipping a product within the mailer package.

[0145] At least one embodiment of a packaging system of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: a plurality of fixed release liners coupled to each other and stacked on each other; a plurality of mailer packages each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of fixed release liners, each one of the plurality of mailer packages including: a closure flap coupled to the corresponding one of the fixed release liner by a plurality of tear away portions between adjacent pairs of a plurality of perforations; a plurality of closure adhesives on each one of the plurality of closure flaps; a plurality of bridge layers, each one of the plurality of bridge layers including: a first layer coupled to the corresponding fixed release liner by the corresponding closure adhesive of the plurality of closure adhesives; and a second layer coupled to the first layer and coupled to the corresponding closure adhesive on the corresponding closure flap, the second layer covering the corresponding closure adhesive.

[0146] The packaging system may further include one or more holes that extend entirely through the plurality of fixed release liners.

[0147] The one or more holes may be configured to, in operation, be utilized to mount the fixed release liner to a stationary surface.

[0148] The first layer may be a plastic material.

[0149] The second layer may be a metallized layer.

[0150] The second layer may be a metallized layer.

[0151] The metallized layer may be configured to, in operation, be pulled away from the corresponding closure adhesive such that the corresponding closure adhesive remains present on the corresponding closure flap when the corresponding closure flap is separated from the corresponding fixed release liner by tearing the corresponding tear away portions.

[0152] Each one of the plurality of mailer packages may include an opening adjacent to the corresponding closure flap, and the corresponding closure adhesive on the corresponding closure flap may be configured to, in operation, be adhered to a corresponding external surface of the corresponding mailer package to close the opening when shipping a product within the corresponding mailer package.

[0153] At least one embodiment of a method of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: removing a mailer package from a fixed release liner including: tearing a plurality of tear away portions coupling the mailer package to the fixed release liner and between adjacent ones of a plurality of perforations; and exposing a closure adhesive on a closure flap of the mailer package by removing a metallized layer from the closure adhesive.

[0154] The method may further include placing a product within a cavity of the mailer package.

[0155] The method may further include, after tearing the plurality of tear away portions, exposing the closure adhesive on the closure flap, and placing the product within the cavity of the mailer package, sealing the closure adhesive to a surface of the mailer package sealing the product within the cavity of the mailer package.

[0156] Tearing the plurality of tear away portions and exposing the closure adhesive on the closure flap of the mailer package may occur simultaneously.

[0157] At least one embodiment of a device of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: a plurality of stacked fixed release liners coupled together in a stacked configuration, the plurality of fixed release liners being made of a first material; and a plurality of mailer packages in a stacked configuration, each of the mailer packages being coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner, the plurality of mailer packages being made of a second material different from the first material, wherein each of the plurality of mailer packages is coupled to the corresponding fixed release liner by an adhesive layer, each adhesive layer being configured to be manually removed from the fixed release liner and to remain adhered to the mailer package when the mailer package is separated from the fixed release liner such that the adhesive layer can subsequently be used for sealing the mailer package.

[0158] The first material may be a paper-based material.

[0159] The second material may be a plastic-based material.

[0160] The second material may be a water-resistant or water-proof material.

[0161] The first material may be a paper-based material, and the second material may be a plastic-based material.

[0162] The plurality of fixed release liners may be coupled together by one or more fasteners.

[0163] At least one embodiment of a method of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: providing a stacked packaging system consisting of a plurality of fixed release liners coupled to a corresponding plurality of mailer packages with respective adhesive layers, in which the plurality of fixed release liners are coupled to each other as a unit in a stacked configuration, and wherein the plurality of fixed release liners are made of a first material; mounting the stacked packaging system to an external surface by coupling the plurality of fixed release liners to the external surface; placing a product into a cavity of an uppermost mailer package of a plurality of mailer packages in the stacked configuration, wherein the plurality of mailer packages are made of a second material different from the first material; removing the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailers packages from the corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, thereby exposing the adhesive layer on a surface of the uppermost mailer package; and after removing the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages from the corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, sealing an opening to the cavity of the uppermost mailer package using the adhesive layer, enclosing the product within the uppermost mailer package.

[0164] Mounting the stacked packaging system to the external surface may include passing a wicket structure through one or more openings extending through the plurality of fixed release liners.

[0165] Sealing the opening of the uppermost mailer package may further include adhering the adhesive layer to an outer surface of the uppermost mailer package

[0166] The adhesive layer may be on an internal surface of the uppermost mailer package that defines the opening and the cavity of the uppermost mailer package.

[0167] The first material may be a paper-based material.

[0168] The second material may be a plastic-based material.

[0169] The first material may be a paper-based material and the second material may be a plastic-based material.

[0170] At least one embodiment of a system of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: a stacked packaging system mounted to an external surface, the stacked packaging system including: a plurality of fixed release liners in a stacked configuration; and a plurality of mailer packages in a stacked configuration, each respective mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages being removably coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, and each respective mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages including an opening and a cavity; an air supply system including an air ejection nozzle aligned with and directed at an opening of an uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages in the stacked configuration, the air ejection nozzle of the air supply system being configured to eject an air flow at the opening to expand the opening for ease of inserting a product into the cavity of the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages.

[0171] The air supply system may further include: an air source configured to, in operation, provide air to the air ejection nozzle; and a valve between the air source and the air ejection nozzle, the valve configured to, in operation, control air provided to the air ejection nozzle from the air source.

[0172] The system may further include a switch mechanism configured to, in operation, control an opening and closing of the valve.

[0173] The plurality of fixed release liners may be made of a first material and the plurality of mailer packages are made of a second material different from the first material.

[0174] The first material may be a paper-based material, and the second material may be a polymer based material.

[0175] The plurality of fixed release liners may be made of a first material and the plurality of mailer packages may be made of the first material.

[0176] At least one embodiment of a method of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: providing a stacked packaging system consisting of a plurality of fixed release liners coupled to a corresponding plurality of mailer packages with respective adhesive layers, in which the plurality of fixed release liners are coupled to each other as a unit in a stacked configuration; mounting the stacked packaging system to an external surface by coupling the plurality of fixed release liners to the external surface; directing an air supply system at an opening of an uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages; activating the air supply system to expand the opening of the uppermost mailer package; while the opening is expanded, placing a product into a cavity of the uppermost mailer package; manually removing the uppermost mailer package from the corresponding fixed release liner, exposing the adhesive layer on a surface of the uppermost mailer package; sealing the opening and the cavity of the uppermost mailer package using the adhesive layer to enclose the product within the uppermost mailer package.

[0177] Activating the air supply system may further include: opening a valve of the air supply system between an air source of the air supply system and an air ejection nozzle of the air supply system; and ejecting an air flow from the air source through the valve out of the air ejection nozzle towards the opening of the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages.

[0178] Deactivating the air supply system may further include closing the valve of the air supply system between the air source of the air supply system and the air ejection nozzle of the air supply system.

[0179] At least one embodiment of a device of the present disclosure may be summarized as including: one or more fixed release liners, the plurality of fixed release liners being made of a first material; and one or more mailer packages removably coupled to the one or more fixed release liners, each respective mailer package of the one or more mailer packages being coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners, the plurality of mailer packages being made of a second material different from the first material, wherein each respective mailer package of the one or more mailer packages is coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners by a corresponding adhesive layer of one or more adhesive layers, each respective adhesive layer of the one or more adhesive layers being configured to be manually removed from the corresponding fixed release liner of the one of more fixed release liners and to remain adhered to the corresponding mailer package of the one or more mailer packages when the corresponding mailer package of the one or more mailer packages is separated from the corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners such that a corresponding adhesive layer of the one or more adhesive layers can subsequently be used for sealing the mailer package.

[0180] The first material may be a paper-based or plant-based material, and the second material may be a plastic-based material.

[0181] The first material may be a paper-based or plant-based material, and the second material may be a water-resistant or water-proof material.

[0182] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:a plurality of stacked fixed release liners coupled together in a stacked configuration, the plurality of fixed release liners being made of a first material; anda plurality of mailer packages in a stacked configuration, each of the mailer packages being coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner, the plurality of mailer packages being made of a second material different from the first material,wherein each of the plurality of mailer packages is coupled to the corresponding fixed release liner by an adhesive layer, each adhesive layer being configured to be manually removed from the fixed release liner and to remain adhered to the mailer package when the mailer package is separated from the fixed release liner such that the adhesive layer can subsequently be used for sealing the mailer package.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first material is a paper-based material.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of a plastic-based material, a water-resistant material, and a water-proof material.

4. (canceled)5. (canceled)6. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fixed release liners are coupled together by one or more fasteners.

7. A method, comprising:providing a stacked packaging system consisting of a plurality of fixed release liners coupled to a corresponding plurality of mailer packages with respective adhesive layers, in which the plurality of fixed release liners are coupled to each other as a unit in a stacked configuration, and wherein the plurality of fixed release liners are made of a first material;mounting the stacked packaging system to an external surface by coupling the plurality of fixed release liners to the external surface;placing a product into a cavity of an uppermost mailer package of a plurality of mailer packages in the stacked configuration, wherein the plurality of mailer packages are made of a second material different from the first material;removing the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailers packages from the corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, thereby exposing the adhesive layer on a surface of the uppermost mailer package; andafter removing the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages from the corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, sealing an opening to the cavity of the uppermost mailer package using the adhesive layer, enclosing the product within the uppermost mailer package.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein mounting the stacked packaging system to the external surface includes passing a wicket structure through one or more openings extending through the plurality of fixed release liners.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein sealing the opening of the uppermost mailer package further includes adhering the adhesive layer to an outer surface of the uppermost mailer package.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adhesive layer is on an internal surface of the uppermost mailer package that defines the opening and the cavity of the uppermost mailer package.

11. (canceled)12. (canceled)13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first material is a paper-based material and the second material is a plastic-based material.

14. A system, comprising:a stacked packaging system mounted to an external surface, the stacked packaging system including:a plurality of fixed release liners in a stacked configuration; anda plurality of mailer packages in a stacked configuration, each respective mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages being removably coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the plurality of fixed release liners, and each respective mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages including an opening and a cavity;an air supply system including an air ejection nozzle aligned with and directed at an opening of an uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages in the stacked configuration, the air ejection nozzle of the air supply system being configured to eject an air flow at the opening to expand the opening for ease of inserting a product into the cavity of the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the air supply system further includes:an air source configured to, in operation, provide air to the air ejection nozzle; anda valve between the air source and the air ejection nozzle, the valve configured to, in operation, control air provided to the air ejection nozzle from the air source.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a switch mechanism configured to, in operation, control an opening and closing of the valve.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of fixed release liners are made of a first material and the plurality of mailer packages are made of a second material different from the first material.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first material is a paper-based material, and the second material is a polymer based material.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of fixed release liners is made of a first material and the plurality of mailer packages are made of the first material.

20. A method, comprising:providing a stacked packaging system consisting of a plurality of fixed release liners coupled to a corresponding plurality of mailer packages with respective adhesive layers, in which the plurality of fixed release liners are coupled to each other as a unit in a stacked configuration;mounting the stacked packaging system to an external surface by coupling the plurality of fixed release liners to the external surface;directing an air supply system at an opening of an uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages;activating the air supply system to expand the opening of the uppermost mailer package;while the opening is expanded, placing a product into a cavity of the uppermost mailer package;manually removing the uppermost mailer package from the corresponding fixed release liner, exposing the adhesive layer on a surface of the uppermost mailer package;sealing the opening and the cavity of the uppermost mailer package using the adhesive layer to enclose the product within the uppermost mailer package.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the air supply system further includes:opening a valve of the air supply system between an air source of the air supply system and an air ejection nozzle of the air supply system; andejecting an air flow from the air source through the valve out of the air ejection nozzle towards the opening of the uppermost mailer package of the plurality of mailer packages.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein deactivating the air supply system further includes closing the valve of the air supply system between the air source of the air supply system and the air ejection nozzle of the air supply system.

23. A device, comprising:one or more fixed release liners, the plurality of fixed release liners being made of a first material; andone or more mailer packages removably coupled to the one or more fixed release liners, each respective mailer package of the one or more mailer packages being coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners, the plurality of mailer packages being made of a second material different from the first material;wherein each respective mailer package of the one or more mailer packages is coupled to a corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners by a corresponding adhesive layer of one or more adhesive layers, each respective adhesive layer of the one or more adhesive layers being configured to be manually removed from the corresponding fixed release liner of the one of more fixed release liners and to remain adhered to the corresponding mailer package of the one or more mailer packages when the corresponding mailer package of the one or more mailer packages is separated from the corresponding fixed release liner of the one or more fixed release liners such that a corresponding adhesive layer of the one or more adhesive layers can subsequently be used for sealing the mailer package.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of a paper-based material and a plant-based material, and the second material is selected from the group consisting of a plastic-based material, a water-resistant material, and a water-proof material.

25. (canceled)

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