Composite form including carrier page with detachable card

Abstract

A form is provided which is especially adapted for printing which includes a carrier sheet having a backing sheet and a matrix sheet and at least one card adhered to the carrier sheet and positioned within an opening in the matrix sheet. The card is imprinted with indicia and the portion of the backing sheet visible within the opening of the matrix sheet when the card is removed is printed with an image similar or the same as the indicia so that when the card is removed, the information or impression conveyed by the indicia is still seen on the carrier sheet. The card is preferably removably adhered to the backing sheet by a layer of adhesive. The card may include a magnetic element so that when removed, it is self supporting when placed on a ferromagnetic surface. The upper surface of the card, when positioned on the carrier sheet within the opening, is preferably substantially co-planar with the top side of the matrix sheet.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/953,011 filed Sep. 11, 2001, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/135,586 filed Apr. 30, 2002, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention concerns a web of paper or other non-magnetic material serving as a carrier and which includes a card detachably coupled to the carrier. The carrier page carries the card within a recess provided in the carrier page which helps to maintain a substantially even thickness of the carrier page and facilitates printing of the carrier page when the card is attached. The card and the underlying portion of the carrier page are preferably printed with similar images, and the card may include a magnet component.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Flexible magnetic material has been available for a variety of uses, and provides a convenient way to display information or attach papers to surfaces such as iron, steel, nickel or other ferromagnetic material which is capable of magnetic connection. Such uses have included business cards and “refrigerator magnets” where the flexible magnetic material has been capable of holding paper to a steel surface. Further, paper overlays have been adhesively attached to flexible magnetic backings to provide calendars or perforated redeemable coupons.

[0006] These uses of flexible magnetic material have met with certain limitations. While generally capable of imprinting by itself, the flexible magnetic material has not been provided in such a way as to provide for imprinting as an integrated component of a composite element or form. Moreover, magnetic attraction between the cards and the steel components of printing presses causes the magnetic cards to interfere with the feeding and printing processes both during typical flexographic and offset printing as well as ordinary desktop printers such as laser jet printers and ink jet printers.

[0007] Business cards and similar products have also been used for some time as a means of providing information to prospective customers and other interested parties. One problem presented when business cards are attached to another sheet of paper such as by a paper clip is that upon removal of the business card, the information provided thereby is no longer found on or associated with the sheet of paper to which the business card is attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention largely solves these problems and presents new opportunities by the composite form construction which readily lends itself to printing and ease of use. Moreover, the form of the present invention is especially useful in bound publications as a page which provides detachable cards, which may be of a variety of different materials and may include a magnet component. In especially preferred forms, the form hereof provides a card with printed information which, when removed, presents a corresponding image in the recess of the carrier page vacated by the card.

[0009] Broadly speaking, the present invention concerns a form which includes a carrier page of a non-magnetic material and a detachable card. The card may be of paper, synthetic resin, metal, foil, composite materials, or combinations, and may include magnetic material capable of attachment to ferromagnetic surfaces. The carrier page preferably includes a backing sheet with an adhesive coating on at least a portion of one surface thereof which is printable on both sides, and a matrix sheet presenting at least one opening therein. The matrix sheet is adhered to the backing sheet. A card with a paper or other printable top side and which may include a flexible magnetic component is preferably inserted into the opening and held by adhesive until ready to be removed, the card remaining with the carrier page during printing subsequent to such attachment. As used herein, “adhesive” or “adhesively” is intended to include all methods of adhesion, including wettable adhesives, pressure sensitive adhesives, cohesives and dry technology bonding. The card is relatively thin, preferably of a thickness such that when coupled to the backing sheet of the carrier page, the upper surface of the card is substantially co-planar with the top side of the matrix sheet.

[0010] The carrier page is uniquely provided to be printed not only on the back face of the backing sheet and the top side of the matrix sheet, but also printable on the front face of the backing sheet which carries the adhesive thereon. The printing on the front face of the backing sheet may be applied over the adhesive, and positioned in registry with the printing applied to the removable cards, such that upon removal of the cards, a similar image to that of the upper surface of the card is revealed in the space vacated by it. In this way, the image printed on the card is either repeated or replicated so that upon removal of the card, a similar image is shown within the opening in the matrix sheet vacated by the card. This is especially advantageous when the form is bound into a publication such as a directory, catalog, magazine or the like which will be retained, so that the image of the upper surface of the card is replicated and remains in the publication after the card is removed.

[0011] The form hereof is constructed to be produced in commercial quantities in automated manufacturing facilities so as to be economically produced, printed and, when desired, bound into a publication. One preferred method of producing the form includes initially providing a matrix sheet stock which is die cut to provide openings for receiving the card. In this process, a backing sheet stock is provided, preferably with a liner which is removed so that the front face of the backing sheet stock is printed with an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink. The backing sheet stock with its liner removed is then mated to the matrix sheet stock whereupon the back face of the backing sheet and the top side of the matrix sheet may be printed. The printing applied on the front face of the backing sheet is in preselected spacing or registry corresponding to the positioning and size of the openings in the matrix sheet stock so that the printing on the front face of the backing sheet stock appears within the openings in the matrix sheet stock. The card or cards are provided from card stock which is printed on its upper surface, die cut to provide individual cards, which may be of the same or different sizes, and then adhered to the front face of the backing sheet stock and inserted into the openings of the matrix sheet stock. The matrix sheet stock and backing sheet stock with the cards adhered thereon are then cut to appropriate sizes into, for example, page-sized sheets, for further customized printing if desired, insertion and binding into a publication, or are ready for use as individual forms. The cards maybe removed from the form and are then ready for retention by the recipient and when the cards include a magnet element, may be magnetically attached to a surface capable of holding a magnet. The magnet element, when a part of the card, is uniquely constructed so as to remain with and not become detached from the form as it moves around rollers and the like during printing and not interfere with the operation of desktop printers when customization is desired. Advantageously, the printing on the front face of the backing sheet allows the information printed thereon, preferably similar if not the same as that of the magnetic card, to be visible in the opening and thus the removal of the card does not result in the loss of the information. Such a presentation is beneficial to advertisers in a publication so that the message sought to be conveyed is not lost from the publication when the card is removed. The character of the adhesive remaining on the front face of the backing sheet and the type of sheet adjacent to the form in publications are preferably such that upon removal of the card, the adjacent page of a publication facing the front face of the backing sheet does not unacceptably adhere to the form.

[0012] These and other advantages will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and description which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is diagrammatic view of a press assembly for producing the form of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a publication including the form hereof, showing one of a plurality of magnetic cards of the form removed to show the adhesive and printing in the opening vacated by the removed card and another card being pulled away therefrom; and

[0015] FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the form taken through one of the magnetic cards to show the construction of the form and the substantially constant thickness of the form while the card remains adhered to the backing sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Referring now to the drawings, a form 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown in section in FIG. 3 and broadly includes a plurality of cards 12 and a carrier sheet 14 adhesively carrying the cards 12. The carrier sheet 14 includes a backing sheet 16 and a matrix sheet 18. The matrix sheet 18 is provided with at least one and preferably a plurality of openings 20 for receiving the cards 12 therein.

[0017] In greater detail, the cards 12 maybe of paper, synthetic resin, composite materials, metals, foil, or combinations thereof. In one particularly preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the cards 12 are laminated to include a flexible magnetic element 22 and a top laminate 24 of paper, synthetic resin or other printable stock adhered to the magnet element 22 by a layer of adhesive 26. The adhesive 26 may be any conventional adhesive providing good adherence such as a pressure sensitive adhesive as it is intended that the magnet element 22 and the top laminate 24 preferably, though not necessarily, be permanently bonded in registry. The cards 12 have an upper surface 28 and a bottom surface 30 and are flexible, and in that regard the magnet element 22 may be constructed of ferrite powder bonded with rubber as is well known to those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the magnet element 22 is especially magnetically influenced for use in printing so as to be printable by desktop printers such as laser printers and ink jet printers as well as in offset, flexographic and other presses for larger production runs. It has been found that a particularly beneficial construction of the magnet element 22 is a 7 mil thickness flexible magnetic material such as that sold by Magnum Magnetics of Marietta, Ohio under the trademark Digimag, and the top laminate is of a semi-gloss paper or a synthetic resin laminate having a thickness of about 5 mil thickness whereby the thickness of the card 12 is about 12 mils. The cards 12 having a magnet element 22 are initially provided on a magnetic card stock 32 passed by a magnetic influencer with an air gap of about 0.005 to about 0.010 inch between the influencer and the magnetic card stock 32, thereby creating a magnetic field in the magnetic card stock 32 with a magnetic density of about 14 poles per inch and a resulting field strength of about 85 gauss for each pole when measured at a distance of about 0.004 inches from the bottom surface 30 and 65 gauss when measured at a distance of about 0.015 inches from the bottom surface 30. The top laminate 24 acts as a shield and thus results in a very low and almost undetectable magnetic field strength when measured from the upper surface 28 of the card 12. The magnetic card stock 32 is die cut into the individual magnetic cards 12 so that the surrounding edges 34 of the top laminate 24 and the magnet element 22 are aligned and co-extensive. Indicia is preferably printed on the upper surface 28 of the cards 12, and as shown in FIG. 2, the indicia 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D, 36F, 36G and 36H corresponding to each of a multiplicity of cards 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F, 12G and 12H of the form 10 maybe different.

[0018] The backing sheet 16 may be provided of paper or synthetic resin or other non-magnetic material, and is provided from a backing sheet stock 38 which includes the backing sheet 16 material, adhesive 40 and a liner 42 such as a silicone release liner. The backing sheet 16 thus has a front face 44 and a back face 46, and a surrounding margin 48. The character of the adhesive 40 is such that it may receive ink thereon, and in particular a UV curable ink, without impairing the quality of the printing received thereon, impairing the adhesion between the backing sheet 16 and the magnetic card 12, or transferring to the magnetic card 12 when detached from the backing sheet 16. One suitable material useful as the backing sheet stock is MatLitho/PS402/40DT available from Precision Web Coating of Dayton, Ohio.

[0019] Alternatively, a conventional pressure sensitive adhesive may be used to connect the matrix sheet 18 and the backing sheet 16, and the adhesive 40 for coupling the magnetic card 12 to the backing sheet 16 may be provided as a UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive which is applied directly to the bottom surface 30 of the magnetic card stock 32 by pattern coating. The application of the UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive as adhesive 40 is then be applied within the area of the individual cards 12 to be defined by die cutting of the surrounding edges 34. The UV curable pressure sensitive adhesive in this instance is cured by UV radiation supplied by a UV radiation source prior to die cutting and tipping of the cards 12 into the openings 20. One suitable UV pressure sensitive adhesive for this application is a repositionable adhesive which remains with the cards 12 after separation from the carrier sheet 14 and which enables the magnet cards 12 to be held not only by ferromagnetic surfaces but by any surface which accepts the adhesive, and permits the cards 12 to be successively repositioned on different receiving surfaces. Such a repositionable UV pressure sensitive adhesive also avoids leaving a residue of adhesive on the backing sheet 16 once the individual cards are removed.

[0020] The matrix sheet 18 is a non-magnetic material such as paper or synthetic resin, supplied as matrix sheet stock 50 as shown in FIG. 1. The matrix sheet 18 has a top side 52 and an inner side 54 facing the backing sheet 16, and an outer perimeter 56 which is in registry with the surrounding margin 48 of the backing sheet 16 when adhered thereto in superposed relationship. The material, such as a non-gloss paper, used for the matrix sheet 18 is such that it is preferably permanently adhered to the backing sheet 16, although a lesser degree of adhesion permitting separation between the backing sheet 16 and the matrix sheet 18 may be desired in some applications. During an automated process for making the form 10, the matrix sheet stock 50 is die cut whereby chads 58 are removed to provide openings 20. The matrix sheet 18 is preferably of the same thickness as the magnetic card 12, for example a 12 mil 100 pound tag semi-gloss paper. The openings 20 have an inner perimeter 60 with dimensions slightly greater than the surrounding edges 34 of the cards 12 so that the cards 12 are inlayed and fit completely within the openings 20 without overlap between the cards 12 and the matrix sheet 18, and a gap 62 is presented between the cards 12 and the surrounding matrix sheet 18.

[0021] The carrier sheet 14 may also be printed. Printing may be applied both to the top side of the matrix sheet 18 and the back face of the backing sheet. Further the front face of the backing sheet 16 may be printed, either before the application of the adhesive 40 or after removal of the liner 42 and over the adhesive 40 and then cured. The printing applied to the front face of the backing sheet 16 is most preferably in preselected, spaced locations corresponding to the location of the openings 20 when the matrix sheet 18 is adhered to the backing sheet 16, so that the printing is within an area of the backing sheet 16 defined by the inner perimeter 60 of each opening as shown in FIG. 2. The printing on the front face of the backing sheet 16 corresponds to and is preferably the same or very similar to that appearing on the upper surface of the cards 12. By “similar” as used herein, it is to be understood that minor changes, additions or deletions from the indicia 36 on the upper surface of cards 12 may be made on the printing appearing on the front face of the backing sheet 16 but that the images substantially correspond to one another. For example, if four color printing is used to print indicia 36A or 36B on cards 12A and 12B, then the use of one or two color printing for the corresponding images 64A and 64B as shown in FIG. 2 would be “similar”.

[0022] The form 10 hereof may be produced as separate sheets, provided as a plate having a plurality of sheets which may later be separated along lines of weakness, or as a continuous form separated by perforations and fan-folded or rolled as is well known in the art. The form may be provided in various sizes and have one or a plurality of cards 12 carried on the carrier sheet 14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the form 10 may be bound along one side of the margin of the carrier sheet and thus incorporated into a publication 66 such as a magazine, catalog or directory. When so bound, the top side of the matrix sheet 18 is preferably opposed to a facing sheet 68 of synthetic resin, gloss or semi-gloss paper so that upon removal of a card 12, any adhesive 40 remaining in the opening does not adhere sufficiently to the facing sheet 66 to cause tearing or defacing. In addition, the form 10 may be provided as a loose insert into the publication 66 without binding.

[0023] In making the form 10 hereof, the matrix sheet stock 50 is provided and routed by various tensioning rollers and past printers, if desired, to a die cutting station 70. There, the openings 20 are cut into the matrix sheet stock 50 and the resulting chads 58 are removed by pressurized air from an air jet station 72, a vacuum 74, or both as shown in FIG. 1. The backing sheet stock 38 is also provided and routed past various rollers for tensioning and feeding in proper registry and then the liner 42 is temporarily separated from the backing sheet 16 so that the latter may be routed to a first print station 76 where indicia 36 is printed and then past UV emitter 78 for curing of the ink applied thereon. The backing sheet 42 may again be mated to the liner 42 prior to delamination station 80 where the liner is separated again and then routed to a liner take-up station 82. The backing sheet 16 is then routed to second print station 84 where it is mated to the matrix sheet stock 50 after die cutting and removal of the chads 58, the backing sheet 16 being mated to the matrix sheet stock 50 in proper alignment and registry so that the image 64 is located in proper alignment and viewable through the openings 20 cut into the matrix sheet stock. Additional indicia is preferably printed at second print station 84 on the top side of the matrix sheet stock 52 and the back face of the backing sheet stock 38. The card stock 32 may be printed online or in the example shown in FIG. 1, may be preprinted at a separate station. The card stock 32 is introduced to mate with the matrix sheet stock 50 at card die cut station 86 where the individual cards 12 are die cut and immediately tipped into inlaid positions within the openings 20. The waste from the card stock 32 (the portion left after the cards 12 are die cut and tipped in) is then fed to a take up roll 88. The joined cards 12, matrix sheet stock 50 and backing sheet 16 may then be cut into individual forms 10 at sheeting station 90, or alternatively may be perforated and fan folded, rolled, or cut into plates having a plurality of such forms 10. The individual cards 12 may be removed in use, and where an indicia was displayed on the removed card 12, a corresponding and similar image 64 is revealed in the opening 20 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] In the alternate process of making the form 10 referenced above, the card stock 32 may be pattern coated with adhesive 40 by, for example, spraying on the adhesive 40 to the bottom surface 30 of the card stock 32 in locations corresponding to where the individual cards 12 will be die cut at card die cut station 86. In this instance, the backing sheet 16 is provided with a release coating which may receive printing thereon, and the use of the liner 42 is not required. The adhesive 40, such as a repositionable adhesive, remains with the card 12 after removal. When cards 12 without a magnetic element 22 are used, the card 12 may nonetheless be applied and self supporting on a receiving surface in the same manner as when a magnetic element 22 is a part of the card 12 which is applied onto a ferromagnetic surface.

[0025] Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is byway of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of printing the indicia 36 and the image 64, the indicia and the image could be embossed, engraved by laser, or created by some other method. In addition, the card can be of paper, foil or other material as described above, and may be of opaque, translucent or transparent material.

[0026] The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.

Claims

1. A form adapted for printing comprising:

a carrier sheet including a backing sheet having a front face, a back face and a surrounding margin, the backing sheet being adhered to a matrix sheet in superposed relationship, the matrix sheet having an outer perimeter, a top side and an inner side facing the front face of the carrier sheet, the matrix sheet including at least one opening positioned interiorly of the outer perimeter and defined by an inner perimeter, a portion of the front face positioned interiorly of the inner perimeter and visible within the opening having an image; and

a card removably and adhesively coupled to the front face of the backing sheet, the card having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a surrounding edge, the card being sized and positioned such that the surrounding edge is positioned within the inner perimeter of the matrix sheet, the upper surface of the card having indicia similar to the image on the portion of the front face whereby the card initially overlies the image and, upon removal of the card from the carrier sheet, the image which corresponds to the indicia is viewable.

2. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the card has a thickness and the matrix sheet has a thickness which is substantially the same as the thickness of the card whereby when the card is positioned within the opening, the upper surface of the card is substantially coplanar with the top side of the matrix sheet.

3. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the image and the indicia are printed.

4. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the form includes a plurality of openings and a plurality of cards corresponding to the plurality of openings, said cards being positioned within the openings and removably adhered to the backing sheet.

5. A form as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of the cards has a different indicia on its upper surface and a similar image corresponding to each of said different indicia is positioned within the inner perimeter of each of said openings so as to be viewable when any card having one of said different images is removed from the carrier sheet.

6. A form as set forth in claim 1, including adhesive positioned between the bottom surface of the card and the front face of the backing sheet.

7. A form as set forth in claim 6, wherein the adhesive remains on the front face of the backing sheet when the card is removed from the opening.

8. A form as set forth in claim 6, wherein the adhesive remains on the bottom surface of the card when the card is removed from the opening.

9. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the form is bound into a publication.

10. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the card is laminated to include a top laminate of a first material and a bottom element of a second material.

11. A form as set forth in claim 10, wherein the bottom element is a magnetic element of flexible magnetic material and the carrier sheet is non-magnetic.

12. A form as set forth in claim 11, wherein the top laminate is a non-ferromagnetic material.

13. A form as set forth in claim 11, wherein the flexible magnetic material has a magnetic field and is of a thickness whereby, when the card is coupled to the carrier sheet, the form is adapted for printing by a desktop printer.

14. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the top side of the matrix sheet is printed.

15. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the back face of the backing sheet is printed.

16. A form as set forth in claim 1, the surrounding margin the backing sheet being in substantial registry with the outer perimeter of the matrix sheet.

17. A form adapted for printing comprising:

a carrier sheet of a non-magnetic material including a backing sheet having a front face, a back face and a surrounding margin, the backing sheet being adhered to a matrix sheet in superposed relationship, the matrix sheet having an outer perimeter, a top side and an inner side facing the front face of the carrier sheet, the matrix sheet including at least one opening positioned interiorly of the outer perimeter and defined by an inner perimeter; and

a card removably and adhesively coupled to the front face of the backing sheet, the card having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a surrounding edge and including a magnetic element, the card being sized and positioned such that the surrounding edge is positioned within the inner perimeter of the matrix sheet, the upper surface of the card having indicia printed thereon, the upper surface of the card being substantially coplanar with the top side of the matrix sheet.

18. A form as set forth in claim 17, wherein the matrix sheet includes a plurality of openings and including a plurality of cards, a corresponding one of said cards being positioned in each of said plurality of openings.

19. A form as set forth in claim 17, a portion of the front face positioned interiorly of the inner perimeter and visible within the opening having an image printed thereon.

20. A form as set forth in claim 19, wherein the indicia on the card is similar to the image on the portion of the front face whereby the card initially overlies the image and, upon removal of the card from the carrier sheet, the image which corresponds to the indicia is viewable.

21. A form as set forth in claim 19, wherein adhesive is positioned between said front face of said backing sheet and said bottom surface of said card.

22. A form as set forth in claim 21, wherein the adhesive remains adhered to the bottom surface of the card after the card is removed from the carrier sheet.

23. A form as set forth in claim 22, wherein the adhesive is a repositionable adhesive.

24. A form as set forth in claim 17, wherein the card is laminated to include a top laminate of a first material and a bottom element of a second material.

25. A form as set forth in claim 24, wherein the bottom element is a magnetic element of flexible magnetic material and the carrier sheet is non-magnetic.

26. A form as set forth in claim 25, wherein the flexible magnetic material has a magnetic field and is of a thickness whereby, when the card is coupled to the carrier sheet, the form is adapted for printing by a desktop printer.

27. A form as set forth in claim 24, wherein the top laminate is a non-ferromagnetic material.

28. A form as set forth in claim 17, wherein the top side of the matrix sheet is printed.

29. A form as set forth in claim 17, wherein the back face of the backing sheet is printed.