Envelopes with flood-coated bonding element

Abstract

Envelopes have a bonding element, such as an adhesive material, applied to a majority of the interior surface of at least one wall of the container, so that seals defining dimensions of the containers can be formed from the bonding element at any desired position along the height or length of a web from which the container is formed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An envelope for holding an item, comprising:
 a first flexible wall;   a second flexible wall overlying the first flexible wall and affixed to the first flexible wall about at least a portion of a pocket border, which pocket border encloses a pocket defined at least in part by the first and second flexible walls and configured and dimensioned to contain the item, at least one of the first and second flexible walls defining a pocket opening allowing access to the pocket from an exterior of the envelope for loading the item into the pocket, the second wall being affixed to an adjacent portion of the envelope by at least a first seal; and   a bonding element covering a majority of a surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls, wherein the first seal is formed from the bonding element.   
     
     
         2 . The envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding element comprises a heat-activatable material. 
     
     
         3 . The envelope of  claim 2 , wherein the heat-activatable material comprises a heat-sealable material. 
     
     
         4 . The envelope of  claim 2 , wherein the heat-activatable material comprises a hot melt adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first seal extends in a lengthwise direction of the envelope. 
     
     
         6 . The envelope of  claim 5 , wherein the second wall is further affixed to the first wall by a second seal extending in a direction generally transverse to the lengthwise direction of the envelope, the second seal being formed from the bonding element. 
     
     
         7 . The envelope of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the second wall is further affixed to the first wall by a third seal extending in a direction generally transverse to the lengthwise direction of the envelope, the third seal being formed from the bonding element; and   the second and third seals define at least a portion of the pocket border.   
     
     
         8 . The envelope of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first seal extends along a first side edge portion of the envelope; and   the second and third seals extend between the first seal and a second side edge portion of the envelope.   
     
     
         9 . The envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding element covers a substantial entirety of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls. 
     
     
         10 . The envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding element covers at least about 85 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls. 
     
     
         11 . The envelope of  claim 10 , wherein the bonding element covers at least about 90 percent of the surface of at least one of the first and second flexible walls. 
     
     
         12 . The envelope of  claim 11 , wherein the bonding element covers at least about 100 percent of the surface of the first and second flexible walls. 
     
     
         13 . The envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second walls comprise paper. 
     
     
         14 . The envelope of  claim 7 , wherein the first, second, and third seals are formed from activated portions of the heat-activatable material. 
     
     
         15 . The envelope of  claim 14 , wherein a portion of the heat-activatable material is not activated. 
     
     
         16 . A system for forming an envelope, comprising:
 the web stock of  claim 7 ; and   a bagging machine comprising a sealing device configured to locally heat the web stock to form, from the bonding element, the second seal and the third seal.   
     
     
         17 . A method for forming a envelope configured to hold an item to be packaged, the method comprising:
 providing a web stock comprising: a first wall; a second wall overlying the first wall and affixed to the first flexible wall about at least a portion of a pocket border that encloses a pocket defined between the first and second walls and configured to contain the item; and a bonding element covering a majority of a surface of at least one of the first and second walls, the bonding element forming a first seal extending in a generally lengthwise direction of the web stock; and   forming, from the bonding element, a second seal and a third seal between the first and second walls, wherein at least the second and third seals form a portion of the pocket.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the second and third seals extend in a generally transverse direction of the web stock; and   the method further comprises advancing the web stock in a lengthwise direction of the web stock by a first distance after forming the second seal and before forming the third seal, the first distance corresponding to a desired dimension of the envelope in a lengthwise direction of the envelope.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 forming the second seal and the third seal comprises forming the second seal and the third seal using a sealing device configured to apply heat to the web stock; and   advancing the web stock in a lengthwise direction of the web stock by a first distance comprises advancing the web stock to align a location on the web stock at which the third seal is to be formed with the sealing device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 inserting the item to be packaged into the pocket after forming the second seal and before forming the third seal; and   separating the envelope from the web stock by forming a line of separation through the third seal.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the envelope is a first envelope; and   the method further comprises advancing the web stock by a second distance after separating the envelope from the web stock, the second distance corresponding to a desired lengthwise dimension of a second envelope to be formed from the web stock.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second distance is unequal to the first distance. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming a third seal between the first and second walls comprises forming the third seal at a location spaced from the second seal in the lengthwise direction of the web stock by a distance about equal to a desired dimension of the envelope in the lengthwise direction of the web stock. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising varying a spacing between the second and third seals to provide the envelope with a predetermined dimension in the lengthwise direction of the web stock.