Separable or opening portions for printable sheet material

Abstract

A printable sheet material includes a panel having an integral separable portion and a starting mechanism formed on the separable portion. At least one tearable line is formed in the panel permitting the separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of the panel. The tearable line includes a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts spaced along the line, each of the channeling cuts formed by a converging pair of cuts having a wider spaced end and a narrower spaced end. The channeling cuts are oriented with the wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism and the narrower spaced ends pointed in a tearing direction extending away from the starting mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A printable sheet material having an opening structure comprising:
 a panel having an integral separable portion;   a starting mechanism formed in the panel as a free edge of the separable portion, the free edge being spaced from all edges of the panel; and   a pair of tearable lines formed in the panel, the starting mechanism extending between one end of each of the tearable lines, the starting mechanism and the tearable lines forming edges of the separable portion including the free edge, the tearable lines permitting the separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of the panel, each of the tearable lines including a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts, the channeling cuts being spaced apart along the tearable lines separated only by solid area connectors, each of the channeling cuts formed by a converging pair of cuts having a wider spaced end and a narrower spaced end, the channeling cuts being oriented with the wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism to point in a tearing direction extending away from the starting mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the starting mechanism is adjacent a void area formed in the panel. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet material according to  claim 2  wherein the starting mechanism is shaped as one of a tab extending outwardly from the separable portion, a curved edge extending into the separable portion, a curved edge of the separable portion and a corner of the separable portion. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  including at least one of a straight cut, an angled cut, an arcuate cut and a hockey stick shaped cut formed in the panel in the tearable lines between the starting mechanism and the channeling cuts. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the separable portion has a generally rectangular shape that extends from the starting mechanism to a side flap of the panel, and including a plurality of cut lines in the tearable lines formed as overlapping “hockey stick” shapes that extend from the starting mechanism to the channeling cuts at angles relative to a path of the channeling cuts. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the separable portion is formed with a generally circular shape and is fully separable from the remaining portion of the panel, the tearable lines being arcuate. 
     
     
         7 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the separable portion has a generally rectangular shape and is fully separable from the remaining portion, the separable portion being surrounded by the channeling cuts interrupted by the starting mechanism. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet material according to  claim 7  wherein the separable portion is tilted with only a corner forming the starting mechanism and overlapping a portion of a rectangular area of an attachment device where there is no adhesive, the attachment device being adjacent a window formed in the remaining portion of the panel. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the tearable lines are curved. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  including a patch material adhesively affixed to the panel with adhesive extending along opposite sides of at least a portion of one of the tearable lines to enable the separable portion when fully separated from the remaining portion of the panel to be removably or permanently affixed to one of the remaining portion of the panel and a separate object. 
     
     
         11 . The sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein the panel is a front panel for forming an envelope and including a patch affixed to the front panel remaining portion solely by an adhesive attachment device on the front panel remaining portion and the patch overlapping less than an entire facing surface of the separable portion wherein when the sheet material is formed into an envelope and the separable portion is at least partially separated from the front panel remaining portion an opening is created between an edge of the patch and the separable portion for at least one of direct view of, access to, and extraction of contents within the envelope. 
     
     
         12 . The sheet material according to  claim 11  wherein the separable portion is at least partially detachable along a third tearable line formed in the front panel and extending between the tearable lines of the pair of tearable lines. 
     
     
         13 . The sheet material according to  claim 11  wherein the separable portion is positioned to enable removal of at least one of addressing information, address correction information, interoffice routing, postage evidencing methods, shipping, advertising and instructional information from the front panel. 
     
     
         14 . The sheet material according to  claim 11  wherein a remaining separable portion of the separable portion remains attached to the front panel after a detachable portion of the the separable portion is removed, the remaining separable portion including an attachment device for resealing for reuse or subsequent re-access when the sheet material is formed into an envelope. 
     
     
         15 . The sheet material according to  claim 11  wherein when the sheet material is formed into an envelope and the separable portion is least partially separated from the remaining portion, graphics or information on the patch is displayed including at least one of return or reply graphics, instructions, addressing information, postage evidencing methods, indicia, postage labels, interoffice use, filing, and other information that is useful for forwarding, shipping, mailing, reuse, re-mailing, reshipping the remaining portion. 
     
     
         16 . A printable sheet material having an opening structure comprising:
 a panel having an integral separable portion;   a starting mechanism formed on the separable portion; and   at least one tearable line formed in the panel permitting the separable portion to be at least partially separated from a remaining portion of the panel, the at least one tearable line including a plurality of open “V” channeling cuts spaced along and centered on the at least one tearable line, each of the channeling cuts formed by a converging pair of cuts having a wider spaced end and a narrower spaced end, the channeling cuts being oriented with the wider spaced ends facing toward the starting mechanism and the narrower spaced ends pointing in a tearing direction extending away from the starting mechanism.   
     
     
         17 . The sheet material according to  claim 16  wherein the separable portion is a tear strip extending between opposite edges of the panel, the at least one tearable line forming an edge of the tear strip and another tearable line of the open “V” channeling cuts spaced from and forming a parallel edge of the tear strip, all of the open “V” channeling cuts pointing in the tearing direction. 
     
     
         18 . The sheet material according to  claim 17  wherein the tearable lines extend from one of the opposite edges of the panel to adjacent to and spaced from another one of the opposite edges. 
     
     
         19 . The sheet material according to  claim 16  wherein the at least one tearable line is curved. 
     
     
         20 . The sheet material according to  claim 16  wherein no other cut lines are positioned between adjacent ones of the channeling cuts.