Wiper blade package

• US 20050252812A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Portage Plastics Corporation (Lacerta Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Portage Plastics Corporation (Lacerta Group LLC)
• Inventors: Lewis, Gregg S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3898 method for manufacturing wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/6882 vehicle parts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/6885 wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/225 the sheet or blank comprising more than one fold line B65D75/245 takes precedence

Abstract

An elongate article holding package for a wiper blade having a pair of package panels with at least one of the panels including a blade beam receiving seat and a support flat upon which part of the blade rests during packaging. When closed, the flats position and can clamp the blade therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, both panels are so configured and preferably include one or more longitudinal stiffeners that oppose bending moments created by force transmitted to the package by the blade beam. The package preferably is of tri-fold construction having a spine that is spaced from and protects the wiper element. The spine preferably includes at least a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending stiffeners. One or more stiffening flanges preferably are also provided. When closed, the panels and spine advantageously cooperate with each other to increase package crush and bending resistance.

Claims

1. A wiper blade package for a beam-type wiper blade comprising a plurality of elongate package panels, at least one of which is three dimensionally contoured along a longitudinal extent to substantially conform to at least a portion of an elongate beam-type wiper blade, wherein one of the package panels releasably engages the other one of the package panels releasably retaining the beam-type wiper blade therebetween.

2. The wiper blade package of claim 1 wherein longitudinally extending side edges of the beam-type are retained captive between the package panels when the package panels are releasably engaged without contacting a hinged wiping edge of the wiping element.

3. The wiper blade package of claim 2 wherein one of the package panels has a snap and the other one of the panels has a snap receiver that releasably receives the snap of the one of the package panels to releasably engage the package panels.

4. The wiper blade package of claim 3 further comprising a spine connected by a first hinge to one of the package panels and connected by a second hinge to the other one of the package panels forming a wiper blade package of tri-fold construction.

5. The wiper blade package of claim 4 wherein the package panels and spine form a package of clamshell construction.

6. The wiper blade package of claim 4 wherein a portion of each one of the package panels and the spine define a protective chamber encompassing the hinged wiping edge of the wiping element when the package panels are releasably engaged without any part of the hinged wiping edge contacting any part of the protective chamber.

7. A wiper blade package arrangement comprising:

a pair of package halves with one of the package halves having a recess formed therein for receiving a portion of a wiper blade therein;

a hinge arrangement interconnecting the package halves; and

one of the package halves releasably engages the other one of the package halves to releasably retain a wiper blade received in the recess.

8. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the recess in one of the pair of package halves is constructed and arranged to releasably retain a wiper blade without contacting a tip of a wiper blade element of the wiper blade.

9. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of latches that releasably keep one of the halves in a closed position relative to the other one of the halves.

10. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 9, wherein each latch comprises a snap that has a snap button integrally formed in one of the package halves and a snap button retainer integrally formed in the other one of the package halves.

11. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 10, wherein each snap button comprises a boss and each snap button retainer comprises a pocket that receives and frictionally engages the boss.

12. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the package halves are substantially identical.

13. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the hinge arrangement comprises an end piece that is attached to one of the package halves by a first hinge and the other one of the package halves by a second hinge.

14. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 13, wherein the pair of halves and the end piece form a package arrangement of tri-fold construction.

15. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the recess in one of the pair of halves comprises a seat that receives a portion of a beam of a wiper blade.

16. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 15, wherein the seat is defined by a land and a lip against which part of the wiper blade beam can bear when disposed in the seat.

17. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 16, wherein the seat further comprises a pair of spaced apart beam retainer notches defined by the lip, the land and a beam abutment surface opposing the lip.

18. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 16, wherein the beam abutment surface of each beam retainer notch is formed by a latch that releasably latches one of the package halves to the other one of the package halves and holds one or both package halves in a closed position.

19. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the package halves are asymmetrical such that one package half has a clearance recess for receiving a blade coupler.

20. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 7, wherein the package arrangement has a plurality of lengthwise extending stiffening ribs.

21. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 20, wherein each stiffening rib is integrally formed.

22. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 20, wherein each stiffening rib has a curvilinear cross section.

23. A wiper blade package arrangement comprising a pair of wiper blade clamps spaced apart by an interconnecting brace with each clamp comprised of a plurality of clamp jaws that releasably receive therebetween a portion of a wiper blade.

24. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein the wiper blade package arrangement comprises a nest or insert that is received in a separate package.

25. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23 wherein each clamp comprises a wiper blade beam seat into which a portion of a beam of a wiper blade is received when the package arrangement is disposed in a closed position with one of the jaws of each clamp releasably engaged with the other one of the jaws of the clamp.

26. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein one of the jaws of one clamp and one of the jaws of the other clamp are interconnected by a first webbing such that moving one of the jaws of the one clamp substantially simultaneously moves the other jaw of the other clamp and the interconnecting first webbing, and the other one of the jaws of the one clamp and the other one of the jaws of the other clamp are interconnected by a second webbing such that moving the other one of the jaws of the one clamp substantially simultaneously moves the other one of the jaws of the other clamp and the interconnecting second webbing.

27. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 26, wherein the one of the jaws of the one clamp, the one of the jaws of the other clamp, and the interconnecting first webbing comprise a first package halve, the other one of the jaws of the one clamp, the other one of the jaws of the other clamp, and the interconnecting second webbing comprise a second package halve, and further comprising a hinge assembly that extends between the first webbing and the second webbing.

28. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein part of the wiper beam is releasably clamped between the jaws of each clamp without contacting a tip of a flexible elastomeric wiper blade element.

29. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein one of the clamps receives and retains a part of the wiper blade located on one side of an adapter of the wiper blade and the other one of the clamps receives and retains a different part of the wiper blade located on the other side of the adapter of the wiper blade.

30. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein the package arrangement is formed from a web or sheet of plastic having a thickness of between about 10 mils and about 15 mils such that the package arrangement is of one-piece, unitary and homogenous construction.

31. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 23, wherein the package arrangement has a plurality of lengthwise extending stiffening ribs.

32. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 31, wherein each stiffening rib is integrally formed.

33. The wiper blade package arrangement of claim 31, wherein each stiffening rib has a curvilinear cross section.