Contour flat blade packaging design
First Claim
1. A flat blade style wiper blade and shipping container package assembly, said assembly comprising:
- a flat blade windshield wiper having at least one elongated and curved flexor, a wiper element operatively connected to said flexor, and a connector affixed to said flexor generally midway along the length thereof;
a protective package surrounding said wiper, said package including a flexible front panel, a generally planar back panel, a generally planar left side panel adjoining respective sides of said front and back panels, and a generally planar right side panel adjoining respective sides of said front and back panels opposite said left side panel;
said package further including respective top and bottom end flaps spaced apart from one another, said top and bottom end flaps extending between said front and back panels for forcing said front panel to form in a generally semi-cylindrical configuration bowed outwardly relative to said back panel;
said wiper disposed in a shipping condition in said package between said top and bottom end flaps, with said connector of said wiper bearing in direct pressing contact with said bowed front panel while said wiper element is maintained in a spaced, non-touching relation to any portion of said package; and
wherein said flexor further includes longitudinally spaced apart terminal ends, and an end cap covering each of said terminal ends, said end caps pressing simultaneously and continuously outwardly against said front and back panels.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flat blade windshield wiper blade (12) has a naturally elongated curve with a delicate wiper element (16) to be protected during shipping and display for retail sales purposes. A protective package (12) surrounds the wiper (12). The package (12) is made from a single piece of sheet stock and includes a flexible, outwardly bowed front panel (24), a back panel (26), and opposing left (30) and right (28) side panels adjoining respective sides of the front (24) and back (26) panels. Top (32) and bottom (34) end flaps extend between the front (24) and back (26) panels for forcing the front (24) panel to form in a generally semi-cylindrical configuration bowed outwardly relative to the back panel (26). The wiper (12) is disposed in a shipping condition in the package (12), with a connector (22) feature of the wiper (12) bearing in direct pressing contact with the bowed front panel (24). The wiper element (16) is completely isolated from contacting the package (12) by wedging other portions of the wiper (12) in three discrete regions of direct contact against the bowed front panel (24) and three discrete regions of direct contact against the back panel (26).
62 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A flat blade style wiper blade and shipping container package assembly, said assembly comprising:
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a flat blade windshield wiper having at least one elongated and curved flexor, a wiper element operatively connected to said flexor, and a connector affixed to said flexor generally midway along the length thereof; a protective package surrounding said wiper, said package including a flexible front panel, a generally planar back panel, a generally planar left side panel adjoining respective sides of said front and back panels, and a generally planar right side panel adjoining respective sides of said front and back panels opposite said left side panel; said package further including respective top and bottom end flaps spaced apart from one another, said top and bottom end flaps extending between said front and back panels for forcing said front panel to form in a generally semi-cylindrical configuration bowed outwardly relative to said back panel; said wiper disposed in a shipping condition in said package between said top and bottom end flaps, with said connector of said wiper bearing in direct pressing contact with said bowed front panel while said wiper element is maintained in a spaced, non-touching relation to any portion of said package; and wherein said flexor further includes longitudinally spaced apart terminal ends, and an end cap covering each of said terminal ends, said end caps pressing simultaneously and continuously outwardly against said front and back panels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for containing a flat blade style windshield wiper blade in a shipping and display package, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a flat blade windshield wiper having at least one elongated, curved flexor with longitudinally spaced apart terminal ends, a wiper element operatively connected to the flexor, and a connector affixed to the flexor generally midway along the length thereof; surrounding the wiper with a protective package, wherein the package includes a flexible front panel, a back panel, and opposing left and right side panels respectively adjoining sides of the front and back panels; forcing the front panel to form in a generally semi-cylindrical configuration bowed outwardly relative to the back panel; wedging the wiper in three discrete regions of direct contact against the bowed front panel and three discrete regions of direct contact against the back panel while maintaining the wiper element in a spaced, non-touching relation to any portion of the package; and said forcing step including laterally displacing the front panel relative to the back panel in direct response to said wedging step whereby the terminal ends of the wiper press continuously against the front and back panels while the connector presses continuously against at least one of the front and back panels. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification