Blank for assembling a device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper

Abstract

Blank (1) for assembling a device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper, said blank (1) being of elongate shape and comprising at least two adjacent longitudinal areas (2, 3) that can be articulated to one another via a longitudinal folding line (4), each longitudinal area (2, 3) being intended to form a longitudinal face of the packaging device, at least one of the longitudinal areas (2, 3) being further articulated at each of its longitudinal ends to an end area (21, 22; 31, 32), via a transverse folding line (5, 6; 7, 8), each end area (21, 22; 31, 32) being adapted to form a substantially transverse end face of the packaging device, said blank (1) being characterized in that it includes, at one of its longitudinal ends at least, longitudinal shock absorbing means (11) situated at the level of the longitudinal folding line (4) and spaced longitudinally and/or extending to a point spaced longitudinally from the transverse folding line or lines (5, 6; 7, 8) of the corresponding longitudinal end of the blank (1).

Claims

1. A blank for assembling a packaging device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper, said blank being of elongate shape and comprising: at least two adjacent longitudinal areas articulated to one another via a longitudinal folding line, each longitudinal area forming a longitudinal face of the packaging device, at least one of the longitudinal areas being further articulated at each of two longitudinal ends to an end area, via a transverse folding line, each end area being adapted to form a substantially transverse end face of the packaging device; and at one of the two longitudinal ends is provided with longitudinal shock absorbing means comprising a slot, wherein the slot is situated at the level of the longitudinal folding line and extends longitudinally from the at one of the two longitudinal ends towards the other of the two longitudinal ends to a point spaced longitudinally from the transverse folding line, wherein the slot extends from the at least one longitudinal end of the blank along the longitudinal folding line and beyond a transverse junction plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal folding line and passing substantially through transverse ends of the transverse folding line, and wherein, when each end area is folded along each transverse folding line to form the transverse end face, the slot extends beyond the transverse junction plane to the point spaced longitudinally from the transverse folding line to form the longitudinal shock absorbing means.

2. The blank according to claim 1, further comprising shock absorbing means at each of its longitudinal ends.

3. The blank according to claim 1, wherein each longitudinal area is articulated to an end area at each of the longitudinal ends via a transverse folding line.

4. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the slot extends over the longitudinal folding line from each longitudinal end of the blank.

5. The blank according to claim 4, wherein one of the longitudinal areas is articulated to a longitudinal flap via another longitudinal folding line, and wherein another slot extends over said other longitudinal folding line from one or each longitudinal end of the blank and beyond a transverse junction plane substantially orthogonal to said other folding line and passing substantially through the transverse ends of the transverse folding line at the corresponding longitudinal end of the blank.

6. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the blank is made from a transparent or translucent plastic material.

7. The blank according to claim 1, wherein said at least two longitudinal areas include openings configured so that after assembly of the packaging device they form a passage for an element for hanging up the packaging device.

8. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the transverse folding lines have a curved shape, and wherein the convex sides of which are oriented toward one another so that after it is assembled the packaging device has two convex curved longitudinal faces and two concave curved transverse faces.

9. A packaging device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper, the packaging device comprising: at least two adjacent longitudinal areas articulated to one another via a longitudinal folding line, each longitudinal area forming a longitudinal face of the packaging device, at least one of the longitudinal areas being further articulated at each of two longitudinal ends to an end area, via a transverse folding line, each end area being adapted to form a substantially transverse end face of the packaging device; at one of the two longitudinal ends is provided with longitudinal shock absorbing means comprising a slot; and at least one windscreen wiper, wherein the slot is situated at the level of the longitudinal folding line and extends longitudinally from the at least one of the two longitudinal ends towards the other of the two longitudinal ends to a point spaced longitudinally from the transverse folding line, wherein the slot extends from the at least one longitudinal end of the blank along the longitudinal folding line and beyond a transverse junction plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal folding line and passing substantially through transverse ends of the transverse folding line, and wherein, when each end area is folded along each transverse folding line to form the transverse end face, the slot extends beyond the transverse junction plane to the point spaced longitudinally from the transverse folding line to form the longitudinal shock absorbing means.

Description

(1) The invention will be better understood and other details, features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view in a plane unfolded position of a blank in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention for assembling a device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper;

(3) FIG. 2A is a detail view of a first longitudinal end or the upper portion of the blank from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 2B is a detail view of a second longitudinal end or the lower portion of the blank from FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 3 is a detail view of the lower portion of a blank in accordance with a second embodiment;

(6) FIG. 4 is a detail view of the lower portion of a blank in accordance with a first variant of the second embodiment;

(7) FIG. 5 is a detail view of the lower portion of a blank in accordance with a second variant of the second embodiment;

(8) FIG. 6 is a detail view of the lower portion of a blank in accordance with a third variant of the second embodiment;

(9) FIG. 7 is a view of a packaging device assembled from the FIG. 1 blank;

(10) FIG. 8A is a detail view of the lower end of a packaging device in accordance with the invention assembled from a blank in accordance with the first embodiment, the packaging device being in a normal position;

(11) FIG. 8B is a detail view of the lower end of a packaging device in accordance with the invention assembled from a blank in accordance with the first embodiment, the packaging device being in a deformed position;

(12) FIG. 9A is a detail view of the lower end of a packaging device in accordance with the invention assembled from a blank in accordance with the second embodiment, the packaging device being in a normal position;

(13) FIG. 9B is a detail view of the lower end of a packaging device in accordance with the invention assembled from a blank in accordance with the second embodiment, the packaging device being in a deformed position.

(14) As shown in FIG. 1, a blank 1 in accordance with the invention for assembling a device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper includes at least two longitudinal areas 2, 3 articulated to one another by a longitudinal folding line 4. For example, FIG. 1 shows a blank with only two longitudinal areas 2, 3, which will yield a packaging device having two longitudinal lateral faces, for example a front face 2 and a rear face 3 joined by edges 4 and 10 (FIG. 7). There may nevertheless be envisaged a packaging blank 1 including more than two longitudinal areas, the plurality of longitudinal areas then defining a polygonal longitudinal profile for the packaging device once assembled.

(15) Each longitudinal end of at least one longitudinal area 2, 3, and preferably both of them, is articulated to an end area 21, 22; 31, 32 via a transverse folding line 5, 6; 7, 8, namely two upper end areas 21, 31 and two lower end areas 22, 32. The two upper end areas 21, 31 are intended to form a substantially transverse end face of the packaging device, the two lower end areas 22, 32 being intended to form the other substantially transverse end face of the packaging device.

(16) The transverse folding lines 5, 6, 7, 8 may be curved, notably of circular arc shape, and their convex sides may be oriented toward one another so that when assembled the packaging device has convex curved front longitudinal faces 2 and 3 and two concave curved transverse faces 21,31 (FIG. 7).

(17) Each longitudinal area 2,3 may include in its upper portion an opening 2A, 3A such that after assembling the packaging device the openings 2A, 3A form a passage 2A for an element for hanging up the packaging device (FIG. 7).

(18) The blank 1 advantageously includes a longitudinal flap 9 that is adjacent one longitudinal area 2 and is articulated to that longitudinal area 2 via a second longitudinal folding line 10. Here the longitudinal folding lines 4, 10 are substantially parallel.

(19) The longitudinal area 2 is bordered by the transverse folding lines 4, 5, 6, 10 which impose its shape on it and the longitudinal area 3 is bordered by the folding lines 4, 7, 8 and by a free longitudinal edge 13. The longitudinal areas 2, 3 have globally the same shape. The end areas 21, 22, 31, 32 also have globally the same shape.

(20) The longitudinal flap 9 is advantageously a flap that makes it possible, when assembling the packaging device, to cause one face of this flap 9 to adhere by means of an adhesive, glue, welding to a portion of a face of the longitudinal area 3, preferably so that the lines 10, 13 substantially coincide. The packaging device then has a transversely closed contour comprising the longitudinal faces 2,3 of the packaging device.

(21) In accordance with the invention, at one of its longitudinal ends at least, the blank 1 includes longitudinal shock absorbing means situated at the level of the longitudinal folding line 4 and spaced longitudinally (and/or extending as far as a longitudinally spaced point) from the transverse folding line or lines 5, 6, 7, 8 of the corresponding longitudinal end of the blank 1.

(22) In a first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the shock absorbing means include a slot 11, optionally passing right through them, that extends from each longitudinal end of the blank 1, along the longitudinal folding line 4, and beyond (i.e. at the same end as the longitudinal areas 2, 3) a transverse junction plane P substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal folding line 4 and passing substantially through the transverse ends E of the transverse folding lines 5, 6, 7, 8 of the corresponding longitudinal end of the blank 1.

(23) At the upper or top end of the blank 1, the slot 11 therefore extends along the longitudinal folding line 4 from the upper longitudinal end of the blank 1 and below the plane P substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal folding line 4 and passing substantially through the transverse ends E of the transverse folding lines 5, 7 of the upper end of the blank 1 (FIG. 2A).

(24) In the same way, at the lower or bottom end of the blank 1, the slot 11 extends along the longitudinal folding line 4 from the lower longitudinal end of the blank 1 and above the plane P substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal folding line 4 and passing substantially through the transverse ends E of the transverse folding lines 6, 8 of the lower end of the blank 1 (FIG. 2B).

(25) The slot 11 may have various shapes, and may notably have a peripheral contour of U, C, V or O shape, for example. The slot 11 or each slot 11 may have a longitudinal dimension between 0.5 and 10 mm and preferably between 1 and 5 mm.

(26) Thanks to the presence of the slots 11, play is created at the level of the end zones 21, 22, 31, 32 of the blank 1 and therefore at the level of the transverse end faces of the packaging device, which makes it possible to create a shock absorbing effect at the level of the slots 11 in the event of an impact or of the packaging device being dropped.

(27) The shock absorbing means advantageously include, at one longitudinal end of the blank 1 at least, and preferably at both longitudinal ends of the blank 1, another slot 12 extending over the second longitudinal folding line 10 from one longitudinal end of the blank 1 and beyond the transverse junction plane P. An improved shock absorbing effect is therefore obtained, because play is provided at each transverse end of the blank 1, and consequently at each transverse end of the packaging device. The slot 12 or the slots 12 extending over the second longitudinal folding line 10 advantageously have the same longitudinal and transverse dimensions as the slot 11 or the slots 11 extending over the first longitudinal folding line 10.

(28) The shock absorbing means may also include, on the longitudinal edge 13 of the blank 1 opposite the longitudinal flap 9, an opening (a notch) 14 that extends from at least one longitudinal end of the blank 1 and beyond the transverse junction plane P. The opening 14 advantageously has substantially the same longitudinal dimension as the slots 11 and 12 and a transverse dimension that is substantially half the transverse dimension of the slots 11, 12, thus forming substantially a half-slot. During assembly of the packaging device, the opening 14 is advantageously superposed on a portion of the corresponding slot 12 situated on the same side as the longitudinal flap 9 and situated at the same height, which contributes to an improved shock absorbing effect of the packaging device once assembled.

(29) In a second embodiment, which may be combined with the first embodiment, the longitudinal shock absorbing means include, in a longitudinal end portion of the blank 1, and preferably in both longitudinal end portions of the blank 1, namely an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the blank 1, at least one orifice 15, and preferably a plurality of orifices, situated on the longitudinal folding line 4 and at a distance from the transverse junction plane P as defined above. The orifice 15 or the orifices 15 make it possible to create shock absorbing areas in the form of bellows.

(30) The shock absorbing means advantageously further include at least one orifice 16, and preferably a plurality of orifices, situated on the second longitudinal folding line 10 and at a distance from the transverse junction plane P. The orifice 16 or the orifices 16 are preferably situated at the same h eight as the orifice 15 or the orifices 15 and preferably have the same longitudinal and transverse dimension.

(31) As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the orifices 15 and 16 are of circular shape, but other shapes may be envisaged, in particular rectangular, square or lozenge-shaped or elliptical orifices.

(32) The shock absorbing means may also include, on the longitudinal edge 13 of the blank 1 opposite the longitudinal flap 9, at least one opening (a notch) 17, and preferably a plurality of them, situated at a distance from the transverse junction plane P passing through the transverse ends of the transverse folding line 4 and preferably at the same height as the orifice 16 or the orifices 16 situated on the second longitudinal folding line 10. The opening 17 advantageously has substantially the same longitudinal dimension as the orifices 15 and 16 and a transverse dimension substantially equal to half the transverse dimension of the orifices 15 and 16, therefore forming substantially a half-orifice. When folding the blank 1 to assemble the packaging device, the opening 17 is superposed on a portion of the corresponding orifice 16 on the same side as the longitudinal flap 9 and of the same height, which contributes to a better shock absorbing effect of the packaging device once assembled.

(33) In a variant of this second embodiment, at least one of the orifices 15, 16 and/or at least one of the openings 17 is connected to at least one groove (or through-slot) 18 that preferably extends in a substantially transverse direction (FIG. 4). The presence of each groove 18 makes it possible to strengthen the shock absorbing effect by forming shock absorbing bellows with greater transverse dimensions in the packaging device once assembled.

(34) Each groove 18 is advantageously substantially parallel to the nearest transverse folding line (FIGS. 5 and 6). Each orifice 15, 16 may be connected to a single groove situated on only one side of the longitudinal folding line 4, in a longitudinal area 2, 3, or preferably to two grooves 18 situated on respective opposite sides of the orifice 15, 16, in two longitudinal areas 2, 3 or in the longitudinal flap 9 and in the longitudinal area 3 adjacent the flap 9. In the variant shown in FIG. 6, the grooves 18 extend substantially all of the transverse dimension of the longitudinal areas 2, 3. Each groove 18 situated in the longitudinal flap 9 may also extend over a major portion of the transverse dimension of the flap 9.

(35) The grooves 18 may be formed on one of the faces or on both the faces of the longitudinal areas 2, 3. The orifices 15, 16 have a diameter between 0.5 and 5 mm, for example, and preferably between 1 and 3 mm.

(36) The blank 1 described above is used to produce a device for packaging at least one windscreen wiper, as shown in FIG. 7. Assembling the packaging device may include the following steps: a step of folding the blank 1 along the longitudinal folding line 4 so as to cause a face of the flap 9 to adhere to a portion of a face of the longitudinal area 3, preferably so that the longitudinal folding lines 10, 13 substantially coincide, a step of fastening the flap 9 to the edge 13, for example by gluing them (the glue may be already present on the flap 9 or applied thereto), the device then having a transversely closed contour comprising the longitudinal faces 2,3 of the packaging device, and a step of folding the end areas 21, 22, 31, 32 of the blank 1 toward the interior of the transversely closed contour so as to form the transverse faces 21,31 of the device.

(37) FIG. 8A shows the bottom end of a device assembled from a blank in accordance with the first embodiment at rest, in a normal, non-deformed configuration. If the bottom end of the device is subjected to an impact, the area situated around the slot 11 will be deformed, thus protecting the device and its contents. FIG. 8B shows the bottom end of the device in its deformed position, the slot 11 having adopted a more open shape, for example a more open V-shape.

(38) In the same way, FIG. 9A shows the bottom end of a device assembled from a blank in accordance with the second embodiment at rest, in a normal, non-deformed configuration. If the bottom end of the device is subjected to an impact, the area situated around the orifices 15 will be deformed, for example in compression, thereby protecting the device and its contents. FIG. 9B shows the bottom end of the device in its deformed position.

(39) The packaging device is suitable for packaging windscreen wipers and especially for packaging flat blade type curved blade wipers. A rigid material is preferably used for the blank, for example a plastic material chosen from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PP (polypropylene). The blank may equally be made of cardboard. The blank has a thickness between 0.1 and 1 mm, for example, and preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm.