AN ELONGATED PACKAGE FOR A WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE OF THE FLAT BLADE TYPE

Abstract

An elongated package (12) for a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, with the special feature that the package has a quadrangular cross-section having four walls enclosing four vertices, wherein the package has an internal partition wall (13) extending along the length of the package, wherein the partition wall forms inside the package two chambers (16, 17) having along their length an at least substantially triangular cross-section, wherein each chamber is arranged to hold a windscreen wiper device (18, 19) of the flat blade type, and wherein at least one vertex (14, 15) of the triangular chambers has an acute angle.

Claims

1. An elongated package for a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, comprising a quadrangular cross-section of said package having four walls enclosing four vertices, wherein said package has an internal partition wall extending along the length of the package, wherein said partition wall forms inside said package two chambers having along their length an at least substantially triangular cross-section, wherein each chamber is arranged to hold a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, and wherein at least one vertex of said triangular chambers has an acute angle .

2. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall encloses an acute angle a smaller than 45 with an adjacent wall of said four walls of said quadrangular cross-section of said package.

3. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall extends between opposite vertices of said quadrangular cross-section of said package.

4. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall encloses an acute angle a equal to or smaller than 45 with an adjacent wall of said four walls of said quadrangular cross-section of said package.

5. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall encloses an acute angle a smaller than 35 with an adjacent wall of said four walls of said quadrangular cross-section of said package.

6. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall encloses an acute angle a smaller than 30 with an adjacent wall of said four walls of said quadrangular cross-section of said package.

7. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said package has a rectangular cross-section.

8. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said package has a rhombic cross-section.

9. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said package has a trapezoidal cross-section.

10. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said package and said partition wall are made in one piece of material.

11. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said partition wall is a separate constructional element.

12. An elongated package according to claim 1, wherein said package and said partition wall are made of a cellulose containing material, preferably cardboard.

13. A packaged wiper blade assembly comprising an elongated package according to claim 1, as well as two windscreen wiper devices of the flat blade type, wherein one windscreen wiper device thereof is held by one of said chambers, and wherein the other windscreen wiper device thereof is held by the other of said chambers.

14. The packaged wiper blade assembly according to claim 13, wherein a wiping lip of each windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type is facing towards said acute angle .

15. The elongated package of claim 4, wherein the acute angle is less than 40.

Description

THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a total perspective, schematic view of a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type to be packaged in a package according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective, schematic view of a preferred embodiment of a box-like package in accordance with the invention, together with two windscreen wiper devices of the flat blade type ready to be packaged;

[0020] FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 2, but now sliding the windscreen wiper devices inside the package;

[0021] FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3, but now the windscreen wiper devices being packaged (only one is visible); and

[0022] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the package of FIG. 4 showing that the packaged windscreen wiper devices are straightened inside the package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper device 1 of the flat blade type. The windscreen wiper device is built up of an elastomeric wiper blade 2, in the longitudinal sides of which opposing longitudinal grooves 3 are formed, and of longitudinal strips 4 made of spring band steel, which are fitted in the longitudinal grooves 3. The strips 4 form a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2, as it were, which is thus biased in a curved position (the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped). Neighboring ends 5 of strips 4 are interconnected on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1 by means of connecting pieces 6 or end caps functioning as clamping members. In this embodiment, the connecting pieces 6 are separate constructional elements, which may be form-locked as well as force-locked to the ends 5 of strips 4. In another preferred variant, The connecting pieces 6 are in one piece with the strips 4 made of spring band steel. In the latter case the connecting pieces form transverse bridges for the strips 4, as it were. The windscreen wiper device 1 is furthermore built up of a connecting device 7 of plastic or metallic material for an oscillating wiper arm 8. Connecting device 7 comprises clamping members 9 that are integral therewith, which engage round longitudinal sides of the strips 4 that face away from each other, as a result of which the connecting device 7 is firmly attached to the unit consisting of wiper blade 2 and strips 4. The oscillating wiper arm 8 is pivotally connected to the connecting device 7 about a pivot axis near one end. A spoiler or air deflector 10 is included and comprises two separate sub-spoilers 11. Each sub-spoiler 11 is detachably connected in its entirety to the wiper blade 2 on opposite sides of the connecting device 7. In FIG. 2 an elongated box-like package 12 having a rectangular cross-section is depicted. The package 12 is made from one blank and is made entirely of cardboard. As shown, the package 12 has a partition wall 13 in one piece thereof. The partition wall 13 extends along the entire length of the package 12 and between opposite vertices 14,15 of the package 12. This partition wall 13 divides the internal space inside the package 12 into two chambers 16,17 having a triangular cross-section along their entire length. Each chamber 16,17 is arranged to receive and accommodate a windscreen wiper device 18,19 of the fiat blade type. This is shown in FIG. 3, wherein these windscreen wiper devices 18,19 are slid in longitudinal direction inside their corresponding chambers 16,17.

[0024] With reference to FIG. 4, the partition wall 13 encloses an acute angle a smaller than 45 with an adjacent wall 20 of the boxlike package 12, so that the windscreen wiper device 19 shown is supported inside its corresponding chamber 17 at the location of its connecting device 7 and/or its connecting pieces 6, and so that a wiping lip 21 of the wiper blade 2 thereof is not engaged at all. The wiping lip 21 rests thus free inside the chamber 17 and cannot be damaged during transport, for example. The other windscreen wiper device 18 (not shown) would be inside its corresponding chamber 16 in a position upside down compared to the windscreen wiper device 19, as depicted in FIG. 3.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the windscreen wiper devices 18,19 are stretched, i.e. straightened inside their corresponding chambers 16,17, seen relative to their curved position prior to insertion in the package in FIG. 2 (shown in dotted lined ire FIG. 5).

[0026] The present invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown, but also covers other preferred embodiments falling under the scope of the appended claims.