Patent Publication Number: US-11021317-B2

Title: Packaging device for a windscreen wiper comprising a curved blade and an integrated flexible structure

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The invention relates to a packaging device indented for packaging a windscreen wiper blade comprising a curved blade with integrated flexible structure. 
     The invention has a particularly advantageous, although not exclusive, application in the field of spare parts for motor vehicles. 
     Background Art 
     Today, there is a new generation of windscreen wiper blades that have the particularity of not being equipped with compensator structures, as opposed to the straight windscreen wiper blades that are commonly used nowadays. This new type of windscreen wiper still has a flexible wiping blade, but the outer framework that is responsible for supporting it is replaced by a flexible structure that is integrated directly in the blade. The assembly is arranged such that in its resting position, the blade has a concave longitudinal shape in its sagittal plane, and yet, when in contact with a surface to be wiped, said blade is able to straighten up by elastic distortion of its flexible structure so as to match said surface as best as possible throughout its entire movement. 
     Due precisely to its curved shape, a windscreen wiper with a curved blade is much larger in its resting position than a similar windscreen wiper with compensators and a straight blade. It therefore turns out to be a lot more problematic to package it, since it is not conceivable to use a simple blister pack with a matching shape. The volume of the packaging must, in fact, be relatively reduced mainly for reasons of manufacturing costs, protection of the environment and logistics among others. 
     In order to solve this difficulty, there are known ways of using a packaging provided with holding means that can be used to immobilize the blade inside a housing, in a position that is at least partially straightened out in relation to its resting position. 
     International patent application WO 01/30619 describes mainly a packaging device that is presented in the form of a shell in which two rectilinear grooves are made facing each other. The assembly is arranged so that each groove is able to fit together with a projecting part that extends along the entire matching face of the blade, and mainly with one of the elastically deformable tongues that make up the flexible structure. 
     This document also describes a substantially equivalent variant. In fact, contrary to the embodiment of the invention mentioned previously, the shell in this case is provided with two inner flanges that are both rigid and linear. Arranged opposite each other, they can fit into a series of grooves that extend longitudinally on either side of the heel of the blade, and mainly in the existing grooves, which are designed so as to provide the blade with the flexibility required for its reversal. 
     This type of packaging device, however, has the disadvantage of being particularly impractical to use. The placing of the blade inside the housing turns out, in fact, to be very complicated in the practice, since it requires said blade to be precisely straightened out in order to be able to perform the double fitting with the shell, which furthermore covers the entire length of all the sides of said blade. Moreover, such a packaging device does not allow the blade to be promoted sufficiently, insofar as all its sides are partially concealed by the holding means once said blade is in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Also, the technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a packaging device for a windscreen wiper with a curved blade and an integrated flexible structure, said packaging device comprising a housing that is designed to receive the blade, as well as holding means that are used to immobilize said blade inside said housing in a position that can be at least partially straightened out in relation to its resting position, a packaging device that would make it possible to avoid the problems of the state of the art mainly by providing considerably improved user-friendliness, while improving its capacity for promoting the product. 
     The solution to the posed technical problem consists, according to this invention, in that the holding means comprise a first support surface that can cooperate by contact with a portion of the upper part of the blade, a second support surface that can cooperate by contact with a first portion of the lower part of said blade, and a third support surface that can cooperate by contact with a second portion of said lower part of the blade, the first support surface extending opposite an area situated between the second support surface and the third support surface. 
     The invention as described has the advantage of being extremely easy to use. The fact that the holding means of the packaging device are designed so as to cooperate with parts of the blade that are truly external and opposite in the sagittal plane implies that the relevant support surfaces are positioned substantially opposite each other and at a distance, which therefore makes them particularly accessible. 
     To be put in place, the blade simply needs to be straightened out in its sagittal plane without it being necessary to give it a particular curve, unlike in the previous technique. Once positioned between the holding means, the blade is released until its upper and lower parts come into contact with the relevant support surfaces. The elastic restoring force created by placing the flexible structure under stress between the various support surfaces thus assures the immobilization of the windscreen wiper inside the housing. 
     In addition, the fact that the holding takes place respectively at the level of the upper and lower ends of the blade makes it possible to free up the space situated on the sides of said blade. With the obvious condition that the corresponding wall of the packaging is transparent or translucent, it is therefore possible to show at least one of the sides of the blade almost entirely. This makes it possible to promote the shape and/or the particular structure of the blade. This aesthetic characteristic constitutes a decisive advantage from a marketing point of view. 
     It should be noted that the real contact surface between each support surface and the corresponding portion of the blade is not necessarily continuous, but rather that it can consist of several contact points of variable sizes and more or less regularly spaced. 
     This invention also relates to the characteristics that will appear throughout the following description, and which must be considered separately or according to all their possible technical combinations. 
     This description, provided as a non-exhaustive example, will facilitate understanding of how the invention can be manufactured, in relation to the appended drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a windscreen wiper that can be packaged in a packaging device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of the windscreen wiper in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a packaging device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows the position of the windscreen wiper in  FIGS. 1 and 2  inside the housing of the packaging device in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of the assembly in  FIG. 4 , made at the level of the centre of the windscreen wiper. 
         FIG. 6  also shows a cross-section view of the assembly in  FIG. 4 , but made in this case at the level of one of the contact areas of the windscreen wiper. 
         FIG. 7  shows a first portion of the central part of the packaging device in  FIG. 3 , a portion in which the restraining means are visible. 
         FIG. 8  shows a second portion of the central part of the packaging device in  FIG. 3 , a portion in which the centering means are visible. 
         FIG. 9  shows an end of the housing made in the centre of the packaging device in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For reasons of clarity, the same elements are designated using identical references. Likewise, only the elements that are essential for understanding the invention are represented, and this without respecting the scale and in a schematic fashion. 
       FIG. 1  shows in a schematic fashion a windscreen blade  100  with a curved blade  110  and an integrated flexible structure  120 , which is more particularly designed for equipping a motor vehicle. It should be noted that in this field, such a wiping element is often called a flat blade due to its small height, a characteristic that results precisely from the lack of a compensator framework. In this representation in resting position, the curved shape of the blade  110  which is imposed by the curved profile of the flexible structure  120  is remarkable, whatever it is. 
     Thus, as can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 2 , the blade  110  of the windscreen wiper  100  normally consists of a lip  111  that is designed to cooperate directly by sliding contact with a surface to be wiped, as well as of a heel  112  that forms an interface between said lip  111  and the flexible structure  120 . Due to their respective functions, the lip  111  is particularly hard and resistant to wear, while the heel  112  provides the flexibility required for the optimum return of the blade  110  during inversions of the wiping direction. It should be noted that in this case this flexibility results, above all, from the particular cut of the heel  112  of the blade  110 , and mainly from the presence of longitudinal grooves  113 . 
     The presence of a spoiler  114  is also remarkable, which is also normally an integral part of the upper part of the heel  112 . In fact, the blade  110  consists of an elastomer profile that groups together, in an assembly made from a single part, both the lip  111 , the heel  112  and the spoiler  114 . 
     As for the flexible structure  120 , it consists, in this example of an embodiment of the invention, of two elastically deformable tongues  121 , which are longitudinally integrated, respectively at the level of either side of the blade  110 . Each tongue  121 , commonly called a vertebra, is used to distribute the support pressure evenly over the entire length of the blade  110  with the aim of optimizing the wiping quality. They are made from metal in this embodiment of the invention. 
     Another distinguishing feature is the presence of a linking element  130 , which in this case is still normally designed to allow the blade  100  to be mounted on a driving mechanism. In order to fulfil its function, the linking element  130  is solidly attached to the upper part  140  of the blade  100  and it has a structure that can cooperate by assembly with complementary linking means, arranged at the end of the operating arm of the associated driving mechanism. 
       FIG. 3  shows a packaging device  1  designed to be used as the packaging of a windscreen wiper  100  as described above. In this particular embodiment of the invention, selected only as an example, the packaging device  1  is thus provided with a housing  10  designed to receive the blade  100 , as well as holding means  20  that are used to immobilize said blade  100  inside said housing  10  in a position that is partially straightened out in relation to its resting position. 
     In accordance with the objective of this invention, the holding means  20  comprise, initially, a support surface  21  that can cooperate by contact with a portion  141  of the upper part  140  of the blade  100 . The holding means  20  are also provided with a second support surface  22  which can also cooperate by contact with a first portion  151  of the lower part  150  of the blade  100 . The holding means  20  are finally provided with a third support surface  23  that can cooperate by contact with a second portion  152  of the lower part  150  of the blade  100 . The assembly is arranged such that the first support surface  21  extends opposite an area situated between the second support surface  22  and the third support surface  23 . The three support surfaces  21 ,  22 ,  23  are thus positioned in a triangle at a distance from each other, which makes it possible to effectively provide three-point holding. 
     In a particularly advantageous fashion, the three support surfaces  21 ,  22 ,  23  are arranged such that the first support surface  21  can cooperate by contact with a substantially central portion  141  of the upper part  140  of the blade  100 , and such that the second support surface  22  and the third support surface  23  are respectively able to cooperate with generally extremal portions  151 ,  152  of the lower part  150  of said blade  100 . 
     According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the first support surface  21  is arranged substantially at equal distances from the second support surface  22  and from the third support surface  23 . This specific feature enables an even distribution of the pressure forces that are generated by the elastic distortion of the flexible structure  120  and which result in the blade  100  being held inside the housing  10 . 
     According to a particularity of the invention that can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the first support surface  21  consists of a portion of a wall  11  that delimits the sides of the housing  10 . 
     In this example of an embodiment of the invention, the blade  100  comprises a linking element  130  positioned on its upper part  140 , so that it is advantageous for the first support surface  21  to be able to cooperate by contact with the relevant linking element  130 . 
     According to another particularity of the invention, the second support surface  22  and the third support surface  23  consist of portions of the same flange  12  made longitudinally in the bottom of the housing  10 . 
     Preferably, the second support surface  22  and the third support surface  23  are arranged such as to be able to cooperate by contact with the heel  112  of the blade  110 . The aim is to prevent any contact between the packaging device  1  and the lip  111 , in order to preserve the integrity of the latter. 
     If it is important for the relevant contacts to be made at the level of parts of the blade  110  that are adjacent to the lip  111 , it is even more particularly advantageous for the second support surface  22  and the third support surface  23  to be able to cooperate by contact with the flexible structure  120  which is integrated in the heel  112  of the blade  110  ( FIG. 6 ). In fact, each metal tongue  121  in this example of an embodiment of the invention has a hardness that is considerably higher than that of the elastomer that makes up the blade  110 , such that it constitutes a considerably more stable contact surface, resulting in improved holding. This characteristic also allows the integrity of the flexible blade, which is, by nature, a lot more fragile than the flexible structure  120 , to be preserved. 
     According to another particularity of the invention, the packaging device  1  is provided with restraining means  30  that can block at least a part of the blade  100  inside the housing  10 , along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the sagittal plane of said blade  100 . 
     In a particularly advantageous fashion, the restraining means  30  are able to pin at least a part of the blade  100  against the bottom  13  of the housing  10 . This characteristic makes it possible to restrict the lateral play of the blade  100  when it is inside the housing  10 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show in detail the holding of the blade  100  inside the housing  10  at the level of the various contact points. 
       FIG. 5  deals more particularly with the relative positioning within the central part. It shows mainly the block made between the side wall  11  that delimits the housing  10  and the upper part  140  of the blade  100 , materialized by the linking element  130 . As for the lower part  150  of the blade  100 , it is not subjected to any constraints in this specific place. 
     Also remarkable is the action of the restraining means  30 , which participate in keeping the blade  100  flat against the bottom  13  of the housing  10 . In this specific embodiment of the invention, the restraining means  30  comprise a stop  31  that is arranged directly below the housing  10  and which can also cooperate by contact with a portion of the lateral side of the blade  100 , in this case, the linking element  130 . It should be noted that if the stop  31  must be placed at the level of the opening of the housing  10  in order to fulfil its function, its positioning in terms of height from the bottom  13  only depends on the thickness of the upper part  140  of the blade  100 , regardless of the depth of said housing  10 . 
     In the enlarged diagram shown in  FIG. 7 , it can be seen clearly that, in this example of an embodiment of the invention, the stop  31  is presented more specifically in the shape of a longitudinal flange, forming a return, which extends parallel to the bottom  13  of the housing  10 . 
     As for  FIG. 6 , it shows the positioning of either end of the blade  100  in the housing  10 . It should be noted that in this area only the lower part  150  of the blade  100  is in contact with the packaging device  1 . In this case, as has already been explained previously, it is one of the tongues  121  of the flexible structure  120  which cooperates by contact with the flange  12  made longitudinally in the bottom of the housing. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the packaging device  1  is also provided with hooking means  40  that can allow it to be hung in a position that matches a substantially vertical position of the blade  100 . In this example of an embodiment of the invention, the hooking means  40  consist of a standard through hole  41  which is shaped such as to be able to cooperate with a harness hook of any display stand whatsoever. 
     According to another particularity of the invention, which can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the packaging device  1  is also provided with centering means  50  which can longitudinally block the blade  100  inside the housing  10 , at least in a given direction and substantially at the centre of said housing  10 . 
     In the event of the longitudinal blocking not being complete, in other words of it only being effective in one direction, it is particularly advantageous for the centering means  50  to be able to block the blade  100  at the centre of the housing  10  when the packaging device  1  is hung in a substantially vertical fashion, by means of its hooking means  40 . 
     When the blade  100  comprises a linking element  130  on its upper part  140  as in our specific embodiment of the invention, it is also particularly advantageous for the centering means  50  to consist of a stop  51  that can cooperate by contact with said linking element  130 . 
     In the enlargement of  FIG. 8 , it can be seen clearly that in this embodiment of the invention the stop  51  is presented, more specifically, in the form of a block placed transversally in the housing  10 . In other terms, the relevant block extends perpendicular in relation to the lateral wall  11  and to the bottom  13 . 
     It should be noted that this type of configuration turns out to be extremely interesting from an industrial point of view, since it facilitates the work of the operator who is responsible for the packaging. In fact, it is not necessary for the blade  100  to be inserted in the housing  10  in a unidirectional fashion, but rather it can be inserted indifferently from several very different approach angles. In more simple terms, the operator only has to take one centering stop into account instead of two, which considerably simplifies the filling task. 
     The usefulness of the centering means  50  is in systematically positioning the blade  100  in the centre of the housing  10 , regardless of the length and thus the weight of said blade  100 . It is therefore possible to package different sizes of blades  100  in the same type of packaging device  1 , without needing to modify the position of the centre of gravity of the assembly. This characteristic makes it possible advantageously to obtain regular alignments when hanging several different packaging devices  1 , even if the blades they contain are of different sizes. The promotion of the product is therefore improved to a considerable extent. 
     In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the housing  10  is delimited in this case by a substantially rigid shell  14 . This is a kind of thin envelope which, however, offers mechanical resistance that is compatible with its protective packaging function. 
     In a particularly advantageous fashion, the shell  14  is transparent or translucent. This characteristic makes it possible for the blade  100  to remain visible when it is packaged in the packaging device  1  according to the invention. In fact, it seems to be essential to promote the distinctive aesthetic features of this type of windscreen wiper  100  with a curved blade  110  and an integrated flexible structure  120 , mainly as compared to the straight blades that are commonly used. 
     In this example of an embodiment of the invention, the shell  14  is therefore made from a plastic material, in this case an amorphous transparent PET, with a thickness of around 500 μm. 
     From a marketing point of view, it is also preferable to present the blade  100  in a position that is only partially straightened, in order to expose the curve of its blade  110  since, in addition to its intrinsic aesthetic features, the shape of the blade  100  is an essential distinctive characteristic for telling it apart from standard straight blades. 
     According to another particularity of the invention, the packaging device  1  comprises reinforcement means  60  that can increase the rigidity of the shell  14 . The aim is to prevent the shell  14  from twisting when subjected to the forces of pressure caused by the elastic distortion of the flexible structure  120  of the blade  100 . 
     In this specific embodiment of the invention, the reinforcement means  60  are initially provided with a shoulder  61  that is made in the periphery of the opening of the housing  10  and which extends in a substantially perpendicular fashion to the side wall  11  of the shell  14  ( FIG. 9 ). It should be noted that the shoulder  61  can extend continuously or not, and in a more or less regular fashion. 
     The reinforcement means  60  are also provided with four ribs  62   a ,  62   b ,  62   c ,  62   d  which are arranged transversally in the bottom of the shell  14 . As for the nature of the shell  14 , each transversal rib  62   a ,  62   b ,  62   c ,  62   d  is presented here in the form of a hollow rib, although solid ribs with adapted dimensions can also obviously be used. 
     According to another particularity of the invention, the packaging device  1  comprises a sealing element that can block the opening of the housing  10 . Not shown here for reasons of clarity, the sealing element nonetheless has a shape that is substantially identical to the attachment area  15  which extends perpendicular to the opening of the housing  10  and which, in this case, is an integral part of the shell  14 . The sealing element can also have any other shape that is compatible with the length of the blade  100 . It can, furthermore, be solidly attached to the attachment area  15  by means of any known fixing technique, mainly by gluing, welding, stapling, lock mechanisms, etc. The sealing element can also be made from any kind of material, and mainly from cardboard so as to be able advantageously to carry information. 
     It should be noted that the sealing element, as in the case of the internal flange  12 , also participates in the stiffening of the shell  14 , as do the reinforcement means  60 .