BE1016836A3 - ACCESSORY FOR PACKING A WIPER BLADE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Accessory for packaging a wiper blade (12) comprising at least one elongated, bent and elastic support element (18), and a coupling element (26) provided in its central zone, at least one molded part ( 34,36) straight in the longitudinal direction surrounding a wiper lip (16) of the wiper blade (12) with gap and resting against the support member (18) or in the longitudinal grooves (62 ) of the wiper blade (14) of the wiper blade (12). Two molded parts (34) provided at the ends of the wiper blade (12) are connected by an auxiliary rail (52,60), and there is in the central area of the wiper blade (12) another molded part (36,62) against which rest the auxiliary rails (52,60) and the coupling element (26) or a cap (44) connected thereto.

Description

"ACCESSORY FOR PACKING A WIPER BLADE" FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an accessory for packaging a windscreen wiper blade comprising at least one elongated, bent and resilient support member, and a coupling member provided in its central zone, at least one straight cast member in the longitudinal direction. surrounding a wiping lip of the wiper blade with an interval and pressing against the support member or in the longitudinal grooves of the wiper blade of the wiper blade.

State of the art

The usual wiper blades whose wiper blade is held by a rudder system are generally placed freely in a preformed package or blister to be so shipped. As they are free and unrestricted in the packaging, they are satisfactorily protected and their presentation is good. The size of the package can be adapted to the size of the wiper blade so that the footprint is as small as possible. In the case of windscreen-wiper blades with elastic support element such as a spring, extended for the wiper blade, it is necessary for this support element to be bent in the unconstrained state so that in stress, during the operation of the wiper, it ensures a correct support of the wiper lip over the entire length of the wiper blade even on vehicle glass or windshield bending so-called spherical. Because of its bending, the wiper blade is very bulky if it is packaged without constraint. If the elongated wiper blades were placed in a narrow box, the wiper lip would be pushed by the now stretched support member with its wiping edge against the inner wall of the box, This would distort the wiping lip and make it unusable.

WO 01/30619 discloses a packaging unit for a wiper blade having an elongate, bent, resilient support member. Packaging or packaging units are lengthwise elongated and rigid pieces whose length is adapted to that of the wiper blades and whose section in the form of an open chute. At the ends the front sides are also open which allows them to be made of plastic by a continuous extrusion process, economic. The open sides of the chutes have inwardly facing edges or spacers through which the packaging unit enters the longitudinal longitudinal grooves of the wiper blade and the chute-shaped portion surrounds the wiper lip at distance to protect it. An embodiment of a packaging unit is known whose open sides have longitudinal grooves open towards the inside in which support elements placed in the lateral longitudinal grooves of the wiper blade are guided. In all cases, the forces generated by the support element are absorbed by the packaging unit. This results in the high cost of an expensive material required for the packaging unit. In addition, the packaging unit slides from the open front side over the entire length of the wiper blade as the wiper blade portions and the packaging unit portions such as grooves and tongues interpenetrate. The cost of assembly is therefore relatively high.

Description and advantages of the invention

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and concerns for this purpose an accessory of the type defined above, characterized in that two molded parts provided at the ends of the wiper blade are connected by an auxiliary rail, and in the central area of the wiper blade there is another molded part against which the auxiliary rails and the coupling element or a cap connected thereto rest.

The other molded part can be fixedly or removably connected to the auxiliary rail. It forms a complementary support for the bearing surfaces of the molded parts against the ends of the wiper blade.

The molded parts can be relatively short compared to the length of the wiper blade and in particular the bearing surfaces necessary to bear against the auxiliary rail. The short molded parts can easily slip on the wiper blade from its ends and be connected by an auxiliary rail. This decreases the amount of material used and simplifies assembly. Advantageously, the wiping lip of the wiper blade is turned towards the auxiliary rail so that it is protected by the auxiliary rail while being held by the molded part at a distance from the auxiliary rail. The auxiliary rail may be suitably connected to the molded part or formed integrally with the molded part.

In general, it may be sufficient to use only two molded parts at the ends of the wiper blade, the efforts of the central part being absorbed by a box in which the wiper blade is placed with the auxiliary rail and molded parts. The wiper blade can then be removed from the box without the tension of the wiper blade is released surprisingly.

The molded part for the central part may have a shape identical or similar to that of the molded parts of the end areas of the wiper blade. But it is also possible to use a plate-shaped molded part laterally engaged on the wiper blade and having a pin penetrating into the hub of the connecting piece. This simplifies the assembly considerably.

Instead of a separate auxiliary rail, it is also possible to use a second wiper blade as an auxiliary rail and the wiping lips of the two wiper blades are then turned toward each other. In this case, the molded piece advantageously has two receiving profiles connected to one another by a spacer and forming a closed section profile of rigid shape. The receiving profiles that surround the ends of the wiper blade and, if applicable, the end caps, rest by bearing surfaces against the support members or the end caps.

According to another development, the auxiliary rail is in the form of a plate beam which passes laterally next to the wiper blade and whose ends facing the wiper blade are molded parts. These parts surround the wiper blade and have bearing shoulders, lateral turned outward. The molded part is connected to the auxiliary rail by a support shoulder. In the central area of the auxiliary rail there is a short molded piece formed transversely of the auxiliary rail and against which the coupling element or the cap is supported. Advantageously, the bearing shoulders do not overlap the short molded part in the central zone, which makes it possible to easily introduce the wiper blade into the molded part at the ends and to place it with a small offset in the longitudinal direction under the molded part in the central zone. This is interesting if the molded, short piece is plate-shaped. To strengthen the plate, the short molded part may have an edge directed towards the coupling element. This edge can also be used to fix the auxiliary rail in the installed position. Where appropriate, the short molded part may further comprise reinforcing ribs.

It is also possible to engage the central casting by tilting movement about the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade. This has the advantage that if the short molded part is a pin, it enters the hub of the coupling element.

drawings

The present invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a side view of an unfilled wiper blade applied against a vehicle window, - FIG. 2 is a side view of two wrapped wiper blades, FIG. 3 is a section corresponding to line III-III of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a section corresponding to line IV. FIG. IV of Figure 2, - Figures 5 and 6 show variants of Figure 4.

FIG. 7 shows a variant of FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a section corresponding to line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

Description of the embodiments

Figure 1 is a side view of a wiper blade 12 in the untensioned state applied against a vehicle windshield glass 10. The wiper blade 10 comprises a blade 14 provided with a wiper lip 16. The lateral longitudinal grooves 62 of a head bar 20 of the wiping blade 14 receives as support member elastic rails 18; these rails are bent so that, in the stressed state, the wiping lip 16 exerts an appropriate pressure against the windscreen pane 10. These rails protrude laterally from the head bar 20 and are held together by end caps 24 as well as by the coupling piece 26 in the central part. In particular claws 28 make it possible to fix the coupling element 26 to the elastic rails 18. The wiper blade 12 further comprises a deflector 22 whose outer contour harmoniously joins the caps 24 at the ends.

Figure 2 shows two wiper blades 12, arranged parallel in the extended position. The ends are surrounded by moldings 34 having two receiving profiles 40. These surround the end caps 24 and are connected by a spacer 42. The spacer 42 is dimensioned so that the profiles 40 are applied by a support surface 38 against the opposite sides of the end caps 24 and the wiper lips 16 leave between them an intermediate space 32. As the end caps 24 are made of a material harder than the wiper blade 14 and the deflector 22, the support of the molded parts 34 does not damage them.

The central zone of the wiper blade 12 may be provided with another molded part 36 of the same type (FIG. 4). The reception profiles 40 advantageously surround the coupling piece 26 comprising a hub 30 for an articulated connection with the not shown wiper arm. The coupling element 26 comprises a cap 44 clipped. It is also surrounded by the reception profile 40. The latter is supported on the one hand against the cap 44 and on the other hand against the claws 28 of the coupling element 26 by a bearing surface 38. The spacer 42 which connects the two receiving profiles 40, ensures that the two wiping lips 16 wiper blades 14 opposite leave between them an interval or intermediate space 32 and remain protected against any accident.

In the embodiment of Figure 5 which corresponds to the packaging of a single wiper blade 12, there is provided a molded part 46 having a receiving profile 48 for receiving a wiper blade 12 ; the receiving profile 48 surrounds the coupling piece 26 and is supported by its bearing surface 38 against the claws 28. The receiving profile 48 is connected by a spacer 50 to a separate auxiliary rail 52 and between the wiping lip 16 and the auxiliary rail 52, there is an intermediate space 54. The auxiliary rail 52 can be suitably connected to the molded part 46, for example by a force connection, a connection by the form or a bond by the material; the rail may also be an integral part of the molded part 46.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 shows a molded piece 56 in the form of a plate provided laterally, for example at the level of the central zone of a windscreen wiper blade. For this purpose, shaped pins 58 are used which penetrate into the hubs 30 of two wiper blades 12 whose lips 16 are opposite to one another and leave between them an intermediate space 32. pins 58 from each other is appropriately selected.

The embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 provides an auxiliary rail 60 in the form of a plate. This is parallel to the wiper blade 12 in the assembled state. The ends comprise moldings 56 on the side of the wiper blade 14. These parts have a U-shaped section profile with a free space 72 for the wiping lip 16. The free ends of the profile comprise bearing shoulders 64, 66 facing outwards; one of the shoulders 74 is connected in one piece with the auxiliary rail 60. The bearing shoulders 64, 66 bear against the elastic rails 18, against the end caps 24 or against parts of the blade. wiping 14 protruding laterally from the wiping lip. The complementary support of the bearing surfaces of the shoulders 64, 66 is constituted by a short molded part 68 formed in the central zone transversely to the auxiliary rail 60 and bearing against the coupling element 26 or the caps 44. The short piece 68 is reinforced by an edge 70 projecting towards the coupling element 26. This edge can be made to protrude from the coupling element 26 and thus be locked in its mounting position. Instead of the plate-shaped casting 68, a pin penetrating into the hub 30 of the coupling piece 26 may also be provided. The auxiliary rail 60 increases in height from the ends towards the middle, which gives a light beam with low volume of material and to absorb the same bending stresses along the entire length.

Claims (9)

1 °) accessory for packaging a windscreen wiper blade (12) comprising at least one elongate, bent and elastic support element (18), and a coupling element (26) provided in its central zone, at least a longitudinally extending molded piece (34, 36) surrounding a wiping lip (16) of the wiper blade (12) with an interval and pressing against the support member (18) or in longitudinal grooves (62) of the wiping blade (14) of the wiper blade (12), characterized in that two molded parts (34) provided at the ends of the wiper blade (12), are connected by an auxiliary rail (52, 60), and in the central area of the wiper blade (12) there is another molded piece (36, 56) against which the auxiliary rails (52, 60) rest. ) and the coupling element (26) or a cap (44) connected thereto. 2 °) Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the molded parts (34, 36) are relatively short compared to the length of the wiper blade (12). 3 °) Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that a second wiper blade (12) serves as auxiliary rail (52), and the coupling elements (26) of the two wiper blades (12) or their cap (44) abut each other by the other molded piece (36, 56). 4) Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the molded part (44) has at the ends of the wiper blade (12) a receiving profile (40) which surrounds an end cap (24) and is supported by a bearing surface (38) on the side facing the wiping lip (16) against the end cap (24) or support member (18) and connected by a workpiece spacing (42) to the auxiliary rail (52) by force bonding, shape bonding or bonding by the material. 5 °) Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the molded part (34) comprises a second receiving profile (40) connected by the spacer (42) to the first receiving profile (40) and forming a profile closed section. Accessory according to Claim 1, characterized in that a plate-like molded part (56) for the central zone of the windscreen wiper blade (12) enters via a pin (58) into a hub (30). ) a coupling part (26) of the wiper blade (12). 7 °) Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary rail (60) is formed as a plate-shaped beam passing beside the wiper blade (12) and whose ends facing the blade of wiping means (14) comprise moldings (62) which surround the wiper blade (14) and have outwardly facing bearing shoulders (64, 66) and in the central area of the auxiliary rail (60) there is a short molded piece (68) formed transversely of the auxiliary rail (60) against which the coupling element (26) or the cap (44) of the wiper blade (12) is supported. 8 °) Accessory according to claim 7, characterized in that the short molded part (68) has the shape of a plate and has an edge (70) facing the coupling element (26). 9 °) Accessory according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the auxiliary rail (60) increases in height from its ends to its middle.