Federal-mogul World Wide, Inc.

Richard A Herring

Alan J Stahlhut

Mike McKee

Deborah Herring, Legal Representative

Richard Stibbe

Brian Fisher

Scott Allen Koppen

James Lynn Lytle

A wiper arm assembly and method of assembly thereof includes a mounting head and a wiper arm configured for relative rotation during assembly from a disassembled position to a shipping position, wherein the wiper arm and mounting head are locked against rotation toward the disassembled position once in the shipping position. The mounting head and wiper arm have locking surfaces configured for locked engagement with one another while in the shipping position. The locking surfaces are brought into engagement with one another by a force imparted by a spring while rotating the mounting head relative to the wiper arm from the disassembled position toward the shipping position. When in the shipping position, the locking surfaces confront each other and prevent the mounting head and the wiper arm from rotating back toward the disassembled position from the shipping position.

Method of manufacturing a wiper arm assembly having a locking member

Wiper arm assembly having a locking member

A flat blade windshield wiper blade () has a naturally elongated curve with a delicate wiper element () to be protected during shipping and display for retail sales purposes. A protective package () surrounds the wiper (). The package () is made from a single piece of sheet stock and includes a flexible, outwardly bowed front panel (), a back panel (), and opposing left () and right () side panels adjoining respective sides of the front () and back () panels. Top () and bottom () end flaps extend between the front () and back () panels for forcing the front () panel to form in a generally semi-cylindrical configuration bowed outwardly relative to the back panel (). The wiper () is disposed in a shipping condition in the package (), with a connector () feature of the wiper () bearing in direct pressing contact with the bowed front panel (). The wiper element () is completely isolated from contacting the package () by wedging other portions of 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 ().

Contour flat blade packaging design

Package for a windshield wiper

Two-piece connector for flat blade

Growing community of inventors

Granger, IN, United States of America

Richard A Herring