The present disclosure relates to a handlebar grip assembly for a motor vehicle.
More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a handlebar grip assembly with
an illumination feature for a two-wheeled, a three-wheeled, or a four-wheeled
vehicle.
10 BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
The use of personal vehicles such as motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, bicycles, allterrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and personal watercraft has grown in popularity as
these vehicles have become faster, more reliable, and more versatile. Because of
15 this increased speed, reliability, and versatility, there is a need for better
functionality and safety of these vehicles. The handlebar grip establishes a manmachine interface for gripping the vehicle to provide rider and vehicle stability.
Also, the riders can accelerate/decelerate the vehicle by using these grips with a
throttle tube guide. These grips are also used to prevent the user from excessive
20 vibrations and shocks. Because of the increased speed, there is a need for greater
visibility of these vehicles at a farther distance away and these vehicles are
commonly ridden at night because of their increased reliability. The rider often
faces difficulties in distinguishing between a two-wheeled and a four-wheeled
vehicle at night, for instance, a car with a single headlight is misjudged as a two25 wheeler, and two-wheelers following each other can be judged as a four-wheeler
at night.
The prior existing handlebar grips have an illumination assembly provided at the
end portion of the handlebar as shown in FIG. 1 to provide additional lighting to
30 the vehicle for greater safety of the rider/driver. The illumination assembly is
located on the ends of the handlebars for both the left and the right sides.
3
However, the use of the illumination assembly from the handlebar grip in the prior
art changes the overall vehicle dimension by placing it at the end of the handlebar.
Thus, conflicting with the vehicle norms by increasing the original width of the
vehicle. Also, providing illumination at both ends of the vehicle violates the
5 homologation norm. Further, the existing design may lead to a modification in the
handlebar, by providing additional threads or clamps to secure the device on the
handle which required the retro fitment and sometimes eliminates the balances
that essentially violate the norms. Also, if the device is using the vehicle battery
power then the wiring route needs to be provided through the handlebar while
10 providing extra holes in the handlebar which weakens the handlebar which also
violates the vehicle norms. Further, since the device used in prior is substantially
designed to lengthen the handlebar, thus the increased illumination element is so
easy to be damaged by impacts exerted from outer forces.
15 Therefore, there exists a need to develop a handlebar grip assembly with an
illumination feature, which improves vehicle safety by overcoming the abovementioned problems. The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more
limitations stated above or any other limitations associated with the prior art.
20 SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure provides a handlebar grip assembly for a two-wheeled or a
three-wheeled vehicle with an illumination module. The handlebar grip assembly
has a grip, a light assembly, and a support ring. The grip is configured to have an
25 inner end and an outer end. The light assembly is connected to the inner end of the
grip. The support ring is positioned in between the grip and the light assembly.
The light assembly is configured to provide illumination at the inner end of the
grip.
30 In an aspect, the light assembly comprises a light guide ring, a cover, a sealing
gasket, a chord clamp, a self-tapping screw, and a light emitting device.
4
In an aspect, the light emitting device comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), a
switch disposed on the PCB to electrify the PCB, at least one light emitting
diodes, and an integrated circuit (IC) to activate LEDs to light.
5
In an aspect, the light emitting device comprises a discrete circuit, at least one
light source, and a switch that is connected to the discrete circuit to activate the
light source.
10 In an aspect, the light guide ring is placed over the light emitting device to capture
the light emerging from the said light emitting device.
In an aspect, the light guide ring has serrations and/or corrugations provided on an
internal surface to create a uniform dispersion of light.
15
In an aspect, the support ring is having a first end and a second end and a variable
cross-sectional diameter for facilitating assembly of other components in the
proximity of the support ring.
20 In an aspect, the grip is a longitudinally extending grip, sized to fit over a
handlebar engaging tube of two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled
vehicles. A plurality of grooves is provided at the inner end of the grip.
In an aspect, the grip has a hand engaging surface on its external surface to be
25 frictionally gripped by the rider's hand.
In an aspect, the PCB is electrically connected to a vehicle battery and/or an
electric switch of a headlamp/ ignition switch.
30 In an aspect, the cover is disposed to the inner end of the grip and tightened by the
chord clamp. The cover covers up the light emitting device and prevents the
5
damage of the light guide ring and the light emitting device due to vibrations of
the vehicle.
In an aspect, the PCB assembly comprises at least one fill port and at least one
5 channel for receiving a sealant material. The sealant material is configured to
encapsulate the PCB assembly and the fill port is accessible from outside of the
light guide ring after the PCB assembly is assembled.
In an aspect, the sealing gasket is provided to make the handlebar grip assembly
10 waterproof.
In an aspect, a method for assembling a handlebar grip with an illumination
module is disclosed. The method includes attaching a sealing gasket on a light
guide ring to make the handlebar grip assembly waterproof. After that tightening a
15 PCB assembly on a cutout constructed in the light guide ring with a self-tapping
screw. Further, injecting a sealant material over the PCB assembly and
encapsulating a plurality of electronic components of the PCB assembly. After
which attaching the light guide ring with the second end of a support ring using a
snap-fit mechanism. The method further includes placing and tightening a cover
20 over the light guide ring using a chord clamp to cover an opening of the handlebar
grip assembly. Finally placing the illumination module into a plurality of grooves
provided at an inner end of the grip.
In an aspect, the illumination module is a serviceable module that can be re-fitted
25 on the handlebar grip.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way
limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features
described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent
30 by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
6
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood
from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying
5 figure(s). The figure(s) together with a detailed description below, are
incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate
the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, in accordance
with the present invention wherein:
10 Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of a conventional handlebar grip assembly
with illumination.
Figure 2 illustrates the schematic view of a handlebar grip assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
15
Figure 3 illustrates the exploded view of the handlebar grip assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4 illustrates the schematic view of the assembled handlebar grip assembly
20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for
simplicity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the
dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative
25 to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
30 While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternative forms,
specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the figures
7
and will be described below. It should be understood, however that it is not
intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives
falling within the scope of the invention.
5
It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art can be motivated by the present
invention and can perform various modifications. However, such modifications
should be construed within the scope of the invention.
10 Accordingly, the drawings are showing only those specific details that are
pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to
obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
15 The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are
intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that an assembly, setup, system,
device that comprises a list of components does not include only those
components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to
such system or device or setup. In other words, one or more elements in the
20 system or apparatus or device proceeded by “comprises a” does not, without more
constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the
assembly or system or apparatus. The following paragraphs explain the present
invention. The invention in respect of the same may be deduced accordingly.
25 The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to
Figures 1- 4.
Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an improved handlebar grip
assembly (10) with an illumination module (27). The handlebar grip assembly
30 (10) is having a grip (11), a support ring (12), and a light assembly (23) and is
mounted over a handlebar engaging tube (not shown in the figure) of a two-
8
wheeled or a three-wheeled vehicle as shown in Figure 2. The handlebar engaging
tube may be fabricated from a metal or a durable plastic. Ribs may be formed on
the outer surface of the handlebar engaging tube for preventing the grip (11) from
turning with respect to the handlebar engaging tube.
5
The grip (11), generally of cylindrical shape is shown in FIGs. 2 - 4. The grip (11)
is a longitudinally extending grip, sized to fit over the handlebar engaging tube of
two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicles such as ATVs. The grip
(11) is configured to have an inner end (14) and an outer end (15). A plurality of
10 grooves is provided at the inner end (14) of the grip (11) for placing the
illumination module (27) over it. The grip (11) has a hand engaging surface (13)
on its external surface to be frictionally gripped by the rider's hand. An inner
surface of the grip (11) is configured to abut the outer surface of the handlebar
engaging tube. The grip (11) is preferably molded from a soft material such as
15 plasticized rubber/TPE. Alternatively, the grip (11) can be molded from a soft
rubber such as Neoprene or a flexible PVC compound.
The light assembly (23) is configured for providing illumination at the inner end
(14) of the grip (11) of two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicles
20 such as ATVs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in
FIG. 3 the light assembly (23) has the following components: a light guide ring
(16), a cover (17), a sealing gasket (24), a chord clamp (25), a self-tapping screw
(26), and a light emitting device installed inside the light guide ring (16). The light
guide ring (16) is placed over the light emitting device to capture the light
25 emerging from the said light emitting device. The cover (17) covers up the light
emitting device and prevents the damage of the light guide ring (16) and the light
emitting device due to vibrations of the vehicle. The sealing gasket (24) is
provided to make the handlebar grip assembly (10) waterproof.
30 The light emitting device may be composed of a printed circuit board (PCB)
assembly (19). The PCB assembly (19) includes a PCB, a switch disposed on the
9
PCB to electrify the PCB, at least one light emitting diodes (LEDs), and an
integrated circuit (IC) to activate LEDs to light. The PCB assembly (19) is
electrically connected to a vehicle battery and/or an electric switch of a headlamp.
The PCB assembly (19) further includes a plurality of fill ports or sealant ports,
5 and at least one channel through which a sealant material is dispensed or injected
to fill and seal the area at and around the PCB. The fill port and the channel is
accessible from outside of the light guide ring (16) after the PCB assembly (19) is
assembled. The sealant material may be any suitable material known in the art that
can be poured over the PCB assembly (19) in a liquid state and then the sealant
10 solidifies for sealing the PCB assembly (19). When the sealant is poured in, the
sealant may fill in the sealant ports and surround the electronic components of the
PCB assembly (19). After solidification, the sealant ensures that any electrical and
electronic components of the PCB assembly (19) are prevented from contact with
moisture or water. The sealant material can be poured from an open side of the
15 light guide ring (16). No exact measurement of sealant height or volume is
required. In an embodiment, the light emitting device comprises a discrete circuit,
at least one light source, and a switch that is connected to the discrete circuit to
activate the light source.
20 The light guide ring (16) is placed over the light emitting device to capture the
light emerging from the said light emitting device. The PCB assembly (19) is
tightened to the light guide ring (16) using the self-tapping screw (26). In an
embodiment, a cutout is constructed in the light guide ring (16) to tighten the PCB
assembly (19) with the light guide ring (16) using the self-tapping screw (26). The
25 light guide ring (16) can guide light from the light emitting device and can emit
the light. Figures 3 and 4 show the light guide ring (16) positioned over the LEDs.
The light guide ring (16) and LEDs are arranged to provide uniform illumination
over the inner end (14) of the grip (11) across the circular periphery of the light
guide ring (16).
30
10
In an embodiment, the light emitting device uses a 2-side LED setup, mounted at
the semi-circular location of the light guide ring (16) to illuminate the light guide
ring (16). Thus, the incident light from the LEDs spreads throughout the inside of
the light guide ring (16) and then is uniformly emitted through the emergent
5 surface. However, the greater the distance from LEDs, the more the light intensity
decreases, which is typical of the light guide ring (16). And also, there is a dark
area between LEDs and a bright area around LEDs. In order to remove the dark
area or bright area, special patterns, so-called light guide serrations and/or
corrugations, are fabricated on an internal surface of the light guide ring (16). The
10 design parameters of the serration, e.g., the pattern size, shape, and fabrication
area, may be different in each case. In this embodiment of the present disclosure,
the LEDs are arranged so as to provide uniform illumination taking minimum
space, minimum power, and maximum life and making it almost maintenancefree. Suitable provisions may be provided on the light guide ring (16) to facilitate
15 assembly of the light guide ring (16) with the cover (17) and the support ring (12)
as shown in FIGs. 2-4.
It is preferred that the LEDs are soldered on the printed circuit board (19). The
number of LEDs can vary depending on the requirement. As a result, a simple
20 electrical connection may be made, which is little or no susceptible to interference
and not sensitive to the vibration. A wiring harness (22) is connected through the
PCB (19) as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Another preferred embodiment is that
the LEDs may be connected to the vehicle battery or the electric switch via the
PCB (19) and a connecting cable. The switch may be disposed on the PCB (19) to
25 turn on/off the PCB (19). The switch may be further utilized to activate LEDs to
light.
As shown in FIG. 3, the support ring (12) may be substantially cylindrical in
shape. Further, the support ring (12) is having a variable cross-sectional diameter
30 as shown in FIG. 3 for facilitating assembly of other components in the proximity
of the support ring (12). For example, the support ring (12) may be provided with
11
mating surfaces to support and hold the grip (11) at one end and the light guide at
the other end. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the support ring
(12) is configured to have a first end (20) and a second end (21). The first end (20)
may have a diameter greater than the diameter of the inner end (14) of the grip
5 (11). The first end (20) is detachably attached within the inner end portion of the
grip (11). The support ring (12) may be configured to have the second end (21) in
complementary engagement with the light assembly (23). In an embodiment, a
snap-fit mechanism is provided at the second end (21) of the support ring (12) to
fix the light guide ring (16). The support ring (12) provides rigid support at the
10 inner end (14) of the grip (11). In one of the embodiments, the support ring (12)
minimizes the direct contact of the light assembly (23) with respect to the
rider/driver.
In one of the preferred embodiments, the cover (17) is disposed towards the inner
15 end (14) of the grip (11) facing outwards and to cover an opening of the handlebar
grip assembly (10). The cover (17) covers up the light emitting device and
prevents the damage of the light guide ring (16) and the light emitting device due
to vibrations of the vehicle. The chord clamp (25) is provided to tighten the cover
(17) over the light guide ring (16). The cover (17) can further prevent water, dust,
20 and other contamination to enter the light assembly (23). In the embodiment, as
shown, the cover (17) is substantially circular in shape. A flange extends from the
cover (17). The flange is configured to protect the light emitting device and the
PCB (19).
25 A method for assembling the handlebar grip (11) with the illumination module
(27) is disclosed. The method includes attaching the sealing gasket (24) on the
light guide ring (16) to make the handlebar grip assembly (10) waterproof. After
that, tightening the PCB assembly (19) on the cutout constructed in the light guide
ring (16) with the self-tapping screw (26). After which the sealant material is
30 injected over the PCB assembly (19) and encapsulating the plurality of electronic
components of the PCB assembly (19). The method further includes attaching the
12
light guide ring (16) with the second end (21) of the support ring (12) using the
snap-fit mechanism. The cover (17) is placed over the light guide ring (16) and
tightened using the chord clamp (25) to cover the opening of the handlebar grip
assembly (10). Finally placing the illumination module (27) into the plurality of
5 grooves provided at the inner end (14) of the grip (11). The illumination module
(27) as disclosed is a serviceable module and can be re-fitted again on the
handlebar grip (11). Thus, the components of the illumination module (27) can be
easily salvaged when one of its components fails.
10 The handlebar grip assembly (10) and the method for assembling the handlebar
grip (11) with the illumination module (27) as disclosed herein may be
incorporated without any changes in the overall vehicle dimension while the
current design is placed at the end of the handlebar increasing its overall width.
Therefore, the disclosed invention does not conflict with the norms as the
15 placement is within the vehicle dimension. Further, the invention as disclosed
herein is easy to fit over grooves on the grip without changing its size. Further,
since there is no change/modification in the handlebar required for wire harness
routing, the handlebar grip assembly (10) as disclosed herein is simple in
construction and economic.
20
It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art may develop a
system of similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure. Such modifications and variations may be made without departing
from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present
25 disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within
the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Equivalents:
30 With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein,
those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or
13
from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application.
The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for
sake of clarity.
5 It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,
and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are
generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be
interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be
interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as
10 “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within
the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such
an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such
recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the
following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least
15 one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such
phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation
by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such
introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even
when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least
20 one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should
typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds
true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition,
even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited,
those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be
25 interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two
recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or
two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention
analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general, such
construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand
30 the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include
but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B
14
together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C,
etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill
in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of
5 A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B
alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,
B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that
virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative
terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to
10 contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or
both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the
possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” While various aspects and embodiments
have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are
15 for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope
and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

We Claim:
1. A handlebar grip assembly (10) for a vehicle with an illumination module
5 (27) comprising:
a handlebar grip (11) which is having an inner end (14) and an
outer end (15);
a light assembly (23) configured to be connected to the inner end
(14) of the grip (11);
10 a support ring (12) positioned in between the grip (11) and the light
assembly (23);
wherein the light assembly (23) is configured to provide
illumination at the inner end (14) of the grip (11).
15 2. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light
assembly (23) comprises a light guide ring (16), a cover (17), a sealing
gasket (24), a chord clamp (25), a self-tapping screw (26), and a light
emitting device.
20 3. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light
emitting device comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) (19), a switch
disposed on the PCB (19) to electrify the PCB (19), at least one light
emitting diodes (LEDs), and an integrated circuit (IC) to activate LEDs to
light.
25
4. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light
emitting device comprises a discrete circuit, at least one light source, and a
switch that is connected to the discrete circuit to activate the light source.
17
5. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4,
wherein the light guide ring (16) is placed over the light emitting device to
capture the light emerging from the said light emitting device.
5 6. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light
guide ring (16) has serrations and/or corrugations provided on an internal
surface to create a uniform dispersion of light.
7. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
10 support ring (12) is having a first end (20) and a second end (21) and a
variable cross-sectional diameter for facilitating assembly of other
components in the proximity of the support ring (12).
8. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip
15 (11) is a longitudinally extending grip, sized to fit over a handlebar
engaging tube of two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicles
and whereby a plurality of grooves are provided at the inner end (14) of
the grip (11).
20 9. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip
(11) has a hand engaging surface (13) on its external surface to be
frictionally gripped by the rider's hand.
10. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the PCB
25 (19) is electrically connected to a vehicle battery and/or an electric switch
of a headlamp/ ignition switch.
11. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cover
(17) is disposed to the inner end (14) of the grip (11) and tightened by the
30 chord clamp (25), the said cover (17) covers up the light assembly (23)
18
and prevents the damage of the light guide ring (16) and the light emitting
device due to vibrations of the vehicle.
12. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the PCB
5 assembly (19) comprises at least one fill port and at least one channel for
receiving a sealant material, whereby the sealant material is configured to
encapsulate the PCB assembly (19) and the fill port is accessible from
outside of the light guide ring (16) after the PCB assembly is assembled.
10 13. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
sealing gasket (24) is configured to make the handlebar grip assembly (10)
waterproof.
14. A method for assembling a handlebar grip (11) with an illumination
15 module (27) comprising steps of:
- attaching a sealing gasket (24) on a light guide ring (16) to make the
handlebar grip assembly (10) waterproof;
- tightening a PCB assembly (19) on a cutout constructed in the light guide
ring (16) with a self-tapping screw (26);
20 - injecting a sealant material over the PCB assembly (19) and
encapsulating a plurality of electronic component of the PCB assembly
(19);
- attaching the light guide ring (16) with a second end (21) of a support
ring (12) using a snap-fit mechanism;
25 - placing and tightening a cover (17) over the light guide ring (16) using a
chord clamp (25) to cover an opening of the handlebar grip assembly (10);
- placing the illumination module (27) into a plurality of grooves provided
at an inner end (14) of the grip (11).
19
15. The handlebar grip assembly (10) as claimed in claims 1 to 14, wherein
the illumination module (27) is a serviceable module that can be re-fitted
on the handlebar grip (11).