Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle blinker device and more particularly relates to a vehicle blinker device that is cost effective, flexible and sustains breakage to an extent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Direction-indicator lamps, commonly known as “blinkers” or turn signals, play an essential role in driving a vehicle. They are equipped in the vehicles to give an advantage while on the road – Letting the driver behind the person in the vehicle know if he/she is going to turn. These blinkers are present on both sides of the vehicle in the front and back. Traditionally, the blinker device comprises of a lens and reflector and the wires are housed in inserts covered by housing. However, because of the materials used in the blinker device and the metal parts, these blinkers are less flexible and more prone to damage on an impact.
Japanese Patent No. 6547064 describes a blinker/winker device for a motorcycle. In the winker device disclosed here, the winker body is attached to the winker holder. In the winker holder, for example, an annular mounting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the front fork, and a plate-shaped portion is attached to the vehicle body by a fastening member. As a result, the winker body is supported by the front fork via the winker holder. Further, the winker cord (harness) derived from the winker body is arranged by being inserted into the insertion hole of the plate-shaped portion. However, in the winker device as described above, when attaching the winker holder to the vehicle body, it is necessary to work while confirming that the winker cord does not fall out of the storage groove of the holder member in order to prevent the winker cord from being caught.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a blinker device for vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blinker device for vehicles that is cost effective, flexible, avoids damage on impact and sustains breakage on impact.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blinker device for vehicles that is cost effective and is flexible due to less number of child parts as compared to conventional vehicle blinker device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that present invention is not limited to particular methodologies and materials described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention describes a blinker device for vehicles that is cost effective, flexible, avoids damage on impact and sustains breakage on impact. In the vehicle blinker device of the present invention, the lens and the reflector are similar to the conventional blinker device. However, the components of the housing are different as compared to the housing of the conventional blinker device. The vehicle side insert of the vehicle blinker device is modified and a part of the vehicle side insert is moulded in the rubber stay of the blinker device itself. Further, the housing side insert is not a separate component and is moulded in the rubber stay itself. Therefore, the metal pipe as visible in the conventional blinker device is replaced by the rubber stay itself in the vehicle blinker device of the present invention. There is no metal pipe needed for the housing side insert as well the vehicle side insert has substantially reduced metal part. This provides flexibility to the vehicle blinker device of the present invention. Less number of components also leads to cost reduction in the manufacturing of the vehicle blinker device of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A complete understanding of the present invention may be made by reference to the following detailed description which is to be taken in conjugation with the accompanying drawing. The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated into and constitutes a part of the specification, illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, it serves to explain the principles and implementations of the invention.
FIG.1 is the perspective view of the conventional blinker device;
FIG.2 is the cross sectional view of the conventional blinker device;
FIG.3 is the exploded view of the conventional blinker device displaying all the parts ;
FIG.4 is the perspective view of the vehicle blinker device according to the embodiment of the invention;
FIG.5 is the cross sectional view of the of the vehicle blinker device according to the embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6 is the exploded view of the vehicle blinker device displaying all the parts according to the embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular methodologies described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:

Sr. No. Description of the part
100 Conventional vehicle blinker device
101 Vehicle blinker device of the present invention
102 Lens
104 Reflector
106 M10 nut of the conventional blinker device
108 Vehicle side insert of the conventional blinker device
110 Rubber stay of the conventional blinker device
112 Housing side insert of the conventional blinker device
114 Housing of the conventional blinker device
116 Metal circlip of the vehicle blinker device of present invention
118 vehicle side insert of the vehicle blinker device of present invention
120 Rubber stay of the vehicle blinker device of present invention
122 Housing of the vehicle blinker device of present invention

The present invention describes a blinker device for vehicles that is cost effective, flexible, avoids damage on impact and sustains breakage on impact. The blinker device for vehicles is cost effective and flexible due to less number of child parts as compared to conventional vehicle blinker device. Figures 1-3 describe the conventional blinker device (100) used in vehicles. Figure 1 is the perspective view of the conventional vehicle blinker device. Figure 2 is the cross sectional view of the conventional blinker device (100). The conventional blinker device (100) comprises of a lens (102) and a reflector (104) along with a housing (114). The housing (114) of the conventional blinker device houses the parts such as the housing side insert (112), the rubber stay (110) and the vehicle side insert (108).
Figure 3 is the exploded view of the conventional vehicle blinker device (100). The housing side insert (112) is placed towards the housing (114) and holds the wires for connections. The vehicle side insert (108) is positioned towards the vehicle chassis and holds the wires for connections. The rubber stay (110) has slots to place the vehicle side insert (108) and the housing side insert (112). The vehicle side insert (108) and the housing side insert (112) are separate metal structures that are positioned in the slots or grooves in the housing (114). Further, the components of the rubber stay (110) are fixed to the housing (114) with the help of an M10 nut (106) as shown in Figure 3. The vehicle side insert (108) and the housing side insert (112) together form a metal pipe that runs through out the rubber stay (110). The rubber stay (110) of the conventional blinker is preferably made of a material EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). This material has very little flexibility and the weight of the metal nut and the metal pipe in the rubber stay (110) make the overall blinker device bulky and non- flexible.
According the embodiment of the present invention, the Figure 4 describes the perspective view of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. The lens (102) and the reflector (104) are similar to the conventional blinker device (100). However , the components of the housing (122) are different as compared to the housing (114) of the conventional blinker device (100). Figure 5 describes the cross sectional view of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. Figure 6 describes the exploded view of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. The vehicle side insert (118) of the vehicle blinker device (101) is modified and a part of the vehicle side insert (118) is moulded in the rubber stay (120) of the blinker device (101) itself. Further, the housing side insert is not a separate component and is moulded in the rubber stay itself (120). Therefore, the metal pipe as visible in the conventional blinker device (100) is replaced by the rubber stay (120) itself in the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. The vehicle side insert (118) and the housing side insert moulded in the rubber stay (120) hold the wires for connections at the vehicle chassis side and the housing side respectively. There is no metal pipe needed for the housing side insert as well the vehicle side insert (118) has substantially reduced metal part. This reduction in use of metal components in the blinker device (101) provides flexibility to the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. Less number of components also leads to cost reduction in the manufacturing of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the rubber stay (120) of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention is made of a material - TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) with 80A to 85A shore hardness. This material provides more flexibility to the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention. Further, the rubber stay (120) is connected to the housing (122) by a metal circlip (116) instead of a M10 nut as in the conventional vehicle blinker (100). The metal circlip (116) suffices the function of fixing the rubber stay (120) in the housing (122) and eliminates the need of a heavy metal nut. The increased flexibility of the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention due to the material used in the rubber stay (120) also provides increased resistance to damage or breakage due to any sudden impact. This increases the life of the vehicle blinker (101) of the present invention when in use. The less amount of metal used in the vehicle blinker device (101) of the present invention leads to cost reduction of the overall device manufacturing.
Example:
The blinker of the present invention and the conventional vehicle blinker are tested for their flexibility and damage/breakage due to impact on the blinker. The subject blinker and the conventional blinker were tested for impact from the horizontal and vertical directions.
1. Impact on the sides of the blinker:
During the test, the present blinker takes 5.5 kg of load (impact) and bends up to 30-40 degrees in vertical direction and regains its original position as it flexible. Under the same test conditions, the conventional blinker, with the same force (impact), breaks as it is hard and non-flexible. The conventional blinker can only bend till 10 degrees.
2. Impact on the front and back of the blinker:
During the test, the present blinker takes up to 8.5 kg of load (impact), bends up to 30-35 degrees and regains its original position as it is flexible. Under the same test conditions, the conventional blinker, with even lesser force of 5.5 kg (impact), breaks as it hard and non-flexible.
Therefore, because of the composition of the present blinker which includes more rubber material than metal, the present vehicle blinker can sustain impact to a much greater extent and because of its flexible characteristic, it can regain its original placement after impact.
The embodiments herein above and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
, Claims:We claim,
1. A vehicle blinker device (101) that is cost effective, flexible and sustains breakage to an extent, comprising of a lens (102), reflector (104) and a housing (122),
characterized in that
the housing (122) of the vehicle blinker device (101) comprises of a vehicle side insert (118) and a rubber stay (120) and the housing side insert moulded in the rubber stay (120);
and a part of the vehicle side insert (118) is also moulded in the rubber stay (120);
and the vehicle side insert (118) and the housing side insert moulded in the rubber stay (120) hold the wires for connections at the vehicle chassis side and the housing side respectively;
and the rubber stay (120) is connected to the housing (122) by a metal circlip (116).

2. The vehicle blinker device (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rubber stay (120) of the vehicle blinker device (101) is made of TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) with
80A to 85A shore hardness which provided flexibility to the blinker device.

3. The vehicle blinker device (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal circlip (116) suffices the function of fixing the rubber stay (120) in the housing (122) and eliminates the need of a heavy metal nut.

4. The vehicle blinker device (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein reduction in use of metal components in the blinker device (101) provides flexibility to the vehicle blinker device (101) and less number of components also leads to cost reduction in the manufacturing of the vehicle blinker device (101).