Electric vehicle

• US 20040036593A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: IIjima, Yoshihiro, Yamanaka, Makoto, Yamamoto, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0082 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An indicator 19 having LEDs 20 is mounted on a panel 5 which is provided at the center of a steering handle 6 for monitoring the winkers. The indicator 19 indicates the battery charge amount with the lit up LEDs 20 and also the right or left turn of the vehicle when a winker switch 14 is turned on for indicating the corresponding steering direction. When turns right, the LEDs 20 are lit up incrementally in a sequence from the left to the right. As the LEDs 20 all have been lit up, they are temporarily turned off and their action in the incremental sequence is then repeated. When turns left, the LEDs 20 are lit up incrementally in order from the right. As the LEDs 20 all have been lit up, they are temporarily turned off and their incremental action from the right is then repeated.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle having an indicator disposed in front of a driver seat and arranged on which a row of lamps extending transversely are lit up in steps for indicating amount of a battery charge of a vehicle mounted battery with illumination of a corresponding number of the indicator lamps, the vehicle comprising:

winkers mounted on the vehicle;

a winker switch arranged for selectively activating the winkers to indicate the left turn and the right turn of the vehicle; and

an indicator controller arranged operable in response to the action of the winker switch for carrying out a control action in which when the winker switch is operated for indicating the right turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the left to the right and their sequential lit-up action is repeated and when the winker switch is operated for indicating the left turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the right to the left and their sequential lit-up action is repeated in place of indicating the amount of the battery charge.

2. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the indicator controller is arranged operable in which for repeating their action of being lit up an incremental sequence, the lamps are turned off all at once and then lit up in the incremental sequence.

3. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is mounted on an operation panel provided at the center of a steering handle of the vehicle.