ELECTRIC CHARGING ROOF ON AN AUTOMOBILE

• US 20100018785A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Samuel, Woodson Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/2.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0001 characterised by position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric charging roof on an automobile. The present invention can be or a method of manufacture of an automobile having a body with an interior, a roof attached to the body, a layer of paint coated on top of the roof, an energy storage unit located within the interior of the body, and a layer of photovoltaic material deposited on top of the layer of paint to form a solar panel connected to the energy storage unit.

Claims

1. An automobile comprising:

a body with an interior;

a roof attached to the body;

a layer of paint coated on top of the roof;

an energy storage unit located within the interior of the body; and

a layer of photovoltaic material deposited on top of the layer of paint to form a solar panel connected to the energy storage unit.

2. The automobile of claim 1 further comprising

an electrical lead connecting the solar panel to the energy storage unit.

3. The automobile of claim 2 wherein the solar panel is a thin film solar panel resistant to shattering.

4. The automobile of claim 3 wherein the layer of photovoltaic material includes sprayable particles of photovoltaic material.

5. The automobile of claim 3 wherein the layer of photovoltaic material includes sprayable particles of photovoltaic material which are cured.

6. The automobile of claim 5 wherein the particles of photovoltaic material comprise a fullerene single wall nanotube complex.

7. The automobile of claim 5 wherein the particles of photovoltaic material comprise a plastic material including nanoparticles.

21. The automobile of claim 1 wherein the solar panel is a vaporware solar panel.

22. The automobile of claim 1 wherein a portion of the solar panel crumbles into dust when the solar panel is damaged by an impact to the automobile.

8-20. -20. (canceled)

23. An automobile comprising:

a roof; and

a thin film solar panel resistant to shattering located on top of the roof, the thin film solar panel including a layer of photovoltaic material deposited on top of the roof.

24. The automobile of claim 23 wherein the solar panel is a vaporware solar panel or an amorphous solar panel.

25. The automobile of claim 24 wherein the layer of photovoltaic material includes sprayable particles of fullerene single wall nanotube complex which are cured.

26. The automobile of claim 23 wherein the solar panel includes a substrate, an electrolyte layer, a dye layer, a non-porous titanium dioxide layer, and a transparent conductor.

27. The automobile of claim 23 wherein the layer of photovoltaic material is selected from a group consisting of Katpon, Mo, CU (In,Ga) (S,Se)₂, CdS, and ZnO.

28. The automobile of claim 23 wherein a portion of the solar panel crumbles into dust when the solar panel is damaged by an impact to the automobile.

29. A roof of an automobile comprising:

a flexible thin film solar panel resistant to shattering including a layer of photovoltaic material, wherein a portion of the solar panel crumbles into dust when the solar panel is damaged by an impact.

30. The roof of claim 29 wherein the solar panel is a vaporware solar panel or an amorphous solar panel.

31. The roof of claim 29 wherein the solar panel includes a substrate, an electrolyte layer, a dye layer, a non-porous titanium dioxide layer, and a transparent conductor.

32. The roof of claim 29 wherein the layer of photovoltaic material is selected from a group consisting of sprayable particles of fullerene single wall nanotube complex, Katpon, Mo, CU (In,Ga) (S,Se)₂, CdS, and ZnO.