VEHICLE

• US 20100026238A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naoto, Nakashima, Motohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,134,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2661 mounted on parts having other functions on wheels B60Q1/326
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments

Abstract

Light applied from an illumination unit (212) illuminates a space formed of an accommodation unit (208), and facilitates a user'"'"'s operation of coupling a charging connector to an electric power-receiving unit (210). When a lid unit (204) is in a closed state, a part of the light applied from the illumination unit (212) toward the accommodation unit (208) transmits through a light transmission member (202) provided at the lid unit (204) and leaks toward a space outside a vehicle body (300). The leaked light enables a user to visually perceive the position of the charging port (200) at a glance even if the lid unit (204) is in the closed state.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of utilizing electric power supplied from an external power source, comprising:

an accommodation chamber opened at a vehicle external surface and for accommodating an electric power-receiving unit for receiving the electric power supplied from said external power source,

inside said accommodation chamber, an illumination unit for applying light being disposed; and

a lid unit capable of closing an opening of said accommodation chamber,

said lid unit including a light transmission member as at least a part of said lid unit.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said accommodation chamber includes a surface formed to be concave with respect to said vehicle external surface.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said illumination unit further includes another surface formed to be concave with respect to said surface formed to be concave.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said illumination unit is disposed on a vertically upper side of said accommodation chamber

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lid unit is configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation extending in parallel with one side of the opening of said accommodation chamber.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said illumination unit applies light such that a user outside the vehicle can achieve visual perception.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said illumination unit is disposed on a vertically upper side of said accommodation chamber.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said lid unit is configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation extending in parallel with one side of the opening of said accommodation chamber.

9. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said lid unit is configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation extending in parallel with one side of the opening of said accommodation chamber.