Vehicle Inlet for Use in Charging a Battery of an Electric Vehicle (EV) or a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

• US 20130049972A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Pusch, Reinhard, Kwasny, Keith R., Nathan, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,013,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle inlet is disclosed for use in charging a battery of an electric vehicle or a hybrid-electric vehicle. The vehicle inlet includes a housing, a luminance engine having at least one light emitting diode, and a luminance member configured for attachment to the housing and for cooperation with the luminance engine. The luminance member is adapted for illumination by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine based on an ambient light level having a value less than a threshold for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A vehicle inlet for use in charging a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the vehicle inlet comprising:

a housing;

a luminance engine comprising at least one light emitting diode; and

a luminance member configured for attachment to the housing and for cooperation with the luminance engine;

wherein the luminance member is adapted for illumination by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine based on an ambient light level having a value less than a threshold for a predetermined time period.

2. The vehicle inlet of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a cover movable between an open and a closed position, and the luminance member is further adapted for illumination by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine to provide a visual indication to a user when the cover has a position other than the closed position.

3. The vehicle inlet of claim 1 wherein the luminance member comprises a ring of one of a substantially clear polycarbonate material and a translucent polycarbonate material.

4. The vehicle inlet of claim 1 wherein the luminance member comprises a cylinder of one of a substantially clear polycarbonate material and a translucent polycarbonate material, and the luminance member is configured to form substantially a majority of a surface area of a wall of the housing to provide increased visibility of the luminance member when illuminated by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine.

5. The vehicle inlet of claim 1 wherein the luminance engine comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, each of the diodes configured for emitting light having a different color.

6. The vehicle inlet of claim 5 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes are adapted to provide a visual indication to a user by at least one of flashing and emitting light having different colors, the visual indication representing a battery charging condition of at least one of charging in progress, a level of charge, and charging complete.

7. The vehicle inlet of claim 1 wherein the housing and the luminance member each include a plurality of locations thereon adapted for cooperation with the luminance engine, and wherein the housing and luminance member may each be configured to cooperate with a plurality of luminance engines.

8. A vehicle inlet for use in charging a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the vehicle inlet comprising:

a housing comprising a cover moveable between an open and a closed position;

a luminance engine comprising at least one light emitting diode; and

a luminance member configured for attachment to the housing and for cooperation with the luminance engine;

wherein the luminance member is adapted for illumination by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine to provide a visual indication to a user when the cover has a position other than the closed position.

9. The vehicle inlet of claim 8 wherein the luminance member comprises a cylinder of one of a clear polycarbonate material and a translucent polycarbonate material, and the luminance member is configured to form substantially a majority of a surface area of a wall of the housing to provide increased visibility of the illumination member when illuminated by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine.

10. The vehicle inlet of claim 9 wherein the luminance member is further adapted for illumination by the at least one light emitting diode of the luminance engine based on an ambient light level having a value less than a threshold for a predetermined time period.

11. The vehicle inlet of claim 8 wherein the luminance member comprises a ring of one of a substantially clear polycarbonate material and a translucent polycarbonate material.

12. The vehicle inlet of claim 8 wherein the luminance engine comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, each of the diodes configured for emitting light having a different color.

13. The vehicle inlet of claim 12 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes are adapted to provide a visual indication to a user by at least one of flashing and emitting light having different colors, the visual indication representing a battery charging condition of at least one of charging in progress, a level of charge, and charging complete.

14. The vehicle inlet of claim 8 wherein the housing and the luminance member each include a plurality of locations thereon adapted for cooperation with the luminance engine, and wherein the housing and luminance member may each be configured to cooperate with a plurality of luminance engines.

15. A vehicle inlet for use in charging a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the vehicle inlet comprising:

a housing;

a luminance engine comprising a light emitting diode; and

a luminance ring for attachment to the housing and the luminance engine;

wherein the luminance ring is to be illuminated by the light emitting diode of the luminance engine based on an ambient light level having a value less than a threshold level.

16. The vehicle inlet of claim 15 wherein the housing comprises a cover, and the luminance ring is further to be illuminated by the light emitting diode of the luminance engine to provide a visual indication to a user when the cover is open.

17. The vehicle inlet of claim 15 wherein the luminance ring comprises a cylinder of polycarbonate material, and the luminance ring forms most of a surface area of a wall of the housing to provide increased visibility of the luminance ring when illuminated by the light emitting diode of the luminance engine.

18. The vehicle inlet of claim 15 wherein the luminance engine comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, each of the diodes for emitting light having a different color.

19. The vehicle inlet of claim 18 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes provide a visual indication to a user by flashing or emitting light having different colors, the visual indication representing a battery charging state of charging in progress, a level of charge, or charging complete.

20. The vehicle inlet of claim 15 wherein the housing and the luminance ring each include a plurality of locations thereon for attachment to the luminance engine, and wherein the housing and luminance ring may each be attached to a plurality of luminance engines.