Vehicle having a solar battery system

• US 4,911,257 A
• Filed: 11/15/1988
• Issued: 03/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Michihara, Osamu, Kajimoto, Shinshi, Niitani, Tooru, Kuroiwa, Mitsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US07/271,282
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 136/291, 136/293, 180/65.3, 98/2.01, 98/2.02, 98/2.18, 98/900, 236/49.3, 320/30, 320/48, 320/61
• US Class Current: 180/65.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/18 Indicator or display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 454/90 Ventilator using solar power

Abstract

A solar battery system for a vehicle comprises a solar battery mounted on a body of the vehicle, an actinometer provided on the body for detecting the quantity of solar radiation supplied to the body, a controller for comparing an output of the solar battery with a detection output of the actinometer to obtain a result of comparison and generating an alarm signal when the result of comparison is out of a predetermined condition, and a warning device provided in a cabin formed in the vehicle for giving a warning in response to the alarm signal obtained from the controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a solar battery system comprising:

a solar battery mounted on a body of the vehicle,

actinometer means for detecting the quantity of solar radiation supplied to the body of the vehicle,

control means operative to compare an output of said solar battery with a detection output of said actinometer means to obtain a result of comparison and generate an alarm signal when the result of comparison obtained is out of a predetermined condition, and

warning means provided in the vehicle cabin for giving a warning in response to the alarm signal obtained from said controller.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actinometer means is positioned close to a lower portion of a front windshield of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actinometer means is disposed on an instrument panel provided in a front portion of the cabin.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actinometer means is positioned close to a lower portion of a rear windshield of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said actinometer means is disposed on a rear shelf panel provided in a rear portion of the cabin.

6. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actinometer means comprises a plurality of actinometers disposed at different portions of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said control means is operative to compare the output of said solar battery with the maximum one of the detection outputs of said plurality of actinometers to obtain the result of said comparison.

8. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein at least two of said actinometers are disposed in front and rear portions of the cabin, respectively.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said control means is operative to compare the output of said solar battery with the maximum one of the detection outputs of said actinometers disposed in the front and rear portions of the cabin to obtain the result of comparison.

10. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said two of said actinometers are disposed on an instrument panel provided in the front portion of the cabin and on a rear shelf panel provided in the rear portion of the cabin, respectively.

11. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said solar battery is disposed on a roof portion of the body of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said actinometer means comprises a plurality of actinometers and at least two of said actinometers are disposed in front and rear portions of the cabin, respectively.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said control means is operative to compare the output of said solar battery attached to the roof portion of the body of the vehicle with the maximum one of the detection outputs of the actinometers disposed in the front and rear portions of the cabin to obtain the result of comparison.

14. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said two of said actinometers are disposed on an instrument panel provided in the front portion of the cabin and on a rear shelf panel provided in the rear portion of the cabin, respectively.

15. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said solar battery is attached to a slidable sun roof panel provided on the roof portion of the body of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the roof portion of the body of the vehicle is provided with an opening and said slidable sun roof panel is disposed selectively to shut the opening so as to position said solar battery to be able to receive the sunlight and to be stored under the roof portion so as to cause said solar battery to be shaded so as not to receive the sunlight.

17. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said warning means is operative to give a visual warning in response to the alarm signal.

18. A vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said warning means comprises a warning lamp provided on a dashboard disposed in a front portion of the cabin.