Electric vehicle roof

• US 6,702,370 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Original Assignee: PowerLight Corp. (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Shugar, Daniel S., Dinwoodie, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/464,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 296/211, 296/213, 296/210, 296/97.9, 296/214, 296/98, 621/71, 180/2.2, 136/244, 280/656
• US Class Current: 296/211
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/06 Fixed roofs non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/40 Mobile PV generator systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications

Abstract

A PV roof assembly (6) includes a roof (12) mountable to an electric vehicle (4), and a PV assembly (10) at the upper part of the roof. The PV assembly may be mounted to a separate roof surface (34) or the PV assembly may itself constitute all or part of the roof. The vehicle may include a secondary PV assembly (96) coupled to a display unit (92) to provide an independent indication of the intensity of solar irradiation. The roof may have mounting element recesses (68) to accommodate mounting elements (70) of the PV assembly, the mounting elements configured so as not to shade the PV panel (14). The roof may also be configured to accommodate a global positioning device (80). The roof preferably includes a peripheral gutter (88). The roof body preferably includes hand-hold recesses (90) housing hand-hold elements (42) at positions to provide a horizontal setback (92) from the lateral sides (93) of the roof body.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle roof comprising:

a roof body comprising front and rear edges and first and second lateral side edges;

a hand-hold recess formed into the first lateral side edge; and

a hand-hold element located within the hand-hold recess at a position to provide a minimum horizontal setback between the entire hand-hold element and the lateral side edge.

2. The roof according to claim 1 wherein the minimum setback is 2.5 cm.

3. The roof according to claim 1 wherein the roof body has an upper surface overlying the hand-hold elements.

4. An electric vehicle roof comprising:

a roof body comprising an upper surface, front and rear edges and first and second lateral side edges;

hand-hold recesses formed into the first and second lateral side edges;

a hand-hold element located within each of the first and second hand-hold recesses at positions to provide a horizontal setback of at least about 2.5 cm between the hand-hold elements and the lateral side edges; and

the upper surface overlying the hand-hold elements.