Electric vehicle

• US 7,012,515 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Iijima, Yoshihiro, Yamanaka, Makoto, Yamamoto, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/620,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20040036593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 340/475, 340/478, 340/693, 340/455, 340/461, 340/636.1, 340/636.2, 340/636.15, 340/636.13, 701/22, 320/30, 320/48, 429/91
• US Class Current: 340/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0082 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An indicator 19 having LEDs 20 is mounted on a panel 5 which is provided at the center of a steering handle 6 for monitoring the winkers. The indicator 19 indicates the battery charge amount with the lit up LEDs 20 and also the right or left turn of the vehicle when a winker switch 14 is turned on for indicating the corresponding steering direction. For right turns, the LEDs 20 are lit up incrementally in a sequence from the left to the right. As the LEDs 20 all have been lit up, they are temporarily turned off and their action in the incremental sequence is then repeated. For left turns, the LEDs 20 are lit up incrementally in order from the right. As the LEDs 20 all have been lit up, they are temporarily turned off and their incremental action from the right is then repeated.

Claims

1. A small-sized electrically-driven vehicle having an indicator disposed in front of a driver seat and arranged on which a row of lamps extending transversely are lit up in steps for indicating amount of a battery charge of a vehicle mounted battery with illumination of a corresponding number of the indicator lamps, the vehicle comprising:

winkers mounted on the vehicle;

a winker switch arranged for selectively activating the winkers to indicate the left turn and the right turn of the vehicle; and

an indicator controller arranged operable in response to the action of the winker switch for carrying out a control action in which when the winker switch is operated for indicating the right turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the left to the right and their sequential lit-up action is repeated and when the winker switch is operated for indicating the left turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the right to the left and their sequential lit-up action is repeated in place of indicating the amount of the battery charge,

wherein, in said incremental sequence, each lamp, which is lit, remains lit when the next light becomes lit until all lamps are lit, and

wherein the indicator is mounted on an operation panel provided at the center of a steering handle of the vehicle, said operation panel being arranged almost horizontally on the top of a steering post arranged at the front of the vehicle, said steering handle having a grip arranged to protrude from both the left and right sides of the operation panel, and the indicator being arranged on the top surface of the operation panel, the top surface being substantially parallel to a plane containing the steering handle.

2. A small-sized electrically-driven vehicle having an indicator disposed in front of a driver seat and arranged on which a row of lamps extending transversely are lit up in steps for indicating amount of a battery charge of a vehicle mounted battery with illumination of a corresponding number of the indicator lamps, the vehicle comprising:

winkers mounted on the vehicle;

a winker switch arranged for selectively activating the winkers to indicate the left turn and the right turn of the vehicle; and

an indicator controller arranged operable in response to the action of the winker switch for carrying out a control action in which when the winker switch is operated for indicating the right turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the left to the right and their sequential lit-up action is repeated and when the winker switch is operated for indicating the left turn of the vehicle, the lamps are lit up in an incremental sequence from the right to the left and their sequential lit-up action is repeated in place of indicating the amount of the battery charge,

wherein the indicator controller is arranged operable in which for repeating their action of being lit up an incremental sequence, the lamps are turned off all at once and then lit up in the incremental sequence, and

wherein the indicator is mounted on a panel provided at the center of a steering handle of the vehicle, said panel being arranged almost horizontally on the top of a steering post arranged at the front of the vehicle, said steering handle having a grip arranged to protrude from both the left and right sides of the panel, and the indicator being arranged on the top surface of the panel the top surface being substantially parallel to a plane containing the steering handle.