Photovoltaic power generation system

• US 8,907,614 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ishida, Noriyuki, Hoshi, Tomohiro, Oshita, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/069,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 19/00 Parking covers for cycles
• 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 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 photovoltaic power generation system in which an electricity generated by solar cells and a remaining battery level can be checked at once, thus enabling the photovoltaic power generation system to be efficiently operated. The photovoltaic power generation system is provided to charge a battery of a vehicle and is equipped with solar cells for feeding an electromotive force to the battery. The photovoltaic power generation system includes LEDs to make the remaining battery level and the electricity generated by the solar cells visible. Without taking the trouble to prepare a measuring instrument or to push a button of an indicator, a user of the vehicle can immediately check the remaining battery level and the electricity generated by the solar cells by visually checking the display of the LEDs, thus enabling the photovoltaic power generation system to be efficiently operated.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic power generation system to charge a battery of a vehicle, including solar cells for feeding an electromotive force to said battery, comprising:

a display unit to make a remaining level of said battery and an electricity generated by said solar cells visible; and

a charge and discharge control circuit for controlling a display state of said display unit,

wherein said display unit comprises a plurality of luminous elements each configured to emit a light beam different in color, while said charge and discharge control circuit is configured to control said display unit so that depending on the remaining level of said battery, at least one luminous element from among the plurality of luminous elements is selected to be lit, and a flickering interval of the selected at least one luminous element is varied depending on the electricity generated by said solar cells.

2. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, wherein said display unit comprises a plurality of LED units each having a different luminescent-color element corresponding to the plurality of said luminous elements.

3. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 2, wherein only one LED unit selected from among the plurality of said LED units is lighted individually.

4. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, wherein said display unit comprises a single LED unit composed of the plurality of said luminous elements.

5. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 4, wherein only one luminous element selected from among the plurality of said luminous elements is lighted individually.

6. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one solar cell panel for housing said solar cells therein; and

at least one solar cell pocket provided in a cover for covering said vehicle, the number of said solar cell pockets being not less than that of said solar cell panels.

7. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 6, wherein an interval between adjacent edges of said solar cell pockets is equal to or more than twice the thickness of said solar cell panel.

8. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising a signal transmitter for delivering a state signal of said photovoltaic power generation system to a security device of said vehicle.

9. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 8, wherein said charge and discharge control circuit controls which of said solar cells and said battery, serving as an electric source, feeds electric power to said signal transmitter.

10. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a solar cell panel for housing said solar cells therein, said solar cell panel including a starting-side connector and a terminal-side connector that are electrically connected with said solar cells; and

a control module for housing said charge and discharge control circuit therein, said control module including a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected with said charge and discharge control circuit,

wherein said first connector of said control module is detachably connected with said starting-side connector of said solar cell panel, while said second connector of said control module is detachably connected with said signal transmitter, so that an electromotive force from said solar cells is fed to said signal transmitter via said charge and discharge control circuit.

11. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 10, wherein said signal transmitter is provided in said vehicle, while said solar cell panel and said control module are provided in a cover for covering said vehicle.

12. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 11,

further comprising a terminator removably connected with said terminal-side connector of said solar cell panel,

wherein there is formed an electric pathway which circulates from said signal transmitter to said terminator via said control module and said solar cells in sequence by connecting said terminator with said terminal-side connector of said solar cell panel in a state where said solar cell panel and said control module, and, said control module and said signal transmitter, are electrically connected with each other, and

wherein said signal transmitter delivers said state signal to a security device of said vehicle when an interruption of said electric pathway is detected.

13. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 12, wherein said solar cell panel is at least two so that said solar cells are electrically connected in parallel by connecting said terminal-side connector of one of said at least two solar cell panels with said starting-side connector of an other of said at least two solar cell panels.

14. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 13, wherein said display unit is allowed to be lighted or flicker full-time.

15. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising a cover which houses said solar cells and has sunlight transmission property and waterproof property, said cover being made up of a flexible member produced by integrally molding five faces of said cover having a substantially hexahedron shape and a transparent plate member which forms one face of said cover and is fitted into said flexible member.

16. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 15, wherein said flexible member is made up of a bottom with a receiving portion protruding toward the transparent member and a lateral side which stands up from a marginal portion of said bottom and has a lip opposed to said receiving portion, while said transparent member is formed on an underside thereof with a protrusion facing said receiving portion, and

wherein said lip abuts against an upper surface of said transparent member to elastically deform while said receiving portion abuts against said protrusion to elastically deform, thereby fitting the transparent member into the flexible member.