Electric vehicle solar charging system

• US 9,236,637 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Everett Anderson
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Everett Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Lawrence Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/118,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,689 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 136/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

Abstract

An assembly for recharging an electric vehicle comprising at least one solar panel positioned above surface of a vehicle; at least one motor assembly operatively connected to the at least one solar panel for positioning the at least one solar panel; the at least one solar panel operating to cover at least one window of the vehicle in a first position and to provide an unobstructed view in a second position; the panel moving from the first position to the second position by operation of the at least one motor assembly. A method of recharging an electric vehicle comprising placing a retractable solar collector on the roof of a vehicle, the retractable solar collector having an open position in which maximum exposure of the solar collector to the sun is enable, to a closed position in which the vehicle may be transported without the solar collector blocking the view of the driver, the retractor solar collector comprising interconnected sections which fold together in the closed position and which cover at least the windshield of the car in the open position.

Claims

1. An assembly for recharging an electric vehicle comprising:

at least one solar panel movably positioned above the surface of a vehicle;

at least one motor assembly operatively connected to the at least one solar panel for movably positioning the at least one solar panel;

the at least one solar panel moving by operation of the at least one motor assembly;

the at least one solar panel being automatically positionable by the at least one motor assembly for substantially optimal absorption of sunlight;

the at least one motor assembly moves the at least one solar panel in response to a timer and a geographical position sensor in order to track the position of the sun.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor which detects the amount of electricity being converted from solar energy by the at least one solar panel;

the at least one motor assembly operatively connected to the at least one sensor to automatically move the at least one solar panel in response to the movement of the sun.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein based upon the amount of electricity produced by the at least one solar panel, the at least one motor assembly operates to periodically automatically move the at least one solar panel to a point of maximum exposure to the sunlight.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the at least one solar panel comprises at least three inter connected sections, a rear section which covers at least a portion of the rear of the vehicle, a middle section which covers at least a portion of the central portion of the vehicle and a front section which covers at least a portion of the front the vehicle and the at least one motor assembly controls the positioning of the front and rear sections to afford maximum exposure to the sun.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the front and rear sections move from a closed position in which the front, middle and rear sections are stacked on top of one another in close proximity to a position in which the front and rear sections cover at least portions of the front and rear of the vehicle.

6. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the movement of the front and rear sections is controlled by a processor which is operatively connected to the at least one sensor, the processor operating to individually position the front and rear sections to obtain maximum exposure to the sun.

7. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an ammeter and the at least one solar panel is positionable by the at least one motor assembly to obtain optimal exposure to the sun using an ammeter to determine the maximum current available, the ammeter measuring the amount of electricity collected while the at least one motor moves the at least one solar panal slowly to and fro to obtain an optimal position.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one solar panel comprises front and rear sections, the front and rear sections covering at least portions of the front and rear of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one solar panel is positionable to obtain increased and/or maximum exposure to the sun using a timer to adjust the positioning of the front and rear sections.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly operates to position the at least one solar panel substantially perpendicular to the sunlight direction.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one motor assembly is operatively controlled by at least one processor operatively connected to the processor, and wherein the assembly is removably attached to the vehicle and wherein at least one solar panel is positioned for maximum exposure to sunlight by the processor which determines the optimal position of the at least one solar panel based upon the amount of electricity being generated.

11. The assembly of claim 1 further including a geographical orientation detector operatively connected to the at least one motor assembly, the geographical orientation detector comprising a compass which detects the orientation of the at least one solar panel relative to the sun, the at least one motor assembly operating to position the at least one solar panel so that it absorbs sunlight from the east in the morning hours and from the west in the evening hours.

12. The solar energy conversion assembly for converting solar power into electricity to power and electric vehicle comprising:

a solar collector comprising a plurality of interconnected portions adapted to be mounted to the roof of a vehicle;

at least one motor assembly which operates to open the solar collector from a closed position on the top of the vehicle to an open position which covers a substantial portion of the upper surface of the vehicle including at least the front windshield,

a detector which detects the geographical orientation of the vehicle and

a timer which regulates the position of at least one of the interconnected portions to control the amount of light being absorbed by at least one of the interconnected portions, the at least one motor assembly operating to position the at least one of the interconnected portions in response to the timer,

the at least one solar collector being electrically connectable to the electric system of the car for recharging the batteries of the vehicle;

wherein the at least one motor assembly positions at least two of the interconnected portions in response to orientation of the vehicle detected by the geographical orientation detector, such that the at least two interconnected portions may be positioned for maximum exposure to sunlight using both the geographical orientation detector and timer.

13. The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a detector which detects the amount of light being absorbed by at least one of the interconnected portions, the at least one motor assembly operating to position the at least one of the interconnected portions in response to the amount of light detected by the detector.