Automotive exterior lamp assembly with charge port

• US 9,499,089 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grider, Duane M., Chander, Bala
• Primary Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US14/840,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 362459-549
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0017 Devices integrating an element dedicated to another function
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0094 Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery charger and an exterior lamp assembly. The assembly includes a housing defining a cavity, and an electrical port including at least one electrical terminal disposed within the cavity, electrically connected with the battery charger, and configured to be electrically connected with an electrical power grid remote from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a battery charger;

an exterior lamp assembly including

an electrical port electrically connected with the battery charger and configured to be electrically connected with an electrical power grid remote from the vehicle, and

an illumination source; and

at least one controller configured to, in response to the battery charger being operational, activate the illumination source.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the exterior lamp assembly further includes an interface configured to display information related to the battery charger or vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electrical port includes at least one electrical terminal.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the exterior lamp assembly further includes a housing defining a cavity.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the exterior lamp assembly further includes a panel to conceal the cavity.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the panel is a door.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the exterior lamp assembly is a tail lamp assembly, a head lamp assembly, a turn signal lamp assembly, a side marker lamp assembly, or a center high mount stop lamp assembly.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electrical port is located at a corner of the exterior lamp assembly.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the illumination source is configured to indicate state of charge.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the illumination source is configured to indicate that the vehicle is plugged-in.