Electric vehicle with photovoltaic roof assembly

• US 6,586,668 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Original Assignee: PowerLight Corp. (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Dinwoodie, Thomas L., Shugar, Daniel S., Slavsky, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/785,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 136/244, 136/251, 136/291, 180/2.2, 180/167, 180/168, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 296/211, 296/210, 296/37.7
• US Class Current: 136/244
• 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 including a vehicle body carrying a motor, a battery and a main PV assembly, the main PV assembly coupled to the battery for charging the battery, the improvement comprising:

a display unit mounted to the body, the display unit electrically isolated from the battery and the main PV assembly; and

a secondary PV assembly mounted to the body and electrically connected to the display unit;

the display unit constructed to provide an indication proportional to the intensity of solar irradiation on the secondary PV assembly.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the display unit comprises at least one of a light emitting diode display, a cathode ray tube, an analog meter, and a liquid crystal display.

3. An electric vehicle photovoltaic (PV) roof assembly comprising:

a vehicle roof comprising an upper surface having a plurality of assembly mounting element recesses;

a PV assembly;

PV assembly mounting elements securing the PV assembly to the upper surface of the roof at the mounting element recesses;

said mounting elements configured so that the mounting elements do not shade the PV assembly; and

said mounting elements comprising tabs extending from the PV assembly.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein the mounting elements comprise screws passing through the tabs.

5. An electric vehicle photovoltaic (PV) roof assembly comprising:

a vehicle roof comprising an upper surface having first and second surface portions;

a PV assembly mounted to the first surface portion; and

a global positioning device mounted to the second surface portion.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 wherein the global positioning device comprises at least one of a ground plane of a global positioning system and a global positioning antenna.

7. The assembly according to claim 6 wherein the vehicle roof comprises a through hole for the passage of wires from the global positioning device.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 wherein the second surface portion of the upper surface comprises raised portions so to provide ventilation regions between the PV assembly and the upper surface.

9. The assembly according to claim 5 wherein the upper surface comprises a depression positioned to accommodate wires exiting the PV assembly.