Charging port cover and/or fuel cap module for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072252-B2
Application number	US-201916445318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A charging port cover and/or a fuel cap module for a motor vehicle for receiving or attaching at least one interface, which is used for charging and/or refueling a motor vehicle-side energy accumulator. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module also serves to fasten and mount at least one device having light sources. The at least one device illuminates both the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module and a current charge level and/or a current fuel level of the motor vehicle-side energy accumulator. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module has a first opening and a second opening adjacent thereto. The first opening and the second opening are oriented such that emitted or deliverable light of the mounted at least one device can emerge from the first opening in a direction of an operator of the motor vehicle and from the second opening in a direction of the at least one interface for charging and/or refueling the motor vehicle-side energy accumulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging port cover and/or a fuel cap module for a motor vehicle adapted to receive or attach at least one interface for charging and/or refueling a motor vehicle-side energy accumulator, and for fastening and mounting at least one device having light sources which are used both for an illumination of the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module and to display a current charge level and/or a current fuel level of the motor vehicle-side energy accumulator, the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module comprising:
a first opening; and
a second opening adjacent to the first opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are adapted to at least partially receive the at least one device and are oriented in a way such that an emitted light or a deliverable light of the mounted at least one device emerges from the first opening in a direction of an operator of the motor vehicle and from the second opening in a direction of the at least one interface for charging and/or refueling the motor vehicle-side energy accumulator.

2. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening and the second opening have plane extensions that are at or about a right angle to each other.

3. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening is in a first plane and a further opening for receiving or attaching the at least one interface is in a second plane, wherein the first plane and the second plane face each other at an angle.

4. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one device is formed by a housing, which is releasably connected to the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module.

5. The charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module according to claim 1 , wherein the charging port cover is formed by a two-part component, wherein the first opening and the second opening for the at least one device are formed in a hard component and at least one further opening for receiving or attaching the at least one interface is formed in a soft component of the two-part component.

6. A device for illuminating a charging port cover and/or a fuel cap module according to claim 1 and for displaying a current charge level and/or a current fuel level of an energy accumulator, which is rechargeable and/or refuellable via the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module, wherein the device is formed by a housing in which at least two light sources are accommodated, wherein a generated light or a deliverable light of at least one light source exits at a first light permeable exit region, and a generated light or a deliverable light of at least one other light source exits at a second light permeable exit region from the housing, and wherein the first light permeable exit region allows the generated light or the deliverable light to escape in a different direction than the second light permeable exit region.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first light permeable exit region with a surface extension is substantially perpendicular to a surface extension of the second light permeable exit region.

8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the generated light or the deliverable light emerging from the housing via the second light permeable exit region is guided via a light guide from the at least one other light source to the second light permeable exit region.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the light guide deflects input light by 90°.

10. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first light permeable exit region is coated with an opaque layer, and wherein the opaque layer is partially removed thereby a symbol is formed.

11. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the housing has a fastener to releasably attach to the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module.

12. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the housing has at least one plug connection for connection with a plug connector.

13. A motor vehicle comprising at least one of the charging port cover and/or the fuel cap module according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Winkler Bernd
• Kipke Peter

Classifications

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• B60L53/14 Primary

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/60 Primary

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title