Hybrid/electric vehicle charge port door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789783-B2
Application number	US-201615073733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A battery charge display system includes a display assembly attached to a cover of a charge port, and a controller. The display assembly having a first indicator coupled to a first surface of the cover and a second indicator coupled to a second surface of the cover. The controller is configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, illuminate the display assembly such that the first and second indicators display a battery state of charge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charge port for a vehicle comprising:
a cover having first and second surfaces;
a display assembly having a first indicator disposed on the first surface and a second indicator disposed on the second surface; and
a controller configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position, illuminate the indicators to display a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle on the first and second surfaces.

2. The charge port of claim 1 further comprising a light source disposed between the first and second surfaces and configured to illuminate the first indicator and the second indicator such that the indicators display the state of charge of the battery.

3. The charge port of claim 1 further comprising a light source disposed between the first and second surfaces and configured to illuminate the first indicator such that the first indicator displays the state of the charge of the battery.

4. The charge port of claim 1 further comprising a light source disposed between the first and second surfaces and configured to illuminate the second indicator such that the second indicator displays the state of charge of the battery.

5. The charge port of claim 1 , wherein the first and second indicators include a plurality of lights arranged such that illumination of the plurality of lights provides an indication of the state of charge of the battery.

6. The charge port of claim 1 , wherein the first and second indicators include a lamp configured to digitally display the state of charge of the battery using alpha-numeric characters.

7. The charge port of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in a closed position, illuminate the first indicator to display a state of charge of the battery on the first surface.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a charge port configured to attach to a charge cable to charge a battery;
a cover defining first and second surfaces, rotatably attached to the charge port such that the cover is in a closed state when the second surface is parallel to the charge port and an open state otherwise;
a display assembly attached to the cover and having a first indicator disposed on the first surface and a second indicator disposed on the second surface; and
a controller configured to activate the display assembly such that in the open state, a current state of charge of the battery is displayed on the first and second surfaces via the first and second indicators, and in the closed state a current state of charge of the battery is displayed on the first surface via the first indicator.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to illuminate a lamp disposed within the charge port to display the current state of charge of the battery on the second surface of the cover.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the display assembly to display a time to full battery charge on the first and second surfaces of the cover, via the first and second indicators, when in the open state.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the display assembly to display a time remaining until full battery charge on the first and second surfaces of the cover, via the first and second indicators, when in the open state.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the display assembly to display a scheduled charge time on the first and second surfaces of the cover, via the first and second indicators, when in the open state.

13. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the display assembly to display an error state of the battery state of charge on the first and second surfaces of the cover, via the first and second indicators, when in the open state.

14. A battery charge display system comprising:
a display assembly attached to a cover of a charge port, and having a first indicator disposed on a first surface of the cover and a second indicator disposed on a second surface of the cover; and
a controller configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, illuminate the display assembly such that the first and second indicators display a battery state of charge.

15. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in a closed position after vehicle deactivation, illuminate the display assembly such that the first indicator displays a battery state of charge.

16. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, activate the display assembly to display a battery state of charge such that the indicators display a time to full charge of the battery.

17. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, activate the display assembly to display a battery state of charge such that the indicators display a time remaining to full charge of the battery.

18. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, activate the display assembly to display a battery state of charge such that the indicators display a scheduled charge time of the battery.

19. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the cover being in an open position after vehicle deactivation, activate the display assembly to display a battery state of charge such that the indicators display an error state.

20. The battery charge display system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second indicators include a lamp configured to digitally display the state of charge of the battery using alpha-numeric characters.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Grider Duane M
• Underwood Zachary S

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/84

  Control of state of health [SOH] · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• B60L58/12

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B62D25/24 Primary

  Superstructure sub-units with access {or drainage} openings having movable or removable closures; {Sealing means therefor}(inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05) · CPC title