IP Library Granted Patent US 8,134,334
Granted Patent B2
US 8,134,334 · App. 12/449,716 · Granted Mar 13, 2012

Vehicle

Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,134,334
App. No.
12/449,716
Granted
Mar 13, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Light applied from an illumination unit illuminates a space formed of an accommodation unit, and facilitates a user's operation of coupling a charging connector to an electric power-receiving unit. When a lid unit is in a closed state, a part of the light applied from the illumination unit toward the accommodation unit transmits through a light transmission member provided at the lid unit and leaks toward a space outside a vehicle body. The leaked light enables a user to visually perceive the position of the charging port at a glance even if the lid unit is in the closed state.

Claims (14)

1. A vehicle capable of utilizing electric power supplied from an external power source, comprising:

a lid unit disposed to form a space on a vehicle external surface and to face vehicle outside;

an electric power-receiving unit, arranged in said space, for receiving the electric power from said external power source; and

an illumination unit arranged in said space,

said lid unit having a member transmitting light of the illumination unit to said vehicle outside,

said space being formed by a surface formed to be concave with respect to said vehicle external surface and by said lid unit,

said illumination unit being configured to illuminate said space through an opening provided in a part of said surface formed to be concave,

said illumination unit being lit even when said lid unit is in a closed state.

2. The vehicle to claim 1 , wherein

said illumination unit is lit by electric power from a second battery different from a first battery charged via said electric power-receiving unit.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

said illumination unit is accommodated in a concave portion configured to be in communication with said space.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

said illumination unit is accommodated in a concave portion configured to be in communication with said space.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2009
From: SUZUKI, NAOTO; NAKASHIMA, MOTOHIRO
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 023152/0587 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2007-101811 · Apr 9, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100026238A1 · Feb 4, 2010