ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE FEATURING TWO OPPOSITE ELECTRIC CHARGING CAPS

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a first housing and a second housing, each housing comprising a hatch (1a, 1b), each hatch (1a, 1b) comprising a first light-emitting diode (2a, 2b) configured to emit a first color and a second light-emitting diode (3a, 3b) configured to emit a second color, characterized in that said vehicle comprises: a means for controlling the opening of each hatch (1a, 1b); a means for controlling the position of each hatch (1a, 1b); a means for activating said first light-emitting diode (2a, 2b) or said second light-emitting diode (3a, 3b); A means for locking one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the open position or for unlocking one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position. The invention also relates to a method and an associated computer program. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE FEATURING TWO OPPOSITE ELECTRIC CHARGING PORTS

[0001] The invention relates to the field of electric or hybrid motor vehicles, and more particularly to the electric charging ports of said vehicles.

[0002] Prior art patent application US10461548 is known to describe a motor vehicle that can be recharged by a first inductive charging method or by a second conventional charging method. However, simultaneous charging of the vehicle by induction and by the said charging method must be prevented to avoid damaging the vehicle's battery. To this end, the vehicle includes a controller configured to control whether access to the first or second charging method is permitted. When charging is not permitted, that is, when the vehicle is already receiving electrical power by the first or second charging method, access is blocked by a locking mechanism. A first display unit in the vehicle's passenger compartment is present to inform a user that the vehicle is already charging.A second display unit, also located in the passenger compartment, informs the user of the locking status of either the first or second charging method. However, some drawbacks remain. Firstly, if the user is outside the vehicle and wishes to access either the first or second charging method, they must enter the vehicle's passenger compartment to check the locking status on the first or second display unit. Furthermore, it is the reception of electrical energy by the first charging method, for example, that triggers the locking of the second charging method. Consequently, when the vehicle is not charging, both charging methods can be accessed simultaneously.Thus, if the first charging method is used, there is no mechanism to close the second charging method before it is locked. The user can then use the first and second charging methods simultaneously. In this way, the battery life of the vehicle is reduced.

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a motor vehicle capable of preventing the simultaneous opening of two hatches, while by informing the user of the locking status of a hatch directly from outside the vehicle.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a first housing and a second housing, each housing comprising a hatch, said first housing and said second housing being disposed on either side of said vehicle, each housing comprising an electric charging socket, each hatch being capable of having an open position or a closed position, said closed position being the position in which a socket is covered by the corresponding hatch, said open position being the position in which a socket is uncovered, each hatch comprising a first light-emitting diode configured to emit a first color and a second light-emitting diode configured to emit a second color, said first color indicating that the other hatch is in the closed position and said second color indicating that the other hatch is in the open position,said vehicle includes: , - a means to control the opening of each hatch; - a means of controlling the open or closed position of each hatch; - a means to activate said first light-emitting diode of one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the closed position or said second light-emitting diode of one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the open position; - a means to lock one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the open position or to unlock one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the closed position.

[0005] Thanks to the invention, simultaneous opening of both hatches is not permitted. Furthermore, the user can determine whether the other hatch is open or not from the hatch they wish to open without having to move around the vehicle.

[0006] Preferably, said means for controlling the opening is a push-button device.

[0007] Advantageously, said means for controlling the opening is a lever.

[0008] Advantageously, said means for controlling the opening is a lock.

[0009] Advantageously, said means for locking or unlocking is of the type mechanical.

[0010] Advantageously, said locking or unlocking means includes an indexing finger.

[0011] Preferably, said locking or unlocking means is electrical.

[0012] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for controlling access to a charging port for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, as previously described; said method comprises the following steps: - a step where a user commands the opening of one of the hatches; - a step of checking the position, open or closed, of the other hatch by said control means; - a step of activating said first light-emitting diode of one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the closed position or of said second light-emitting diode of one of the hatches when the other hatch is in the open position; - a locking or unlocking step, where one of the hatches is locked when the other hatch is in the open position and one of the hatches is unlocked when the other hatch is in the closed position.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, lead the latter to implement the steps of said method of controlling access to an electric charging hatch of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle as previously described.

[0014] The invention will be further detailed by describing non-limiting embodiments, and based on the accompanying figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.l] schematically illustrates an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in the form of a flowchart, a process access control to a charging hatch of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0015] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The vehicle comprises a first housing and a second housing. The first and second housings are located on either side of the vehicle. Each housing comprises an electric charging socket and a cover 1a, 1b. Each cover 1a, 1b is capable of being in an open or closed position, the closed position being the position in which the socket is covered by the corresponding cover, and the open position being the position in which the socket is uncovered. The vehicle comprises a body, and when the cover 1a, 1b is in a closed position, the cover 1a, 1b is flush with the body of the vehicle. Each cover 1a, 1b comprises a first light-emitting diode 2a, 2b and a second light-emitting diode 3a, 3b.The first LED 2a, 2b is configured to emit a first light of a first color, and the second LED 3a, 3b is configured to emit a second light of a second color. For example, the first light is green and the second color is red. Thus, when one of the hatches, for example hatch 1b, is closed, the first LED 2a on the other hatch emits a green light. When one of the hatches is opened, by... For example, hatch 1b, the second light-emitting diode 3a, present on the other hatch la, emits a red light. The user therefore does not have to move around the vehicle to check whether the other hatch 1b is open or closed. The vehicle includes a means for controlling the opening of each of the hatches la, 1b. The means for controlling the opening is chosen from a push-button device, a lever, or a lock. In the case of the push-button device, the user exerts force on the hatch la, 1b to open it. In the case of the lever, the lever is located inside the vehicle. The user pulls the lever to open the hatch la, 1b. When the means for controlling the opening is a lock, the insertion of a key, whether or not it is the same key used to start the vehicle, constitutes the opening command.Furthermore, the vehicle includes a means for monitoring the position of the other hatch la, 1b, and a means for activating the first LED 2a, 2b or the second LED 3a, 3b located on the hatch la, 1b that the user wishes to open, in order to inform the user of the position of the other hatch la, 1b without having to move around the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle includes a means for locking a hatch la, 1b when the other hatch la, 1b is open, or for unlocking a hatch la, 1b when the other hatch la, 1b is closed. The locking or unlocking means is either mechanical or electrical. In the case of a mechanical locking or unlocking means, said locking or unlocking means preferably includes an indexing finger. The indexing finger is a centering element allowing the locking or unlocking of a hatch la, 1b. .

[0016] A method for controlling access to a charging port of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 2 in the form of a flowchart. During an opening command step E1, a user wishes to open the port. To do so, the user actuates the opening control means. During a control step E2, the control means detects the position of the port located opposite the port that the user wishes to open. During an activation step E3, the means for activating the first LED 2 or the second LED 3 informs the user of the position of the port located opposite the port that they wish to open. During a locking or unlocking step E4, one port is locked when the other port is open, and one port is unlocked when the other port is closed.Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program capable of implementing the steps of said process described above.

Claims

Claims

1. An electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a first housing and a second housing, each housing comprising a hatch (1a, 1b), said first housing and said second housing being arranged on either side of said vehicle, each housing comprising an electric charging socket, each hatch (1a, 1b) being capable of having an open position or a closed position, said closed position being the position in which a socket is covered by the corresponding hatch (1a, 1b), said open position being the position in which a socket is uncovered, each hatch (1a, 1b) comprising a first light-emitting diode (2a, 2b) configured to emit a first color and a second light-emitting diode (3a, 3b) configured to emit a second color, said first color indicating that the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position and said second color indicating that the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position.1b) is in the open position, characterized in that said vehicle comprises: - means for controlling the opening of each hatch (1a, 1b); - means for controlling the open or closed position of each hatch (1a, 1b); - means for activating said first light-emitting diode (2a, 2b) of one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position or said second light-emitting diode (3a, 3b) of one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the open position; - means for locking one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the open position or for unlocking one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position.,

2. Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for controlling the opening is a push-button device.

3. Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for controlling the opening is a lever.

4. Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for controlling the opening is a lock.

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said means for locking or unlocking is of the mechanical type.

6. Vehicle according to claim 5 characterized in that said means for

7.

8.

9. lock or unlock has an index finger. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said means for locking or unlocking is of the electrical type. Method for controlling access to a hatch (1a, 1b) for the electrical recharging of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of controlling the opening (El) of one of the hatches (la, 1b) by a user; - a step (E2) of controlling the position, open or closed, of the other hatch (1a, 1b) by said control means; - a step of activating (E3) said first light-emitting diode (2a, 2b) of one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position or said second light-emitting diode (3a, 3b) of one of the hatches (1a, 1b) when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the open position; - a locking or unlocking step (E4), one of the hatches (1a, 1b) being locked when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the open position and one of the hatches (1a, 1b) being unlocked when the other hatch (1a, 1b) is in the closed position. Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of said method for controlling access to a hatch (1a, 1b) for recharging an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to claim 8.

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