Unibody vehicle cab back assembly and method

A method of assembling a unibody vehicle includes securing a cab back panel of a cab back panel directly to an upturned flange of a cargo box floor. A unibody vehicle assembly according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a cab back panel, a cargo box floor, and a passenger compartment floor. The cab back panel is secured directly to the cargo box floor. The cab back panel provides a back wall of a passenger cab and a front wall of a cargo area.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to a unibody vehicle and, more particularly, to securing a cab back panel of a unibody pickup truck.

BACKGROUND

A typical pickup truck body has a separate cab, box, and vehicle frame. The cab and box are attached to the vehicle frame. A unibody pickup truck does not have a vehicle frame that is separate from a cab and a box. In a unibody pickup truck, a back panel of the cab can provide a front wall of the box. Some unibody pickup trucks attach the back panel of the cab directly to a floor of the cab.

SUMMARY

A method of assembling a unibody vehicle includes securing a cab back panel of a cab back panel directly to an upturned flange of a cargo box floor.

A further exemplary embodiment of the foregoing method includes, after the securing, fastening a first body side assembly to a first lateral side of the cab back assembly, and a second body side assembly to a second lateral side of the cab back assembly.

A further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes, after securing the cab back panel to the cargo box floor, securing a cab back cross-member of the cab back assembly to the cab back panel.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the cab back cross-member has a box-style cross-sectional profile.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the fastening of the first and second body side assemblies is before the securing of the cab back cross-member of the cab back assembly.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the upturned flange and the cab back panel interface with each other along a vertically extending interface.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the cargo box floor extends from a first side of the cab back panel to an opposite, second side of the cab back panel. The upturned flange of the cargo box floor is disposed forward the cab back panel when the cab back panel is secured to the upturned flange.

A further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes securing a passenger compartment floor directly to the upturned flange of the cargo box floor, the cab back panel of the cab back assembly secured directly to a first side of the upturned flange, the passenger compartment floor secured directly to an opposite, second side of the upturned flange.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, an upturned flange of the passenger compartment floor is secured directly to the upturned flange of the cargo box floor. At least one weld extends through the cab back panel of the cab back assembly, the upturned flange of the cargo box floor, and the upturned flange of the passenger compartment floor.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, a cab back cross-member of the cab back assembly is separate from the cab back panel when the cab back panel is secured directly to the cargo box floor.

A further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes, after securing the cab back panel of the cab back assembly directly to the cargo box floor, securing a front panel of an upper portion of the cab back assembly to the cab back panel and then securing a rear panel of the upper portion of the cab back assembly to the cab back panel.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, a cab back cross-member of the cab back assembly is secured to the cab back panel when the cab back panel is secured directly to the cargo box floor.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the cab back cross-member includes a front panel and a rear panel that form a box section.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the cab back cross-member includes a front panel. The method further includes securing a rear panel to the front panel after securing the cab back panel directly to the cargo box floor.

In a further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the front panel and the rear panel of the upper portion provide a box section.

A unibody vehicle assembly according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a cab back panel of a cab back assembly, a cargo box floor, and a passenger compartment floor. The cab back panel is secured directly to the cargo box floor. The cab back panel provides a back wall of a passenger cab and a front wall of a cargo area.

In another example of the foregoing assembly, the cab back panel is secured directly to an upturned flange of the cargo box floor.

In another example of the foregoing assembly, the upturned flange of the cargo box floor is secured directly to the passenger compartment floor such that the upturned flange is sandwiched between the cab back panel the passenger compartment floor.

In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, the cab back panel, the cargo box floor, and the passenger compartment floor are within a vehicle having a unibody construction.

A further exemplary embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes a cab back cross-member of the cab back assembly, the cab back cross-member providing a box section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In unibody vehicles, a cab back can provide the front wall of a cargo box. Assembling the cab back can be difficult. Among other things, maneuvering assembly tools, such as welding electrodes, to positions appropriate for securing the cab back in an installed position can be challenging. This disclosure details exemplary methods of securing a cab back assembly within a unibody vehicle.

With reference toFIG. 1, a vehicle10includes a cargo box14and a cab18. The vehicle10is a unibody pickup truck. As the vehicle10has a unibody configuration, the cargo box14and the cab18are not supported on a vehicle frame separate from the cargo box14and the cab18.

In conventional body-on-frame vehicles, a back wall of a cab is spaced a distance from a front wall of a cargo box. In the vehicle10, a cab back assembly22provides a back wall of the cab18and a front wall of the cargo box14. The cab back assembly22, in the exemplary embodiment, is an assembly that is joined directly to a cargo box floor26of the cargo box14.

With reference now toFIGS. 2A-3Band continuing reference toFIG. 1, the cab back assembly22includes a cab back panel30and a cab back cross-member34. In the exemplary embodiment, the cab back panel30is a single sheet of material whereas the cab back cross-member34has a box section construction.

To assemble the cab back assembly22within the vehicle10, the cab back panel30is first moved in an X direction and secured directly to the cargo box floor26. The cargo box floor26is secured to a passenger compartment floor38, which is a floor of the cab18. The cab back panel30can have a part-in-assembly (PIA) design.

In this example, the cargo box floor26includes an upturned flange42. The cab back panel30can be welded to the upturned flange42to secure the cab back panel30to the cargo box floor26. This securing can be via a plurality of spot welds. The securing of the cab back panel30occurs during the underbody mainline portion of assembly of the vehicle10.

As the upturned flange42is upturned, the cab back panel30is secured to the cargo box floor26along a vertically extending interface. Keeping the welded interface a vertically extending interface can facilitate robust assembly as the welds securing the upturned flange42to the cab back panel30can be oriented generally horizontally and thus are more likely in shear than peel when loaded. Along the interface, the upturned flange42is forward the cab back panel30relative to a general orientation of the vehicle10.

The cab back panel30is secured to a rear side of the upturned flange42. Thus, the cargo box floor26extends from a first rear side of the cab back panel30to an opposite, forward second side of the cab back panel30.

The front side of the upturned flange42is secured directly to a flange44of the passenger compartment floor38. The flange44can be an upturned flange. The upturned flange42is, in the exemplary embodiment, sandwiched between the flange44and the cab back panel30. At least one weld W can extend through the cab back panel30, the upturned flange42of the cargo box floor26and the flange44of the passenger compartment floor38to join together these components. Adhesive and sealers can be introduced along the various interfaces between the components to facilitate sealing the interface.

After securing the cab back panel30of the cab back assembly22directly to the cargo box floor26, body side assemblies46are secured to a first lateral side of the cab back panel30and an opposite section side of the cab back panel30.

As shown inFIG. 2B, the body side assemblies46can be loaded along a Y axis to opposing lateral sides of the cab back panel30after the cab back panel30is secured to the cargo box floor26. The cab back panel30is thus, notably, secured to the cargo box floor26prior to securing of the body side assemblies46. As the cab back panel30is secured prior to the body side assemblies46, the securing of the cab back panel30can occur without interference from the body side assemblies46.

After the securing the body side assemblies46, the cab back cross-member34is loaded in an X direction, as shown inFIG. 2C, and secured to the cab back panel30and the body side assemblies46. The cab back cross-member34and cab back panel30then provide the back assembly22in an installed position as shown inFIG. 2D.

The cab back cross-member34, in the exemplary embodiment, has a front panel50and a rear panel54that are joined to provide a box section. Front and rear are with reference to the general orientation of the vehicle10. The exemplary cab back panel30, in contrast to the cab back cross-member34, is a single panel.

With reference now toFIGS. 4A-4E, another exemplary method of assembling the cab back assembly22includes securing the cab back panel30of the cab back assembly22in a manner similar to that described in connections withFIGS. 2A and 2Babove. The cab back cross-member34, however, is assembled differently. Rather than the front panel50and rear panel54being secured together and then joined to the cab back panel30and the body side assemblies46, the front panel50is assembled to the cab back panel30and the body side assemblies46separately from the rear panel54.

In particular, as shown inFIG. 4C, the front panel50of the cab back cross-member34is loaded in the X direction and secured to the body side assemblies46and the cab back panel30. As shown inFIG. 4D, the rear panel54of the cab back cross-member34is then loaded in the X direction and secured to the front panel50of the cab back cross-member34along with the body side assemblies46and the cab back panel30. This provides the subassembly as shown inFIG. 4E.

As can be appreciated, the primary difference between the method described in connection withFIGS. 2A-2Dand the method described in connection withFIGS. 4A-4Eis that in the method ofFIGS. 2A-2D, the front panel50and the rear panel54of the cab back cross-member34are joined prior to installation and securing to the cab back panel30. In the method ofFIGS. 4A-4E, the front panel50is joined to the rear panel54after the front panel50is joined to the cab back panel30. The front panel50and the rear panel54can both be PIA to the assembly plant.

With reference now toFIGS. 5A-5D, yet another exemplary method of securing the cab back assembly22includes joining together the cab back panel30and the cab back cross-member34to provide the cab back assembly22. The cab back assembly22can be PIA to the assembly plant that is assembling the vehicle10(FIG. 1).

The cab back assembly22is then secured to the cargo box floor26and the passenger compartment floor38, which are part of an underbody structure56. This provides the assembly shown inFIG. 5B. Like the embodiment ofFIG. 2A-2D, the cab back panel30is secured directly to the upturned flange42of the cargo box floor26to secure the cab back assembly22to the cargo box floor26of the underbody structure56.

Side assemblies, here, side sill inners58, or hockey sticks, are then joined to the opposing lateral sides of the underbody structure56. Next, hockey stick stubs62are joined as shown in FIG.5C to provide the structure shown in5D, which can then be moved to the framing stage of assembly.

FIGS. 6A-6Dshow yet another exemplary method of securing the cab back assembly22. In this example, sides66of a vehicle frame assembly are secured to opposing sides of the underbody structure56, which includes the cargo box floor26and the passenger compartment floor38.

Next, the front panel50of the cab back cross-member34of the cab back assembly22is moved along the X axis and secured to the sides66as shown inFIG. 6B. The front panel50could be loaded during a framing stage of assembly.

Remaining portions of the cab back assembly22, which includes the cab back panel30and the rear panel54of the cab back cross-member34are then secured together, moved along the X axis, and then secured as shown inFIGS. 6C and 6D. The cab back panel30and rear panel54of the cab back cross-member34can be a single piece as shown in6C. That is, the cab back panel30and rear panel54could be stamped from a single sheet of material and be different areas of a single monolithic structure. Alternatively, the cab back panel30and the rear panel54could be joined together and then secured as shown inFIGS. 6C and 6D.

In a variation of the method described inFIGS. 6A-6D, the cab back assembly22could be PIA and include the cab back panel30, the front panel50of the cab back cross-member34, and the rear panel54of the cab back cross-member34. The cab back assembly22can then be loaded in the step shown inFIG. 6Brather than just the front panel50of the cab back assembly22.

Features of exemplary methods of assembling a cab back panel within a unibody pickup truck include assembling the cab back panel in a way that provides ample clearance for the tools utilized for the securing, such as weld guns, etc.