VEHICLE BODY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

Abstract: A motor vehicle body (1) is constructed from a lower section (2) formed of pressed metal panels (6, 7, 8) connected together, and an upper section (3) formed of frame elements (4). The lower section (2) functions as a primary strength imparting component of the vehicle body, and the upper section (3) functions as a primary style imparting component of the body. The configuration of the upper section (3) can be varied by varying the arrangement or configuration of the frame elements (4) so that the style of the vehicle body can be varied without necessitating a change to the lower section (2). The lower section will thus remain substantially unchanged for a range of vehicle styles or models.

Description: This invention relates to the construction of vehicle bodies and more particularly, although not exclusively to the construction of motor car bodies. It will be convenient to hereafter describe the invention with particular reference to chassis-less passenger cars, and whilst that is considered to be the major use for the invention, the invention does have wider application. Motor car bodies are conventionally manufactured using preformed pressed panels, the panels being joined together by welding or other means to form a sufficiently rigid and strong structure on to which a roof panel, doors, engine, suspension and like components can be mounted. The pressed panels which make up the bodies are shaped to conform with the style or model of motor car to be manufactured and different models of car generally use differently shaped panels to form the body. Thus, for example, an estate car and a four door car of the same basic type and model will be formed of completely differently shaped side panels, even though the lower portions of the two cars are identical. The press machines and associated dies therefor used for producing individual panels are very costly and accordingly, in order to recoup the capital costs of those machines and die tools, it is necessary for car manufacturers to produce large number of cars from the same press. This factor works against the introduction of lower volume models as the lower volumes simply do not recoup the outlayed capital costs. In an attempt to decrease the costs of tooling, the industry has looked towards plastic or other low cost material dies. Plastic dies are indeed less expensive than corresponding metal dies and it is, in some circumstances, possible to use plastic die parts rather than the more expensive metal die parts. Plastic parts do not, however, last as long as metal parts and accordingly plastic tools are only suitable for shorter production runs. Clearly, if it is known that a particular model of car will only be made in low numbered runs then it is appropriate to use plastic die tooling. However, if it then turns out that there is a need to extend the particular run then, where plastic tooling has been used, this is not always possible. Whatever material is adopted for die tooling, the cost of tooling is expensive and adds significantly to the cost of vehicles and detracts from manufacturers' discretion to change models in response to market demands. It is an object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing vehicle bodies which minimises the problems of high cost and lack of manufacturers' discretion referred to above. A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle manufactured using the method. It is known from EP-A-0250678 to manufacture a motor vehicle body by forming a lower section of the body predominantly from a plurality of interconnected panels, arranging and interconnecting a plurality of elongate members to form at least part of an upper frame section of the body, and interconnecting those lower and upper sections together to form a body structure in which the lower section functions as a primary strength imparting component and the upper section functions as a primary style imparting component. The lower section of that known construction is of a form such that a variety of configurations of upper sections can be connected to it to suit the particular style selected for the vehicle body. The upper section of the vehicle body is, for motor cars, preferably that part of the body above the plane which includes the bonnet of the vehicle body. The method according to the invention is an advance on the method described above and is characterised in that the position of a door pillar on each side of the vehicle body can be varied to suit styling requirements, and the lower section is applicable to various styles substantially without change. The frame members of which the upper section is formed can be connected together before connection of the upper section to the lower section, or they can be progressively built on to the lower section, as required. The lower section, however, will be of a construction such as to strengthen and rigidify the upper section. Thus, the panels which comprise the lower section will act as an integral or composite unit which will give structure and strength to the whole vehicle body. Although the lower section of the body will impart some features of style to the vehicle body, it will generally be the case that the upper section imparts the primary style features to the vehicle body. There will be a basic styling characteristic brought into the lower section, but overall style variations will be left primarily to the upper section. That is, at least the principal variations of configuration and arrangement of the upper section. The preferred method of the invention, and an embodiment of a vehicle body made in accordance with the invention, will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. Clearly the drawings depict but one example of vehicle body, and the style or constructional features of that vehicle body are not intended to impose a limit on the ambit of the invention. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle body made in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bending machine for bending frame elements, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view through a framed element suitable for use in forming a framed upper section of a vehicle body, Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view through a framed element of a motor vehicle body along line IV-IV of Figure 1 once doors and panels have been fitted to the body, and Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an assembled upper section of a motor vehicle body suitable for fixing to a lower section formed of pressed panels. As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle body 1 comprises a lower section 2 and an upper section 3. The upper section 3 is comprised of a plurality of frame elements 4 connected together by welding or other suitable connection arrangement to form the upper section. Each individual frame element 4 is bent, twisted, or otherwise configured so that when assembled into the upper section 3 it will correctly conform to the shape of that upper section. It is preferred that the frame elements 4 are manufactured from uniform cross-section tubular material as described in more detail herebelow. The lower section of the vehicle body is formed from a plurality of pressed metal panels 5 using conventional press and die tooling and panel forming techniques. Generally, the lower section 2 will be formed having an inner skin 6 and an outer skin 7 and the two skins will be connected together by means of a spot-welding or like technique. The vehicle body also has a floor 8 which is likewise formed of pressed metal panels and holds the two sides of the body together. The panels 6, 7, 8 when fixed together form a high strength structure to which the motor, suspension, decorative panels, and other components of the vehicle can be mounted. The upper section 3 can thus be mounted to the lower section 2 and the high strength of the lower section 2 will serve to strengthen and rigidify the upper section 3 by providing a firm foundation for the upper section 3. Each side of the vehicle body has a large opening therein indicated at numeral 10, the openings 10 serving as door openings for the vehicle. A central pillar 11 is situated in each of these door openings 10 and the location of the central pillars 11 within the door openings 10 is one feature which affects the style of the vehicle body 1. For example, if the central pillar 11 is located towards the centre of the door opening 10 as shown in Figure 1, front door openings 12 and rear door openings 13 will be defined, separated by the central pillar 11 in each side. On the other hand, if the central pillar is moved towards the rear of the vehicle body, the rear openings 13 will become too small to have doors located therein and the front door openings 12 will be larger openings thereby allowing for a two-door motor car design wherein the doors are of larger size than would be the case for a similar four-door construction. The form of the central pillar 11 can be identical for different models, but the position thereof relative to the remainder of the body may vary as mentioned above, depending on the actual model being assembled. In the invention the central pillar 11 is slidable within each opening 10 to a selected position within those openings thereby providing a facility for easily moving the central pillar relative to the remainder of the vehicle body 1. Preferably the central pillar 11 has an upper end 14 which is of T-shaped configuration having a cross-piece which engages with and is slidable relative to a frame member 15 which forms part of the upper section 3. The lower end 16 of the central pillar may be of inverted channel-shaped configuration and be slidable on a rail 17 which forms the lower edge of the door opening 10. After the central pillar 11 has been located within the door opening 10 it can be moved backwards or forwards of the central position by sliding along the rail 17 and, once it is in its correct position, affixed in that position by means of welding, riveting or other suitable fastening technique. Thus, the upper end 14 of the central pillar 11 will be secured to the member 15 of the upper section 3 and the lower end 16 of the central pillar will be affixed to the rail 17 on the lower section 2. Clearly it may be necessary to adapt presently used pressed panel bodies to some extent to accommodate the framed-up upper section of the vehicle body. In particular, it may be necessary to increase the strength of the lower section in order that the completed vehicle body is of comparable strength to those presently being used. Also, the lower section may need to have increased strength in regions, indicated at numeral 19 in Figure 1 where the upper structure attaches to the lower structure. Once the upper section 3 has been affixed to the lower section 2 it will be necessary to attach roof panels and glass windows to the upper section. Generally the panels attached to the upper section will be relatively lightweight, non-load bearing panels and will serve simply to enclose the passenger space within the vehicle rather than serve any load bearing function. As previously mentioned, the frame elements 4 which go to make up the upper section 3 will be bent and/or twisted by means of a suitable bending machine. Such a machine is depicted diagrammatically in Figure 2 of the drawings and is indicated by numeral 20. As shown in Figure 2, a frame element 4 is passed through a central passage 21 in the machine 20 and the machine includes a cradle 22 supported on an arcuate beam 23 which can be rotated relative to the base 24 of the machine. The frame element 4 is held within the central passage 21 in a manner such that by varying the position of the cradle 22 relative to the base 24 the configuration of the frame element passing through the central passage 21 can be varied. Clearly, the frame element 4 will be automatically fed through the passage 21. The frame material will be provided in extended lengths and individual elements 4 will be cut from the lengths and bent to the required configuration automatically by the machine 20. It is envisaged that the machine 20 will be computer controlled and thus a multiplicity of identical frame elements will be automatically produced by the machine. The machine 20 is of known design although the use of the machine for producing frame elements for motor vehicles is considered to be novel. Although the invention is not limited to any particular cross-sectional form of frame element 4 for use in construction of the upper section 3 it is preferred that the frame element is of non-circular cross-sectional shape similar to the shape shown in Figure 3. The element 4 shown has two flanges 30 which extend the length of the frame element 4 and extend outwardly from the outer surface of that element. Preferably the tubular length is formed using a rolling process to roll a strip of material into tubular form as indicated in Figure 3, and the two edges 31 of that strip meet to define one of the flanges 33. The other flange 32 may be formed by folding a fold into the strip intermediate its edges and flattening the fold to thereby define the flange 32. The two flanges 30 may each lie in a plane, the two planes forming an included angle between them of approximately 90° from their line of intersection. Figure 4 depicts an arrangement wherein panels and interior trim are attached to the frame elements. As shown in Figure 4, a frame element 4 has a roof panel 40 attached thereto by a clip 41. The clip 41 has a mounting portion which is secured to the frame element 4 by means of screw fasteners 42, and also has a retaining portion in the form of a resilient arm 43 which overlies the edge of the roof panel 40 to press the roof panel 40 against the frame element 4 thereby holding the roof panel against the frame element 4. Preferably an elastomeric seal 44 is interposed between the frame element 4 and underside of roof panel 40 to thereby form a seal between the roof panel 40 and the frame element 4 and also ensure that the roof panel 40 seats properly against the frame element 4. The clip 41 preferably extends the length of the frame element 4 in the manner of a bead thus ensuring that the edge 50 of the roof panel 40 is neatly hidden behind the resilient arm 43 of the clip 41. The clip 41 passes around the flange 32 and thus, the flange 32 serves as an eave and provides support for the edge region of the roof of the motor vehicle. The flange 33 extends in a substantially downward direction and in use provides an abutment against which the door frame 45 can bear when the door of the vehicle is closed. A seal 46 is fitted to the frame element 4 and is held in position by beading 47 which also serves to hold interior panelling 48 in position against the inside of the frame element 4. Figure 5 shows an assembled vehicle upper structure 3 prior to being affixed to a lower structure. It is preferred that the upper section 3 is assembled as a frame unit prior to mounting to the lower section 2. Clearly it will be possible for there to be different cross-sectional forms of frame element, and individual elements may differ in cross-sectional form. The frame element 4 described above is one form which is considered suitable but is certainly not the only form with which the invention can be used. It will be appreciated that many advantages flow from employing a framed upper section manufactured using techniques as described above. The form of that upper section can be varied significantly with relatively minor corresponding variations being made to the lower section. All that will be necessary to vary the form of the upper structure will be to alter the bending cycle of the machine used for bending the frame elements and thereafter preparing suitably formed panels and window glass to correspond with the new upper section. The lower section will be the major strength providing component for the body and will remain substantially unaltered for different model forms and styling changes. This means that the present die machines for producing the lower section will continue to produce panels for the lower section for a large number of vehicles. The upper section which serves as the primary style imparting component of the vehicle can be altered by simply causing the bending machine which produces the frame elements to produce differently configured frame elements. Clearly, where the bending machine is computer-controlled, a simple change of programme will be all that will be necessary in order to change the configuration of individual frame elements and thus a single machine can be used to produce a variety of differently formed upper sections having a range of styles of motor vehicles without any significant capital cost necessary for changes in tooling and dies. The ability to easily alter the model of a vehicle will enable the manufacturer of vehicles to adapt the models being manufactured in accordance with market demand rather than needing to be concerned about having sufficiently large production runs in order to recoup the capital cost outlaid on tooling. It will also be a simple matter to produce a large range of vehicle styles without any major capital cost demands since the basic lower section will remain unaffected for the whole range of designs. The major cost in die tooling changes which conventionally accompanies model changes will thus not be present.

Claims: A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle body comprising the steps of: forming a lower section (2) of said body (1) predominantly from a plurality of interconnected panels (6,7,8), selecting a style of vehicle body from a plurality of possible styles, bending or otherwise shaping a plurality of frame elements (4), said frame elements (4) being connectable together to form a particular shape of upper section (3) of said vehicle body (1) which is reflective of the selected style of vehicle body (1), arranging and interconnecting said frame elements (4) to form said particular shape of upper section (3), interconnecting said lower section (2) and said upper section (3) together to form a body structure (1) in which said lower section (2) functions as a primary strength imparting component, and said upper section (3) functions as a primary style imparting component, said lower section (2) being of a form such that a range of different upper sections (3) can be connected thereto, each said different upper section (3) within said range being reflective of a respective one of said possible styles of motor vehicle body (1), said upper and lower sections together defining a door opening (10) on each of two opposite sides of said body (1), characterised in the further steps of: selecting a door pillar (11) for location in each said door opening (10), each said pillar (11) being locatable at any one of a plurality of possible positions within the respective said door opening (10), said possible positions being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle body (1), selecting a position for each said door pillar (11) from the said plurality of possible positions, locating each said door pillar (11) in the respective said selected position by sliding that pillar (11) within the respective said door opening (10) substantially in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle body (1), fixing a lower end (16) of each said door pillar (11) to said lower section (2), and fixing an upper end (14) of each said door pillar (11) to said upper section (3) to thereby secure each said door pillar (11) in the selected position. A method according to claim 1, wherein the lower end (16) of each door pillar (11) has an inverted channel-shape, and said lower section (2) forms a guide-rail (17) over which said channel-shaped lower end (16) locates, and said step of locating said door pillars (11) in position comprises sliding each said lower end (16) along a respective said guide-rail (17) to said selected position. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, including the further step of affixing windows and body panels (40) to said upper section (3) by means of clips (41), said clips (41) each comprising a mounting portion (42) by means of which the clip (41) is secured to one of the frame elements (4), and a retaining portion (43) for retaining the respective windows and body panels (40) in position. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said frame elements (4) are formed by bending which is carried out by a computer-controlled bending machine (20). A vehicle body comprising: a lower body section (2) having a predetermined arrangement and configuration which is substantially consistent for various vehicle body styles, said lower body section (2) being formed predominantly from a plurality of interconnected panels (6,7,8), an upper body section (3) including a frame, the arrangement and configuration of which can be varied to suit different said body styles, said frame according to any selected one of said variations thereof being composed of a plurality of interconnected frame elements (4) and being connected to said lower body section (2) to combine therewith to form a body structure (1), said lower body section (2) forming a primary strength imparting component of said body (1) and said upper body section (3) forming a primary style imparting component of said body (1), a door opening (10) in each of two opposite sides of said body (1), and a door pillar (11) mounted within each said door opening (10), characterised in that each said door pillar (11) is initially slidable relative to said body (1) generally in the longitudinal direction of said body (1), and thereby permits location of each said pillar (11) at any one of a plurality of possible positions within the respective said opening (10) which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of said body (1), each said pillar (11) being secured in a selected one of said positions by being fixed at its upper end (14) to said upper section (3) and by being fixed at its lower end (16) to said lower section (2). A vehicle body according to claim 5, wherein a lower edge of each door opening (10) is formed by a rail (17) which comprises part of said lower body section (2), an inverted channel formation is provided on said lower end (16) of each door pillar (11), and each channel formation slidably engages a respective said rail (17) and is movable along the rail (17) to vary the position of the respective said door pillar (11) prior to securing that door pillar (11) to said connected upper and lower sections. A vehicle body according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said upper body section (3) includes at least one body panel (40) connected to the frame, said body panel (40) being relatively light and of a non-load bearing nature. A vehicle body according to claim 7, wherein each body panel (40) is secured to said frame elements (4) by means of clips (41) which include a retaining portion (43) which holds said body panel (40) against said frame elements (4). A vehicle body according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein said frame elements (4) each comprise a non-circular tubular elongate length having at least one outwardly directed flange (32,33) extending the length of the frame element (4). A vehicle body according to claim 9, wherein there are two such outwardly extending flanges (32,33) and each said flange (32,33) is integrally formed with the frame element (4).

Inventors: SPARKE, LAURENCE J.
Applicants: GENERAL MOTORS-HOLDEN'S AUTOMOTIVE LIMITED
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B62D25
IPC codes: B62D25, B62D65