GB2067480A

GB2067480A - Coachwork consisting of modular components

Info

Publication number: GB2067480A
Application number: GB8036870A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: STABILIMENTI MECCANICI VM SpA
Current assignee: STABILIMENTI MECCANICI VM SpA
Priority date: 1979-12-07
Filing date: 1980-11-17
Publication date: 1981-07-30
Also published as: IT7923363V0; DE8030965U1; FR2471307A1

Abstract

A vehicle body is constructed by joining together panels by connecting abutting flanges formed along the adjacent panel edges. The panels are selected from sets, the panels in each individual set being identical in size and peripheral shape. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the panels are formed into sets A-F, and T. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coachwork consisting of modular interchangeable components The present invention relates to a coachwork, particularly for land vehicles, e.g. cars, land-rovers (Registered Trade Mark), vans or the like, made of modular interchangeable components. This kind of coachwork consists of a set of panels, preferably made of profiled sheet iron or the like, which are fastened to a frame by means of bolts, riveting means or other known systems.

A particular characteristic of the invention is the special fitting and arrangement of its parts, so that whatever panel may be employed without distinction in the making of different parts of the body.

Thanks to said characteristics, it is possible to comply with every market request by using very few spare parts, few different sets of machine parts being enough to meet any necessary replacement.

There is no need to say that, as far as industrial output is concerned, and particularly in the case of machines comprising several parts such as cars or the like, the constant need of having spare parts always available bears upon the final cost of the product to a great extent, because of the great number of parts said product consists of; hence the necessity of stocking so many spare parts, entailing relevant burdens which are due to the locking up of capital and to the structure and staff costs.

This problem has an even greater relevance in the case of small scale production, which obliges concessionaries and subsidiary companies who wish to meet promptly their clients' requirements, to store up a remarkable number of different parts even when the complete products actually sold are few.

In order to avoid such an inconvenience, the present invention provides a new kind of coachwork for cars, vans or the like, and particularlyforcross- country vehicles, consisting of a few sets of modular components exactly alike the one to the other and therefore interchangeable.

These panels, made for example of profiled sheet iron, having the edges folded up twice so as to form a rigid panel as will be shown hereinafter, are interchangeable so that the different parts of the coachwork consist of a limited number of like panels fastened to the frame.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail by mere way of non-limiting example, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an exploded representation of a coachwork according to the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a rear view of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a panel employed in the coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 7 is a section along the line A-A of Fig. 6.

To a frame 1 (Fig. 1) there are fixed, by means of bolts, rivetting or other known systems, a set of panels designed to make up the coachwork.

These panels are made preferably by doublefolding a sheet iron along its edges, but any suitable material, such as for instance swaged plastic material, may well be used.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the folding is made along the lines 2-2'-2"and3-3'-3".

The coachwork described by the enclosed draw ings is provided with panels Al -A12 of exactly the same size. Likewise, the panels indicated by the same letters are of exactly the same size.

The coachwork sizes are such that whatever part thereof may be made by joining together some of these panels.

For instance, the panels indicated by C are meant to constitute the doors and, when united to the couple of panels of the A type, they also form the upper front part and the upper rear part of the coachwork itself, as shown in Fig. 2, 3,4 and 5.

The body side (Fig. 2), besides panels C1 and C2 constituting the door, consists of the four panels Al, A2, A9 and A10, all exactly the same and likewise exactly the same as the corresponding elements A3, A4, All and A12 which are set on the opposite side.

Identical elements A5 and A6 (Fig. 4) and A7 and A8 (Fig. 5), wherein there are made seats for the insertion of light units, are present respectively in the front and rear part of the vehicle (Fig. 4 and 5), panels of the C type being put in between; openings for the cooling air to pass through are made in the front one of these latter panels. Likewise, the walls of 1 and 2 which form the bumpers (Fig. 4 and 5) are the one identical to the other, just as well as the underlying elements El, E2 and the panels making up the roof, indicated by T1 and T2.

Other panels, the one identical to the other, are those constituting the upper parts of the sides, indicated by B1, B2, B3 and B4, as well as those below the doors, indicated by F1 and F2.

By properly arranging these parts it is thus possibleto obtain a coachworkwhich can be easily assembled, consisting of few different sets of identical elements, there being possible to have available any necessary spare parts even if said stock is reduced.

The employ of different shapes or materials is then provided for, as long as they fall in the ambit of the present invention.

1. A coachwork structure having modular interchangeable components, particularly for land vehicles, e.g. cars, cross-country vehicles, or vans formed by an assembly of different sets of panels, the panels in each set being identical in size as to be interchangeable with each other, and the panel size of each of the set being such as to make possible the making up of any part thereof by using one or more of said panels.

2. A coachwork structure according to claim 1, wherein panels forming the doors and panels forming upper front and upper rear body parts are identical.

3. Acoachwork structure according to claim 1 or 2, having upper side body panels are identical.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Coachwork consisting of modular interchangeable components The present invention relates to a coachwork, particularly for land vehicles, e.g. cars, land-rovers (Registered Trade Mark), vans or the like, made of modular interchangeable components. This kind of coachwork consists of a set of panels, preferably made of profiled sheet iron or the like, which are fastened to a frame by means of bolts, riveting means or other known systems. A particular characteristic of the invention is the special fitting and arrangement of its parts, so that whatever panel may be employed without distinction in the making of different parts of the body. Thanks to said characteristics, it is possible to comply with every market request by using very few spare parts, few different sets of machine parts being enough to meet any necessary replacement. There is no need to say that, as far as industrial output is concerned, and particularly in the case of machines comprising several parts such as cars or the like, the constant need of having spare parts always available bears upon the final cost of the product to a great extent, because of the great number of parts said product consists of; hence the necessity of stocking so many spare parts, entailing relevant burdens which are due to the locking up of capital and to the structure and staff costs. This problem has an even greater relevance in the case of small scale production, which obliges concessionaries and subsidiary companies who wish to meet promptly their clients' requirements, to store up a remarkable number of different parts even when the complete products actually sold are few. In order to avoid such an inconvenience, the present invention provides a new kind of coachwork for cars, vans or the like, and particularlyforcross- country vehicles, consisting of a few sets of modular components exactly alike the one to the other and therefore interchangeable. These panels, made for example of profiled sheet iron, having the edges folded up twice so as to form a rigid panel as will be shown hereinafter, are interchangeable so that the different parts of the coachwork consist of a limited number of like panels fastened to the frame. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail by mere way of non-limiting example, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an exploded representation of a coachwork according to the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a rear view of a coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a panel employed in the coachwork according to the invention; Fig. 7 is a section along the line A-A of Fig. 6. To a frame 1 (Fig. 1) there are fixed, by means of bolts, rivetting or other known systems, a set of panels designed to make up the coachwork. These panels are made preferably by doublefolding a sheet iron along its edges, but any suitable material, such as for instance swaged plastic material, may well be used. In Figs. 6 and 7 the folding is made along the lines 2-2'-2"and3-3'-3". The coachwork described by the enclosed draw ings is provided with panels Al -A12 of exactly the same size. Likewise, the panels indicated by the same letters are of exactly the same size. The coachwork sizes are such that whatever part thereof may be made by joining together some of these panels. For instance, the panels indicated by C are meant to constitute the doors and, when united to the couple of panels of the A type, they also form the upper front part and the upper rear part of the coachwork itself, as shown in Fig. 2, 3,4 and 5. The body side (Fig. 2), besides panels C1 and C2 constituting the door, consists of the four panels Al, A2, A9 and A10, all exactly the same and likewise exactly the same as the corresponding elements A3, A4, All and A12 which are set on the opposite side. Identical elements A5 and A6 (Fig. 4) and A7 and A8 (Fig. 5), wherein there are made seats for the insertion of light units, are present respectively in the front and rear part of the vehicle (Fig. 4 and 5), panels of the C type being put in between; openings for the cooling air to pass through are made in the front one of these latter panels. Likewise, the walls of 1 and 2 which form the bumpers (Fig. 4 and 5) are the one identical to the other, just as well as the underlying elements El, E2 and the panels making up the roof, indicated by T1 and T2. Other panels, the one identical to the other, are those constituting the upper parts of the sides, indicated by B1, B2, B3 and B4, as well as those below the doors, indicated by F1 and F2. By properly arranging these parts it is thus possibleto obtain a coachworkwhich can be easily assembled, consisting of few different sets of identical elements, there being possible to have available any necessary spare parts even if said stock is reduced. The employ of different shapes or materials is then provided for, as long as they fall in the ambit of the present invention. CLAIMS

4. A coachwork structure according to claim 1, 2 or3 having side body panels are identical in size to each other and to panels for housing the vehicle light units.

5. Acoachworkstructure according to any of claims 1-4 having identical lower side body panels.

6. A coachwork structure according to any of claims 1-4 having identical front and rear lower panels.

7. A coachwork assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein identical panels form front and rear vehicle bumpers.

8. A coachwork assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the roof is composed of a plurality of identical panels.

9. A coachwork assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the panels are produced by bending a sheet along at least one edge thereof along two spaced-apart lines parallel to that edge so as to form an L-shaped flange extending along the edge.

10. A coachwork assembly according to claim 9, wherein adjacent panels are joined to each other by connecting abutting edge flanges thereof.

11. A coachwork assembly constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.