Variable width platform vehicle body structure and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304128-A1
Application number	US-201514686917-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of varying vehicle width on a single platform includes providing a plurality of vehicles, where each vehicle includes a side sill extending longitudinally along a lower portion of a vehicle body. The side sill defines a door opening interface on each opposing side of the vehicle body. Each of the plurality of vehicles also includes a floor panel extending laterally across a width of each vehicle. The floor panel is joined at a lateral edge to the side sill. The method also includes maintaining a common lateral position of the joint between the floor panel and the side sill across each of the plurality of vehicles. The method further includes positioning the door opening interface at first lateral position corresponding to a first one of the plurality of vehicles and at a second lateral position corresponding to a second one of the plurality of vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of varying vehicle width on a single platform comprising:
providing a plurality of vehicles, each comprising:
a side sill extending longitudinally along a lower portion of the vehicle and defining a door opening interface, and
a floor panel extending laterally across a width of each of the plurality of vehicles, the floor panel being joined at a lateral edge to the side sill;
maintaining a common lateral position of a joint between the floor panel and the side sill across each of the plurality of vehicles; and positioning the door opening interface at first lateral position corresponding to a first one of the plurality of vehicles and at a second lateral position corresponding to a second one of the plurality of vehicles.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of vehicles further comprises a common dash panel spanning across the width and affixed to the floor panel of each of the plurality of vehicles.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the floor panel further comprises an upright flange at a lateral edge, and the upright flange is joined to a riser surface of the side sill.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the side sill comprises a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel joined at a vertical flange to form a closed section, and the vertical flange comprises the door opening interface.

5 . A vehicle comprising:
a floor panel spanning across a width of the vehicle; a sill inner panel joined to the floor panel, the sill inner panel defining
a first riser connected to the floor panel,
a first shelf extending from the first riser
a second riser extending from the first shelf,
a second shelf extending from the second riser, and
a vertical flange extending from the second shelf; and
a sill outer panel joined to the vertical flange and forming a closed section with the sill inner panel, wherein the first shelf is sized corresponding to the width of the vehicle and the floor panel accommodates vehicles having a different width.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the floor panel further comprises an upright flange along a lateral edge that is connected to the first riser of the sill inner panel.

7 . The vehicle of claim 5 wherein a joint between the floor panel and the sill inner panel of a first vehicle having a lateral width is at the same lateral position as a second vehicle having a different lateral width.

8 . The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the sill outer panel defines a door interface and the vertical flange of the sill inner panel is positioned laterally outboard corresponding to a first vehicle width.

9 . The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the first shelf provides a width sizing range of up to about 80 mm between the vehicles having a different width.

10 . A method of constructing a vehicle body comprising:
providing a floor panel having opposing lateral edges; selecting a first sill structure corresponding to a first vehicle width or a second sill structure corresponding to a second vehicle width based on a request for a wide vehicle or a narrow vehicle, respectively; and joining the selected one of the first or the second sill structures to one of the lateral edges of the floor panel.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the first sill structure defines a first side door interface at a first lateral position corresponding to the first vehicle width, and the second sill structure defines a second side door interface at a second lateral position corresponding to a second vehicle width.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the second sill structure defines a side door interface that is laterally outboard relative to a side door interface corresponding to the first sill structure.

13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the first sill structure has a first lateral shelf sized to provide the wide vehicle, and the second sill structure has a first lateral shelf sized to provide the narrow vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 10 further comprising joining a single width dash panel to the selected one of the first or the second sill structure to form a wide vehicle body or a narrow vehicle body, respectively.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bogachuk Vladimir Vladimirovich
• BLAIR Monica
• Heirtzler Maria J
• Morgans Shawn Michael
• Gallagher Steve William
• Clement Joshua Jacob
• Stratten Eric Layton
• Wilcox Jon A

Classifications

• B62D25/025 Primary

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B62D21/14 Primary

  of adjustable length or width · CPC title

• B62D63/025

  Modular vehicles (superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025) · CPC title

• B62D25/2036

  the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D65/00

  Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for · CPC title