Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Gerhard Helmsing

Fritz B Kochy

Bernhard Neumann

Klaus Brandel

Horst Hullmann

A pre-assembled module for the cockpit zone of a motor vehicle, especially a passenger car, which is adapted to be mounted as one single unit inside the vehicle body and which incorporates essentially the following components: an instrument board including all instruments and accessories commonly contained therein, fuse box and electric wiring, heater with controls and air distribution system; furthermore a steering system including steering wheel, steering column enclosure and steering support means; also pedals for clutch and brake, including mounting brackets. The vehicle body includes a fire wall and fire wall support member to which the aforementioned components and accessories are connected when in the installed position. The fire wall and fire wall support member are separated from the body shell and serve as an assembly base for the unit. In the installed position, the fire wall and fire wall support member are sealingly connected with the respective adjacent body panels. The advantage of a unit as described in the foregoing specifications is that those components which are commonly considered to be part of the cockpit zone, but which are situated on the other side of the fire wall, i.e., in the engine compartment, can also be incorporated into the pre-assembly operation of the module. This simplifies assembly operations to a great extent and reduces the over-all manufacturing costs of the vehicle.

Vehicle having pre-assembled constructional unit for the cockpit region

This disclosure relates to an automotive vehicle having a preassembled module for the cockpit region thereof. The preassembled module includes a base which forms the fire wall of the vehicle and to which engine compartment accessories are preassembled, and a dashboard mounted to the base and to which passenger compartment accessories are preassembled. The module is connected to the vehicle by lowering the same through the windshield of the vehicle. The module at its ends and the side pillars of the vehicle have complementary mounting plate means which cooperate with each other to automatically center the module on the vehicle and the module is connected to the vehicle via mounting bolts which extend transversely of the vehicle and which connect the mounting plate means together.

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Eppstein, Germany

Gerhard Helmsing