Nissan Motor Company Limited

Hideyuki Kumasaka

Hiroshi Kuriyama

Kouji Takao

Kenichi Miyazaki

Haruo Koyanagi

Katsumi Nakamura

Koji Takao

Keizo Inoue

Tomohiko Noda

Hiroshi Hattori

Tarou Haiwara

Tarou Hagiwara

Motoyuki Hiraoka

Tomokazu Ishidate

A roof structure for a modular vehicle body consists of a plurality of independent sections, i.e., a pair of roof side rails constituting part of body side assemblies, a front roof rail, a rear roof rail and a roof. The front roof rail extends between the front end of the roof side rails and is mechanically fastened to same by matched flanges and brackets. The rear roof rail extends between the rear ends of the roof side rails and attached to same similarly to the front roof rail. The roof is provided with brackets which are respectively placed on the front roof rail, rear roof rail and the roof side rails and mechanically fastened to same.

Roof structure for modular vehicle body and method of building same

In order to simplify production line layout and revision, a plurality of unmanned self-propelled vehicles are used. Some vehicles carry a work piece from station to station while auxiliary vehicles which remain at each station carry components and assembly robots. Transport vehicle are used to move new components from storage sites to the work place. To facilitate large scale operations a camera can be used to observe the vehicles and compare the movement pattern with a predetermined desired one in order to ascertain appropriate movement.

Production system using unmanned automatically guided vehicles

A vehicle body consists of six independent body sections, i.e., an engine compartment assembly, floor assembly, rear end assembly, a pair of body side assemblies and roof assembly. The assemblies are prepared and painted independently and then respectively provided with equipment such as an engine, suspensions, upholsteries, etc. so as to constitute an engine compartment module, floor module, rear end module, body side modules and roof module, respectively. A complete vehicle or nearly complete vehicle is obtained by joining the modules together with bolts and nuts.

Modular vehicle body and method of building same

A vehicle frame consists of three longitudinally separate frame sections, i.e., a front frame section, center frame section and a rear frame section. The frame sections are manufactured and assembled in the respective independent lines and painted and equipped with chassis sub-assemblies independently, whereby to constitute a front frame module, center frame module and a rear frame module, respectively. The frame modules are finally bolted together to constitute a complete chassis.

Vehicle structure, especially chassis frame structure

The method comprises a masking step of closing by masking tapes a gap formed between a roof rail member provided at the inner periphery of an existing roof panel and the roof panel, a linear joint portion between the roof rail and pillar inner panels, and holes provided for securing parts to the roof rail. The method also includes a step of arranging a wire harness assembly at predetermined position a lining skin member below the roof panel by securing and fitting welts provided around the periphery of the lining skin member to the roof panel. A foaming mold setting step is then carried out by mounting a foaming mold having the same shape as a final shape of the lining skin member from a compartment of the vehicle. A heating step is then performed to preheat the whole ceiling portion to a predetermined temperature and a foaming composition injecting step of injecting a foaming composition into a spaced formed between the roof panel and the lining skin member is carried out. Finally, a foaming mold offsetting step of removing the foaming mold after foaming is performed.

Method of manufacturing a ceiling structure of a vehicle

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Yokohama, Japan

Hideyuki Kumasaka