Vehicle development process characterized by market responsiveness

• US 20030040827A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Shabana, Mohsen D., Chernoff, Adrian B., Borroni-Bird, Christopher E., Vitale, Robert Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/10 Independent suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/18 Multilink suspensions, e.g. elastokinematic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/40 Type of actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/10 Mounting of suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/14 Mounting of suspension arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/16 Mounting of vehicle body on chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/20 Mounting of accessories, e.g. pump, compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/202 of cables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/011 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0114 Independent suspensions on subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/99 : Suspension element selection procedure depending on loading or performance requirements, e.g. selection of damper, spring or bush
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 : Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/50 : Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 : Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 : Traction, slip, skid or slide control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/802 : Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/90 : System Controller type
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 : ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/963 : Steer-by-wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/18 : with two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/003 : of adjustable length
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 : Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 : of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 : of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 : one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 : the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 : the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 : for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 : rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 : Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/065 : employing disc B60T1/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 : by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 : Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 : characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 : with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/82 : Brake-by-Wire, EHB
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/00 : Brake-action initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 : by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 : Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/105 : for motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/00 : Power-assisted or power-driven steering for non-deflectable wheels B62D11/00; fluid-pressure servomotors in general F15B
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/18 : Steering knuckles; King pins
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A vehicle development process is characterized by enhanced market responsiveness by decoupling the development of the chassis from the development of vehicle bodies. The chassis and bodies are provided with a common, standardized interface system so that a single chassis design or a family of chassis designs may receive any of a variety of different body types thereon. Accordingly, the chassis are designed to enable the bodies to be designed and produced independently. The bodies are designed and manufactured all over the world to meet different consumer desires. Designers are able to redesign vehicle bodies without re-engineering the entire vehicle. The freedom to design, develop and distribute vehicle bodies more quickly with greater design freedom enables the manufacturer to be more responsive to local, regional and global market needs.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing vehicles comprising:

manufacturing a plurality of vehicle chassis each having a structural frame;

a suspension system mounted to the structural frame;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted to the suspension system;

an energy conversion system mounted to the structural frame, operably connected to at least one wheel, and controllable by wire;

a by-wire braking system mounted to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel; and

a computer operatively connected to the energy conversion system and braking system;

wherein said vehicle chassis are manufactured to include a common, standardized interface system having body connection components arranged to facilitate selective attachment of any of a plurality of different body types to the chassis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a perceived market demand, designing and manufacturing a plurality of vehicle bodies independently of the chassis, wherein the bodies are designed to conform with the common interface system and include chassis connection components mateable with the body connection components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said body connection components are provided in a predetermined positional relationship relative to each other in accordance with said common, standardized interface system.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after said step of manufacturing a plurality of different bodies, designing and manufacturing additional bodies having body types different from said plurality of vehicle bodies and configured to conform to said standardized interface system for selective attachment to said plurality of manufactured chassis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing wheel motors on at least two of said wheels.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising predefining said common, standardized interface system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said chassis are characterized by having electrical connectors for steering, braking and propulsion, and further characterized by the absence of mechanical communication linkages for steering, braking and propulsion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said chassis includes no more than seven body connection components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said energy conversion system comprises a fuel cell.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising manufacturing vehicle bodies configured to cooperate with said common, standardized interface system, and attaching said bodies to said vehicle chassis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle bodies are of at least two body categories taken from the group consisting of sedans, pickup trucks, convertibles, coupes, vans, station wagons, and sport-utility vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising attaching one of said bodies to one of said chassis.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy conversion system includes a traction motor operably connected to at least one wheel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface system includes no more than one control signal receiving electrical connector to provide communication signals between the chassis and a corresponding body.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising a steering system connected to the frame, and wherein no portion of the structural frame, energy conversion system, steering system, or braking system extends higher than any wheel.

16. A method of manufacturing vehicles comprising:

manufacturing a plurality of vehicle chassis each having a structural frame;

a suspension system mounted to the structural frame;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted to the suspension system;

an energy conversion system mounted to the structural frame, operably connected to at least one wheel, and controllable by wire;

a by-wire braking system mounted to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;

a by-wire steering system; and

a computer operatively connected to the energy conversion system, steering system and braking system;

wherein said vehicle chassis are manufactured to include a common, standardized interface system having body connection components arranged to facilitate selective attachment of any of a plurality of different types of bodies to the chassis, and wherein said chassis are characterized by having electrical connectors for receiving steering, braking and propulsion control signals, and further characterized by the absence of mechanical communication linkages for receiving steering, braking and propulsion control signals; and

in response to a perceived market demand, designing and manufacturing a plurality of vehicle bodies independently of the chassis, wherein the bodies are designed to conform with the common interface system and include chassis connection components attachable with the body connection components.

17. A method of manufacturing automotive vehicles comprising:

manufacturing at a first manufacturing facility a plurality of vehicle chassis, the vehicle chassis each having a body-attachment interface, at least three wheels, an energy conversion system controllable by wire, a braking system controllable by wire, and a steering system;

wherein the body-attachment interface comprises body-connection components;

the body-connection components including a plurality of body-retention couplings and at least one control signal receiving electrical connector;

each of the energy conversion system, the steering system, and the braking system being operably connected to a control signal receiving electrical connector;

the body-retention couplings having a predetermined spatial relationship relative to one another which is the same in each of the plurality of vehicle chassis; and

manufacturing at a second manufacturing facility different from the first facility a plurality of vehicle bodies, the vehicle bodies each having a chassis-attachment interface comprising chassis-connection components engageable with the body-connection components, including a plurality of chassis-retention couplings and at least one control signal transmitting electrical connector, the chassis-retention couplings of each chassis-attachment interface having a predetermined spatial relationship relative to one another that is compatible with the predetermined spatial relationship of the body-retention couplings such that each chassis-retention coupling has a corresponding body-retention coupling, the chassis-retention couplings being exposed sufficiently to facilitate attachment.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

positioning one of the vehicle bodies relative to one of the vehicle chassis such that the body-connection components of the vehicle chassis are adjacent to the complementary chassis-connection components of the vehicle body; and

engaging each of the complementary chassis-connection components to its corresponding body-connection component.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing a common, standardized interface system which defines said predetermined spatial relationship.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the energy conversion system includes an electric motor operably connected to at least one wheel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the energy conversion system further comprises a fuel cell.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the energy conversion system comprises an internal combustion engine having horizontally-oriented cylinders.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after said step of manufacturing a plurality of bodies, designing and manufacturing different bodies having body types different from said plurality of bodies and configured to conform to said standardized interface system for selective attachment to said plurality of manufactured chassis.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the body-attachment interface comprises no more than two control signal receiving electrical connectors.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the body-attachment interface comprises no more than one control signal receiving electrical connector.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein no portion of the structural frame, energy conversion system, steering system, or braking system extends higher than any wheel.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle bodies are of varying designs.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle bodies are of varying body categories.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the vehicle bodies are of at least two body categories taken from the group consisting of sedans, pickup trucks, convertibles, coupes, vans, station wagons, sport-utility vehicles and other types of transports.