Abstract: This invention has as its object to efficiently and effectively plan a vehicle. To accomplish this, this invention has an exterior model building program (63) for building an exterior model having information associated with the exterior of a vehicle, a reference model building program (64) for building a reference model having information associated with reference components of the vehicle, and information associated with the sitting positions and postures of passengers, and a display program (65) for superimposing the built exterior model and reference model on the basis of a predetermined rule.

Abstract: A sliding door structure for a vehicle having a continuous door opening consisting of a side opening formed in a side body panel and a roof opening formed un a roof panel comprises a generally reverse L-shaped sliding door having a side portion in conformity with the side opening and a roof portion in conformity with the roof opening and a door guide structure operative to guide the sliding door in a lengthwise direction between a closed position and an open position, the door guide structure consisting of an upper guide rail for supporting a middle portion of the sliding door and a lower base guide rail slidably support a lower end of the sliding door.

Abstract: A sliding door structure for a vehicle having a continuous door opening consisting of a side opening formed in a side body panel and a roof opening formed un a roof panel comprises a generally reverse L-shaped sliding door having a side portion in conformity with the side opening and a roof portion in conformity with the roof opening and a door guide structure operative to guide the sliding door in a lengthwise direction between a closed position and an open position, the door guide structure consisting of an upper guide rail for supporting a middle portion of the sliding door and a lower base guide rail slidably support a lower end of the sliding door.

Abstract: A center-matched double hinged door assembly for a vehicle having a continuous side aperture at each of opposite side of a vehicle body comprises a front door hinged at a rear end to the vehicle body, a rear door hinged at a front end to the vehicle body, and a door lock/unlock mechanism operative to prevent the rear door from opening prior to the front door while the front door remains closed, to allow the rear door to open while the front door remains open and to allow the rear door to close irrespective of whether the front door remains open or closed.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to efficiently and effectively plan a vehicle. To accomplish this, this invention has an exterior model building program (63) for building an exterior model having information associated with the exterior of a vehicle, a reference model building program (64) for building a reference model having information associated with reference components of the vehicle, and information associated with the sitting positions and postures of passengers, and a display program (65) for superimposing the built exterior model and reference model on the basis of a predetermined rule.

Abstract: A rear luggage compartment structure for a vehicle body is disclosed. A rear luggage compartment is provided by rear part of a floor panel of a vehicle body depressed downward at the rear part of the vehicle body. The rear luggage compartment structure includes a trunk case which is locked in a position where the trunk case is received in the rear luggage compartment and unlocked so as to be pulled out of the rear luggage compartment for access thereto below the rear bumper.

Abstract: A center-matched double hinged door assembly for a vehicle having a continuous side aperture at each of opposite side of a vehicle body comprises a front door hinged at a rear end to the vehicle body, a rear door hinged at a front end to the vehicle body, and a door lock/unlock mechanism operative to prevent the rear door from opening prior to the front door while the front door remains closed, to allow the rear door to open while the front door remains open and to allow the rear door to close irrespective of whether the front door remains open or closed.

Abstract: A rear luggage compartment structure for a vehicle body is disclosed. A rear luggage compartment is provided by rear part of a floor panel of a vehicle body depressed downward at the rear part of the vehicle body. The rear luggage compartment structure includes a trunk case which is locked in a position where the trunk case is received in the rear luggage compartment and unlocked so as to be pulled out of the rear luggage compartment for access thereto below the rear bumper.

Abstract: In a vehicle having a second row of seats designed for providing seats for three passengers and a third row of seats which are detachable, a seat belt unit for the third row has a webbing whose length is enough to reach a center seat of the second row, and which is pulled out via an anchor, as a fulcrum, designed rotatable to a position where it faces to the center seat. With this configuration, an elevation of the seats in the third row is set higher than that in the second row as well as an elevation of a mounting position of the anchor is set higher than that of an anchor for a second row seat belt unit, so that a passenger in the center seat is properly protected by the seat belt unit.

Abstract: An undercarriage structure of a motor vehicle has a pair of front frames, a pair of floor frames integrally connected with rear ends of the front frames, a floor panel attached to the floor frames, and side sills extending in a front/rear direction and being connected with the sides of the floor frames. The floor frames, the side sills and the floor panel together form closed sections extending in the front/rear direction.

Abstract: An instrument panel structure or dashboard of a vehicle is constituted by an instrument panel arranged on the front side of a passenger room, a steering wheel, arranged in front of a driver's seat, for regulating a travel direction of the vehicle, and an operation switch mounting portion which is defined on the dashboard, and on which various operation switches are mounted. The operation switch mounting portion is curved so as to be located on the rear side of a vehicle body from a portion far from a mounting position of the steering wheel toward the mounting position of the steering wheel. The operation switch mounting portion has a first area which is defined on a portion near the mounting position of the steering wheel, and on which a first-class operation switch having the highest importance of the various operation switches is mounted.

Abstract: In a vehicle, a power plant is disposed in an engine room formed at the front of the vehicle body with the center of gravity of the power plant positioned behind the wheel center of front wheels. A structure for supporting a suspension system for the vehicle includes a pair of front side frames which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body respectively along the left and right side walls of the engine room, and a pair of lower frame members provided on the respective front side frames so as to extend downward from the front side frames at intermediate portions thereof. Each of the lower frame members is provided with a suspension supporting portion on which the suspension system for supporting the corresponding front wheel is supported, and an opening for permitting the drive shaft for the corresponding front wheel to project outside and beyond the front side frame is formed between the lower frame member and the front side frame.

Abstract: A structure for detachably mounting roof carriers to a motorcar roof including a pair of roof side rails each formed by joining a roof side outer panel and a roof side inner panel together at their outer and inner ends, and a main roof panel joined at each side thereof to the inner end of the roof side rail in a superposed relation, has a vertical wall formed by bending each side end portion of the main roof panel upwardly so as to extend along the joint portion between the roof side rail and the main roof panel, and a fixing portion provided on the vertical wall for detachably fixing a mounting bracket of the roof carrier.

Abstract: The front pillar as a vehicle body rigidity member is constructed with a first front pillar arranged on the front side of the vehicle body and a second front pillar arranged on the rear side thereof. This construction enables the front pillar to meet with requirements contrary to each other, that is, for an improvement in a rigidity, particularly a flexural rigidity and for widening the front field of vision.

Abstract: In a windshield defroster system for a vehicle, the lower edge of the windshield is fixed to the upper side of the front portion of a cowl box disposed in front of the passenger compartment, and a defroster duct extends along the upper side of the cowl box from the rear side of the same to a position near the lower edge of the windshield and has an air plenum on the front edge portion thereof.

Abstract: A knee protector assembly in a vehicle which comprises an elongated knee protector rigidly secured at its opposite ends to opposite fixed portions of a vehicle body structure so as to extend across the width of the vehicle body structure, a support bracket rigidly mounted on a portion of a floor panel of the vehicle body structure at a position intermediate of the width of the vehicle body structure, and a generally elongated connecting member having its opposite ends rigidly connected respectively to the support bracket and a cowl body of the vehicle body structure. The connecting member is capable of being plastically deformed when loaded with a predetermined load.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming an automobile cowl structure comprises a windshield supporting frame with a closed cross section provided for supporting a lower end of a front windshield and composed of a cowl top member formed in the shape of a bank protruding upward and elongating along the front windshield in the direction of the width of an automobile body construction and a cowl cover panel provided with the cowl top member fixed thereon and having a prolongation thereof horizontally extending backward beyond a rear end portion of the cowl top member, and an upper dash panel having a rear end wall portion thereof connected to a rear end portion of the prolongation of the cowl cover panel at its upper end.

Abstract: An engine compartment is provided in front of a cowl box. The bottom and rear faces of the cowl box are defined by a dashboard upper panel. An upper member for supporting the windshield is connected to a flange provided on the upper edge of the dashboard upper panel. A lower member is connected to the upper member at a first end and to a wall of the dashboard upper panel at a second end to increase the rigidity of the windshield holding portion. The junction between the second end of the lower member with the wall of the dashboard upper panel being more fragile upon vehicular impact and resultant cowl box deformation than the connection of the dashboard upper panel upper edge flange and the upper member, allowing the upper member to remain engaged with the windshield. In an alternative embodiment, a junction of the dashboard upper panel and upper member is made most fragile.

Abstract: A support of an automobile gauge cluster on a steering column for permitting a steering wheel to tilt up and down. The gauge cluster is provided for tilting motion in response to the tilting of the steering wheel and there is employed a bracket structure for the support of the steering column having a steering shaft rotatably extending therein. The bracket structure is rigidly connected with a portion of an automobile body structure and has a guide provided therein for guiding the tilting motion of the gauge cluster.

Abstract: A power operated automobile window glass regulating mechanism comprises a motor mounted on the window glass panel and having a driving pinion or sprocket. In the door panel, there is provided a flexible plastic strap having teeth or perforations for engagement with the driving pinion or sprocket.