Abstract: An arrangement for concealing a windshild wiper of an automobile comprises a structural portion for forming a hollow space for receiving the windshield wiper in a body of the automobile, a cover structure including a pair of plate members each provided for covering the hollow space and mounted on the body to be rotatable and movable up and down, a cover support mechanism for supporting the cover structure so as to cause the plate members selectively to be placed at respective first operating positions with their respective outer surfraces succeeding smoothly to an outer surface of an exterior panel member, such as a hood, and extending contiguously for closing the hollow space containing the windshield wiper and to be moved to get partially under the exterior panel member to be placed at respective second operating positions for opening the hollow space, and a driving device for driving the cover structure through the cover support mechanism to keep the plate members in the respective first operating position

Abstract: A window assembly includes a windshield and a gasket formed by curing a polymeric gasket material in situ on the windshield to encapsulate a marginal peripheral edge thereof and form an integral leaf screen and mounting tab. The gasket is formed in a mold with the windshield typically by a reaction injection molding process. The gasket-forming cavities in the mold can be separated by removable plugs and be connected to multiple inlet means for separately filling the cavities. The gasket, leaf screen and mounting tab can be formed of one material, or the leaf screen and tab can be formed of a different material than the gasket.

Abstract: An arrangement for restraining a hood of a vehicle body comprises a junction member attached to a corner portion of the vehicle body, where an end portion of a cowl panel extending along a lower end portion of a front windshield is coupled with a wheel apron member, for reinforcing the corner portion, and a hook member projecting from an inner surface of the hood which is provided for opening and closing an opening, such as creating an engine room, formed in the vehicle body in front of the cowl panel, so as to be positioned to face the junction member when the hood is positioned to close the opening. The hook member engages with the junction member in the case where the hood is moved toward a cabin space formed in the vehicle body behind the cowl panel.

Abstract: A motor vehicle front body structure including a dash panel separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment. The dash panel has an upper portion which is inclined forward at an transversely intermediate portion and rearward at the transversely opposite end portions so that the upper edge portion of the dash panel has a forwardly convex configuration to conform with a corresponding configuration of the lower edge of the windshield glass.

Abstract: A vehicle construction comprises a series of modules which can be individually fabricated and assembled to include vehicle operating components before the modules are combined in the final assembly of the vehicle. An underbody module, including a passenger platform is preferably integrally constructed with a chassis frame comprising a pair of longitudinal rails sandwiched between upper and lower flooring panels and extending longitudinally beyond the flooring panels, is a support structure for the remaining modules. A second module comprising a cowl having a windshield frame integrally constructed with a dash panel frame provides structural support for vehicle controls and adjacent modules or body panels. Preferably, the underbody and cowl modules are joined by additional structural supports to form a cage enclosing passenger area of the vehicle. A third module encloses the vehicle area in front of the passenger compartment and a fourth module encloses the area behind the passenger compartment.

Abstract: In a front structure of a vehicle body having a cowl box, the cowl box is formed by a closed cross-section windshield holding member for holding the windshield, a front cowl plate and a dashboard upper panel. The front cowl plate defines the front face of the cowl box and the dashboard upper panel defines the bottom and the rear face of the same. The windshield holding member and the dashboard upper panel separate upon vehicle impact and resultant cowl box deformation such that the windshield and holding member remain engaged.

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: In an open cowl type front structure for a vehicle body in which a dashboard upper panel and a cowl panel are connected together so that an opening is formed to open upward in front of the cowl panel, the dashboard upper panel is provided on the front end thereof with a vertically extending front wall portion. The front wall portion defines, together with an upper portion of a dashboard lower panel separating an engine room and a passenger compartment, a closed cross-section portion extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle body. The closed cross-section portion is connected to right and left wheel aprons at opposite ends thereof.

Abstract: A structure for connecting front pillars and a cowl in a vehicle has a cowl assembly including a cowl inner which extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle, a pair of front pillar assemblies provided so as to stand at two lateral ends, respectively, of the vehicle and each including an outer member and an inner member with respect to the lateral direction of the vehicle; and a pair of cowl side panels for connecting the cowl assembly and the pair of front pillar assemblies. A reinforcing means is rigidly secured to the outer and inner members of each of the front pillar assemblies so as to be stretched between these members, thereby partitioning a space with a closed section defined by the two members. The reinforcing member extends from the corresponding front pillar assembly either inwardly in the lateral direction of the vehicle or toward the front end of the vehicle so as to be further connected to the cowl assembly.

Abstract: The windshield is adhesively secured on the firewall or other vehicle body structure with the lower edge of the windshield extending forwardly and downwardly from the point of attachment. The windshield plate is molded plastic and has an integral channel member at the rearward edge thereof defining a groove which receives the lower edge of the windshield and contains a groove-shaped elastomeric member which seals and retains but permits limited lateral movement of the windshield plate relative to the fixed windshield. The windshield plate is preferably formed of separate left-hand and right-hand portions, one having a longitudinally extending groove and the other having a longitudinally extending tongue member which extends into the groove in order to retain the left and right-hand portions together and yet permit relative lateral movement between the left and right-hand portions.

Abstract: A front body construction for a motor vehicle, including a dash panel extending in a sidewise direction of a vehicle body, a pair of cowl side panels each forming a front portion of each of a pair of side walls of a cabin, a pair of front pillars each disposed inwardly of a rear portion of each of the cowl side panels in the sidewise direction of the motor vehicle and a pair of reinforcing members each coupled, at its front end, with the dash panel and, at its rear end, with a rear end portion of the front pillars. Each of the reinforcing members defines, at its front portion, a first closed cross section in cooperation with each of the cowl side panels and, at its rear portion, a second closed cross section in cooperation with each of the front pillars.

Abstract: A front assembly for motor vehicles, with a cross-member extending underneath a windshield and with an end wall which adjoins the cross-member at the bottom and in front of which is located, on the same side as the engine space, an equipment space which is divided into a central space and lateral spaces adjacent to the control space, each on the right and left respectively and which is partitioned off from the engine space by partition walls, the end wall possessing, in the region of the central part space, a passage orifice for air conveyed by a blower of a heating and or airconditioning system of the vehicle.

Abstract: An automobile having a front pillar comprised of an upper front pillar section and a lower hinge pillar section. A forwardly extending beam of closed cross-section is formed by a dash panel, a cowl side upper panel and a wheel apron reinforcement. A second forwardly extending beam of closed cross-section is further provided beneath the first mentioned beam by the dash panel and forward extensions of an upper front pillar inner panel and a hinge pillar outer panel.

Abstract: A shroud top vent grille is releasably retained or attached to the front fenders of a vehicle by a retainer means. The retainer means comprises a pair of headed weld studs welded to an inner wall of the fender a predetermined distance below its upper external surface and a one piece plastic retainer member which can be readily secured to the weld studs and which is adapted to releasably retain the shroud top vent grille in place and so that it is flush with the adjacent external fender while preventing rattling.

Abstract: A single shaped panel partitions off a portion of a vehicle cowl air box and adds structural rigidity to the box. The shaped panel is formed with raised portions which define openings which fluidly communicate the partitioned section of the air box with the remainder thereof. Some of the raised portions are formed with holes for mounting windshield wiper linkages or the like and/or are formed to act as a water deflector which prevents rain water or the like from passing through the box to an air outlet fluidly communicating with the partitioned section of the air box.

Abstract: A knee panel for a front seat of a vehicle, located under an instrument panel for protecting a driver and a passenger riding on the front seat, and a knee panel mounting structure which minimizes the deformation and displacement of the knee panel and its supporting member, when the driver's and/or passenger's knees make contact with the inner surface of the knee panel, by bearing the impact force on a front pillar side through a side bracket and on a floor side thereof through an L-shaped bracket, thereby directing the impact force as a load toward both the ends of the L-shaped bracket.

Abstract: The assembly comprises a first element made of a plastic material and having a width and a height equal to the width of the bodywork of the vehicle and to the distance between the floor of the passenger compartment and the windshield, respectively, and provided with means for fastening the assembly to the bodywork, and a second element made of a second plastic material and arranged to be fastened to the first element; the two elements are provided with walls and seatings which are arranged to generate the housing for the members and the devices of the ventilation system, the channels for the air and a support plate for the battery.

Abstract: An automotive air intake housing for introducing fresh air into an air conditioner includes a cowl box and an air box through which the fresh air passes, a dash side panel having two openings, one for communicating the cowl box with the air box and the other for communicating the air box with the air conditioner, and a wiring harness passing through the air box between the engine and passenger compartments. Since the wiring harness does not pass directly through the automobile firewall, but rather circumvents it by passing through the air intake housing, engine noise entering the passenger compartment is thereby reduced.

Abstract: A body structure for an automobile with concealed wipers including a cowl top upper panel formed with air intake holes concealed by an engine hood. The structure includes a rubber seal adapted to be in contact with an inner panel of the engine hood when the engine hood is set in closed position and surrounding the air intake holes so as to separate them from the engine or compartment, thereby preventing the air in the engine compartment from mixing with the air to be intaken, effectively discharging the heated air in the engine compartment out of the automobile and making it possible to provide apertures for draining an electrodepositing liquid at suitable positions in the inner panel of the engine hood.

Abstract: An automobile front deck structure which provides rigid connections among the dash panel, the front pillar and the longitudinally extending wheel apron reinforcement. The front pillar includes an upper pillar structure of closed cross-section and a lower pillar structure of closed cross-section.