A low floor road vehicle, in the form for example of a passenger bus, includes a front module that includes the front load-carrying axle at its front, a rear module including the rear load-carrying axle, a central module having a flat floor and lateral side walls that longitudinally extend beyond both longitudinal ends of the flat floor so as to define front and back module attaching portions, and a roof mounted to both lateral side walls so as to extend beyond the floor both towards the front and back, which brings rigidity to the overall structure. The vehicle being modular, the central module can be configured to a specific application, for example by varying the length thereof, while same configurations of the front and rear modules can be used in all applications. Also, the front axle being located at the front of the front module, the access to the passenger area defined by the flat floor is improved.

A cargo vehicle configured to support cargo includes a frame assembly with at least one rail member defining a portion of an outer perimeter of the trailer. The cargo vehicle also includes a composite member adjacent to the frame assembly and a mounting member removably coupled to the at least one rail member and permanently coupled to the composite member.

A box body for a commercial vehicle, which has a surface element having a panel, includes a core layer, a dimensionally stable structural layer and an intermediate layer, one side thereof being adjacent to the core layer and an opposite side being adjacent to the structural layer. An integrally joined connection is produced between the structural layer and the side of the intermediate layer and between the core layer and the side of the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the structural layer and consists of a material having a density that is higher than the density of the core layer. The side of the intermediate layer adjacent to the core layer has an affinity to the foamed plastic of the core layer and the side of the intermediate layer adjacent to the structural layer has an affinity to the structural layer.

A process for manufacturing a sandwich structure including two steel skin layers separated by a polymeric layer is provided. The process includes dimensioning the sandwich structure according to a target to be attained by defining the target to be attained by three target values, i.e., tensile strength T.sub.c expressed in kN/mm, bending stiffness B.sub.c expressed in kN/mm, and surface mass M.sub.c expressed in Kg/m.sup.2, defining a tolerance for the attainment of target values, defining the sandwich structure by five variables, i.e., the thickness E.sub.a of the steel skin layers expressed in mm, the polymeric layer thickness E.sub.p expressed in mm, the intrinsic Young's modulus Y.sub.p of the polymeric layer, the intrinsic density d.sub.p of the polymeric layer, and the volume ratio R.sub.p of the polymeric layer expressed as a volume percentage of the polymeric layer of the material, identifying the E.sub.a, E.sub.p, Y.sub.p, d.sub.p, and R.sub.p combinations enabling attainment of the target values having the defined tolerance, and determining, for each variable, an operating range. The process also includes selecting the steel and the polymeric layer for which each variable is within the range defined in the previous step and manufacturing the corresponding sandwich structure.

In a vehicle roof system and a method for mounting such a vehicle roof system, the vehicle roof system has a front roof module and a rear roof module, wherein the front roof module has a front frame and the rear roof module has a rear frame. The rear roof module fixedly closes a rear region of a roof opening or a rear roof opening, and the front roof module can partly expose or completely close a front region of the roof opening or a front roof opening by a displaceable cover. A central strut part is arranged between the two roof modules, transversely with respect to a vehicle longitudinal axis. A reinforcing plate is foamed or bonded on the rear roof module and is connected to the front frame or to the rear frame, in particular riveted, screwed or bonded, wherein the reinforcing plate forms the central strut part.

A cowl structure for a vehicle that drains water drops. A cowl outer panel is provided opposing a front end portion side of an instrument panel. A downflow portion is provided at each of two end portions in the vehicle width direction of a floor wall portion of the cowl outer panel. A drainage member is provided at the lower side of each downflow portion. Hence, water drops that have flowed down the glass inner face of the front glass pass along the floor wall portion of the cowl outer panel, flow down through the downflow portion, and are guided to the drainage member. An outflow port is formed at drainage member. The outflow port is in fluid communication with a drainage port formed at a front pillar inner. Therefore, water in the drainage member may be drained out of the vehicle from the outflow port via the drainage port.

An integral component of a vehicle body includes an open profiled element and a reinforcing rib structure disposed in an interior of the open profiled element. The open profiled element has a fiber-plastics composite body having a first structure, and at least one reinforcement panel from metal for the localized reinforcement of the profiled element. The reinforcing rib structure is produced from a fiber-plastics composite having a second structure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tailgate structure capable of preventing broken pieces from being scattered inside or outside a vehicle even when a tailgate made of resin receives an impact. The tailgate structure includes a tailgate 10 which is provided capable of opening and closing an opening portion 2 of a vehicle body 1, and a locking device 21 which is provided at the tail gate 10 and is engaged with the opening portion 2 in a state in which the tailgate 10 closes the opening portion 2. The tailgate 10 includes an inner panel 30 made of resin, an outer panel 40 made of resin, and a film surface member 50 made of metal, which is provided between the inner panel 30 and the outer panel 40. The film surface member 50 is fixed to the locking device 21.

A device (10) comprising a carrier material (14) and a matrix material (12) deposited onto the carrier material in a pattern that leaves a predetermined amount of space (18) between each deposition of matrix material.

A vehicle including a lateral energy absorption system which includes a first side beam that defines a first chamber. The first side beam extends between a front and a rear of the vehicle. A second side beam that defines a second chamber. The second side beam extends between the front and the rear of the vehicle. Further, a first carbon structure within the first chamber, and a second carbon structure within the second chamber, are included. The first and second carbon structures absorb energy from an impact on a side of the vehicle.