Vehicle structure

Claim 2

A structural arrangement for accommodating auxiliary installations, instruments, and the like on a motor vehicle; said arrangement comprising: hollow body means projecting into a vehicle interior space, said hollow body means closing off the interior space from an adjoining space of the vehicle, the interior of said hollow body means being dimensioned to accommodate said auxiliary installations and the like, and access means for providing access to the interior of said hollow body means for servicing said auxiliary installations and the like only from outside of said vehicle interior space, wherein said access means comprises an extension of a hood for said adjoining space, and wherein said extension is rigid with respect to said hood such that said access means prevents access to said hollow body means when said hood is closed.

Claim 3

A structural arrangement for accommodating auxiliary installations, instruments, and the like on a motor vehicle; said arrangement comprising: hollow body means projecting into a vehicle interior space, said hollow body means closing off the interior space from an adjoining space of the vehicle, the interior of said hollow body means being dimensioned to accommodate said auxiliary installations and the like, and access means for providing access to the interior of said hollow body means for servicing said auxiliary installations and the like only from outside of said vehicle interior space, wherein said access means comprises an extension of a hood for said adjoining space, and wherein said extension is rigid with respect to said hood such that said access means prevents access to said hollow body means when said hood is closed.

Claim 4

A structural arrangement for accommodating auxiliary installations, instruments, and the like on a motor vehicle; said arrangement comprising: hollow body means projecting into a vehicle interior space, said hollow body means closing off the interior space from an adjoining space of the vehicle, the interior of said hollow body means being dimensioned to accommodate said auxiliary installations and the like, and access means for providing access to the interior of said hollow body means for servicing said auxiliary installations and the like only from outside of said vehicle interior space, wherein said access means comprises an extension of a hood for said adjoining space, and wherein said extension is rigid with respect to said hood such that said access means prevents access to said hollow body means when said hood is closed.

Claim 5

An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle is a passenger motor vehicle with the interior space being a passenger space and in that said adjoining space is an engine or luggage space.

Claim 6

An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the hollow body means facing the interior space is padded with a protective, foamed-material layer.

Claim 7

An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the hollow body means together with the auxiliary installations is constructed as a closed structural assembly unit.

Claim 8

An arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that said assembly unit is a substantially pre-assembled unit.

Claim 9

An arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the vehicle is a passenger motor vehicle with the interior space being a passenger space and in that said space is an engine or luggage space.

Claim 10

An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow body projects rearwardly into the vehicle interior space so as to close off said interior space in the forward direction with respect to the adjoining space of the vehicle.

Claim 11

An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said extension extends rearwardly over a pivotal attachment for a windshield wiper.

Claim 12

An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that said pivotal attachment is connected directly to a forward upper portion of said hollow means.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow body means includes a base member which is constructed at its bottom side, connected to a pedal member, substantially flat and as to the rest, substantially completely smooth.

Claim 14

An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said base member is reinforced at the end portion thereof arranged below a windshield by further reinforcing means.

Claim 15

An arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that the upper reinforced end portion of the base member accommodates a windshield wiper installation.

Claim 16

An arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that the hollow body means is formed by curving the base member and is constructed as an instrument panel at the side pointing toward the vehicle interior space, said instrument panel portion of said base member being provided with recesses and grooves recessed inwardly with respect to the surface of the base member, and in that actuating means and instruments are arranged recessed in said recesses and grooves.

Claim 17

An arrangement according to claim 13, characterized in that the surface of the hollow body means facing the interior space is padded with a protective, foamed-material layer.

Claim 18

An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said base member is made from sheet metal.

Claim 19

An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said base member includes a upper reinforced end portion accomodating a windshield wiper installation.

Claim 20

An arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the hollow body means is formed by curving the base member and is constructed as an instrument panel at the side pointing toward the vehicle interior space, said instrument panel portion of said base member being provided with recesses and grooves recessed inwardly with respect to the surface of the base member, and in that actuating means and instruments are arranged recessed in said recesses and grooves.

Claim 21

An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the hollow body means is formed by curving the base member and is constructed as an instrument panel at the side pointing toward the vehicle interior space, said instrument panel portion of said base member being provided with recesses and grooves recessed inwardly with respect to the surface of the base member, and in that actuating means and instruments are arranged recessed in said recesses and grooves.

Claim 22

A structural arrangement for accommodating auxiliary installations, instruments and the like on a motor vehicle; said arrangement comprising: hollow body means projecting into a vehicle interior passenger space, said hollow body means closing off the interior space from an adjoining engine or luggage space of the vehicle, the interior of said hollow body means being dimensioned to accommodate said auxiliary installations and the like, and access means for providing access to the interior of said hollow body means only from outside of said vehicle interior space, wherein a pivotal attachment for a windshield wiper is connected directly to a forward upper portion of said hollow body means, wherein said access means comprises an extension of a hood for said engine or luggage space, said extension extending rearwardly over the pivotal attachment for the windshielD wiper, and wherein said hollow body means comprises a sheet metal member extending to a top attachment immediately adjacent a vehicle windshield, said pivotal attachment being in said sheet metal member adjacent the windshield.

Claim 23

A structural arrangement for accommodating auxiliary installations, instruments and the like on a motor vehicle; said arrangement comprising: hollow body means projecting into a vehicle interior passenger space, said hollow body means closing off the interior space from an adjoining engine or luggage space of the vehicle, the interior of said hollow body means being dimensioned to accommodate said auxiliary installations and the like, and access means for providing access to the interior of said hollow body means only from outside of said vehicle interior space, wherein a pivotal attachment for a windshield wiper is connected directly to a forward upper portion of said hollow body means, wherein said access means comprises an extension of a hood for said engine or luggage space, said extension extending rearwardly over the pivotal attachment for the windshielD wiper, and wherein said hollow body means comprises a sheet metal member extending to a top attachment immediately adjacent a vehicle windshield, said pivotal attachment being in said sheet metal member adjacent the windshield.

Claim 24

An arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that the surface of the hollow body means is padded with a protective, foamed-material layer.

Claim 25

An arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that the hollow body means together with the auxiliary installations is constructed as closed structural assembly unit.

Claim 26

An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that said assembly unit is a substantially pre-assembled unit.

Claim 27

An arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that said sheet metal member includes an extension which extends forwardly of a sealing connection with the bottom of the windshield, said last-mentioned extension including the pivotal attachment with the windshield wiper.

Claim 28

An arrangement according to claim 23, characterized in that the most forward portion of said last-mentioned extension is formed as a rain groove.

Claim 29

An arrangement according to claim 24, characterized in that the extension of the hood forming the access means is rigid with respect to said hood such that said access means is closed when said hood is closed.

Claim 30

An arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said hollow body means projects rearwardly into the vehicle interior space so as to close off said interior space in a forward direction with respect to the adjoining space of the vehicle.