Mobile chassis and interchangeable vehicle body with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system

A mobile chassis for mating with a vehicle body having at least one heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) duct connector, the chassis comprising:

• a frame having a plurality of interconnected spaced-apart structural members;
• body attachment components connected to the frame and adapted to mate with the vehicle body;
• an HVAC system mounted with respect to the frame and having an HVAC fluid coupling, the body attachment components and HVAC fluid coupling defining an external interface, the vehicle body being matable with the chassis at the external interface;
• and
• the HVAC fluid coupling being operably connectable to the HVAC duct connector at the external interface when the vehicle body is mated with the chassis.

A mobile chassis for vehicle body interchangeability comprising;

• a structural frame having a plurality of spaced-apart structural members interconnected in a manner to define a plurality of packaging spaces and an external interface;
• a propulsion system at least partially in at least one of the packaging spaces and controllable by wire and including a disconnectable connector in the interface operable to disconnect the controllability of the mobile chassis by wire;
• and
• a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system in at least another of the packaging spaces and having an unobstructed, disconnectable HVAC fluid coupling in the external interface connectable to a vehicle body to direct the heating, ventilation and air conditioning from the HVAC system, the external interface being an imaginary surface that includes the unobstructed, disconnectable HVAC fluid coupling when the structural frame with the propulsion and HVAC systems therein moves toward a vehicle body being interchanged.

A mobile chassis for use with an interchangeable vehicle body characterized by novel waste heat rejection and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), comprising:

• a frame defining a plurality of open spaces and an upper chassis face having connective elements adapted to connect at an imaginary interface with complementary connective elements on a vehicle body being interchanged;
• a suspension system including at least three wheels;
• a steering system having steering components, mounted with respect to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;
• an energy conversion system having energy conversion system components, mounted with respect to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;
• a waste heat rejection system having waste heat rejection system components being operably connected to the energy conversion system, the waste heat rejection components including a cooling loop and a heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with the energy conversion system, the cooling loop being operably connected to the heat exchanger;
• an HVAC system having HVAC system components and operably connected to the cooling loop;
• a braking system having braking components, mounted with respect to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;
• a plurality of body-connection components mounted with respect to the frame, including a plurality of body-retention couplings, a control signal receiver connector, and an HVAC fluid coupling in the HVAC system;
• wherein the control signal receiver connector is characterized as control-by wire and is operably connected to the HVAC system, braking system, steering system, and energy conversion system;
• wherein the steering components, energy conversion system components, waste heat rejection system components, braking components, HVAC system components, and body connection components are mounted within the open spaces and do not protrude significantly outside the frame or beyond the imaginary interface.

An operable automotive vehicle combination comprising:

• multiple connectable and interchangeable vehicle bodies,
• a connectable and separable vehicle chassis;
• each of the multiple bodies having at least one heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) duct connector part in a fixed position common to each of the vehicle bodies;
• at least one electrical connector having a connectable and easily separable first electrical connector part connected to the chassis and a connectable and easily separable second electrical connector part complementary to said first electrical connector part and connected to each of the bodies;
• and at least one structural connector having a connectable and easily separable first structural connector part connected to the chassis and a connectable and easily separable structural connector part complementary to said first structural part and connected to each of the bodies;
• wherein the first and second electrical connector parts substantially define an electrical interface portion between a body and the chassis when the first and second electrical connector parts are connected;
• wherein the first and second structural connector parts substantially define a structural interface portion between a body and the chassis when the first and second structural connector parts are connected;
• wherein each body and the chassis define a substantially planar connection interface substantially including the structural and electrical interface portions when a vehicle body and the vehicle chassis are connected;
• wherein the connection of the structural and electrical parts at the substantially planar connection interface when one of the multiple vehicle bodies and the vehicle chassis are connected permits the automotive vehicle to operate and wherein easy separation of the structural and electrical parts from the connection interface permits another of the multiple vehicle bodies to be interchanged with the vehicle chassis for said one of the multiple vehicle bodies;
• and
• wherein the chassis further comprises a frame having a plurality of spaced-apart structural members interconnected in a manner to define a plurality of internal packaging spaces and an external interface substantially coextensive with said planar connection interface and to connect with each of the multiple vehicle bodies;
• and
• an HVAC system at least partially in at least one of the packaging spaces and having an HVAC fluid coupling mounted in the planar connection interface in a sufficiently fixed, unobstructed position with respect to the frame so that the HVAC fluid coupling unobstructably operably connects to the HVAC duct connector of each one of the multiple vehicle bodies when a selected one of the multiple bodies is connected with the chassis.

A body and chassis automotive vehicle combination comprising:

• a connectable vehicle body;
• a chassis including a frame, an HVAC system, and at least one system selected from the group consisting of a by-wire braking system, a by-wire suspension system, a by-wire energy conversion system and a by-wire steering system, and on which the body is supportable and which defines with the body a connection interface;
• said connection interface including matable connector parts respective to each of the vehicle body and the chassis which operably connect respectively with each other at the connection interface when the vehicle body is connected with the chassis;
• and
• wherein the matable connector parts include a fluid coupling respectively on each of the body and the chassis for fluidly connecting the HVAC system with the body for air flow communication between the body and the chassis.