Utility vehicle

• US 10,300,786 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Nugteren, Daniel J., Schlangen, Adam J., Jenni, Hans-Rudolf, LaFata, John, Hicke, David, Hurd, Christopher J., Jaeger, Ricky, Deckard, Aaron D., Wenger, Urs
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clemmons, Steve
• Application Number:
  US14/577,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/02 concerning intake
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/04 concerning exhaust collecting exhaust gases with central suction systems not forming part of vehicles, e.g. in workshops or tunnels B08B15/002, otherwise along carriageways E01C1/005; extensions for melting snow on roads E01H5/00, E01H6/00; exhaust or silencing apparatus for internal combustion engines per se F01N; pipes, joints or supports therefor F16L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/06 of change-speed gearing B60K17/10 - B60K17/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/00 Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/04 Engines with exhaust drive and other drive of pumps, e.g. with exhaust-driven pump and mechanically-driven second pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/16 by bypassing charging air
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/18 by bypassing exhaust from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/024 using filters, e.g. moistened F02M35/026 takes precedence; cleaning of the filtering material F02M35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10157 Supercharged engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/563 actuated by centrifugal masses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, a frame supported by the ground-engaging members, and a powertrain assembly. The powertrain assembly includes an engine, a shiftable transmission, a continuously variable transmission, and a charger. Additionally, the utility vehicle may include a cooling assembly fluidly coupled to at least the engine and the charger.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of ground-engaging members;

a frame supported by the ground-engaging members and the frame includes a front frame portion and a rear frame portion;

an operator area having side-by-side seating supported by the frame;

a powertrain assembly including;

an engine having an intake manifold defining a rearward portion of the engine, a first cylinder fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, a second cylinder in line with the first cylinder and fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, and a crankshaft, the engine being configured to operate with a 270-degree firing timing; and

a gaseous charger operably coupled to the engine, and the gaseous charger is a turbocharger positioned at least partially forward of the engine and at least partially rearward of the operator area; and

a cooling assembly operably coupled to the powertrain assembly and having a first cooling circuit operably coupled to the engine and configured to alter a temperature of the engine and a second cooling circuit operably coupled to the gaseous charger and configured to alter a temperature of intake air received within the engine, and a portion of the first cooling circuit and a portion of the second cooling circuit are supported by the front frame portion, and the engine is supported by the rear frame portion, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a cooling device removably coupled within a portion of the intake manifold, the cooling device being at least partially rearward of the engine.

2. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first cylinder includes a first piston and the second cylinder includes a second piston, and a 270-degree rotation of the crankshaft moves the first piston from a top dead center position in the first cylinder and moves the second piston to a top dead center position in the second cylinder.

3. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the powertrain assembly further includes a continuously variable transmission operably coupled to the engine and a shiftable transmission operably coupled to the engine through the continuously variable transmission.

4. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a front portion and a rear portion, and the rear portion includes a lateral frame member extending generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal centerline of the utility vehicle and a frame arm is coupled to the lateral frame member and the gaseous charger.

5. The utility vehicle of claim 4, wherein the lateral frame member is coupled to an oil sump of the engine.

6. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second cooling circuit includes an electric pump.

7. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling device of the second cooling circuit is a liquid-to-air intercooler.

8. The utility vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an engine control unit operably coupled to the powertrain assembly to initiate the 270-degree firing order in the engine.

9. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first cooling circuit includes at least one first conduit extending between the front and rear frame portions, and the second cooling circuit includes at least one second conduit extending between the front and rear frame portions.

10. The utility vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one second conduit of the second cooling circuit is fluidly coupled to the cooling device at a position rearward of at least a portion of the engine.

11. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first cooling circuit includes a first heat exchanger coupled to the front frame portion and the second cooling circuit includes a second heat exchanger coupled to the front frame portion, and the second heat exchanger is positioned longitudinally forward of and vertically lower than the first heat exchanger.

12. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling device is at least partially rearward of the gaseous charger.

13. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling device is rearward of the side-by-side seating.

14. A utility vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of ground-engaging members;

a frame supported by the ground-engaging members and the frame includes a front frame portion and a rear frame portion;

an operator area having side-by-side seating supported by the frame;

a powertrain assembly including;

an engine having an intake manifold, a first cylinder, a second cylinder in line with the first cylinder, and a crankshaft; and

a gaseous charger operably coupled to the engine and at least a portion of the gaseous charger is integral with an exhaust manifold of the engine, and the gaseous charger is a turbocharger positioned at least partially forward of the engine and at least partially rearward of the seating, and the gaseous charger is spaced apart from the intake manifold by a longitudinal length of the engine; and

a cooling assembly operably coupled to the powertrain assembly and having a first cooling circuit operably coupled to the engine and configured to alter a temperature of the engine and a second cooling circuit operably coupled to the gaseous charger and configured to alter a temperature of intake air received within the engine, and a portion of the first cooling circuit and a portion of the second cooling circuit are supported by the front frame portion, a second portion of the second cooling circuit is supported by the rear frame portion and fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, and the engine is supported by the rear frame portion.

15. The utility vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first cylinder includes a first piston and the second cylinder includes a second piston, and a 270-degree rotation of the crankshaft moves the first piston from a top dead center position in the first cylinder and moves the second piston to a top dead center position in the second cylinder.

16. The utility vehicle of claim 14, wherein the second cooling circuit includes an electric pump.

17. The utility vehicle of claim 14, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a liquid-to-air intercooler.

18. The utility vehicle of claim 17, wherein the intercooler is positioned within an intake manifold of the engine.

19. The utility vehicle of claim 18, wherein the intercooler is removably coupled to the intake manifold of the engine.

20. The utility vehicle of claim 14, further comprising an engine control unit operably coupled to the powertrain assembly to initiate a 270-degree firing order in the engine.

21. The utility vehicle of claim 14, wherein the engine is longitudinally positioned between the gaseous charger and at least a portion of the second portion of the second cooling circuit.

22. The utility vehicle of claim 21, wherein the second portion of the second cooling circuit includes a cooling device, the engine being positioned between the gaseous charger and at least a portion of the cooling device.

23. A utility vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of ground-engaging members;

a frame supported by the ground-engaging members and the frame includes a front frame portion and a rear frame portion;

an operator area having side-by-side seating supported by the frame;

a powertrain assembly including;

an engine having an intake manifold, a first cylinder fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, a second cylinder in line with the first cylinder and fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, and a crankshaft, the engine being configured to operate with a 270-degree firing timing; and

a gaseous charger operably coupled to the engine, and the frame includes a front portion and a rear portion, and the rear portion includes a lateral frame member extending generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal centerline of the utility vehicle and a frame arm is coupled to the lateral frame member and the gaseous charger; and

a cooling assembly operably coupled to the powertrain assembly and having a first cooling circuit operably coupled to the engine and configured to alter a temperature of the engine and a second cooling circuit operably coupled to the gaseous charger and configured to alter a temperature of intake air received within the engine, and a portion of the first cooling circuit and a portion of the second cooling circuit are supported by the front frame portion, and the engine is supported by the rear frame portion, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a cooling device removably coupled within a portion of the intake manifold.