All-Terrain Vehicle

• US 20080217081A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagnon, Claude, Maltais, Hugues, Constantineau, Simon, Betzile, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/89.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 25/04 Floor-type foot rests
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 7/04 having a carrying platform article-carrying accessories B62J7/00 - B62J11/00

Abstract

An all-terrain vehicle comprising a rear platform between the rear wheels providing standing room and access to the straddle seat of the all-terrain vehicle. The all-terrain vehicle may also featuring a rear passageway and a side passageway for the rider of the all-terrain vehicle to access to the straddle seat. The all-terrain vehicle also features rear wheel track which is smaller than the front wheel track.

Claims

1. An all-terrain vehicle comprising:

a frame having a front portion, a rear portion, a upper portion and a lower portion;

an engine supported by the frame;

a front left wheel and a front right wheel, each having a center, a line drawn through the centers of the front wheels defining a front wheel axis, each of the front left wheel and the front right wheel connected to the front portion of the frame via a front suspension;

a rear left wheel and a rear right wheel each having a tire and a center, a line drawn through the centers of the rear wheels defining a rear wheel axis, each of the rear wheels connected to the rear portion of the frame via a rear suspension;

each of the rear wheels having a height defined by a diameter of the wheels including its tire;

at least one of the wheels being operatively connected to the engine;

a steering assembly supported by the frame and operatively connected to the front left wheel and the front right wheel;

a straddle seat disposed on the frame, the seat dimensioned to accommodate a driver thereon in a seating position forward of the rear wheel axis of the vehicle, and

at least one rear platform extending over at least a portion of the rear wheel axis between the rear left wheel and the rear right wheel, the at least one rear platform being positioned on the ATV, at least in part, below the height of the rear wheels, the at least one rear platform defining a standing position behind the seating position.

2. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform comprises a left portion extending along the rear left wheel and a right portion extending along the rear right wheel, the left portion and the right portion defining a clearance gap therebetween to accommodate mechanical components of the vehicle.

3. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one rear platform further comprises a central portion connecting the left portion and the right portion of the at least one rear platform.

4. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one rear platform is a unitary platform comprising the central portion, the left portion and the right portion joined together.

5. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform extends behind the rear wheel axis.

6. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform is mounted to the frame and is part of a suspended mass of the all-terrain vehicle.

7. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform is mounted to the rear suspension and is part of an unsprung mass of the all-terrain vehicle.

8. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform has a forward portion and a rearward portion, the rearward portion of the at least one rear platform being higher than the forward portion of the at least one rear platform.

9. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one rear platform extends rearwardly and upwardly at an angle.

10. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising rear wheel fenders connected to the at least one rear platform, the rear wheel fenders covering at least partially an inner side of each rear wheel to prevent contact between the feet of a rider and the rear wheels.

11. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one rear platform further comprises a raised foot stand extending from and above the at least one rear platform.

12. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising a left and a right footrest, each footrest positioned between the front wheel axis and the rear wheel axis, wherein the at least one rear platform extends forwardly towards at least one of the footrests, a forward end of the at least one rear platform being adjacent to at least one of the footrests.

13. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 2, further comprising a left and right footrest, each footrest positioned between the front wheel axis and the rear wheel axis, wherein the left portion of the at least one rear platform is joined to the left side footrest and the right portion of the at least one rear platform is joined to the right side footrest.

14. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 4, further comprising a left and right footrest, each footrest positioned between the front wheel axis and the rear wheel axis, wherein the left portion of the at least one rear platform is joined to the left side footrest and the right portion of the at least one rear platform is joined to the right side footrest thereby forming a unitary platform.

15. An all-terrain vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear wheels comprise narrow tires.

16-23. -23. (canceled)