SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE

• US 20170106747A1
• Filed: 05/19/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Safranski, Brian M., Peterson, Robbi L., Sunsdahl, Richard L., Deckard, Aaron D., Brady, Louis J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,969,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/1442 including longitudinal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/182 with one longitudinal arm or rod and lateral rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/12 Wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/24 Fluid damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/128 Damper mount on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/129 Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/16 the arm having a U profile and/or made of a plate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/124 Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/13 Small sized city motor vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/14 the arm being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/20 all arms being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/202 having one longitudinal arm and two parallel transversal arms, e.g. dual-link type strut suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/22 a rigid arm forming the axle housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/008 Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/02 concerning intake
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/00 : Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles clutches per se, e.g. construction thereof, F16D; gearing per se, e.g. construction thereof, F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/165 : provided between independent half axles B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 : for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/348 : having differential means for driving one set of wheels, e.g. the front, at one speed and the other set, e.g. the rear, at a different speed B60K17/346 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/354 : having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2005/003 : the internal combustion or jet propulsion unit is arranged between the front and the rear axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/124 : Buggies, Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 : Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/72 : Continous variable transmissions [CVT]
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/124 : Welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/183 : specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts tubular skeleton B62D23/005
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/04 : Component parts or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 : Disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vehicle may include a CVT unit or a power source which requires ambient air. An air inlet for an air intake system coupled to the CVT unit or the power source which requires ambient air may be provided in a side of a cargo carrying portion of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a rear radius arm suspension.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

a power source supported by the frame and operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle;

an operator area supported by the frame, the operator area including seating and operator controls;

a rear drive unit supported by the frame and positioned rearward of the operator area, the rear drive being operatively coupled to the power source and operatively coupled to at least a first ground engaging member positioned rearward of the operator area through a drive shaft to transfer power received from the power source to the first ground engaging member; and

a first rear suspension system moveably coupling the first ground engaging member to the frame, the first rear suspension system including a control arm moveably coupled to the frame at a location rearward of the drive shaft connecting the rear drive unit and the first ground engaging member and between a plane passing through a first laterally extending end of the rear drive unit and a centerline longitudinal plane of the vehicle, the plane being parallel to the centerline longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first rear suspension includes a second control arm moveably coupled to the frame at a second location rearward of the drive shaft connecting the rear drive unit and the first ground engaging member and between the plane passing through the first laterally extending end of the rear drive unit and the centerline longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the control arm and the second control arm are coupled to a bearing carrier which is coupled to the first ground engaging member, the bearing carrier including an opening through which the drive shaft is operatively coupled to the first ground engaging member.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first rear suspension includes a radius arm coupled to the frame at a third location forward of the rear drive unit and coupled to the bearing carrier.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the third location is forward of the power source.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the third location is under the seating of the operator area.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first rear suspension includes a dampening member having a first end coupled to the radius arm at a fourth location and a second end coupled to the frame at a fifth location, the fifth location being forward of the fourth location and closer to the longitudinal centerline plane than the fourth location.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a front drive unit supported by the frame and positioned forward of the operator area, the front drive being operatively coupled to the power source and operatively coupled to at least a second ground engaging member positioned forward of the operator area to transfer power received from the power source to the second ground engaging member.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

a power source supported by the frame and operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle;

an operator area supported by the frame, the operator area including seating and operator controls;

a rear drive unit supported by the frame and positioned rearward of the operator area, the rear drive being operatively coupled to the power source and operatively coupled to at least a first ground engaging member positioned rearward of the operator area through a drive shaft to transfer power received from the power source to the first ground engaging member; and

a first rear suspension system moveably coupling the first ground engaging member to the frame, the first rear suspension system including a control arm coupled to the frame at a rear face of the frame, the control arm being unobscured by the frame from a viewing direction which is perpendicular to a centerline longitudinal plane of the vehicle and rearward of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the rear face of the vehicle is a flat surface.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first rear suspension includes a second control arm moveably coupled to the rear face of the frame at a second location the second control arm being unobscured by the frame from the viewing direction which is perpendicular to a centerline longitudinal plane of the vehicle and rearward of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the control arm and the second control arm are coupled to a bearing carrier which is coupled to the first ground engaging member, the bearing carrier including an opening through which a drive shaft is operatively coupled to the first ground engaging member.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the first rear suspension includes a radius arm coupled to the frame at a third location forward of the power source and coupled to the bearing carrier.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the third location is under the seating of the operator area.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first rear suspension includes a dampening member having a first end coupled to the radius arm at a fourth location and a second end coupled to the frame at a fifth location, the fifth location being forward of the fourth location and closer to the longitudinal centerline plane than the fourth location.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a front drive unit supported by the frame and positioned forward of the operator area, the front drive being operatively coupled to the power source and operatively coupled to at least a second ground engaging member positioned forward of the operator area to transfer power received from the power source to the second ground engaging member.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

a power source supported by the frame and operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle;

an operator area supported by the frame, the operator area including seating and operator controls;

a rear drive unit supported by the frame and positioned rearward of the operator area, the rear drive being operatively coupled to the power source and operatively coupled to a first ground engaging member positioned rearward of the operator area through a first drive shaft to transfer power received from the power source to the first ground engaging member; and

a first rear suspension system moveably coupling the first ground engaging member to the frame, the first rear suspension system including

a first radius arm coupled to the first ground engaging member and coupled to the frame at a first location forward of the first ground engaging member,

a first control arm coupled to the first ground engaging member and to the frame;

a first dampening member coupled to the first radius arm and to the frame;

a bearing carrier coupled to the first ground engaging member, the first radius arm, and the first control arm, the bearing carrier including an opening through which the drive shaft is operatively coupled to the first ground engaging member, wherein the first radius arm may be uncoupled from the frame at the first location and uncoupled from the bearing carrier without uncoupling the drive shaft from the first ground engaging member.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the first radius arm includes an open end which receives the drive shaft.