Air intake system for controlling sound emission

• US 8,127,877 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Fredrickson, Richard A., Olson, Jerry A., Eichenberger, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolak, James M
• Application Number:
  US12/355,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20100089355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 180 681- 683, 180/291, 180/292, 180/225, 180/182, 123/184.24, 123/184.34, 123/184.42, 123/183.47, 123/184.25, 123/184.35, 123/184.43, 123/184.48, 181/204, 181/249, 181/250, 181/266, 181/273, 181/276
• US Class Current: 180/68.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10045 Multiple plenum chambers; Plenum chambers having inner separation walls for V-engines F02M35/116; for resonance charging F02B27/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10052 special shapes or arrangements of plenum chambers; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10124 Ducts with special cross-sections, e.g. non-circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10144 Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10295 Damping means, e.g. tranquillising chamber to dampen air oscillations intake silencers F02M35/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1205 Flow throttling or guiding
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts

Abstract

An air intake system for a vehicle is disclosed. The air intake system may include a first plenum housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a fluid directing member which receives air from the fluid inlet of the plenum housing and directs the air away from the fluid outlet of the plenum housing.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported by the plurality of the ground engaging members;

an internal combustion engine supported by the frame and operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle; and

an air intake system including an air inlet and an air outlet, the air outlet being in fluid communication with an air inlet controlling device of the engine, the air intake system including a first conduit which passes air received at the air inlet of air intake system towards the air outlet of the air intake system, the first conduit being positioned to receive the air as it travels from the air inlet of the of air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system, wherein the air inlet of the air intake system includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the air from the first air inlet flows through the interior of the first conduit and in a generally opposite direction along an exterior of the first conduit as it travels from the first air inlet of the air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system and the air from the second air inlet flows along the exterior of the first conduit only as it travels from the first air inlet of the air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the air from the first air inlet flows first through the interior of the first conduit and subsequently along the exterior of the first conduit as it travels from the first air inlet of the air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the air intake system includes a first housing and a second housing, an interior of the first housing receiving the air passing through the air inlet of the air intake system and the second housing being in fluid communication with the air inlet controlling device and with the interior of the first housing.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising

a steering post operatively coupled to a portion of the plurality of ground engaging members;

a handlebar coupled to the steering post; and

an operator seat positioned rearward of the steering post, wherein the air intake system includes a first plenum housing into which the first conduit extends and wherein the air inlet of the air intake system includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet both in fluid communication with an interior of the first plenum housing, the first air inlet being positioned on a first side of the steering post and the second air inlet being positioned on a second side of the steering post.

5. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported by the plurality of the ground engaging members;

an internal combustion engine supported by the frame and operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle;

an air intake system including an air inlet and an air outlet, the air outlet being in fluid communication with an air inlet controlling device of the engine, the air intake system including a first conduit which passes air received at the air inlet of air intake system towards the air outlet of the air intake system, the first conduit being positioned to receive the air as it travels from the air inlet of the of air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system, the air flows along an exterior of the first conduit and through an interior of the first conduit as it travels from the air inlet of the of air intake system to the air outlet of the air intake system;

a steering post operatively coupled a portion of the plurality of ground engaging members;

a handlebar coupled to the steering post; and

an operator seat positioned rearward of the steering post, wherein the air intake system includes a first plenum housing into which the first conduit extends and wherein the air inlet of the air intake system includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet both in fluid communication with an interior of the first plenum housing, the first air inlet being positioned on a first side of the steering post and the second air inlet being positioned on a second side of the steering post and wherein the first plenum housing is in fluid communication with the engine through a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet being positioned closer to the first air inlet than to the second air inlet, and wherein the first conduit assists in generally balancing the sound emitted from the first air inlet and the second air inlet.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a second fluid conduit extending in the first plenum housing, the first plenum housing including a cowling housing member and a tray housing member which includes the fluid outlet of the first plenum member, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are supported by the tray housing member.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first fluid conduit is positioned over the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the first conduit directs air from the first air inlet away from the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing as the air passes through an interior of the first conduit and towards the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing as the air passes along an exterior of the first conduit and the second conduit directs air from the second air inlet towards the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are each funnel shaped.

10. An air intake system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising:

a second plenum housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, the second plenum housing being in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine through the air outlet, the second plenum housing including a plurality of housing members which cooperate to form the second plenum housing;

a first plenum housing having a plurality of air inlets and an air outlet, the air outlet of the first plenum housing being positioned closer to one of a first air inlet of the first plenum housing and a second air inlet of the first plenum housing than the other of the first air inlet of the first plenum housing and the second air inlet of the first plenum housing, the air outlet of the first plenum housing being in fluid communication with both the first air inlet of the first plenum housing and the second air inlet of the first plenum housing;

the air outlet of the first plenum housing being in fluid communication with the air inlet of the second plenum housing such that air flows from the first plenum housing to the second plenum housing, the first plenum housing including a plurality of housing members which cooperate to form the first plenum housing; and

a first air directing conduit in fluid communication with the first air inlet of the first plenum housing, the first directing conduit including an air inlet and an air outlet which is positioned within the first plenum housing, air entering the air inlet of the first air directing conduit flows through an interior of the first air directing conduit to the air outlet of the first air directing conduit and away from the air outlet of the first plenum housing and then between the first air directing conduit and the first plenum housing towards the air outlet of the first plenum housing.

11. The air intake system of claim 10, further comprising a second air directing conduit in fluid communication with the second air inlet of the first plenum housing, the second directing conduit including an air inlet and an air outlet which is positioned within the first plenum housing, air entering the air inlet of the second air directing conduit flows through an interior of the second air directing conduit to the air outlet of the second air directing conduit and onto the air outlet of the first plenum housing.

12. The air intake system of claim 11, wherein the air outlet of the second air directing member is positioned to direct air from the second air directing member towards the air outlet of the first plenum housing.

13. The air intake system of claim 12, wherein the air from both the first air inlet of the first plenum housing and the second air inlet of the first plenum housing must travel between an exterior of the first air directing conduit and a first housing member of the first plenum housing to reach the air outlet of the first plenum housing, the exterior of the first air directing conduit being shaped to direct the air towards the air outlet of the first plenum housing.

14. The air intake system of claim 13, wherein the second plenum housing further includes a divider which segments an interior of the second plenum housing into a plurality of chambers, a first chamber being in fluid communication with the air inlet and a second chamber being in fluid communication with the air outlet, air from the first chamber being able to flow into the second chamber.

15. The air intake system of claim 13, wherein the first air directing conduit is funnel shaped.

16. An air intake system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising:

a second plenum housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the second plenum housing being in fluid communication with the engine through the fluid outlet;

a first plenum housing having a plurality of fluid inlets and a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet being positioned closer to a first fluid inlet than a second fluid inlet and the fluid outlet being in fluid communication with both the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet;

the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing being in fluid communication with the fluid inlet of the second plenum housing such that air flows from the first plenum housing to the second plenum housing; and

a fluid directing conduit in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet of the first plenum housing, the fluid directing conduit directing air received through the first fluid inlet of the first plenum housing away from the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing.

17. The air intake system of claim 16, further comprising a fluid conduit in fluid communication with the fluid outlet of the first plenum housing and with the fluid inlet of the second plenum housing.

18. A method of controlling noise emitted by an air intake system of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

providing a first fluid conduit having an air inlet and an air outlet, an area of the air outlet being less than an area of the air inlet;

positioning the first fluid conduit into a first plenum housing of the air intake system such that air from a first air inlet of the first plenum housing enters an interior of the first fluid conduit through the air inlet of the first fluid conduit and exits through the air outlet of the first fluid conduit; and

positioning an air outlet of the first plenum housing at a location such that the air exiting the air outlet of the first fluid conduit is directed by an exterior of the first fluid conduit towards the air outlet of the first plenum housing, wherein the first fluid conduit is supported by a tray housing member of the first plenum housing and a space between the first fluid conduit and the tray housing member is a flow path for air to reach the air outlet of the first plenum housing.