Side-by-side vehicle

• US 9,211,924 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/225,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 180/377, 180/381, 180/382, 180/292, 180/291, 180/312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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; and

a unit, including

a power source supported by the frame through less than three connections, the power source having a power source housing and a power source output drive member;

a transmission supported by the frame through less than three connections, the transmission having a transmission housing and a transmission input drive member and a transmission output drive member, the transmission input drive member being operatively coupled to the power source output drive member and the transmission output drive member being operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the vehicle; and

a spacer coupled to the power source housing and coupled to the transmission housing to position the transmission relative to the power source, the power source output drive member and the transmission input drive member being positioned completely to a second side of the spacer, the unit being supported by the frame through at least a first connection, a second connection, and a third connection, wherein the spacer is positioned completely between the power source output drive member and the transmission input drive member.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the spacer is coupled to the power source through a first fastener and a second fastener and the spacer is coupled to the transmission through a third fastener and a fourth fastener.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first fastener is parallel to the second fastener and the third fastener is parallel to the fourth fastener.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the spacer is received by a portion of the power source housing and is coupled to the power source housing through a first connection and a second connection and wherein the spacer is received by a portion of the transmission housing and is coupled to the transmission through a third connection and a fourth connection.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a CVT unit including a drive member operatively coupled to the power source output drive member;

a driven member operatively coupled to the transmission input drive member;

a drive belt operatively coupling the driven member to the drive member; and

a CVT housing having an interior containing the drive member, the driven member, and the drive belt.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the spacer is coupled to the power source through a first fastener and a second fastener and the spacer is coupled to the transmission through a third fastener and a fourth fastener.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the CVT unit is positioned to a first lateral side of the power source and the transmission.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the transmission housing also houses a rear drive unit.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle includes a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the rear drive unit is operatively coupled to a first ground engaging member through a first laterally extending output shaft and is operatively coupled to a second ground engaging member through a second laterally extending output shaft and wherein the transmission is operatively coupled to a front drive unit through a longitudinally extending drive shaft, the front drive is positioned forward of an operator space of the vehicle and the rear drive is positioned rearward of the operator space of the vehicle, the operator space including side-by-side seating.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein a third output shaft extends from the transmission housing, the third output shaft being operatively coupled to the longitudinally extending drive shaft, the third output shaft being lower the driven member of the CVT unit.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the power source is forward of the transmission and the third output shaft extends forward from the transmission housing towards the power source.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the longitudinally extending drive shaft extends under the side-by-side seating.

13. A method of supporting a power source and a transmission on a frame of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling the power source to the transmission with a spacer, a power source output drive member of the power source and an input drive member of the transmission being completely outside of the spacer, wherein the spacer is positioned completely between the power source output drive member and the transmission input drive member; and

supporting the power source, the transmission, and the spacer on the frame through at least three connections, less than three connections supporting the power source and less than three connections supporting the transmission.