All-terrain vehicle

• US 9,649,928 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Amanda S., Majer, Kendall C., Fischer, Burton D., Haugen, Ryan L., Blumer, Todd M., Rodriguez, William B., Wilcox, Steven D., Danielson, Ronnie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIGGS, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US14/751,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 5/003 Off the road or amphibian vehicles adaptable for air or space transport
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/00 Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units heating the interior space B60H; cooling internal combustion engines per se F01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/00 Arrangement in connection with combustion air intake or gas exhaust of propulsion units extensions for melting snow or ice on roads or like surfaces E01H5/00, E01H6/00; forming part of the engine F01N; supplying combustion engines with combustible mixtures or constituents F02M
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/02 concerning intake
• 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 17/342 having a longitudinal, endless element, e.g. belt or chain, for transmitting drive to 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: B60K 5/02 with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, substantially in or parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/124 Buggies, Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/72 Continous variable transmissions [CVT]

Abstract

An all-terrain vehicle (“ATV”) includes a plurality of ground engaging members and a frame supported above a ground surface by the plurality of ground engaging members. The frame extends along a longitudinal centerline of the ATV. The ATV further includes an operator seat supported by the frame, an engine supported by the frame, and a continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) supported by the frame and operably coupled to the engine. Additionally, the ATV includes a CVT cooling air inlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of a forward end of the operator seat, and a CVT cooling air outlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of the forward end of the operator seat.

Claims

1. An ATV, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported above a ground surface by the plurality of ground engaging members and extending along a longitudinal centerline of the ATV;

an operator seat supported by the frame;

an engine supported by the frame;

a CVT supported by the frame and operably coupled to the engine;

a CVT cooling air inlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of a forward end of the operator seat;

a CVT cooling air outlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of the forward end of the operator seat; and

an engine air inlet fluidly coupled to the engine and positioned forward of the operator seat and laterally aligned with at least one of the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet.

2. The ATV of claim 1, further comprising handlebars operably coupled to the ground engaging members for steering the ATV, and the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet are positioned forward of the handlebars.

3. The ATV of claim 1, wherein the CVT cooling air outlet is angled relative to the CVT cooling air inlet.

4. The ATV of claim 3, wherein the CVT cooling air inlet is configured to receive air in a direction parallel to the centerline.

5. The ATV of claim 4, further comprising a hood supported by the frame and the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet are positioned below a portion of the hood.

6. The ATV of claim 1, wherein the engine air inlet is laterally aligned with the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet.

7. The ATV of claim 6, wherein the engine air inlet is angled relative to the CVT cooling air inlet.

8. The ATV of claim 6, wherein the CVT cooling air inlet is laterally intermediate the engine air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet.

9. The ATV of claim 8, further comprising a hood supported by the frame and including an upper hood member having a first separation member positioned intermediate the CVT and engine air inlets and a second separation member positioned intermediate the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet.

10. The ATV of claim 1, wherein the operator seat is a straddle seat.

11. The ATV of claim 1, wherein the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet are positioned above the operator seat.

12. The ATV of claim 11, further comprising a front fender supported by the frame and the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet are positioned above the front fender.

13. The ATV of claim 11, wherein the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet are positioned above the ground surface by a vertical distance of 44-52 inches.

35. The ATV of claim 1, wherein the operator seat defines a straddle seat.

14. An ATV, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members and extending along a longitudinal centerline of the ATV;

an operator seat supported by the frame;

first and second footwells positioned below the operator seat;

an engine supported by the frame;

a CVT supported by the frame and operably coupled to the engine;

a CVT cooling air inlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of the operator seat and along the centerline;

a CVT cooling air outlet fluidly coupled to the CVT and positioned forward of the operator seat and laterally inward of the footwells; and

an engine air inlet fluidly coupled to the engine and positioned forward of the operator seat and laterally inward of the footwells.

15. The ATV of claim 14, further comprising a CVT cooling inlet conduit fluidly coupled to the CVT cooling air inlet and a CVT cooling outlet conduit fluidly coupled to the CVT cooling air outlet, a portion of the CVT cooling inlet conduit is positioned adjacent the first footwell, and a portion of the CVT cooling outlet conduit is positioned adjacent the first footwell.

16. The ATV of claim 14, further comprising a hood assembly supported by the frame and including a center portion and a rear cover portion, the rear cover portion having a first separation member positioned intermediate the CVT and engine air inlets and a second separation member positioned intermediate the CVT cooling air inlet and the CVT cooling air outlet.

17. The ATV of claim 16, wherein the center portion includes an opening and the CVT cooling air inlet, the CVT cooling air outlet, and the engine air inlet are received through the opening, and air is directed through the opening from below the ATV and toward the CVT cooling air inlet and the engine air inlet.

18. The ATV of claim 16, wherein the hood assembly further comprises a baffle coupled to the center portion and configured to direct air from below the ATV to the CVT cooling air inlet and the engine air inlet in an upward direction.

19. The ATV of claim 14, wherein the CVT cooling air inlet has an opening facing a forward end of the ATV, the CVT cooling air outlet has an opening angled toward a left side of the ATV, and the engine air inlet has an opening angled toward a right side of the ATV.

36. The ATV of claim 14, wherein the operator seat defines a straddle seat.

20. An ATV, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported above a ground surface by the plurality of ground engaging members and extending along a longitudinal centerline of the ATV;

an operator seat supported by the frame;

an engine supported by the frame;

a CVT supported by the frame and operably coupled to the engine; and

a cooling assembly including a radiator and a plurality of fans fluidly coupled to the radiator, a forward end of the radiator is positioned rearward of a forward end of the ATV, and the plurality of fans are angled laterally away from the longitudinal centerline.

21. The ATV of claim 20, further comprising a hood assembly and an upper surface of the radiator is positioned below the hood assembly.

22. The ATV of claim 21, wherein the hood assembly includes an air outlet fluidly coupled to the radiator, and an opening of the air outlet is angled relative to the centerline.

23. The ATV of claim 21, wherein the radiator includes a perimeter and the perimeter of the radiator is sealingly coupled to the hood assembly.

24. The ATV of claim 20, wherein the fans are configured to draw air through the radiator from below the ATV.

25. The ATV of claim 20, wherein each of the fans is angled 5°

-25°

laterally outward from the longitudinal centerline.

37. The ATV of claim 20, wherein the operator seat defines a straddle seat.

26. An ATV, comprising:

a plurality of ground engaging members;

a frame supported above a ground surface by the plurality of ground engaging members and extending along a longitudinal centerline of the ATV;

an operator seat supported by the frame;

an engine supported by the frame;

a CVT supported by the frame and operably coupled to the engine; and

a cooling assembly including a radiator and at least one fan positioned above the radiator, and a forward end of the radiator is positioned rearward of a forward end of the ATV, and the at least one fan is configured to draw air through the radiator from below the ATV.

27. The ATV of claim 26, wherein the at least one fan includes a first fan and a second fan, and the first and second fans are positioned above the radiator.

28. The ATV of claim 26, further comprising a hood assembly and an upper surface of the radiator and an upper surface of the at least one fan are positioned below the hood assembly.

29. The ATV of claim 28, wherein the hood assembly includes an upper hood member and a lower hood member, the lower hood member includes at least one opening for receiving the at least one fan and the upper hood member is positioned above the at least one fan.

30. The ATV of claim 29, further comprising a CVT cooling air intake, a CVT cooling air outlet, and an engine air intake supported by the hood assembly adjacent the opening for receiving the at least one fan.

31. The ATV of claim 26, wherein the at least one fan is angled 5°

-25°

laterally outward from the longitudinal centerline.

32. The ATV of claim 26, wherein the at least one fan is positioned vertically above an upper surface of the radiator.

33. The ATV of claim 32, wherein the radiator has a lower surface and air is configured to flow into the radiator through the lower surface and flow from the radiator through the upper surface.

34. The ATV of claim 26, further comprising a suspension assembly including a curved control arm and the curved control arm is positioned vertically below the radiator.

38. The ATV of claim 26, wherein the operator seat defines a straddle seat.