Snowmobile suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065708-B2
Application number	US-201414894719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A snowmobile rear suspension assembly has a first and second suspension arms, a pair of slide rails pivotally connected to lower ends of the suspension arms and at least one shock absorber, a pair of extension arms pivotally connected to a rear portion of the pair of slide rails about a lateral axis and being pivotable between raised 5 and lowered positions about the lateral axis, a pair of rear idler wheels rotationally connected to a rear portion of the pair of extension arms, and at least one spring biasing the pair of extension arms toward the lowered position. At least a portion of at least one of the suspension arms is pivotable about a longitudinally extending axis relative to the pair of slide rails. A snowmobile having the rear suspension, a method 10 of replacing the slide rails of the rear suspension and a slide rails replacement kit are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowmobile comprising:
a chassis including a tunnel, the tunnel having a longitudinal direction;
an engine connected to the chassis;
at least one ski connected to the chassis by a front suspension;
an endless drive track disposed below the tunnel and operatively connected to the engine for propulsion of the snowmobile; and
a rear suspension assembly supporting and tensioning the endless drive track,
the chassis being pivotally connected to the endless drive track via the rear suspension assembly, the chassis being pivotable about a longitudinally extending axis relative to at least a portion of the endless drive track,
the rear suspension assembly including:
a first suspension arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the first suspension arm being pivotally connected to the tunnel;
a second suspension arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the second suspension arm being pivotally connected to the tunnel;
a pair of slide rails pivotally connected to the lower end of the first suspension arm and to the lower end of the second suspension arm;
at least one shock absorber connected between the tunnel and the pair of slide rails, the at least one shock absorber biasing the pair of slide rails away from the tunnel;
a pair of extension arms pivotally connected to a rear portion of the pair of slide rails about a lateral axis, the pair of extension arms being pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position with respect to the pair of slide rails about the lateral axis, the lateral axis being disposed above a point on the longitudinally extending axis that is longitudinally aligned with the lateral axis;
a pair of rear idler wheels rotationally connected to a rear portion of the pair of extension arms for guiding the endless drive track, the pair of rear idler wheels being disposed laterally between the pair of extension arms; and
at least one spring biasing the pair of extension arms toward the lowered position by exerting thereon a biasing force.

2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the lateral axis is disposed above a line passing through a center of the pair of rear idler wheels and bisecting an angle between top and bottom track portions of the drive track extending forward from the pair of rear idler wheels when the pair of extension arms is in the lowered position.

3. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the rear suspension assembly further includes a movable member movable between a first position and a second position to adjust a magnitude of the biasing force.

4. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the rear suspension assembly further includes:
at least one blocking cam mounted to one of the pair of slide rails and the pair of extension arms, the at least one blocking cam being movable between a first position and a second position to selectively prevent the pair of extension arms from pivoting from the lowered position to the raised position; and
at least one stopper mounted to the other of the pair of slide rails and the pair of extension arms;
wherein when the pair of extension arms is in the lowered position, the at least one blocking cam is movable between:
the first position, where the at least one blocking cam prevents the pair of extension arms from pivoting to the raised position; and
the second position, where the at least one blocking cam permits the pair of extension arms to pivot to the raised position;

wherein when the at least one blocking cam is in the second position and the pair of extension arms is in the raised position, the at least one blocking cam abuts against the at least one stopper.

5. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the rear suspension assembly further includes a ball joint pivotally connecting the lower end of the second suspension arm to the pair of slide rails about the longitudinally extending axis.

6. The snowmobile of claim 5 , wherein the lateral axis is a first lateral axis;
wherein the rear suspension assembly further includes a rocker arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of the second suspension arm about a second lateral axis, the lower end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the pair of slide rails about a third lateral axis; and
wherein the first lateral axis is vertically higher than the second lateral axis.

7. The snowmobile of claim 5 , wherein the lateral axis is a first lateral axis;
wherein the rear suspension assembly further includes a rocker arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of the second suspension arm about a second lateral axis, the lower end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the pair of slide rails about a third lateral axis;
wherein the upper end of the first suspension arm is pivotally connected to the tunnel about a fourth lateral axis;
wherein the pair of rear idler wheels is rotationally connected to the rear portion of the pair of extension arms about a wheel axis;
wherein when the pair of extension arms is in the lowered position, the wheel axis is disposed below the longitudinally extending axis and above a longitudinally extending line passing through the second and fourth lateral axes; and
wherein when the pair of extension arms is in the raised position, the wheel axis is disposed above the longitudinally extending axis and the longitudinally extending line.

8. A rear suspension assembly for a snowmobile, the snowmobile having a tunnel, the rear suspension assembly comprising:
a first suspension arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the first suspension arm being adapted to be pivotally connected to the tunnel;
a second suspension arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the second suspension arm being adapted to be pivotally connected to the tunnel;
a pair of slide rails pivotally connected to the lower end of the first suspension arm and to the lower end of the second suspension arm;
a ball joint pivotally connecting the lower end of the second suspension arm to the pair of slide rails about the longitudinally extending axis;
at least one shock absorber adapted to be connected to the tunnel and connected to the pair of slide rails, the at least one shock absorber being adapted for biasing the pair of slide rails away from the tunnel;
a pair of extension arms pivotally connected to a rear portion of the pair of slide rails about a first lateral axis, the pair of extension arms being pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position with respect to the pair of slide rails about the first lateral axis;
a rocker arm having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of the second suspension arm about a second lateral axis, the lower end of the rocker arm being pivotally connected to the pair of slide rails about a third lateral axis, the first lateral axis being vertically higher than the second lateral axis;
a pair of rear idler wheels rotationally connected to a rear portion of the pair of extension arms, the pair of rear idler wheels being disposed laterally between the pair of extension arms; and
at least one spring biasing the pair of extension arms toward the lowered position by exerting thereon a biasing force,
at least a portion of at least one of the first and second suspension arms being pivotable about a longitudinally extending axis relative to the pair of slide rails.

9. The rear suspension assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lateral axis is disposed above a point on the longitudinally extending axis that is longitudinally aligned with the lateral axis.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Labbe Christian
• Lambert Jean-Francois
• Bedard Yvon
• Gagnon Pascal

Classifications

• B62M2027/026

  Snow mobiles characterised by the suspension means · CPC title

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title

• B62M27/00 Primary

  Propulsion devices for sledges or the like (pushed or pulled by persons or animals B62B, B62C; wind propulsion B62B15/00) · CPC title