Symmetric engine and transmission coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124667-B2
Application number	US-201715405138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Systems, vehicles, and assemblies that include a prime mover, a transmission, and a coupler. The coupler couples the prime mover and the transmission. A preferred embodiment includes a system for forming a rigid body that includes a rotational prime mover and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly transmits at least a portion of the rotational energy from the prime mover to a driven member at a frequency. The system includes a first and a second bridging member. Coupling the first bridging member to the second bridging member forms a symmetric bridge or coupler. The symmetric bridge is symmetric about a first plane of symmetry. Furthermore, coupling a first portion of the bridge to the rotational prime mover and coupling a second portion of the bridge to the transmission assembly forms the rigid body. The rigid body further includes the bridge.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An off-road vehicle comprising:
a prime mover and a transmission assembly, the prime mover and the transmission assembly coupled to one another via:
a first bridging member; and
a second bridging member that is a separate member from the first bridging member,
wherein, in combination, the first bridging member and the second bridging member form a symmetric bridge defining a first plane of symmetry at an interface between the first bridging member and second bridging member,
wherein, in combination, the first bridging member, second bridging member, prime mover, and the transmission assembly form a rigid body,
wherein a continuously variable transmission spans between the prime mover and the transmission assembly, and
wherein the symmetric bridge is symmetric about a second plane of symmetry that is substantially orthogonal to the first plane of symmetry.

2. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a first fastener and a second fastener, wherein the first fastener couples a first portion of the bridge to the prime mover and the second fastener couples a second portion of the bridge to the transmission assembly.

3. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bridging member is symmetric about the second plane of symmetry.

4. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bridging member is identical to the second bridging member.

5. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bridging member includes a flange portion that is oriented substantially parallel to the first plane of symmetry and a body portion that is oriented substantially orthogonal to the flange portion.

6. An off-road vehicle comprising:
a powertrain assembly, the powertrain assembly comprising:
a prime mover;
a transmission; and
a mechanical coupler spanning a gap between the prime mover and the transmission while mechanically coupling the prime mover and the transmission such that a position of the prime mover relative to the energy transmitter is rigidly fixed,
wherein the mechanical coupler includes:
a first spanning member spanning a first portion of the gap between the prime mover and the transmission while coupled to each of the prime mover and the transmission; and
a second spanning member that is a separate member from the first spanning member, the second spanning member spanning a second portion of the gap between the prime mover and the transmission while coupled to each of the prime mover and the transmission, the first spanning member and second spanning member defining an interface therebetween, the first spanning member and second spanning member being symmetric with respect to a plane of symmetry that is perpendicular to the interface.

7. The off-road vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first spanning member rigidly couples to the second spanning member coupler such that the mechanical coupler is a rigid mechanical coupler.

8. The off-road vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the first spanning member is symmetric to the second spanning member about a second plane of symmetry defined by the interface.

9. The off-road vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the mechanical coupler includes:
a first lip portion that couples to a first portion of the prime mover and couples to a first portion of the transmission;
a second lip portion that couples to a second portion of the prime mover and couples to a second portion of the transmission; and
a body portion that is positioned within the gap between the prime mover and the transmission when the mechanical coupler spans the gap.

10. The off-road vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first spanning member includes the first lip portion of the mechanical coupler and a first body portion, the second spanning member includes the second lip portion of the mechanical coupler and a second body portion, and the body portion of the mechanical coupler includes the first body portion coupled to the second body portion.

11. The off-road vehicle of claim 6 further comprising:
a first plurality of fasteners that couple the mechanical coupler to the prime mover and the transmission; and
a second plurality of fasteners that couple the first spanning member to the second spanning member, wherein the mechanical coupler includes the coupled first and second spanning members.

12. The off-road vehicle of claim 6 further comprising:
an energy coupler that rotationally couples the prime mover to the transmission such that the energy coupler rotationally transfers energy provided by the prime mover to the transmission.

13. The off-road vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the energy coupler includes:
a drive pulley rotationally coupled to the prime mover such that the drive pulley rotates at a first frequency based on a frequency of the prime mover;
a driven pulley rotationally coupled to the transmission to provide rotational energy from the prime mover to the transmission at a second frequency; and
a rotational coupler that rotationally couples the drive pulley to the driven pulley, such that the second frequency is based on a variable ratio between a first radius of the drive pulley and a radius of the second pulley.

14. A vehicle that includes:
an environment engaging member configured and arranged to engage with an environment to propel the vehicle through the environment;
a frame that supports the environment engaging member;
an energy source supported by the frame, wherein the energy source includes:
an energy source output shaft; and
an energy source case that houses at least a portion of the energy source and is coupled to the frame;

a transmission assembly supported by the frame, wherein the transmission assembly includes:
a transmission assembly input shaft that is driven by the energy source output shaft;
a transmission assembly output shaft that drives the environment engaging member; and
a transmission assembly case that houses at least a portion of the transmission assembly and is coupled to the frame; and

a coupler that bridges a void that is intermediate the energy source case and the transmission assembly case and is configured and arranged to couple to the energy source case and to couple to the transmission case to rigidly couple the energy source and the transmission assembly,
wherein the coupler is a symmetric coupler that includes a first bridging member and a separate second bridging member, wherein a first portion of the first bridging member is configured and arranged to couple to each of the energy source case and the transmission case and a first portion of the second bridging member is configured and arrange to couple to each of the energy source case and the transmission case,
wherein, when the first bridging member is coupled to the second bridging member to form the symmetric coupler, the void that is longitudinally intermediate the energy source case and the transmission assembly case is configured and arranged to receive a portion of the symmetric coupler that includes an interface between the coupled first and second bridging members, the first bridging member and second bridging member being symmetric with respect to a first plane of symmetry defined by the interface, and
wherein the coupled first and second bridging elements being symmetric about a second plane of symmetry that is substantially orthogonal to the first plane of symmetry.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein, when the first bridging member is coupled to each of the energy source case and the transmission assembly case and the second bridging member is

Assignees

• Arctic Cat Inc
• Arctic Cat Inc

Inventors

• Eck Brian G

Classifications

• B60K5/00

  Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K17/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles · CPC title

• B60K17/04 Primary

  characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing · CPC title

• B60K8/00

  Arrangement or mounting of propulsion units not provided for in one of main groups B60K1/00 - B60K7/00 · CPC title

• B60Y2200/20

  Off-Road Vehicles · CPC title