Snowmobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144486-B2
Application number	US-201514842859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A snowmobile includes an engine including a crankshaft, a driving shaft rotatable together with the crankshaft, an endless track belt drivable by the driving shaft, and a vehicle body frame including a wall portion defining an engine room accommodating the engine and engine support portions and supporting the engine. At least a portion of the wall portion is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material and overlaps the engine as seen in a side view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowmobile comprising:
an engine including a crankshaft;
a driving shaft rotatable together with the crankshaft;
an endless track belt drivable by the driving shaft; and
a vehicle body frame including a wall portion that defines an engine room that accommodates the engine and an engine support portion that supports the engine;

wherein
at least a portion of the engine room and the engine support portion including the wall portion is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material, and the portion made of the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material overlaps the engine as seen in a side view.

2. The snowmobile according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wall portion includes a first layer made of at least a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material and a second layer made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material.

3. The snowmobile according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the wall portion that is made of the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material includes a reinforcing member provided therein.

4. A snowmobile comprising:
an engine including a crankshaft;
a driving shaft rotatable together with the crankshaft;
an endless track belt drivable by the driving shaft;
a vehicle body frame including a wall portion that defines an engine room that accommodates the engine and an engine support portion that supports the engine; and
a protection member; wherein
at least a portion of the engine room and the engine support portion including the wall portion is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material, and the portion made of the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material overlaps the engine as seen in a plan view;
the wall portion includes a bottom wall portion located below the engine and made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material; and
the protection member is located below the bottom wall portion and protects the bottom wall portion.

5. The snowmobile according to claim 4 , wherein the protection member covers an entirety of the bottom wall portion.

6. The snowmobile according to claim 4 , wherein the protection member is made of a metal material or a resin material.

7. A snowmobile comprising:
an engine including a crankshaft;
a driving shaft rotatable together with the crankshaft;
an endless track belt drivable by the driving shaft;
a vehicle body frame including a wall portion that defines an engine room that accommodates the engine and an engine support portion that supports the engine; and
a steering shaft secured to a handle; wherein
at least a portion of the wall portion is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material and overlaps the engine as seen in at least a plan view or a side view;
the vehicle body frame includes a top vehicle body frame and a bottom vehicle body frame located below the top vehicle body frame;
the wall portion includes a top wall portion located above the engine and made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material, the top wall portion defining a portion of the top vehicle body frame; and
the top wall portion supports the steering shaft and supports the bottom vehicle body frame at least at two points.

8. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , wherein the top wall portion supports the steering shaft at two points.

9. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , further comprising a seat supported by the top wall portion.

10. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a fuel tank covered by the top vehicle body frame; and
a fuel tank cover that covers the fuel tank; wherein
the top wall portion defines at least a portion of the fuel tank cover.

11. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an air suction silencer that supplies air to the engine; wherein
the top wall portion defines a portion of the air suction silencer.

12. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a vehicle body cover located outward of the engine; wherein
at least a portion of the top vehicle body frame defines a portion of the vehicle body cover.

13. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , wherein the engine support portion is provided in the top wall portion.

14. The snowmobile according to claim 7 , wherein the top vehicle body frame and the bottom vehicle body frame are integral with each other and defined by a single unitary member.

15. A snowmobile comprising:
an engine including a crankshaft;
a driving shaft rotatable together with the crankshaft;
an endless track belt drivable by the driving shaft;
a vehicle body frame including a wall portion that defines an engine room that accommodates the engine and an engine support portion that supports the engine;
a left ski located to the front of the engine;
a right ski located to the front of the engine and to the right of the left ski;
a left arm connected to the left ski; and
a right arm connected to the right ski; wherein
at least a portion of the wall portion is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material and overlaps the engine as seen in at least a plan view or a side view;
the wall portion includes a left wall portion located to the left of the engine and made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material and a right wall portion located to the right of the engine and made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material;
the engine support portion is provided in each of the left wall portion and the right wall portion;
the left arm is swingably supported by the left wall portion at two points; and
the right arm is swingably supported by the right wall portion at two points.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yasuda Atsushi
• Ogura Kotaro

Classifications

• B62M2027/023

  Snow mobiles characterised by engine mounting arrangements · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title