Skid plate and underbody assembly for use with an off-road vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10259507-B1
Application number	US-201815928751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A skid plate for use with a vehicle. The skid plate includes a body portion including a front edge and a rear edge, and at least one protective wall extending from the front edge of the body portion. The at least one protective wall includes a first end and a second end, and the at least one protective wall is contoured such that the first end is defined at the front edge and the second end is positioned a distance from the front edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A skid plate for use with a vehicle, the skid plate comprising:
a body portion comprising a front edge and a rear edge; and
at least one protective wall extending from said front edge of said body portion, wherein said at least one protective wall comprises a first end and a second end, said at least one protective wall contoured such that said first end is defined at said front edge and said second end is positioned a distance from said front edge, wherein said at least one protective wall is obliquely oriented relative to said body portion, and comprises a first protective wall and a second protective wall spaced from said first protective wall such that a gap is defined therebetween.

2. The skid plate in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first protective wall and said second protective wall are oriented such that second ends of said first protective wall and said second protective wall are positioned a lesser distance from each other than first ends of said first protective wall and said second protective wall.

3. The skid plate in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one protective wall is contoured to have a substantially arcuate profile.

4. The skid plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a connecting member extending between at least said second end of said at least one protective wall and said front edge of said body portion.

5. The skid plate in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said body portion is substantially planar.

6. The skid plate in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said connecting member is substantially co-planarly aligned with said body portion.

7. The skid plate in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one protective wall is oriented at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to said body portion.

8. An off-road vehicle comprising:
a frame; and
a skid plate coupled to said frame, said skid plate comprising:
a body portion comprising a front edge and a rear edge; and
at least one protective wall extending from said front edge of said body portion, wherein said at least one protective wall comprises a first end and a second end, said at least one protective wall contoured such that said first end is defined at said front edge and said second end is longitudinally forward from said front edge.

9. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the off-road vehicle has a front end and at least one side, said frame comprising at least one frame member configured to extend between the front end and the at least one side, said skid plate positioned relative to said frame such that said at least one protective wall extends along said at least one frame member.

10. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said at least one protective wall is configured to couple to said at least one frame member with a fastener.

11. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said skid plate is positioned relative to said frame such that at least a portion of said at least one frame member is positioned between said body portion and said at least one protective wall.

12. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a floor protector contoured to define a wheel well of the off-road vehicle, wherein said floor protector comprises a bottom end configured to mate with said at least one protective wall of said skid plate.

13. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said at least one protective wall and said floor protector are coupled to said frame at a common mounting point.

14. The off-road vehicle in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said at least one protective wall is oriented to extend substantially vertically upward when said skid plate is coupled to said frame.

15. An underbody assembly for use with an off-road vehicle, the underbody assembly comprising:
a skid plate comprising:
a body portion comprising a front edge and a rear edge; and
at least one protective wall extending from said front edge of said body portion, wherein said at least one protective wall is oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to said body portion; and

a floor protector contoured to define a wheel well of the off-road vehicle, wherein said floor protector comprises a bottom end configured to mate with said at least one protective wall of said skid plate.

16. The underbody assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said bottom end of said floor protector has an indent defined therein configured to receive said at least one protective wall.

17. The underbody assembly in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said indent defines a mating surface oriented to couple to said at least one protective wall such that a seam defined between said at least one protective wall and said bottom end of said floor protector is sealed by said mating surface.

18. The underbody assembly in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said indent has a depth substantially equal to a thickness of said at least one protective wall.

19. The underbody assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said at least one protective wall has a first fastener hole defined therein and said bottom end of said floor protector has a second fastener hole defined therein, said first fastener hole and said second fastener hole configured to align when said bottom end is mated with said at least one protective wall.

20. The underbody assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said bottom end of said floor protector is oriented at the same angle relative to said body portion as said at least one protective wall.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Johnson Samira S
• Martin Jason Leroy
• Wilson Iii Robert T

Classifications

• B62D25/2072 Primary

  Floor protection, e.g. from corrosion or scratching (floor mats B60N3/04, armour F41H7/042, insulation B60R13/08, streamlining B62D35/02) · CPC title