Vehicle having a suspension assembly including a swing arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843758-B2
Application number	US-201816634705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a frame; two front ground-engaging members connected to the frame; a rear ground-engaging member connected to the frame; an engine supported by the frame; a powertrain operatively connecting the engine to the rear ground-engaging member; a seat connected to the frame; an exhaust system connected to the engine and supported by the frame; a swing arm operatively connecting the rear ground-engaging member to the frame; and a rear suspension operatively connected between the swing arm and the frame. The seat is positioned at least partially above the swing arm. The exhaust system is positioned at least partially below the swing arm. Each of the rear suspension and the powertrain is at least partially concealed by the swing arm from at least two of a top, a left side or a right side of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
two front ground-engaging members connected to the frame;
a rear ground-engaging member connected to the frame;
an engine supported by the frame;
a powertrain operatively connecting the engine to the rear ground-engaging member;
a seat connected to the frame;
an exhaust system connected to the engine and supported by the frame, the exhaust system comprising a muffler;
a swing arm operatively connecting the rear ground-engaging member to the frame; and
a rear suspension operatively connected between the swing arm and the frame,
the seat being positioned at least partially above the swing arm,
at least a portion of the muffler of the exhaust system being positioned below the swing arm,
each of the rear suspension and the powertrain being at least partially concealed by the swing arm from at least two of a top, a left side or a right side of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the powertrain comprises a driveshaft extending rearwardly from the engine; and
at least a portion of the driveshaft is concealed by the swing arm from the at least two of the top, the left side and the right side of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein a majority of a length of the driveshaft is concealed by the swing arm from the at least two of the top, the left side and the right side of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the swing arm defines a channel; and
the driveshaft extends in the channel of the swing arm.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the channel extends along a majority of a length of the swing arm.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising a final drive unit connected to the swing arm and operatively connected to the rear ground-engaging member, a rear end of the driveshaft being connected to the final drive unit.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the swing arm has a top portion and at least one lateral side portion extending downwardly from the top portion; and
the at least one lateral side portion of the swing arm is at least partially vertically aligned with a lateral side of the muffler.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one lateral side portion of the swing arm includes a left lateral side portion and a right lateral side portion;
the left lateral side portion being at least partially vertically aligned with a left side of the muffler; and
the right lateral side portion being at least partially vertically aligned with a right side of the muffler.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the swing arm defines a pocket bound by a top wall, a bottom wall, a left lateral side wall and a right lateral side wall of the swing arm; and
the rear suspension is at least partially received in the pocket of the swing arm.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the rear suspension comprises a shock absorber; and
the shock absorber is positioned vertically between the muffler and the seat.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the muffler has a left side and a right side;
the swing arm is pivotally mounted to the frame via at least two laterally-spaced mount points; and
the mount points are positioned laterally outward from the left and right sides of the muffler.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the left and right sides of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top, the left side and the right side of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top and the left side of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top and the right side of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
two front ground-engaging members connected to the frame;
a rear ground-engaging member connected to the frame;
an engine supported by the frame;
a powertrain operatively connecting the engine to the rear ground-engaging member;
a seat connected to the frame;
an exhaust system connected to the engine and supported by the frame;
a swing arm operatively connecting the rear ground-engaging member to the frame, the swing arm defining a pocket bound by a top wall, a bottom wall, a left lateral side wall and a right lateral side wall of the swing arm; and
a rear suspension operatively connected between the swing arm and the frame, the rear suspension being at least partially received in the pocket of the swing arm,
the seat being positioned at least partially above the swing arm,
the exhaust system being positioned at least partially below the swing arm,
each of the rear suspension and the powertrain being at least partially concealed by the swing arm from at least two of a top, a left side or a right side of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the left and right sides of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top, the left side and the right side of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top and the left side of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the at least two of the top, the left side or the right side of the vehicle includes the top and the right side of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Hebert Sebastien
• Maltais-Larouche Emile
• Lachance Charles

Classifications

• B62J35/00

  Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof (fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K {; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406}) · CPC title

• B62J1/00

  Saddles or other seats for cycles; Arrangement thereof; Component parts · CPC title

• B62M9/08

  involving eccentrically- mounted or elliptically-shaped driving or driven wheel; with expansible driving or driven wheel · CPC title

• B62K5/08

  with steering devices acting on two or more wheels · CPC title

• B62K5/027

  Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023) · CPC title