Family of three-wheeled straddle-seat vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906602-B2
Application number	US-201716073638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A method and system for assembling a vehicle of a family of vehicles includes providing a group of engines. A first engine including a first number of cylinders corresponds to a first vehicle. A second engine including a second number of cylinders corresponds to a second vehicle. The second number is greater than the first number which is at least one. A cylinder plane extends vertically and longitudinally. At least one cylinder is disposed at least partly forward of a front wheel plane. The transmission assembly is rearward of the selected engine and one of the transmission assembly and the selected engine is in a same location whether the selected engine is the first or the second. The seat is at least in part longitudinally rearward of the transmission assembly. The selected engine is laterally disposed between the centers of the footrests.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assembling a vehicle of a family of vehicles including at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle frame defining an engine cradle;
providing a left front wheel, a right front wheel, and a rear wheel;
providing a group of engines including at least a first engine and a second engine, the first engine corresponding to the first vehicle and the second engine corresponding to the second vehicle,
the first engine including a first number of cylinders,
the second engine including a second number of cylinders,
the second number being greater than the first number, and
the first number being at least one;

providing a transmission assembly;
providing a straddle seat;
providing a left footrest and a right footrest; and
forming the vehicle of the family of vehicles by:
mounting each of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, and the rear wheel to the vehicle frame;
selecting, from the group of engines, an engine corresponding to the vehicle, the engine being a selected engine;
mounting the selected engine to the engine cradle such that:
a crankshaft rotation axis of a crankshaft of the selected engine extends generally longitudinally,
a cylinder plane extends generally vertically and longitudinally, the cylinder plane being defined by a respective cylinder axis of each cylinder of the selected engine and one of: a line disposed parallel to the crankshaft rotation axis and the crankshaft rotation axis, and
at least one cylinder of the selected engine is disposed at least in part forward of a front wheel plane, the front wheel plane extending laterally, vertically and tangentially to a rear edge of the left and right front wheels when the left and right front wheels are mounted to the frame and disposed in a steered straight ahead configuration;

mounting the transmission assembly to the vehicle frame so as to be disposed rearward of the selected engine when the selected engine is mounted to the vehicle frame, one of the transmission assembly and a front of the engine being disposed in a same location with respect to the vehicle frame when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine;
operatively connecting the transmission assembly to the crankshaft;
operatively connecting the rear wheel to the transmission assembly;
mounting the straddle seat to the vehicle frame such that the straddle seat is disposed at least in part longitudinally rearward of the transmission assembly when the transmission assembly is mounted to the vehicle frame; and
mounting the left footrest and the right footrest to the vehicle frame such that the selected engine is laterally disposed between a center of the left footrest and a center of the right footrest in the lateral direction when the selected engine is mounted to the vehicle frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an engine output shaft; and
operatively connecting the engine output shaft to the crankshaft of the selected engine such that the engine output shaft extends generally rearwardly from the engine,
wherein operatively connecting the transmission assembly to the crankshaft comprises operatively connecting the transmission assembly to the engine output shaft.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the front of the selected engine extends further longitudinally forwardly with respect to the vehicle frame when the selected engine is the second engine than when the selected engine is the first engine; and
the transmission assembly is disposed in the same location with respect to the vehicle frame when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the vehicle frame includes an engine mounting bracket; and
mounting the selected engine to the engine cradle comprises:
when the selected engine is the first engine, disposing the first engine in the engine cradle with a front portion of the first engine being spaced from the engine mounting bracket and connecting the first engine to the engine mounting bracket via a spacer; and
when the selected engine is the second engine, disposing the second engine adjacent the engine mounting bracket and connecting the second engine to the engine mounting bracket without the spacer,
the engine mounting bracket being disposed in the same location in the engine cradle when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle frame further comprises a rear mounting bracket,
the method further comprising:
mounting one of the engine and the transmission assembly to the rear mounting bracket.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a cylinder axis of a rearwardmost cylinder of the selected engine is in a same longitudinal position when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle frame includes a front engine mounting bracket, a rear mounting bracket and a spacer;
when the transmission assembly is disposed in the same location with respect to the vehicle frame when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine, mounting the selected engine to the engine cradle comprises:
when the selected engine is the first engine, disposing the first engine in the engine cradle with a front portion of the first engine being spaced from the front engine mounting bracket and connecting the first engine to the front engine mounting bracket via the spacer;
when the selected engine is the second engine, disposing the second engine adjacent the front engine mounting bracket and connecting the second engine to the front engine mounting bracket without the spacer; and
mounting one of the selected engine and the transmission assembly to the rear mounting bracket; and

when the front of the engine is disposed in the same location with respect to the vehicle frame when the selected engine is the first engine and when the selected engine is the second engine, mounting the selected engine to the engine cradle comprises:
disposing the selected engine adjacent the front engine mounting bracket and connecting the selected engine to the front engine mounting bracket without the spacer;
when the selected engine is the first engine, mounting one of the first engine and the transmission assembly to the rear mounting bracket via the spacer; and
when the selected engine is the second engine, mounting one of the second engine and the transmission assembly to the rear mounting bracket without the spacer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the transmission assembly comprises a continuously variable transmission (CVT) including a primary pulley having a primary pulley rotation axis, a secondary pulley including a secondary pulley rotation axis and a belt configured to be wrapped around the primary pulley and the secondary pulley for rotating the secondary pulley; and
mounting the transmission assembly to the vehicle frame comprises mounting the CVT to the vehicle frame such that each of the primary pulley rotation axis and the secondary pulley rotation axis extends generally longitudinally and horizontally in a CVT plane extending generally longitudinally and vertically, the primary pulley rotation axis being disposed vertically lower than the secondary pulley rotation axis.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a fuel tank;
mounting the fuel tank to the vehicle frame such that at least a portion of the fuel tank is disposed between the transmission assembly and the straddle seat when the tran

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Laberge Nicolas
• Maltais-Larouche Emile

Classifications

• B62D65/10 Primary

  the sub-units or components being engines, clutches or transmissions · CPC title

• B60K5/02 Primary

  with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, substantially in or parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle · CPC title

• B62J25/06

  Bar-type foot rests · CPC title

• B62M17/00

  Transmissions characterised by use of rotary shaft, e.g. cardan shaft · CPC title

• B62K21/005

  Steering pivot axis arranged within the wheel, e.g. for a hub center steering arrangement · CPC title