Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960941-B2
Application number	US-201916244462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2019
Priority date	Jan 10, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle shown herein is a side by side powersports vehicle having a utility bed recessed in the rear body portion below an upper surface, the utility bed forming a stepped portion relative to the rear body portion and having a maximum lateral width greater than a diameter of at least one of the wheels, and a minimum width less than a diameter of at least one of the wheels, whereby a spare wheel may be stored on the stepped portion of the utility bed. As shown herein, the utility bed is defined as a removable tub, which can be removed from the rear body portion. The utility bed has defined troughs in a floor thereof angled rearwardly wherein the utility bed has drains which drain away from any heat source of the vehicle. The seats of the vehicle allow longitudinal movement and tilt capability.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
front and rear wheels;
a powertrain drivingly coupled to the front and rear wheels;
a seating area comprising side by side seats;
a cab frame positioned over the seating area; and
a rear cargo portion comprising a rear body portion having an upper surface and a removable tub recessed in the rear body portion below the upper surface, wherein the removable tub can be removed from the rear body portion, the rear body portion including an opening therethrough within which the removable tub is positioned, and wherein the removable tub comprises a floor and drains fluidly coupled to the floor, and the floor is configured to direct a fluid within the removable tub towards the drains.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a top wall of the removable tub extends along a substantially horizontal plane and inner side walls of the rear body portion extend along a substantially vertical plane.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the rear body portion includes an inner wall substantially circumscribing the opening, whereby the top wall of the removable tub is supported by the inner wall.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear cargo portion includes a stepped portion, the stepped portion being formed from a first set of opposing walls, a second set of opposing walls positioned below the first set of opposing walls and a top wall extending between the first set of opposing walls and the second set of opposing walls, wherein the first set of opposing walls are spaced farther apart than the second set of opposing walls.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the cab frame is comprised of front frame tubes coupled to the frame at a position forward of the seating area and rear frame tubes coupled to the frame at a position rearward of the seating area, the removable tub is positioned between at least a portion of the rear frame tubes.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the floor defines troughs angled rearwardly relative to the seating area to direct the fluid within the removable tub towards the drains.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein each of the troughs are V-shaped and comprises a rearwardly extending portions extending to an outer perimeter edges of the removable tub.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the outer perimeter edges of the removable tub include rearwardly extending channels which feed to a rear of the removable tub.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the drains fluidly communicate with the channels.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein a top wall of the removable tub extends along a substantially horizontal plane and inner side walls of the rear body portion extend along a substantially vertical plane.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the rear body portion includes an opening through which the removable tub is positioned, and an inner wall substantially circumscribing the opening, whereby the top wall of the removable tub is supported by the inner wall.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a frame;
front and rear wheels;
a powertrain drivingly coupled to the front and rear wheels;
a seating area comprising side by side seats;
a cab frame positioned over the seating area; and
a rear body portion having an upper surface, forming an open-bottomed border, and comprising a utility bed recessed in the rear body portion below the upper surface, wherein the utility bed is defined as a removable tub, which can be removed from the rear body portion, the utility bed comprising drains, a top wall extending along a substantially horizontal plane, and a number of inner side walls extending along a substantially vertical plane, wherein the top wall is supported by the upper surface.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the utility bed further comprises a floor, wherein the drains are coupled to the floor and the floor is configured to direct a fluid within the utility bed towards the drains.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the floor defines troughs angled rearwardly relative to the utility bed to direct the fluid within the utility bed towards the drains.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the utility bed includes a stepped portion, the stepped portion extending from a first set of opposing walls of the rear body portion and being defined by a second set of opposing walls positioned below the first set of opposing walls and a top wall extending between the first set of opposing walls and the second set of opposing walls, wherein the first set of opposing walls are spaced farther apart than the second set of opposing walls.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the stepped portion is configured to support one of the front and rear wheels.

17. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the drains are positioned within the utility bed to direct a fluid away from electrical components or hot surfaces of the vehicle.

18. A vehicle comprising:
a frame;
front and rear wheels;
a powertrain drivingly coupled to the front and rear wheels;
a seating area comprising side by side seats;
a cab frame positioned over the seating area; and
a rear cargo portion comprising a rear body portion having an upper surface and a removable tub, which can be removed from a through opening in the rear body portion, recessed in the rear body portion below the upper surface, and wherein the removable tub has drains and the rear cargo portion includes a stepped portion, the stepped portion extending from a first set of opposing walls of the rear body portion and being defined by a second set of opposing walls of the removable tub positioned below the first set of opposing walls and a top wall extending between the first set of opposing walls and the second set of opposing walls, wherein the first set of opposing walls are spaced farther apart than the second set of opposing walls.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the removable tub further comprises channels that are approximately V-shaped and angled rearwardly relative to the seating area.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the channels are configured to direct a fluid within the removable tub towards the drains.

21. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the removable tub is positioned within the vehicle to direct a fluid within the removable tub through the drains and away from water-sensitive components of the vehicle.

22. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the stepped portion is configured to support at least one of the front and rear wheels.

23. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the removable tub is supported by the upper surface of the rear portion.

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Endrizzi James J
• Hipps Tristan M
• Bracy Garth H
• Kinsman Anthony J
• Rubatt Jerome J
• Anderson Blake A
• Lutz Dennis J

Classifications

• B60N2/1842

  pivoting about an axis located in the rear · CPC title

• B60N2/1892

  characterised by a lock · CPC title

• F16H2057/02043

  for vehicle transmissions · CPC title

• B62D43/10 Primary

  and arranged substantially horizontally · CPC title

• B62D23/005

  with integrated chassis in the whole shell, e.g. meshwork, tubes, or the like (B62D33/044 takes precedence) · CPC title