Side-by-side ATV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292327-B2
Application number	US-202016866296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2020
Priority date	Jul 28, 2006
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to trail compliant side-by-side all terrain vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An all-terrain vehicle including:
a pair of front wheels;
a pair of rear wheels spaced-apart from the pair of front wheels by a wheelbase distance,
a frame supported by the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels;
a pair of laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces supported by the frame between the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces including a driver seating surface positioned on a driver side of a longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle and a passenger seating surface positioned on a passenger side of the longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle;
a drivetrain assembly comprising:
an engine positioned rearward of the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces;
a continuously variable transmission operatively coupled to the engine and positioned rearward of the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces; and
a differential operatively coupled to the engine through the continuously variable transmission; and

a three position mounting system which mounts the drivetrain assembly to the frame, the three point mounting system includes a first mount positioned on the driver side of the longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle, a second mount positioned on a passenger side of the longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle, and a third mount positioned rearward of the first mount and the second mount;
the first mount and the second mount positioned on the lower side of the drivetrain assembly proximate the engine of the drivetrain assembly and the third mount is positioned on an upper side of the drivetrain assembly proximate the differential of the drivetrain assembly.

2. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first mount and the second mount support the drivetrain assembly relative to the frame and the third mount suspends the drivetrain assembly from the frame.

3. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first mount includes a first bracket supported by the frame, a second bracket mounted to the drivetrain assembly, and a first fastener extending in a lateral direction of the all-terrain vehicle, the first fastener being received in a first aperture in one of the first bracket and the second bracket.

4. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second mount includes a third bracket supported by the frame, a fourth bracket mounted to the drivetrain assembly, and a second fastener extending in the lateral direction of the all-terrain vehicle, the second fastener being received in a second aperture in one of the third bracket and the fourth bracket.

5. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the third mount is coupled to the drivetrain assembly on a first side of the differential facing a first wheel of the rear pair of wheels and on a second side of the differential facing a second wheel of the rear pair of wheels.

6. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second mount includes a first bracket supported by the frame, a second bracket mounted to the drivetrain assembly, and a first fastener extending in the lateral direction of the all-terrain vehicle, the first fastener being received in a first aperture in one of the first bracket and the second bracket.

7. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the third mount is coupled to the drivetrain assembly on a first side of the differential facing a first wheel of the rear pair of wheels and on a second side of the differential facing a second wheel of the rear pair of wheels.

8. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first mount includes a first bracket supported by the frame and having a first aperture, a second bracket mounted to the drivetrain assembly and having a second aperture, a first mounting plate including a third aperture and a fourth aperture, a first fastener being received by the first aperture of the first bracket and the third aperture of the first mounting plate, and a second fastener being received by the second aperture of the second bracket and the fourth aperture of the first mounting plate.

9. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the second mount includes a third bracket supported by the frame and having a fifth aperture, a fourth bracket mounted to the drivetrain assembly and having a sixth aperture, a second mounting plate including a seventh aperture and an eighth aperture, a third fastener being received by the fifth aperture of the third bracket and the seventh aperture of the second mounting plate, and a fourth fastener being received by the sixth aperture of the fourth bracket and the eighth aperture of the second mounting plate.

10. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the third mount includes a fifth bracket coupled to the frame, a sixth bracket coupled to the drivetrain assembly on a first side of the differential facing a first wheel of the rear pair of wheels, and a seventh bracket coupled to the drivetrain assembly on a second side of the differential facing a second wheel of the rear pair of wheels, the sixth bracket and the seventh bracket coupled to the fifth bracket through a plurality of fasteners.

11. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 10 , wherein each of the first fastener, the second fastener, the third fastener, the fourth fastener, and the plurality of fasteners have a longitudinal axis extending in a lateral direction of the all-terrain vehicle.

12. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the third mount is laterally between the first mount and the second mount.

13. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first mount and the second mount are positioned on a lower side of the drivetrain assembly proximate the engine of the drivetrain assembly and the third mount is positioned proximate the differential of the drive train assembly.

14. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first mount and the second mount support the drivetrain assembly relative to the frame and the third mount suspends the drivetrain assembly from the frame.

15. An all-terrain vehicle including:
a pair of front wheels;
a pair of rear wheels spaced-apart from the pair of front wheels by a wheelbase distance,
a frame supported by the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels;
a pair of laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces supported by the frame between the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces including a driver seating surface positioned on a driver side of a longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle and a passenger seating surface positioned on a passenger side of the longitudinal center line of the all-terrain vehicle;
a drivetrain assembly comprising:
an engine positioned rearward of the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces;
a continuously variable transmission operatively coupled to the engine and positioned rearward of the laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces; and
a differential operatively coupled to the engine through the continuously variable transmission;

a three position mounting system which mounts the drivetrain assembly to the frame, the three point mounting system includes a first mount and a second mount located longitudinally forward of a third mount; and
the third mount is coupled to the drivetrain assembly on a first side of the differential facing a first wheel of the rear pair of wheels and on a second side of the differential facing a second wheel of the rear pair of wheels.

16. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the first mount and the second mount are positioned on a lower side of the drivetrain assem

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Deckard Aaron D
• Plugge Jason C
• Meyer Alan A

Classifications

• B62K25/00

  Axle suspensions (for vehicles in general B60G) · CPC title

• B60G2300/13

  Small sized city motor vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2204/1222

  Middle mounts of stabiliser on vehicle body or chassis · CPC title

• B60G3/20 Primary

  all arms being rigid · CPC title

• B60K5/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title