Powertrain for a utility vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12214664-B2
Application number	US-202117147937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2021
Priority date	Jan 15, 2020
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

An off-road vehicle includes a powertrain assembly having an engine and a steel belt continuously variable transmission. Portions of the powertrain assembly are supported at a rear portion of the vehicle and are positioned relative to other components of the vehicle also supported at the rear portion of the vehicle. The vehicle also is configured for various operating modes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame assembly supported on the plurality of ground-engaging members and extending along a longitudinal axis; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame assembly and comprising an engine and a transmission, the engine being mechanically coupled to and rearward of the transmission and longitudinally aligned with a portion of the transmission in a fore/aft direction of the utility vehicle, wherein:
an output of the engine is positioned to a first side of a vertical plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
an output of the transmission is positioned to a second side of the vertical plane; and
the transmission is a continuously variable transmission comprising a steel belt, the steel belt including a plurality of steel blocks with steel bands extending along both sides of the steel blocks, wherein a disconnect is positioned between the output of the transmission and the plurality of ground-engaging members, wherein the disconnect is configured to decouple the ground-engaging members from power at the output of the transmission, the disconnect including having a shaft, a seal, a first bearing, a second bearing, and a collar.

2. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the powertrain assembly further comprises a prop shaft and the prop shaft is positioned to the second side of the vertical plane.

3. The utility vehicle of claim 2 , wherein a vertical angle of the prop shaft is up to 20° relative to horizontal and a lateral angle of the prop shaft is up to 20° relative to the longitudinal axis.

4. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a rearward extent of the transmission is coupled to a forward extent of the engine.

5. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame assembly supported on the plurality of ground-engaging members and extending along a longitudinal axis;
a cargo area supported on the frame assembly; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame assembly and comprising an engine, a transmission, and a prop shaft operably coupled to the transmission and the plurality of ground-engaging members, the engine comprising a crankcase and a cylinder body positioned above the crankcase, and the cylinder body being angled relative to vertical toward a side of the utility vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and positioned below a portion of the cargo area and over a portion of the prop shaft.

6. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the prop shaft is angled vertically up to 20° relative to horizontal.

7. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the crankcase is positioned on a first side of the longitudinal axis and the cylinder body is positioned on a second side of the longitudinal axis.

8. The utility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the prop shaft is positioned on the second side of the longitudinal axis.

9. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the transmission is mechanically coupled to the engine and is positioned directly forward of the engine.

10. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the powertrain assembly is configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes.

11. The utility vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of operating modes includes at least four operating modes.

12. The utility vehicle of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes includes a cruise mode configured to maintain a speed of the engine.

13. The utility vehicle of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes includes a fuel economy mode configured to increase a fuel range of the engine.

14. The utility vehicle of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes includes a plow mode configured to transfer power to an accessory operably coupled to the vehicle.

15. The utility vehicle of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes includes a tow mode configured to maintain a speed of the transmission and vary a speed of the engine.

16. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame assembly supported on the plurality of ground-engaging members and extending along a longitudinal axis; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame assembly and comprising an engine, a transmission operably coupled to the engine, and a prop shaft operably coupled to the transmission, wherein, from a rear view of the utility vehicle, an output of the engine is positioned to a first side of the longitudinal axis, an output of the transmission is positioned to a second side of the longitudinal axis, and the prop shaft is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction for forward movement of the utility vehicle, wherein the transmission is a continuously variable transmission comprising a steel belt, the steel belt including a plurality of steel blocks with steel bands extending along both sides of the steel blocks, a disconnect positioned between the output of the driven pulley of the transmission and the plurality of ground-engaging members, wherein the disconnect is configured to decouple the ground-engaging members from power at the output of the transmission, the disconnect including having a shaft, a seal, a first bearing, a second bearing, and a collar.

17. The utility vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the prop shaft is a rear prop shaft extending between the transmission and a rear differential operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground-engaging members.

18. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of front ground-engaging members;
a plurality of rear ground-engaging members;
a frame assembly supported on the plurality of front and rear ground-engaging members and extending along a longitudinal axis; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame assembly and comprising an engine, a steel belt continuously variable transmission operably coupled to the engine and comprising a drive pulley and a driven pulley, a prop shaft operably coupled to the transmission, and a disconnect positioned between an output of the driven pulley of the transmission and the plurality of rear ground-engaging members, wherein:
the disconnect is configured to decouple the rear ground-engaging members from power at the output of the transmission, the disconnect including having a shaft, a seal, a first bearing, a second bearing, and a collar;
an output of the engine is positioned to a first side of a vertical plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
an output of the transmission is positioned to a second side of the vertical plane.

19. The utility vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the disconnect is positioned at the output of the transmission.

20. The utility vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the powertrain assembly further comprises a rear differential operably coupled to the plurality of rear ground-engaging members, and the disconnect is positioned on at least one of the prop shaft and the rear differential.

21. The utility vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the output of the engine is substantially parallel to the output of the transmission.

22. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a prop shaft operably coupled to the transmission, wherein the prop shaft is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction for forward movement of the utility vehicle.

23. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vertical plane extends through the longitudinal axis.

24. The utility v

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Ripley Anthony J
• Schleif Andrew C
• Scheuerell Alex R

Classifications

• B62D21/10

  in which the main member is plate-like · CPC title

• B62D21/183

  specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts (tubular skeleton B62D23/005) · CPC title

• B60Y2200/20

  Off-Road Vehicles · CPC title

• B60K17/344

  having a transfer gear · CPC title

• B60K17/354

  having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels · CPC title