Snow vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325486-B2
Application number	US-202318488542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Aug 20, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A snow vehicle includes a frame comprising an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion, a handlebar comprising a handlebar axis, said handlebar coupled to said upper frame portion and said lower frame portion and a tunnel comprising having a driven track shaft and a track rotatably coupled to the driven track shaft within the tunnel. A two-stroke engine includes a crankshaft and a tuned pipe coupled to the engine. The engine and the tuned pipe are positioned between the handlebar axis and the driven track shaft. A continuously variable transmission is disposed between the handlebar axis, the upper frame portion of the frame and the lower frame portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snow vehicle comprising:
a frame assembly;
a seat coupled to the frame assembly;
a tunnel coupled to the frame assembly, said tunnel having an upper surface defining a plane; and
an engine having a crankshaft axis disposed below the plane of the upper surface of the tunnel, said crankshaft coupled to a clutch comprising a primary clutch and a secondary clutch, said primary clutch comprising a first clutch axis of rotation disposed below the plane of upper surface of the tunnel, at least a portion of the primary clutch, at least a portion of the secondary clutch and at least a portion of the engine are disposed directly beneath the seat in a vertical direction, said secondary clutch disposed behind the engine, at least a portion of the engine disposed in front of the seat, the engine further comprises an exhaust port disposed in front of the seat and a tuned pipe coupled to the exhaust port, said tuned pipe having a first curved portion curving the tuned pipe upward after the exhaust port and a second curved portion of the tuned pipe after the first curved portion directing the tuned pipe into a rearward direction, the first curved portion and the second curved portion disposed in front of the seat.

2. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary clutch and the secondary clutch are disposed in front of the tunnel.

3. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the secondary clutch comprises a second clutch axis of rotation disposed above the upper surface of the tunnel.

4. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary clutch and the crankshaft are coaxial.

5. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 1 further comprising a track disposed within the tunnel, said first clutch axis of rotation is below a portion of the track.

6. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 5 wherein the tunnel about 12 inches wide and the track is about 11.5 inches wide.

7. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the crankshaft axis is disposed in front of the tunnel.

8. The snow vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
said frame assembly comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion having a first width adjacent to the engine; and
a handlebar rotatably coupled to the frame assembly comprising a handlebar axis, said handlebar coupled to said upper portion and said lower portion, said handlebar coupled to a ski, said ski having a second width.

9. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the frame having the first width is adjacent the ski when a ski front suspension is in compression.

10. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the ski comprises only a single ski.

11. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the handlebar comprises a first fork and a second fork coupled to a ski connection bolt.

12. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the frame has a width less than the ski width.

13. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the tuned pipe is disposed completely within the ski width.

14. The snow vehicle of claim 8 wherein the tunnel comprising a driven track shaft and a track rotatably coupled to the driven track shaft within the tunnel, said track having a track width about as wide as the ski width.

15. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 14 wherein the ski comprises only a single ski.

16. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 14 wherein the handlebar comprises a first fork and a second fork coupled to a ski connection bolt.

17. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 14 wherein the frame assembly has a width less than the ski width.

18. The snow vehicle as recited in claim 17 wherein the tuned pipe is disposed completely within the ski width.

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Fuchs Michael
• Telford Cody

Classifications

• B62M2027/025

  Snow mobiles characterised by the skis · CPC title

• B62M2027/027

  Snow mobiles characterised by the tracks · CPC title

• B62M2027/023

  Snow mobiles characterised by engine mounting arrangements · CPC title

• B62M2027/026

  Snow mobiles characterised by the suspension means · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title