Snowmobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944204-B2
Application number	US-201213563958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2012
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A snowmobile comprises a chassis with a front portion and a tunnel, and a power train unit supported by the chassis. The snowmobile further includes a plurality of ground-engaging members cooperating with the power train unit to operate the snowmobile. The plurality of ground-engaging members includes a pair of front skis and an endless track assembly. The snowmobile also includes a front suspension operably coupled to the pair of front skis. The front suspension includes a right control arm comprising a first right arm adhesively coupled to at least one right coupler, and a left control arm comprising a first left arm adhesively coupled to at least one left coupler. The first right arm and the left arm are comprised of a first material and the right and left couplers are comprised of a second material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowmobile comprising:
a chassis having a front portion and a tunnel;
a bulkhead supported by the front portion of the chassis;
a power train unit coupled to the chassis;
a plurality of front ground-engaging members including a right ski and a left ski;
a right suspension unit operably coupled to the right ski and including an upper control arm and a lower control arm coupled to the bulkhead;
a left suspension unit operably coupled to the left ski and including an upper control arm and a lower control arm coupled to the bulkhead; and
a support member supported within the bulkhead between the upper control arm of the right suspension unit and the upper control arm of the left suspension unit.

2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the chassis has the front portion comprised of castings and the tunnel;
at least one of the right upper or right lower control arms comprising a first right arm pivotably coupled to one of the castings at an inner end, and adhesively coupled to at least one right coupler at an outer end, and wherein at least one of the left upper or left lower control arms comprising a first left arm pivotably coupled to the other of the castings at an inner end, and adhesively coupled to at least one left coupler at an outer end, the first right arm and the first left arm being comprised of a first material and the right and left couplers being comprised of a second material.

3. The snowmobile of claim 2 , wherein the front portion of the chassis includes a plurality of frame members, an upper end of the plurality of frame members is coupled to a connector and a lower end of the plurality of frame members is coupled to a plurality of coupling members with an adhesive material.

4. The snowmobile of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the frame members being comprised of carbon fiber.

5. The snowmobile of claim 3 , further comprising an electrical device coupled to the lower end of one of the plurality of frame members.

6. The snowmobile of claim 5 , wherein the electrical device is a solenoid.

7. The snowmobile of claim 5 , further comprising a mounting bracket having an upper side and a lower side, the upper side of the mounting bracket supporting the electrical device and the lower side of the mounting bracket coupled to the lower end of the one of the plurality of frame members with an adhesive material.

8. The snowmobile of claim 7 , wherein the lower side of the mounting bracket includes a plurality of recesses configured to receive the adhesive material.

9. The snowmobile of claim 2 , wherein the at least one right upper or lower control arm includes a second right arm adhesively coupled to the at least one right coupler, and the at least one left upper or lower control arm includes a second left arm adhesively coupled to the at least one left coupler, the second right arm and the second left arm being comprised of the first material, and the at least one right coupler and the at least one left coupler being comprised of the second material.

10. The snowmobile of claim 3 , wherein the support member and at least one of the plurality of frame members are coupled to the connector with a spacer and a fastener, the spacer is positioned intermediate the at least one of the plurality of frame members, and is configured to maintain the shape of the at least one of the plurality of frame members.

11. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the support member is comprised of carbon fiber.

Assignees

• Ripley Anthony J
• Kerner Richard D
• Conn Jeffrey D
• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Ripley Anthony J
• Kerner Richard D
• Conn Jeffrey D

Classifications

• B62M2027/026

  Snow mobiles characterised by the suspension means · CPC title

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title

• B62K19/22

  Adhesive joints · CPC title

• B62D55/104

  Suspension devices for wheels, rollers, bogies or frames (vehicle suspension in general B60G) · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title