Snowmobile skid frame assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321509-B2
Application number	US-201314109760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A skid frame for a snowmobile is disclosed including a generally planar skid surface extending between front and rear idler wheels. The front and rear idler wheel are offset from one another and define a longitudinal direction. A track encircles the skid frame having the skid surface positioned over a center of the track such that a major longitudinally extending portion of the track that is coextensive with the skid surface has first and second unsupported lateral portions on either side of the skid surface. The first and second unsupported lateral portions extend in the horizontal direction at least 25 percent of a width of the track. A suspension arm member may mount the skid rail and include mount portions for mounting to a tunnel and spanning a distance at least twice the width of the longitudinal beam.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A snowmobile comprising:
a chassis defining a tunnel;
a pair of runners steerably secured to a front portion of the chassis;
a skid frame mounted to the chassis below the tunnel, the skid frame comprising a front idler wheel, a rear idler wheel, and a skid surface, the skid surface having a lower portion extending along the longitudinal direction along a major extent of the skid surface in the longitudinal direction; and
a track encircling the skid frame, the tunnel defining a recess having a width sized to receive the track, the skid surface positioned over a center of the track such that a major portion of the track longitudinally coextensive with the skid surface has first and second unsupported lateral portions on either side of the skid surface, the first and second unsupported lateral portions each extending in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction from an edge of the skid surface to an outermost edge of the track and having an extent in the transverse direction on one side of the track of at least 25 percent of a width of the track, wherein the first and second unsupported lateral portions extend longitudinally from the front idler wheel to the rear idler wheel.

2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the track defines a plurality of openings through the center of the track, the openings having a width in the horizontal direction substantially equal to a width of the skid surface in the horizontal direction.

3. The snowmobile of claim 2 , wherein the track further comprises reinforcing members embedded in the track extending in the horizontal direction between adjacent openings of the plurality of openings.

4. The snowmobile of claim 3 , further comprising facing metal clips secured to the track between adjacent openings of the plurality of openings and having an inward facing surface engageable with the skid surface, the inward facing surface having a width in the horizontal direction substantially equal to the width of the plurality of openings.

5. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid frame includes a longitudinally extending beam having a mounting rail for securing a wear strip thereon for interface with a portion of an inner surface of the track.

6. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid surface includes a first longitudinal skid surface portion and a second longitudinal skid surface portion parallel to the first longitudinal skid surface portion.

7. The snowmobile of claim 6 , wherein the first longitudinal skid surface portion is defined by a first wear strip secured to the skid frame and the second longitudinal skid surface portion is defined by a second wear strip secured to the skid frame.

8. The snowmobile of claim 7 , wherein the skid frame includes a longitudinally extending beam having first and second mounting rails extending longitudinally along a lower surface thereof, the first and second wear strips being mounted to the first and second mounting rails, the first and second mounting rails having a cross section including a base portion secured to the longitudinally extending beam and an end portion that is wider than the base portion.

9. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid frame includes a longitudinally extending beam having a single wear strip covering a planar lower surface thereof.

10. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid frame includes a longitudinally extending beam having at least one rear idler wheel mounted to the longitudinally extending beam and the skid surface being secured to a lower surface of the beam.

11. The snowmobile of claim 10 , wherein the beam of the skid frame includes a closed-section beam portion.

12. The snowmobile of claim 11 , wherein the closed-section beam portion includes at least a portion with a rounded top.

13. The snowmobile of claim 10 , wherein the beam includes an open inverted generally U-shaped section.

14. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid surface has a convex lower surface in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

15. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the skid surface has a rounded lower surface in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

16. The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of clips secured to the track, the plurality of clips each defining a concave seat configured to slidably engage the rounded lower surface.

17. The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising adjustable stops secured to the skid rail the adjustable stops each having a lower surface selectively fixable with respect to the skid rail at a plurality of vertical positions.

18. The snowmobile of claim 17 , wherein the adjustable stops each include a wheel rotatably secured to a mount, the mount pivotally secured to the skid rail and selectively fixed to the skid rail at a plurality of angular positions.

19. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the rear idler wheel is rotatably secured to a mount, the mount being pivotally mounted to the skid rail and rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal direction.

20. A skid frame assembly comprising:
a longitudinal beam defining a lower surface for receiving at least one wear strip, the longitudinal beam having a width in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal beam;
a suspension arm member having a first mount portion pivotally secured to the longitudinal beam and second mount portions configured to secure to a chassis of a snowmobile, the second mount portions spanning a mount separation distance in the transverse direction that is at least twice the width of the longitudinal beam, the first mount portion and longitudinal beam being between the second mount portions in the transverse direction; and
rear idler wheels secured to a rear idler wheel receivers extending from the longitudinal beam, the rear idler wheels having rolling surfaces separated from one another by an idler separation distance that is less than 60 percent of the mount separation distance.

21. The skid frame assembly of claim 20 , further comprising a shock absorber coupled to the longitudinal beam.

22. The skid frame assembly of claim 21 , wherein the shock absorber includes two ends, a first end being coupled to a side of the longitudinal beam.

23. The skid frame assembly of claim 22 , wherein a second end of the shock absorber is coupled to the suspension arm.

24. The skid frame assembly of claim 20 , wherein the second mount portions each include a tube extending in the horizontal direction, the outward facing ends of the tubes of the second mount portions having a separation that is at least twice the width of the longitudinal beam.

25. A skid frame assembly comprising:
a longitudinal beam having a width in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal beam; and
a suspension arm member having a first mount portion pivotally secured to the longitudinal beam and second mount portions configured to secure to a chassis of a snowmobile, the second mount portions spanning a mount separation distance in the transverse direction that is at least twice the width of the longitudinal beam, the first mount portion and longitudinal beam being between the second mount portions in the transverse direction;
wherein the longitudinal beam has a lower surface and the lower

Assignees

• Arctic Cat Inc

Inventors

• Beavis Andrew

Classifications

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title

• B62M2027/027

  Snow mobiles characterised by the tracks · CPC title

• B62D55/07

  Mono-track vehicles · CPC title

• B62M2027/026

  Snow mobiles characterised by the suspension means · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title