Snowmobile having improved clearance for deep snow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352802-B2
Application number	US-201414285971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

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. A snowmobile is also depicted which has a raised front chassis relative to the drives haft, which raises the clearance of the front chassis for deep snow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowmobile, comprising:
a chassis comprising a front portion and a tunnel, the front portion having a front lower edge and a drive shaft mount portion;
a propulsion unit comprising a drive shaft, the drive shaft being rotatably coupled to the chassis drive shaft mount portion with a centerline of the drive shaft being proximate to the front lower edge of the chassis;
a front suspension, comprising right and left upper control arms, right and left lower control arms, a right spindle coupled to the right upper control arm and right lower control arm, and a left spindle coupled to the left upper control arm and left lower control arm; and
skis coupled to a lower end of the right and left spindles;
wherein a ratio of a first value to a second value is between approximately 2.66 to approximately 4.80, the first value being a linear distance between a connection point of the right and left lower control arms of the front suspension to the respective right and left spindles and the second value being a linear distance between the front lower edge of the chassis and the lower outer diameter of the drive shaft.

2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft mount portion extends lower than the front lower edge.

3. The snowmobile of claim 2 , wherein a vertical distance between front lower edge of the chassis and the lower outer diameter of the drive shaft is approximately 1.5″.

4. The snowmobile of claim 2 , wherein a vertical distance between the front lower edge of the chassis and the lower outer diameter of the drive shaft is in the range of approximately 1.25-2.25″.

5. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes left and right front frame portions and a body portion extending beneath the left and right front frame portions forming an underside surface of the snowmobile.

6. The snowmobile of claim 5 , wherein the skis have an underside surface and a distance between the underside surface of the body portion and the underside surface of the skis is at least approximately 8.3 inches.

7. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the distance between a connection point of the right and left lower control arms to respective a right and left spindles and a connection point for the skis coupled to the lower ends of the right and left spindles is approximately less than 7″.

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Sampson Martin E

Classifications

• B62K19/22

  Adhesive joints · CPC title

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title

• B62D55/104

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

• B62M2027/026

  Snow mobiles characterised by the suspension means · CPC title