Utility vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718351-B2
Application number	US-201414577916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, a frame supported by the ground-engaging members, and a powertrain assembly. The powertrain assembly includes an engine, a shiftable transmission, a continuously variable transmission, and a charger. Additionally, the utility vehicle may include a cooling assembly fluidly coupled to at least the engine and the charger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame supported by the ground-engaging members; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame and including:
an engine supported by the frame;
a continuously variable transmission supported by the frame and having a structural housing member; and
a shiftable transmission operably coupled to the engine through the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission, the shiftable transmission including a first mounting surface coupled to a first portion of the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission and the engine having a second mounting surface coupled to a second portion of the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission, and mounting the first mounting surface of the shiftable transmission to the structural housing member fixes an orientation of the shiftable transmission relative to the engine,
wherein the engine includes a crankshaft and the continuously variable transmission has a first clutch assembly operably coupled to the crankshaft, a second clutch assembly operably coupled to the first clutch assembly, and the structural housing member generally encloses the first and second clutch assemblies, and the second clutch assembly includes a stationary sheave and a moveable sheave; and the shiftable transmission includes a housing with the first mounting surface for coupling to the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission and a shaft operably coupled to the second clutch assembly, the shaft extends less than 160 mm from the first mounting surface of the housing of the shiftable transmission and an inner surface of the moveable sheave is positioned less than 60 mm from the first mounting surface of the shiftable transmission.

2. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first mounting surface includes at least one mounting bore configured to align with at least one mounting aperture on the first portion of the structural housing member, and a fastener extends through the at least one mounting aperture and is received within the mounting bore.

3. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second mounting surface includes at least one mounting bore configured to align with at least one mounting aperture on the second portion of the structural housing member, and a fastener extends through the at least one mounting aperture and is received within the mounting bore.

4. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the engine further includes a crankshaft and a crankcase having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper and lower portions of the crankcase are coupled together to enclose a portion of the crankshaft, and the second mounting surface of the engine includes at least one mounting bore on the upper portion of the crankcase and at least one mounting bore on the lower portion of the crankcase.

5. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the continuously variable transmission includes a first clutch operably coupled to the engine and a second clutch operably coupled to the shiftable transmission, the second clutch having a threaded center aperture configured to threadedly receive a shaft of the shiftable transmission.

6. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the second clutch is a post-less configuration.

7. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the second clutch includes a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave with a diameter, and a balancing ring of the stationary sheave is positioned radially intermediate a diameter of the center aperture and the diameter of the stationary sheave.

8. The utility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the stationary sheave includes a plurality of ribs extending from the center aperture to the diameter of the stationary sheave.

9. The utility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the second clutch includes a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave, and the moveable sheave includes a torque member configured to transfer torque from the stationary sheave to the shaft of the shiftable transmission.

10. The utility vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the stationary sheave of the second clutch includes a stabilizing member with a length of 60-70 mm and a diameter of 20-30 mm.

11. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first mounting surface of the shiftable transmission and an inner surface of the moveable sheave is 42-52 mm when the moveable sheave and the stationary sheave are in a closed position.

12. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first clutch includes a tower member, an intermediate member positioned adjacent the tower member, and at least one position member operable to define a position of the intermediate member relative to the tower member.

13. The utility vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the at least one position member is moveable in a radial direction of the first clutch.

14. The utility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the at least one position member includes an angled surface positioned intermediate a portion of the tower member and a portion of the intermediate member.

15. The utility vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the angled surface has an angle of 15-30 degrees relative to the radial direction of the first clutch.

16. The utility vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the first clutch assembly includes at least one flyweight positioned intermediate the tower member and the intermediate member and operable to apply a force to the moveable sheave and move the moveable sheave relative to the stationary sheave.

17. The utility vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the intermediate member includes a splined portion configured to couple with a splined portion of a post of the continuously variable transmission.

18. The utility vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the intermediate member transfers torque from the engine to the first clutch.

19. The utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first clutch has a pitch diameter of 80-90 mm.

20. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame supported by the ground-engaging members; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame and including:
an engine supported by the frame;
a continuously variable transmission supported by the frame and having a structural housing member; and
a shiftable transmission operably coupled to the engine through the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission, the shiftable transmission including a first mounting surface coupled to a first portion of the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission and the engine having a second mounting surface coupled to a second portion of the structural housing member of the continuously variable transmission, and mounting the first mounting surface of the shiftable transmission to the structural housing member fixes an orientation of the shiftable transmission relative to the engine, wherein the engine further includes a crankshaft and a crankcase having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper and lower portions of the crankcase are coupled together to enclose a portion of the crankshaft, and the second mounting surface of the engine includes at least one mounting bore on the upper portion of the crankcase and at least one mounting bore on the lower portion of the crankcase.

21. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of ground-engaging members;
a frame supported by the ground-engaging members; and
a powertrain assembly supported by the frame and including:

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Ripley Anthony J
• Nelson Stephen L

Classifications

• B60K17/08 Primary

  of mechanical type · CPC title

• B60G2300/07

  Off-road vehicles · CPC title

• B60Y2200/20

  Off-Road Vehicles · CPC title

• B60K13/04

  concerning exhaust · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title