Soucy International Inc.

Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.

Kimpex Inc.

Patrick L'Herault

Louis-Frederic Marchildon

Allen Bernais

Jeremie Aubin-Marchand

Yan Roger

Charles Roy

Raphael Couture

Stephane Pelletier

Nicolas Bouchard-Fortin

Martin Bellemare

Charles Devin

David Gagnon

Maxime Gagne

A track assembly for a vehicle has a frame; a drive wheel rotatably mounted to the frame; an idler wheel mount pivotally connected to the frame, the idler wheel mount being selectively pivotable between an operating position and a released position; a lock selectively locking the idler wheel mount in the operating position; an idler wheel rotationally connected to the idler wheel mount, the idler wheel being pivotable with the idler wheel mount; and an endless track driven by the drive wheel around the frame. In the operating position of the idler wheel mount, the idler wheel tensions the endless track. Pivoting the idler wheel mount from the operating position to the released position releases at least some tension from the endless track. A vehicle having the track assembly and a method for installing an endless track having derailed from other components of a track assembly are also disclosed.

Track assembly for a vehicle

Kit of front and rear track assemblies mountable on a drive axle of a vehicle. The front track assembly has a frame, a leading idler wheel mounted to the frame for rotation about a leading idler wheel axis, a trailing idler wheel mounted to the frame for rotation about a trailing idler wheel axis, a drive wheel assembly, and at least two slide rails. The slide rails have corresponding forward-facing portions, central portions, and rearward-facing portions. The rear track assembly has slide rails having a bottom surface with an upward curvature. A vehicle having the front and rear track assemblies.

Track assembly and vehicle

A track assembly is to be mounted on a drive axle of a vehicle. The track assembly has a frame, at least one leading idler wheel mounted to the front of the frame for rotation about a transverse leading idler wheel axis, at least one trailing idler wheel mounted to the rear of the frame for rotation about a traverse trailing idler wheel axis parallel to the leading idler wheel axis, a single drive wheel assembly, and at least two slide rails. The slide rails have corresponding forward-facing portions, central portions, and rearward-facing portions. The forward-facing portions project from the front ends of the central portions by a projection that is greater than a length of the central portions. A vehicle having the track assembly is also encompassed. A kit of track assemblies is also encompassed.

Track system to be mounted on a vehicle in place of a rotatable OEM tire/wheel assembly, including: A frame. A drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the frame, operatively connectable to the drive shaft of the vehicle, and has a diameter of between 65% and 100% of the OEM tire diameter. Leading and trailing idler wheel assemblies are mounted on the frame. An endless track having an inner surface is disposed around the drive wheel, the leading and trailing idler wheel assemblies. The endless track has an unsupported portion between the drive wheel and one of the leading and trailing idler wheel assemblies. The unsupported portion has a length and a center. The unsupported portion deflects a distance of between 8% and 12% of its length on application of a 25-lb. force at its center.

Track system

A track assembly mountable to a rotatable rear axle of a vehicle includes a frame, a drive wheel rotationally mounted to the frame and being structured to be attached to the axle of the vehicle, a front idler wheel and a rear idler wheel assemblies mounted to the frame, and a track. The track has an inner surface facing the drive wheel, and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. The outer surface has a plurality of traction lugs distributed along the outer surface. The track includes a plurality of longer transverse reinforcement rods distributed therethrough and a plurality of shorter transverse reinforcement rods distributed therethrough. The shorter transverse reinforcement rods are shorter in length than the longer transverse reinforcement rods. Each of the longer and shorter transverse reinforcement rods is aligned along at least a part of its length with at least one of the traction lugs.

Rear track assembly for a vehicle

A track assembly is to be mounted on a drive axle of a vehicle. The track assembly has a frame, at least one leading idler wheel mounted to the front of the frame for rotation about a transverse leading idler wheel axis, at least one trailing idler wheel mounted to the rear of the frame for rotation about a traverse trailing idler wheel axis parallel to the leading idler wheel axis, and a single drive wheel assembly. The drive wheel assembly includes a sub-frame removably securable to the frame in any one of a plurality of longitudinal securement positions on the frame, and a drive wheel rotationally mounted on the sub-frame for rotation about a drive wheel axis. The drive wheel is operatively connectable to the drive axle of the vehicle. A pair of track assemblies is also described. A vehicle having the pair of track assemblies is also described.

A track assembly to be mounted on a vehicle. The track assembly has a frame, a drive wheel rotationally mounted to the frame, a front idler wheel assembly mounted to the frame, a rear idler wheel assembly mounted to the frame, and a track mounted around the front idler wheel assembly, the rear idler wheel assembly, and the drive wheel, and being in driving engagement with the drive wheel. The track has a plurality of traction lugs distributed along an outer surface of the track. Each traction lug of the plurality of traction lugs has a height in a range of 1.6 inches to 2.5 inches. A distance between a foremost point on the outer surface of the track and a rearmost point on the outer surface of the track is between 54 inches and 65 inches.

A track assembly is to be mounted on a drive axle of a vehicle. The track assembly has a frame, at least one leading idler wheel mounted to the front of the frame for rotation about a transverse leading idler wheel axis, at least one trailing idler wheel mounted to the rear of the frame for rotation about a traverse trailing idler wheel axis parallel to the leading idler wheel axis, a single drive wheel assembly, and at least two slide rails. The slide rails have corresponding forward-facing portions, central portions, and rearward-facing portions. The forward-facing portions project from the front ends of the central portions by a projection that is greater than a length of the central portions. A vehicle having the track assembly is also described.

A track system for a vehicle having a rear swing arm that is movable between a compressed suspension position and an extended suspension position. The track system has a frame and a dynamic traction device. The frame is pivotably attachable to the swing arm. The dynamic traction device has at least two elongate portions, one of which is movable relative to the other between a retracted position and an extended position and biased toward the retracted position. In use, the elongate portions interconnect the vehicle and the frame. When the vehicle is lifted off terrain, during at least a part of a movement of the swing arm from the compressed suspension position toward the extended suspension position, the dynamic traction device applies a torque to the frame and thereby changes a longitudinal angular position of the frame counter-clockwise relative to a left side of the vehicle.

Track system for attachment to a vehicle

A track system for use as a replacement of a steerable wheel on a normally wheeled vehicle, is configured to improve the handling of the vehicle when operated over hard surface (e.g. packed dirt, pavement, concrete, etc.). The track system generally comprises a drive wheel configured to be mounted to the vehicle, a support frame mounted to the drive wheel or to the vehicle, front and rear idler wheels respectively pivotally mounted at the front and at the rear of the support frame, road wheels pivotal mounted along the length of the support frame, and a traction band disposed about the wheels and configured to be driven by the drive wheel. The road wheels are particularly configured to improve the handling of the vehicle when the track systems are operated over hard surface.

A track system for use as a wheel replacement on typically wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The track system comprises a drive wheel configured to be mounted to the vehicle, a support frame, front and rear idler wheels respectively pivotally mounted at the front and at the rear of the support frame, road wheels pivotally mounted along the support frame between the front and read idler wheels, and an endless track mounted about the wheels. The position of the front and/or rear idler wheels is adjustable in order to modify the overall shape of the perimeter of the track system generally defined by the endless track, thereby changing the riding behavior of the track system. A method to change the position of the adjustable idler wheels is also disclosed.

Track system with adjustable idler wheels and method of using the same

A guide rail configured to be mounted in a track system used to support and drive an endless track comprises at least one resilient deformable portion which is rigid enough to guide the track during normal operation of the track system but which is flexible enough to temporarily deform under the impact of hard or immovable obstacles. The at least one resilient deformable portion of the guide rail can be made thinner than the remaining of the guide rail, can be made of a material more flexible than the material of the remaining of the guide rail, or both. During operation of the vehicle on which the track system is mounted, the at least one resilient deformable portion of the guide rail will allow the track system to absorb at least some shocks and vibrations without transmitting them to the vehicle and its operator.

Deformable guide rail and track system comprising the same

A system and a method for controllably tensioning a traction band mounted to a traction assembly, and a traction assembly comprising such a system, are disclosed. The system is typically mounted at the front or at the rear of the support frame of the traction assembly such as to support one or more idler wheels. The tensioning system generally comprises a clamping ring assembly having received therein a rotatable cylindrical member. The cylindrical member supports an axle which is eccentrically located with respect to the center axis of the cylindrical member, and which pivotally supports one or more idler wheels. By rotating the cylindrical member within the clamping ring assembly using a torquing tool, the tension of the traction band about the wheels (i.e. drive wheel, idler wheels, and support wheels) of the traction assembly can be controllably adjusted.

Growing community of inventors

St-Majorique de Grantham, Canada

Patrick L'Herault