Other

Arctic Cat Inc.

Robby Gordon

Mike Niemiec

Cody Tove Kallock

Aaron Lee Swanson

Kyle Douglas Olason

Lucas Grant Purcell

Brian Harris

Todd Ethan MacDonald

Reid Dale Anderson

Thomas Robert Brausen

Chadwick Allen Williams

Nicholas Keegan Ward

Michael Jeffrey Lupelow

Michael McKeen

Casey Leland Root

Shane Dean Kruse

Ross Leonard Nygren

Stephen Tyler Deck

Luke Adam Baker

A leading-edge steering system is provided for a front suspension of an off-road vehicle. The leading-edge steering system is comprised of a spindle assembly that supports a drive axle assembly to conduct torque from a transaxle to a front wheel. A first rod-end joint pivotally couples an upper suspension arm and the spindle assembly, and a second rod-end joint pivotally couples a lower suspension arm and the spindle assembly. A steering rod-end joint pivotally couples a first end of a steering rod with a leading-edge portion of the spindle assembly. A steering gear is coupled with a second end of the steering rod and configured to move the steering rod, such that the spindle assembly rotates with respect to the upper and lower suspension arms. The leading-edge portion is configured to exert primarily tensile forces on the steering rod during travel over rough terrain.

Leading-edge steering assembly

An apparatus and methods are provided for suspending a rear-mounted drivetrain assembly in a chassis of an off-road vehicle. The apparatus includes one or more front mounts for coupling a frontmost portion of the drivetrain assembly to the chassis. The front mounts suspend the frontmost portion from a seat crossmember comprising the chassis. A rearmost portion of the drivetrain assembly is suspended from a rear portion of the chassis by way of a hanger. The hanger is coupled with the rear portion of the chassis by way of one or more mounts disposed on a pair of lower rear stays comprising the chassis. Experimentation has demonstrated that suspending the drivetrain assembly within the rear portion of the chassis prevents impacts on the bottom of the chassis from affecting drivetrain alignment.

Suspended rear-mount drivetrain assembly

An apparatus and methods are provided for a transmission for a rear mid-engine vehicle. The transmission comprises a power transfer portion for receiving torque from the engine and a gearbox for providing conversions of rotational speed and torque. First and second side output portions conduct torque from the gearbox to the rear wheels. A forward output portion conducts torque to front wheels of a four-wheel drive vehicle. An air clutch comprising each output portion controls the degree of torque transferred to each wheel. The output portions are each coupled to a rear wheel by a rear axle, bevel gears, and rear portal gears. The rear axles are aligned with, and positioned above, the trailing arms to protect the rear axles from damage due to rocks and debris. The length and alignment of the rear axles cause CV joints to articulate in the same direction as the trailing arms.

Tri-drive transmission for rear mid-engine vehicle

Toolbox organizer set

An apparatus and methods for the lubrication of the engine of an off-road vehicle, such as when the vehicle is airborne or upside down due to tipping over. The apparatus includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber. Fluid communication is established between the upper chamber and the lower chamber by way of a central tube. One or more vanes are arranged in the interior of the central tube to inhibit oil flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber when the vehicle is upside down. An inlet hose connector is configured for receiving engine oil from an oil cooler and supplying the engine oil to the lower chamber. An outlet hose connector is configured for conducting the engine oil from the lower chamber to the engine. A bypass hose connector is configured for allowing the engine oil to exit from the upper chamber to the engine.

Engine oil starvation preventer

An apparatus and methods are provided for a modular front drivetrain comprising a single assembly that may be installed onto and removed from a vehicle. The modular front drivetrain comprises a modular chassis supporting a transaxle, a front differential, and a steering gear for operating front wheels of the vehicle. The transaxle, the front differential and drive axles convey torque from an engine onboard the vehicle to the front wheels. A spindle assembly is coupled with each front wheel of the vehicle and pivotally joined with the modular chassis by way of a front suspension system. Steering rods coupled with the spindle assemblies horizontally rotate the front wheels according to operation of a steering wheel onboard the vehicle. The modular front drivetrain advantageously facilitates replacing an entire drivetrain and suspension assembly quickly and easily in the event of a part failure during racing applications.

Modular front drivetrain assembly

A modular chassis is provided for an off-road vehicle to improve assembly, servicing, and repairing of a drivetrain of the off-road vehicle. The modular chassis includes a chassis to support components of the off-road vehicle. A front frame module couples with a front of the chassis, and a rear frame module couples with a rear of the chassis. The front frame module supports lower suspension arms of the off-road vehicle by way of inboard bushing joints. The front frame module supports at least a steering gear and a front differential of the off-road vehicle. The rear frame module is a tube-frame structure that supports components of the off-road vehicle. A lower portion of the rear frame module extends rearward and acutely upward to a top frame member that couples with upper side portions of the chassis. Several cross-members impart structural integrity to the rear frame module.

Modular chassis

An apparatus and methods are provided for a front structural bulkhead for improving the strength of an off-road vehicle chassis. The chassis is a welded-tube variety of chassis that includes a front portion and a rear portion that are joined to an intervening passenger cabin portion. Frontward stays and a bulkhead mount couple the front structural bulkhead to the front portion. Bulkhead mount pillars and a bulkhead mount crossmember couple the front structural bulkhead to the passenger cabin portion. The front structural bulkhead includes a modular chassis for supporting drivetrain components that are operably coupled with front wheels of the vehicle. The front structural bulkhead includes upper and lower mounting points configured to receive front suspension controls arms. The upper and lower mounting points are configured to allow the front wheels to move vertically due to the vehicle traveling over terrain.

Front structural bulkhead for vehicle chassis

An apparatus and methods are provided for a chassis for an off-road vehicle that includes a chassis strut support. The chassis is a welded-tube variety of chassis that includes a front portion and a rear portion that are joined to an intervening passenger cabin portion. The chassis strut support includes one or more pairs of rear strut gusset plates for distributing loading on a rear strut crossmember by rear struts to at least a seat crossmember comprising the chassis. The rear strut gusset plates generally comprise thick sheet-members configured to be attached to a vertical brace between an upper mount and a lower stay comprising the chassis to reinforce the vertical brace and impart increased strength to the chassis. The rear strut gusset plates are configured to be attached to the vertical brace by way of bolts, rivets, welding, or any combination thereof.

Rear strut gusset plates for reinforcing an off-road chassis

A dual plunging constant velocity (CV) drive shaft is provided for communicating rotational forces from a transaxle to a drive wheel of a vehicle. The dual plunging CV drive shaft comprises a drive shaft that transfers torque from the transaxle to the drive wheel. An inboard plunging CV joint is coupled between the transaxle and the drive shaft, and an outboard plunging CV joint is coupled between the drive shaft and the drive wheel. The inboard and outboard plunging CV joints each comprises an elongate housing that receives a CV joint coupled with the drive shaft. The inboard and outboard plunging CV joints communicate rotational forces from the transaxle to the drive wheel during vertical pivoting of a trailing arm coupled with the outboard plunging CV joint. The elongate housings allow the drive shaft to 'float' longitudinally, as needed, during extreme pivoting motion of the suspension.

Dual plunging constant velocity drive shaft

A rear portal trailing arm assembly for a vehicle rear suspension that includes a CV joint hub for coupling with a transaxle and a wheel hub for coupling with a rear wheel. A gear transfer case extends rearward from the CV joint hub to an axle case and functions similarly to a rear trailing arm. Forward mounts facilitate coupling the gear transfer case to the chassis such that the trailing arm assembly pivots vertically with respect to the chassis. A rearward mount facilitates coupling a strut with the gear transfer case to control the vertical motion of the rear wheel. Multiple gear assemblies are meshed within the gear transfer case. An axle is coupled with the meshed gear assemblies and housed within the axle case, such that torque applied to the CV joint hub is communicated to the wheel hub.

Rear portal gear assembly for trailing arms

An apparatus and methods are provided for a chassis for an off-road vehicle that includes A-pillar supports. The chassis is a welded-tube variety of chassis that includes a front portion and a rear portion that are joined to an intervening passenger cabin portion. A front canopy is coupled to the front portion and reinforces the chassis during loading forces due to front struts. Each of the A-pillar supports includes a vertical brace disposed between the front canopy and a side brace of the vehicle. The vertical brace extends downward from the front canopy, adjacently to an A-pillar and a hinge pillar, to the side brace. The frontward stay extends forward from substantially a midpoint of the vertical brace to a joining of the A-pillar and the hinge pillar. The A-pillar supports reinforce the front canopy and provide structural integrity to a front of the passenger cabin portion.

A-pillar supports

An apparatus and methods are provided for an air-cooled CVT clutch. The air-cooled CVT clutch includes a first cooling fan coupled with a primary clutch and a second cooling fan coupled with a secondary clutch. An outboard housing mates with an inboard housing to enclose the primary clutch and the secondary clutch. The first cooling fan is coupled to a moveable sheave comprising the primary clutch and configured to draw a cooling airstream through an air duct disposed in the outboard housing. The second cooling fan is coupled to a moveable sheave comprising the secondary clutch and configured to draw the cooling airstream from the primary clutch to the secondary clutch. The first cooling fan pushes the cooling airstream to the secondary clutch when the second clutch is not rotating.

Air-cooled CVT clutch assembly

An apparatus and a method are provided for a camber adjustment assembly, comprising: first and second end plates coupled to a substantially planar center portion, wherein the first and second end plates comprise a generally triangular configuration; a chassis element coupled to a trailing arm and the camber adjustment assembly, and wherein a force may be applied to the camber adjustment assembly so as to desirably induce a positive or negative camber condition.

Camber adjusting assembly

An apparatus and methods are provided for a chassis for an off-road vehicle that includes a roll cage chassis structural spine. The chassis is a welded-tube variety of chassis that includes a front portion and a rear portion that are joined to an intervening passenger cabin portion. The roll cage chassis spine includes a front canopy and a rear canopy comprising an overhead spine to the chassis that increases the strength of the chassis and improves the safety of occupants within the vehicle. The rear canopy couples to the rear portion of the chassis, and the front canopy couples to the front portion of the chassis and the rear canopy. The front canopy and the rear canopy are configured to cooperatively reinforce the chassis during loading forces on the front portion due to front struts and loading forces on the rear portion due to rear struts.

Growing community of inventors

Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Robby Gordon