Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.

Yan Nolet

Joel Pitre

Jean-Sebastien Pard

Xavier-Pierre Aitcin

A snowmobile has a two-stroke engine having an electronic reverse function so that a crankshaft can be selectively rotated in forward and reverse rotation directions. A gearbox has a first shaft coupled to a countershaft, a second shaft extending parallel to the first shaft, first transmission gears mounted to the first shaft and second transmission gears mounted to the second shaft. The first transmission gears are in constant mesh with the second transmission gears to form high and low gear pairings. A shifter is operable for selectively operating the gearbox in one of a high gear, a low gear and a neutral gear. The engine is selectively operable in the forward and reverse rotation directions while the gearbox is operated in at least one of the high gear, the low gear and the neutral gear.

Snowmobile having a gearbox

A gearbox for a vehicle includes: a housing; first and second shafts extending parallel to one another; first transmission gears mounted to the first shaft; and second transmission gears mounted to the second shaft. The transmission gears are helical gears. The first transmission gears are in constant mesh with the second transmission gears to form a plurality of gear pairings engageable to operate the gearbox in different gears. A drive gear is mounted to an input shaft extending into the housing. The input shaft is operatively connected to an engine of the vehicle. A driven gear is mounted to the second shaft and is configured to engage the drive gear. The drive and driven gears are spur gears. A flexible driving member is configured to drivingly connect one of the first shaft and the second shaft to an output shaft. A snowmobile including a gearbox is also contemplated.

Gearbox for a vehicle

A snowmobile has a gearbox having a first shaft, a second shaft, first transmission gears mounted to the first shaft and second transmission gears mounted to the second shaft. A driven gear mounted to the first shaft engages a forward drive gear mounted to a countershaft. In a first configuration: the first shaft is coupled to the countershaft; when rotating, a driveshaft rotates in a same direction as the countershaft; and configurable portions of the countershaft and second shaft are free of gears. In a second configuration: the forward drive gear is in selective free-spin engagement with the countershaft; a reverse drive gear mounted to the configurable portion of the countershaft is in driving engagement with the countershaft; an actuator selectively transmits rotary motion from the countershaft to the gearbox; a reverse driven gear mounted to the configurable portion of the second shaft meshes with the reverse drive gear.

A snowmobile is disclosed having improved drive train including a continuously variable transmission (CVT) having a drive belt looped around a driving pulley and a driven pulley, and a transversely arranged jackshaft wherein the driven pulley is connected directly onto the outer surface of one end of the jackshaft. The transverse jackshaft is preferably made from a thin-walled hollow tube and the driven pulley is preferably press fitted thereon. A method of assembling a snowmobile drive train is also disclosed.

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Sherbrooke, Canada

Yan Nolet