Snow bike and a front suspension for a snow bike
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsAllen M. Mangum, Cody L. Telford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A front fork assembly of a snow bike is disclosed having left and right legs, each having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion. The left leg upper and lower leg portions are linearly movable relative to each other. A right leg has an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the right leg upper and lower leg portions are linearly movable relative to each other. A ski mount has a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg. A linear force element is coupled to the left and right legs with a first end adjacent the first ends of the forks and seconds ends coupled to the ski, the linear force element has a different linear force characteristic than the left and right legs.
Claims26
A front fork assembly of a snow bike, comprising:
- a left leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion;
- a right leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion;
- a ski mount having a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg;
- and
- a linear force element having a first end positioned adjacent and coupled to the left and right legs and a second end coupled to the lower end of the ski mount.
A front suspension assembly for a snow bike, comprising:
- a first arm configured to couple with a frame member of the snow bike;
- a second arm generally opposite the first arm;
- a ski mount configured to couple with a front ski and configured with a first mounting location for the first arm, a second mounting location for the second arm, a third mounting location for the front ski, and a fourth mounting location;
- and
- a linear force element having an upper end and a lower end, and the lower end is coupled to the ski mount at the fourth mounting location, and a portion of the linear force element is laterally aligned with a portion of the first arm and a portion of the second arm.
A snow bike, comprising:
- a frame assembly;
- a propulsion assembly supported by the frame assembly;
- a steering assembly supported by the frame assembly and including an upstanding first member and an upstanding second member;
- a ski mount operably coupled to the first and second members at a first position and including a bracket;
- a ski operably coupled to the bracket of the ski mount;
- and
- a linear force element having a first end and a second end, the second end operably coupled to the bracket of the ski mount, and the first end positioned above the second end and above the first position wherein at least a portion of the linear force element extends above a lower end of each of the upstanding first member and the upstanding second member.
A front suspension assembly for a snow bike, comprising:
- a first arm having an upper end and a lower end, and the upper end is configured to couple with a portion of the snow bike;
- a second arm having an upper end and a lower end, and the upper end is configured to couple with the portion of the snow bike;
- a ski mount having a first mounting location for coupling with the first arm and a second mounting location for coupling with the second arm;
- and
- a linear force element having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end being forward of the upper end and the lower end is configured to couple with the ski mount at a third mounting location having a vertical position lower than the first and second mounting locations and a lateral position between the first and second mounting locations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.