Snow track for a snowmobile
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsJoshua J. Mickelson, Michael A. Hedlund
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endless track for propelling a snowmobile. The endless track includes an inner drive surface and an outer ground-engaging surface opposite to the inner drive surface. A first side surface is opposite to a second side surface. A plurality of first side lugs are adjacent to the first side surface. A plurality of second side lugs are adjacent to the second side surface. The plurality of first side lugs and the plurality of second side lugs provide traction when the snowmobile is operated off-axis and tilted on its side as well as provides traction surfaces on additional planes other than the outer carcass of the endless track when the track is submerged in the snow.
Claims18
An endless track for propelling a snowmobile, the endless track comprising:
- an inner drive surface;
- an outer ground-engaging surface opposite to the inner drive surface;
- a first side surface;
- a second side surface opposite to the first side surface;
- a plurality of first side inner treads adjacent to the first side surface;
- and
- a plurality of second side inner treads adjacent to the second side surface;
- wherein the plurality of first side inner treads extend outward from, and generally perpendicular to, the inner drive surface adjacent to the first side surface, each of the first side inner treads including a first thrust panel with lateral side supports configured to engage snow when the snowmobile is operated off-axis;
- and
- wherein the plurality of second side inner treads extend outward from, and generally perpendicular to, the inner drive surface adjacent to the second side surface, each of the second side inner treads including a second thrust panel with lateral side supports configured to engage snow when the snowmobile is operated off-axis.
An endless track for propelling a snowmobile, the endless track comprising:
- an outer ground-engaging surface;
- an inner drive surface opposite to the outer-ground engaging surface;
- a first side surface;
- a second side surface opposite to the first side surface;
- outer lugs extending from the outer ground-engaging surface;
- drive lugs extending from the inner drive surface and configured to cooperate with a drive member of the snowmobile for rotating the endless track;
- first side inner treads spaced laterally apart from the drive lugs and extending from the inner drive surface adjacent to the first side surface, behind the first side inner treads the first side surface defines first recesses;
- second side inner treads spaced laterally apart from the drive lugs and extending from the inner drive surface adjacent to the second side surface, behind the second side inner treads the second side surface defines second recesses;
- wherein each one of the first side inner treads and each one of the second side inner treads is positioned opposite to one of the outer lugs to form one of a plurality of continuous thrust panels extending between the inner drive surface and the outer ground-engaging surface;
- and
- wherein the first recesses and the second recesses are configured to expose the plurality of continuous thrust panels to snow when the snowmobile is operated off-axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.