Vehicle with a Drive Shaft Passing Through an Engine
AssigneeBombardier Recreational Products Inc.
InventorsVincent Morin, Mihai Rasidescu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle has a transmission detachably connected to an engine casing. The engine crankshaft includes a drive pulley connected via a belt to a driven pulley in the transmission, thus providing a continuously variable transmission between the engine crankshaft and the transmission. The transmission is operatively connected to a rear drive shaft for delivering torque via a rear differential to the rear wheels and is selectively connected, for four-wheel-drive traction, to a front drive shaft which delivers torque via a front differential to the front wheels. The front drive shaft passes through the engine casing, passing above the oil pan and between the crankshaft counterweights of a piston of the engine.
Claims20
A wheeled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a straddle seat mounted on the frame for supporting a driver;
- a plurality of wheels suspended from the frame, each wheel having a tire;
- a steering assembly disposed on the frame forwardly of the straddle seat for steering at least one of the plurality of wheels;
- an engine mounted to the frame, the engine having an engine casing and a crankshaft;
- a transmission being driven by the crankshaft, the transmission being disposed outside of the engine casing;
- a drive shaft passing through the engine casing, the drive shaft being driven by the transmission and being separate from the crankshaft;
- and
- a differential being driven by the drive shaft, the drive shaft driving at least one of the plurality of wheels via the differential.
The vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmission is detachably connected to a forward portion of the engine casing.
The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transmission comprises a mounting flange for detachably connecting the transmission to the engine casing, the mounting flange comprising a bore through which the rear drive shaft passes.
A wheeled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a straddle seat mounted on the frame for supporting a driver;
- a plurality of wheels suspended from the frame, each wheel having a tire;
- a steering assembly disposed on the frame forwardly of the straddle seat for steering at least one of the plurality of wheels;
- an engine mounted to the frame, the engine having an engine casing and a crankshaft;
- means for transmitting power being driven by the crankshaft, the means for transmitting power being disposed outside of the engine casing;
- means for driving at least one of the wheels passing through the engine casing, the means for driving being driven by the means for transmitting power and being separate from the crankshaft;
- and
- a differential being driven by the means for driving, the means for driving driving at least one of the plurality of wheels via the differential.
A wheeled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a straddle seat mounted on the frame for supporting a driver;
- a plurality of wheels suspended from the frame, each wheel having a tire;
- a steering assembly disposed on the frame forwardly of the straddle seat for steering at least one of the plurality of wheels;
- an engine mounted to the frame, the engine having an engine casing and a crankshaft;
- and
- a drivetrain comprising:
- a transmission operatively interconnecting the crankshaft with one of the wheels;
- and
- a plurality of shafts, at least one of the plurality of shafts passing through the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.