Back to results
US 5,660,245 AGranted
Snowmobile
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsGregory J. Marier, Tommy O. Moats, Kazuyoshi Takada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsGregory J. Marier, Tommy O. Moats, Kazuyoshi Takada
Estimating the term…
A snowmobile construction wherein the components are laid out so as to improve the center of gravity of the snowmobile and position the major components so that they will exert a large portion of their weight on the drive belt. The snowmobile includes a built-up frame assembly that defines a cradle in which the engine is positioned and which drives the drive belt through a pair of transmissions. One of these transmissions is disposed within the frame assembly and in a casing carried by an opening in one side of the frame assembly. The snowmobile is steered by a steering shaft that extends across the top of the engine and through a space between the exhaust manifold of the engine and the engine so as to provide a compact assembly. The positioning of the transmission inboard of the frame permits the use of a forwardly positioned seat with foot rests disposed outwardly of the transmission but closely adjacent the sides of the frame.
A snowmobile comprised of a frame assembly including a pair of spaced-apart side portions suspended from a drive belt, an internal combustion engine disposed at the front of said frame assembly and supported with its output shaft extending generally transversely relative to said side portions, a belt drive shaft engaged with and driving said drive belt, an intermediate shaft driven by said engine output shaft by first transmission means and driving said drive belt shaft by second transmission means, said engine output shaft, said drive belt shaft, and said intermediate shaft being rotatably journalled about parallel transversely extending are, at least one of said transmission means being positioned substantially entirely within the lateral confines of said frame portions, a seat carried by said frame assembly in proximity to and to the rear of said internal combustion engine, and a pair of foot rests carried by said frame means on opposite sides thereof to accommodate the feet of a rider seated upon said seat, one of said foot rests being juxtaposed transversely outwardly of said one transmission means and transmission casing means carried and formed by the one frame side portion and containing the at least one transmission means.
A frame assembly for a snowmobile comprised of a first member comprised of a pair of side portions and a top portion having a generally inverted U-shaped cross section adapted to overlie a drive belt, a pair of front side plates affixed to the forward ends of said side portions and extending forwardly therefrom for defining a cradle adapted to receive an internal combustion engine for powering the snowmobile and at least one cross member affixed to and spanning said front side plates.
A snowmobile comprised of frame means, a drive belt suspended by said frame means, an engine supported by said frame means, transmission means for driving said drive belt from said engine, a seat carried by said frame means behind said engine and above said drive belt, a pair of dirigible front skis carried by said frame means, and steering means carried by said frame means forwardly of said seat for operation by an operator seated upon said seat for steering of said front skis, said steering means including a steering shaft rotatable about an axis that is upwardly inclined in a rearward direction and that passes over said engine, said engine having at least one forwardly facing exhaust port and an exhaust manifold for discharging exhaust gases from said exhaust port to the atmosphere comprising a first portion extending forwardly from the exhaust port, a second portion extending rearwardly and to one side of the engine, and a re-entrant portion in connecting said first and said second portions of said exhaust minifold and defining a space forwardly of the engine and through which said steering shaft passes.
A snowmobile comprised of frame means, a drive belt suspended by said frame means, an engine supported by said frame means, transmission means driving said drive belt from said engine, a seat carried by said frame means behind said engine and above said drive belt, a pair of dirigible front skis carried by said frame means, said engine having exhaust port means on one side of said engine, an exhaust system for discharging exhaust gases from said exhaust port means to the atmosphere comprising a manifold having a first portion extending from said exhaust port means away from said one side of said engine, a second portion extending along one end of said engine and connected to said first portion by a re-entrant portion to define a generally U shape in top plan view, and steering means carried by said frame means forwardly of said seat for operation by an operator seated upon said seat for steering of said front skis, said steering means including a steering shaft rotatable about an axis that extends between said one side of said engine and said re-entrant portion.
A snowmobile comprised of frame means, a drive belt suspended by said frame means, an engine supported by said frame means, transmission means driving said drive belt from said engine, a seat carried by said frame means behind said engine and above said drive belt, a pair of dirigible front skis carried by said frame means, and steering means carried by said frame means forwardly of said seat for operation by an operator seated upon said seat for steering of said front skis, said engine being formed with intake port means on one side thereof, an induction system affixed to said one side of said engine for delivering at least an air charge thereto and including an air inlet device for inducting atmospheric air, and a fuel tank carried by said frame means for supplying fuel to said engine for its operation, said fuel tank having a generally L-shaped configuration in top plan view comprised of a first long leg section extending along said one side of said engine contiguous to said air inlet device and a second short leg extending from one end of said first leg toward said one side of said engine and along and adjacent to one side of said induction system and said air inlet device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.