Track assembly for providing traction to an off-road vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile

A track assembly for traction of an off-road vehicle, the track assembly comprising:

• a plurality of track-contacting wheels comprising:
• a drive wheel;
• and
• a plurality of idler wheels spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly;
• an axis of rotation of the drive wheel being spaced apart from axes of rotation of the idler wheels;
• an endless track disposed around the track-contacting wheels and comprising an inner side facing the track-contacting wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart motion of the endless track, the idler wheels contacting a bottom run of the endless track;
• and
• a frame supporting the idler wheels, the frame comprising a hollow frame structure supporting respective ones of the idler wheels, the hollow frame structure comprising a wall that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and lateral surfaces of the hollow frame structure and defines a hollow interior of the hollow frame structure when the track assembly is mounted to the off-road vehicle, the hollow frame structure extending at least as high as a given one of the idler wheels such that a point of the hollow frame structure aligned with a top of the given one of the idler wheels in the longitudinal direction of the track assembly is located at least as high as the top of the given one of the idler wheels.

A track assembly for traction of an off-road vehicle, the track assembly comprising:

• a plurality of track-contacting wheels comprising:
• a drive wheel;
• and
• a plurality of idler wheels spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly;
• an axis of rotation of the drive wheel being spaced apart from axes of rotation of the idler wheels;
• an endless track disposed around the track-contacting wheels and comprising an inner side facing the track-contacting wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart motion of the endless track, the idler wheels contacting a bottom run of the endless track;
• and
• a frame supporting the idler wheels, the frame comprising a polymeric hollow frame structure supporting respective ones of the idler wheels, the polymeric hollow frame structure comprising a wall that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and lateral surfaces of the polymeric hollow frame structure and defines a hollow interior of the polymeric hollow frame structure, the hollow interior of the polymeric hollow frame structure occupying a majority of a volume of the polymeric hollow frame structure.

A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the track assembly comprising:

• a plurality of track-contacting wheels comprising:
• a drive wheel;
• and
• a plurality of idler wheels spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly;
• an axis of rotation of the drive wheel being spaced apart from axes of rotation of the idler wheels;
• a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels and comprising an inner side facing the track-contacting wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart motion of the track, the idler wheels contacting a bottom run of the track;
• and
• a frame supporting the idler wheels, the frame comprising a nonmetallic hollow frame structure supporting respective ones of the idler wheels, the nonmetallic hollow frame structure comprising a wall that encloses a hollow interior of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure when the track assembly is mounted to the vehicle.

A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the track assembly comprising:

• a plurality of track-contacting wheels comprising:
• a drive wheel;
• and
• a plurality of idler wheels spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly;
• an axis of rotation of the drive wheel being spaced apart from axes of rotation of the idler wheels;
• a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels and comprising an inner side facing the track-contacting wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart motion of the track, the idler wheels contacting a bottom run of the track;
• and
• a frame supporting the idler wheels, the frame comprising a polymeric hollow frame structure supporting respective ones of the idler wheels, the polymeric hollow frame structure comprising a molded wall that defines a molded hollow interior of the polymeric hollow frame structure when the track assembly is mounted to the vehicle.