Dropcase suspension assembly for a motorized vehicle

A suspension assembly for a motorized vehicle comprising:

• a drive unit defining a drive-unit output aperture;
• a rotatable drive-unit driveshaft having a longitudinal length and a distal end portion extending outwardly from the drive unit through the drive-unit output aperture;
• an arm having a longitudinal length, a first portion, and a second portion spatially offset from the first end portion, the first portion of the arm pivotally coupled to the drive unit;
• an arm driveshaft having a first end portion and an opposing second end portion, the first end portion coupled to the drive-unit driveshaft such that rotation of the drive-unit driveshaft causes a corresponding rotation of the arm driveshaft, the second end portion extending outwardly from the second portion of the arm and configured and arranged to couple to a wheel hub, wherein the arm driveshaft is spatially offset from the drive-unit driveshaft along the longitudinal length of the arm;
• and
• a pivotal-coupling assembly pivotally coupling the arm to the drive unit, the pivotal-coupling assembly providing a pivot axis between the arm and the drive unit along the longitudinal length of the drive-unit driveshaft;
• wherein the arm comprises:
• a dropcase having an outer case enclosing the dropcase, the outer case having an outer surface;
• a dropcase input aperture defined in the outer case along the first portion of the dropcase, the dropcase input aperture receiving the distal end portion of the drive-unit driveshaft;
• and
• a dropcase output aperture defined in the outer case along the second portion of the dropcase;
• wherein the arm driveshaft extends through the dropcase output aperture;
• wherein the pivotal-coupling assembly comprises a flange projecting outwardly around one of the drive-unit output aperture and the dropcase input aperture, and wherein the input flange is pivotally received by the other of one of the drive-unit output aperture and the dropcase input aperture.

A motorized vehicle having a longitudinal axis, the motorized vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• an engine coupled to the chassis;
• a first wheel coupled to the chassis, the first wheel comprising
• a first wheel hub coupled to the engine such that power generated by the engine turns the wheel hub, and
• a rim coupled to the first wheel hub and configured and arranged to receive a tire;
• and
• a suspension assembly comprising:
• a drive unit defining a drive-unit output aperture;
• a rotatable drive-unit driveshaft having a longitudinal length and a distal end portion extending outwardly from the drive unit through the drive-unit output aperture;
• an arm having a longitudinal length, a first portion, and a second portion spatially offset from the first end portion, the first portion of the arm pivotally coupled to the drive unit;
• an arm driveshaft having a first end portion and an opposing second end portion, the first end portion coupled to the drive-unit driveshaft such that rotation of the drive-unit driveshaft causes a corresponding rotation of the arm driveshaft, the second end portion extending outwardly from the second portion of the arm and configured and arranged to couple to a wheel hub, wherein the arm driveshaft is spatially offset from the drive-unit driveshaft along the longitudinal length of the arm;
• and
• a pivotal-coupling assembly pivotally coupling the arm to the drive unit, the pivotal-coupling assembly providing a pivot axis between the arm and the drive unit along the longitudinal length of the drive-unit driveshaft;
• wherein the arm is a dropcase and the arm driveshaft is a dropcase driveshaft;
• wherein the first wheel hub is coupled to the second end portion of the dropcase driveshaft of the suspension assembly;
• wherein the drive-unit driveshaft and the dropcase driveshaft extend parallel to one another.