Snow bike and a front suspension for a snow bike
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsAllen M. Mangum, Cody L. Telford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A front fork assembly of a snow bike is disclosed having left and right legs, each having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion. The left leg upper and lower leg portions are linearly movable relative to each other. A right leg has an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the right leg upper and lower leg portions are linearly movable relative to each other. A ski mount has a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg. A linear force element is coupled to the left and right legs with a first end adjacent the first ends of the forks and seconds ends coupled to the ski, the linear force element has a different linear force characteristic than the left and right legs.
Claims47
A front fork assembly of a snow bike, comprising:
- a left leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the left leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a right leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the right leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a ski mount having a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg;
- and
- a linear force element coupled to the left and right legs with a first end adjacent first ends of the forks and a second end coupled to the ski, the linear force element having different linear force characteristic than the left and right legs, wherein the upper leg portions of the left and right legs are coupled to each other by way of a triple clamp and an upper end of the linear force element is coupled to a bottom of the triple clamp.
A front fork assembly of a snow bike, comprising:
- a left leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the left leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a right leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the right leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a ski mount having a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg;
- and
- a linear force element coupled to the left and right legs with a first end adjacent first ends of the forks and a second end coupled to the ski, wherein the linear force element is an air shock, the linear force element providing dampening to the right and left leg during the linear movement of the upper and lower leg portions.
A snow bike, comprising:
- a frame;
- a powertrain supported by the frame;
- a rear suspension;
- a drive supported by the rear suspension and coupled to the drivetrain;
- a front suspension, comprising:
- a left leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the left leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a right leg having an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, the right leg upper and lower leg portions being linearly movable relative to each other;
- a ski mount having a lower end for coupling to a ski and an upper end for coupling to the left and right leg;
- a linear force element coupled to the left and right legs with an upper end adjacent upper ends of the forks and a lower end coupled to the ski, the linear force element having different linear force characteristic than the left and right legs;
- and
- a front ski coupled to the front suspension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.