Snowmobile frame

Abstract

An engine cradle adapted for receiving an engine includes a left side wall defining a C-shaped opening therein. The engine cradle also includes a right side wall, which is essentially a solid wall that provides a reflective surface for reflecting heat to the engine when contained within the engine cradle. The engine cradle also includes a front wall connected between forward portions of the left and right side walls. The engine cradle also includes a bottom panel and a rear panel connected between bottom portions of the front, left side, and right side walls.

Description

[0001] This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 877,064, filed Jun. 11, 2001 which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60 / 246,110, filed Nov. 7, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 472,133, entitled "IMPROVED VEHICLE" filed on Dec. 23, 1999, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. That application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 2,256,944, which was filed on Dec. 23, 1998. The contents of Canadian Application No. 2,256,944 are also incorporated herein by reference. This application also incorporates by reference U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 472,134, entitled "SNOWMOBILE," which was filed on Dec. 23, 1999. In addition, this application incorporates by reference U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60 / 230,432, entitled "A NOVEL THREE-WHEELED VEHICLE," which was filed on Sep. 6, 2000. Finally, this appl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] In view of the foregoing, one object of the present invention is to exploit the design elements of a snowmobile that are easily and readily transferred to the design of an ATV based on the same basic frame structure.

[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a foot-gripping element on a footrest that includes a jagged portion extending upwardly from the footrest and defining teeth at a top portion thereof. A deflector portion is positioned at an opposite side of a hole through the footrest and is angled downwardly from the footrest to discourage particles from being stirred up and passing through the hole onto a top portion of the footrest.

[0014] It is still another object of the present invention to incorporate a heat exchanger into the tunnel. In an alternate embodiment, the heat exchanger is a radiator that extends substantially the length of the tunnel and assists in dissipating heat from engine coolant circulating therethrough.

Problems solved by technology

Despite this, snowmobiles, ATVs, and other recreational vehicles do not share a common design approach or a commonality of components.

Unfortunately, this adds significantly to the overall weight of the vehicle.

A problem with this construction technique is that the holes may not line up as precisely as the manufacturer would like.

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