초록 ▼

A vehicle track includes an endless belt. A plurality of laterally-elongated propulsive lugs and longitudinally-elongated turning lugs extend outwardly from an outer side of the endless belt. The propulsive lugs provide substantially longitudinally facing surfaces that dig into the snow to give the

A vehicle track includes an endless belt. A plurality of laterally-elongated propulsive lugs and longitudinally-elongated turning lugs extend outwardly from an outer side of the endless belt. The propulsive lugs provide substantially longitudinally facing surfaces that dig into the snow to give the vehicle track propulsion and braking traction. However, the gripping force of the propulsive lugs impedes the longitudinally-elongated track's ability to pivot about a generally vertical axis as the tracked vehicle turns. The turning lugs include longitudinally-elongated side surfaces that substantially face in the lateral direction of the track. When the tracked vehicle is steered, the turning lugs form laterally-facing ramps that push the track upwardly away from the snow in response to lateral forces exerted by the snow on the turning lugs. The resulting upward track movement partially disengages the propulsion and turning lugs from the snow to enhance the track's steerability.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle track, comprising: an endless flexible belt having an outer side and an opposed inner side, the endless flexible belt being engagable with a propulsion system of a vehicle; at least one laterally-elongated propulsive lug projecting from the outer side of the endles

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle track, comprising: an endless flexible belt having an outer side and an opposed inner side, the endless flexible belt being engagable with a propulsion system of a vehicle; at least one laterally-elongated propulsive lug projecting from the outer side of the endless belt to provide propulsive and braking traction for the vehicle track; and at least one turning lug projecting from the outer side of the endless belt, the at least one turning lug having a side surface that forms a ramp that urges the vehicle track to slide upwardly and laterally when subjected to a lateral load. 2. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the side surface is disposed at an outer lateral portion the endless flexible belt. 3. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the side surface is aligned with an outer lateral edge of the endless flexible belt. 4. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning lug comprises a flexible material such that when a lateral load is applied to the at least one turning lug, the at least one turning lug flexes laterally to form the ramp. 5. The vehicle track according to claim 4, wherein the side surface is one of an inside surface and an outside surface, and the turning lug can flex laterally to form the ramp on the one of the inside surface and the outside surface depending on a direction of the lateral load. 6. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning lug defines a lug axis that forms an angle of less than 45 degrees with a longitudinal direction of the endless belt. 7. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one propulsive lug farms an angle of less than 45 degrees with the lateral direction of the endless belt. 8. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at feast one propulsive lug is connected to the at least one turning lug. 9. The vehicle track according to claim 8, wherein the at least one propulsive lug and the at least one turning lug generally form a T shape. 10. The vehicle track according to claim 9, wherein the at least one turning lug comprises first and second turning lugs, and the first and second turning lugs are connected to opposite lateral sides of the at least one propulsive lug generally to form an H shape. 11. The vehicle track according to claim 8, wherein the at least one propulsive lug and the at least one turning lug generally form an L shape. 12. The vehicle track according to claim 11, further comprising a second turning lug, the second turning lug being connected to the at least one propulsive lug away from the at least one turning lug to generally form a C shape. 13. The vehicle track according to claim 11, wherein the side surface of the at least one turning lug is generally planar. 14. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the at least one turning lug generally angles toward a center of the vehicle track. 15. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the at least one turning lug defines a side surface axis that is disposed at an angle of less than 90 degrees from the outer side of the endless belt. 16. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning lug comprises a plurality of turning lugs that are longitudinally spaced from each other over the longitudinal length of the outer side of the endless flexible belt. 17. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning lug comprises first and second sets of turning lugs, each of the sets comprise a plurality of turning lugs that are longitudinally spaced from each other over a longitudinal length of the endless flexible belt, and the first and second sets of turning lugs are laterally offset from each other. 18. The vehicle track according to claim 17, wherein the first and second sets of turning lugs are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the endless flexible belt from each other. 19. The vehicle track according to claim 18, wherein each of the turning lugs has an inside surface and an outside surface, the ramp being formed on the outside surface of at least one lug of the first set of turning lugs and the inside surface of at least one lug of the second set of tuning lugs. 20. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the endless flexible belt is constructed with regions of variable hardness between opposing lateral edges. 21. The vehicle track according to claim 20, wherein the endless flexible belt has a first region with a first hardness associated with the propulsive lug and a second region with a second hardness associated with the turning lug. 22. The vehicle track according to claim 21, wherein the second hardness is greater than the first hardness. 23. A snowmobile in combination with the vehicle track according to claim 1, the snowmobile comprising: a frame; a straddle seat supported by the frame; a suspension system supported by the frame, the vehicle track being operatively supported by the suspension system; a propulsion system operatively connected to the vehicle track; and two front steerable skis supported by the frame. 24. The vehicle track according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning lug is longitudinally-elongated along the endless belt.