초록 ▼

The present invention provides track assemblies and a method that allow bringing the contact patch towards the inside (the outside) of the suspension arm, by providing a asymmetric track assembly, either by lowering at least one inside (outside) support wheel relative to the remaining support wheels

The present invention provides track assemblies and a method that allow bringing the contact patch towards the inside (the outside) of the suspension arm, by providing a asymmetric track assembly, either by lowering at least one inside (outside) support wheel relative to the remaining support wheels, or by using a belt that comprises, transversally, at least one first profile on the outer (inner) side thereof lower than a second profile on an inner side thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An endless track for a track assembly of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising a drive wheel for im

1. An endless track for a track assembly of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising a drive wheel for imparting motion to the endless track, the track assembly comprising a plurality of support wheels for rolling on a bottom run of the endless track, the endless track comprising: an inner side for facing the drive wheel and the support wheels;a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; anda first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track; the endless track having a first half, a second half, and a centerline between the first half and the second half, the first half extending from the first lateral edge to the centerline, the second half extending from the second lateral edge to the centerline, the first half being configured to produce more traction on the ground than the second half. 2. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of support wheels comprises a first set of support wheels and a second set of support wheels, the inner side being configured to contact the first set of support wheels between the centerline and the first lateral edge and to contact the second set of support wheels between the centerline and the second lateral edge, the endless track being configured to apply more pressure on the ground at a region beneath the first set of support wheels than at a region beneath the second set of support wheels. 3. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lateral edge is located closer to a center of the ATV than the second lateral edge. 4. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein a maximum thickness of the endless track between the centerline and the first lateral edge is greater than a maximum thickness of the endless track between the centerline and the second lateral edge. 5. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging outer side comprises a first set of traction profiles between the centerline and the first lateral edge and a second set of traction profiles between the centerline and the second lateral edge, at least one traction profile in the first set of traction profiles having a greater height than each traction profile in the second set of traction profiles. 6. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endless track is asymmetric relative to the centerline to apply more pressure on the ground between the centerline and the first lateral edge than between the centerline and the second lateral edge. 7. An endless track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endless track has a generally convex shape between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge. 8. An assembly for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the assembly comprising: a. a frame;b. a drive wheel for driving an endless track, the endless track comprising: i. an inner side;ii. a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; andiii. a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track, the endless track having a first half, a second half, and a centerline between the first half and the second half, the first half extending from the first lateral edge to the centerline, the second half extending from the second lateral edge to the centerline; andc. a plurality of support wheels for contacting a bottom run of the endless track, the support wheels being arranged to cause the first half of the endless track to produce more traction on the ground than the second half of the endless track. 9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of support wheels comprises a first set of support wheels and a second set of support wheels, the first set of support wheels being mounted to contact the inner side of the endless track between the centerline and the first lateral edge, the second set of support wheels being mounted to contact the inner side of the endless track between the centerline and the second lateral edge. 10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first set of support wheels and the second set of support wheels are arranged to cause the endless track to apply more pressure on the ground at a region beneath the first set of support wheels than at a region beneath the second set of support wheels. 11. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein a lowest point of the first set of support wheels is lower than a lowest point of the second set of support wheels. 12. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein an imaginary line passing through a lowest point of each support wheel of the first set of support wheels extends lower than an imaginary line passing through a lowest point of each support wheel of the second set of support wheels. 13. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first set of support wheels is arranged to contact the bottom run of the endless track at a first contact area and the second set of support wheels is arranged to contact the bottom run of the endless track at a second contact area, the first contact area reaching lower than the second contact area. 14. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame comprises a suspension arm, the first set of support wheels and the second set of support wheels being mounted to the suspension arm and being respectively located on opposite sides of the suspension arm. 15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein first and second ones of the support wheels are mounted to a tandem member that is pivotable relative to the suspension arm about a pivot point. 16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, comprising a resilient suspension between the suspension arm and the tandem member. 17. A track assembly for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising: a. a frame;b. a drive wheel;c. a plurality of support wheels; andd. an endless track comprising: i. an inner side facing the drive wheel and the support wheels, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart movement of the endless track, the support wheels contacting a bottom run of the endless track;ii. a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; andiii. a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track, the endless track having a first half, a second half, and a centerline between the first half and the second half, the first half extending from the first lateral edge to the centerline, the second half extending from the second lateral edge to the centerline, the track assembly being configured to cause the first half of the endless track to produce more traction on the ground than the second half of the endless track. 18. An assembly for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the assembly comprising: a. a frame comprising a suspension structure;b. a drive wheel for driving an endless track, the endless track comprising: i. an inner side;ii. a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; andiii. a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track; andc. a plurality of support wheels for contacting a bottom run of the endless track, the plurality of support wheels comprising: i. a first set of support wheels mounted to contact the bottom run of the endless track between the suspension structure and the first lateral edge of the endless track; andii. a second set of support wheels mounted to contact the bottom run of the endless track between the suspension structure and the second lateral edge of the endless track,wherein, when the assembly is on a horizontal ground surface, a lowest point of a support wheel mounted to contact the bottom run of the endless track between the suspension structure and the first lateral edge of the endless track is lower than a lowest point of every support wheel mounted to contact the bottom run of the endless track between the suspension structure and the second lateral edge of the endless track. 19. A track assembly for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising: a. a frame;b. a drive wheel;c. a plurality of support wheels; andd. an endless track comprising: i. an inner side facing the drive wheel and the support wheels, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart movement of the endless track, the support wheels contacting a bottom run of the endless track;ii. a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; andiii. a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track; the track assembly being configured such that, when the ATV is steered to turn, the endless track pivots on the ground about an axis that is located closer to the first lateral edge than to the second lateral edge. 20. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of support wheels comprises a first set of support wheels and a second set of support wheels, the first set of support wheels contacting the inner side of the endless track closer to the first lateral edge than to the second lateral edge, the second set of support wheels contacting the inner side of the endless track closer to the second lateral edge than to the first lateral edge, the endless track being configured to apply more pressure on the ground at a region beneath the first set of support wheels than at a region beneath the second set of support wheels. 21. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein, in use, the first lateral edge is located closer to a center of the ATV than the second lateral edge. 22. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the endless track has a maximum thickness closer to the first lateral edge than to the second lateral edge. 23. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the endless track has a first half, a second half, and a centerline between the first half and the second half, the first half extending from the centerline to the first lateral edge, the second half extending from the centerline to the second lateral edge, the ground-engaging outer side comprising a first set of traction profiles between the centerline and the first lateral edge and a second set of traction profiles between the centerline and the second lateral edge, at least one traction profile in the first set of traction profiles having a greater height than each traction profile in the second set of traction profiles. 24. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the endless track has a first half, a second half, and a centerline between the first half and the second half, the first half extending from the centerline to the first lateral edge, the second half extending from the centerline to the second lateral edge, the endless track being asymmetric relative to the centerline to apply more pressure on the ground between the centerline and the first lateral edge than between the centerline and the second lateral edge. 25. A track assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of support wheels comprises a first set of support wheels and a second set of support wheels, the first set of support wheels being mounted to contact the inner side of the endless track closer to the first lateral edge than to the second lateral edge, the second set of support wheels being mounted to contact the inner side of the endless track closer to the second lateral edge than to the first lateral edge, the first set of support wheels and the second set of support wheels being arranged to cause the endless track to apply more pressure on the ground at a region beneath the first set of support wheels than at a region beneath the second set of support wheels. 26. A track assembly as claimed in claim 25, wherein a lowest point of the first set of support wheels is lower than a lowest point of the second set of support wheels. 27. A track assembly for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising: a. a frame;b. a drive wheel;c. a plurality of support wheels; andd. an endless track comprising: i. an inner side facing the drive wheel and the support wheels, the drive wheel being rotatable to impart movement of the endless track, the support wheels contacting a bottom run of the endless track; andii. a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground on which the ATV travels; wherein, when the ATV travels on the ground, the endless track applies more pressure on the ground where a contact patch of the given one of the ground-engaging wheels would be located than where the contact patch of the given one of the ground-engaging wheels would not be located. 28. A track assembly for providing traction to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the ATV being designed to travel on a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly being mountable to the ATV in place of a given one of the ground-engaging wheels, the track assembly comprising: a) a frame;b) a plurality of wheels; andc) an endless track disposed around the plurality of wheels to engage the ground, the endless track comprising: an inner surface facing the plurality of wheels;a ground-engaging outer surface for engaging the ground; anda first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a width of the endless track;wherein the plurality of wheels includes: i. a drive wheel for imparting motion to the endless track;ii. a first corner wheel and a second corner wheel spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly; andiii. a plurality of support wheels on a bottom run of the endless track, the support wheels being located between the first corner wheel and the second corner wheel in the longitudinal direction of the track assembly, the support wheels being configured such that, when the track assembly is on a horizontal ground surface, a support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track extends lower than every support wheel between the frame and the second lateral edge of the endless track. 29. A track assembly as claimed in claim 28, wherein the support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track is a first support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track, the support wheels being configured such that, when the track assembly is on the horizontal ground surface, a second support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track extends lower than every support wheel between the frame and the second lateral edge of the endless track. 30. A track assembly as claimed in claim 28, wherein the support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track is mounted to the frame in a lower position than every support wheel between the frame and the second lateral edge of the endless track. 31. A track assembly as claimed in claim 29, wherein the first support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track and the second support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track are mounted in tandem to a structure pivotable relative to the frame. 32. A track assembly as claimed in claim 28, comprising a rubber bushing disposed between (i) the frame and (ii) the support wheel between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track to cushion against shocks. 33. A track assembly as claimed in claim 31, comprising a rubber bushing disposed between the frame and the structure pivotable relative to the frame to cushion against shocks. 34. A track assembly as claimed in claim 28, wherein, when the track assembly is on the horizontal ground surface, the endless track applies more pressure on the horizontal ground surface between the frame and the first lateral edge of the endless track than between the frame and the second lateral edge of the endless track.