초록

The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to trail compliant side-by-side all terrain vehicles.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An all-terrain vehicle including: a frame, comprising a front frame portion, a mid frame portion and a rear frame portion;a front suspension supported by the front frame portion;at least two front wheels coupled to the front suspension;a front axle assembly supported by the front frame portion an

1. An all-terrain vehicle including: a frame, comprising a front frame portion, a mid frame portion and a rear frame portion;a front suspension supported by the front frame portion;at least two front wheels coupled to the front suspension;a front axle assembly supported by the front frame portion and drivingly coupled to the front wheels;a seating area supported by the mid frame portion, comprising side by side seats;an engine supported by the rear frame portion, the engine positioned rearwardly of the seating area;a transmission coupled to and extending rearwardly of the engine;a rear suspension supported by the rear frame portion;at least two rear wheels coupled to the rear suspension;a rear axle assembly supported by the rear frame portion and drivingly coupled to the rear wheels;a front drive shaft extending between the transmission and the front axle assembly for coupling the transmission to the front wheels; anda rear drive shaft extending between the transmission and the rear axle assembly for coupling the transmission to the rear wheels. 2. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seating area is comprised of side-by-side bucket seats having a seat back and a seat bottom. 3. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 2, wherein each bottom has a seating surface and a low point of the seating surface is below a top of the engine. 4. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a transmission shift lever extending through a console positioned between the seat bottoms. 5. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear frame portion comprises a lower rear frame portion and an upper rear frame portion. 6. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, wherein the lower rear frame portion is comprised of lower cross members. 7. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, wherein the upper rear frame portion is comprised of at least one cross member. 8. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, wherein the upper rear frame portion at least partially extends over at least one of the engine or transmission. 9. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, wherein the upper rear frame portion further comprises a rear brace positioned over the engine and transmission. 10. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 9, wherein the rear brace is directly coupled to the rear frame portion. 11. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, wherein an engine cover is positioned over and is supported by the upper rear frame portion. 12. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, further comprising an outer body panel supported by the frame. 13. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 12, wherein the outer body panel comprises a front body panel and a hood. 14. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a front storage enclosure positioned under the hood, the enclosure having walls that restrain movement of items placed therein. 15. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a protective panel positioned between the pair of laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces and the engine. 16. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 15, wherein the front driveshaft extends under the protective panel. 17. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a fuel tank, the spaced-apart seating surfaces including a driver seating surface and a passenger seating surface, the fuel tank being positioned below one of the seating surfaces. 18. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 17, further comprising a battery positioned below the other of the seating surfaces. 19. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 18, wherein the driveshaft extends laterally between the fuel tank and the battery. 20. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine is located completely forward of a rearwardmost portion of the at least two rear wheels. 21. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least two front wheels include a right wheel and a left wheel, the at least two rear wheels include a right wheel and a left wheel, each wheel including a portion of highest elevation, lines drawn between the points of highest elevation of right side front and rear wheels perform one of passing through and passing over a seat portion of the side by side seats, and lines drawn between the points of highest elevation of left side front and rear wheels perform one of passing through and passing over the seat portion of the side by side seats. 22. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1, further including a transmission shift lever located such that a straight line can be drawn that intersects two seats of the side by side seats and the transmission shift lever. 23. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 11, wherein all portions of the engine are located beneath the engine cover. 24. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 11, further including a gas tank, all portions of the gas tank are located at an elevation lower than the engine cover. 25. The all terrain vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear axle assembly is positioned rearwardly of the engine. 26. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear frame portion is completely rearward of the seats. 27. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein all portions of the mid frame portion are rearward of all portions of the front frame portion and forward of all portions of the rear frame portion. 28. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein each seat bottom is supported by the mid frame portion and all portions of the seat bottoms of the side-by-side bucket seats are located outside of the space vertically above the engine. 29. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein all portions of the engine are located rearwardly of at least a portion of a seat in the seating area. 30. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein every part of the rear frame portion is disposed rearwardly of the mid frame portion. 31. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mid frame portion is rearward of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion is rearward of the mid frame portion. 32. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein the engine is coupled to the rear frame portion at a location rearward of the mid frame portion. 33. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an engine mount on the rear frame portion, the engine mount being located longitudinally rearward of all parts of the seating area. 34. An all-terrain vehicle comprising: a frame, comprising a front frame portion, a mid frame portion and a rear frame portion;a front suspension supported by the front frame portion;at least two front wheels coupled to the front suspension;a front axle assembly supported by the front frame portion and drivingly coupled to the front wheels;a seating area supported by the mid frame portion, comprising side by side seats;an engine supported by the rear frame portion, the engine positioned rearwardly of the seating area;a transmission coupled to the engine, the transmission being completely rearward of the seating area;a rear suspension supported by the rear frame portion;at least two rear wheels coupled to the rear suspension;a rear axle assembly supported by the rear frame portion rearward of the engine and drivingly coupled to the rear wheels;a front drive shaft extending forward of the transmission for coupling the transmission to the front wheels via a front axle assembly; anda rear drive shaft extending rearward of the transmission for coupling the transmission to the rear wheels via the rear axle assembly. 35. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine includes a continuously variable clutch. 36. The vehicle of claim 34, wherein the seating area is comprised of side-by-side bucket seats having a seat back and a seat bottom. 37. The vehicle of claim 34, wherein each bottom has a seating surface and a low point of the seating surface is below a top of the engine. 38. The vehicle of claim 34, wherein all portions of the engine are located rearwardly of at least a portion of a seat in the seating area.