Patent Application
20120090942
The present disclosure relates to a drive train for an all-terrain vehicle, and more particularly, to a drive train for an all-terrain vehicle using an energy absorbing device to limit peak torque and shock loads applied to the components of the drive train.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
All-terrain vehicles and utility-terrain vehicles (ATVs & UTVs) are generally of relatively small size and weight and are configured to carry one or two passengers, but may also be configured to seat more than one person side by side or in two or more rows of seats. Such ATVs or UTVs are generally provided with four wheels having all-wheel drive. Vehicle of this type have become increasingly popular and are used for recreation, hunting, and maintenance. Because of the widespread off-road and recreational use of these vehicles, on rough terrain, the components of the drive train are often exposed to large peak loads and shock loads that can lead to failure or damage to the drive train components.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The present disclosure provides an energy absorbing device to limit peak torque and shock loads applied to the drive train components of an all-terrain or utility-terrain vehicle. The device may be installed in the differential or drive housing, inboard of the variable shaft or half-shaft or outboard of the constant shaft or half-shaft, and in the interconnecting shaft itself. The energy absorbing device allows excessive drive train energy to be dissipated by friction between components of the energy absorbing device or storage of energy using some form of torsional, helical, leaf spring, plate clutch, or cone type clutch.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
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A preload spring device 52 is provided within the clutch housing 32 and biases the clutch output member 40 in an axial direction to provide friction engagement between the conical friction surfaces 42 and 38. The spring device 52 can be in the form of belleville springs or can take on other known forms. A seal 54 can be provided for preventing dirt, debris, and water from entering the energy absorbing device 30.
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The energy absorbing device of the present disclosure allows excessive drive train energy in an all-terrain vehicle to be dissipated by friction between components of the drive train. Alternatively, storage of energy using some form of torsional, helical, or leaf spring can alternatively be utilized.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
