Track assembly for providing traction to an off-road vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle (atv) or a snowmobile

Abstract

A track assembly for traction of an off-road vehicle, such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile, is disclosed. The track assembly comprises a plurality of track-contacting wheels, which comprises: a drive wheel; and a plurality of idler wheels spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly. The track assembly also comprises an endless track disposed around the track-contacting wheels. A frame of the track assembly may comprise a hollow frame structure. The hollow frame structure may be dimensioned to impede accumulation of snow, mud, rocks, debris, etc. in the track assembly. The track assembly may comprise interwheel guides between longitudinally adjacent ones of the idler wheels to contact a bottom run of the endless track, and/or fenders adjacent to given ones of the idler wheels. The frame's hollowness, the interwheel guides, and/or the fenders may be realized during molding of a portion of the frame using a blow molding or other fluid-based molding process.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the track assembly comprising:
 a plurality of track-contacting wheels;   a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels, the track comprising a ground-engaging outer side and an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side; and   a frame supporting respective ones of the track-contacting wheels, the frame comprising a nonmetallic hollow frame structure, the nonmetallic hollow frame structure comprising a wall that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and lateral surfaces of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure and defines a hollow interior of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure, the nonmetallic hollow frame structure overlying a centerline of the track in a widthwise direction of the track.   
     
     
         3 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the nonmetallic hollow frame structure is a polymeric hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         4 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the polymeric hollow frame structure is a blow-molded polymeric hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         5 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the hollow interior occupies a majority of a volume of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         6 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the hollow interior occupies at least 80% of the volume of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         7 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the wall has a thickness of at least 1 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the wall has a thickness of at least 2 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The track assembly of  claim 2 , comprising a slider to slide against the inner side of the track at a bottom run of the track. 
     
     
         10 . The track assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the slider overlies the centerline of the track in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         11 . The track assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the slider is fastened to the frame. 
     
     
         12 . The track assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the slider is integrally molded with the frame. 
     
     
         13 . The track assembly of  claim 12 , where in the slider comprises a track-contacting projection projecting from the bottom surface of the wall of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         14 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure changes along a longitudinal direction of the track assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the nonmetallic hollow frame structure extends at least as high as a given one of the track-contacting wheels such that a point of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure aligned with a top of the given one of the track-contacting wheels in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly is located at least as high as the top of the given one of the track-contacting wheels. 
     
     
         16 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the nonmetallic hollow frame structure extends higher than the given one of the track-contacting wheels such that the point of the nonmetallic hollow frame structure aligned with the top of the given one of the track-contacting wheels in the longitudinal direction of the track assembly is located higher than the top of the given one of the track-contacting wheels. 
     
     
         17 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the frame comprises a metallic frame structure extending upwardly from the nonmetallic hollow frame structure. 
     
     
         18 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the metallic frame structure comprises a pair of frame members which converge upwardly. 
     
     
         19 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the frame is pivotable about a pivot axis, the track assembly comprising an anti-rotation connector to limit a pivoting movement of the track assembly, the anti-rotation connector being connectable between the metallic frame structure and a chassis of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the frame is pivotable about a pivot axis. 
     
     
         21 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 20 , wherein: the track-contacting wheels include a drive wheel and a plurality of support wheels; and the pivot axis of the frame corresponds to an axis of rotation of the drive wheel. 
     
     
         22 . The track assembly of  claim 2 , wherein: the track-contacting wheels include a drive wheel and a plurality of support wheels; and the respective ones of the track-contacting wheels are respective ones of the support wheels. 
     
     
         23 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the track assembly is steerable by a steering device of the vehicle to change an orientation of the track assembly relative to a chassis of the vehicle in order to steer the vehicle. 
     
     
         24 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the hollow interior extends to at least one of an axis of rotation of a leading one of the track-contacting wheels and an axis of rotation of a trailing one of the track-contacting wheels in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the hollow interior extends to the axis of rotation of the leading one of the track-contacting wheels and the axis of rotation of the trailing one of the track-contacting wheels in the longitudinal direction of the track assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The track assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow interior surrounds an axle of a particular one of the track-contacting wheels. 
     
     
         27 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the hollow interior is closed. 
     
     
         28 . The track assembly of  claim 2 , wherein: the track-contacting wheels include a drive wheel and a plurality of support wheels; and an axis of rotation of the drive wheel is located between an axis of rotation of a leading one of the support wheels and an axis of rotation of a trailing one of the support wheels in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly. 
     
     
         29 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 28 , wherein a bottom run of the track bends in the longitudinal direction of the track assembly between the axis of rotation of the leading one of the support wheels and the axis of rotation of the trailing one of the support wheels. 
     
     
         30 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). 
     
     
         31 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the track assembly is configured to be mounted in a rear part of the vehicle and the vehicle comprises a ski in a front part of the vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . The track assembly claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the vehicle is a snowmobile. 
     
     
         33 . A vehicle comprising the track assembly claimed in  claim 2 . 
     
     
         34 . The vehicle claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). 
     
     
         35 . The vehicle claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the track assembly is mounted in a rear part of the vehicle and the vehicle comprises a ski in a front part of the vehicle. 
     
     
         36 . The vehicle claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the vehicle is a snowmobile. 
     
     
         37 . A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the track assembly comprising:
 a plurality of track-contacting wheels;   a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels, the track comprising a ground-engaging outer side and an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side; and   a frame supporting respective ones of the track-contacting wheels, the frame comprising a polymeric hollow frame structure, the polymeric hollow frame structure comprising a wall that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and lateral surfaces of the polymeric hollow frame structure and defines a hollow interior of the polymeric hollow frame structure, the polymeric hollow frame structure overlying a centerline of the track in a widthwise direction of the track.   
     
     
         38 . A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the track assembly comprising:
 a plurality of track-contacting wheels;   a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels, the track comprising a ground-engaging outer side and an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side; and   a frame supporting respective ones of the track-contacting wheels, the frame comprising a polymeric hollow frame structure, the polymeric hollow frame structure comprising a molded wall that defines a molded hollow interior of the polymeric hollow frame structure, the polymeric hollow frame structure overlying a centerline of the track in a widthwise direction of the track.   
     
     
         39 . A track assembly for traction of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a ski in a front part of the vehicle, the track assembly being configured to be mounted in a rear part of the vehicle, the track assembly comprising:
 a plurality of track-contacting wheels;   a track disposed around the track-contacting wheels, the track comprising a ground-engaging outer side and an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side; and   a frame supporting respective ones of the track-contacting wheels, the frame comprising a polymeric hollow frame structure, the polymeric hollow frame structure overlying a centerline of the track in a widthwise direction of the track.