Side-by-side off-road vehicle having a fuel vapor containment system

Abstract

A side-by-side off-road vehicle has a frame defining at least in part a cockpit area, and a power pack area being disposed rearward of the cockpit area. The vehicle has driver and passenger seats connected to the frame and disposed in the cockpit area on first and second sides of a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. The vehicle further has a power pack connected to the frame and disposed at least in part in the power pack area. The power pack includes an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe, a muffler, and a fuel vapor containment system including a fuel evaporation canister. The fuel evaporation canister is disposed forward of the muffler, and at least a majority of the exhaust pipe and the fuel evaporation canister being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A side-by-side off-road vehicle comprising:
 a frame defining at least in part a cockpit area and a power pack area, the power pack area being disposed rearward of the cockpit area;   a driver seat connected to the frame and disposed in the cockpit area, the driver seat being disposed at least in part on a first side of a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle;   a passenger seat connected to the frame and disposed in the cockpit area, the passenger seat being disposed at least in part on a second side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle; and   a power pack connected to the frame and disposed at least in part in the power pack area, the power pack including
 an internal combustion engine, 
 an exhaust pipe operatively connected to the internal combustion engine, 
 a muffler fluidly connected to the internal combustion engine by the exhaust pipe, 
 a fuel vapor containment system operatively connected to the internal combustion engine, the fuel vapor containment system including a fuel evaporation canister, the fuel evaporation canister being disposed forward of the muffler, and 
 at least a majority of the exhaust pipe and the fuel evaporation canister being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is disposed vertically higher than at least the majority of the exhaust pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein at least the majority of the exhaust pipe is disposed on the first side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, and the fuel evaporation canister is disposed on the second side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is disposed vertically higher than the muffler. 
     
     
         5 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the muffler is disposed rearwardly of the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         6 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is disposed in front of and vertically higher than the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         7 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is a carbon canister. 
     
     
         8 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a partition connected to the frame and extending laterally across the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, the partition separating the cockpit area from the power pack area, and the fuel evaporation canister being supported at least in part by the partition. 
     
     
         9 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is mounted to the partition. 
     
     
         10 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 8 , further comprising a bracket mounting the fuel evaporation canister to the partition. 
     
     
         11 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the partition includes a recess arranged and dimensioned for receiving at least partially the fuel evaporation canister. 
     
     
         12 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the power pack further includes a fuel tank fluidly connected to the fuel vapor containment system;   the fuel tank is disposed rearward of the partition; and   at least a majority of the fuel tank is disposed on a same side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle as the fuel evaporation canister.   
     
     
         13 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the fuel evaporation canister is disposed vertically higher than at least the majority of the fuel tank. 
     
     
         14 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the power pack further includes an air intake system operatively connected to the internal combustion engine;   at least a majority of the air intake system extends on the second side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle; and   the fuel evaporation canister is disposed on the second side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the air intake system includes an air filter assembly having an inlet; and   the fuel evaporation canister is disposed laterally outwardly of the air filter assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the canister is disposed laterally outwardly of the inlet of the air filter assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the power pack further includes an air intake system operatively connected to the engine;   at least a majority of the air intake system extends on the first side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle; and   the fuel evaporation canister is disposed on the first side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear suspension assembly pivotally connected to the frame and disposed on the first side of the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, and wherein the fuel evaporation canister is disposed laterally outwardly of the rear suspension assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel vapor containment system has a vent inlet tube fluidly connected to the fuel evaporation canister, and an end of the vent inlet tube extends inside a member of the frame. 
     
     
         20 . The side-by-side off-road vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the internal combustion engine is disposed laterally between at least the majority of the exhaust pipe and the fuel evaporation canister.