Motor vehicles – Bodies
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-21
2004-06-29
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Motor vehicles
Bodies
C180S291000, C280S163000, C280S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06755269
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an all-terrain type of vehicle and particularly an improved type of all-terrain vehicle, which is thoughtfully designed to carry the operator and at least one passenger in tandem.
DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ART
All-terrain vehicles (ATV) are growing in usage and popularity and are described by the American National Standards Institute Specification Number ANSI/SVIA 1-1990 as the following: “Any motorized off-highway vehicle 50 inches (1270 mm) or less in overall width, with an unladen dry weight of 600 lb. (275 kg) or less, designed to travel on four low-pressure tires, having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control, and intended for use by a single operator and no passenger.” Hence ATV's by definition are expressly designed for a single operator and no passenger.
Current ATV design art centers on sizing the machine's suspension, seating and general ergonomics around the performance envelope necessary for a single occupant. However, due to the mobility of these vehicles for off-road terrain, coupled with very high levels of utility, often there is a desire to carry more than just the operator to the destination. Transporting a passenger is expressly disallowed by the present ATV manufacturers. The high placement of the rider on a single place saddle seat challenged with the unpredictable surface conditions found in off-round terrain demand performance levels exceeding design limits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, the object of this new invention is to upgrade the live passenger load capability enabling a new class of vehicle to be created which is capable of safely transporting more than just the operator in off-highway conditions. This new class of vehicle will be called a recreation utility vehicle (RUV).
This upgrade required substantial invention due to the relatively high placement of the riders on the saddle type seat, the ratio of combined operator and passenger weight as compared to the vehicle weight, and the rough and varying type of terrain encountered in off-highway use. The combined weight of operator and passenger can exceed half the weight of the unladen vehicle. This, in combination with the required high ground clearance of this type of off-highway vehicle, and resulting high placement of the live load straddling the seat, required enlargements in wheelbase and track as well as suspension upgrades specific for side rollover resistance, and dynamic roll suppression (DRS), to be described, in order to make the RUV suitable for off highway usage.
The RUV will be defined as: “Any motorized off-highway vehicle 36 inches or greater in track, 45 inches or greater in wheelbase, designed to travel on at least four low-pressure tires, having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and at least one passenger, and having handlebar-type steering control.”
The following drawings and detailed description will fully describe the RUV.
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Davis Eric A.
Davis Richard A.
Kleiser Russell R.
American Off-Road Technologies LLC
Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall LLP
Dickson Paul N.
To Toan C
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