Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SNOWMOBILE FOOTREST HAVING FOOT GRIPPING ELEMENTS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to foot gripping elements for snowmobile
footrests.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] When riding a snowmobile, a rider will generally be seated on a
straddle seat with his
hands on a handlebar and his feet resting on footrests disposed on either side
of the seat.
[00031 Snowmobiles are frequently operated on uneven terrain. When a
snowmobile
encounters a bump as it travels over the ground, the rider may wish to raise
himself off the
seat and support himself on the footrests in a partially standing position to
minimize the
impact of the bump. When he does this, his weight is supported entirely by the
footrests.
[0004] When the snowmobile is being operated, and in particular when the rider
is supported
entirely by the footrests, it is important for the rider's feet to have good
traction on the
footrests, so as to maintain the rider's feet in position and prevent them
from slipping.
[0005] One way to provide improved grip on a snowmobile footrest is shown in
U.S. Patent
No. 6,604,594 issued on August 12, 2003 and assigned to the owner of the
present
application, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Wubbolts describes a
snowmobile footrest having foot gripping elements extending upwardly and
forwardly from
the top surface thereof. While this footrest provides adequate grip for the
foot of a rider and
prevents slippage in the rearward direction, it is believed that further
improvements in
snowmobile footrests are possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In the description that follows, the terms "forward" and "rearward" are
defined
relative to the normal forward direction of travel of a snowmobile.
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[0007] It was noticed that when a rider is in a seated position, his feet are
typically positioned
near the front of the footrest, and need to be secured primarily against
slippage in the forward
direction. When the rider is in a standing position, his feet are typically
positioned farther
rearward on the footrest, and need to be secured primarily against slippage in
the rearward
direction. Taking these observations into account, it is believed that
improvements in
snowmobile footrests can be provided, to better stabilize a rider's foot
against slippage in the
forward direction when the rider is seated and he tends to exert a force on
his feet in a
forward direction on the footrests, and also to stabilize the rider's foot
against slippage in the
rearward direction when the rider is standing and he tends to exert a force on
his feet in a
rearward direction on the footrests. Thus, an improved footrest in accordance
with the present
invention can better ensure that the rider's feet remain in a desired position
while riding the
snowmobile.
[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a snowmobile
having an improved
footrest, at least with respect to some aspects of the prior art.
[0009] It is a further object of the invention to provide a snowmobile having
an improved
footrest. The footrest has a rear portion with upwardly and forwardly
extending foot gripping
elements to resist slipping of a rider's foot in a rearward direction. The
footrest further has a
front portion with upwardly and rearwardly extending foot gripping elements to
resist
slipping of the rider's foot in a forward direction.
[0010] One aspect of the present invention provides a snowmobile comprising a
frame
including a tunnel. The tunnel has sides, and footrests extending outwardly
from the sides
thereof for receiving feet of a rider. Each footrest has a top surface, a
first foot gripping
element extending upwardly from the top surface and angled upwardly and
forwardly with
respect thereto, and a second foot gripping element extending upwardly from
the top surface
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and angled upwardly and rearwardly with respect thereto. An engine is disposed
on the frame
at a forward end thereof. A seat is disposed on the tunnel rearward of the
engine. A front
suspension system is connected to the frame. At least one ski is operatively
connected to the
frame by the front suspension system. A steering device is disposed on the
frame forward of
the seat and is operatively connected to the at least one ski for steering the
snowmobile. An
endless drive track is disposed below the tunnel and operatively connected to
the engine for
propulsion of the snowmobile.
[0011] In a further aspect, the first foot gripping element is one of a first
plurality of foot
gripping elements extending upwardly from the top surface and angled upwardly
and
forwardly with respect thereto. The second foot gripping element is one of a
second plurality
of foot gripping elements extending upwardly from the top surface and angled
upwardly and
rearwardly with respect thereto.
[0012] In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first and second
pluralities of
foot gripping elements comprises a jagged portion at a top thereof.
[0013] In a further aspect, the jagged portions define teeth.
[0014] In a further aspect, the forward-most first foot gripping element is
disposed rearward
of the rearward-most second foot gripping element.
[0015] In a further aspect, each footrest further comprises a bottom surface,
a plurality of
holes therethrough, and a plurality of deflector elements associated with the
holes and
extending downwardly from the bottom surface for discouraging particles from
passing
through the holes.
[0016] In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first and second
pluralities of
foot gripping elements is disposed along a contour of at least one of the
plurality of holes.
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[0017] In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first plurality
of foot gripping
elements is disposed along a rearward portion of the contour of at least one
of the plurality of
holes. Each foot gripping element in the second plurality of foot gripping
elements is
disposed along a forward portion of the contour of at least one of the
plurality of holes.
[0018] In a further aspect, the tunnel is made at least in part from sheet
metal.
[0019] In a further aspect, the first and second foot gripping elements are
integrally formed
with the footrests.
[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a snowmobile footrest,
comprising a
top surface, a first foot gripping element extending upwardly and forwardly
from the top
surface, and a second foot gripping element extending upwardly and rearwardly
from the top
surface.
[0021] In a further aspect, the first foot gripping element is one of a first
plurality of foot
gripping elements extending upwardly from the top surface and angled upwardly
and
forwardly with respect thereto. The second foot gripping element is one of a
second plurality
of foot gripping elements extending upwardly from the top surface and angled
upwardly and
rearwardly with respect thereto.
[0022] In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first and second
pluralities of
foot gripping elements comprises a jagged portion at a top thereof.
[0023] In a further aspect, the jagged portion defmes teeth.
[0024] In a further aspect, the forward-most first foot gripping element is
disposed rearward
of the rearward-most second foot gripping element.
[0025] In a further aspect, the footrest further comprises a bottom surface, a
plurality of holes
therethrough, and a plurality of deflector elements associated with the holes
and extending
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downwardly from the bottom surface for discouraging particles from passing
through the
holes.
[00261 In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first and second
pluralities of
foot gripping elements is disposed along a contour of at least one of the
plurality of holes.
[0027] In a further aspect, each foot gripping element in the first plurality
of foot gripping
elements is disposed along a rearward portion of the contour of at least one
of the plurality of
holes. Each foot gripping element in the second plurality of foot gripping
elements is
disposed along a forward portion of the contour of at least one of the
plurality of holes.
[0028] In a further aspect, the footrest is made at least in part from sheet
metal.
[0029] In a further aspect, the first and second foot gripping elements are
integrally formed
with the footrest.
[0030] Other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be
made apparent by
the following description, claims and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as other
aspects and
fizrther features thereof, reference is made to the following description
which is to be used in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
[0032] Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a snowmobile having footrests in
accordance with
aspects of the present invention;
[0033] Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the frame of the snowmobile of
Fig. 1;
[0034] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a left footrest of the snowmobile of
Fig. 1;
[0035] Fig. 4 is a side view of the footrest shown in Fig. 3; and
[0036] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional illustration of the footrest of Fig. 3
taken along line 5-5 in
Fig. 3.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0037] Fig. 1 illustrates a snowmobile 30 in accordance with one specific
embodiment of the
invention. The snowmobile 30 includes a forward end 32 and a rearward end 34
which are
defined consistently with a travel direction of the vehicle. The snowmobile 30
includes a
frame 36 comprising an engine cradle portion 40 and a tunne196. Tunnel 96
generally
consists of one or more pieces of a suitable sheet metal such as steel,
stamped into an inverted
U-shape. It is understood that tunnel 96 may be made with materials other than
steel, and that
it can be formed into the desired shape by methods other than stamping,
without departing
from the spirit of the invention. Tunnel 96 is connected to the engine cradle
portion 40 and
extends rearwardly along the longitudinal axis of the snowmobile 30. While
hidden behind a
front fairing 54, an engine 38, schematically illustrated, provides motive
force for the
snowmobile 30 and is carried by the engine cradle portion 40 of the frame 36.
[0038] Two front skis 42 are attached to the front portion of the frame 36
through a front
suspension system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The
front
suspension system 100 generally comprises a double A-arm type suspension,
having upper
A-arms 108 and lower A-arms 106 on either side of the vehicle linking spindles
110 to the
frame 36. The spindles 110 are attached to the skis 42 at their lower ends and
rotate left and
right therewith. The spindles 110 are also connected to a steering column 50
via steering
rods 130. The steering column 50 is attached at its upper end to a steering
device such as a
handlebar 52 which is positioned forward of a rider and slightly behind the
engine 38 to
rotate the skis 42, thereby providing directional control of the snowmobile
30. As illustrated
in dotted lines, the steering column 50 passes in front of the engine 38. The
steering column
50 is designed with a bend 53 (best shown in Fig. 5) such that the steering
column 50 passes
in front and above the engine 38 and clears the engine 38 throughout the range
of rotation of
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the steering column 50 when the steering device, which in this embodiment is a
handlebar 52,
is turned to the right or to the left. Thus, by turning the handlebar 52, the
steering column 50
rotates, the spindles 110 are pivoted, and the skis 42 are turned to steer the
snowmobile 30 in
a desired direction.
[0039] An endless drive track 60, which provides propulsion to the snowmobile
30, is
disposed under the tunnel 96 of the frame 36 with the upper portion of the
drive track 60
accommodated within the tunnel 96. The endless drive track 60 is operatively
connected to
the engine 38 through a belt transmission system 62 which is schematically
illustrated by
broken lines. The drive train of the snowmobile 30 includes all the components
of the
snowmobile 30 whose function is to transmit power from the engine to the
ground. The
endless drive track 60 is mounted to the tunne196 via a rear suspension
assembly 64. The
rear suspension assembly 64 includes rear suspension arms 72 and 74, a pair of
slide rails 66
which generally position and guide the endless drive track 60 and idler wheels
68 engaged
therewith. Rear suspension arms 72 and 74 connect the slide rails 66 and idler
wheels 68 to
the tunnel 96 of the frame 36. The slide rails 66 typically include a sliding
lower surface
made of polyethylene to reduce contact friction between the slide rails 66 and
the drive track
60. The rear suspension assembly 64 also includes one or more shock absorbers
70 which
may further include a coil spring (not shown) surrounding the individual shock
absorbers 70.
[0040] At the front end 32, the snowmobile 30 includes an external shell
consisting of
fairings 76 that enclose and protect the engine 38 and transmission 62 and
that can be
decorated to render the snowmobile 30 more aesthetically pleasing. Typically,
the fairings 76
include a hood 78 and one or more side panels 80 which can be opened to allow
access to the
engine 38 and the transmission 62 when this is required, for example, for
inspection or
maintenance. The side panels 80 can be opened away from the snowmobile 30
along a
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vertical axis, independently from the hood 78, which pivots forward about a
horizontally
extending axis. A windshield 82, which may be connected either to the fairings
76 or directly
to the handlebar 52, acts as wind deflector to lessen the force of the air on
the rider when the
snowmobile is moving.
[0041] A straddle-type seat 88 is positioned atop and mounted to the tunnel
96. At the rear of
the straddle seat 88, a storage compartment 90 is provided. A passenger seat
(not shown) can
also be provided instead of the storage compartment 90. Two footrests 84,
generally
extending outwardly from the tunnel 96, are also positioned on either side of
the straddle seat
88 to accommodate the rider's feet and provide a rigid platform for the rider
to stand on when
maneuvering the snowmobile 30.
[00421 Fig. 2 illustrates tunnel 96 in greater detail. Tunnel 96 includes a
top plate 160 with
left and right downwardly extending side plates 162. A left footrest 84
extends outwardly
from the bottom of left side plate 162. Similarly, a right footrest 84 extends
outwardly from
the bottom portion of right side plate 162. Left and right footrests 84
provide a location along
the tunnel 96 onto which a rider may place his feet while operating the
snowmobile 30. As
the left and right footrests 84 have substantially the same structure, only
the left footrest 84
will be described in detail below. The right footrest 84 is substantially a
mirror image of the
left footrest 84.
[0043] Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the left footrest 84 is provided with a
number of foot
gripping portions 426 and 427. Foot gripping portions 426 may be constructed
to be part of
the contour of a hole 429 through the foot rest 84. The hole 429 allows dirt
and snow that
may have accumulated on the top surface 428 of the footrest 84 to fall through
the footrest 84
and away from the foot of the rider. Foot gripping elements 426 include a
first plurality of
jagged elements 430 with teeth 432 angled upwardly and rearwardly from
footrest 84. Foot
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gripping elements 427 include a second plurality of jagged elements 434 with
teeth 436
angled upwardly and forwardly from footrest 84. A deflector element 437
extending
downwardly from the bottom surface 431 of the footrest is also provided, and
will be
described in greater detail below. The deflector element 437 discourages dirt
or snow
particles from passing upward through the holes 429 and accumulating on the
top surface 428
of the footrest 84 while the snowmobile 30 is in use. The deflector portion
437 and the jagged
portion 430 are arranged forward of hole 429 and the jagged portion 434 are
arranged
rearward of hole 429. This minimizes the potential for particles 439 to pass
through hole 429
and accumulate on the top surface 428 of footrests 84. Other arrangements of
the deflector
portion 437 and of the jagged portions 430 and 434 are possible within the
scope of the
invention. In addition, the deflector portion 437 may be omitted without
departing from the
scope of the invention.
[0044] Foot gripping elements 426 and 427 provide traction for the feet of the
riders because
they extend upwardly from the top surface 428 of foot rest 84. In particular,
jagged portions
430 and 434 maintain the rider's feet in position by opposing slippage in both
forward and
rearward directions according to the direction at which they are angled. The
foot gripping
elements 426 are arranged farther forward than the foot gripping elements 427.
In this
arrangement, the jagged elements 430 oppose slipping of the rider's foot in a
forward
direction and the jagged elements 434 oppose slipping of the rider's foot in a
rearward
direction. As a result, the foot gripping elements 426, 427 will tend to
maintain the foot of the
rider in a central position on the foot rest 84. In addition, if the rider's
foot is positioned near
the toe hold 86 toward the front of the foot rest 84, the upwardly and
rearwardly extending
jagged elements 430 disposed on the front portion of the foot rest 84 will not
impede the
movement of the rider's foot in a rearward direction for removal from the toe
hold 86.
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[00451 Referring now to Fig. 5, it can be seen that the deflector elements 437
extend
downwardly and rearwardly from the holes 429 in which they are located, and
deflect snow
or dirt particles 439 that may be stirred up by the movement of the snowmobile
30 over the
ground. If a snow or dirt particle 439 moves toward the bottom surface 431 of
the foot rest
84, in the direction shown by arrow 438, the deflector element 437 will
deflect the particle
439 so that it travels in the direction shown by arrow 440 is away from the
hole 429. As a
result, particle 439 is discouraged from passing through hole 429 and
therefore from
accumulating on the top surface 428 of the foot rest 84.
[0046] To construct foot gripping elements 426, 427, the jagged portions 430
and 434 and
deflector portion 437 are simultaenously stamped from footrest 84, which is
preferably made
of sheet metal. Jagged portions 430 and 434 are then bent upwardly and
deflector portion 437
is bent downwardly so that the portions of foot gripping elements 426, 427 are
in their
corresponding orientation.
[0047] Modifications and improvement to the above described embodiments of the
present
invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing
description is
intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. Furthermore, the dimensions of
features of
various components that may appear on the drawings are not meant to be
limiting, and the
size of the components therein can vary from the size that may be portrayed in
the figures
herein. The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limited
solely by the
scope of the appended claims.
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