A conventional body for an ATV can be formed as a panel from a single piece of material, such as from plastic or fiberglass. Such an ATV body can include wheel fenders, side panels, a gas tank cover, and other features. As such, an ATV body can be quite large in size, making it difficult and expensive to effectively and efficiently manufacture. In particular, it can be difficult to manufacture such a large component from plastic (e.g., due to injection molding limitations), though plastic is often the material of choice for manufacturing a body for an ATV.
Also, since a conventional body for an ATV is often formed as a single component, any damage to the body during use of the ATV can require costly replacement parts as well as significant labor. Likewise, in order to service the engine or other components of the ATV, it may be necessary to remove the body which can be difficult and time consuming.
Manufacturers of ATVs must often stock different colors of bodies for a given ATV in order to provide a selection to customers. However, as conventional bodies for ATVs are relatively large, stocking different colors can be expensive and may require large volumes of warehouse space.
Wheel fenders on conventional ATVs are typically attached to the frame through use of stay structures. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a rear fender assembly 556 of a conventional ATV includes a rear fender panel 561 which is attached to a frame 541 of the ATV through use of a stay 557. The stay 557 is formed from spring-type steel, and is attached to a leg 503 depending from a lower surface of the rear fender panel 561. The rear fender panel 561 is also shown to be bolted directly to the frame 541 at an attachment location concealed by a seat 596. The seat 596 is configured for supporting an operator of the ATV. The stay 557 helps an outer perimeter 563 of the rear fender panel 561 to resist vertical deflection, and accordingly provides at least some stiffness and rigidity to the rear fender panel 561 with respect to the frame 541. However, as the stay is separate from the rear fender panel 561, manufacturing and installation of the stay 557 can be time-consuming and expensive. Also, the stay 557 is aesthetically unattractive and can be prone to snagging upon debris. Because the supporting force of the stay is localized to the leg 503 of the rear fender panel 561, damage to the leg 503 and/or other portions of the rear fender panel 561 can arise due to stresses from repeated vertical deflection of the outer perimeter 563 of the rear fender panel 561.
A conventional ATV also includes mudguards 512 and 513 which can be supported with respect to a frame of the ATV through use of a stay assembly 520, as shown in FIG. 33. The stay assembly 520 includes elongated metal wires 522 and 524 which are formed from spring-type steel. The elongated metal wires 522 and 524 are configured to attach the mudguard 512 to the ATV's frame. In particular, bolts 530, 532, 534, 536 and corresponding swivel clips 529, 531, 533, and 535 are provided to attach the elongated metal wires 522 and 524 to the mudguard 512. An end 525 of the elongated metal wire 524 is bent to receive a bolt 568 to facilitate attachment of the end 525 to the ATV's frame. The opposite end of the elongated metal wire 524 is configured to slidably engage a frame-mounted footrest (not shown). An end 542 of the elongated metal wire 522 is bent to receive a bolt 543 to facilitate attachment of the end 542 to the footrest. The opposite end 540 of the elongated metal wire 522 is attachable to the mudguard 512 through use of the bolt 532 and swivel clip 531. A similar arrangement of elongated metal wires, bolts, and swivel clips is shown for attachment of the mudguard 513 to the ATV's frame. Another elongated metal wire 526 is separate from the stay assembly 520 and extends between respective ends 527 and 528. The end 527 attaches to a lower end of a left rear fender panel 558, while the end 528 attaches to a lower end of a right rear fender panel 559. The elongated metal wire 526 is also attached to the ATV's seat through use of brackets 538 and 539. It can be seen in FIG. 33 that the arrangement of elongated metal wires is complex, costly, unsightly, and time consuming to install.
Conventional ATVs are often manufactured in such a manner that an operator's seat is first attached to a fender assembly, and the fender assembly is subsequently attached to the ATV's frame. Attachment of the fender assembly to the ATV's frame can accordingly be complicated and time consuming, and access to components of the ATV underlying the seat and/or other portions of the ATV can be difficult.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds