Air intake for snowmobile

Abstract

An assembly for a snowmobile includes an airbox having a plenum for coupling to a throttle body of an engine and two branches defining openings for air intake. A storage box is mounted between the two branches and defines area for receiving a console. The airbox is part of a hood of the vehicle and includes an opening over a storage box. The disclosure also includes a ribbed bumper mount with a latch assembly for securing the hood.

1 . An air intake assembly for a snowmobile having a hood, first and second side panels, and a tunnel; the side panels sloping downwardly towards a belly of the snowmobile from an upper region of a forward portion of the snowmobile forward of the tunnel portion of the snowmobile; the intake assembly comprising:
 an air plenum under the hood;   a first intake opening fluidly communicating air to the plenum from outside of the snowmobile, the intake opening including a snow filter screen forming an intake face;   wherein the intake face is positioned outwardly on a first side of the snowmobile above at least a portion of the first side panel on one side of the snowmobile; the intake face having a lower edge above and adjacent an upper edge of the portion of the first side panel; the lower edge of the intake face and the upper edge of the side panel having a substantially smooth transition therebetween, the lower edge of the intake face being positioned substantially as far outboard relative to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile as the upper edge of the side panel, and an overall slope of the side panel below and adjacent the intake face not being substantially less than the overall slope of the intake face.   
     
     
         2 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the average slope of the side panel below the intake face is greater than the slope of the average slope of the intake face. 
     
     
         3 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the intake face faces at least slightly rearwardly relative to a longitudinal axis of the snowmobile. 
     
     
         4 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the air intake face is positioned rearward of a headlight of the snowmobile and forward of the tunnel. 
     
     
         5 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second intake opening on an opposite side of the snowmobile from the first intake opening, the second intake opening fluidly communicating air to the plenum from outside the snowmobile. 
     
     
         6 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a baffled air intake opening and channels extending through baffles oriented from inside to outside as they extend from forward ends to rearward ends. 
     
     
         7 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an under-hood air intake opening communicating air to the plenum from under the hood of the snowmobile. 
     
     
         8 . The air intake assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the under-hood air intake opening includes a valve responsive to a predetermined amount of negative pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the intake face is multifaceted. 
     
     
         10 . The air intake assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum further comprises a main chamber under a forward portion of the hood and a first branch extending rearwardly from the main chamber to the first intake opening. 
     
     
         11 . The air intake assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the plenum further comprises a second branch extending rearwardly from the main chamber on an opposite side of the snowmobile from the first branch to a second intake opening. 
     
     
         12 . The air intake assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second branches have rearward ends that are connected together via a structural component. 
     
     
         13 . The air intake assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the structural component comprises a storage container. 
     
     
         14 . An assembly for a snowmobile comprising:
 a first upper body panel;   a headlight assembly positioned at least partially above the upper body panel; and   an engine air intake positioned below at least a portion of the upper body panel;   wherein the first upper body panel includes a first outboard surface extending therefrom, and at least a portion of the air intake opening is positioned outboard of the first outboard surface of the upper body panel.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the air intake opening is positioned outboard of the entire first upper body panel and outboard of the tunnel. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the air intake opening is positioned rearward of a headlight of the headlight assembly, forward of a tunnel of the snowmobile and laterally to the side of a steering column of the snowmobile. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a second body panel positioned at least partially below the first body panel, wherein the second body panel defines the engine air intake having an intake opening face, the intake opening face having a smooth transition to a third body panel below the face. 
     
     
         18 . An assembly for a snowmobile comprising:
 a first upper body panel;   a headlight assembly positioned at least partially above the upper body panel;   a side body panel positioned below the first upper body panel; and   an engine air intake positioned between the upper body panel and the side body panel;   wherein the air intake includes a face with a smooth transition to the side body panel.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the first upper body panel includes a first surface that slopes downward and outward from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle toward the engine air intake, and wherein the engine air intake is positioned at least partially outboard of the first surface of the first upper body panel; further comprising a second upper body panel positioned at least partially below the first body panel, wherein the second body panel defines the engine air intake; and wherein the engine air intake is provided with a cover that defines a surface that extends from an upper end of the engine air intake that is positioned adjacent the upper body panel downward and outward to a lower end of the engine air intake that is positioned adjacent the side body panel. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the side body panel includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is positioned adjacent the lower end of engine air intake, wherein the side body panel includes a surface extending from the upper end of the side body panel to the lower end of the side body panel, and the surface of the engine air intake cover and the surface of the side body panel define a substantially continuous surface extending from the upper end of the air intake to the lower end of the side body panel. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the continuous surface includes a rear end and a forward end, wherein the forward end of the substantially continuous surface is positioned outboard of the rear end of the substantially continuous surface. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the side body panel is positioned outboard of the lower end of the engine air intake. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled)