Patent ID: 9470134
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: B60K,B60Y,F01N

Claim Text:
1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle body frame, the vehicle body frame comprising a front frame portion, a center frame portion, and a rear frame portion, the front frame portion supporting a front-wheel drive system, the center frame portion providing a space for occupants, the rear frame portion supporting a rear-wheel drive system; a pair of occupant seats comprising a driver's seat and a passenger seat disposed side by side in a vehicle width direction in the center frame portion; an internal combustion engine disposed behind the occupant seats in the rear frame portion; an exhaust pipe which is connected to the internal combustion engine behind the occupant seats and through which a combustion gas generated by combustion in the internal combustion engine is exhausted; and a muffler connected to the exhaust pipe, the muffler being supported by the rear frame portion, wherein the muffler is attached to the rear frame portion by a mounting structure, the mounting structure comprising an elastomeric element configured to receive a portion of said rear frame, a unitary rod formed to be of a single body, the rod being attached to said muffler and configured to mate with said elastomeric element, and a bracket having a first end secured to said muffler and a second end in a facing orientation relative to said elastomeric element, wherein the rod includes a first portion shaped complimentary to an outer surface of the muffler, a first bend, a second portion extending away from the muffler, a second bend, and a third portion which is at least generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the muffler, wherein the elastomeric element defines a pair of holes spaced apart in a first direction, and the elastomeric element has a first length dimension measured in the first direction, and wherein the second end of the bracket has a second length dimension measured in the first direction that is greater than the first dimension.