Patent ID: 8479854
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: B60K,B60W,B60Y

Abstract:
1. An off-road vehicle comprising: a frame; a cockpit area defined in the frame; a roll cage connected to the frame, the roll cage covering at least in part the cockpit area; a driver seat and a passenger seat disposed side-by-side in the cockpit area, the seats being covered by the roll cage; two lateral sides, the cockpit area being disposed between the two lateral sides, each of the two lateral sides comprising a lateral passage disposed near at least in part forward of a corresponding one of the two seats, the lateral passages being adapted to allow ingress and egress from the cockpit area; an engine supported by the frame; two front wheels and two rear wheels supported by the frame, at least two of the wheels being operatively connected to the engine for propelling the vehicle; a steering device disposed at least in part forward of the two seats, the steering device being operatively connected to at least two of the wheels for steering the vehicle; a control unit connected to the engine for controlling an operation of the engine; a throttle pedal disposed forwardly of the driver seat below the steering device; a throttle pedal position sensor sensing a position of the throttle pedal, the throttle pedal position sensor being connected to the control unit for sending a throttle pedal position signal representative of the sensed throttle pedal position to the control unit; an air intake conduit fluidly connected to an air intake port of the engine; a throttle body fluidly connected to the air intake conduit, the throttle body including a valve, a position of the valve regulating a flow of air to the air intake conduit; and an electric motor operatively connected to the valve for positioning the valve in the throttle body, the electric motor being connected to the control unit, the control unit controlling an operation of the electric motor based at least in part on the throttle pedal position signal, the electric motor being disposed rearwardly of the throttle pedal position sensor and forwardly of a front of the engine.