Abstract:
A slide bar for the track system of a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle comprises colored, or otherwise visually distinctive, wear indicating marks extending longitudinally along at least one of the side walls thereof. The colored wear indicating marks generally provide an indication to the operator of the vehicle that the slide bar needs to be replaced.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/359,531, entitled “Slide Bar for a Track System” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 29, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to the field of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (“ATV” or “ATVs”), and utility terrain vehicle (“UTV” or “UTVs”), and more particularly to the field of track systems for snowmobiles, ATVs and UTVs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Snowmobiles are propelled using an endless track mounted about a track suspension system. To reduce friction between the travelling track and the suspension system, the latter is typically provided with one or more slide bars made from low friction materials such as polymeric materials (e.g. UHMW polyethylene). 
     However, slide bars are subjected to substantial wear and tear and need to be replaced regularly. 
     Still, it is difficult of the snowmobile operators to know exactly when the slide bars need to be replaced. 
     Some slide bars are provided with grooves or ridges extending along the length of the side walls thereof and providing an indication of the wear thereof. However, due to the harsh environments in which snowmobiles are used and operated, these grooves or ridges often fade and become difficult to discern with the passage of time. Also, these grooves or ridges, being the same color, are difficult to discern from a standing position on the side of the snowmobile. These grooves or ridges thus fail to provide a clear and trustworthy indication of the need the replace the slide bars. Hence, slide bars with wear indicating grooves or ridges are not satisfactory. 
     Slide bars are also used in track systems used to replace wheels on generally wheeled vehicles such as ATVs and UTVs. Still, these slide bars suffer the same problems as the slide bars used on snowmobiles. 
     Hence, there is a need for a slide bar with improved wear indicating marks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a slide bar for a track system having the slide bar extending longitudinally and being made from polymeric material is disclosed. The slide bar comprising a first longitudinally extending side wall, a second longitudinally extending side wall, and a longitudinally extending underside, at least one of the first and second side walls comprising at least one wear indicating mark visually distinctive from a surface of the at least one of the first and second side walls, the at least one wear indicating mark extending longitudinally along the at least one of the first and second side walls, wherein said slide bar connects a traveling track to a suspension rail system of a snowmobile. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a slide bar for a track system having the slide bar extending longitudinally and being made from polymeric material having a first color is disclosed. The slide bar comprising a first longitudinally extending side wall, a second longitudinally extending side wall, and a longitudinally extending underside, the first side wall comprising at least one first longitudinally extending groove, the second side wall comprising at least one second longitudinally extending groove, the at least one first groove having mounted therein a first longitudinally extending insert having a second color different from the first color being as such visually distinctive from a surface of the first longitudinally extending side wall, and the at least one second groove having mounted therein a second longitudinally extending insert having a third color different from the first color and being as such visually distinctive from a surface of the second longitudinally extending side wall, wherein said slide bar connects a traveling track to a suspension rail system of a snowmobile. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of an exemplary slide bar mounted to a suspension rail in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the slide bar and suspension rail of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view of an exemplary slide bar mounted to a suspension rail on a snowmobile track in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A novel slide bar  130  for a track system will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a portion of a typical suspension rail  110  of a snowmobile  100  rear suspension system is shown. Conventionally, a slide bar  130 , or wear bar, is mounted to the suspension rail  100  to decrease friction between the suspension rail  100  and the traction band or the clips mounted thereto. Similar slide bars  130  are sometimes mounted to the frames of track systems used to replace wheels on normally wheeled vehicles such as ATVs and UTVs. Hence, even though the present embodiment is described in the context of a suspension rail  110  for a snowmobile  100 , the present invention is not limited to slide bars  130  for used on snowmobile  100  track  160  systems. 
     Under normal conditions, the slide bar  130  wears due to the repeated sliding contacts between the traction band and the underside  190  of the slide bar  130 . Hence, it is generally necessary to replace the slide bar  130  since it is a wear item. 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, at least one and preferably both side walls of the slide bar  130  are provided with wear indicating marks  120  or wear markers  120 . Furthermore, these wear indicating marks  120  are visually distinct from the rest of the slide bar  130  such as to provide a visually clear indication of the necessity to replace the slide bar  130 . 
     In the present embodiment, the wear indicating marks  120  are of a color distinct from the color of the material of the slide bar  130  such that even if the side walls of the slide bar  130  are worn or damaged, the wear indicating marks  120  will remain visible. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the wear indicating marks  120  extend longitudinally along the length of the slide bar  130 . Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the wear indicating marks  120  are generally positioned on the side walls at substantially the same level or height as the bottom surface of the suspension rail  110 . Hence, when the slide bar  130  has worn up to the wear indicating marks  120 , it is generally necessary to replace the slide bar  130  to avoid damaging the suspension rail  100  and/or the traction band. 
     Though the wear indicating marks  120  are shown as being continuous lines, in alternate embodiments, the wear indicating marks  120  could possibly be discontinuous lines (e.g. dashed lines, dotted lines, etc.). 
     In the present embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the wear indicating marks  120  are colored polymeric inserts secured into grooves formed, etched and/or otherwise machined into the side walls of the slide bar  130 . Understandably, as mentioned above, the inserts are of a color significantly different from the color of the slide bar  130  material such as to provide an easier visual inspection. 
     In the present embodiment, now referring to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of the suspension rail  110  within the slide bar  130  is shown. In this embodiment, the marker is in line with the bottom of the rail  200 . In this exemplary embodiment, the wear marker  120  is present on both side wall of the slide bar  130 . 
     In the present embodiment, now referring to  FIG. 3 , the slide bar  130  is shown on a snowmobile  100  track. In this exemplary embodiment, the snowmobile  100  has an aluminum tunnel  170  covering the rubber track  160 . The track system comprises a rear idler wheel  150  operatively connected to the traveling track  140  having the slide bar  130  located thereto. The slide bar  130  has the rear suspension rail  110  slideably mounted therein. As such, as the slide bar  130  wear due to the sliding of the rear suspension rail  110 , the user may use the colored wear marker  120  to assess the wear of the slide bar  130 . 
     In alternate embodiments, the wear indicating marks  120  could be directly fastened on the side walls of the slide bar  130  with suitable fasteners (e.g. screws, glue, etc.). Understandably, the present invention is not limited to any particular manner of mounting the wear indicating marks  120  to the side walls of the slide bar  130 . 
     In still alternate embodiments, one or both side walls could be provided with multiple parallel wear indicating marks  120  each positioned at a different level or height. These multiple wear indicating marks  120  would preferably all be of different colors (e.g. lower green-colored marks indicating low wear, middle yellow-colored marks indicating intermediate wear and higher red-colored marks indicating critical wear and the need for replacement) and/or of different line types (e.g. lower white dotted marks, middle or intermediate white dashed marks, and higher continuous marks) such as to provide an indication of the degree of wear of the slide bar  130 . 
     While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.