Isolator and suspension assembly for riding equipment

1 . A biasing element for providing suspension between a pivoting component and a support area of a riding outdoor power equipment vehicle, the biasing element comprising:

a body compressible between a default unbiased orientation and a compressed orientation;

the body having at least three annular portions, the at least three annular portions including a radially outer main portion circumscribing a pair of radially inner portions, the pair of radially inner portions being movable during operational engagement between

the default unbiased orientation in which the radially inner portions are vertically spaced apart from one another, and have a gap extending fully between one another, and

the compressed orientation in which the radially inner portions are engaged with one another;

at least one retaining member projecting outwardly from the outer main portion for allowing fixing of the body; and

wherein the resulting biasing element

may undergo compression of at least 1.2 inches and produces a force in response to said compression,

produces a force to compression rate that increases with increasing compression, and wherein the force to compression rate increases from at least 227 lb/in to at least 500 lb/in as the biasing element undergoes compression from 0 to 1.2 inches.

2 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially inner portions include a vertically upper annular portion and a vertically lower annular portion, and wherein the vertically lower annular portion is configured to have a faster rate of compression than the vertically upper annular portion.

3 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially inner portions include a vertically upper annular portion and a vertically lower annular portion, and wherein the body is configured such that compression of the radially outer main portion provides a greater compression distance per unit of force applied to the body than is provided by subsequent compression of the vertically lower annular portion.

4 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially inner portions each extend along a respective portion axis, which portion axes are aligned parallel to one another.

5 . The biasing element of claim 4 , wherein the portion axes extend transverse a pivot axis of the operator platform.

6 . The biasing element of 1 , wherein the at least three annular portions each extend along respective portion axes that are each aligned parallel to one another.

7 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the body of the biasing element extends between opposing first and second faces, and wherein each of the annular portions has a constant profile extending between the first face and the second face.

8 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially inner portions each share a common annulus sector with the radially outer main portion.

9 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the radially outer main portion compressible element is configured such that engagement of the biasing element between the operator platform and the support area causes compression of the radially outer main portion prior to compression of either of the pair of radially inner portions.

10 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element compressible element has a body defining at least three cavities extending therethrough along respective parallelly-aligned cavity axes.

11 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the radially outer main portion defines a closed oval.

12 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of radially inner portions is defined by a continuous smooth curve forming a closed oval.

13 . The biasing element of claim 1 , wherein the pair of radially inner portions each extend along an extent; and wherein at least one of the radially inner portions has a non constant shape along the extent.