Back to results
US 2012/0256382 A1Published application
Snow Machine Ski
OwnerVerlin M. Simmons, Val J. Simmonsinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ski for a snowmobile is provided with a pair of lateral wings and a central channel for increasing the flow of snow under a gliding surface at the bottom of the ski. The increased flow of snow enhances flotation of the ski. The channel may be formed by two downwardly extending keels. The wings are defined between the keels and outer edges of the ski. The keels may be asymmetric with a shorter keel being positioned toward an outer edge of the snowmobile to improve handling characteristics of a snowmobile.
Claims23
A snow ski comprising:
- a base having a top adapted to be connected to a snow machine and a gliding surface disposed at the bottom thereof for traveling over snow, the gliding surface extending in a longitudinal direction positionable to correspond to a desired direction of travel;
- a pair of keels integral to and extending downwardly from the base, said keels and a portion of said base therebetween defining a snow channel, and each keel having a height, h1;
- and
- a pair of wings, one extending laterally from one of said pair of keels, and the other extending laterally from the other of said pair of keels, with a thickness of said pair of wings being smaller than a thickness of the ski within the snow channel, and a pair of ribs defined at outermost edges of said wings, said ribs being substantially thicker than other portions of said pair of wings, and wherein along a length of the pair of keels, an overall height, h2, of the ski is less than twice the keel height, h1.
1 more element
A snow ski comprising:
- a base having a top adapted to be connected to a snow machine and a gliding surface disposed at the bottom thereof for traveling over snow, the gliding surface extending in a longitudinal direction positionable to correspond to a desired direction of travel;
- a pair of keels extending downwardly from the base, said pair of keels defining portions of a snow channel, with a concave portion of the base directing snow into the snow channel, and with each of the pair of keels having a height, h1;
- a pair of wings extending throughout a length of said ski, with one of the pair of wings extending laterally from one of said pair of keels, and the other extending laterally from the other of said pair of keels, and
- a pair of ribs defined at outermost edges of said ski and extending along the pair of wings upwardly away from the pair of keels, said ribs having a thickness which is greater than a thickness of the pair of wings, and in cross-sections taken along the pair of keels, an overall height, h2, of the ski is less than twice the keel height, h1.
1 more element
A snow ski comprising:
- a gliding surface disposed at a ski bottom and extending in a longitudinal direction positionable to correspond to a desired direction of travel and extending in a lateral direction;
- a pair of downwardly extending keels, said pair of keels and said gliding surface defining portions of a snow channel, with a portion of the ski directing snow into the snow channel, and each of the pair of keels has a height, h1;
- and
- a pair of wings extending alongside the pair of keels, said wings being thinner than a portion of the ski between the pair of keels, and wherein each of said pair of wings extends along a length of said ski from a front tip to a tail, and with said pair of wings further defined by a pair of ribs extending along the pair of wings at outermost edges of said ski, and wherein an overall height, h2, of the ski is generally less than twice the keel height, h1.
1 more element
A snow ski comprising:
- a gliding surface disposed at a ski bottom and extending in a longitudinal direction positionable to correspond to a desired direction of travel and extending in a lateral direction;
- a pair of downwardly extending keels, said pair of keels and said gliding surface defining portions of a snow channel, with a portion of the ski directing snow into the snow channel;
- and
- a pair of wings extending alongside the pair of keels, said wings being thinner than a portion of the ski between the pair of keels, and wherein each of said pair of wings extends along a length of said ski from a front tip to a tail, and with said pair of wings further defined by a pair of ribs extending along the pair of wings at outermost edges of said ski with said pair of ribs, and wherein one of the pair of keels is substantially shorter than the other, with the shorter of the pair of keels being disposed at an outer edge of a snowmobile and the longer of the pair of keels being disposed toward a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.