Snow ski assembly for snow vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459011-B2
Application number	US-202016776100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2020
Priority date	Jan 29, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A snow ski assembly for a snow vehicle includes a ski body, a ski spindle, a ski stopper and a ski keel pressure adjuster. The ski body has an upper surface with a ski spindle attachment and a bottom surface with a keel. The ski spindle has a lower end pivotally connected to the ski spindle attachment of the ski body about a pivot axis. The ski stopper is disposed between the upper surface of the ski body and the lower end of the ski spindle. The ski keel pressure adjuster includes at least one adjustment member and at least one user input. The at least one adjustment member is movably disposed with respect to the ski body between a first position in which the ski stopper has a first compression characteristic and a second position in which the ski stopper has a second compression characteristic. The at least one user input is operatively coupled to the at least one adjustment member to move the at least one adjustment member in response to operation of the at least one user input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snow ski assembly for a snow vehicle, the snow ski assembly comprising:
a ski body having an upper surface with a ski spindle attachment and a bottom surface with a keel;
a ski spindle having a lower end pivotally connected to the ski spindle attachment of the ski body about a pivot axis;
a ski stopper disposed between the upper surface of the ski body and the lower end of the ski spindle; and
a ski keel pressure adjuster including
at least one adjustment member movably disposed with respect to the ski body between a first position in which the ski stopper has a first compression characteristic and a second position in which the ski stopper has a second compression characteristic, and
at least one user input operatively coupled to the at least one adjustment member to move the at least one adjustment member in response to operation of the at least one user input.

2. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the ski stopper includes a front portion located forward of the pivot axis and a rear portion located rearward of the pivot axis, and
the at least one adjustment member includes a front adjustment member that is arranged to selectively compress the front portion as the front adjustment member moves from the first position to the second position.

3. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the ski stopper includes a front portion located forward of the pivot axis and a rear portion located rearward of the pivot axis, and
the at least one adjustment member includes a rear adjustment member that is arranged to selectively compress the rear portion as the rear adjustment member moves from the first position to the second position.

4. The snow ski assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the at least one adjustment member includes a rear adjustment member that is arranged to selectively compress the rear portion as the rear adjustment member moves from the first position to the second position.

5. The snow ski assembly according to claim 4 , wherein
the at least one user input includes a front user input operatively coupled to the front adjustment member, and a rear user input operatively coupled to the rear adjustment member.

6. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user input includes a knob and an adjustment screw coupled to the knob, and
the at least one adjustment member is operatively coupled to the adjustment screw.

7. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment member is at least partially movable in a direction away from the ski body as the at least one adjustment member moves from the first position and the second position in response to operation of the at least one user input.

8. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment member has a first portion disposed between the ski stopper and the ski body and a second portion coupled to the at least one user input.

9. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment member is a wedge that slides with respect to the ski body between the first position and the second position in response to operation of the at least one user input.

10. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user input includes a cam operatively coupled to the at least one adjustment member, the cam is movably arranged relative to the ski body such that the cam moves the at least one adjustment member with respect to the ski body between the first position and the second position in response to operation of the at least one user input.

11. The snow ski assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment member is an inflatable member.

12. The snow ski assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the at least one user input includes an inflator pump and a pressure release valve.

13. The snow ski assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the inflatable member is disposed between the ski stopper and the ski body.

14. The snow ski assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the inflatable member is disposed in interior area of the ski stopper.

15. A snow ski assembly for a snow vehicle, the snow ski assembly comprising:
a ski body having an upper surface with a ski spindle attachment and a bottom surface with a keel;
a ski spindle having a lower end pivotally connected to the ski spindle attachment of the ski body about a pivot axis;
a ski stopper disposed between the upper surface of the ski body and the lower end of the ski spindle; and
a ski keel pressure adjuster including at least one adjustment member movably disposed with respect to the ski stopper between at least two positions and at least one user input operatively coupled to the at least one adjustment member to selectively establish the at least two positions without detaching the ski body from the ski spindle.

16. A snow ski assembly for a snow vehicle, the snow ski assembly comprising:
a ski body having an upper surface with a ski spindle attachment and a bottom surface with a keel;
a ski spindle having a lower end pivotally connected to the ski spindle attachment of the ski body about a pivot axis;
a ski stopper disposed between the upper surface of the ski body and the lower end of the ski spindle; and
adjusting means for changing a ski keel pressure without detaching the ski body from the ski spindle.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Stoxen Jeffrey Lee
• Schulze Gregory James
• Vizanko James Christopher
• Okada Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B62M2027/025

  Snow mobiles characterised by the skis · CPC title

• B62M27/02

  power driven · CPC title

• B62B17/02 Primary

  Runners (attachable to or replacing vehicle wheels B62B19/00) · CPC title