Snowmobile ski assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499189-B2
Application number	US-201514662158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A snowmobile ski assembly has a ski defining a slot, a ski runner disposed in the slot and being translatable in the slot between a first position and a second position, and a runner adjustment assembly connected to the ski runner. The runner adjustment assembly selectively translates the ski runner between the first and second positions. A snowmobile having the snowmobile ski assembly and a ski runner are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowmobile ski assembly comprising:
a ski defining a slot;
a ski runner disposed in the slot, the ski runner being translatable in the slot relative to the ski, the ski runner being translatable between a first position and a second position,
a bottom of the ski runner being closer to a bottom of the ski in the first position than in the second position; and
a runner adjustment assembly connected to the ski runner, the runner adjustment assembly selectively translating the ski runner between the first and second positions,
translation of the ski runner occurring as a result of an actuation of a single component of the runner adjustment assembly, wherein the ski runner remains substantially rotationally fixed relative to the ski as the ski runner translates between the first and second positions.

2. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ski runner is held in place relative to the ski by the runner adjustment assembly.

3. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ski pivots about a laterally extending ski pivot axis; and
wherein the runner adjustment assembly is connected about the ski pivot axis, the ski being pivotable about the ski pivot axis relative to the runner adjustment assembly.

4. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a ski leg connected about the ski pivot axis, the ski being pivotable about the ski pivot axis relative to the ski leg.

5. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 4 , wherein the ski runner translates along a translation axis between the first and second positions;
wherein the ski leg is pivotable about a ski leg pivot axis for steering the snowmobile ski assembly; and
wherein the ski leg pivot axis is angled relative to the translation axis when a snowmobile provided with the snowmobile ski assembly is disposed on flat, level ground.

6. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 3 , wherein the runner adjustment assembly has a connector connected to the ski runner and defining a laterally extending runner connection axis;
wherein the runner connection axis is disposed vertically below the ski pivot axis.

7. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 6 , wherein the ski runner translates along a translation axis between the first and second positions;
wherein the runner adjustment assembly moves the runner connection axis along an adjustment axis as the runner adjustment assembly translates the ski runner between the first and second positions; and
wherein the adjustment axis is angled relative to the translation axis when a snowmobile provided with the snowmobile ski assembly is disposed on flat, level ground.

8. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ski has a front wall at a front of the slot and a rear wall at a rear of the slot;
wherein the ski runner has a front wall abutting the front wall of the ski and a rear wall abutting the rear wall of the ski;
wherein the ski runner translates along a translation axis between the first and second positions; and
wherein the front and rear walls of the ski, and the front and rear walls of the ski runner are parallel to the translation axis.

9. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the runner adjustment assembly is connected to the ski runner at a single location.

10. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the single component is a knob and translation of the ski runner occurs as a result of a turning of the knob.

11. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slot extends through the ski.

12. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , wherein the runner adjustment assembly has a pin connecting the runner adjustment assembly to the ski runner, the pin being disposed in the slot defined by the ski, the pin being translatable with the ski runner between the first position and the second position.

13. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a ski leg pivotally connected to the ski about a laterally extending ski pivot axis, the ski being pivotable about the ski pivot axis relative to the ski leg; and
wherein the runner adjustment assembly extends at least partially through the ski leg.

14. A snowmobile ski assembly comprising:
a ski defining a slot, the ski pivoting about a laterally extending ski pivot axis;
a ski runner disposed in the slot, the ski runner being translatable in the slot relative to the ski, the ski runner being translatable between a first position and a second position,
the ski runner defining an arcuate slot,
a bottom of the ski runner being closer to a bottom of the ski in the first position than in the second position; and
a runner adjustment assembly connected to the ski runner, the runner adjustment assembly selectively translating the ski runner between the first and second positions,
the ski being pivotable about the ski pivot axis relative to the runner adjustment assembly,
the runner adjustment assembly having a connector extending through the arcuate slot, the connector being movable inside the arcuate slot as the ski pivots about the ski pivot axis.

15. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein translation of the ski runner occurs as a result of an actuation of a single component of the runner adjustment assembly.

16. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein the ski runner is held in place relative to the ski by the runner adjustment assembly.

17. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein the ski runner remains rotationally fixed relative to the ski as the ski runner translates between the first and second position.

18. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein the ski has a front wall at a front of the slot and a rear wall at a rear of the slot;
wherein the ski runner has a front wall abutting the front wall of the ski and a rear wall abutting the rear wall of the ski;
wherein the ski runner translates along a translation axis between the first and second positions; and
wherein the front and rear walls of the ski, and the front and rear walls of the ski runner are parallel to the translation axis.

19. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein the slot extends through the ski.

20. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 14 , wherein the runner adjustment assembly is connected about the ski pivot axis.

21. A snowmobile ski assembly comprising:
a ski defining a slot;
a ski runner disposed in the slot, the ski runner being translatable in the slot relative to the ski, the ski runner being translatable between a first position and a second position,
a bottom of the ski runner being closer to a bottom of the ski in the first position than in the second position;
a runner adjustment assembly connected to the ski runner, the runner adjustment assembly selectively translating the ski runner between the first and second positions; and
a ski leg pivotally connected to the ski about a laterally extending ski pivot axis, the ski being pivotable about the ski pivot axis relative to the ski leg; and
the runner adjustment assembly being fastened to the ski leg.

22. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 21 , wherein the ski runner defines an arcuate slot;
wherein the runner adjustment assembly has a connector extending through the slot, the connector being movable inside the slot as the ski pivots about the ski pivot axis.

23. The snowmobile ski assembly of claim 21 , wherein the ski runner is held in place relative to the ski by the runner adjustment assembly.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Laurence Felix-Antoine
• Desjarlais Melanie
• Dufort Luc
• Mallette Bertrand

Classifications

• B62B17/02 Primary

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

• B62M2027/025

  Snow mobiles characterised by the skis · CPC title