U.S. patent application number 09/835994 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-17 for snowmobile ski system.
Invention is credited to Cormican, Dale D..
Application Number | 20020149174 09/835994 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25270960 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020149174 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cormican, Dale D. |
October 17, 2002 |
Snowmobile ski system
Abstract
A snowmobile ski system for reducing frictional resistance and
improving overall control of a snowmobile ski. The snowmobile ski
system includes a ski having a body, a lower surface, an upper
surface, a saddle, and a plurality of dimples within the lower
surface of the ski. The plurality of dimples may have various
shapes, sizes, depths, designs and patterns to assist in reducing
the frictional resistance of the ski upon a snow surface. The
plurality of dimples within the lower surface of the ski create a
plurality of air pockets between the lower surface and the snow
surface during forward travel.
Inventors: |
Cormican, Dale D.; (Mentor,
MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Michael S. Neustel
2534 South University Drive, Suite No. 4
Fargo
ND
58103
US
|
Family ID: |
25270960 |
Appl. No.: |
09/835994 |
Filed: |
April 16, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/609 ;
280/601 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 5/044 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/609 ;
280/601 |
International
Class: |
A63C 005/04 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A snowmobile ski system, comprising: a snowmobile ski having a
lower surface and an upper surface; and a plurality of dimples
within said lower surface of said snowmobile ski.
2. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples cover at least fifty-percent of said lower surface.
3. The snowmobile ski system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of
dimples cover at least ninety-percent of said lower surface.
4. The snowmobile ski system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of
dimples have a circular shape.
5. The snowmobile ski system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of
dimples are concave.
6. The snowmobile ski system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of
dimples are randomly positioned within said lower surface.
7. The snowmobile ski system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of
dimples are positioned within a pattern within said lower
surface.
8. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are comprised of at least two sections separated a finite
distance from one another.
9. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are comprised of a consistent size.
10. The snowmobile ski system of claim 9, wherein said plurality of
dimples are comprised of a consistent shape.
11. The snowmobile ski system of claim 10, wherein said plurality
of dimples are comprised of a consistent pattern.
12. The snowmobile ski system of claim 11, wherein said plurality
of dimples are circular in shape.
13. The snowmobile ski system of claim 11, wherein said plurality
of dimples are comprised of a polygon shape.
14. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are comprised of a random size.
15. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are comprised of a random shape.
16. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, including a keel
extending longitudinally from said lower surface, wherein said keel
includes a portion of said plurality of dimples.
17. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein each of said
plurality of dimples have a width less than {fraction (5/8)}
inches.
18. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein each of said
plurality of dimples have a width greater than {fraction (1/4)}
inches.
19. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are molded into said lower surface.
20. The snowmobile ski system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
dimples are carved out of said lower surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to snowmobile skis
and more specifically it relates to a snowmobile ski system for
reducing frictional resistance and improving overall control of a
snowmobile ski.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Snowmobiles are powered by a front mounted engine attached
to a rear endless track system. The track on conventional
snowmobiles is suspended using springs and gas powered shocks to
absorb the bumps and aid in control and handling of the snowmobile.
These snowmobiles are typically supplied with two skis attached to
a rider operated steering system. The skis are placed in front of
the track system and are, thus, the first part of the vehicle to
meet obstacles such as rocks, logs and bumps.
[0005] Conventional skis utilized upon snowmobiles and the like are
comprised of an elongate structure that is curved upwardly toward
the front end and are relatively flat in structure from the middle
portion to the rear portion thereof. The lower surface of
conventional skis are comprised of a flat surface with one or more
keels along with a wear bar attached thereto. Conventional skis may
be constructed of various types of materials including but not
limited to plastic and metal.
[0006] While these devices may be suitable for the particular
purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for
reducing frictional resistance and improving overall control of a
snowmobile ski. Conventional snowmobile skis create unnecessary
resistance between a snow surface during travel.
[0007] In these respects, the snowmobile ski system according to
the present invention substantially departs from the conventional
concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an
apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of reducing
frictional resistance and improving overall control of a snowmobile
ski.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of skis now present in the prior art, the present invention
provides a new snowmobile ski system construction wherein the same
can be utilized for reducing frictional resistance and improving
overall control of a snowmobile ski.
[0009] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new
snowmobile ski system that has many of the advantages of the skis
mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new
snowmobile ski system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious,
suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art skis, either
alone or in any combination thereof.
[0010] To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a
ski having a body, a lower surface, an upper surface, a saddle, and
a plurality of dimples within the lower surface of the ski. The
plurality of dimples may have various shapes, sizes, depths,
designs and patterns to assist in reducing the frictional
resistance of the ski upon a snow surface. The plurality of dimples
within the lower surface of the ski create a plurality of air
pockets between the lower surface and the snow surface during
forward travel.
[0011] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the
present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There
are additional features of the invention that will be described
hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims
appended hereto.
[0012] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment
of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0013] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
snowmobile ski system that will overcome the shortcomings of the
prior art devices.
[0014] A second object is to provide a snowmobile ski system for
reducing frictional resistance and improving overall control of a
snowmobile ski.
[0015] Another object is to provide a snowmobile ski system that
effectively reduces the overall frictional resistance of a
snowmobile ski.
[0016] An additional object is to provide a snowmobile ski system
that assists in increasing the overall fuel efficiency of a motor
vehicle that utilizes skis such as a snowmobile.
[0017] A further object is to provide a snowmobile ski system that
creates a plurality of air pockets between the body of the ski and
a surface of snow to support the snowmobile ski with reduced
friction.
[0018] Another object is to provide a snowmobile ski system that
may have various dimple patterns that affect the overall
performance of the ski depending upon the snow and weather
conditions.
[0019] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects
and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
[0020] To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this
invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however,
that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be
made in the specific construction illustrated and described within
the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of
the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same
becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate
the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and
wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of the upper surface
present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a lower perspective view of the present invention
disclosing the plurality of dimples within the lower surface of the
ski.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of
FIG. 3 illustrating the dimple structure.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a magnified bottom view illustrating one possible
configuration of the dimples.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a magnified bottom view of the present invention
illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the
dimple pattern utilizes a larger number of dimples having a smaller
size.
[0028] FIG. 7 is a magnified bottom view of the present invention
illustrating another alternative embodiment of the invention that
illustrates a plurality of dimples upon a keel.
[0029] FIG. 8 is a magnified bottom view of another alternative
embodiment of the present invention illustrating hexagonal shaped
dimples.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar
reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several
views, FIGS. 1 through 8 illustrate a snowmobile ski system 10,
which comprises a ski having a body 12, a lower surface 26, an
upper surface, a saddle, and a plurality of dimples within the
lower surface of the ski. The plurality of dimples may have various
shapes, sizes, depths, designs and patterns to assist in reducing
the frictional resistance of the ski upon a snow surface. The
plurality of dimples within the lower surface of the ski create a
plurality of air pockets between the lower surface and the snow
surface during forward travel.
[0031] The ski body 12 and the ski saddle 16 are preferably formed
from one piece of UHMW plastic in a manner so that the natural
state of the present invention is flat along the entire length in
regards to the upper surface of the ski body 12. It can be
appreciated that the ski body 12 may be constructed of various
other types of materials and structures that are commonly utilized
to construct snow type skis utilized for motor vehicles such as
snowmobiles.
[0032] The most forward section of the ski body 12 is bent upward
or "pre-loaded" at the flex zone 18 to form the upwardly curved ski
tip 22 of a typical snowmobile ski. The forward portion of the ski
body 12 is then held in this position by the use of the pre-load
apparatus 20 or loop structure commonly utilized upon skis which
spans the distance between the ski tip 22 and the forward end of
the ski saddle 16 and maintains the pre-set orientation between the
two. This method of construction provides the classic configuration
of a typical snowmobile ski with the upwardly bent ski tip 22 that
allows a ski to move through snow efficiently. Additionally, the
flexible nature of the ski body 12 allows it to flex in this area
that enables the present invention to remain in contact with the
surface of the snow 40 with greater regularity when encountering
bumps or other surface irregularities. It should further be stated
at this point the use of the current invention is relevant to all
types of plastic skis and may also be used on ski skins.
[0033] The general construction of the lower surface of the ski
body 12, or the flat ski bottom 26, is further illustrated in FIGS.
2, 3, 4, and 5. The keel 24 extends from just behind the ski tip 22
to the rearward most portion of the ski body 12 as shown in FIG. 2
of the drawings. The keel 24 functions to keep the ski body 12
traveling in the intended line of travel which is controlled
through the steering inputs of the snowmobile operator and, in the
standard configuration, is not equipped with the plurality of
dimples 28 that cover the remaining surface of the flat ski bottom
26.
[0034] Further, these figures detail the manner in which the
individual dimples 28 are distributed across the surface of the
flat ski bottom 26 in a large dimple pattern 30. The individual
round dimples 28 are distributed across the flat ski bottom 26 in a
manner as to allow a significant portion of that surface to remain
in the form of the inter-dimple surface 32. The inter-dimple
surface 32 is the portion of the present invention that actually
contacts the surface of the snow 40 during snowmobile
operation.
[0035] It can be appreciated that the plurality of dimples 28 may
cover the entire bottom surface 26, portions of the bottom surface
26, one or more sections of the bottom surface 26 and various
combinations thereof. The plurality of dimples 28 are preferably
circular and concaved, however various shapes and structures may be
utilized to construct the dimples 28 to create the same effect as
can be appreciated.
[0036] The plurality of dimples 28 may be comprised of a consistent
size or various sizes throughout the bottom surface. The plurality
of dimples 28 may be comprised of a consistent shape or various
shapes throughout the bottom surface. The plurality of dimples 28
may also be comprised of a consistent depth or various depths
throughout the bottom surface.
[0037] The important aspect of this design is that the presence of
the dimples 28 on the flat ski bottom 26 lessens the amount of the
ski body 12 that is in actual contact with the surface of the snow
40. This lessening of the ski body 12 contact area reduces the
amount of actual drag created by the contact between the ski body
12 and the surface of the snow 40 and so lessens the overall drag
created by a snowmobile being driven over a snow covered surface.
Additionally, the remaining inter-dimple surface 32 that contacts
the surface of the snow 40 is sufficient to provide the steering
control to the operator of the snowmobile in all types of snow and
weather conditions that may be encountered.
[0038] The affect of the dimples 28 themselves on the operation of
the present invention is a result of their interaction with air
that becomes trapped under the ski body 12 as it passes over a snow
covered surface. Each of the individual dimples 28 traps a small
air pocket 42 (as further illustrated in FIG. 4) between the ski
body 12 and the surface of the snow 40. This air pocket 42 is
slightly compressed by the passage of the ski body 12 and creates a
slight cushion of air between the flat ski bottom 26 and the
surface of the snow 40. Thus, the cushion of air between the ski
body 12 and the surface of the snow 40 also functions, along with
the reduction of surface contact area, to reduce the drag created
by the present invention during the operation of a typical
snowmobile as it is driven over the surface of the snow 40.
[0039] An alternative embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 6 in which the large dimple pattern 30
illustrated in the previous embodiment are replaced by a small
dimple pattern 34. The small dimple pattern 34 is substantially
similar to the large dimple pattern 40 with the exception that a
larger number of smaller individual dimples 28 are used cover the
surface of the flat ski bottom 26. The use of the small dimple
pattern 34 as opposed to the large dimple pattern 30 does not
affect the overall performance of the present invention as the
total area of the inter-dimple surface is not greatly affected. The
use of the small dimple pattern 34 can however affect the
performance characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, by
changing the dimple 28 pattern that is used to cover the bottom
surface of the ski body 12, the snowmobile operator can alter the
handling characteristics to conform to the existing snow and
weather conditions. FIG. 6 also illustrates the use of the keel 24
as a directional stability device with the small dimple pattern 34
as used in conjunction with the present invention.
[0040] An additional embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 7 in which a dimpled keel 36 is used in
conjunction with the small dimple pattern 34 on the flat ski bottom
26 of the ski body 12. In this configuration, the small dimple
pattern 34 employed on the flat ski bottom 26 is simply continued
on all of the surfaces of the dimpled keel 36. The use of the
dimples 28 on the surface of the dimpled keel 36 transfers the drag
reducing characteristics of the remainder of the present invention
to the surface of the dimpled keel 36 which further lessens the
effect of drag on the operation of a snowmobile in all kinds of
snow and weather conditions.
[0041] Finally, a still further embodiment of the present invention
is illustrated in FIG. 8 in which the flat ski bottom 26 is
equipped with a large number of hexagonal dimples 38 as opposed to
the circular dimples 28 described with the previous embodiments.
The most important factor of this embodiment of the present
invention is to illustrate that any number of dimple 28 designs may
be used for any number of reasons, some of which may actually
affect the operation of the present invention. This provides a
snowmobile operator with an additional method by which he can alter
the performance characteristics of the snowmobile to match existing
conditions.
[0042] As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and
operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent
from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion
relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
[0043] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and
all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0044] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *