IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0997711
(2004-11-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
12 인용 특허 :
6 |
초록
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Universal wheel unit for mounting one or more wheels on the ski of a snowmobile. The wheel unit is a separate assembly that is detachably mountable on the ski or is an integral component of the ski. When retrofitting skis, the wheel unit is mountable on the kingping, on the side wall, or on the sadd
Universal wheel unit for mounting one or more wheels on the ski of a snowmobile. The wheel unit is a separate assembly that is detachably mountable on the ski or is an integral component of the ski. When retrofitting skis, the wheel unit is mountable on the kingping, on the side wall, or on the saddle. Wheels are readily deployable or retractable as ground surface conditions require, and allow the snowmobile to be driven over gravel, dirt, and hardtop surfaces, while maintaining steerability with the handlebars.
대표청구항
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1. A wheel unit mountable on a ski of a ski-mounted vehicle, said ski having a gliding surface for traveling over a ground surface and two side walls, a first side wall and a second side wall, that extend upward from said gliding surface and lengthwise along at least a portion of said ski, and kingp
1. A wheel unit mountable on a ski of a ski-mounted vehicle, said ski having a gliding surface for traveling over a ground surface and two side walls, a first side wall and a second side wall, that extend upward from said gliding surface and lengthwise along at least a portion of said ski, and kingpin mounting holes, one in each of said side walls for receiving a kingpin that is used to link said ski with said ski-mounted vehicle, said wheel unit comprising:a kingpin mountable in said kingpin-mounting holes, said kingpin having a kingpin-end that extends through a respective one of said kingpin-mounting holes to an outside of said first side wall; a wheel-deployment device having a rail and a latching mechanism; and a wheel assembly that includes an eccentrically mounted wheel, wherein said wheel assembly is rotatably mountable on said kingpin end and shiftably linked to said rail. 2. The wheel unit according to claim 1, wherein said wheel assembly comprises a wheel mounting bracket that includes a cam with a wheel-mounting spindle for rotatably mounting said wheel on said bracket, a spindle mount for rotatably mounting said bracket to said kingpin end, and a deployment link that shiftably links said wheel mounting bracket to said rail.3. The wheel unit of claim 2, wherein said latching mechanism includes an anchor, a locking pin having a first pin end and a second pin end, and a curved groove in said side rail, said curved groove having a first latching position and a second latching position, and a wheel-deployment actuating mechanism;wherein said locking pin is fixedly attached to said anchor by said first pin end and is slidably captured at said second pin end in said curved groove and wherein, when said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is actuated, said locking pin and said rail cooperate so as to allow said wheel-deployment device to shift said wheel-mounting bracket between a deployed-wheel position and a retracted-wheel position. 4. The wheel unit of claim 3, wherein said second end of said locking pin is slidably movable along said curved groove and lockable respectively in said first locking position at said deployed-position latching end and in said second locking position at said retracted-position latching end.5. The wheel unit according to claim 3, wherein said rail has an actuating end and said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is a handle that is mounted at said actuating end of said rail and is grippable.6. The wheel unit according to claim 3, wherein said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is a mechanical means having a first end fixedly attached to said ski and a second end linked to said actuating end of said rail so as to urge said wheel-deployment device toward said retracted-wheel position.7. The wheel unit according to claim 6, wherein said mechanical means includes a biasing spring.8. The wheel unit according to claim 3, wherein said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is an electrical means having an electrical drive means at said first end fixedly attached to said ski and a linkage that extends from said drive means and is linked to a said actuating end of said rail.9. The wheel unit according to claim 3, wherein said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is a pressurized-fluid system having a cylinder fixedly attached to said ski and a retractable piston that extends from said cylinder and is attached to said actuating end of said rail so as to move said wheel-deployment device between said deployed-wheel position and said retracted-wheel position.10. The wheel unit according to claim 9, wherein said pressurized-fluid system is a hydraulic system.11. The wheel unit according to claim 9, wherein said pressurized-fluid system is a pneumatic system.12. The wheel unit according to claim 3, wherein said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism is automated and includes a switch mountable in an area of said vehicle that is readily accessible to an operator of said vehicle and that sends a signal to said wheel-deployment actuating mechanism that causes said wheel-deployment device to move between said retracted-wheel position and said deployed-wheel position.13. The wheel unit according to claim 1 further comprising a wheel-unit indicator that indicates said deployed position of said wheels, wherein said ski-mounted vehicle has a dashboard and said indicator is mountable on said dashboard and connectable to said wheel unit.14. The wheel unit according to claim 1, wherein said rail has an actuating groove with a deployed-locking position at a first end and a retracted-locking position at a second end of said groove, wherein said latching mechanism includes a spring-biased bar that snaps alternately into said deployed-locking position or said retracted-locking position to secure said wheel assembly respectively in a deployed position or a retracted position.15. The wheel unit according to claim 14, wherein said rail includes one or more bores for mounting said rail on said side wall.16. The wheel unit according to claim 14, wherein said rail includes a scag-post mounting bar with bores for receiving carbide fasteners.17. A ski for use with a ski-mounted power vehicle, said ski comprising:an inner bottom ski surface, kingpin-mounting holes for connecting said ski to said ski-mounted power vehicle; ski side walls that extend upward from said inner bottom surface, a wheel unit according to claim 1 mounted on a kingpin that extends through said kingpin-mounting holes.
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