Anti-zigzag Guide Rail for Snowmobile Ski Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snow vehicle ski devices struggle to maintain traction and prevent zigzagging on soft ice, as they tend to float and skid, especially during fast turns, and lack a simple, adaptable solution for engaging self-sharpening runners effectively.
Innovation Solution
A short, reversible U-shaped guide with cutting wings and a rectangular runner is fixed to the ski, allowing for improved adherence and guiding snow without the need for additional stabilizers, with the guide's web and wings positioned to initiate and align the runner, ensuring stable operation on soft snow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reversed U-shaped guide with cutting wings is used, then traction on soft snow is improved, but the device becomes complex and requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the guide structure and cutting wings into a single integrated reversed U-shaped component that is fixed directly to the ski. This merging eliminates the need for separate stabilizers and additional slipping products, reducing device complexity while maintaining traction reliability on soft snow.
Solution Approach 2:
The reversed U-shaped guide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a guide structure, provides cutting edges through its wings for traction, and functions as a stabilizer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying the overall device while improving reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a long guide is used to provide stability, then zigzagging is reduced, but the guide becomes too long and causes floating on soft snow
Solution Approach 1:
The guide is designed with localized cutting wings at specific positions along its length, concentrating the traction-function where needed. This local quality approach allows the guide to be short enough to avoid floating while still providing sufficient stability through strategically placed cutting edges that engage with the snow.
3Ease of repair
If a self-sharpening runner is used, then maintenance is reduced, but engagement with the guide becomes difficult without additional stabilizers
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is merged with the runner engagement mechanism, allowing the self-sharpening runner to be directly initialized and aligned with the guide through the integrated design. This eliminates the need for separate stabilizers and simplifies the engagement process while maintaining the maintenance benefits of the self-sharpening runner.
4Reliability
If cutting wings are added to the guide, then traction is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting wings are merged into the guide structure itself, forming an integrated reversed U-shaped component. This combining of the guide and cutting elements into a single piece reduces device complexity compared to having separate components, while still providing the necessary traction through the cutting edges.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly enhances traction on soft snow by preventing floating and skidding, allowing for smooth turns and reduced zigzagging, while being universally applicable to various ski models and reducing installation costs.
Implementation Method 1
two cutting wings disposed in direction of the ground and longitudinally of the ski
Implementation Method 2
a wear runner which is laid out longitudinally of the ski
Data Source
AI summary
A guide fixed at the front of a ski of a snow vehicle (22) and including two wings (40) of reversed U-Shape, whose web (60) is linked to the lower face of the ski, the guide including means of initialization (64) of a rectangular runner (48) which is laid out sideways, in continuation and in line with the guide. A ski of a snow vehicle used in combination with a wear runner which is laid out longitudinally of the ski, the bottom face of the ski having in its fore end a pair of downward wings (40) acting as knives and spaced to guide the snow on the two sides of the wear runner. The existing methods of stabilization of snow vehicle implying a sole carbide runner are improved by the presence of the guide, which guides the runner through the trails left by the passage of skis of other snow vehicles. The runner is further improved by a rectangular section thereof, which is laid out sideways and longitudinally of the ski and by its being self sharpening.