Ski and method of manufacture

Claim 2

A snow ski comprising: a core assembly including a lightweight and elongated preformed inner core member having a contour including a turned-up nose and bottom camber, and a filament positioned about the preformed core member in a helical pattern along the length of the core member, a bottom surface assembly including a plastic running surface and a metal running edge positioned along opposite edges of said running surface, and a layer of urethane material positioned around said filament wound core assembly, said layer of urethane material forming at least part of the outer surface of the ski and bonding said bottom assembly to the filament wound core assembly.

Claim 3

A snow ski comprising: a preformed core assembly including a lightweight inner core having a contour including a turned-up nose and bottom camber, a layer of matted fiber glass reinforcing positioned at least partially around the preformed core assembly and a layer of unidirectional fiber glass material reinforcing positioned at least partially around the layer of matted fiber glass reinforcing, and a filament positioned over the reinforced preformed core in a helical pattern, a top and side assembly including an upper portion and downwardly extending side portions positioned on the core assembly, and a bottom surface assembly including a plastic running surface and a metal running edge mounted along each edge of said running surface, said bottom surface assembly being mounted on the bottom of said ski.

Claim 4

A snow ski comprising: a preformed core assembly including a lightweight inner core having a contour including a turned-up nose and bottom camber, a layer of matted fiber glass reinforcing positioned at least partially around the preformed core assembly and a layer of unidirectional fiber glass material reinforcing positioned at least partially around the layer of matted fiber glass reinforcing, and a filament positioned over the reinforced preformed core in a helical pattern, a top and side assembly including an upper portion and downwardly extending side portions positioned on the core assembly, and a bottom surface assembly including a plastic running surface and a metal running edge mounted along each edge of said running surface, said bottom surface assembly being mounted on the bottom of said ski.

Claim 5

A snow ski in accordance with claim 2 wherein: the inner core comprises a polyurethane foam material.

Claim 6

A snow ski in accordance with claim 3 further including: a binding plate positioned within the polyurethane foam core having the reinforcing layer positioned thereover.

Claim 7

A snow ski in accordance with claim 2 wherein: the filament comprises a fiber glass thread applied about the reinforcing material in a predetermined helical winding along the total length of the ski.

Claim 8

A snow ski in accordance with claim 5 wherein: the helical winding is applied about the reinforcing layer at an angle ranging from approximately 20* to 45* to the longitudinal axis of the ski.

Claim 9

A snow ski in accordance with claim 2 wherein: the bottom surface assembly comprises a polyethylene base and a pair of metal running edges each having a pair of legs arranged in a substantially L-shaped configuration, said running edges being mounted along the outer edges of the base with one leg of the L mounted along the upper surface of the polyethylene base and the other leg extending downwardly along the edge of the base to provide a gripping edge for the ski.

Claim 10

A snow ski in accordance with claim 7 wherein: the metal running edge comprises a steel running edge having a shorter lower leg and a longer upper leg, said upper leg being mounted along the upper portion of the polyethylene base, said upper leg including a plurality of apertures extending therethrough and slotted portions connecting said apertures to the inner portion of said edge to permit flexing of said metal edge.

Claim 11

A snow ski comprising: an elongated foam core contoured in the general shape of a finished ski, a layer of fiber glass reinforcing mounted about at least part of said foam core, a bottom assembly including a pair of metal running edges and a running surface therebetween, and a layer of urethane plastic material at least partially enveloping the reinforced core, said layer of urethane plastic forming at least part of the outer surface of the ski and bonding the bottom assembly to the reinforced core.

Claim 12

A snow ski comprising: an elongated foam core contoured in the general shape of a finished ski, a layer of fiber glass reinforcing mounted about at least part of said foam core, a bottom assembly including a pair of metal running edges and a running surface therebetween, and a layer of urethane plastic material at least partially enveloping the reinforced core, said layer of urethane plastic forming at least part of the outer surface of the ski and bonding the bottom assembly to the reinforced core.

Claim 13

A snow ski according to claim 9, wherein the core is reinforced with fiber glass.

Claim 14

a snow ski according to claim 10, further comprising: a plastic top surface layer affixed to the upper surface of the urethane layer.

Claim 15

A snow ski according to claim 10, wherein a metallic binding plate is embedded in the reinforced core. 13 A snow ski according to claim 9, wherein said core is reinforced with: at least a partial layer of unidirectional fiber glass filaments, and at least a partial layer of matted fiber glass.

Claim 16

A snow ski according to claim 9, wherein the urethane layer includes portions forming the sides of the ski.

Claim 17

A snow ski according to claim 9, wherein the coating of the coated fiber glass filament is epoxy.

Claim 18

A snow ski comprising: a bottom assembly including: a strip of plastic providing a running surface on the bottom thereof, a pair of metal running edges, each having a vertical extending portion that is positioned against the side of the strip of plastic and a flange that lays on top of the adjacent portion of the strip of plastic, and an adhesive placed on the top of at least a portion of the plastic strip for bonding the metal edges to the strip of plastic, a core assembly, and a layer of urethane plastic or the like at least partially encapsulating the core assembly and forming at least part of the outer surface of the ski, said layer of urethane plastic being in contact with the adhesive placed on top of the bottom assembly to bond the bottom assembly to the core assembly.

Claim 19

A snow ski comprising: a bottom assembly including: a strip of plastic providing a running surface on the bottom thereof, a pair of metal running edges, each having a vertical extending portion that is positioned against the side of the strip of plastic and a flange that lays on top of the adjacent portion of the strip of plastic, and an adhesive placed on the top of at least a portion of the plastic strip for bonding the metal edges to the strip of plastic, a core assembly, and a layer of urethane plastic or the like at least partially encapsulating the core assembly and forming at least part of the outer surface of the ski, said layer of urethane plastic being in contact with the adhesive placed on top of the bottom assembly to bond the bottom assembly to the core assembly.

Claim 20

A snow ski according to claim 16, wherein the flanges of the metal running edges are provided with apertures and portions of the urethane plastic are placed in the apertures.

Claim 23

A method of making a snow ski according to claim 18, further comprising the step of reinforcing said foam core with fiber glass before winding the fiber glass filament therearound.

Claim 24

A method of making a snow ski according to claim 18, wherein said fiber glass filament is epoxy coated and is wound about said reinforced foam core in a helical pattern.

Claim 25

A method of making a snow ski according to claim 18, wherein said step of bonding the bottom surface assembly to the filament-wound reinforced foam core comprises forming a layer of plastic at least partially around the filament-wound reinforced foam core.

Claim 26

A method of making a snow ski according to claim 21, wherein said plastic is a urethane or the like.

Claim 27

A method of making a snow ski according to claim 18, further comprising the step of curing the wound, reinforced foam core before the bottom assembly is bonded thereto.