Detachable drive unit for a snowboard

Abstract

A Detachable Drive Unit for a Snowboard includes a low-profile drive belt assembly designed to be mounted underneath a pre-existing, conventional snowboard, and a drive motor which powers the drive belt for propulsion up snow-covered hills or over variable snow-covered terrain. The device is easily removable, compact and lightweight, facilitating its transport in a backpack, allowing the device to remain with the snowboarder while the snowboard is ridden downhill in a conventional manner.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A detachable drive mechanism for propelling a conventional snowboard and snowboarder on snow comprising: 
 a frame designed to be attached under the rear portion of said conventional snowboard, said frame having a front end and a rear end    a front roller mounted towards the front end of said frame    a rear roller mounted towards the rear end of said frame, parallel to said front roller a drive belt which extends around said front roller and said rear roller, that is capable of providing traction on snow    a motor coupled to said frame which supplies power to at least one of said rollers thereby driving said drive belt.    
     
     
         2 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said rear roller is operatively connected with said motor and includes drive teeth designed to engage with said drive belt.  
 
     
     
         3 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 2  wherein: 
 the rear roller is larger in diameter than the front roller thereby creating an angled path for the underside of the drive belt with respect to the top side of said drive belt.  
 
     
     
         4 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a removable snow compression plate that extends forward at an angle from the underside of the front of said detachable drive mechanism, to the underside of said conventional snowboard creating a transition between the underside of said conventional snowboard to the underside of said drive belt.  
 
     
     
         5 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a conveyor belt type slider bed mounted to said frame between said front roller and said rear roller which supports the underside of said drive belt.  
 
     
     
         6 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plurality of freely rotating rollers mounted to said frame between said front roller and said rear roller which support the underside of said drive belt.  
 
     
     
         7 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an internal belt wiper which cleans the interior surface of said drive belt of snow and directs the snow out of said frame.  
 
     
     
         8 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said motor is positioned on top of the rear portion of said conventional snowboard.  
 
     
     
         9 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a frame with vertically oriented sides which extend below the lower surface of said drive belt, said sides functioning as sleigh runners to support some of the weight of the snowboarder when operating said detachable drive mechanism on packed snow.  
 
     
     
         10 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said detachable drive mechanism can be attached to said conventional snowboard without involving structural alteration to said conventional snowboard.  
 
     
     
         11 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 10  wherein: 
 said detachable drive mechanism can be easily removed from said conventional snowboard allowing said conventional snowboard to be ridden in a conventional manner.  
 
     
     
         12 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 11  wherein: 
 said frame and said motor form a single structure which slides onto the rear portion of said conventional snowboard from the side and secures onto said conventional snowboard.  
 
     
     
         13 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 11  wherein: 
 said frame and said motor consist of two separate structures which interface together around the rear portion of said conventional snowboard.  
 
     
     
         14 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 an attachment plate mounted under the rear boot binding of said conventional snowboard to which said detachable drive mechanism may be attached to create a secure connection between said detachable drive mechanism and said conventional snowboard.  
 
     
     
         15 . The detachable drive mechanism of  claim 11  wherein: said detachable drive mechanism is lightweight and compact allowing it to be removed from said conventional snowboard and placed in a backpack or back harness and carried by the snowboarder as the snowboarder rides said conventional snowboard in a conventional manner.  
     
     
         16 . The motor of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a control grip connected to said motor by a flexible cable, allowing the user to control the velocity of said motor by hand.  
 
     
     
         17 . The motor of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said motor is a gas combustion engine.  
 
     
     
         18 . The motor of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said motor is an electric motor operated by battery power.  
 
     
     
         19 . The motor of  claim 18  wherein: 
 said electric motor is an internal drum motor integrated into the drive roller of said detachable drive mechanism.  
 
     
     
         20 . A detachable drive mechanism for propelling a conventional snowboard and snowboarder on snow comprising: 
 a frame designed to be attached under the rear portion of said conventional snowboard without involving structural alteration to said conventional snowboard, said frame having a front end and a rear end    a rear roller mounted towards the rear end of said frame    a non-rotating rounded front nose bar mounted towards the front end of said frame, parallel to said rear roller    a drive belt which extends around said front nose bar and said rear roller, that is capable of providing traction on snow    a motor coupled to said frame which supplies power to said rear roller thereby driving said drive belt.