Abstract:
A snow flap for a snowmobile functions as a removable snow shovel blade. The handle may be used as a pivot attachment for the blade to the snowmobile and may be alternatively attached to the blade in a different orientation for use as a shovel. Quick release attachment of the blade to the rear of the snowmobile permits ease of use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to a snow flap for a snowmobile and, more specifically, to a snow flap that can be removed and used as an avalanche shovel. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Modern snowmobiles typically have a snow flap at the rear of the chassis, which extends downward to prevent snow from being thrown up onto the rider by the action of the track. The snow flap is typically mounted at the rear of the tunnel of a snowmobile. 
         [0003]    It is best practice, and in some snowmobiling locations it is essentially required, for a snowmobile operator to carry an shovel so that the rider can extract himself, his machine, or his companions from the snow, including when a snowmobile or operator is stuck. 
         [0004]    Shovels are often designed to be carried on a user&#39;s back, for example, strapped to a backpack. This can result in a user forgetting a shovel, or losing or misplacing a shovel if, for example, it falls loose from the pack. Shovels may alternatively be strapped to the top of the snowmobile tunnel or placed in under-seat storage. 
         [0005]    However, a shovel designed to be carried on a backpack or other area of a user&#39;s personal equipment or under the snowmobile hood or under-seat storage is often generally smaller than an optimally sized snow shovel. Avalanche shovels for example, like much equipment designed to be carried on the person, are often designed to minimize weight and size, keeping carried avalanche shovels at the lowest end of a useful size range. A larger shovel, if available in an emergency or basic “dig-out” situations, would often be more useful than shovels of the size most users are willing and able to carry. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention relates to a snow flap that also functions as an avalanche shovel. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment of the invention, the flap is removable from a mount which is attached to tunnel. A handle can be inserted into the back of the flap, converting it into an avalanche shovel. 
         [0008]    In a further embodiment, the handle is also used to attach the flap to the mount on the tunnel. 
         [0009]    The handle can be separately carried by the user or carried on the snowmobile, or can be permanently mounted to the flap/shovel blade. 
         [0010]    The handle can also serve other useful purposes. For example, it can be made telescopically extendable for ease of use or can contain an avalanche probe. 
         [0011]    In a preferred embodiment, the flap pivots on the mount. Where the flap contacts the mount, the two are designed to prevent downward and rearward motion beyond a certain point so that the flap does not impinge on the track. The flap pivots up from that point to reduce the risk that stronger forces of snow or from other sources bend or break the flap. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is an overview of a modern snowmobile particularly showing the position of the tunnel and flap; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a flap and mount of the present invention; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a flap, mount, and handle of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, wherein the handle is permanently affixed to the flap/blade. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an alternate embodiment of the present invention, wherein the upper mount receives the blade in a slot. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a snowmobile from the rear, showing the position of the flap on a standard snowmobile. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of flap/shovel blade  10 . Flap/shovel blade  10  receives a handle in handle mount  11 . At the top  12  of flap/shovel blade  10 , it mounts to upper mount  20 . The front side  13  of the top of the flap/shovel blade may abut the lower portion  23  of the upper mount to prevent rearward travel of the flap beyond a predetermined point. Upper mount  20  is fastened to the snowmobile tunnel, e.g., at a top mount  21  or a face mount  23 . The upper mount receives the flap at flap mount  22 . Face mount  23  may abut the front side  13  of the flap/shovel blade  10  to prevent it from rotating downward beyond a predetermined point. Quick release fastener  30  attaches the flap/shovel blade  10  to the upper mount  20 . 
         [0020]    Handle  40  can be fastened to upper mount  20 , can comprise quick release  30 , or can be carried separately from the shovel, either on the user&#39;s personal equipment or mounted elsewhere on the snowmobile. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment, flap/shovel blade  10  and upper mount  20  can join as a hinge with the quick-release mechanism functioning as a hinge pin. Handle  40  can be the hinge pin in an embodiment. 
         [0022]    Flap/shovel blade  10  can be made of any sufficiently strong material, including metals, plastics, or composites. It can be made from a combination of materials, such as a blade made predominantly from plastic materials with an aluminum blade edge which can cut more readily into snow and ice. 
         [0023]    Advantageously, because flap/shovel blade  10  is mounted on the snowmobile on normal operation, there can be less concern about making the device very small or extremely lightweight. Rather, a device of appropriate size to function effectively as a snow flap is generally larger than any standard avalanche shovel designed to be carried on the person, and is much closer to an optimally large size for shoveling snow. 
         [0024]    Flap/shovel blade  10  can be straight, or can have a curve along either or both of its length and width for strength and for ease of shoveling. It can have sidewalls to help hold snow on the shovel and/or to prevent snow from being thrown to the sides of the snowmobile when mounted as a flap. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the dual use flap/shovel in which the shovel handle  40  is used to secure the flap to the upper mount. Handle  40  includes grip  41  and shaft  42 . Handle  40  is held in place during use by ball detents, cotter pins, springs, or any other releasable mechanism such as the ball detents  43  shown here. Naturally, handle mount  11  can be compatible with the method of retaining handle  40  to the flap and upper mount so that the same mechanism can be used to hold it in both positions. Alternately, different mechanisms can be used, if, for example, it is expected that greater force will be exerted on the handle when used as a shovel than when used as a quick release. 
         [0026]    Additionally, handle  40  can telescope to greater lengths, even beyond lengths useful as a shovel handle. For example, it could include multiple extendible sections so that, when fully extended, it is useful as an avalanche probe. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4A  shows an embodiment of the present invention in which handle  40  is permanently mounted to the back of flap/shovel blade  10 . In an embodiment, the handle and flap/shove blade have similar radius curves (including zero curve) so that handle  40  can be pushed down towards the bottom of the flap/shovel blade when it is mounted as a flap. Upon removal from the snowmobile, the handle can be drawn upwards in handle mount  11  to a position where the device is usable as a shovel. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4B  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 4A  after flap/shovel blade  10  has been removed from upper mount  20  and handle  40  extended for use as a shovel. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4A  shows an alternate method of attaching a shovel blade, where the quick-release mechanism  30  retracts outwards from the sides of upper mount  20  to allow flap/shovel blade  10  to be inserted, after which quick release  30  is pushed back into place. Quick release  30  can be held in place to retain flap/shovel blade  10  by, for example, springs, pins, detents, or other mechanisms. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  shows an alternate configuration for upper mount  20 , wherein flap/shovel blade  10  is inserted into a slot in upper mount  20 . In an embodiment, flap/shovel blade  10  is allowed a range of pivoting motion by biasing structures within the slot, such as cushioning rubber or the like. Alternately, flap/shovel blade  10  can pivot on a quick release mechanism. Handle  40  can be attached to flap/shovel blade  10  as in the embodiment of  FIG. 4A , or can be carried separately, or can be the quick release mechanism. 
         [0031]    Flap/shovel blade  10  can be held in place within the slot of this embodiment by friction fit, by pins, by detents, by a separate quick release which can be handle  40 , or by other mechanisms. 
         [0032]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined by reference to the claims that follow.