IP Library Granted Patent US 12,024,265
Granted Patent B2
US 12,024,265 · App. 17/154,948 · Granted Jul 2, 2024

Personal watercraft

Inventors: Toshio Araki (Kakogawa, JP); Yu Shibuta (Kobe, JP); Azusa Onohata (Akashi, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
B63B13/00B63B3/48B63B34/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,024,265
App. No.
17/154,948
Granted
Jul 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A personal watercraft includes a watercraft body including: a center elongated protrusion located at a center of the watercraft body in a left-right direction, extending in a front-rear direction, and having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape; a drainage channel outward of and adjacent to the center elongated protrusion in the left-right direction, lying along the center elongated protrusion in the front-rear direction, extending rearward and outward in the left-right direction, and having a downwardly convex cross-sectional shape; and an outside elongated protrusion outward of and adjacent to the drainage channel in the left-right direction, lying along the drainage channel in the front-rear direction, having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape, and facing the drainage channel from outside in the left-right direction.

Claims (52)

1. A personal watercraft comprising:

a handle; and

a watercraft body supporting the handle and including a front upper portion anterior to the handle,

the watercraft body further including:

a center elongated protrusion constituting a part of the front upper portion, the center elongated protrusion being located at a center of the watercraft body in a left-right direction, extending in a front-rear direction, and having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape;

a drainage channel constituting a part of the front upper portion, the drainage channel being outward of and adjacent to the center elongated protrusion in the left-right direction, lying along the center elongated protrusion in the front-rear direction, extending rearward and outward in the left-right direction, and having a downwardly convex cross-sectional shape; and

an outside elongated protrusion outward of and adjacent to the drainage channel in the left-right direction, the outside elongated protrusion lying along the drainage channel in the front-rear direction, having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape, and facing the drainage channel from outside in the left-right direction, wherein

the drainage channel guides water entering the drainage channel to discharge the water outside the personal watercraft in the left-right direction.

2. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the drainage channel includes a front end, a rear end, and a peak point located between the front end and the rear end,

a front region of the drainage channel from the front end to the peak point extends obliquely upward and rearward, and

a rear region of the drainage channel from the peak point to the rear end extends obliquely downward and rearward.

3. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a seat posterior to the handle, wherein

the watercraft body further includes a foot rest surface outward of the seat in the left-right direction, and

a rear end of the drainage channel is anterior to the foot rest surface.

4. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein a front end of the drainage channel is wider in the left-right direction than a portion of the center elongated protrusion, the portion of the center elongated protrusion being at the same location as the front end of the drainage channel in the front-rear direction.

5. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein an outer end of an upper surface of the center elongated protrusion in the left-right direction is located above a ridge line of the outside elongated protrusion when the outer end and the ridge line are compared at the same location in the front-rear direction, the ridge line being a line drawn through peak points of the outside elongated protrusion, each of the peak points being the highest point of the outside elongated protrusion at a location in the front-rear direction.

6. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein the watercraft body further includes a guide protruding from an upper edge of the drainage channel and including a guide surface, the guide surface extending along the upper edge and facing the drainage channel from above,

the drainage channel includes a front end, a rear end, and a peak point located between the front end and the rear end, and

the guide lies along the upper edge in a rear region of the drainage channel from the peak point to the rear end and is inclined to extend rearward and outward in the left-right direction.

7. The personal watercraft according to claim 6 , wherein

the watercraft body includes a hull, a deck covering the hull from above and having an upwardly facing opening, and a hatch cover closing the upwardly facing opening from above, and

the guide is located outward of the hatch cover of the watercraft body in the left-right direction.

8. The personal watercraft according to claim 6 , wherein the guide surface extends rearward in a direction having a component directed outward in the left-right direction.

9. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein a boundary line between the drainage channel and the center elongated protrusion in the left-right direction extends in a curve rearward and outward in the left-right direction.

10. A personal watercraft, comprising:

a handle; and

a watercraft body supporting the handle and including a front upper portion anterior to the handle, the watercraft body further including:

a drainage channel constituting a part of the front upper portion and having a downwardly convex cross-sectional shape, and

a guide that pushes down water flowing through the drainage channel, wherein

the guide includes a lock configured to lock a string-shaped element.

11. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the watercraft body includes a hull, a deck covering the hull from above and having an upwardly facing opening, and a hatch cover closing the upwardly facing opening from above, and

the hatch cover includes a part of the center elongated protrusion and a part of the drainage channel.

12. The personal watercraft according to claim 11 , wherein

the drainage channel includes a front end, a rear end, and a peak point located between the front end and the rear end,

the center elongated protrusion and a front region of the drainage channel from the front end to the peak point are disposed in an upper surface of the hatch cover, and

a rear region of the drainage channel from the peak point to the rear end is disposed in an upper surface of the deck.

13. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein a light is disposed in the outside elongated protrusion to emit light forward from the watercraft body.

14. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein an outer end of the outside elongated protrusion in the left-right direction extends rearward and outward in the left-right direction.

15. The personal watercraft according to claim 2 , wherein the rear end of the drainage channel opens outside the personal watercraft in the left-right direction.

16. The personal watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the drainage channel includes a front end, a rear end, and a peak point located between the front end and the rear end, and

a rear region of the drainage channel from the peak point to the rear end is inclined to extend rearward and outward in the left-right direction.

17. A personal watercraft comprising:

a handle; and

a watercraft body supporting the handle and including a front upper portion anterior to the handle,

the watercraft body further including:

a center elongated protrusion constituting a part of the front upper portion, the center elongated protrusion being located at a center of the watercraft body in a left-right direction, extending in a front-rear direction, and having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape;

a drainage channel constituting a part of the front upper portion, the drainage channel being outward of and adjacent to the center elongated protrusion in the left-right direction, lying along the center elongated protrusion in the front-rear direction, extending rearward and outward in the left-right direction, and having a downwardly convex cross-sectional shape; and

an outside elongated protrusion outward of and adjacent to the drainage channel in the left-right direction, the outside elongated protrusion lying along the drainage channel in the front-rear direction, having an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape, and facing the drainage channel from outside in the left-right direction, wherein

the drainage channel includes a front end opening forward.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059630/0169 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2021
From: ARAKI, TOSHIO; SHIBUTA, YU; ONOHATA, AZUSA
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 054990/0815 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220227460A1 · Jul 21, 2022