Ships – Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-04
2001-03-27
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3612)
Ships
Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle
C114S055510, C114S055570, C114S357000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205942
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a personal watercraft (also called a PWC) that planes along the surface of the water and, more particularly, to a bulkhead structure for the personal watercraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal watercraft have been gaining popularity in recent years for sports and recreational purposes. Generally, the personal watercraft is constructed to move forward by increasing the pressure of water drawn through a water intake, provided on a bottom of the body of the watercraft, by a propulsion pump and ejecting the water rearward from the body.
In order to enhance the motion performance of the personal watercraft, it is necessary to reduce the weight thereof. Moreover, wave cutting ability should be improved to enhance comfort for the operator and any passengers on the personal watercraft and to reduce fuel consumption. In order to improve the wave cutting ability of the personal watercraft, it is desirable that the rigidity of an outer shell of the body is high.
When the personal watercraft travels over waves, the bottom of the body receives a water pressure from the waves. The water pressure is transmitted to a handlebar. Consequently, an operator can feel the magnitude of the water pressure by means of the handlebar. The water pressure that the operator feels depends on the rigidity of the outer shell of the body. In a case where the rigidity of the outer shell of the body is high, the outer shell of the body is less deformed when the bottom of the body receives the water pressure from the waves. Consequently, the bottom of the body easily forces the water pressure away to both sides. More specifically, the water cutting ability can be improved so that any riders are comfortable without greatly feeling the water pressure received by the bottom of the body.
The outer shell of the body of the personal watercraft comprises a member provided on a bottom side which is in contact with the water and is referred to as a hull, and a member which covers an upper side of the hull and is referred to as a deck. If thicknesses of these members are reduced, the weight of the personal watercraft can be reduced so that the motion performance thereof can also be enhanced. However, the reduction in the thicknesses of these members causes the rigidity of the outer shell of the body to deteriorate. As a result, the wave cutting ability is degraded.
Accordingly, the hull and the deck require certain minimal thicknesses. For this reason, a reduction in the weight of the personal watercraft is limited.
In most personal watercraft, the inside spaces of the bodies, particularly, the inside spaces of the bow portion are rarely utilized effectively. For example, a storage area or compartment is formed in a part of the space or a buoyancy member is provided therein. However, most of the space is not used but is left as it is. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 7-45421 discloses the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of above-mentioned circumstances, it is an object of the invention to provide a bulkhead structure for a personal watercraft capable of reducing the weight of the personal watercraft while maintaining the rigidity of an outer shell of a body by using an inside space of the body, and of further enhancing the rigidity of the outer shell of the body without increasing the weight.
The invention provides a bulkhead structure for a personal watercraft in which a hull and a deck are joined to form an outer shell of a body. A reinforcing member spans the body substantially horizontally in a direction of a width of the personal watercraft, the reinforcing member having right and left sides fixed in the vicinity of a junction portion of the hull and the deck.
According to the bulkhead structure for a personal watercraft, if the hull or the deck expands or contracts in the direction of a width of the personal watercraft, tensile stress or compressive stress is applied to the reinforcing member but the hull and the deck can be prevented from being deformed by the resisting or counter force of the reinforcing member. Thus, the hull and the deck are strongly constructed, and the rigidity of the outer shell of the bottom can be enhanced without changing the thickness of the hull and the thickness of the deck. Alternatively, the thickness of the hull and the thickness of the deck can be reduced without deteriorating the rigidity of the outer shell of the body.
Each of the right and left ends of the reinforcing member may be interposed between a flange portion formed on a periphery of the hull and a flange portion formed on a periphery of the deck. Usually, the flange portion of the hull and that of the deck are joined by bonding. If the reinforcing member is inserted between the flange portions of the hull and the deck during the bonding step, the personal watercraft can be manufactured with minimal effort.
A recess may be provided in a part of the reinforcing shaped member. With such a structure, the recess functions as storage for accommodating items, and also acts as a rib to enhance the rigidity of a bulkhead itself.
A support portion may be provided between the reinforcing member and the deck or the hull to prevent bending of the reinforcing member. When the hull or the deck contracts in a direction of a width of the personal watercraft, the reinforcing member bends. With the above-mentioned structure, however, the support portion can prevent the reinforcing member from bending. Accordingly, the hull and the deck become stronger in structure so that the rigidity of the outer shell of the body is enhanced.
This object as well as other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3136288 (1964-06-01), Hardy
patent: 5586922 (1996-12-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 605816 (1960-06-01), None
patent: 2-169385 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 3-25396 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 6-199274 (1994-06-01), None
patent: Y2-7-45421 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 8-67296 (1996-03-01), None
Basinger Sherman
Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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