Ships – Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle – Having releasable hull compartment cover
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2001-10-30
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Ships
Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle
Having releasable hull compartment cover
C049S248000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308650
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hatch cover structure for a personal watercraft planing on a water surface and more particularly to a hinge structure of the hatch cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a personal watercraft has become popular for use in leisure or sports.
Accordingly, a high fashionability (functional beauty) in external appearance is required for the personal watercraft, in addition to its high performance.
The personal watercraft is, in general, smaller in size than a leisure motorboat or the like, and is difficult to ensure a large-capacity accommodating space in one place. Therefore, an empty space in a front or rear portion of the watercraft is utilized as the accommodating space. As an example, a hatch cover is located in the front portion of the watercraft and the accommodating space is provided under the hatch cover. A prior art configuration of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-45428.
Moreover, in order to provide a desirable appearance and to reduce fluid resistance, the personal watercraft is formed substantially in a bullet shape. Therefore, a deck of the watercraft and the hatch cover disposed thereon are required to be formed as a continuous streamlined shape.
The above described hatch cover arranged in the front portion of the watercraft, has a hinge unit usually located near the front tip (bow) of the deck, and the hatch cover is pivoted at the front end thereof to be opened forwardly. In this structure, a design of the bow is mechanically limited in some degrees. In other words, the size of the hinge unit is limited when the hinge unit is positioned on the front end of the hatch cover, because the watercraft is formed in bullet shape as described above, and the width is limited for providing the hinge unit at front end of the hatch cover. As a result, the hatch cover is limited in a shape and a degree of design freedom. For this reason, the hinge shaft (rotating shaft) of the hinge unit is usually positioned rearward from the front end of the hatch cover. In this structure, a recess of a small radius must be formed in the deck to avoid contact with the front portion of the hatch cover when the hatch cover is opened, because it is desirable there is no gap between the hatch cover and the deck when the hatch cover is closed. Forming a recess of small radius in the three-dimensionally narrow portion of bow of the deck, makes the shape of the bow complicated, and requires troublesome work in FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) molding in the manufacturing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is intended to overcome disadvantages by providing a hatch cover structure for a personal watercraft having a hinge structure without producing any noticeable gap between a hatch cover and a deck, and without forming a recess of a small radius on the front portion of the deck to which the hatch cover is attached as described above.
According to the present invention, there is provided a hatch cover structure for a personal watercraft in which a hatch cover is attached openably on a surface of a deck of the personal watercraft through a hinge unit, including a double action mechanism which moves the hinge shaft apart from the surface of the deck associating with the progress of the opening action of the hatch cover.
With this structure, the front portion of the hatch cover is avoided to move into contact with the deck when the hatch cover is opened, and any noticeable gap is not formed between the deck and the hatch cover in a closed state, even when the hatch cover is attached to the deck through the hinge unit with the hinge shaft positioned rearward of the front end of the hatch cover.
In one embodiment of a hatch cover structure for a personal watercraft, the double action mechanism is constructed by a mechanism having a pair of gears and a link mechanism. The double action mechanism comprises a gear frame, a pair of gears which engage each other, and arranged in said gear frame, a first link member having a fixed end and a free end, said fixed end being secured to one gear of said pair of gears, a second link member having a fixed end and a free end, said fixed end being secured to the other gear of said pair of gears, a third link member having a free end and a fixed end, said free end being pivotally connected to said free end of said second link member, a connecting element disposed at said free end of said first link member, said connecting element serves as a hinge shaft, said gear frame is fixed to one of one surface of the deck and one surface of the hatch cover, and the free end of said first link member and the fixed end of said third link member are pivotally attached to one of the other surface of the deck and the other surface of the hatch cover, whereby the hinge shaft moves apart from the surface of the deck with the progress of the opening action of the hatch cover. The use of the pair of gears allows a high rigidity and smooth operation of the hatch cover structure.
In the above embodiment, an effective length of the first link member is smaller than the sum of the effective lengths of the second and third link members, and the pair of gears are substantially equal in the number of teeth. With the structure described above, the hatch cover structure is realized in which the hatch cover is pivoted at its front portion and opened forwardly in a predetermined manner. That is, the factors of an angle of inclination of the hatch cover is determined by: the difference between the length of the first link member and the sum of the lengths of the second and third link members, the distance between the free end of the first link member and the fixed end of the third link member, and the distance between the fixed end of the first link member attached to the first gear and the fixed end of the second link member attached to the second gear. Thus, the above preferable embodiment is obtained.
In the second embodiment, the double action mechanism is composed of a link mechanism and a slide mechanism. The double action mechanism includes a second link member whose fixed end is connected to the deck through a second connecting element and whose free end is slidably connected to the hatch cover through a slide mechanism, a first link member whose fixed end is connected to the deck through a third connecting elements, and a free end is connected to the hatch cover, through a first connecting element, and a slider which is slidably connected to the intermediate position of the first link member and connected to the intermediate position of the second link member, whereby the first connecting element which connects the first link member with the hatch cover, serves as a hinge shaft which is moved apart from the surface of the deck associating with the progress of opening action of the hatch cover. With this structure, the hinge unit is compactly housed in the tip portion of the hatch cover, and it is thus possible to ensure a wide inward space (housing space) for accommodating baggage or the like when the hatch cover is opened.
In the embodiment having the link members and the slider, the first link member and the slider are connected to each other by the connection of an elongated hole which extends longitudinally in the first link member, and the slider which is slidably in the elongated hole. With this construction of forming the elongated hole in the first link member, the double action mechanism can be made compact.
In any one of the above-mentioned hatch cover structures, superior embodiment is obtained when an attaching member is integrally provided with the double action mechanism on the hatch cover side, because the attaching member increases rigidity of the hatch cover structure which permits reduction of the thickness of the hatch cover itself.
These objects as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description wi
Ikeyama Masafumi
Nakagawa Kenichi
Tsumiyama Yoshinori
Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Marshall Gerstein & Borun
Morano S. Joseph
Wright Andy
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