Title: Deck structure for a personal watercraft
Abstract: A personal watercraft deck structure includes a deck, a rear portion opening provided continuously to the rear of a seat underlying opening in the deck, and a bridge member is removably attached at a boundary between the seat underlying opening and the rear portion opening (or at the rear portion opening). A rear portion of a seat is supported by the bridge member, while the rear portion opening is operatively closed with a rear cover. When maintenance of an engine and other equipment disposed within the deck structure is to be performed, the bridge member may be removed. As a result, the seat underlying opening and the rear portion opening are connected to each other and fully exposed, and therefore, a large opening can be obtained for facilitating maintenance of the engine and other equipment.
Patent Number: 6,874,438 Issued on 04/05/2005 to Nakajima, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Nakajima; Jun (Saitama, JP);
Nagata; Tadaaki (Saitama, JP);
Miura; Takayoshi (Saitama, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
660109 |
| Filed:
|
September 11, 2003 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Sep 11, 2002[JP] | 2002-266139 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
114/55.53; 114/363 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B63B 035//73 |
| Field of Search: |
114/363,55.51,55.53
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 5752867 | May., 1998 | Koyanagi | 440/89.
|
| 6112686 | Sep., 2000 | Tsumiyama et al. | 114/55.
|
| 6276290 | Aug., 2001 | Yamada et al. | 114/55.
|
Primary Examiner: Avila; Stephen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Carrier, Blackman & Associates, P.C., Carrier; Joseph P., Blackman; William D.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A deck structure for a personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided in said deck continuously to a rear of said
seat underlying opening; and
a bridge member removably attached to said deck and defining a boundary
between said seat underlying opening and said rear portion opening;
wherein said bridge member is adapted to support a rear portion of a seat;
and
said rear portion opening is adapted to be operatively closed with a cover.
2. A deck structure according to claim 1, further comprising an inner lid
removably attached to said deck in covering relation to said rear portion
opening.
3. A deck structure according to claim 1, wherein said seat underlying
opening is larger than said rear portion opening.
4. A deck structure for a personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided in said deck continuously to a rear of said
seat underlying opening;
a bridge member removably attached to said deck at a boundary between said
seat underlying opening and said rear portion opening; and
an inner lid removably attached to said deck in covering relation to said
rear portion opening;
wherein said bridge member is adapted to support a rear portion of a seat;
said rear portion opening is adapted to be operatively closed with a
cover; and a front portion of said inner lid operatively engages said
bridge member.
5. A desk structure for a personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided in said deck extending behind said seat
underlying opening; and
a bridge member removably attached to said deck at a boundary between said
seat underlying opening and said rear portion opening;
wherein said seat underlying opening is larger than said rear portion
opening, and a front end of said rear portion opening is tapered from
larger to smaller extending rearwardly.
6. A personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided in said deck continuously to a rear of said
seat underlying opening;
a bridge member removably attached to said deck and defining a boundary
between said seat underlying opening and said rear portion opening;
a seat; and
a rear cover;
wherein said bridge member supports a rear portion of said seat; and
said rear cover operatively closes said rear portion opening.
7. A personal watercraft according to claim 6, further comprising an inner
lid removably attached to said deck in covering relation to said rear
portion opening.
8. A personal watercraft according to claim 6, wherein said seat underlying
opening is larger than said rear portion opening.
9. A personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided continuously to a rear of said seat
underlying opening;
a bridge member removably attached at a boundary between said seat
underlying opening and said rear portion opening;
an inner lid removably attached to said deck in covering relation to said
rear portion opening;
a seat; and
a rear cover;
wherein said bridge member supports a rear portion of said seat; and
said rear cover operatively closes said rear portion opening;
wherein a front portion of said inner lid operatively engages said bridge
member.
10. A personal watercraft, comprising:
a deck;
a seat underlying opening provided in said deck;
a rear portion opening provided continuously to a rear of said seat
underlying opening;
a bridge member removably attached at a boundary between said seat
underlying opening and said rear portion opening;
a seat; and
a rear cover;
wherein said seat underlying opening is larger than said rear portion
opening; and wherein a front end of said rear portion opening is tapered
from larger to smaller extending rearwardly.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deck structure for a personal watercraft. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a deck structure for a
personal watercraft that provides for ease of access to an engine and
other equipment disposed therein for maintenance, and a locking mechanism
for a lid and cover that prevents incorrect assembly of same to the deck
structure.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Although a search for related art document information was conducted in a
search field based on the International Patent Classification, no relevant
document was located. It seems that this is because the present invention
is directed to a technique of a very special field.
Therefore, the inventors of the present invention describe a related art
apparatus with reference to the drawings in place of related art document
information, in which FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a deck structure of a
personal watercraft. According to the deck structure 210 for a personal
watercraft, a seat underlying opening 212 is provided in a deck 211, and a
seat 213 is attached to the seat underlying opening 212. Maintenance of an
engine and other equipment inside of the deck 211 is typically performed
after the seat 213 is removed.
In the deck structure for a personal watercraft described above, however,
the engine and other equipment inside of the deck are not always present
or readily accessible through the seat underlying opening. For example, if
some other equipment is provided at a position displaced from the seat
underlying opening, then it is estimated that the operability of the
maintenance through the seat underlying opening is deteriorated
significantly. In other words, improvement of the operability of the
maintenance is demanded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention resides in provision of a
technique which can improve the operability of the maintenance of
equipments accommodated inside of a deck.
In order to achieve the object described above, according to an aspect of
the present invention, a deck structure for a personal watercraft
comprises: a deck, a seat underlying opening provided in the deck, a rear
portion opening provided continuously to the rear of the seat underlying
opening, and a bridge member removably attached at a boundary between the
seat underlying opening and the rear portion opening. The bridge member is
adapted to support a rear portion a seat, and the rear portion opening is
adapted to be operatively closed by a cover.
When the engine and other equipment are arranged inside of the deck of the
personal watercraft, and maintenance is to be performed thereon, it is in
most cases performed through the seat underlying opening with the seat
removed. Accordingly, it is preferable that the seat underlying opening is
large.
Therefore, when maintenance of the engine and other equipments is to be
performed on the watercraft having the deck structure according to the
described aspect of the present invention, the bridge member may be
removed. As a result, the seat underlying opening and the rear portion
opening extending continuously to each other are fully exposed, and
therefore, a large opening can be obtained. Consequently, improvement of
the operability in maintenance can be anticipated.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the reader is
referred to the following detailed description section, which should be
read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the
following detailed description and in the drawings, like numbers refer to
like parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a personal watercraft which adopts a
deck structure according to the present invention, with an engine and
various other equipment shown via partial cutaway and broken lines.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a rear portion of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rear portion of the personal watercraft
which adopts the deck structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 4(a) is a schematic top plan view of part of the rear portion of the
personal watercraft in which the continuously extending seat underlying
and rear portion openings are fully exposed.
FIG. 4(b) is a view similar to FIG. 4(a), but with a bridge member secured
in place over a boundary between the openings.
FIG. 5(a) is a schematic top plan view similar to FIG. 4(b), but with a
rear cover also disposed over the rear cover opening.
FIG. 5(b) is a view similar to FIG. 4(b), but with an inner lid secured in
place over the rear portion opening and the rear cover.
FIG. 6 is a schematic top plan view similar to FIG. 5(b), but with both the
inner lid and the rear cover properly secured in place over the rear
portion opening.
FIG. 7(a) is a schematic side elevational view, partly cutaway, showing a
personal watercraft with a comparative deck structure wherein a seat is
shown separated from the deck structure.
FIG. 7(b) is a schematic side elevational view similar to FIG. 7(a), but
which shows the personal watercraft which adopts the deck structure
according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an individual servicing a front
portion of the personal watercraft which adopts the deck structure
according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an essential part of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view as viewed in the direction indicated by an
arrow mark 11 in FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12--12 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a comparative deck structure for a personal
watercraft.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following, an embodiment of the present invention is described with
reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the terms "front", "rear",
"left" and "right" represent directions as viewed by a driver of the
watercraft. It is to be noted that the drawings should also be viewed in
the directions indicated by reference characters in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a personal watercraft which adopts an
aspect of the deck structure according to the present invention.
The personal watercraft 10 includes a fuel tank 13 provided at a front
portion of a craft body 11. An engine 14 is provided rearwardly of the
fuel tank 13. A jet propeller chamber 16 is provided at a stem 15
rearwardly of the engine 14. A water jet propeller 17 is provided in the
jet propeller chamber 16. A steering nozzle 18 is provided rearwardly of
the waterjet propeller 17. A steering handle member 19 for operating the
steering nozzle 18 is provided above the fuel tank 13. A seat 21 is
provided at a central portion of a deck 20, which forms an upper face of
the craft body 11, rearwardly of the steering handle member 19 such that
it extends forwardly and rearwardly. A rear platform (platform) 22 is
provided rearwardly of the seat 21 such that it extends substantially
horizontally forwardly from a rear end portion 20a of the deck 20. An
inclined face portion 24 having an upward slope is provided such that it
extends toward the seat 21 from a front end center (front end) 22a of the
rear platform 22. A cover (rear cover) 48 is provided between the seat 21
and the rear platform 22.
The waterjet propeller 17 has an inlet port 29 formed in a craft bottom 28
of the craft body 11 thereof. The inlet port 29 extends to the jet
propeller chamber 16. A cylindrical stator 31 is provided on a wall
portion (stator plate) 30 of the jet propeller chamber 16. An impeller 32
is disposed in the stator 31. A drive shaft 34 is connected rearwardly to
a shaft 33 of the impeller 32 and frontally connected to the engine 14 for
transmitting driving power of the engine 14.
With the personal watercraft 10, the impeller 32 can be rotated through the
shaft 33 by rotating the drive shaft 34 by means of the engine 14. When
the impeller 32 rotates, water can be taken in by the inlet port 29 and
introduced into the stator 31. The thus introduced water can be propelled
to the steering nozzle 18 through a jet nozzle 37 at a rear end of the
stator 31 and then expelled rearwardly as a waterjet from the rear end of
the steering nozzle 18. The expelled water can be utilized to propel the
personal watercraft 10.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a rear portion of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention. The rear portion of the personal watercraft 10 is formed with a
seat underlying opening 41 provided in the deck 20, and a rear portion
opening 42 provided in the deck 20 continuously to the seat underlying
opening 41. A bridge plate 43 is provided extending across the boundary
between the seat underlying opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42.
The rear portion of the seat 21 covers or closes up the seat underlying
opening 41, and an inner lid 45 is provided behind the bridge plate for
covering or closing up the rear portion opening 42. A locking mechanism 47
is attached to a rear edge 46 of the deck at an edge of the rear portion
opening 42, for locking the inner lid 45. The rear cover 48 is provided
for covering the inner lid 45, and a pair of engaging portions 49, 49 are
provide on the deck for engaging the rear cover 48 on the deck 20 side.
In particular, it can be considered that a deck structure 40 of the
personal watercraft is configured such that the seat underlying opening 41
is formed in the deck 20 of the personal watercraft 10 and the rear
portion opening 42 is formed continuously to the rear of the seat
underlying opening 41 while the bridge plate 43 is removably attached to
the boundary between the seat underlying opening 41 and the rear portion
opening 42 such that the rear portion of the seat 21 is supported by the
bridge plate 43 and the rear portion opening 42 is covered or closed up
with the rear cover 48.
For example, the engine and other equipment are arranged inside of the deck
structure 40 of the personal watercraft. When maintenance of the engine
and other equipment may be performed, it is in most cases performed
through the seat underlying opening with the seat removed. Accordingly, it
is preferable that the seat underlying opening is large.
Therefore, according to an important aspect of the present invention the
rear portion opening 42 is formed continuously to the rear of the seat
underlying opening 41 and the bridge plate 43 is removably mounted on the
boundary between the seat underlying opening 41 and the rear portion
opening 42 (or at the rear portion opening 42) such that the rear portion
of the seat 21 is supported by the bridge plate 43, and the rear portion
opening 42 is, again, covered or enclosed by the rear cover 48.
When maintenance of the engine 14 and other equipment is to be performed,
the bridge plate 43 may be removed. As a result, the seat underlying
opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42 are connected to each other,
and therefore, a large opening can be obtained. Consequently, improvement
of the operability in maintenance can be anticipated.
Subsequently, details of the components mentioned above are described.
The bridge plate 43 has a pair of flange portions 52, 52 to be placed on
side edges 51, 51 as edges of the rear portion opening 42 for attaching
the bridge plate 43 to the deck 20, a pair of left and right fitting
portions 53, 53 into which the inner lid 45 is to be fitted, and a central
fitting portion 54 into which the rear cover 48 is to be fitted. It is to
be noted that reference characters 55, . . . ( . . . indicate a plural
number, and similarly apply to the following description) denote fastening
screws for fastening the bridge plate 43 to the side edges 51, 51 of the
rear portion opening 42.
The inner lid 45 is a member in the form of a plate and has a packing or
gasket 62 attached to an edge 61 of the inner lid 45 for sealing the rear
portion opening 42, a pair of front projections 63, 63 for being fitted
into the left and right fitting portions 53, 53 of the bridge plate 43, a
pair of rear projections 64, 64 for being placed on the rear edge 46 of
the rear portion opening 42, and a fitting projection 65 for engaging with
the locking mechanism 47.
The locking mechanism 47 includes a lock base 67 attached to the deck 20, a
locking member 68 attached for swinging movement within a predetermined
range to the lock base 67, and a torsion spring 69 serving as a biasing
member extending between the locking member 68 and the lock base 67.
The lock base 67 has formed therein a pair of attaching holes 71, 71 for
attaching the lock base 67 to the deck 20, a supporting portion 72 for
supporting the locking member 68 for swinging movement, a spring anchoring
portion (not shown) for anchoring one end of the torsion spring 69, and a
stopper portion 81 for restricting the range of the swinging movement of
the locking member 68 to a predetermined angle. It is noted that reference
numerals 74, 74 denote fastening screws for attaching the lock base 67 to
the deck 20.
The locking member 68 has formed therein or thereon a supporting hole 76 in
which the supporting portion 72 of the lock base 67 is fitted for swinging
movement, a projection 77 which is formed at a corner of the locking
member 68 farthest from the supporting hole 76, a spring anchoring portion
(not shown) for anchoring the other end of the torsion spring 69, and a
fitting recess 79 into which the engaging projection 65 of the inner lid
45 is to be engaged.
The torsion spring 69 is a member which biases the locking member 68 toward
an unlocked position thereof, where the position of the locking member 68
with respect to the deck 20 when the torsion spring 69 holds down the
inner lid 45 is called "locked position" while the position of the locking
member 68 with respect to the deck 20 when the inner lid 45 is removed is
called the "unlocked position".
In particular, according to the locking mechanism 47, the fitting recess 79
of the locking member 68 is engaged with the engaging projection 65 on the
inner lid 45 side so that the locking member 68 keeps a locked posture at
the locked position. However, when the fitting recess 79 is removed from
the engaging projection 65, the inner lid 45 can be removed. Thereupon,
the locking member 68 is automatically swung to the predetermined angle,
and when the inner lid 45 is not present, the locking member 68 is
normally kept in an unlocking posture at the unlocked position.
The rear cover 48 is a substantially tunnel-shaped cover and has a central
projection 84 for being fitted into the central fitting portion 54 of the
bridge plate 43 and a pair of engaging knobs 85, 85 for engaging with the
engaging portions 49, 49 of the deck 20. Reference numeral 86 denotes a
rear edge.
It is to be noted that reference numeral 87 denotes a through-hole located
in the central fitting portion 54, 88 a through-hole located in the
central projection 84, and 89 a downward projection formed on a lower face
of the seat 21. When the seat 21 is to be attached, the downward
projection 89 is inserted into the through-hole 88 to secure the rear
cover 48.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rear portion of the personal watercraft which
adopts the deck structure according to the present invention. As shown in
FIG. 3, the bridge plate 43 is attached to the boundary between the seat
underlying opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42 (or to the rear
portion opening 42). The front projections 63, 63 of the inner lid 45 are
inserted in the left and right fitting portions 53, 53 of the bridge plate
43. The inner lid 45 is locked with the locking member 68 of the locking
mechanism 47. The central projection 84 of the rear cover 48 is inserted
in the central fitting portion 54 of the bridge plate 43. The rear cover
48 is engaged by the engaging portions 49, 49 on the deck 20 side.
As hereinafter described, it is shown that, at the unlocked position of the
locking member 68 indicated by a solid line, the projection 77 of the
locking member 68 is held between the deck 20 and the rear cover 48, and
the rear cover 48 cannot be attached. Further, the locked position is a
position at which the fitting recess 79 of the locking member 68 is
engaged with the engaging projection 65 of the inner lid 45.
It can be considered that an inner lid attaching structure 50 of the
personal watercraft is configured such that, in the personal watercraft 10
(refer to FIG. 1) wherein the inner lid 45 is attached to the rear portion
opening (opening) 42 provided in the deck 20 of the personal watercraft 10
(refer to FIG. 1) with the gasket 62 interposed therebetween and the edge
61 of the inner lid 45 placed on the side edges 51, 51 and the rear edge
46 of the rear portion opening 42 is pressed against the side edges 51, 51
and the rear edge 46 by the locking member 68 rotated as indicated by a
void arrow mark to the locked side to assure the air-tightness of the
inner lid 45 while the inner lid 45 is covered with the rear cover (cover)
48. Also, the projection 77 which allows attachment of the rear cover 48
when the locking member 68 is at the locked position but is sandwiched,
when the locking member 68 is at the unlocked position indicated by a
solid line, between the deck 20 and the rear cover 48 to block attachment
of the rear cover 48 is provided integrally on the locking member 68, and
the torsion spring (biasing member) 69 for biasing the locking member 68
toward the unlocked position is provided between the locking member 68 and
the deck 20.
For example, in the structure wherein the inner lid is attached to the
opening provided in the deck and is covered from above with the rear
cover, it is preferable to configure the structure such that the rear
cover cannot be attached if the inner lid is not present in order to
prevent a situation in which the inner lid is not attached inadvertently.
The inner lid 45 is attached to the rear portion opening (opening) 42 with
the gasket or packing 62 interposed therebetween. Further, the edge 61 of
the inner lid 45 placed on the side edges 51, 51 and the rear edge 46 of
the rear portion opening 42 is pressed by the locking member 68 rocked to
the locking side to assure the air-tightness of the inner lid 45, and the
inner lid 45 is covered with the rear cover 48.
When the inner lid 45 is removed from the deck 20, the torsion spring
(biasing member) 69 automatically returns the locking member 68 to the
unlocked position. If the rear cover 48 is attempted to be attached when
the locking member 68 is at the unlocked position, then the projection 77
of the locking member 68 is sandwiched between the deck 20 and the rear
cover 48 thereby to block attachment of the rear cover 48. Consequently,
if the inner lid 45 is not attached, then the rear cover 48 cannot be
fitted. As a result, the inner lid 45 is prevented from not being attached
inadvertently.
Action of the inner lid attaching structure 50 of the personal watercraft
described above is described below.
FIGS. 4(a) and (b) are schematic views of first action (part 1) of the
personal watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the
present invention.
Referring to FIG. 4(a), the deck 20 is depicted before the bridge plate 43,
inner lid 45 and cover 48 shown in FIG. 2 are attached. In particular, the
seat underlying opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42 are openings
which are in an open state and are contiguous to each other, and the
locking member 68 is in a state wherein it maintains an unlocking state at
the unlocked position.
Referring to FIG. 4(b), the flange portions 52, 52 of the bridge plate 43
are placed onto the side edges 51, 51 of the rear portion opening 42 and
secured by fastening screws 55 or other appropriate fastening means.
FIG. 5(a) and (b) are schematic views of the first action (part 2) of the
personal watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the
present invention.
Referring to FIG. 5(a), action is described in the case where it is
attempted to attach the rear cover 48 while the inner lid 45 shown in FIG.
2 is not attached, inadvertently. Since the inner lid 45 is not attached
as yet, the locking member 68 keeps the unlocked posture at the unlocked
position, and if the rear cover 48 is adjusted to a predetermined position
of the deck 20, then the rear edge 86 of the rear cover 48 and the rear
edge 46 of the deck 20 sandwich the projection 77 of the locking member
68. Accordingly, the engaging knobs 85, 85 of the rear cover 48 do not fit
with the engaging portions 49, 49 (FIG. 2) of the deck 20, and the rear
cover 48 cannot be attached.
Consequently, if the inner lid 45 (refer to FIG. 2) is not attached, then
the rear cover 48 cannot be fitted. As a result, the condition of
inadvertently omitting the inner lid 45 while attaching rear cover 48 is
prevented.
In FIG. 5(b), the front projections 63, 63 of the inner lid 45 are inserted
into the left and right fitting portions 53, 53 (refer to FIG. 2) of the
bridge plate 43, and the fitting recess 79 of the locking member 68 is
fitted with the engaging projection 65 (refer to FIG. 2) of the inner lid
45. As a result, the inner lid 45 is pressed by the locking member 68, and
the locking member 68 is kept in the locking state at the locked position
shown in FIG. 5(b).
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the first action (part 3) of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention. The central projection 84 of the rear cover 48 is inserted into
the central fitting portion 54 (refer to FIG. 2) of the bridge plate 43,
and the engaging knobs 85, 85 of the rear cover 48 are engaged by the
engaging portions 49, 49 (refer to FIG. 2) of the deck 20, thereby
completing the attachment of the inner lid 45 and the rear cover 48.
In particular, the inner lid attaching structure 50 of the personal
watercraft is a structure wherein, when the inner lid 45 is removed from
the deck 20, the torsion spring 69 (refer to FIG. 2) automatically returns
the locking member 68 to the unlocking position shown in FIG. 5(a), and if
it is tried to attach the rear cover 48 when the locking member 68 is at
the unlocking position, then the projection 77 of the locking member 68 is
sandwiched between the deck 20 and the rear cover 48 to block the
attachment of the rear cover 48. Thus, the inner lid attaching structure
50 of the personal watercraft is a structure which can prevent a situation
in which the inner lid 45 is inadvertently not attached.
FIGS. 7(a) and (b) are schematic views of a second action of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention, in which FIG. 7(a) shows a deck structure 200 of a personal
watercraft of a comparative example, while FIG. 7(b) shows the deck
structure 40 of the personal watercraft of the embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 7(a), according to the deck structure 200 of the personal
watercraft, a seat underlying opening 202 is provided in a deck 201 and
closed up with a seat 203. When maintenance of an engine and other
equipment inside of the deck 201 is performed, maintenance of equipment
205 which is positioned at a position displaced from the seat underlying
opening 202 cannot be performed readily.
Referring to FIG. 7(b), according to the deck structure 40 of the personal
watercraft, the rear portion opening 42 is provided continuously to the
rear of the seat underlying opening 41, and the bridge plate 43 is
removably attached to the boundary between the seat underlying opening 41
and the rear portion opening 42 (or to the rear portion opening 42) such
that it supports the rear portion of the seat 21 while the rear portion
opening 42 is closed up with the inner lid 45 and rear cover 48.
Accordingly, when maintenance of the engine 14 (refer to FIG. 1) and other
equipment is to be performed, the bridge plate 43 is removed. Thereupon,
the seat underlying opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42 join
together, and consequently, a large opening can be obtained. Consequently,
improvement of the operability in maintenance can be achieved.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the front portion of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention. The front portion of the personal watercraft 10 includes a main
opening 93 serving as a maintenance opening provided in the proximity of a
steering shaft 92 on a front portion upper face 91 of the deck 20, a box
94 removably attached to the main opening 93 so as to be used as a
container, a front cover 96 serving as a main lid attached to the deck 20
for opening and closing movement by a hinge (not shown) for covering the
top of the box 94, a sub opening 98 serving as a maintenance opening
provided in the proximity of the steering shaft 92 in a left side wall 97
serving as a side wall of the deck 20, and a duct unit 99 which closes up
the sub opening 98.
Reference numeral 101 denotes a gasket or packing interposed between the
main opening 93 and the box 94, and reference numerals 102, . . . denote
fastening screws or other appropriate fastening means for the box 94.
The duct unit 99 is a unit for exhausting air from the deck 20. The duct
unit 99 includes a sub lid 103 for closing up the sub opening 98 and
exhausting air therethrough, and an exhaust duct 105 serving as an
intake/exhaust duct attached to the attaching portion 104 of the sub lid
103.
The main opening 93 plays a role of an opening for maintenance when the
front cover 96 is opened and the box 94 is removed. The sub opening 98
plays a role of an opening for maintenance when the sub lid 103 is removed
and the exhaust duct 105 attached integrally to the sub lid 103 is pulled
off. In particular, it can be considered that a maintenance opening
arrangement structure 90 for a personal watercraft is a structure that the
main opening 93 and the sub opening 98 are provided around the steering
shaft 92. For example, around the steering shaft 92, many rotatable
members are present. Therefore, where the main opening 93 and the sub
opening 98 are provided around the steering shaft 92, it is possible to
hold one of the members with the left hand and perform a maintenance
operation of the other member with the right hand.
Further, it can be considered that, according to the maintenance opening
arrangement structure 90 of the personal watercraft, when the sub opening
98 is closed up with the sub lid 103, the sub lid 103 serves also as the
attaching portion 104 of the exhaust duct 105.
It is preferable, for example, to use an opening for maintenance also for
another application in order to achieve efficient utilization of parts.
Therefore, when the sub opening 98 is closed up with the sub lid 103, the
sub lid 103 serves also as the attaching portion 104 of the exhaust duct
105. Consequently, in a state of use, the sub lid 103 is utilized as an
exhaust port. However, upon maintenance, the sub lid 103 is removed,
whereupon the exhaust duct 105 is pulled off simultaneously. Consequently,
a maintenance operation can readily be performed.
As a result, efficient utilization of parts can be anticipated. Further,
the number of openings for exclusive use for maintenance can be reduced,
and improvement of the design of the personal watercraft 10 can be
anticipated.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a third action of the personal watercraft
which adopts the deck structure according to the present invention. It can
be considered that the maintenance opening arrangement structure 90 of the
personal watercraft is configured such that, in the personal watercraft 10
wherein the main opening 93 and the sub opening 98 for maintenance are
provided in the deck 20 of the personal watercraft 10, the main opening 93
and the sub opening 98 are provided at positions at which a maintenance
operation can be performed with one hand of an operator M extending in the
main opening 93 and with the other hand of the operator M extending in the
sub opening 98.
For example, it is preferable that certain maintenance operations be
performed by making use of both the main opening 93 and the sub opening 98
at the same time in order to improve the operability of the maintenance
operation. Therefore, the main opening 93 and the sub opening 98 are
provided at positions at which the operator M can perform a maintenance
operation with one hand thereof extending in the main opening 93 and with
the other hand thereof extending in the sub opening 98. For example, the
operator M can insert a left hand LH thereof into the main opening 93 and
insert a right hand RH into the sub opening 98 to perform a maintenance
operation using both hands, as depicted. As a result, improvement of the
operability of the maintenance operation can be achieved.
In the following, an example of a maintenance operation around the steering
shaft 92 through the sub opening (sub opening) 98 is described.
FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an essential part of the personal
watercraft which adopts the deck structure according to the present
invention. A steering mechanism 111 includes the steering shaft 92 mounted
for rotation on a steering shaft hub 112. The steering handle member 19
(refer to FIG. 8) is attached to an end of the steering shaft 92. A
steering plate 113 is attached to the other end of the steering shaft 92.
One end of a driving cable 114 serving as a connection member is attached
to the steering plate 113. The other end of the driving cable 114 is
attached to the steering nozzle 18 (refer to FIG. 1) at the rear portion
of the craft body 11. It is to be noted that reference numeral 106 denotes
a swollen portion formed on the deck 20.
It can be considered that the maintenance opening arrangement structure 90
of the personal watercraft is configured such that, in the personal
watercraft 10 wherein the front portion of the deck 20 of the personal
watercraft is swollen upwardly to form the swollen portion 106 and the
steering handle member 19 (refer to FIG. 8) is rotatably supported at a
central upper portion of the swollen portion 106, and the steering handle
member 19 and the steering nozzle 18 (refer to FIG. 1) are connected to
each other by the driving cable (connection member) 114 disposed in the
deck 20, the maintenance opening (sub opening) 98 is disposed in the left
side wall (side wall) 97 of the swollen portion 106.
Where the maintenance opening (sub opening) 98 is disposed in the left side
wall 97 of the swollen portion 106, maintenance of the driving cable 114
connecting to the steering handle member 19 (refer to FIG. 8) can be
performed readily. As a result, improvement of the operability of the
maintenance of the driving cable 114 can be anticipated.
The driving cable 114 includes an outer pipe 116 secured to the craft body
side and an inner cable 117 movable with respect to the outer pipe 116. A
supporting structure 120 for the driving cable is described with reference
to the following figures.
FIG. 11 is a view as viewed in the direction indicated by an arrow mark 11
of FIG. 10 and shows a plan of the supporting structure 120 for the
driving cable. FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12--12 of FIG.
11 and shows a side elevation sectional view of the supporting structure
120 for the driving cable.
The supporting structure 120 for the driving cable has a structure whereby
the outer pipe 116 of the driving cable 114 is supported on a bracket 121
attached to the reverse side of the deck 20 shown in FIG. 12. In
particular, a male thread portion 122 is formed on the outer pipe 116, and
first and second nuts 123 and 124 are screwed on the male thread portion
122. A U-shaped portion 125 is formed on the bracket 121 shown in FIG. 12,
and the outer pipe 116 is secured by sandwiching the same in the U-shaped
portion 125 with the first and second nuts of the outer pipe 116.
Further, a stopper 126 for stopping turning movement of the second nut 124
is formed on the bracket 121 as shown in FIG. 12 to prevent turning
movement of the second nut 124 together with the first nut 123 shown in
FIG. 11 when the first nut 123 is turned. Accordingly, since the first nut
123 is positioned rather near to the sub opening 98 (refer to FIG. 10),
the driving cable 114 can be removed or attached by turning the first nut
123. As a result, improvement of the operability in attachment and removal
of the driving cable 114 can be achieved.
In FIGS. 11 and 12, reference numerals 127, 127 denote bolts for securing
the bracket 121 to the reverse face of the deck 20, reference numeral 128
denotes a deck side attaching face of the bracket 121, and 129 denotes a
projection formed on the bracket 121 for preventing the outer pipe 116
from sliding off from the U-shaped portion 125 when the first nut 123 is
loosened.
It is to be noted that, while, in the embodiment, the bridge plate 43 is
removably attached to the rear portion opening 42 as shown in FIG. 2, the
location of the bridge plate 43 is not limited to this, and it is only
necessary to provide the bridge plate 43 on the boundary between the seat
underlying opening 41 and the rear portion opening 42.
Further, while in the embodiment, the inner lid 45 is attached to the rear
portion opening 42 at the rear portion of the craft body 11 (refer to FIG.
1) and the rear cover 48 is attached to the inner lid 45 as shown in FIG.
3, the configuration is not limited to this. In particular, the inner lid
may be attached to any portion of the craft body, and the rear cover may
be any cover which covers the inner lid.
Further, while in the embodiment, the attaching portion 104 is provided on
the sub lid 103 and the exhaust duct 105 is attached to the attaching
portion 104 as shown in FIG. 8, the exhaust duct may alternatively be an
intake duct.
The present invention exhibits the following effects due to the
configuration described above. According to one aspect of the invention, a
rear portion opening is provided continuously to the rear of a seat
underlying opening, and a bridge member is removably attached at a
boundary between the seat underlying opening and the rear portion opening,
while a rear portion of a seat is supported by the bridge member and the
rear portion opening is closed up with a cover. Therefore, when
maintenance of an engine and other equipment is to be performed, the
bridge member may be removed. As a result, the seat underlying opening and
the rear portion opening are connected to each other and fully exposed,
and therefore, a large opening can be obtained. Consequently, improvement
of the operability in maintenance can be anticipated.
Although the present invention has been described herein with respect to a
limited number of presently preferred embodiments, the foregoing
description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Those
skilled in the art will realize that many modifications of the preferred
embodiment could be made which would be operable. All such modifications,
which are within the scope of the claims, are intended to be within the
scope and spirit of the present invention.
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