Personal watercraft with V-type engine
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNoboru Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki Kaneko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A number of embodiments of small personal watercraft each embodying a V-type engine. Arrangements are shown wherein the engine is mounted either with its output shaft extending in a longitudinal direction or in a vertical direction. Various placements for the engine are disclosed and in all embodiments a straddle-type seat is incorporated for accommodating at least the rider and in some instances additional passengers. Various types of exhaust systems including watertrap devices are incorporated and the watercraft is provided with a pair of fuel tanks in several embodiments that are disposed in longitudinal alignment with the seat and on opposite sides thereof for improving balance.
Claims129
A personal type of watercraft having a hull, said hull providing a passenger area bounded on the sides by raised gunnels and having a centrally positioned straddle-type seat adapted to carry at least two riders seated thereon in straddle fashion with their feet positioned on foot areas to the sides thereof and within said passenger's area, a propulsion device for propelling said watercraft disposed in substantial part beneath said seat, and an internal combustion engine carried by said hull beneath said seat and having at least a pair of cylinder banks disposed at an angle to each other, said cylinder banks containing pistons driving a crankshaft, said engine being mounted in said hull so that said crankshaft rotates about a vertically disposed axis, and a transmission for driving said propulsion device from said crankshaft, said seat having a removable portion for accessing said engine.
A personal type of watercraft having a hull, said hull providing a straddle-type seat adapted to carry at least one rider seated thereon in straddle fashion, a deck at the rear of said hull behind said straddle-type seat, a propulsion device for propelling said watercraft, an internal combustion engine carried by said hull and driving said propulsion device, a pair of fuel tanks carried by said hull on opposite side of a longitudinal center line thereof, means for interconnecting said fuel tanks, a single fill neck for said fuel tanks extending to the rear of said hull and disposed at one side of said deck for filling of said fuel tanks by an operator standing on said deck, and means for delivering fuel from said fuel tanks to said engine for its operation.
An exhaust system for a watercraft having a hull, an engine compartment formed within said hull, engine means disposed within said hull with at least two cylinders having exhaust ports, said exhaust ports each being positioned on opposite sides of and spaced outwardly from a longitudinal plane passing through the center of said hull, said exhaust ports being positioned substantially forwardly of a transom of said hull, propulsion means driven by said engine means and supported within said hull for propelling said watercraft, and an exhaust system for collecting exhaust gases from said exhaust ports and discharging them to the atmosphere at a point other than through a lower wetted surface of said hull and in a location that will not be significantly below the water level if said hull is tilted so that either side thereof is submerged and at a point that is substantially contiguous to said transom and said longitudinal plane.
An exhaust system for a watercraft having a hull, an engine compartment formed within said hull, engine means disposed within said hull and having at least two cylinders, each having exhaust ports opening on respective opposite sides of a longitudinal plane passing through the center of said hull, said exhaust ports being positioned substantially forwardly of a transom of said hull, propulsion means driven by said engine and supported by said hull for propelling said watercraft, and an exhaust system for collecting exhaust gases from each of said exhaust ports and discharging them to the atmosphere on a side of said longitudinal plane opposite to the side on which said exhaust port opens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.