Marine jet propulsion water inlet system
AssigneeOutboard Marine Corporation
InventorsJeffrey L. Baker, Eric D. Hess, Arthur G. Manchester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine jet propulsion water inlet system having panels extending from the inlet opening at the bottom of a watercraft downstream, upward and rearwardly, in the water channel. The panels extend to the upper wall of the water channel or are integral with the upper wall. In this way, aquatic vegetation and debris will not have any surface to wrap around. This results in greatly reduced clogging of the water channel. The panels are also integral with downwardly extending fins which are beneath the bottom of the watercraft and which have edges that are also designed to direct vegetation and debris along the fin and pass the craft to reduce or eliminate the adhesion of vegetation and debris.
Claims22
A marine jet propulsion water inlet system that resists clogging by aquatic vegetation and debris comprising:
- a water channel extending in upstream and downstream directions disposed in a watercraft, the channel having an upstream inlet in communication with an opening in a bottom of the watercraft, with the channel extending downstream for passing water from outside the watercraft through the channel to an impeller mounted to the watercraft;
- the channel having an upper wall;
- a vertically disposed panel within the channel extending from the upper wall and from the inlet in a direction downstream toward the impeller;
- and
- an upstream directed, extending fin connected to the panel and being disposed upstream of the inlet.
A method for forming a marine jet propulsion water inlet system that resists clogging by aquatic vegetation and debris comprising:
- forming in a watercraft a water channel having an upper wall;
- communicating a channel upstream inlet with an opening in the bottom of the watercraft;
- extending the channel downstream for allowing the passage of water from outside the watercraft through the channel to an impeller mounted to the watercraft;
- forming a panel within the channel;
- forming a fin connected to the panel, the fin extending upstream of the inlet, and
- extending the panel from the upper wall and the inlet, downstream toward the impeller.
A method as claimed in claim including:
- forming a grate to cooperate with the panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.