Personal watercraft having ventilated sponsons
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsBradley R. Morisch, Dallas B. Wynne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Ventilated sponsons, personal watercraft having ventilated sponsons, and methods for adjusting the handling characteristics of personal watercraft by ventilating the sponsons. The present invention provides ventilated sponsons, sponsons, having holes formed through the sponsons to allow high pressure water trapped under the sponson to escape. The holes formed through the sponson thus allow for fine tuning and adjusting the performance characteristics and handling characteristics of the personal watercraft long after the point of manufacture. Ventilating the sponsons can increase straight line stability while maintaining tight cornering characteristics.
Claims21
A jet-propelled personal watercraft comprising:
- a hull having a bottom hull for placement in water having a water surface and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the jet propulsion unit including a steerable water discharge nozzle, the top deck having a raised, longitudinally extending seat adapted to accommodate an operator in straddle fashion, at least one sponson secured to either side of the bottom hull, the sponson extending outward and downward from the hull and including a fin having an outward edge for penetrating beneath the water surface, and the sponson having an outer surface and at least one open hole formed through the sponson, wherein the at least one open hole provides a path between the water surface and the sponson outer surface.
A method for changing the handling characteristics of a personal watercraft having a hull for placement in water having a water surface and at least one sponson attached to each side of the hull, wherein the sponson has an underside and an outwardly and downwardly extending portion including a fin having an outward edge for penetrating beneath the water surface, the method comprising forming at least one hole in the sponson through to the underside of the sponson.
A sponson for securing to a hull of a water jet-propelled personal watercraft, where the hull is configured for placement in water having a water surface, the sponson comprising a sponson body including an outwardly and downwardly extending portion terminating in a downward and outward edge for penetrating beneath the water surface, the sponson further comprising at least one hole formed through the sponson body through to the underside of the body facing the water surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.