Personal watercraft

• US 6,776,676 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Araki, Toshio, Tanaka, Yoshinobu, Matsuda, Yoshimoto, Ozaki, Atsufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, ANDREW D
• Application Number:
  US10/226,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20040038602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1, 440/84, 440/87, 701/21
• US Class Current: 440/87
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/22 the propulsion power units being controlled from exterior of engine room, e.g. from navigation bridge; Arrangements of order telegraphs
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/24 the vessels being small craft, e.g. racing boats
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/107 Safety-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/006 for maximum speed control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements

Abstract

Disclosed is a jet-propulsion personal watercraft adapted to eject water pressurized and accelerated by a water jet pump from an outlet port so as to be propelled as the resulting reaction, the personal watercraft being provided with a cruising control switch to allow an electric control unit to control a throttle actuator in accordance with an operation of the cruising control switch so that the watercraft cruises at a predetermined cruising speed or engine speed.

Claims

1. A jet-propulsion personal watercraft comprising:

a water-jet pump including an outlet port and a steering nozzle, the water jet pump pressurizing and accelerating sucked water and ejecting the water from the outlet port to propel the watercraft as a reaction of the rejecting water;

a cruising control operation means;

a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel to an engine for driving the water jet pump;

a throttle operation means for opening/closing a throttle of the fuel supply unit for regulating a supply amount of the fuel;

an actuator for opening/closing the throttle of the fuel supply unit; and

a control means for controlling the actuator so that the watercraft cruises at a predetermined cruising speed or a predetermined engine speed, in accordance with an operation of the cruising control operation means, wherein the fuel supply unit is a carburetor comprising a throttle valve fixed to a rotational shaft and rotating with the rotational shaft to cause an air flow passage of the carburetor to be opened/closed, a connecting member provided at one end of the rotational shaft so as to rotate with the rotational shaft, a rotary engagement member being rotatable coaxially with the rotational shaft, and a throttle pulley provided at the other end of the rotational shaft so as to rotate with the rotational shaft,

the rotary engagement member can be brought into contact with an engagement portion of the connecting member by rotating relatively to the engagement portion in a rotational direction of the rotational shaft to cause the throttle valve to be opened,

the throttle pulley is rotated by the throttle operation means, and

the rotary engagement member is rotated by the actuator.

2. The jet propulsion personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is mounted on an inner surface of the deck to be spaced apart from the engine.

3. The jet propulsion personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the cruising control operation means is attached on the steering handle in the vicinity of the grip on the side where the throttle operation means is provided.