Exhaust system located on one side of the hull of a personal watercraft

• US 6,808,433 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Crudden, John A., Bosch, John Brad, Thompson, John E., Slattery, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): BASINGER, SHERMAN D
• Application Number:
  US10/375,571
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 440/88.G, 440/88.J, 440/89.R, 440/89.B, 440/89.C, 440/89.F, 440/89.J, 114/55.57
• US Class Current: 440/89.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/10 Power-driven personal watercraft, e.g. water scooters water jet propulsion B63H11/00; jet steering B63H25/46; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/24 the vessels being small craft, e.g. racing boats
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/32 Arrangements of propulsion power-unit exhaust uptakes; Funnels peculiar to vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/02 by using resonance
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/083 using transversal baffles defining a tortuous path for the gases or successively throttling gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/004 specially adapted for marine propulsion, i.e. for receiving simultaneously engine exhaust gases and engine cooling water for submerged exhausting F01N13/12; treating exhaust by using liquids F01N3/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/08 Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2210/04 Throttling-expansion and resonance
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/18 the axis of inlet or outlet tubes being other than the longitudinal axis of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/022 for jetskis
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/045 for outboard marine engines

Abstract

An exhaust system for a personal watercraft that places components of the exhaust vehicle on one side of the watercraft, so that the exhaust system takes less space in the watercraft.

Claims

1. A watercraft comprising:

hull divided in half lengthwise by a centerline;

propulsion device carried by the hull propelling the watercraft;

an engine positioned within the hull, the engine driving the propulsion device;

an exhaust system for delivering exhaust gases from an exhaust port of the engine to the atmosphere, the exhaust system comprising;

an exhaust-pipe located on a first side of the centerline and coupled to an exhaust manifold of the engine;

an expansion chamber located on the first side of the centerline;

a first connector sleeve located between the exhaust pipe and expansion chamber, the first connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the exhaust pipe and a distal end coupled to a first input of the expansion chamber, wherein the first connector sleeve is located on the first side of the centerline;

a second connector sleeve located between the expansion chamber and the exhaust port, the second connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the expansion chamber and a distal end coupled to the exhaust port, wherein the second connector sleeve is located on the first side of the centerline a resonator coupled to the second connector sleeve at a point between the second connector sleeve'"'"'s proximal and distal ends wherein the resonator is located on a second side of the centerline opposite the first side.

2. The watercraft according to claim 1 wherein the engine is locate on both first and second sides of the centerline.

3. The watercraft according to claim 1 wherein the expansion chamber is located downstream of the exhaust pipe.

4. The watercraft according to claim 3, wherein the exhaust port is located downstream of the expansion chamber.

5. The watercraft according to claim 1 wherein the hull further defines a rider'"'"'s compartment having at least one seat and a control for the watercraft disposed forwardly of the seat.

6. The watercraft according to claim 5 wherein the seat has a removable portion for accessing the engine.

7. The watercraft according to claim 1 wherein the engine is water cooled by coolant drawn from the body of water in which the watercraft is operated.

8. The watercraft according to claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the water flowing through the engine for its cooling is discharged into the exhaust pipe.

9. An exhaust system for delivering exhaust gases from an exhaust port of an engine to the atmosphere for a small vehicle, the vehicle having an interior region divided by a centerline, the exhaust system comprising:

an exhaust pipe located on a first side of the centerline and coupled to an exhaust manifold of the engine,

an expansion chamber located on the first side of the centerline;

a first connector sleeve located between the exhaust pipe and expansion chamber, the first connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the exhaust pipe and a distal end coupled to a first input of the expansion chamber, wherein the first connector sleeve is located on the first side of the centerline; and

a second connector sleeve located between the expansion chamber and the exhaust port, the second connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the expansion chamber and a distal end coupled to the exhaust port, wherein the second connector sleeve is located on the first side of the centerline a resonator coupled to the second connector sleeve at a point between the second connector sleeve'"'"'s proximal and distal ends wherein the resonator is located on a second side of the centerline opposite the first side.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the engine is locate on both the first and second sides of the centerline.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein the expansion chamber is located downstream of the exhaust pipe.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the exhaust port is located downstream of the expansion chamber.

13. A system according to claim 9, incorporated in a watercraft wherein the engine is water cooled by coolant drawn from the body of water in which the watercraft is operated.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the water flowing through the engine for its cooling is discharged into the exhaust pipe.

15. A system according to claim 9 wherein the small vehicle is a personal watercraft comprising:

a hull divided in half lengthwise by the centerline;

a propulsion device carried by the hull for propelling the personal watercraft;

the engine positioned within the hull, the engine driving the propulsion device.

16. As system according to claim 15 wherein the hull further defines a rider'"'"'s compartment having at least one seat and a control for the watercraft disposed forwardly of the seat.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the seat has a removable portion for accessing the engine.

18. A watercraft comprising:

a hull divided in half lengthwise by a centerline;

a propulsion device carried by the hull for propelling the watercraft;

an engine positioned within the hull, the engine driving the propulsion device;

an exhaust system for delivering exhaust gases from an exhaust port of the engine to the atmosphere, the exhaust system having components comprising;

an exhaust pipe coupled to an exhaust manifold of the engine;

an expansion chamber;

a resonator wherein the resonator is located on a second side of the centerline;

a first connector sleeve located between the exhaust pipe and expansion chamber, the first connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the exhaust pipe and a distal end coupled to a first input of the expansion chamber;

a second connector sleeve located between the expansion chamber and the resonator, the second connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to a first outlet of the expansion chamber and a distal end coupled to an input of the resonator; and

a third connector sleeve located between the resonator and the exhaust port, the third connector sleeve having a proximal end coupled to an output of the resonator and a distal end coupled to the exhaust port, wherein the components of the exhaust system are located at least on a first side of the centerline.

19. A watercraft according to claim 18 wherein the resonator has a portion that is located on a second side of the centerline opposite the first side.