Personal watercraft

• US 20040038602A1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Araki, Toshio, Ozaki, Atsufumi, Tanaka, Yoshinobu, Matsuda, Yoshimoto
• Granted Patent: US 6,776,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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; and

a cruising control operation means, wherein

the watercraft is controlled to cruise at a predetermined cruising speed or a predetermined engine speed in accordance with an operation of the cruising control operation means.

2. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the cruising control operation means is attached to a handle of the watercraft.

3. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined cruising speed is set to a low speed of approximately 8 km/h or less.

4. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined cruising speed or the predetermined engine speed is set to a cruising speed or an engine speed at a point of time when the cruising control operation means is operated.

5. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of predetermined cruising speeds or engine speeds are preset and the cruising control operation means is adapted to select one of the plurality of cruising speeds or engine speeds.

6. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the cruising control operation means is comprised of a switch.

7. The personal watercraft according to claim 6, wherein the switch is placed in the vicinity of a grip of the handle.

8. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cruising control OFF operation means, wherein control for cruising the watercraft at the predetermined cruising speed or engine speed is released in accordance with an operation of the cruising control OFF operation means.

9. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising:

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 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 the predetermined cruising speed or the predetermined engine speed, in accordance with an operation of the cruising control operation means, wherein

the fuel supply unit is adapted to allow an opening of the throttle to be increased when one of the throttle operation means and the actuator drives the throttle to be opened, and the opening to be reduced when both of the throttle operation means and the actuator drive the throttle to be closed.

10. The personal watercraft according to claim 9, wherein the fuel supply unit is a carburetor having a throttle for regulating supply amount of fuel to the engine, the carburetor is adapted to allow an opening of the throttle to be increased when one of the throttle operation means and the actuator drives the throttle to be opened, and the opening to be reduced when both of the throttle operation means and the actuator drive the throttle to be closed.

11. The personal watercraft according to claim 9, wherein the actuator is mounted to a body of the personal watercraft.

12. The personal watercraft according to claim 10, wherein the carburetor comprises 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.