Integrated storage structure for housing electrical components in a personal watercraft, and personal watercraft including same

Abstract

In a personal watercraft with a watercraft body including a hull forming a bottom portion and a deck covering the hull from above, a magnet box is integrally combined with a battery storage tray. The watercraft also includes an engine disposed within the watercraft body, and a saddle-type seat disposed above the engine. A magnet box, including a main box body and a lid member, sealingly stores an electromagnetic starter switch therein, and is disposed in front of a battery storage tray, in order to reduce the distance between the magnetic starter switch and a starter motor. The main box body is formed integrally with a battery storage tray which is disposed in back of the engine and fixedly disposed on a floor portion of the watercraft body. The lid member is adapted to sealingly close the main box body of the magnet box in a fluid-tight manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a personal watercraft according to a selected illustrative embodiment of the present invention, with selected internal components of the watercraft shown in phantom outline.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the personal watercraft of FIG. 1, as viewed from arrow 2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan detail view of an interior of the personal watercraft of FIGS. 1-2, illustrating the arrangement of an engine, a battery storage tray and a magnet box, with a top deck portion of the watercraft omitted from the drawing.

FIG. 4 is a medial plan detail view of a selected portion of the interior of the personal watercraft of FIG. 3, as viewed from line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detail perspective view of selected internal components of the watercraft, illustrating the battery storage tray, the magnet box, a stay and a fuse box.

FIG. 6 is a top plan detail view illustrating the battery storage tray, the magnet box, the stay, an electronic control unit and the fuse box of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top plan detail view illustrating the battery storage tray and a main box body.

FIG. 9 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 8 with a battery and an electromagnetic starter switch shown stored in the storage apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 8 with a lid member attached to the main box body.

FIG. 11 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 8 with the stay elastically supported by the magnet box, and with the fuse box attached to the magnet box.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A personal watercraft, comprising: a watercraft body including a hull defining a bottom portion thereof, and a deck covering the hull from above, wherein the hull includes an interior floor portion;an engine disposed within the watercraft body;a saddle-type seat disposed above the engine;a battery storage tray disposed in back of the engine and fixedly disposed on the floor portion of the hull; anda magnet box, including a main box body formed integrally with the battery storage tray and a lid member adapted to liquid-tightly seal the main box body, wherein the magnet box is disposed forward of the battery storage tray, and is configured to sealingly store an electromagnetic starter switch therein.

2. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic control unit which is supported by and disposed above the magnet box.

3. The personal watercraft according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is attached to a stay plate which is elastically supported on the magnet box so as to substantially cover the magnet box from above.

4. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.

5. The personal watercraft according to claim 2, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.

6. The personal watercraft according to claim 3, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.

7. The personal watercraft according to claim 1, wherein a head cover of the engine is provided with an engaging hole, wherein the engine comprises a wiring harness provided with an engagement clip, and wherein said engagement clip is elastically engaged in said engaging hole of said head cover.

8. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the magnet box further comprises an attachment flange portion extending forwardly from the main box body thereof, wherein the attachment flange portion has an approximately U-shaped transverse cross sectional shape opening upwardly, and wherein the attachment flange portion has a mounting hole formed substantially vertically therethrough to receive a fastener.

9. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the magnetic starter switch is elastically supported in the main box body of the magnet box via an elastic retaining member.

10. In a personal watercraft of the type having: a watercraft body including a hull defining a bottom portion thereof, and a deck covering the hull from above, wherein the hull includes an interior floor portion;an engine disposed within the watercraft body; anda saddle-type seat disposed above the engine;the improvement comprising a integrated storage structure for housing electrical components, said integrated storage structure comprising: a battery storage tray disposed in back of the engine and fixedly disposed on the floor portion of the hull; anda magnet box, including a main box body formed integrally with the battery storage tray and a lid member adapted to sealably close an upper portion of the main box body, wherein the magnet box is configured to store an electromagnetic starter switch therein, and is disposed in the hull in front of the battery storage tray.

11. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 10, further comprising an electronic control unit which is supported by and disposed above the magnet box.

12. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit is attached to a stay plate which is elastically supported on the magnet box so as to substantially cover the magnet box from above.

13. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 10, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.

14. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 12, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.

15. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 10, wherein the magnet box further comprises an attachment flange portion extending forwardly from the main box body thereof, wherein the attachment flange portion has an approximately U-shaped transverse cross sectional shape opening upwardly, and wherein the attachment flange portion has a mounting hole formed substantially vertically therethrough to receive a fastener.

16. The integrated storage structure in a personal watercraft according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic starter switch is elastically supported in the main box body of the magnet box via an elastic retaining member.

17. A integrated storage structure for housing electrical components in a personal watercraft, said integrated storage structure comprising: a battery storage tray which is fixedly attachable to a floor portion of a watercraft hull; anda magnet box including a main box body, formed integrally with the battery storage tray, and a lid member adapted to sealably close an upper portion of the main box body, wherein the magnet box is configured to store an electromagnetic starter switch therein, and adapted to fit in front of the battery storage tray in an installed configuration of the storage structure.

18. The integrated storage structure for housing electrical components in a personal watercraft according to claim 17, further comprising an electronic control unit which is supported by and disposed above the magnet box.

19. The integrated storage structure for housing electrical components in a personal watercraft according to claim 18, wherein the electronic control unit is attached to a stay plate which is elastically supported on the magnet box so as to substantially cover the magnet box from above.

20. The integrated storage structure for housing electrical components in a personal watercraft according to claim 17, further comprising a fuse box which is operatively attached to the magnet box.