Patent Grant
8070539
The present invention is directed to a water intake grill for attachment to a water intake port of a personal watercraft, namely a jet watercraft. More specifically the water intake grill effectively mitigates the entry of debris and foreign matter such as water grasses and moderately- to large-sized rock into the water intake port, sufficiently of which results in continued performance and a reduced occurrence of damage to the water jet propulsion system inherently included as part of the jet watercraft.
The use of boats is a very popular recreational activity. The popularity of this recreational activity has led to a wide variety of boat designs, including by way of example, classic sailboats, boats specifically designed to improve the fishing experience, boats designed for speed and racing, and pontoon boats with a large flat deck designed to accommodate a number of individuals for socializing, eating, sunbathing, and swimming. Just as diverse as the number of boat designs is the number of options for propelling a boat through the water.
Sails capture the wind for propulsion and internal combustion engines turn one or more propellers to swiftly propel a boat through the water. Internal combustion engine configurations include outboard motors that are primarily attached to an exterior portion of a hull or transom of a boat with a propeller extending downwardly into the water for propulsion. Conversely, internal combustion engines are preferentially located within the confines of the boat where a shaft generally extends through the length of the boat's hull and exits through a watertight seal to permit connection to and rotate an external propeller to power the boat through the water. Placing an internal combustion engine inside a boat also lends to another form of boat design and propulsion possible: a jet boat that incorporates features of a water jet pump.
A jet boat is primarily propelled along the surface of a body of water such as a lake or ocean via a water jet propulsion system. Powerful motors draw in volumes of water from the lake or ocean and expel a stream of water from the stern of the boat with such extreme force that it swiftly propels the jet boat through the water. This water jet design in particular requires large volumes of water to be drawn into and expelled from a water jet. The powerful motors that are used in this configuration create a tremendous amount of suction to draw the large amounts of water into the system necessary to propel these boats at the desired operating speeds.
A jet boat of the type known in the art eliminates the presence of an external propeller, which offers a significant advantage to boaters. By reducing the risk of injury from a propeller, water jet propulsion has enabled greater human interaction with the boat and the water. This design element has made a number of smaller more unique boats possible, primarily those that can be operated by a lone operator. Many examples of these personal watercrafts exist as their popularity has expanded over past years.
For instance, personal watercraft manufacturers have adapted jet boat water jet propulsion technology into a unique boat design and application. Where a jet boat would accommodate one or typically two or more riders who enter and are seated in the jet boat, personal watercraft are smaller and more commonly designed for one operator to straddle the watercraft similar to a snowmobile or motorcycle. In another variation, the design of the Jet Ski®, as pioneered and trademarked by the Kawasaki Corporation of Japan, simulates water skiing by riders of these vehicles, primarily allowing one to stand and operate a steering handle while the water jet propels a single hull ski under the rider's feet. These unique applications of water jet technology are significant because they allow use of personal watercraft in areas where one would not typically expect to travel with a larger jet boat. This design coupled with its unique propulsion system has greatly expanded the use of personal watercraft for leisure recreational activity, water rescue activity, and for competitive sporting activities. Smaller bodies of water where boats are less common are now home to the smaller more versatile personal watercraft. Personal watercrafts because of their small size are easier to launch into shallow water than conventional boats. Personal watercrafts are typically lighter and have smaller trailers than larger-sized boats, such that it is possible for a lone user to launch a personal watercraft for a day of water recreation. Their unique propulsion system is free of externally mounted motors and propellers, thus making it easier to launch and use personal watercraft in smaller bodies of water and in shallow water. Smaller bodies of water and shallow areas do, however, present unique challenges to personal watercraft use and operation.
Smaller bodies of water and shallow areas are common places where one can find an accumulation of natural and manmade debris such as rocks, trash, dead fish, algae, and weeds. By the nature of both how the water jet propulsion system of personal watercraft operates and where users of personal watercraft choose to use these vehicles, personal watercraft are prone to problems with natural and manmade debris. The powerful motors of these vehicles have an inadvertent tendency to draw in water simultaneously with that of the debris that may consequentially harm the water jet propulsion system. Debris can enter the water inlet port of a water jet propulsion system and block or restrict the flow of water through the water jet. Any sufficient blockage of water flow can decrease performance of a water jet and may prevent it from functioning in a proper manner. Debris such as rocks can break or damage vital operable components of the water jet system which may necessitate expensive repairs. Some water jet systems are designed to use water to not only propel the watercraft, but also to divert a portion of that water stream to cool the internal combustion engine.
Internal combustion engines that are not properly cooled will accelerate the breakdown of lubricating oils and cause premature engine wear, ultimately of which may render the vehicle inoperable. In other instances, excessive debris in the water jet propulsion system could cause the engine to perform poorly and operate at higher revolutions per minute stressing the engine parts thereby greatly reducing the overall operational life of the personal watercraft.
There have been numerous attempts in the art to solve the aforementioned problems, including the attachment of a screen to the intake port that is adaptably designed to prevent the entry of debris and like matter into the jet propulsion system, notably of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,695 entitled “Intake Strainer.” However, the nature of screen construction in and of itself may act as an impediment to water flow into water jet pump. In fact, a poorly designed screen may disrupt the laminar water flow characteristics along the boat's hull. Furthermore, a screen of this type may further create turbulent, air-entrained water mixtures that when fed into the water inlet port of the water jet pump may appreciably decrease the efficiency of the jet watercraft. Screens also have the disadvantage of becoming unduly obstructed by the presence of debris that may be inadvertently held for some time onto the surficial portion of the screen, as principally established by the powerful suction of the jet water pump.
To address the problem of clogged screens, the prior art offers numerous examples of screens with mechanical cleaning components such as that depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,567 entitled “Mechanism for Use in Conjunction with the Intake Opening of a Water Jet Propelled Vehicle.” These devices are extremely complex and the additional moving parts make them susceptible to higher requirements of service and maintenance and ultimately breakage. More modern personal watercrafts incorporate an intake guard configured with a pair of extended finned members connected to mounts that adaptably fit atop the water inlet port, generally being perceived to be less complex than the screen designs noted herein. Compared to such complex screen designs, the intake guard has a lower cost of manufacture and can be easily installed in new and existing jet watercraft. While the intake guard inherently offers these distinct design advantages, it may be ineffective as functioning as a barrier to water-borne debris, particularly moderately-sized rocks that can be semi-permanently trapped within the extended finned members, and protecting the water jet pump and associated operable components from damage.
Without attempting to modify the existing two bar screen design noted above, other attempts are documented in the art to address the nature of a clogged screen, including a manual cleaning device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,520 entitled “Weed Removal Apparatus for a Jet Pump Propelled Watercraft.” This sort of manual cleaning device presents several challenges, including the requirement of transporting and stowing the device during nonuse and awkwardness of using the device to fully appreciate its stated utility. In fact, novice personal watercraft users many not recognize the appropriate time to use such a manual device, particularly during times of jet watercraft operation.
In other attempts to solve this problem, especially in areas where vine-like water weeds are present and pose a common problem, the screen may be configured to allow one to open and reach into the water inlet chamber and water jet to manually remove weeds. This type of inlet screen with opening capabilities is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,617 entitled “Grating Apparatus for Protecting the Draft Port of a Water Jet Propulsion System.” This type of device is described as having a plurality of moving parts and springs that may have a tendency to prematurely wear and fail over a period of time. Another significant problem with the opening inlet screen is that it presumes weeds will enter the system and does little to prevent weeds from entering the system. Other attempts noted in the art to solve this problem have sought to block weeds from entering the water jet pump, such as the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,508, entitled “Anti-clogging Water Jet Craft,” wherein extra appendages are attached to the bottom of the watercraft to block debris and like matter. This extra appendage, however, complicates the process of launching and trailering personal watercraft and reduces the desirable attribute of operating personal watercraft in shallow water.
Further attempts are noted in the art, including the alteration of the screen as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,733 entitled “Inlet Screen,” wherein the tines of the screen are attached to only one end of the screen. This design relies on the vibration of the engine and water flow under the boat's hull to cause the debris to remove itself from the inlet screen. This design lacks durability as the tines by design may unduly vibrate as a result of being attached to only one end. Also, this design does not solve the problem of solid compact debris, notably large rocks, which can enter the end of the screen where the tines are not attached.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a jet watercraft intake grill comprising solid, single piece construction, particularly of which prevents water-borne debris from entering into the water jet pump, functions without rider intervention, provides for an improved condition of laminar water flow into the water intake port of the water jet pump, permits continued operation of the jet watercraft in shallow water without undue obtrusiveness, and furthers the ease of loading and unloading the personal watercraft into a body of water.
In order to overcome the numerous drawbacks apparent in the prior art a water intake grill has been devised for adaptation and use with a jet watercraft of the type commonly known and available in the art to carry and transport one or more persons over a surface of a body of water.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that is sufficiently capable of mitigating the entry of water-borne debris such as suspended weeds and moderately- to large-sized rocks into a water intake port of a jet watercraft.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that is easily manufactured as a solid, single piece to yield reliable, durable performance and lessen the overall cost of manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that effectively reduces costly repairs and operational downtime generally associated with a jet watercraft's factory-installed intake guard.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that improves the laminar water flow characteristics through the water jet inlet port and into the water jet pump of the jet watercraft to sustain its performance as configured and designed by the manufacturer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that moderately improves fuel efficiency of a jet watercraft by means of sustaining adequate water flow into and through the water jet propulsion system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill that adaptably fits to a variety of jet watercrafts through usage of detachable key elements and spacers specifically suited to accommodate and correspond with the unique design configuration of mount sockets associated with the stock water jet inlet port.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a water intake grill which accomplishes the foregoing and other objects and advantages and which is economical, durable, and fully effective in performing its intended functions without unduly compromising the performance of the jet watercraft.
In accordance with the present invention, a water intake grill has been devised for easy installation and replacement of a factory-installed intake guard commonly associated with a water intake port of a stock jet watercraft, the water intake grill preferentially comprising a plurality of elongate member situated in between and attached to fore and aft mounts, the fore mount having a base with angularly orientated top and bottom surfaces and a key element optionally mounted atop the angularly orientated top surface, the key element comprising top and bottom facing sides integrally connected by pitched sides to collectively form an overall geometric structure substantially suited to configurably fit within the geometric configuration of a mount socket integral to a forward wall section of the water intake port, the aft mount comprising a horizontally positioned base having a geometric structure substantially coinciding with the geometric configuration of a rearward recess integral to a rearward wall section of the water intake port and rearward and forward sections, the rearward section being suited to optionally receive and rest atop thereof one or more spacers, the forward section being suited to mount and receive thereon a rearward end of an extension support, the extension support further comprising a forward end integrally joined to a cross support member equipped with an angular edge for receiving and attaching second ends of the elongate members, each elongate member comprising a teardrop geometric profile incorporating an outward bottom section having a general rounded appearance and a tapered top end having sides commencing from an apex and extending angularly outward toward the outward bottom section, a geometric profile of which effectively reduces the amount of debris into the water intake port while allowing continued passage of water into the water intake port to yield sustained operating performance of the jet watercraft and maintain effective cooling of the combustion engine generally associated with the jet watercraft.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals depict the same parts in the various views.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
While this invention is susceptible of being embodied in many different forms, the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter with the understanding that the present disclosure is considered to exemplify the principles of the present invention and is not intended to unduly limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated and presented herein. The present invention has particular utility as a device for minimizing the passage of debris and foreign matter of the type commonly resting on the bottom of and/or suspended in a body of water into a water intake port of a jet watercraft while simultaneously permitting the continuous passage of water into and through the water intake port of the jet watercraft to promote its effective operation as configured and designed by the manufacturer.
Reference is now made to
As illustrated in
A fore mount 42 of the present invention, as illustration in
Regardless of its means of attachment to the angularly orientated top surface, the key element preferentially comprises top and bottom facing sides 56, 58 integrally connected by pitched sides 60 to form an overall geometric structure substantially coinciding to fit within the geometric configuration of a mount socket 62 integral to the forward wall section 52 of the water intake port. It is expressly noted herein that the key element 54, as represented in
Referring now to
It is worthy to note that the fore and aft mounts 42, 72 described herein and shown elsewhere in the accompanying figures may eliminate the need or comprise one or more key elements 54 or spacers 80, respectively, to further the correct position and permit secure attachment of the water intake grill relatively about the water intake port 12. The number and configuration of each key element or spacer optionally associated with any one, overall configuration of the water intake grill largely depends on the manufacturer's layout and mount socket configuration associated with the water intake port. For this reason, the described configuration of the aft and fore mounts integrated into the water intake grill 10 of the present invention is not to be construed as a strict limitation to the specific embodiments described herein; alternative configurations or pattern layouts of the key elements, spacers or even none at all is further contemplated herein. In the instance of eliminating the presence of spacers 80, it is further contemplated that the horizontally positioned base of the aft mount may be appropriately sized or thickened in construction at preselect areas to the extent that the bottom planar surface 74b thereof relatively resides in a flush position with respect to the underside portion 28 of a jet watercraft's hull 30 to minimize a condition of turbulent water flow or preferentially promote laminar flow over the water intake grill. However, this may unnecessarily increase the overall weight of the water intake grill, making it less desirable to the enthusiast seeking a less-weighted jet watercraft to gain utmost performance therefrom.
Referring now to
In some design configurations of jet watercraft 14, as shown in
Conversely, in other design configurations of jet watercraft, the water intake port 12, as shown in
Referring now to
Further shown in
It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this invention a simple and easily operated device, which is particularly suited for attachment to a water intake port 12 of a jet watercraft 14 of the type noted in the art to carry and transport one or more persons over a surface of a body of water. Prolonged testing of the water intake grill 10 reveals improved performance of the jet watercraft over the intake guard 32 in stock arrangements, primarily due to its effectiveness in shedding away and mitigating entry of water-borne debris such as suspended weeds and rocks of moderate to large size into the water intake port of the jet watercraft. Through the reduction and even elimination of such debris from the water intake port 12, sustained cooling of the combustion engine and reduced damage to the mixed flow impeller 20 and associated operable components are appreciably apparent to the extent of permitting relied operation and performance of the jet watercraft as configured and designed by the manufacturer.
It is obvious that the components comprising the water intake grill may be fabricated from a variety of materials, providing such selection or use of materials possess the capacity to withstand forces acting thereon throughout its duration of use on a jet watercraft. Accordingly, it is most desirable, and therefore preferred, to construct the water intake grill 10 from steel coated with a polymeric or epoxy paint or equivalent, stainless steel, aluminum, or an equivalent type of material capable of preventing premature corrosion of the substrate while in the presence of a fresh or salt water environment. To lessen the cost and simplify construction of the water intake grill and increase its overall structural integrity, the fore and aft mounts 42, 72 as well as the set of elongate members 50 are preferably fabricated as a unified structure, typically by means of cast molding or an equivalent form of technology. As for related components, the key element 54 and spacers 80 collectively described herein may be integrated within the overall unified structure of the water intake grill 10 to simplify the manufacture process or manufactured separably therefrom to easily accommodate for periodic design alterations or changes to the geometric arrangement of the mounts sockets that may occur from time to time by the manufacturers of jet watercraft. Regardless of the attachment methodology, the key element and spacers may be fabricated from equivalent corrosive materials noted above or alternatively from a durable, high-density polymeric material.
While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and alterations can be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and alterations which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/380,267, filed Feb. 25, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,294 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/906,603, filed Oct. 2, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,789, each of the above being entitled “Water Intake Grill for Personal Watercraft,” the disclosures of which, including all attached documents, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3040695 | Austin | Jun 1962 | A |
| 3147733 | Engel | Sep 1964 | A |
| 3253567 | Patton | May 1966 | A |
| 4027617 | Ikeda et al. | Jun 1977 | A |
| 4437841 | Stallman | Mar 1984 | A |
| 5096373 | Struve et al. | Mar 1992 | A |
| 5690520 | Rheault | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5779508 | Pettesch et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
| 7520789 | Carlson | Apr 2009 | B1 |
| 7794294 | Carlson | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100330855 A1 | Dec 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12380267 | Feb 2009 | US |
| Child | 12806072 | US | |
| Parent | 11906603 | Oct 2007 | US |
| Child | 12380267 | US |
