Patent ID: 6435119
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: B63B,B63J

Abstract:
A personal watercraft for traveling along the surface of a body of water, said personal watercraft comprising:a hull assembly having a rearwardly facing ventilation opening that allows ambient air to flow into the interior of said hull assembly, said hull assembly having an exterior surface; an internal combustion engine mounted within said hull assembly, said engine being constructed and arranged to generate power by combusting a mixture of fuel and air; and a seat having an exterior seating surface configured to accommodate at least one rider seated thereon and an interior surface configured to engage with the exterior surface of said hull assembly; said ventilation opening being formed through said hull assembly in a position forward of said seat, said seat being mounted on said hull assembly such that (a) said seat covers said ventilation opening of said hull assembly to obstruct water from flowing therein; and (b) said seat interior surface and said hull assembly exterior surface are positioned adjacent one another in cooperating relation to form one or more air pathways between said seat and said hull assembly, each of said one or more air pathways extending between said ventilation opening and the atmosphere to enable air to flow between the atmosphere and the ventilation opening between said seat and said hull assembly.