Patent ID: 6010378
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: B63B,F01N,F01P,F02B,Y02T

Abstract:
A personal watercraft having a hull defining a rider's area sized to accommodate at least one rider, said hull having a longitudinal centerline and defining an engine compartment containing an internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust port and an output shaft, a propulsion device carried by said hull and driven by said engine output shaft for propelling said watercraft, an exhaust system for conveying exhaust gases from said engine exhaust port to a discharge end of the exhaust system, at least one section of the exhaust system crossing over the longitudinal center line at a point behind a front end of the engine, and a catalyzer in said exhaust system for treating the exhaust gases before discharge to the atmosphere, said catalyzer being disposed upstream of the section of the exhaust system crossing over the longitudinal center line, an induction system for said engine including atmospheric air inlet through which air is drawn into the engine from within the engine compartment, at least a portion of the catalyzer being disposed vertically at a point higher than the atmospheric air inlet, at least a portion of the catalyzer lying at a position above the water surface level with the watercraft floating in a normal upright position on the body of water, the catalyzer being positioned in a path of air flow in the engine compartment and the air flow through the engine compartment being provided by at least two air ducts that communicate with atmospheric air from the surrounding area, one of said air ducts being positioned in front of said engine with said catalyzer being positioned generally between said ducts.