Patent ID: 8608522

Claim:
A jet propulsion unit comprising: a water inlet; a pump body fluidly connected to the water inlet; an impeller disposed in the pump body, the impeller being rotatable about an impeller axis; and a valve assembly fluidly connected to the pump body, the valve assembly comprising: a valve housing having an inlet fluidly connected to the pump body, a first outlet and a second outlet, the first outlet defining a first outlet axis, the second outlet defining a second outlet axis, and the second outlet axis being at an angle to the first outlet axis; and a valve body disposed in the valve housing, the valve body being pivotable about a valve axis between a first position and a second position of the valve body, the valve body defining a central passage having a passage axis; in the first position of the valve body, the passage axis is generally coaxial with the first outlet axis and water from a body of water in which the jet propulsion unit is operated flows consecutively through the water inlet, the pump body, the inlet of the valve housing, the central passage of the valve body and the first outlet of the valve housing, and in the second position of the valve body, water from the body of water flows consecutively through the water inlet, the pump body, the inlet of the valve housing, the valve housing, and the second outlet of the valve housing.