Deck Extender for Watercraft

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated aby reference under 37 CFR 1.57. The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/930,006, filed on Sep. 6, 2022, entitled “DECK EXTENDER FOR WATERCRAFT,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/327,408, filed on May 21, 2021, entitled “DECK EXTENDER FOR WATERCRAFT,” which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63/032,059 filed on May 29, 2020, entitled “DECK EXTENDER FOR WATERCRAFT,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The present inventions relate to personal watercraft, and more specifically, accessories such as deck extenders for personal watercraft.

A conventional personal watercraft accessory platform is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,577,057. This personal watercraft platform is modular and removable for providing storage and a workspace above the rear deck of a PWC. The modular watercraft platform includes a generally flat upper and lower surface supported by a plurality of vertical struts spacing the lower surface of the platform above the original rear deck of the watercraft.

Another conventional personal watercraft accessory is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,517,824. This personal watercraft accessory includes a removable rear extension for the aft end of the watercraft which includes a longitudinal channel that receives a portion of the propulsion system and through which a stream of water is directed for purposes of propulsion for the associated watercraft. This deck extension includes numerous surfaces and wall portions meant to conform to portions of the lower hull of the watercraft that sit below the waterline.

An aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that a deck extender for a watercraft can be supported in a cantilevered configuration. Such a deck extender can have an upper support surface that extends beyond an edge of an original watercraft deck with attachment and support surfaces of the deck above the water line providing a substantial portion or all of the structural support for the deck extender. For example, a deck extender for a watercraft can include sleeve members fixed to the upper deck and a deck portion having tabs that extend into the sleeves, wherein the sleeves resist uplift of the tabs. A further outboard portion of the deck extender can contact a portion of the deck of the watercraft so as to provide a support with sufficient strength such that an outboard portion of the deck can extend beyond an edge of the watercraft in a cantilevered fashion. Further, such a configuration lends itself to a low profile configuration, thereby avoiding separate vertical struts for spacing the removable deck away from the upper deck of the watercraft. As such, a deck extender can have a low profile and the cantilevered configuration can effectively extend an upper deck surface of the watercraft for example, but without limitation, four inches or more beyond an edge of the watercraft.

In some embodiments, the upper surface of the deck extender, when installed in use, is generally parallel or substantially parallel to a surface of the water when the watercraft is at rest in a body of water. This can be advantageous because some watercraft include sloped rear deck areas, for example, behind the rearmost seat, that slope gently towards the waterline and rearwardly away from the rear seat. This configuration is common and more optimized for watersports and weight reduction of the watercraft. However, some users prefer to have additional, relatively level and flat space at the rear of a watercraft for facilitating other activities according to their preference. Thus, providing an extended flat surface, generally parallel to the waterline of the watercraft, can provide further conveniences for some users.

Thus, in some embodiments, a deck extender for a watercraft can comprise a deck member comprising an upper support surface, a lower surface, and first and second mounting tabs configured with sufficient strength to support the deck member in a cantilevered configuration on a rear portion of an upper deck of a personal watercraft.

The inventions disclosed herein are described below in the context of accessories for personal watercraft because the inventions disclosed herein have particular utility in this context. However, the inventions disclosed herein are applicable to other contexts as well. Further, the personal watercraft described below are illustrated in several different orientations including a static orientation, in which the watercraft floats in still water in a displacement mode of buoyancy, a transition orientation in which the watercraft, during acceleration, moves from a displacement mode of buoyancy to a planing mode, and a planing orientation in which a watercraft is moving at a speed sufficient to support the watercraft on the surface of the water with a minimal amount of the hull being wetted and in contact with the water.

is a side view of a personal watercraftwith a deck extenderaccording to an embodiment wherein the personal watercraftis at rest floating in a body of water,illustrating the personal watercraftbeing in a state of transition between displacement mode and planing, andillustrating the personal watercraftin a planing mode.is a plan view of the personal watercraftincluding the deck extender.is an enlarged side elevational view of a rear portion of the personal watercraftwith the deck extenderand illustrating a movement of a lid over a rear storage portion on the personal watercraft.

As shown in, the personal watercraftincludes a hull, a deck, a seat, and a steering handle. The deck, which can be referred to as an upper deck, can be attached to the hull along a bond flange. The deckcan include a seat pedestalA. The seatand the steering handleare disposed above the deck. The seatand the steering handleare supported on the deck. As shown in, the seatand the steering handleare disposed at a central portion of the personal watercraftin the right-left direction. The seatis disposed at the rear of the steering handleand is supported by the seat pedestalA. The seatextends in the front-rear direction in a plan view. The seathas, for example, a three-seater configuration. The seatis not limited to a three-seater configuration, and may have a two-seater configuration or a single-seater configuration.

As shown in, the personal watercraftfurther includes an engineand a jet pump. The engineis disposed inside the hull. The jet pumpis disposed at the rear portion of the hull. The engineis disposed forward relative to the jet pump. The seatis disposed above the engine. The deckincludes a platformdisposed at the stern of the personal watercraft. The platformslopes gently downwardly, away from the seatand toward the waterline. The jet pumpis disposed below the platform. The jet pumpis driven by the engine.

With continued reference to, the personal watercraftis illustrated in a stationary state floating in water, and due to its buoyancy, to a depth shown relative to the waterline. The depth at which the personal watercraftreaches beneath the waterline depends on the total weight and the volume of water displaced by the hull of the personal watercraft. As noted above, the platformwhich forms a rear deck of the personal watercraft, slopes gently away from the seatand toward the waterline W. In accordance with some embodiments, the deck extendercan be configured such that its upper surfaceextends generally parallel to the waterline when the personal watercraftis at rest and floating in water. In some embodiments, the upper support surfaceof the deck extenderis not perfectly parallel with the waterline, however, may be closer to parallel with the waterline than the surface of the platform.

With reference to, when the personal watercraftis accelerated from stationary or slow movement within water, towards a planing state, the personal watercraftmoves through a transition orientation in which the front end of the personal watercraft rises out of the water. In some embodiments, the deck extendercan be configured such that it does not make contact with a surface of the water when the personal watercraftis in transition.

After further acceleration, the personal watercraftwill reach a planing state, such as that illustrated in. For a watercraft such as the personal watercraft illustrated in, a planing state may be reached at speeds above 15-20 miles per hour. In a planing state, as illustrated in, a much smaller area of the bottom surface of the hullremains in contact with the water thus and as such, a smaller amount of the hullis wetted during forward movement, thereby significantly reducing the hydrodynamic drag between the hulland the water.

As shown in, while a small portion of the platformcan be substantially the horizontal below the rear endA of the seat, the rearward-most portion of a platformslopes gently downwardly towards the waterline W. As shown in, the platformpreferably has a quadrilateral shape in a plan view. The right and left sides and the rear side of the platformare open. In a state in which the personal watercraftfloats in water, the platformis higher than the waterline W. Therefore, when the deck extenderis removed, a passenger can climb down into water from a position on the platformthrough the lateral side or rear side of the platform. Further, a passenger can move from a position in water onto the platformthrough the lateral side or rear side of the platform.

The jet pumpis arranged to generate a propulsive force by jetting water suctioned from below, rearwardly. In detail, as shown in, the jet pumpincludes an impellerjoined to the engineand a steering nozzledisposed at the rear of the impeller. The impelleris disposed in a flow passageprovided inside the personal watercraft. A first end portion of the flow passagedefines an intakeopen at the bottom surface of the hull, and a second end portion of the flow passagedefines an outletopened at the steering nozzle. The steering nozzleis arranged to turn to the right or left according to an operation of the steering handle.

When the impelleris driven to rotate by the engine, water is suctioned from the intakeinto the flow passage. A such, the portion of the flow passagedownstream from the impellercan be considered as the high-pressure side of the jet pump. Water suctioned from the intake, pumped into the flow passageby the impeller, and is then jetted from the outlet through the steering nozzle. Accordingly, a propulsive force is generated to propel the personal watercraft. When the steering handleis operated, the direction of the steering nozzlechanges, and the jetting direction of water from the steering nozzlechanges. Therefore, the steering handleis arranged to change the jetting direction of water from the jet pump. The personal watercraftis steered by operation of the steering handle.

As shown in, the personal watercraftfurther includes a cooling water passageand a washing water passagedisposed inside the personal watercraft. The cooling water passageconnects the enginewith the high pressure side of the jet pump. A portion of water pumped into the flow passageby the jet pumpis supplied into the cooling water passage. Water supplied into the cooling water passageis thereby supplied to a water jacket provided in the engine. Accordingly, the engineis cooled.

As shown in, the deckincludes a seat support portionwhich supports the seat, and a covercovering the seat support portionat a height between the rear endof the seatand the platformfrom the rear side. The coverincludes an outer wall, and the seat support portionincludes an inner wall. The platformand the inner wallpreferably are integral with each other, and the outer wallis separate from the platformand the inner wall.

The washing water passageincludes a first end portionconnected to the cooling water passage, a second end portionconnected to an article storage space S, described in greater detail below. A check valveis arranged such that water flows in only a direction from the second end portionto the first end portion. Therefore, even if water flows into the washing water passagefrom the cooling water passage, this water is checked by the check valve. On the other hand, water supplied into the washing water passagefrom the second end portionflows into the cooling water passagethrough the check valve. The cooling water passageand the water jacket can be washed with water supplied from the washing water passage.

Optionally, the personal watercraftcan include a visibility nozzleA disposed on the platform. A passageB can connect the nozzleA with the high-pressure side of the jet pump. The passageB can feed water from the high-pressure side of the jet pumpto the nozzleA which can eject water upwardly into the air during use.

As shown in, the article storage space Sis disposed rearward relative to the engine. The article storage space Sis disposed at a height between the rear endof the seatand the platform. The article storage space Sis disposed forward relative to the rear end of the platform. As shown in, the outer walldefines an opening Oaccessible to the article storage space S. The opening Openetrates through the outer wallin the front-rear direction. The opening Ois disposed at the rear of the article storage space S. The article storage space Sis accessible from the rear side through the opening O.

As shown in, the outer wallincludes a lidarranged to open and close the opening O. The deckfurther includes a hingewhich joins the lidand the deck. The hingeis provided on the lower portionof the lid. The lidis rotatable around the hingebetween a closed position at which the lidcloses the opening Oand an opened position at which the lidopens the opening O. The hingeis arranged to function as a grip.

As shown in, the personal watercraftfurther includes a mount griphaving a U shape in a plan view disposed along the rear portion of the seat. The mount gripextends forward along the rear portion of the seatfrom the rear endof the seat. The mount gripincludes a grip portionprovided at the rear end portion of the mount grip. As shown in, the hingeis disposed rearward relative to the grip portionand lower than the grip portionFurther, the hingeis disposed lower than the seat. The hingeis closer to the platformthan the grip portion

By opening the lid, the passenger can take articles out of and put articles into the article storage space Sthrough the opening Owhile remaining on the platformor the deck extender. Further, the opening Ois disposed near the rear endof the seat, so that the passenger can take articles out of and put articles into the article storage space Sthrough the opening Owhile sitting on the seat. Further, the outer wallis inclined such that the upper endof the outer wallis positioned forward relative to the lower endof the outer wall, so that the passenger sitting on the seateasily accesses the article storage space Sas compared with, for example, a case where the outer wallextends vertically. Therefore, the passenger can easily access the article storage space Sfrom a position on either the deckor the seat.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the deck extendercan include a generally U-shaped removable deck member that includes a bite portion that provides clearance around the lower end of the lidand thus allows the lidto be moved easily between the closed and open states illustrated in.

With reference to, the deck extendercan include a mounting portionand a deck member. The mounting portioncan include one or more mounting sleeve portions. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting portionincludes a right-side mounting sleeveand a left-side mounting sleeve.

The mounting sleevesandcan be generally channel-shaped, in cross-section. The mounting sleeve, andare configured to be mounted at a forward portion of the platformon either side of the seat pedestalA. In some embodiments, the mounting sleeve portions,are configured to be mounted just rearward from an apex of the deckthat forms the foot wells of the watercraft, which reaches a maximum depth portion along lateral sides of the seat pedestalA, and reaches an apex just forward of the illustrated position of the mounting sleeve portions,. The surface on either side of the seat pedestalextends rearward from the apex and into the platformwhich may extend generally horizontally in an area just rearward from the seat pedestal, and then gently slopes towards the waterline.

Positioned as such, the mounting sleeve,form a generally low profile superstructure of the deck and thus do not present an excessive obstruction of access to the foot wells. For example, water can enter the foot wells during use of the personal watercraft. When a watercraft accelerates through a transition speed (), water in the foot wells can drain rearwardly flowing over the apex of the deckat the rear of the foot wells. Because the mounting sleeve,are generally low profile, they do not substantially obstruct all of the water from draining from the foot wells during transition speed operation.

With continued reference to, the mounting sleeve portions,include first and second lateral rail portions,and a central channel. An upper connecting wallconnects the lateral rail portions,and extends over the channel. The upper connecting wallhas an inwardly-facing surface, that can serve as a support surface for supporting the deckin a cantilevered manner by contacting portions of the deck.

The lateral rail portions,can include apertures for receiving fasteners for securing the rails,to the platform. For example, threaded fasteners such as lag screws, optionally with tapered heads, can be inserted through the lateral rail portions,and into the platform. Additionally, the rails,can include counter-sunk upper orifices for receiving the tapered head, threaded fasteners. The threaded fasteners can extend into and/or through the platformto secure the sleeves,to the platform. Optionally, the fasteners used to secure the mounting sleeves,can be further secured with an adhesive to enhance a watertight seal with the platform. With the mounting sleeves,attached to the platform, their respective channelsface downwardly, i.e., toward the deck.

With continued reference to, with the sleeves,mounted to the deck, the channelis configured to receive a portion of the removable deck memberand for resistance against uplift forces of the received portion. Additionally, in this orientation, the support surfaceis spaced away from the deckand also faces downwardly toward the deck, and thus can resist support the deckin a cantilevered orientation.

For example, with reference to, the removable deck membercan include at least one tab member. In the illustrated embodiment, the removable deck memberincludes a right-side tab memberand a left-side tab member. The right and left tab members,are configured to be received into the channelsof the mounting sleeve portions,respectively.

For example, with reference to, with the sleeves,mounted to the deck, the channelsform rearwardly facing apertures, into which the tabs,can be inserted.

With reference to, the channelof the mounting sleeve portions,can have a variable depth. For example, a forward portion of the channelcan have a first depthand a rearward portion of the mounting sleeve portions,can have a second depththat is larger than the first depth. In some configurations, this varying depth can be provided by forming the upper wallwith a generally uniform thickness with the rails,having a varying height being shorter towards the front portion and the first depthand the rearward portions being taller forming the second depthat the rearward portion of the mounting sleeve portions,. Further, in some embodiments, the bottom surfaces,of the rails,can be slanted or curved to match a curvature of the corresponding portions of the platform.

With continued reference to, the tabs,can be configured to extend into the channelsof the respective mounting sleeves,. In some embodiments, the tabs,include an upper surfaceconfigured to rest against the inwardly facing surfaceof the channel.

With the Optionally, a lower surfaceof the tabs,can be spaced away from the platformor curved or shaped to complement and rest against the upper surface of the platform. For example, the lower surfaceof the tabs,, can include a flat and/or generally curving configuration to conform with the upper surface of the platformin the vicinity of the mounting sleeve portions,. Depending on the watercraft, that portion of the platformcan be flat, horizontal, or gently curving. Other shapes can also be used.

With reference to, the deck membercan have a generally rectilinear shape with a U-shaped portion. The U-shaped portioncan comprise a right-side arm portion, a left-side arm portionand a bite portionconnecting the right and left arm portions,. The bite portioncan include a recessconfigured to allow the deck memberto straddle a rear part of the seat pedestalA when the tabs,are received within the mounting sleeve portions,, respectively. Additionally, the bite portioncan include a further recessshaped to allow the lidto be moved from the closed position to the open position ().

In some embodiments, the deck membercan include an aperture at a rearward edge thereof, which can form a handle. In other embodiments, the rear portion of the removable deck membercan be solid with a separate handleattached to an upper surface. Other variations of handle configurations can also be used. In use, any such handle be used by a user when reboarding the deck memberfrom the water and also can be used when carrying the deck memberduring installation or removal.

The upper surfaceof the deck membercan be generally flat. Additionally, the removable deck membercan be configured such that when the tabs,are received within the mounting sleeve portions,, the upper surfaceis generally horizontal when the personal watercraftis at rest, floating in a body of water. As such, the upper surfacecan be considered as being generally parallel to a waterline of the personal watercraft.

Further, in some embodiments, the personal watercraftto which the removable deck memberis attached includes a gently curving platform, which can be convex and curve gently downwardly toward the waterline and away from the seat pedestalA. Thus, in some embodiments, the lower surfaceof the deck membercan include a gently curved lower surface portion, for example concave when viewed in a side elevational view, and can be configured to rest against the gently curved convex upper surface of the platform.

In some embodiments, the lower surfacecan be segmented with grooves, partitions, and discontinuities such that not the entire lower portion of the deck memberrests against the upper surface of the platform. Rather, the gaps, recesses, and discontinuities leave a substantial amount of the surfacein contact between the lower surfaceand the platformso as to reduce stress concentrations that would be caused by the use of a plurality of individual struts extending between a platformand the member.

For example, the lower surfacecan be configured to generate contact patches having an approximate total surface area of 20% or more of the footprint area of the lower surfaceover the platform. Such contact patches can help spread the load supported by the deck member.

With reference to, the lower support surfaceof the removable deck membercan be considered as defining a footprint identified by the triple-thick linewhich encompasses the outer periphery of the portions of the support surfacethat make contact with the upper surface of the platform. Within the footprint, a contact patch, represented by light hatching in, is the portion of the support surfacethat makes contact with the upper surface of the platform. As illustrated in, in some embodiments, the contact patchincludes portions that extend near or at the foremost portions of the footprint, the lateral most portions of the footprint, and rearward most portions of the footprint. Additionally, there are gaps, spaces, and discontinuities within the contact patch. However, in some embodiments, a contact patchcan be greater than 10% of the footprint. As noted above, the contact patchcan be 20% or more of the footprint.

With continued reference to, the deck membercan also include one or more accessory mounting rails. The railscan be configured for adjustably mounting accessories to the deck member. Such accessories can be mountable to the railswith various different kinds of mechanisms.

In some embodiments, the railscan include a lower channel portiondefining a recessed channel for receiving mounting fasteners. Additionally, the rail memberscan include a lower support surfaceextending to either side of the central channel. The railscan also include upper side wallsand top wall portions, partially enclosing a central passageA. As such, the central passageA can capture a portion of a fastener used for securing an accessory to the rails.

For example, an accessory including a lug portion (not shown) that is wider than the space between top wallscan be inserted through an end of the railand slide to a desired location. Thereafter, a clamping mechanism can be used to press the lug within the passageA against lower surfaces of the top wallsand thereby clamp an accessory in place. Various different types of well-known clamping mechanisms can be used.

With continued reference to, the deck membercan include a plurality of railsarranged in various locations and orientations. In the illustrated embodiment, the railsare arranged in a rearwardly raked orientation such that the rails extend generally outwardly from the centerline of the deck memberand rearwardly when the deck memberis attached to a watercraft. As such, such an orientation of the railscan help drain water that may have splashed into the rails.

With continued reference to, in some embodiments, the railscan be recessed into channels formed in the upper surfaceof the deck member. For example, the upper surfaceof the deck extender can include one or more channelsconfigured to receive the rails.

With continued reference to, the deck membercan include mattingattached to the upper surface. For example, the mattingcan be in the form of marine mat which is commonly used in the industry, for providing a comfortable padded surface that can withstand a marine environment. The mattingcan be disposed adjacent to channelsand mounted so as to extend above the upper surfaces of the end wallsof the rails. Additionally, the marine mat can be cut to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance having grooves and gaps between various pieces. Additionally, the grooves between pieces of marine mat can be oriented to enhance drainage of water that may be splashed onto the deck member.