Abstract: A cowling for an outboard marine engine includes an upper motor cover, a lower motor cover and a gear case that covers an engine that propels a watercraft. The upper motor cover mates with the lower motor cover and is configured to assist with alignment during assembly. The lower motor cover is configured to be assembled to one of a plurality of upper motor covers depending on engine size, and each upper motor cover is configured to be assembled to one of a plurality of top caps depending on whether the engine uses an electric starter or a pull starter. An illuminator, in the form of a lamp, a removable light or a reflector, is provided on the cowling.

Abstract: Combined herein are the benefits of a flat deck pontoon boat and the speed and versatility of a jet propelled watercraft. The watercraft is equipped with a propulsion source sufficient to move the watercraft at a substantial speed through the water. The seating layout on the deck provides the amenities of an extremely comfortable watercraft capable of seating multiple passengers while providing sufficient storage space for all necessary items for such a voyage. The watercraft is equipped with a substantially flat deck area with an upper bow deck and a lowered recess area which, when filled with water, provides cooling and amusement for the passengers. The watercraft is equipped with a privacy compartment or toilet, a kitchen area, and a double driver seat, which can be rotated from a relaxing position to a driving position. A rear sundeck can be converted into upright seats. Under the kitchen area an ice chest or some other item can be stowed.

Abstract: A bar code for a component, wherein the bar code has characteristics of the component encoded therein. The characteristics may have performance indicia for the component, which may be retrieved by a bar code scanner. Accordingly, the bar code may provide ready access to the characteristics for a variety of applications, such as an assembly process.

Abstract: A vent control system having a closed biased vent valve is used to separate vapor and/or air from a liquid in an enclosed chamber. The closed biased vent valve has a float having an upwardly extending float arm which cooperates with a lever arm of the closed biased vent valve to prevent unintended release of vapor or liquid from the enclosed chamber. The upwardly extending float arm and the lever arm are coupled to one another when the float is located beneath a designated level in the enclosed chamber and are decoupled from one another when the float rises above the designated level. The vent control system is much less susceptible to vibration induced vent opening than a traditional vent valve. The vent control system is well suited for use in a fuel vapor separator that includes a housing having the enclosed chamber formed within it.

Abstract: A non-steerable reverse gate having a structure which reverses the lateral flow component when the steering nozzle is turned. The reverse gate produces high reverse and steering thrusts, while requiring low operating loads. The steering response in reverse is the same as an outboard or inboard/outboard. In effect, the transom thrusts to the side that the steering wheel is turned to. The reverse gate has a pair of flow-reversing passages for providing reverse thrust, a lateral steering passage for producing a lateral thrust when the steering nozzle is turned, and a fixed or pivotable central deflector body. The deflector body has three vertical walls connected to a juncture. One vertical wall is straight and extends forward of the juncture. The other vertical walls are curved and extend rearward and laterally outward from the juncture on opposite sides of a plane of symmetry. Each curved vertical wall has a flow-deflecting surface which is concave and faces a front opening of the reverse gate.

Abstract: The benefits of a sporty and maneuverable personal watercraft and those of a larger sport boat, having the ability to accommodate a large number of riders, are combined into a single watercraft. The watercraft is equipped with a rear sundeck large enough for passengers to sun bathe while the watercraft is stationary. Disposed beneath the sundeck are storage compartments, each having a lip-less seal for preventing the ingress of water into the compartments. Additionally, the storage compartments are large enough to store a variety of items and accessories such as food, clothes, and first-aid materials. The watercraft is designed such that a relationship between the position of its center of gravity and the position of its center of buoyancy, prevents the watercraft from tipping over even when three of four adults of average size simultaneously board the watercraft from the same side.

Abstract: A convertible or collapsible tiller arm assembly is provided for an outboard motor. The motor may be of a generally conventional structure, but includes an interface bracket for mounting the tiller arm assembly in place. The tiller arm assembly has a mating bracket which is fixed to the outboard motor for securement of the tiller arm assembly in a deployed position. Threaded fasteners may be employed for rapidly moving the assembly to the deployed position, and for collapse of the assembly. Anti-rotation structures afford transmission of steering torques to the outboard motor when the tiller arm is in the deployed position. In the collapsed position, the overall assembly offers a significantly reduced envelope dimension, facilitating storage and passing of the outboard motor through hatches, openings, and the like.

Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine configured to reduce engine knock during high speed operation of the engine is provided. The engine comprises a cylinder head including a lower surface portion closing an upper end of a cylinder to define a combustion chamber between a piston upper surface and the cylinder head lower surface portion. The lower surface portion has therein an upwardly extending recess. The recess has a lower end which is complementary with the piston surface and an upper end. The lower end of said recess has an area in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder and that area comprises a range from more than 20% to about 65% of the cross-sectional area of the cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention includes a distribution manifold for evenly distributing engine oil to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine, as well as, directing oil and purging any air accompanying the oil through the fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The manifold includes a plurality of cylinder oiling outlet housings, each having a number of cylinder oiling valves corresponding to the number of cylinders in an internal combustion engine. The distribution manifold has a centrally-located dome in fluid communication with the cylinder oiling outlet housings. Extending from the apex of the dome is a fuel system outlet housing also having an oiling valve to regulate the flow of oil to the fuel system. A notch extends along the upper interior surface of the centrally-located dome in fluid communication with the fuel system outlet housing.

Abstract: A propulsion unit for a watercraft including a prop which is adapted for producing thrust when rotated, and an electric motor drivingly coupled to the prop. The electric motor is of the switched reluctance type which includes a stator, formed of a plurality of windings, and a rotor having a plurality of poles about the circumference of the rotor. The stator windings are divided into a plurality of phases which are sequentially energized by electric current. A controller is coupled to the electric motor to determine the order and timing of phase energization. Proper sequencing of the phase energization creates a dynamic magnetic field inducing the rotor to rotate accordingly.

Abstract: A technique is provided for enhancing fluid flow in an outwardly opening nozzle assembly. A flow enhancement assembly is provided adjacent an exit from an outwardly opening poppet to provide desired spray characteristics. The flow enhancement assembly includes converging and diverging passages and a plurality of ports to form a spray.

Abstract: A method for electronic trimming of at least one fluid injection pump, in which a control signal which is corrected for injection pump operation and, preferably, a control signal which is corrected for engine operation as well are determined by a control module of an electronic control device and are used for operation of the fluid injection pump, and in which, furthermore, a fluid injection pump is used which operates on the energy storage principle and whose feed characteristic follows an at least third-order polynomial identically or at least largely approximately and the parameters are determined in predetermined standard conditions for an at least third-order standard polynomial, are stored and are used in the determination of the required fuel injection quantity.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a marine propulsion system includes a horizontal mounting plate, a pivot housing, and an adapter plate attached to one another through a plurality of vibration absorbing isolation points. The adapter plate is configured for attachment to an outboard powerhead, and the horizontal mounting plate is configured for horizontal attachment to a boat platform. The pivot housing is configured for attachment to a steering arm that extends through the horizontal mounting plate for rotating and pivoting an attached steering arm yoke and trunnion assembly and propeller drive unit. A contoured opening in the horizontal mounting plate facilitates drop down installation of a marine propulsion system.

Abstract: A propeller assembly that includes a plastic bushing that is secured, e.g., bonded, to an inner hub and is configured to engage an outer hub of a propeller. More specifically, and in an exemplary embodiment, the bushing includes a cylindrical shaped body having a bore therethrough, and a plurality of grooves are in an outer diameter surface of the cylindrical shaped body. The inner hub includes a cylindrical shaped body sized to extend into the bushing bore. A flange is at one end of the inner hub body, and at least one limp home tab extends from the flange. The propeller includes an outer hub having a cylindrical shaped body, and a plurality of blades extend from an outer diameter surface of the outer hub body. An inner diameter surface of the outer hub body has a plurality of protrusions that extend radially inward. Each protrusion is positioned to extend within a respective one of the grooves in the outer diameter surface of the bushing body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the metered, pulsed pumping of fluid media under high pressure, in which a pressure surge resulting from the stored, kinetic energy of an electromagnetically driven armature element of a reciprocating pump is transmitted via a blocking element to a working fluid, which is enclosed in a pressure space connected to a spraying device, resulting in a predetermined quantity of the working fluid being conveyed out of an spraying unit, the stored, kinetic energy of the armature element being abruptly transmitted first of all to an operating fluid, which is enclosed in a pressure-accumulating space arranged upstream of the pressure space, inducing a pressure surge which is transmitted in the operating fluid in an expanding manner to the blocking element and from the blocking element to the working fluid.

Abstract: An electronic control unit for a combustion engine having a water coolant passageway in heat transfer adjacency to the unit and adapted to remove heat from the unit. An ECU for combustion engine, comprising: electrical input circuits, electrical control circuits, electrical fuel injection output drive circuits, electrical oil pump output drive circuits and electrical ignition circuits. An ECU is disclosed which is adapted to verify firing of the ignition coils of the engine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the ignition in an internal combustion engine with a device for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine is provided, in which a control signal for the injection process and a control signal for the ignition process are used. The control signal for the injection process is used to start the measurement of a predetermined.