Abstract: A housing for mounting electronic equipment in a personal watercraft, the housing including a foam piece adapted to be disposed within the hull. The foam piece can have at least one battery cavity formed therein adapted to at least partially contain a battery. The foam piece can also have at least one engine electronics control box cavity adapted to at least partially contain an engine electronics control box. The foam preferably has holes formed entirely through the foam for securing straps around the electronics using hook and loop type fasteners. The foam can be a closed cell, floatation foam. A personal watercraft can be assembled by dropping the foam into a bottom hull, inserting pre-wired devices into mounting cavities in the foam, and securing the devices by wrapping the strap free ends upon themselves. The foam maintenance center can be secured to the watercraft using an expandable material inserted between the foam and the top deck, and allowing the material to expand.

Abstract: A snowmobile having a liquid-cooled engine with an improved cooling system is disclosed. The engine is connected between the inlets and outlets of first and second coolant circuits that are each comprised of one or more interconnected heat exchangers. The coolant circuits circulate coolant pumped from the engine and dissipate heat generated by the engine during its operation. A thermostat valve is operatively connected to one of the second coolant circuit and blocks coolant flow in the circuit when the engine temperature is below a threshold level. The first coolant circuit provides the main cooling circuit for the engine. The second cooling circuit provides a parallel cooling path that enhances the cooling capacity of the cooling system when the engine temperature exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: An improved pool cleaner is provided of the type for random travel over submerged floor and side wall surfaces of a swimming pool or the like to dislodge and collect debris. The pool cleaner includes a hydraulically contoured external housing having a stabilizer float integrated with a carrying handle at an elevated rearward location. The pool cleaner additionally incorporates modular components including a simplified mast unit and related water distribution manifold for delivery of water under pressure to a water turbine drive unit for rotatably driving cleaner wheels to travel over submerged pool surfaces, with a portion of the pressurized water inducing a vacuum action for collecting debris within a porous filter bag. The modular components are mounted on an internal frame which is quickly and easily accessible for service or maintenance by removal of the external housing.

Abstract: Tunable sponsons for personal watercraft and personal watercraft having the tunable sponsons. The present invention provides personal watercraft having sponsons with an adjustable height relative to the water surface and the hull. One adjustable sponson has a horizontally, outwardly extending portion from the personal watercraft hull followed by a downwardly extending portion including a fin for penetrating below the water surface. The effective height of the sponson outwardly extending portion above the water can be reduced or lowered by adding a thickness of slab of material along the length under the sponson outwardly extending portion. One tunable sponson includes apertures mounted along the sponson underside for securing additional material. The effective height of the sponson horizontally extending portion above the water can be increased by removing a removable sponson extension previously secured to the sponson.

Abstract: An improved snowmobile steering ski attachable to the steering spindles of a snowmobile and, generally, including a frame, which may be integrally molded as part of the ski, and having multiple protruding keels that emerge from the bottom running surface of the ski proximal the ski's front end and gradually increase in protrusion with respect to the bottom running surface to a point of maximum protrusion at a point on the ski runner near to the steering spindle of the snowmobile is disclosed. The keel then gradually decreases in protrusion from its maximum protrusion to merge back into the bottom surface proximal the rear end of the ski.

Abstract: In a snowmobile track suspension, the slide frame is supported upon downwardly and rearwardly angled front and rear suspension arm assemblies. The suspension arm assemblies are of similar construction, length, and orientation, having upper ends connected to fixed pivots in the snowmobile chassis and lower ends pivoted to the slide frame. The lower end of the rear suspension arm assembly has a pivot mount that is movable longitudinally of the slide frame. Movement in the forwards direction being blocked by an abutment which ensures that during suspension travel the front end of the slide frame cannot move higher than the rear end thereof.