Abstract: An air cleaner box structured to facilitate the attaching and detaching operation of an air cleaner element While enhancing the support rigidity thereof. The air cleaner box includes a casing having a case body and the openable and closable case cover. The air cleaner element and the element holder to support the air cleaner element are contained in the casing. The element holder has an extended U-shape in cross section, and has end sections that are supported by the case body and the case cover respectively. The element holder pivots on the bottom face rear ends of the holder lower protrusions in an inclinable manner.

Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle eliminates the input of disturbances to a throttle body upon opening/closing of a vehicle seat, and is capable of reliably protecting an injector. An air cleaner 18 is disposed on the rear side of an engine 5, a fuel tank 22 is disposed above the engine 5, and a seat 23 is disposed on the rear side of the fuel tank 22 such that the seat 23 can be opened or closed. A throttle body 17 having an injector 17a is disposed in a space below the seat 23 and between the engine 5 and the air cleaner 18. A protector cover 80 covers the throttle body 17 from the upper side.

Abstract: Providing a mounting structure for an internal combustion engine on a small planing boat on which an internal combustion engine for driving a jet propulsion pump is mounted, in a boat body between a hull and a deck, with a crankshaft thereof oriented in a front-rear direction of the boat body and on which a cylinder of the internal combustion engine is slantly disposed to one of left and right sides of the boat body, the mounting structure taking a weight balance of the internal combustion engine into account. A distance between an axis of the crankshaft and one mounting bracket arranged on a side where the cylinder of the internal combustion engine is slantly disposed, is longer than a distance between the axis of the crankshaft and the other mounting bracket arranged on the opposite side thereof.

Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle provided with an air cleaner at the rear side of an engine and a fuel tank at the upper side of the engine, and a heat shield panel disposed between the fuel tank and the engine. A fuel feed pipe, one end of which is connected to a fuel pump located at the front side of the engine, extends toward the upper part of the heat shield panel and is routed on the upper side of the heat shield panel and connected to an injector which forms a fuel intake. This improves the degree of freedom in the design around an engine and facilitates the layout of a fuel feed pipe that connects a fuel pump to a fuel intake at the front and rear of the engine so that the fuel feed pipe is hardly affected by the heat of the engine.

Abstract: An air intake device for a watercraft adapted to suppress noise generating from an intake system of an engine and can obtain good intake efficiency. The air intake device includes intake ports opening to a side surface of the engine, and an air cleaner located on the rear side of the engine. An outlet of the air cleaner is connected through an intake passage to the intake ports of the engine. An air duct extends from an inlet of the air cleaner along the side surface of the engine to the position corresponding to the front end of the engine. The air duct has a front opening that faces downward.

Abstract: An open/close valve can decrease the exhaust resistance as much as possible in a usual operation. An open/close valve includes a valve casing and a valve element that is housed in the valve casing in a vertically movable manner. The valve casing includes a cylindrical portion that extends vertically. A through hole is formed in the cylindrical portion. A bottom portion is formed on a bottom of the cylindrical portion. A discharge inlet is formed in an upper portion of the cylindrical portion. The valve element includes a cylindrical body that is arranged along an inner surface of the cylindrical portion and has a height that maintains an opening of the through hole and a seal plate that covers an upper portion of the cylindrical body and has a size capable of closing the exhaust inlet.

Abstract: An exhaust system for a small-sized boat which can efficiently reduce exhaust noises in a low frequency band includes a water muffler provided at one location along exhaust pipes extending from an engine disposed in a boat body. The inside of the water muffler is divided into a single expansion chamber and a resonator chamber, and a front exhaust pipe coupled to the engine and a rear exhaust pipe opened to the outside of the boat are connected to the expansion chamber. Between the front exhaust pipe opened to the inside of the expansion chamber and the rear exhaust pipe, a water-controlling plate is provided in an upper side of the expansion chamber.

Abstract: An air cleaner box structured to facilitate the attaching and detaching operation of an air cleaner element While enhancing the support rigidity thereof. The air cleaner box includes a casing having a case body and the openable and closable case cover. The air cleaner element and the element holder to support the air cleaner element are contained in the casing. The element holder has an extended U-shape in cross section, and has end sections that are supported by the case body and the case cover respectively. The element holder pivots on the bottom face rear ends of the holder lower protrusions in an inclinable manner.

Abstract: An open/close valve can decrease the exhaust resistance as much as possible in a usual operation. An open/close valve includes a valve casing and a valve element that is housed in the valve casing in a vertically movable manner. The valve casing includes a cylindrical portion that extends vertically. A through hole is formed in the cylindrical portion. A bottom portion is formed on a bottom of the cylindrical portion. A discharge inlet is formed in an upper portion of the cylindrical portion. The valve element includes a cylindrical body that is arranged along an inner surface of the cylindrical portion and has a height that maintains an opening of the through hole and a seal plate that covers an upper portion of the cylindrical body and has a size capable of closing the exhaust inlet.

Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle provided with an air cleaner at the rear side of an engine and a fuel tank at the upper side of the engine, and a heat shield panel disposed between the fuel tank and the engine. A fuel feed pipe, one end of which is connected to a fuel pump located at the front side of the engine, extends toward the upper part of the heat shield panel and is routed on the upper side of the heat shield panel and connected to an injector which forms a fuel intake. This improves the degree of freedom in the design around an engine and facilitates the layout of a fuel feed pipe that connects a fuel pump to a fuel intake at the front and rear of the engine so that the fuel feed pipe is hardly affected by the heat of the engine.

Abstract: An air intake device for a watercraft adapted to suppress noise generating from an intake system of an engine and can obtain good intake efficiency. The air intake device includes intake ports opening to a side surface of the engine, and an air cleaner located on the rear side of the engine. An outlet of the air cleaner is connected through an intake passage to the intake ports of the engine. An air duct extends from an inlet of the air cleaner along the side surface of the engine to the position corresponding to the front end of the engine. The air duct has a front opening that faces downward.

Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle eliminates the input of disturbances to a throttle body upon opening/closing of a vehicle seat, and is capable of reliably protecting an injector. An air cleaner 18 is disposed on the rear side of an engine 5, a fuel tank 22 is disposed above the engine 5, and a seat 23 is disposed on the rear side of the fuel tank 22 such that the seat 23 can be opened or closed. A throttle body 17 having an injector 17a is disposed in a space below the seat 23 and between the engine 5 and the air cleaner 18. A protector cover 80 covers the throttle body 17 from the upper side.

Abstract: A fuel inlet apparatus is provided for a personal watercraft of the type having a fuel tank 13 disposed in a craft body 11, and a fuel supply hose 81 extending from the fuel tank 13 with an end thereof connected to a fuel filler member 82 on a deck 20. One end of a chain 83 is fastened inside the fuel filler member 82, and the other end of the chain 83 is fastened to a fill cap 84 used for sealably closing the top of the fuel filler member 82. The chain 83 has a protective tube 86 surrounding a portion thereof, to contact the fuel filler 85 when the fill cap 84 is removed. The provision of the protective tube 86 reduces the risk of damage to the fuel filler or the deck, and the chain itself can also be protected by the tube.

Abstract: A small-sized surface boat is configured such that a seat extending in the fore-and-aft direction is mounted on the center of a deck that constitutes an upper surface of a hull. An approximately horizontal flat portion is formed behind the seat and on a rear end portion of the deck. An inclined surface portion having an upward gradient toward a front from a front end of the flat portion is formed, and a finger catching groove to be caught by fingers of an extended hand from a rear side of the hull is integrally formed in a front end of the inclined surface portion.

Abstract: A fuel tank for a personal watercraft of the type in which a main body portion of the fuel tank is disposed in a watercraft body. An oil supply port member of the fuel tank is provided at a deck constituting an upper portion of the watercraft body. The main body portion and the oil supply port member are connected to each other by a filler hose. The oil supply port member is closed with an oil supply cap. The oil supply port member includes a cylindrical passage provided with an oil supply port at one end thereof and with a hose connection portion at the other end thereof. A stopper for receiving the tip end of an oil supply nozzle is provided at an intermediate portion of the passage. The supply nozzle for re-supplying the fuel can be prevented from penetrating into the main body portion to a needlessly large extent. As a result, the main body portion of the fuel tank can be prevented from suffering scratches or the like.

Abstract: As a preferred embodiment, a process target is disposed at the other side of the earth electrode from the active electrode. The process target is supported, being electrically insulated from the bottom of a chamber and connected to an electrically conductive path. The electrically conductive path is grounded through a resistor and an auxiliary power supply. A potential of the process target is set at a predetermined potential, for example a minus potential, by the auxiliary power supply and a process gas is introduced into the chamber to keep a vacuum degree of the order of 100 Pa therein and to apply a voltage to the active electrode from a power supply, whereby a discharge occurs between the active electrode and an earth electrode to generate a plasma and the plasma acts on the process target to clean and activate a surface of the process target.

Abstract: An exhaust system for a small-sized boat which can efficiently reduce exhaust noises in a low frequency band includes a water muffler provided at one location along exhaust pipes extending from an engine disposed in a boat body. The inside of the water muffler is divided into a single expansion chamber and a resonator chamber, and a front exhaust pipe coupled to the engine and a rear exhaust pipe opened to the outside of the boat are connected to the expansion chamber. Between the front exhaust pipe opened to the inside of the expansion chamber and the rear exhaust pipe, a water-controlling plate is provided in an upper side of the expansion chamber.

Abstract: An oil feed pump for feeding oil in an oil tank to an engine, an oil recovery pump for feeding oil in a crankcase into the oil tank, an oil drain pipe connected to the lower portion of the crankcase and extending upward, and an opening provided on top of the oil tank are provided in a lubrication system. An opening of the oil drain pipe opens at the position upward of the oil level in the crankcase at a moment when the oil in the oil tank is returned into the crankcase. A cap is provided with a dip stick. The engine can be mounted on a small planing boat with the crankshaft oriented in the fore-and-aft direction. The oil tank is integrally formed with the front portion of the engine so as to be elongated in the vertical direction and is formed with the opening on top.

Abstract: To provide a personal watercraft such that sea water or water can be prevented from being accumulated in an intake system equipment, and sea water or water can be prevented from penetrating into an engine even if the sea water or water should have penetrated into a watercraft body. A personal watercraft has a structure in which a watercraft body includes a hull constituting a lower portion of the watercraft body and a deck constituting an upper portion of the watercraft body. An engine is mounted in a space surrounded by the watercraft body. An intake system of the engine is provided with a vertically elongate air box. A lower portion of the air box is provided with first and second air suction ports. An inlet of an air passage for leading air from the air box to the engine is opened in the upper half of the air box.

Abstract: A small-sized surface boat is configured such that a seat extending in the fore-and-aft direction is mounted on the center of a deck that constitutes an upper surface of a hull. An approximately horizontal flat portion is formed behind the seat and on a rear end portion of the deck. An inclined surface portion having an upward gradient toward a front from a front end of the flat portion is formed, and a finger catching groove to be caught by fingers of an extended hand from a rear side of the hull is integrally formed in a front end of the inclined surface portion.