Polaris Industries Inc.

Other

John E Thompson

Robert Brady

Ron Alan Bills

Dan Nugteren

Erik A Holmen

Ryan J Andreae

Corrie S Roytek

Gordon C Slattery

Todd Dannenberg

Benoit J Renaud

Alan T Hovda

John A Crudden

John Brad Bosch

Robert B Machen

Methods and tools for assembling an article are provided. The method includes providing a mold having a cavity configured as a desired shape, positioning a base within the mold so that a surface of the base material is exposed, applying a coating material, e.g., urethane or polyurethane, to substantially cover both the exposed surface of the base and an inner surface of the cavity, depositing a cushion material into the cavity and sealing the cavity with the exposed surface of the base so that the coating material forms a skin around the cushion material and adheres the cushion material to the base.

Method for assembling articles

Display case with simulated actual object

Personal watercraft having ergonomically improved footwell designs. The footwells reside on either side of the personal watercraft straddle-type seat and can include higher outside footwell walls in preferred embodiments. The higher outside footwell walls can provide added protection to the driver's legs from unwanted contact from other boats and docks. Several improved footwells are provided, and include improved height to bottom width ratios and improved inner and outer wall angles. Footwells according to the present invention provide for more comfortable driver placement within the personal watercraft as well as easier egress from the watercraft and easier extraction of the driver's feet.

Personal watercraft ergonomic footwells

Personal watercraft having extruded rigid rub rails that can be curved in vertical and horizontal dimensions to provide complex geometries in watercraft. One rub rail has a pair of resilient opposed converging wings extending outwardly from the rub rail to form an open channel along the rub rail length. A first bottom lip can extend inwardly to hug the downwardly facing surface of the top deck. A second lip can curve upward and inward beneath the first inwardly extending bottom lip. The second lip can provide an increased ability to hug sharp horizontally curved corners of the watercraft without wrinkling, for example, the rear corners of the watercraft. The rub rail can be both vertically and horizontally curved in the same region and be affixed to a vertical bond flange. In some personal watercraft, the rub rail is formed of a rigid material having a Shore A hardness of at least about 90. The complex geometries of some rub rails are created by heating the rub rail, securing the rub rail to a forming jig or fixture, and allowing the rub rail to cool. The cooled rub rail can thus have the preformed, complex geometry of the top deck to which it is to be affixed, while having a transverse profile than cannot be made by injection molding.

Personal watercraft having a preformed rub rail

An exhaust system for a personal watercraft that places components of the exhaust vehicle on one side of the watercraft, so that the exhaust system takes less space in the watercraft.

Exhaust system located on one side of the hull of a personal watercraft

Watercraft footwell pad pattern

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.

Foam maintenance center for personal watercraft

Watercraft mirror

Watercraft splash guard

A jet-propelled personal watercraft having a grab handle for a child riding in front of the operator of the watercraft. The watercraft includes a hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering the watercraft, a deck portion providing a passenger area containing controls operable by an operator in the passenger area, and a longitudinally extending seat adapted to accommodate at least two riders seated in straddle fashion. A jet propulsion unit is powered by the engine, the jet propulsion unit including a steerable water discharge nozzle. The controls include a set of handlebars operatively connected to the steerable water discharge nozzle to facilitate steering of the watercraft by the operator, the handlebars extending transversely with respect to the watercraft and having a center and a rotational axis extending through such center. A grab handle is mounted to the handlebars and extends from the handlebars in a direction toward the operator, the grab handle being generally centered on the handlebars' axis of rotation.

Personal watercraft with child's grab handle

This invention is a combination smoke and fire detection and alarm system that comprises a battery powered personal unit and an AC/DC sustaining unit. It provides audible and visual alarms and an emergency light. The personal unit plugs into the sustaining unit for battery charge and provides an additional smoke and fire detector when used in this mode.

Growing community of inventors

Spirit Lake, IA, United States of America

John E Thompson