Hull with deck supporting posts

Abstract

A personal watercraft (PWC) is provided with a hull having an inner surface. An engine and jet propulsion unit are mounted to the hull and constructed and arranged to propel the PWC. A starboard support post extends generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a starboard deck supporting surface. A port support post extends generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a port deck supporting surface. A deck, which is constructed and arranged to support a rider in an operative riding position thereon, is mounted atop the hull with port and starboard supported portions of the deck engaging the port and starboard deck supporting surfaces, respectively, such that at least a portion of a weight of the rider is transferred to and borne by the deck supporting posts.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A personal watercraft comprising: 
 a hull having an inner surface;    an engine mounted to the watercraft;    a propulsion system operatively connected to the engine, the propulsion system being constructed and arranged to propel the personal watercraft using power from the engine;    a starboard support post extending generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a starboard deck supporting surface;    a port support post extending generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a port deck supporting surface; and    a deck mounted atop the hull with port and starboard supported portions of the deck engaging the port and starboard deck supporting surfaces, respectively.    
     
     
         2 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the supported portions of the deck are footrests that are positioned to support a rider's feet.  
     
     
         3 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the starboard support post is disposed entirely on a starboard side of the personal watercraft and the port support post is disposed entirely on the port side of the personal watercraft.  
     
     
         4 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the support posts are formed integrally with the hull.  
     
     
         5 . The personal watercraft of  claim 4 , wherein the hull comprises a composite material.  
     
     
         6 . The personal watercraft of  claim 5 , wherein the composite material comprises fiberglass laminate.  
     
     
         7 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the hull comprises a foam core disposed between an inner fiberglass shell and an outer fiberglass shell.  
     
     
         8 . The personal watercraft of  claim 7 , wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.  
     
     
         9 . The personal watercraft of  claim 8 , wherein the fiberglass shells of the support posts are one of integrally molded with and bonded to the inner fiberglass shell of the hull.  
     
     
         10 . The personal watercraft of  claim 8 , wherein the foam cores of the support posts are integrally formed with the foam core of the hull.  
     
     
         11 . The personal watercraft of  claim 9 , wherein the inner fiberglass shell of the hull separates the foam cores of the support posts from the foam core of the hull.  
     
     
         12 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the personal watercraft and upwardly toward the supported portions of the deck.  
     
     
         13 . The personal watercraft of  claim 3 , wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the starboard support post and the port support post.  
     
     
         14 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion system is a jet pump.  
     
     
         15 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the deck is secured to the hull with a fastener.  
     
     
         16 . The personal watercraft of  claim 15 , wherein the fastener is a bonding agent.  
     
     
         17 . The personal watercraft of  claim 16 , wherein the supported portions of the deck are secured to the deck supporting surfaces of the support posts with the bonding agent.  
     
     
         18 . The personal watercraft of  claim 15 , wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of rivets.  
     
     
         19 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the support posts are attached to the hull with a fastener.  
     
     
         20 . The personal watercraft of  claim 19 , wherein the fastener attaching the support posts to the hull comprises a plurality of rivets.  
     
     
         21 . The personal watercraft of  claim 19 , wherein the support posts comprise at least one of plastic, aluminum, high density foam, and stainless steel.  
     
     
         22 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 second and third starboard support posts extending generally upwardly from the starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing two additional starboard deck supporting surfaces that engage additional starboard supported portions of the deck, the starboard support posts being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the watercraft; and    second and third port support posts extending generally upwardly from the port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing two additional port deck supporting surfaces that engage additional port supported portions of the deck, the port support posts being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the watercraft.    
     
     
         23 . The personal watercraft of  claim 22 , wherein the second port and starboard support posts are disposed forward of the first port and starboard support posts, respectively, and wherein the third port and starboard support posts are disposed forwardly of the second port and starboard support posts, respectively.  
     
     
         24 . The personal watercraft of  claim 23 , wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the second starboard support post and the second port support post.  
     
     
         25 . The personal watercraft of  claim 24 , further comprising a gas tank operatively connected to the engine, the gas tank being disposed at least partially between the third starboard support post and the third port support post.  
     
     
         26 . The personal watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the first starboard support post and the first port support post.  
     
     
         27 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , further comprising port and starboard dampers disposed between the supported portions of the deck and the deck supporting surfaces.  
     
     
         28 . The personal watercraft of  claim 27 , wherein the dampers comprise a resilient material.  
     
     
         29 . The personal watercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the support posts and deck form an integral piece that is mounted to the hull.  
     
     
         30 . A personal watercraft hull assembly comprising: 
 a hull having an inner surface;    a starboard support post extending generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a starboard deck supporting surface; and    a port support post extending generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a port deck supporting surface.    
     
     
         31 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the starboard support post is disposed entirely on a starboard side of the hull and the port support post is disposed entirely on the port side of the hull.  
     
     
         32 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the support posts are formed integrally with the hull.  
     
     
         33 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the hull comprises a composite material.  
     
     
         34 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the composite material comprises fiberglass laminate.  
     
     
         35 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the hull comprises a foam core disposed between an inner fiberglass shell and an outer fiberglass shell.  
     
     
         36 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.  
     
     
         37 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the fiberglass shells of the support posts are one of integrally molded with and bonded to the inner fiberglass shell of the hull.  
     
     
         38 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the foam cores of the support posts are integrally formed with the foam core of the hull.  
     
     
         39 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the inner fiberglass shell of the hull separates the foam cores of the support posts from the foam core of the hull.  
     
     
         40 . The personal watercraft hull assembly of  claim 30 , wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the hull as they extend upwardly away from the inner surface of the hull.  
     
     
         41 . A deck for a personal watercraft, the deck comprising: 
 a deck shell having starboard and port supported portions;    a starboard support post having a starboard deck supporting surface that engages the starboard supported portion, the starboard support post extending generally downwardly from the starboard supported portion; and    a port support post having a port deck supporting surface that engages the port supported portion, the port support post extending generally downwardly from the port supported portion.    
     
     
         42 . The deck of  claim 41 , wherein the support posts and deck shell are permanently fixed to each other.  
     
     
         43 . The deck of  claim 41 , wherein the deck shell comprises a fiberglass shell, and wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.  
     
     
         44 . The deck of  claim 41 , wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the deck as they extend upwardly toward the supported portions of the deck.  
     
     
         45 . The deck of  claim 41 , wherein the supported portions of the deck shell are secured to the deck supporting surfaces of the support posts with a bonding agent.