Personal watercraft fabrication using thermoforming

Abstract

Personal watercraft and personal watercraft fabrication using a thermoforming process are described. The personal watercraft manufacturing process includes a set of molds, thermoforming equipment, and thermal formable materials. The process greatly reduces manufacturing costs, decreases manufacturing time, increases part consistency and tolerances, offers better performance characteristics and durability and results in less environmentally harmful deposits and waste.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a jet-pump powered personal watercraft, the method comprising:
 producing a top deck mold for a first component of the personal watercraft, the top deck mold including a feature for assimilation into the first component, the feature comprising at least one of a foot tray feature, a bulkhead/firewall feature, a gunwales feature, and an engine bay opening feature,
 wherein the top deck mold further comprises a first bond rail feature; 
   drawing a heated first thermoplastic material into or over the top deck mold using a vacuum to form the first component;   extracting the first component from the top deck mold;   producing a bottom hull mold for a second component of the personal watercraft, the bottom hull mold including a convex groove feature running longitudinally along the bottom hull mold and parallel to a center line of the bottom hull mold, and a second bond rail feature having a shape complementary of the first bond rail;   drawing a heated second thermoplastic material into or over the bottom hull mold using a vacuum to produce the second component; and   extracting the second component from the bottom hull mold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the top deck mold comprises a foot tray feature, a bulkhead/firewall feature, a gunwales feature, and an engine bay opening feature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom hull mold further comprises a mid-rocker feature and a pump cavity feature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising trimming excess material from the first component and trimming excess material from the second component. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising coupling the first bond rail of the first component to the second bond rail of the second component to form the personal watercraft. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material comprise a non-volatile organic compound (VOC) material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising producing a hood mold having a shape configured to engage with the engine bay opening feature of the first component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising producing a plate covering mold having a shape configured to engage with the pump cavity feature of the second component. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 drawing a heated third thermoplastic material into or over the hood mold using a vacuum to form a hood;   extracting the hood from the hood mold; and   coupling the hood to the first component proximate the engine bay opening.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 drawing a heated fourth thermoplastic material into or over a plate covering mold using a vacuum to form a plate covering;   extracting the plate covering from the plate covering mold; and   coupling the plate covering to the second component proximate the pump cavity.   
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a jet-pump powered personal watercraft, the method comprising:
 drawing a heated first thermoplastic material into or over a top deck mold using a vacuum to form a top deck, wherein the top deck mold includes a first bond rail a foot tray feature, a bulkhead/firewall feature, a gunwales feature, and an engine bay opening feature;   extracting the top deck from the top deck mold;   drawing a heated second thermoplastic material into or over the bottom hull mold using a vacuum to produce a bottom hull, wherein the bottom hull mold includes a convex groove feature running longitudinally along the bottom hull mold and parallel to a center line of the bottom hull mold, a second bond rail feature having a shape complementary of the first bond rail, and a pump cavity feature;   extracting the bottom hull from the bottom hull mold;   drawing a heated third thermoplastic material into or over a hood mold using a vacuum to form a hood;   extracting the hood from the hood mold;   drawing a heated fourth thermoplastic material into or over a plate covering mold using a vacuum to form a plate covering;   extracting the plate covering from the plate covering mold;   coupling the first bond rail of the top deck to the second bond rail of the bottom hull;   coupling the plate covering to the second component proximate a pump cavity of the bottom hull; and   coupling the hood to the first component proximate an engine bay opening of the top deck.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom hull mold further comprises a mid-rocker feature. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising trimming excess material from the top deck and trimming excess material from the bottom hull. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material comprise a non-volatile organic compound (VOC) material. 
     
     
         15 . A bottom hull and top deck for a jet-pump powered personal watercraft, comprising:
 the top deck formed from a first thermoplastic material, wherein the top deck comprises a foot tray feature, a bulkhead/firewall feature, a gunwales feature, an engine bay opening feature, and a first bond rail feature; and   the bottom hull formed from a second thermoplastic material and coupled to the top deck, wherein the bottom hull comprises a concave groove feature running longitudinally along the bottom hull and parallel to a center line of the bottom hull, and a second bond rail feature having a shape complementary of the first bond rail feature.   
     
     
         16 . The bottom hull and top deck of  claim 15 , wherein the first bond rail feature is coupled to the second bond rail feature. 
     
     
         17 . The bottom hull and top deck of  claim 15 , wherein the first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material are the same material. 
     
     
         18 . The bottom hull and top deck of  claim 15 , wherein the first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material do not contain volatile organic compound (VOC) material.