Paintable multifunction components for watercraft

Abstract

A personal watercraft having one or more decorated, and preferably painted, multifunction components, such as the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions of a personal watercraft. The components are fabricated from engineering plastics in a manner suitable to provide an optimal combination of both structural characteristics and the ability to be painted, in a manner sufficient to permit these materials to provide one or more multifunction components within a watercraft. A plurality of different multifunctional components can be fabricated, for use in different portions of the watercraft, thereby permitting some or all of those components to be decorated or painted in a matching or complementary manner.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A personal watercraft comprising a hull, the hull having a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the watercraft further comprising one or more decorated multifunction components.  
     
     
         2 . A watercraft according to  claim 1  wherein the multifunction components are selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons and/or mirror portions.  
     
     
         3 . A watercraft according to  claim 1  wherein the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic copolymers and alloy blends.  
     
     
         4 . A watercraft according to  claim 3  wherein the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polycarbonate/polyester (PCT/PE) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/poly(butylene terephthalate) (PC/PBT) blends.  
     
     
         5 . A watercraft according to  claim 4  wherein one or more of the plastics are glass fiber reinforced.  
     
     
         6 . A watercraft according to  claim 4  wherein the multifunction components are decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.  
     
     
         7 . A watercraft according to  claim 4  wherein the components provide an optimal combination of impact resistance, toughness, chemical resistance and thermal stability for use on a personal watercraft.  
     
     
         8 . A watercraft according to  claim 4  wherein the component is painted by use of an in mold color.  
     
     
         9 . A watercraft according to  claim 4  wherein the fabricated component is painted in a robotic painting system comprising the application of one or more base coats and/or one or more clear coats.  
     
     
         10 . A personal watercraft comprising a hull, the hull having a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the watercraft further comprising one or more decorated multifunction components, wherein: 
 the multifunction components are selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions,    the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polycarbonate/polyester (PCT/PE) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends, and    the multifunction components are decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.    
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a personal watercraft according to  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of providing and assembling the various components, and fabricating one or more of the multifunction components in a decorated manner.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the multifunction components are selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic copolymers and alloy blends.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polycarbonate/polyester (PCT/PE) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein one or more of the plastics are glass fiber reinforced.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the multifunction components are decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the components provide an optimal combination of impact resistance, toughness, chemical resistance and thermal stability for use on a personal watercraft.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the component is painted by use of an in mold color.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the fabricated component is painted in a robotic painting system comprising the application of one or more base coats and/or one or more clear coats.  
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a personal watercraft comprising a hull, the hull having a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the watercraft further comprising one or more decorated multifunction components, the method comprising the steps of providing and assembling the various components, and fabricating one or more of the multifunction components in a decorated manner, wherein 
 the multifunction components are selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions,    the components are fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends, and    the multifunction components are decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.    
     
     
         21 . A decorated multifunction component adapted for use in a personal watercraft comprising a hull, the hull having a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit.  
     
     
         22 . A component according to  claim 21  wherein the multifunction components are selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions.  
     
     
         23 . A component according to  claim 21  wherein the component is fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic copolymers and alloy blends.  
     
     
         24 . A component according to  claim 23  wherein the component is fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends.  
     
     
         25 . A component according to  claim 24  wherein one or more of the plastics are glass fiber reinforced.  
     
     
         26 . A component according to  claim 24  wherein the multifunction component is decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.  
     
     
         27 . A component according to  claim 24  wherein the component provides an optimal combination of impact resistance, toughness, chemical resistance and thermal stability for use on a personal watercraft.  
     
     
         28 . A component according to  claim 24  wherein the component is painted by use of an in mold color.  
     
     
         29 . A component according to  claim 24  wherein the fabricated component is painted in a robotic painting system comprising the application of one or more base coats and/or one or more clear coats.  
     
     
         30 . A decorated multifunction component adapted for use in a personal watercraft comprising a hull, the hull having a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, wherein: 
 the multifunction component is selected from the group consisting of the grab handle, shroud, splashguard, hood, rub rails, sponsons, and/or mirror portions,    the component is fabricated from one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends, polyurethane/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PU/ABS) blends, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene (AES), and ASA/AES copolymers, and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends, and    the multifunction component is decorated by being painted in a manner that provides adhesion test results at a level of at least ISO Class 2 in quality, when performed according to ASTM D 3359.