Personal watercraft

Abstract

A personal watercraft is provided which includes a body including a deck and a hull having a water intake on a bottom portion thereof; a water jet pump configured to suction water through the water intake and eject the water through an outlet port of an ejecting nozzle; an engine for actuating the water jet pump; an ejecting direction adjusting device for adjusting an ejecting direction of the water ejected from the water jet pump; a driver seat section provided on the deck and configured to accommodate a driver seated in a straddle state; a passenger seat section provided on the deck behind the driver seat section and configured to accommodate a passenger seated in a straddle state; a sensor for detecting the passenger seated on the passenger seat section; and a controller for controlling the engine to reduce an engine driving power, if the sensor detects the passenger.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A personal watercraft comprising:
 a body including a hull and a deck covering the hull from above, the hull having a water intake on a bottom portion thereof;   a water jet pump including an ejecting nozzle, the water jet pump being configured to suction water through the water intake and eject the water through an outlet port of the ejecting nozzle;   an engine for actuating the water jet pump;   an ejecting direction adjusting device for adjusting an ejecting direction of the water ejected from the water jet pump;   a driver seat section provided on the deck and configured to accommodate a driver seated on and straddling the driver seat section;   a passenger seat section provided on the deck in a location behind the driver seat section, the passenger seat section being configured to accommodate a passenger seated on and straddling the passenger seat section;   a sensor for detecting whether the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section; and   a controller for controlling the engine;   wherein the controller is configured to control the engine to reduce driving power of the engine, if the sensor detects that the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section.   
     
     
         2 . A personal watercraft comprising:
 a body including a hull and a deck covering the hull from above, the hull having a water intake on a bottom portion thereof;   a water jet pump including an ejecting nozzle, the water jet pump being configured to suction water through the water intake and eject the water through an outlet port of the ejecting nozzle;   an engine for actuating the water jet pump;   an ejecting direction adjusting device for adjusting an ejecting direction of the water ejected from the water jet pump;   a driver seat section provided on the deck and configured to accommodate a driver seated on and straddling the driver seat section;   a passenger seat section provided on the deck in a location behind the driver seat section, the passenger seat section being configured to accommodate a passenger seated on and straddling the passenger seat section;   a sensor for detecting whether the is passenger seated on the passenger seat section; and   a controller for controlling the ejecting direction adjusting device;   wherein the controller is configured to control the ejecting direction adjusting device such that the outlet port of the ejecting nozzle faces in an obliquely downward direction, if the sensor detects that the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section.   
     
     
         3 . The personal water according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller is configured to control the ejecting direction adjusting device such that the outlet port of the ejecting nozzle faces in an obliquely downward direction, if the sensor detects that the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section.   
     
     
         4 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the passenger seat section is configured to deform downwardly under a weight of the passenger when the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section; and   wherein the sensor is placed between the deck and the passenger seat section to detect whether the passenger seat section is deformed.   
     
     
         5 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the sensor is attached to the deck.   
     
     
         6 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor is a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting a pressure applied by the passenger.   
     
     
         7 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a limit mode terminating section for terminating a limit mode in which the driving power of the engine is reduced;   wherein the controller controls the engine in the limit mode if the sensor detects that the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section; and   wherein the controller controls the engine in the limit mode during a period of time that passes until the limit mode terminating section terminates the limit mode, if the sensor subsequently does not detect the passenger seated on the passenger seat section after the sensor has previously detected that the passenger was seated on the passenger seat section.   
     
     
         8 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the passenger seat section is configured to deform downwardly under a weight of the passenger when the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section; and   wherein the sensor is placed between the deck and the passenger seat section to detect whether the passenger seat section is deformed.   
     
     
         9 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the sensor is attached to the deck.   
     
     
         10 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the sensor is a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting a pressure applied by the passenger.   
     
     
         11 . The personal watercraft according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 a limit mode terminating section for terminating a limit mode in which the outlet port of the ejecting nozzle is caused to face in the obliquely downward direction;   wherein the controller controls the ejecting direction adjusting device in the limit mode if the sensor detects that the passenger is seated on the passenger seat section; and   wherein the controller controls the ejecting direction adjusting device in the limit mode during a period of time that passes until the limit mode terminating section terminates the limit mode, if the sensor subsequently does not detect the passenger seated on the passenger seat section after the sensor has previously detected that the passenger was seated on the passenger seat section.