This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-173339, filed on Oct. 28, 2022. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a boat propulsion device.
An intake device that supplies air to an internal combustion engine of a boat propulsion device may be provided with a resonator to reduce intake noise generated in an intake duct. Helmholtz resonators are commonly used as the resonator. The Helmholtz resonator has a neck portion that branches from the intake duct and a resonance chamber connected to the neck portion.
In general, boat propulsion devices are required to reduce low-frequency noise. Since the resonance frequency of the Helmholtz resonator is proportional to the opening area of the neck portion and inversely proportional to the length of the neck portion and the volume of the resonance chamber, it is necessary to increase the volume of the resonance chamber in order to shift the resonance frequency to the lower frequency side. In such a configuration, however, the intake device becomes larger. Such a problem is not limited to the intake device, but also applies to the case where a resonator is provided in an exhaust device.
A boat propulsion device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine, and an intake device to supply air to the internal combustion engine, the intake device including a main intake pipe including a first intake pipe and a second intake pipe connected to a downstream end of the first intake pipe and extending at an angle with respect to an axial direction of the first intake pipe and through which the air supplied to the internal combustion engine flows, and an extension pipe extending from a connection between the first intake pipe and the second intake pipe and including a resonance chamber therein, wherein the extension pipe includes a partition wall that closes the extension pipe except for a portion of the extension pipe adjacent to the main intake pipe.
A boat propulsion device according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine, and an intake device to supply air to the internal combustion engine, the intake device including a main intake pipe including a first intake pipe and a second intake pipe connected to a downstream end of the first intake pipe and extending at an angle with respect to an axial direction of the first intake pipe and through which the air supplied to the internal combustion engine flows, and an extension pipe extending from a connection between the first intake pipe and the second intake pipe.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are able to reduce the size of the intake device or exhaust device. The preferred embodiments of the present invention also facilitate design changes of the intake device or exhaust device.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Specific examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equal to the claims.
A first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The hull 10 of the boat 1 is for occupants to ride. As shown in
The outboard motor 100 in a reference attitude will be described below unless otherwise specified. The reference attitude is an attitude in which the rotational axis Ac of a crank shaft 124, which will be described below, extends in the upper-lower direction, and the rotational axis Ap of a propeller shaft 111 extends in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the upper-lower direction are defined based on the outboard motor 100 in the reference attitude.
The outboard motor 100 generates thrust to propel the boat 1. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The engine assembly 120 includes multiple components centered on an engine main body 122 (an example of an internal combustion engine). As shown in
The engine main body 122 is the prime mover for generating power. The engine main body 122 includes a cylinder housing a piston that reciprocates due to combustion of a mixture containing fuel and air, and a crank shaft 124 which rotates with the reciprocation of the piston. The cylinder includes a cylinder body that houses the piston and a cylinder head that, together with the piston and cylinder body, defines a combustion chamber in which the mixture burns. The cylinder head includes multiple intake ports opened and closed by intake valves and multiple exhaust ports opened and closed by exhaust valves. As shown in
The intake device 200 is connected to an intake port and supplies the air taken into the cowl 114 through the vent hole H to the engine main body 122. As shown in
As shown in
The second intake pipe 230 is tubular, as shown in
As shown in
In the body 220, the portion from the intake port 223 to the through-hole 224 (the portion to the left of the dashed line in
The first intake pipe 220A and the second intake pipe 230 define the main intake pipe 240 through which the air introduced from the intake port 223 and supplied to the internal combustion engine flows. The end wall 222 and an extended peripheral wall 221B of the peripheral wall 221 defining the extension pipe 220B correspond to the partition wall closing (or enclosing) the entire extension pipe 220B except for the portion adjacent to the main intake pipe 240 (position adjacent to the dashed line in
In the main intake pipe 240, the inner circumferential surface of the connection of the second intake pipe 230 to the first intake pipe 220A (the position adjacent to the edge of the through-hole 224) has a curved surface 225 curved in an arc from the first intake pipe 220A to the second intake pipe 230, as shown in
The surge tank 260 includes an internal air chamber to equalize the supply of air to the multiple cylinders of the engine main body 122. As shown in
As shown in
The exhaust device 300 is connected to an exhaust port to discharge the exhaust from the engine main body 122 to the outside of the outboard motor 100, and includes an exhaust manifold 310 connected to the exhaust port and an exhaust pipe 320 connected to the downstream side of the exhaust manifold 310, as shown in
As shown in
When the engine main body 122 is operated at a relatively low speed, the exhaust flows through the upper exhaust pipe 330 and is discharged from the upper exhaust port 331 into the air. In contrast, when the engine main body 122 is operated at a relatively high speed, the exhaust not only flows through the upper exhaust pipe 330 and is discharged from the upper exhaust port 331 into the air but also flows from the upper exhaust pipe 330 to the lower exhaust pipe 340 and is discharged into the water through the lower exhaust port 341.
The upper exhaust pipe 330 is provided with a switch valve 332 to open and close the flow path. When the switch valve 332 is open, exhaust from the engine main body 122 is able to pass through the switch valve 332 in the upper exhaust pipe 330 and also flow through the lower exhaust pipe 340. In contrast, when the switch valve 332 is closed, the exhaust from the engine main body 122 is stopped at the switch valve 332 in the upper exhaust pipe 330, and the flow of exhaust to the lower exhaust pipe 340 is restricted.
The propeller 112 is a rotating body including a plurality of blades. The propeller 112 is located relatively low in the outboard motor 100. The propeller 112 generates thrust by rotating.
The power transmission mechanism 130 transmits power generated in the engine assembly 120 to the propeller 112. At least a portion of the power transmission mechanism 130 is accommodated in the casing 116. The power transmission mechanism 130 includes a drive shaft 132, a shift mechanism 134, and a propeller shaft 136.
The drive shaft 132 is a rod-shaped member and is located below the crank shaft 124 of the engine main body 122 in an attitude extending in the upper-lower direction. The drive shaft 132 rotates together with the rotation of the crank shaft 124. At least a portion of the drive shaft 132 is accommodated within the casing 116.
The propeller shaft 136 is a rod-shaped member and is located relatively low in the outboard motor 100 in an attitude extending in the front-rear direction. At least a portion of the propeller shaft 136 is accommodated within the lower casing 116b. The rear end of the propeller shaft 136 projects to the outside of the lower casing 116b. The propeller 112 is attached to the rear end of the propeller shaft 136. The propeller 112 rotates together with the rotation of the propeller shaft 136 around the rotation axis Ap.
The shift mechanism 134 is connected to the lower end of the drive shaft 132 and to the front end of the propeller shaft 136. The shift mechanism 134 includes, e.g., a plurality of gears and a clutch to switch the engagement of the gears, and transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 132 to the propeller shaft 136 in such a manner that the rotation direction is switched. When the shift mechanism 134 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 132 to the propeller shaft 136 in the normal rotation direction, the propeller 112 rotating in the normal rotation direction together with the propeller shaft 136 generates thrust in the forward direction. In contrast, when the shift mechanism 134 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 132 to the propeller shaft 136 in the reverse rotation direction, the propeller 112 rotating in the reverse rotation direction together with the propeller shaft 136 generates the thrust in the rearward direction.
The suspension device 150 attaches the outboard motor main body 110 to the hull 10. The suspension device 150 includes a pair of left and right clamp brackets 152, a tilt shaft 160, and a connection bracket 156.
The pair of left and right clamp brackets 152 are located behind the hull 10 in a state separated from each other in the left-right direction, and are fixed to the transom 14 of the hull 10 by using, e.g., bolts. Each clamp bracket 152 includes a cylindrical supporting portion 152a provided with a through-hole extending in the left-right directions.
The tilt shaft 160 is a rod-shaped member. The tilt shaft 160 is rotatably supported in the through-hole of the supporting portion 152a of the clamp bracket 152. The tilt axis At, which is the center line of the tilt shaft 160, defines an axis in the horizontal direction (left-right direction) in the tilting action of the outboard motor 100.
The connection bracket 156 is sandwiched between the pair of clamp brackets 152, and is supported by the supporting portion 152a of the clamp bracket 152 via the tilt shaft 160 in such a manner that the connection bracket 156 is able to rotate around the tilt axis At. The connection bracket 156 is fixed to the outboard motor main body 110. The connection bracket 156 is driven to rotate about the tilt axis At with respect to the clamp bracket 152 by a tilt device (not shown) including an actuator such as, e.g., a hydraulic cylinder.
When the connection bracket 156 rotates about the tilt axis At with respect to the clamp bracket 152, the outboard motor main body 110 fixed to the connection bracket 156 also rotates about the tilt axis At. This achieves the tilting action of rotating the outboard motor main body 110 in the upper-lower direction with respect to the hull 10. By this tilting action, the outboard motor 100 is able to change the angle around the tilt axis At of the outboard motor main body 110 in the range from the tilt-down state in which the propeller 112 is located under the water (the state in which the outboard motor 100 is in the reference attitude, i.e., the state shown in
As described above, the outboard motor 100 includes the engine main body 122, and the intake device 200 to supply air to the engine main body 122. The intake device 200 includes the main intake pipe 240 including the first intake pipe 220A and the second intake pipe 230 connected to the downstream end of the first intake pipe 220A and extending at an angle with respect to the axis Ai direction of the first intake pipe 220A and through which the air supplied to the engine main body 122 flows, and the extension pipe 220B extending from the connection between the first intake pipe 220A and the second intake pipe 230 and including the resonance chamber R1 therein, and the extension pipe 220B includes the extended peripheral wall 221B and the end wall 222 closing the entire resonance chamber R1 except for the portion adjacent to the main intake pipe 240.
According to the above configuration, the noise transmitted from the engine main body 122 through the second intake pipe 230 is silenced by the effect of the air-column resonance generated by the first intake pipe 220A and the extension pipe 220B. Since not only the extension pipe 220B but also the first intake pipe 220A is used as a resonator, it is possible to reduce the size compared to an intake device with the conventional Helmholtz resonator. In addition, the resonant frequency is able to be adjusted by adjusting the distance of the second intake pipe 230 from the end (end wall 222) of the extension pipe 220B, which facilitates design changes.
A second preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to
As shown in
The extension pipe 410 has an L-shaped bent shape as a whole. In the extension pipe 410, the portion adjacent to the first intake pipe 220A is referred to as a base end portion 410B, and the portion more distal than the base end portion 410B (the portion closer to the end wall 412) is referred to as a tip end portion 410E. The base end portion 410B extends along the axis Ai direction of the first intake pipe 220A (left-right direction in
Next, a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The upper exhaust pipe 510 includes an upper exhaust port 331 located above the waterline when the boat 1 is on the water.
The extension pipe 523 includes a tubular peripheral wall 524 extending from the connection between the first exhaust pipe 521 and the second exhaust pipe 522, and an end wall 525 to close the end opposite to the first exhaust pipe 521 in the peripheral wall 524. The peripheral wall 524 and the end wall 525 define partition walls that close the entire interior space of the extension pipe 523 (resonance chamber R2) except for the portion adjacent to the main exhaust pipe 520 (the right end of the extension pipe 523 in
The extension pipe 523 has an L-shaped bent shape as a whole. In the extension pipe 523, the portion adjacent to the first exhaust pipe 521 is referred to as a base end portion 523B, and the portion more distal than the base end portion 523B (the portion closer to the end wall 525) is referred to as a tip end portion 523E. The base end portion 523B extends along the axis Ae direction of the first exhaust pipe 521 (upper-lower direction in
In the main exhaust pipe 520, the inner circumferential surface of the connection of the second exhaust pipe 522 connected to the first exhaust pipe 521 has a curved surface 526 curved in an arc from the first exhaust pipe 521 to the second exhaust pipe 522.
According to the above configuration, the noise transmitted from the engine main body 122 through the second exhaust pipe 522 is silenced by the effect of the air-column resonance generated by the first exhaust pipe 521 and the extension pipe 523. Since not only the extension pipe 523 but also the first exhaust pipe 521 is able to be used as a resonator, it is possible to reduce the size compared to an intake device with the conventional Helmholtz resonator. In addition, the resonant frequency is able to be adjusted by adjusting the distance of the second exhaust pipe 522 from the end (end wall 525) of the extension pipe 523, which facilitates design changes.
In the above preferred embodiments, the boat propulsion device is an outboard motor 100, but the boat propulsion device may be an inboard motor, an inboard-outboard motor, or a jet propeller.
In the above preferred embodiments, the body 220 (the first intake pipe 220A and the extension pipe 220B) is tubular with a flat plate portion 211F, but the shape is not limited thereto as long as the first intake pipe and the extension pipe are tubular. The first intake pipe and the extension pipe may have different shapes. The same applies to the first exhaust pipe and the extension pipe in the exhaust device.
In the above preferred embodiments, the second intake pipe 230 extends perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the axis Ai direction of the first intake pipe 220A, but the angle is not limited thereto as long as the second intake pipe is arranged at a certain angle with respect to the first intake pipe. The same applies to the first and second exhaust pipes in the exhaust device.
In the above preferred embodiments, the extension pipe 220B extends along the axis Ai direction of the first intake pipe 220A, but the extension pipe may extend at an angle with respect to the axis direction of the first intake pipe. It is also possible that the base end portion of the extension pipe extends at an angle with respect to the axial direction of the first intake pipe and that the tip end portion is bent or curved. The same applies to the first exhaust pipe and the extension pipe in the exhaust device.
In the above second preferred embodiment, the extension pipe is bent in an L-shape, but the extension pipe may be curved. The extension pipe may be bent or curved at any angle. In addition, the extension pipe may have multiple bends or curves. The same applies to the extension pipe of the exhaust device.
In the above preferred embodiments, the inner circumferential surface of the main intake pipe 240 has the curved surface 225, but the inner circumferential surface of the main intake pipe may not have the curved surface. The same applies to the main exhaust pipe in the exhaust device.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2022-173339 | Oct 2022 | JP | national |
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5674099 | Muramatsu | Oct 1997 | A |
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11578687 | Reichardt | Feb 2023 | B1 |
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20170370334 | Saiga | Dec 2017 | A1 |
20200392894 | Kishimoto | Dec 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2016023595 | Feb 2016 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20240141855 A1 | May 2024 | US |