OUTBOARD MOTOR

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-102522, filed on Jun. 22, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an outboard motor to be attached to a hull.

2. Description of the Related Art

In an outboard motor, generally, a propeller shaft is rotationally driven by power transmitted from a drive shaft. A rotation direction of the power transmitted from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft is switched by a forward-reverse switching mechanism. For example, a shift member in the forward-reverse switching mechanism is moved by a driving force from a shift actuator including a motor as a drive source, and a shift position is switched. The shift actuator is generally disposed in a casing of the outboard motor.

For example, the shift actuator described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,896,177 is disposed in an upper case. The shift actuator described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2010-63350 is disposed in a cowl. The shift actuator described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-1638 is disposed in a gear case (lower case).

However, in any of U.S. Pat. No. 9,896,177, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2010-63350, and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-1638, the shift actuator is disposed in the casing of the outboard motor, and therefore it is not easy for an operator to access the shift actuator from the outside. For example, when maintenance is performed on the motor or the like, it is necessary to remove the upper case, the cowl, the gear case, and the like such that maintenance is difficult.

In addition, a space in the casing is occupied by the shift actuator, which is disadvantageous for downsizing of the outboard motor, such as minimizing or reducing a dimension (in particular, a height) of the outboard motor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Example embodiments of the present invention contribute to downsizing of outboard motors and provide outboard motors that are able to improve maintainability of a shift actuator.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, an outboard motor includes a first drive source, a drive shaft to transmit power from the first drive source, an upper case accommodating a drive shaft housing that accommodates a portion of the drive shaft, a propeller shaft rotationally drivable by power transmitted from the drive shaft, a shift actuator including a second drive source, and a forward-reverse switching mechanism to switch a rotation direction of the power transmitted from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft by an output from the shift actuator, wherein the second drive source is location outside a cowl accommodating the first drive source, outside a lower case accommodating the forward-reverse switching mechanism, and outside the drive shaft housing.

According to this configuration, an upper case accommodates a drive shaft housing that accommodates a portion of the drive shaft. The power from a first drive source is transmitted from the drive shaft to rotationally drive a propeller shaft. A forward-reverse switching mechanism switches a rotation direction of the power transmitted from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft by an output from the shift actuator including a second drive source. The second drive source is located outside a cowl accommodating the first drive source, outside a lower case accommodating the forward-reverse switching mechanism, and outside the drive shaft housing.

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 example embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic left side view of an outboard motor.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main portion of the outboard motor.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of a shift actuator (a shift ACT).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cover and a periphery of the cover.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the shift ACT, a lower mount, and a periphery of the shift ACT and the lower mount.

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an upper case, the shift ACT, and a periphery of the upper case and the shift ACT.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cover.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified example embodiment of the cover.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cover and a periphery of the cover according to a second example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cover.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cover and a periphery of the cover according to a third example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cover.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a modified example embodiment of the cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic left side view of an outboard motor 100 according to a first example embodiment of the present invention. The outboard motor 100 includes an outboard motor main body 101 and a swivel bracket 102. The outboard motor 100 is attached to a stern (not illustrated) of a hull via a suspension device (not illustrated). Hereinafter, an up-down direction and a front-rear direction of the outboard motor 100 are specified with reference to a posture of the outboard motor 100 during navigation illustrated in FIG. 1. Namely, a +Y direction is upward, and a +Z direction is forward.

The swivel bracket 102 is rotatable with respect to a clamp bracket (not illustrated) of the suspension device about a tilt axis extending in a left-right direction. Therefore, the outboard motor main body 101 tilts with respect to the hull together with the swivel bracket 102.

A steering shaft 103 is supported by the swivel bracket 102 so as to be rotatable about a steering axis line (a center line of the steering shaft 103) extending in the up-down direction. The outboard motor main body 101 is coupled to an upper end portion of the steering shaft 103 via an upper mount 11, and is coupled to a lower end portion of the steering shaft 103 via a lower mount 12. Therefore, the outboard motor main body 101 is supported by the steering shaft 103 (that is, supported by the swivel bracket 102) via the upper mount 11 and the lower mount 12, and rotates about an axial center of the steering shaft 103 together with the steering shaft 103.

The outboard motor main body 101 includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a cowl 104, an apron 105, and an upper case 30. The cowl 104 accommodates (covers) an engine 15. The engine 15 is an example of a first drive source. The first drive source may be an electric motor. The apron 105 is fixed to the upper case 30 and covers a portion of the upper case 30. The apron 105 may include a plurality of parts.

The lower portion includes a lower case 20. The lower case 20 accommodates a forward-reverse switching mechanism 26. The lower portion includes a propeller shaft 21 and a propeller 22. The propeller shaft 21 extends in the front-rear direction. The propeller 22 is attached to a rear end portion of the propeller shaft 21, and is rotatable about an axial center of the propeller shaft 21 together with the propeller shaft 21. The propeller 22 rotates in a forward rotation direction to generate thrust in a direction to move the hull forward, and rotates in a reverse rotation direction to generate thrust in a direction to move the hull backward.

A drive shaft 13 to which power (rotation) of the engine 15 is transmitted extends in the up-down direction. The drive shaft 13 is rotatable around a center line of the drive shaft 13. A lower end portion of the drive shaft 13 is coupled to the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26. The propeller shaft 21 is rotationally driven by power transmitted from the drive shaft 13. At that time, the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 switches a rotation direction of the power transmitted from the drive shaft 13 to the propeller shaft 21 (details will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3).

The upper portion is provided with a shift actuator (hereinafter referred to as a shift ACT) 40. In addition, the upper portion is provided with a cover 50 that covers at least a portion of the shift ACT 40. A shift cam 14 that transmits an output from the shift ACT 40 to the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 is disposed mainly in the lower case 20. The shift cam 14 extends in the up-down direction. When the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 is driven via the shift cam 14 by the output from the shift ACT 40, the rotation direction of the power transmitted from the drive shaft 13 to the propeller shaft 21 is switched.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main portion of the outboard motor 100. The outboard motor 100 includes an engine control unit (ECU) 17. A remote controller 16 is disposed on the hull. The shift ACT 40 includes a motor 41 (second drive source) and a shift position (SP) sensor 42. The SP sensor 42 detects a shift position output by the shift ACT 40 and transmits the detection result to the ECU 17. A rotation of the motor 41 rotates the shift cam 14.

The ECU 17 controls driving of the engine 15 and driving of the shift ACT 40 based on a signal output due to an operation on the remote controller 16. For example, the ECU 17 performs such controls, and changes a thrust of the outboard motor 100 (that is, a rotation speed of the propeller 22) and switches a shift state (between a forward state, a backward state, and a neutral state) of the outboard motor 100. As a result, movement, turning, and the like of the hull are controlled by a combination of an operation on the remote controller 16 and an operation on a steering wheel (not illustrated). Note that control such as the movement and the turning of the hull may be performed by operation on a joystick. When the shift ACT 40 is to be controlled, the signal of the shift position output from the SP sensor 42 is referred to.

As the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26, a known configuration disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2015-147541 or the like can be used. As an example, the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 includes a slider 24, a dog clutch 25, and a gear portion 23.

The gear portion 23 and the dog clutch 25 are disposed on the axial center of the propeller shaft 21. The gear portion 23 includes a front gear and a rear gear, and the dog clutch 25 is disposed between the front gear and the rear gear. A position at which the dog clutch 25 meshes with the front gear is a forward rotation position. A position at which the dog clutch 25 meshes with the rear gear is a reverse rotation position. A position at which the dog clutch 25 meshes with neither the front gear nor the rear gear is a neutral position. The slider 24 is movable in the front-rear direction. Note that the configuration of the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 is not limited to that illustrated.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of the shift ACT 40. The shift ACT 40 includes an output shaft 43 that outputs the rotation of the motor 41 as a rotational force. The “output from the shift ACT 40” described above is, for example, the rotational force of the output shaft 43. The rotation of the motor 41 is transmitted to the output shaft 43 via a transmission unit 44 including a plurality of gears or the like. The motor 41 is rotatable in both directions.

A spline portion 14b is provided at an upper end portion of the shift cam 14. Another spline portion corresponding to the spline portion 14b is provided on an inner periphery of the output shaft 43, and both spline portions are engaged with each other so that the shift cam 14 rotates in conjunction with the output shaft 43 (that is, the shift cam 14 is rotated by the rotational force of the output shaft 43). The output shaft 43 and the shift cam 14 are relatively moved in the up-down direction to engage or disengage the spline portions with/from each other to allow the shift ACT 40 and the shift cam 14 to be assembled or disassembled.

A cam portion 14a is provided at a lower end portion of the shift cam 14. The cam portion 14a is eccentric with respect to a center line of the shift cam 14, and thus a position of the cam portion 14a in the front-rear and left-right planes changes due to the rotation of the shift cam 14.

The shift ACT 40 rotates the shift cam 14 by a driving force of the motor 41. When the shift cam 14 rotates, the slider 24 (FIG. 2) is driven forward or backward by the cam portion 14a to move in the front-rear direction to move the dog clutch 25 (FIG. 2) in the front-rear direction. As a result, the dog clutch 25 moves to one of the forward rotation position, the reverse rotation position, and the neutral position to switch the shift position. In this manner, the shift ACT 40 is a rotary type actuator.

Next, an arrangement of the shift ACT 40 and the cover 50 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cover 50 and a periphery of the cover 50. FIG. 5 is a top view of the shift ACT 40, the lower mount 12, and a periphery of the shift ACT 40 and the lower mount 12. FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which the apron 105 and the cover 50 are removed. FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the upper case 30, the shift ACT 40, and a periphery of the upper case 30 and the shift ACT 40. In each figure, illustration of a mount housing that covers the lower mount 12 is omitted.

The upper case 30 includes a splash plate 32 (FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6). An opening 33 is provided in a side surface of the upper case 30 at a location lower than the splash plate 32 (FIGS. 1 and 4). The opening 33 is provided in both a left portion and a right portion of the upper case 30, however, only the opening 33 provided in the left portion of the upper case 30 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The shift ACT 40 is fixed to the upper case 30 (for example, to the splash plate 32) by a screw or the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the upper case 30 includes (accommodates) a drive shaft housing 31. A portion of the drive shaft 13 is accommodated in the drive shaft housing 31. The entire shift ACT 40 is located outside the cowl 104 and outside the lower case 20. Many portions of the shift ACT 40 are located outside the upper case 30. The output shaft 43 of the shift ACT 40 extends from inside the upper case 30 to outside the upper case 30. That is, at least a portion of the output shaft 43 is disposed inside the upper case 30. The output shaft 43 is located outside the drive shaft housing 31.

Focusing on the motor 41, the motor 41 is located outside the cowl 104, outside the lower case 20, and outside the drive shaft housing 31. As a result, an operator is able to easily access the motor 41. Furthermore, the motor 41 is located outside the upper case 30. As described above, the motor 41 is disposed outside a casing (the cowl 104, the upper case 30, and the lower case 20) of the outboard motor, which makes it easier for the operator to access the motor 41, and as a result, facilitate maintenance.

Assuming that the entire shift ACT 40 is disposed in the cowl, the upper case, or the lower case (gear case), it is not easy to access a motor or the like (as a drive source) to perform maintenance on the motor or the like. On the other hand, in the present example embodiment, the motor 41 is disposed outside the drive shaft housing 31 which makes access especially to the motor 41 is easy. This arrangement also contributes to downsizing of the outboard motor 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the motor 41 is disposed forward of the drive shaft housing 31 in a front-rear direction of the outboard motor 100. As a result, the operator is able to easily access the motor 41 from the front and thus from the hull so that maintenance is easy. Further, the motor 41 is disposed at a position closer to the lower mount 12 than to the upper mount 11 that are provided in the up-down direction to support the outboard motor main body 101 on the swivel bracket 102 (the steering shaft 103). This arrangement is advantageous to shorten a distance between the shift ACT 40 and the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26. Therefore, this arrangement is advantageous to provide a mechanism to transmit the output of the shift ACT 40 to the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 compact, and is advantageous to use a rotary type actuator as the shift ACT 40. Note that the shift ACT 40 is not limited to the rotary type, and may be a linear motion type using a link mechanism or the like.

The cover 50 is disposed forward of a foremost position E1 of the apron 105 (FIGS. 1 and 4). The foremost position E1 is the foremost position of the apron 105 in a region in the up-down direction in which the cover 50 exists. The cover 50 covers the shift ACT 40 and also covers at least a portion of the lower mount 12. As a result, not only protection of the shift ACT 40 and the lower mount 12 are improved, but also the appearance and design are improved.

The cover 50 is fixed to the upper case 30 by a screw, for example. As described above, the shift ACT 40 is also fixed to the upper case 30. Therefore, with this arrangement, a relative positional accuracy between the shift ACT 40 and the cover 50 is high, and the shift ACT 40 is appropriately protected. A material of the cover 50 is not limited, and is made of, for example, a metal or a resin.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cover 50. Rear openings 51 and 52 are provided in a rear portion of the cover 50. An upper opening 53 is provided in an upper portion of the cover 50. The rear openings 51 and 52 are openings through which a wire harness 18 and an oil pipe 19 (FIG. 5) pass through. The wire harness 18 and the oil pipe 19 are connected to the engine 15. The swivel bracket 102 (FIG. 1) and the steering shaft 103 (FIG. 4) pass through the upper opening 53.

In such a configuration, when maintenance of the shift ACT 40 is desired, the operator only has to remove the cover 50 to access the shift ACT 40. In addition, the cover 50 and the apron 105 are separate bodies, and thus it is not necessary to remove the apron 105 having a large size at the time of maintenance, which makes the maintenance work easier.

In addition, the output shaft 43 of the shift ACT 40 and the shift cam 14 can be uncoupled and the entire shift ACT 40 can be removed so as to remove sand from the spline portion 14b, clean the spline portion 14b, and the like, which facilitates maintenance.

In addition, the operator can manually rotate the output shaft 43 of the shift ACT 40 through the opening 33 (FIGS. 1 and 4) provided in the upper case 30. For example, in a case where the output shaft 43 has a hexagonal outer diameter cross-sectional shape, the operator is able to rotate the shift cam 14 by rotating the output shaft 43 through the opening 33 using a spanner. Therefore, even in an emergency such as a case where the shift ACT 40 cannot move by electric power, the operator is able to manually switch the shift position.

According to the present example embodiment, the motor 41 of the shift ACT 40 is disposed at a location outside the cowl 104, outside the lower case 20, and outside the drive shaft housing 31. The shift ACT 40 is not necessary to be disposed in the cowl 104, which makes it possible to minimize or reduce a height of the outboard motor 100. In addition, it is easy to avoid interference of the outboard motor 100 with a motor well (not illustrated) of the hull when the outboard motor 100 is tilted up. In addition, it is easy to perform maintenance of the shift ACT 40 without detaching the apron 105. In particular, the motor 41 is disposed outside the casing of the outboard motor 100, which makes it easier for the operator to access the motor 41.

As a result, the present example embodiment contributes to downsizing of the outboard motor 100 and improve maintainability of the shift ACT 40.

In addition, the motor 41 is disposed forward of the drive shaft housing 31, and therefore, the operator is able to easily access the motor 41 from the front and from the hull, and increase maintainability.

In addition, the motor 41 is disposed at the position closer to the lower mount 12 than to the upper mount 11, and therefore, it is advantageous to provide the mechanism to transmit the output of the shift ACT 40 to the forward-reverse switching mechanism 26 compact. For example, the rotary type actuator may be used for the shift ACT 40, which contributes to downsizing and simplification of the configuration of the shift ACT 40.

The output shaft 43 of the shift ACT 40 is disposed (extends) from inside the upper case 30 to outside the upper case 30. The output shaft 43 is located outside the drive shaft housing 31, and therefore, the shift position is able to be switched by the operator manually rotating the output shaft 43. Moreover, the output shaft 43 is able to be rotated through the opening 33 of the upper case 30 so that the operator is able to manually switch the shift position with relatively easy work even in an emergency.

In addition, the cover 50 covers at least a portion of the shift ACT 40. Further, the cover 50 also covers at least a portion of the lower mount 12. Therefore, it is possible to protect the shift ACT 40 and the lower mount 12 and to enhance the design effect.

In addition, the cover 50 is fixed to the upper case 30, which makes it possible to appropriately protect the shift ACT 40.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modification of the cover 50 in the present example embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the cover 50 may include a plurality of (two or more) parts. For example, the cover 50 may include a left part and a right part, for example, a first member 50-1 and a second member 50-2, wherein the cover 50 may be configured by the first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 coupled to each other. Thus, the cover 50 can be easily manufactured and easily attached and detached from the upper case 30. Note that the number and types of the parts defining the cover 50 are not limited to those illustrated.

Each of the first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 is fixed to the upper case 30. A method of coupling the first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 is not limited. For example, the first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 may be coupled by engagement between engaging portions and/or fastening using a fastener. The first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 may be coupled to each other before being fixed to the upper case 30, or may be coupled to each other when or after being fixed to the upper case 30. Further, the first member 50-1 and the second member 50-2 may be configured to be individually detachable from the upper case 30, which makes maintenance of the shift ACT 40 even easier.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cover 50B and a periphery of the cover 50B according to a second example embodiment of the present invention. The outboard motor 100 of the second example embodiment is different from the outboard motor 100 of the first example embodiment in the shape of an apron and a cover. Other configurations in the second example embodiment are similar to those in the first example embodiment. In the present example embodiment, an apron 105B and the cover 50B are used. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cover 50B.

The apron 105B includes a mount covering portion 105athat covers the lower mount 12 on the front portion thereof (FIG. 9). The cover 50B has a shape that prevents interference with the apron 105B and does not cover the lower mount 12. The cover 50B has a fixing portion 55 at a left portion of the cover 50B and a fixing portion 55 at a right portion of the cover 50B. The cover 50B is fixed to the upper case 30, similarly to the cover 50 of the first example embodiment. In the present example embodiment, the cover 50B is further fixed to the apron 105B via the fixing portions 55.

An opening 105b through which the swivel bracket 102 (FIG. 1) and the steering shaft 103 (FIG. 4) pass is provided in the apron 105B (FIG. 9). An opening 54 through which the wire harness 18 and the oil pipe 19 (FIG. 5) pass is provided in a rear portion of the cover 50B (FIG. 10).

The present example embodiment achieves downsizing of the outboard motor 100 and improvement of maintainability of the shift ACT 40 similar to that of the first example embodiment.

In addition, the apron 105B covers the lower mount 12, which improves the appearance. The apron 105B may cover at least a portion of the lower mount 12.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cover 50C and a periphery of the cover 50C according to a third example embodiment of the present invention. The outboard motor 100 of the third example embodiment is different from the outboard motor 100 of the first example embodiment in the shape of the cover. Other configurations in the third example embodiment are similar to those in the first example embodiment. In the present example embodiment, the cover 50C is used. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cover 50C.

The cover 50C includes a stepped surface 56 which has a height lower than an uppermost portion of the cover 50C. The stepped surface 56 is a portion positioned below the lower mount 12, and faces the lower mount 12 from below. The height of the stepped surface 56 is set so as not to interfere with the lower mount 12. The shape of the apron 105 is similar to that of the first example embodiment, and the lower mount 12 is exposed. Note that illustration of the mount housing is omitted.

The cover 50C covers at least a portion of the shift ACT 40. Rear openings 58 and 59 are provided in a rear portion of the cover 50C. The rear openings 58 and 59 are openings through which the wire harness 18 and the oil pipe 19 (FIG. 5) pass, respectively.

The present example embodiment achieves downsizing of the outboard motor 100 and improvement of maintainability of the shift ACT 40 similar to that of the first example embodiment.

If it is desired to increase the height of the stepped surface 56, a clearance portion 57 to avoid interference with the lower mount 12 may be provided on the stepped surface 56 (FIG. 12). By increasing the height of the stepped surface 56, a degree of freedom in designing the shift ACT 40 is increased. In addition, the structure including the clearance portion 57 is advantageous to downsize a mechanism around the cover 50C in the up-down direction while avoiding interference with the lower mount 12. The clearance portion 57 may be a hole or a recessed portion recessed downward.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a modification of the cover (cover 50D) in the third example embodiment. The cover 50D is different from the cover 50C (FIG. 12) in that the cover 50D includes eave portions 61 and 62. Other portions of the cover 50D are similar to those of the cover 50C. The eave portions 61 and 62 simply cover and hide at least a portion of the lower mount 12 from the left, right, and above. As a result, the design effect is enhanced. The eave portions 61 and 62 may be referred to as “airfoil-shaped portions” or “flange-shaped portions”.

The clearance portion 57 may also be used in the cover 50D. The configuration in which the cover includes a plurality of parts may also be applied to the second and third example embodiments. In addition, some parts of the first to third example embodiments may be appropriately combined.

While example 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.

OUTBOARD MOTOR

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Priority Claims (1)