BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Now the present invention is described in the following with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a general side view of an outboard motor embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partly sectional fragmentary side view of the part indicated by II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarge, partly sectional fragmentary plan view as seen in the direction indicated by III in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustment piece; and
FIGS. 5
a to 5d are side views showing four different adjusted positions of the tiller handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows an outboard motor 1 according to the present invention. A main body 3 of the outboard motor 1 is fixedly secured to a transom board T of a boat B via a stern bracket 2. The stern bracket 2 pivotally supports a swivel case 5 via a laterally extending tilt shaft 4. The swivel case 5 in turn pivotally supports the main body 3 of the outboard motor 1 via a vertically extending swivel shaft 8. An upper part of the swivel shaft 8 supports a front end of an engine mount case 6 which retains an internal combustion engine E, and a lower part of the swivel shaft 8 supports an extension case 7 accommodating a vertical shaft (drive shaft) therein. An upper end of the extension case 7 supports the engine mount case 6 via a rubber mount for vibration isolation (not shown in the drawings), and a lower end of the extension case 7 is connected to a gear case 10 supporting a propeller 9. An upper face of the engine mount case 6 is closed by a detachable engine cover 11 which is shaped as a relatively deep bowl having an open lower end to cover an upper half of the engine E.
A stay 21 extends from a front end of the engine mount case 6, and a handle support bracket 22 is fixedly secured to a front end of the stay 21 by using threaded bolts (not shown in the drawings). A tiller handle 23 is supported by a front end of the handle support bracket 22 via a lateral shaft (hinge bolt 35) so as to be tiltable between a horizontal (forwardly extending) position (indicated by solid lines) suitable for normal operation of the outboard motor and a vertical (upwardly extending) position (indicated by double-dot chain lines) suitable for retracting the tiller handle when the outboard motor 1 is not in use. The tiller handle 23 is fitted with a shift lever 24 for shifting the transmission between forward, neutral and reverse, and a throttle grip 25 for controlling the output of the internal combustion engine E.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the front end of the handle support bracket 22 is formed as a bifurcated end that includes a pair of laterally spaced handle support portions 32 interposing a base end 31 of the tiller handle 23 and a stopper portion 33 joining the two handle support portions 32 with each other. The handle support portions 32 extend substantially vertically from the stopper portion 33. The tiller handle 23 is pivotally supported by the hinge bolt 35 passed across the handle support portions 32 and secured thereto by nuts 36 and 37 so that the tiller handle 23 may be pivoted around the hinge bolt 35 or a horizontal axial line with a certain frictional resistance. The bore of the base end of the tiller handle 23 is fitted with a bush 38 that provides a desired frictional property in relation with the outer surface of the hinge bolt 35. The corresponding bore of one of the handle support portions 32 is fitted with a distance collar 39 that provides a controlled frictional force between the handle support bracket 22 and tiller handle 23.
The base end 31 of the tiller handle 23 is provided with a first stopper surface 41 on a lower side thereof, and the stopper portion 33 of the handle support bracket 22 is provided with a corresponding second stopper surface 42 on an upper side thereof. The front side of the stopper portion 33 defines a substantially vertical mounting surface 44 which is centrally provided with a threaded hole 43. An adjustment piece 45 is secured against the mounting surface 44 by a threaded bolt 52 threaded into the threaded hole 43.
As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the adjustment piece 45 comprises a substantially rectangular, planar base portion 46 centrally provided with a mounting hole 46a for receiving the threaded bolt 52 therethrough, and four spacer portions 47-50 that extend forward and rearward from upper and lower ends of the base portion 46, respectively. Each spacer portion is provided with a certain thickness and a slanted outer surface. The thicknesses and angles of the outer surfaces of the spacer portions 47-50 progressively increase and decrease, respectively, from one spacer portion to another.
Each spacer portion 47-50 is provided with an overhang portion 47a-50a that engages an upper surface or lower surface of the stopper portion 33 when the particular overhang portion faces the stopper portion 33. Because each overhang portion engages a planer side (which may be upper or lower sides) of the stopper portion 33 when the adjustment piece 45 is mounted on the mounting surface 44, the adjustment piece 45 is positively prevented from turning when fastening the threaded bolt 35 or during use.
The mode of operation of the illustrated embodiment is described in the following.
It is often desirable to adjust the height of the tiller handle 23 during normal operation of the outboard motor 1 depending on the posture and/or build of the operator. According to the illustrated embodiment, it can be effected by using the adjustment piece 45. As illustrated in FIG. 2, after tilting up the tiller handle 23 into the vertical position as indicated by the imaginary lines in FIG. 1, the operator unfastens the threaded bolt 51 by using a socket wrench 52 as indicated by the imaginary lines in FIG. 2, and removes the adjustment piece 45. If the tiller handle 23 is put back to the operating (horizontal) position as illustrated in FIG. 5d under this condition, the tiller handle 23 is at the lowermost position.
When the adjustment piece 45 is put back in place with the thinnest spacer portion 50 facing upward and rearward as illustrated in FIG. 5a, and the tiller handle 23 is put back to the operating (horizontal) position, the tiller handle 23 is then at the second lowest position. By thus choosing any one of the three remaining spacer portions 47 to 49, it is possible to adjust the height of the tiller handle to successively increasing heights as illustrated in FIGS. 5b and 5c. As there are four spacer portions 47 to 50 having different thicknesses, it is possible to select any one of five different heights for the tiller handle including the choice where the adjustment piece is not used. The tiling angle of the outer surface of each spacer portion is determined in such a manner that the lower surface of the tiller handle 23 makes a surface contact with the corresponding outer surface of the adjustment piece 45. Likewise, the corresponding overhang portion that engages the upper side of the stopper portion 33 may be configured so as to make a surface contact with the corresponding outer surface of the stopper portion 33.
Because the adjustment piece 45 can be attached to and removed from the mounting surface 44 from the front of the support bracket 22, a minimum amount of space is required for the adjustment of the height of the tiller handle 23, and there are substantially no lateral or vertical protrusions owing to the provision of the adjustment piece 45. The adjustment piece 45 consists of a small piece of metallic or plastic material, and is highly inconspicuous without substantially extending from the handle support bracket 22 or tiller handle 23, mostly hidden from view by the tiller handle 23 overlying the adjustment piece 45.
There were four different spacer portions in the foregoing embodiment, but there may be three or less different spacer portions or, by suitably changing the shape of the adjustment piece, five or more different spacer portions.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments thereof, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention which is set forth in the appended claims.
The contents of the original Japanese patent application on which the Paris Convention priority claim is made for the present application are incorporated in this application by reference.
Patent Application
20080038967
