The present invention relates to a powered waterborne vehicle that is provided with a propulsion apparatus composed of an outboard motor or the like in a hull composed of a surfboard or the like.
A powered waterborne vehicle can be obtained in a simple manner by mounting an outboard motor on the unpowered hull of a surfboard or the like. However, a limitation is imposed on the posture of the rider in turning the hull when the rider manually operates the steering lever of the outboard motor. There is a need for the rider to ride the hull with a free posture.
In view of this need, a waterborne vehicle in which the hull can be turned by merely tilting the hull is disclosed in JP 2005-280627 A. This waterborne vehicle will be described with reference to
A pipe frame 102 is disposed on a hull 100 via a suction cup 101, as shown in
A Z-shaped support metal fitting 114, as viewed from the side surface, extends upward from the sleeve 107, a pin 115 is disposed in the upper portion of the support metal fitting 114, and a pivot rod 116 is pivotably disposed on the pin 115 in the front and back directions in relation to the diagram. A hole 117 is provided in the upper portion of the pivot rod 116 supported by the pin 115. A pin 118 that extends from the propulsion apparatus 110 is inserted into the hole 117. The lower portion of the pivot rod 116 is connected to the stern board 103 via a connection fitting 119 and a pin 121.
The movement of the pivot rod 116 is transmitted to the propulsion apparatus 110 by way of the pin 118. At this time, a steering shaft 122 that is disposed completely through the stern bracket 111 in the vertical direction rotates, and a propeller 123 in the lowermost position moves in the front and back directions in relation to the diagram.
In other words, a pin 121 moves to the left from the neutral axis 124 in the diagram when the hull 100 is tilted in the clockwise direction of the diagram, as shown in
In this manner, the rider tilts the hull 100 while simultaneously turning the propulsion apparatus 110.
In order to coordinate these actions, the support metal fitting 114, pin 115, and pivot rod 116 are essential, and a mechanism for achieving this coordination is complicated and leads to increased assembly hours of the waterborne vehicle and higher manufacturing costs. Additionally, movement is liable to deteriorate due to rusting and soiling when such a complicated mechanism is provided to a waterborne vehicle that is exposed to salt water and fresh water. The vehicle must be frequently disassembled and cleaned, and running costs increase considerably.
In view of this situation, there is a need for a simplified mechanism for coordinated operation.
However, the propulsion apparatus 110 requires a drive source, and an engine that combusts liquid fuel is generally adopted as the drive source. A fuel tank is required to supply the fuel oil to the engine, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,383, for example, discloses a configuration in which a fuel tank is disposed in the hull 100. This example will be described with reference to
A fuel tank 125 is disposed in the hull 100, as shown in
The area between the 100 and the propulsion apparatus 110 is unattractive and the external appearance is poor because the fuel tube 126 and throttle cables 127, 128 are present in a loose configuration between the hull 100 and the propulsion apparatus 110.
In view of this fact, there is a need to organize the area between the hull 100 and the propulsion apparatus 110 and improve the external appearance.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterborne vehicle comprising a hull, a spindle that extends rearward from a rear portion of the hull; a bracket that is rotatably mounted about the shaft of the spindle, a propulsion apparatus that is steerably mounted to the bracket and propels the hull, and a steering mechanism that is disposed across the propulsion apparatus and the hull, and that transmits a tilt of the hull to steer the propulsion apparatus; wherein the steering mechanism has a first operation element that is mounted on the hull in a lower position than the spindle and that transmits the tilt of the hull; and a second operation element that is extended forward from the propulsion apparatus, has a distal end connected to the first operation element, and converts into steerage the tilt of the hull transmitted by the first operation element.
A steering mechanism can be embodied in a very simple structure by providing the first operation element in a lower position than the spindle.
Preferably, the first operation element is provided with a V-shaped groove that widens downward.
Desirably, the bottom and the opening of the V-shaped groove are circular arc portions, and the second operation element is a round rod.
It is preferred that the V-shaped groove open downward, the bracket be connected to the hull via a horizontal tilt shaft, and the round rod disengage from the V-shaped groove when the propulsion apparatus pivots about the tilt shaft from a service position to a standby position.
It is preferred that the spindle be a hollow shaft through which passes one of a throttle cable that extends from the hull to the propulsion apparatus and controls the rotational speed of an engine, and a fuel tube that supplies fuel to the engine.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterborne vehicle comprising a hull, a spindle that extends rearward from a rear portion of the hull, and a propulsion apparatus that is steerably mounted about the axis of the spindle, wherein the spindle is a hollow shaft through which passes one of a throttle cable that extends from the hull to the propulsion apparatus and controls the rotational speed of an engine, and a fuel tube that supplies fuel to the engine.
The area between the hull and the propulsion apparatus can be organized and the external appearance can be improved when the throttle cable or the fuel tube is passed through the hollow shaft-form spindle.
Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
A waterborne vehicle 10 comprises a hull 1, a frame 12 attached to the upper surface of the hull 11, and a propulsion apparatus 13 mounted on the frame 12, as shown in
A plate-shaped board referred to as a surfboard can be used as the hull 11. The hull 11 may be a hollow body, a board provided with an engine, or an arbitrary shape.
The frame 12 is composed of a frame main body 14 in which pipes are assembled in the form of a well, leg portions 15 that are hung from the frame main body 14, a suction cup 16 provided to each of the leg portions 15, a stand portion 17 disposed on the front of the frame main body 14, a handle section 18 disposed on the upper end of the stand portion 17 and grasped by the rider M, and a throttle grip 19 disposed on the handle section 18. It is preferred that the frame main body 14 be divided by length-adjustment sections 22 to which lock nuts 21 are attached. The length (length in the left and right directions of the diagram) of the frame main body 14 can be modified by loosening the lock nuts 21 and then tightening the lock nuts 21 after modification, whereby the length of the frame main body 14 can be determined. The frame 12 can be mounted on hulls having different lengths when the length is adjustable.
The throttle cable 23 for opening a throttle valve, and the throttle cable 24 for closing the throttle valve extend from the throttle grip 19 to the interior of the propulsion apparatus 13. The throttle cables 23, 24 are disposed along the stand portion 17 and the frame main body 14, and are fixed in place by a plurality of fasteners 25 disposed on the stand portion 17 and the frame main body 14. The rider M rotates the throttle grip 19 to thereby increase forward propulsion and reduce the speed by returning the throttle to a lower setting.
A cross member 26 horizontally spans the rear portion of the frame main body 14, and a main fuel tank 27 is mounted on the cross member 26. Fuel is added to the main fuel tank 27 by opening a cap 28. A fuel tube 29 extends from the main fuel tank 27 to the interior of the propulsion apparatus 13. A strainer 31 is disposed at the distal end of the fuel tube 29, and the rear end of the fuel tube 29 is connected to a fuel pump 32. In other words, the fuel pump 32 is disposed inside the propulsion apparatus 13, and the fuel pump 32 suctions fuel through the fuel tube 29 and pressurizes and feeds the fuel to a carburetor 33.
Next, the structure of the propulsion apparatus 13, and the connecting structure between the frame 12 and the propulsion apparatus 13 will be described with reference to
The propulsion apparatus 13 is preferably an apparatus referred to as an outboard motor, as shown in
The engine 35 is composed of a cylinder 48 that is provided with a spark plug 47, a piston 49 accommodated in the cylinder 48, a crankshaft 52 in which the piston 49 is connected to a connecting rod 51 and whose axis is perpendicular thereto, a flywheel 53 disposed at the upper end of the crankshaft 52, and a coil starter mechanism 54 disposed on the flywheel 53. The coil starter mechanism 54 is a mechanism for manually starting the engine by pulling the start rope 55 that protrudes from the engine cover 36. A fuel reserve tank 56 is furthermore disposed in the engine cover 36. Fuel may also be fed to the engine 35 from the fuel reserve tank 56. Fuel is replenished from the main fuel tank 27, and stoppage of the engine 35 can be avoided by supplying fuel to the engine 35 when required.
Such a propulsion apparatus 13 is connected to the frame 12 using a connection mechanism 60. The structure of the connection mechanism 60 will be described with reference to
As shown in
The spindle 62 is a hollow shaft, and a fuel tube 29 and throttle cables 23, 24 can be passed through the hollow portion. A small hole 69 sufficient to allow the fuel tube 29 and throttle cables 23, 24 to pass therethrough is provided to the end plate 67.
The brackets on the propulsion apparatus 13 will be described next.
A bracket 71 extends from the support outer cylinder 41 in the manner shown in
A square-headed square bolt 77 is mounted on the circular arc hole 75, and a stay 78 in the form of a horizontally long plate is supported by the square bolt 77.
Auricular small pieces 79, 79 are provided to the stern bracket 73, and bolt holes 81 are formed in the small pieces 79. Screw holes 82 that correspond to the bolt holes 81 are disposed in the support plate 66. The small pieces 79, 79 are brought into contact with the support plate 66, bolts 83 are passed through the bolt holes 81, and the bolts 83 are screwed into the screw holes 82 to thereby fix the stern bracket 73 to the support plate 66. In the manner described above, the propulsion apparatus 13 is mounted on the frame 12 via the connection mechanism 60, as shown in
The side surface on the left side of support plate 66 in the diagram is inclined toward the perpendicular axis in the manner shown in
The stern bracket 73 is mounted on the support plate 66, and the position of the stay 78 is subsequently determined. In other words, the stay 78 is set horizontally, and the head of the square bolt 77 is then fitted into the square concave portion 76. The stay 78 is thereby fixed to the stern bracket 73.
Next, the steering mechanism 85 will be described. The steering mechanism 85 is fixed to the lower portion of the base 61 using bolts 86, 86, and is composed of a first operation element 88 that is provided with a V-shaped groove 87 that opens and widens downward, and a second operation element 91 in the form of a round rod mounted at the distal end of a sub-bracket 89 that extends from the gear case 43, as shown in
Specifically, the stern bracket 73 is fixed to the support plate 66, as shown in
The operation of the first operation element 88 and second operation element 91 will be described next.
The first operation element 88 on the lower portion of the base 61 is provided with a V-shaped groove 87 and is disposed on both sides of the second operation element 91 in the manner of a two-pronged fork, as shown in
In other words, the second operation element 91 is engaged with the first operation element 88 until the base 61 tilts to fixed angle, but when the base 61 tilts beyond the fixed angle, the second operation element 91 separates from the first operation element 88 and becomes disengaged. The disengaged state limits the horizontal movement of the second operation element 91.
The second operation element 91 enters and exits the V-shaped groove 87 by moving from position C to position B, and from position B to position C. The entry and exit of the second operation element 91 are smoothly performed when circular arc portions 95, 95 are used as the entrance of the V-shaped groove 87, and such a configuration is preferred. Also, the bottom of the V-shaped groove 87 is also preferably a circular arc portion 96. The second operation element 91 in the form of a round rod can be smoothly accommodated when the bottom of the V-shaped groove is a circular portion 96.
The movement of the second operation element 91 and the gear case 43 will be described with reference to
Next, the operation of the steering mechanism 85 composed of the first operation element 88 and the second operation element 91 will be described with reference to
During propulsion, the hull 11 is held horizontally in the manner described in
At this time, the first operation element 88 rotates in the clockwise direction in the diagram, as shown in
Next, the hull 11 is tilted to the left in the diagram in accordance with the intent of the rider.
At this time, the first operation element 88 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the diagram, as shown in
The left or right turn operations described above are made possible because the first operation element 88 and the second operation element 91 are in a lower position than the spindle 62. The steering mechanism 85 composed of the first operation element 88 and the second operation element 91 has a very simple configuration, is disposed below the spindle 62, and is therefore inconspicuous, as shown in
The fuel tube 29 and the throttle cables 23, 24, which have previously been exposed and been unsightly, are passed through the spindle 62 in the form of a hollow shaft, as shown in
When the propulsion apparatus 13 is an outboard motor, the propeller 45 becomes an obstruction when the waterborne vehicle is taken from the water and transported to a storage warehouse. In view of this situation, the propeller 45 must be tilted and placed in a non-obstructing position.
This tilt operation is described with reference to
The propulsion apparatus 13 is disposed along the perpendicular axis when traveling on water, as shown in
The gear case 43 may make contact with the seabed or a submerged rock in the running state of
The frame 12 shown in
Obviously, various minor changes and modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the above teaching. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-268689 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
2006-268772 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
2006-268834 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
2006-268891 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2840832 | Fried | Jul 1958 | A |
3171383 | Abelow | Mar 1965 | A |
7189127 | Otobe et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2005280627 | Oct 2005 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080078317 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |