Bracket assembly for a marine outboard motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850819-B2
Application number	US-201916263446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A bracket assembly for a marine outboard motor has a stern bracket, a swivel bracket pivotably connected to the stern bracket to pivot relative to the stern bracket about a tilt axis, a motor mount pivotably connected to the swivel bracket to pivot relative to the swivel bracket about a steering axis, a steering lock bracket operatively connected to the motor mount and being pivotable with the motor mount relative to the swivel bracket about the steering axis, and a locking member. The locking member is one of: a) movably connected to the swivel bracket to move between a locked and an unlocked positions, and b) removably connected to both the swivel bracket and the steering lock bracket to prevent or limit pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bracket assembly for a marine outboard motor, the marine outboard motor having a motor assembly and a propulsion unit operatively connected to the motor assembly to be driven by the motor assembly, the bracket assembly comprising:
a) a stern bracket adapted for mounting the marine outboard motor to a stern of a watercraft;
b) a swivel bracket pivotably connected to the stern bracket to pivot relative to the stern bracket about a tilt axis;
c) a motor mount pivotably connected to the swivel bracket to pivot relative to the swivel bracket about a steering axis, the motor mount being adapted to connect to the motor assembly;
d) a steering lock bracket operatively connected to the motor mount and being pivotable with the motor mount relative to the swivel bracket about the steering axis; and
e) a locking member, the locking member being one of:
i) movably connected to the swivel bracket to move relative to the swivel bracket between an unlocked position and a locked position, the locking member in the unlocked position being positioned relative to the steering lock bracket so as to allow the motor mount to pivot about the steering axis, the locking member in the locked position cooperating with the steering lock bracket to prevent or limit pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis, and
ii) removably connected to both the swivel bracket and the steering lock bracket to prevent or limit pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis, the locking member when removed from at least the swivel bracket allowing pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis.

2. The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the locking member is removably connected to both the swivel bracket and the steering lock bracket to prevent or limit pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis; and
the locking member is a locking pin received in both: an aperture defined in the steering lock bracket, and an aperture defined in a part of the swivel bracket.

3. The bracket assembly of claim 2 , wherein the part of the swivel bracket is a pin-receiving member removably connected to another part of the swivel bracket.

4. The bracket assembly of claim 3 , wherein the pin-receiving member is threaded into a corresponding threaded recess defined in the other part of the swivel bracket.

5. The bracket assembly of claim 3 , wherein the locking pin includes an auxiliary locking member removably engaging the pin-receiving member when the auxiliary locking member is received in the aperture of the pin-receiving member.

6. The bracket assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pin-receiving member is disposed on one of a right side and a left side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the bracket assembly and the steering lock bracket is disposed at least in part above the pin-receiving member when the motor mount is in a straight-ahead steering position.

7. The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the locking member is a lever; and
the lever is pivotably connected to the swivel bracket to pivot relative to the swivel bracket about a lever axis between the unlocked position and the locked position.

8. The bracket assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a lever guide defining a lever guide surface, the lever guide being connected to the swivel bracket, wherein:
the lever contacts the lever guide surface when in the locked position;
the lever contacts the lever guide surface when in the unlocked position; and
the lever guide surface defines limits of pivoting of the lever about the lever axis.

9. The bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lever guide is disposed between the lever axis and the steering axis.

10. The bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lever guide surface defines the locked position and the unlocked position of the lever relative to the lever axis.

11. The bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the lever guide surface defines a first recess, a second recess spaced from the first recess and a crest disposed between the first and second recesses, the crest extending toward the pivot axis;
the lever is received in the first recess when the lever is in the unlocked position; and
the lever is received in the second recess when the lever is in the locked position.

12. The bracket assembly of claim 7 , wherein the lever axis is one of parallel to and coaxial with the tilt axis.

13. The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor mount is an upper motor mount; and
the bracket assembly further comprises a lower motor mount, the upper and lower motor mounts combining to connect to the motor assembly.

14. The bracket assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the lever defines a first prong and a second prong; and
when the lever is in the locked position the steering lock bracket is disposed between the first and second prongs.

15. The bracket assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a tilt axle extending through the swivel bracket and the stern bracket and defining the tilt axis, the lever being pivotally connected to the tilt axle.

16. A bracket assembly for a marine outboard motor, the marine outboard motor having a motor assembly and a propulsion unit operatively connected to the motor assembly to be driven by the motor assembly, the bracket assembly comprising:
a) a stern bracket adapted for mounting the marine outboard motor to a stern of a watercraft;
b) a swivel bracket pivotably connected to the stern bracket to pivot relative to the stern bracket about a tilt axis, the swivel bracket having a first aperture therein;
c) a motor mount pivotably connected to the swivel bracket to pivot relative to the swivel bracket about a steering axis, the motor mount being adapted to connect to the motor assembly;
d) a steering lock bracket operatively connected to the motor mount and being pivotable with the motor mount relative to the swivel bracket about the steering axis, the steering lock bracket defining a second aperture therethrough, the second aperture aligning with the first aperture when the motor mount is in a straight-ahead steering position; and
e) a locking member being removably receivable in the first and second apertures when the second aperture is aligned with the first aperture, the locking member when received in the first and second apertures cooperating with the swivel bracket and the steering lock bracket to prevent or limit pivoting of the motor mount about the steering axis.

17. The bracket assembly of claim 16 , wherein the locking member is a locking pin.

18. The bracket assembly of claim 16 , wherein the swivel bracket includes a pin-receiving member, the pin-receiving member defining the first aperture therein, and the steering lock bracket is disposed at least in part above the pin-receiving member when the motor mount is in the straight-ahead steering position.

19. The bracket assembly of claim 18 , wherein the locking member is a locking pin that includes a second locking member removably engaging the pin-receiving member when the locking pin is received in the aperture of the pin-receiving member.

20. The bracket assembly of claim 18 , wherein the pin-receiving member is disposed on one of a right side and a left side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the bracket assembly and the first and second apertures are aligned when the motor mount is in a straight-ahead steering position.

Assignees

• Brp Us Inc

Inventors

• Wiatrowski Darrell
• Whiteside Mark
• Jones Benjamin J

Classifications

• B63H20/06 Primary

  on an intermediate support · CPC title