Outboard motor and marine vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208189-B2
Application number	US-202016997985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

An outboard motor includes an engine, a propeller shaft that rotates together with a propeller and extends in a forward-rearward direction, and a lower case that houses the propeller shaft. The lower case includes a front case and a rear case separate from the front case and positioned rearward of the front case, and the front case and the rear case are assembled to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outboard motor comprising:
an engine:
a propeller shaft that rotates together with a propeller and extends in a forward-rearward direction of the outboard motor;
a lower case that houses the propeller shaft; and
an upper case assembled to the lower case from above; wherein
the lower case includes a front case and a rear case separate from the front case and positioned rearward of the front case;
the front case and the rear case are assembled to each other; and
a split surface between the front case and the rear case extends upwards over an entire area from a lower end of the lower case to an upper end of the lower case that contacts a lower end of the upper case.

2. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein the split surface between the front case and the rear case extends in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the forward-rearward direction.

3. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive shaft to transmit a driving force of the engine to the propeller shaft; wherein
the split surface between the front case and the rear case is positioned forward of the drive shaft.

4. The outboard motor according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a shift shaft to switch a shift state of the outboard motor; wherein
the split surface is positioned forward of the shift shaft.

5. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein the split surface between the front case and the rear case is positioned forward of a front end of the propeller shaft.

6. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower case includes an internal space chamber that includes an open rear portion to house the propeller shaft and extends in the forward-rearward direction along a central axis of the propeller shaft; and
the split surface between the front case and the rear case is positioned forward of the internal space chamber.

7. The outboard motor according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an electric motor on an extension of the central axis of the propeller shaft to rotate the propeller instead of the engine; wherein
the lower case includes a motor chamber adjacent to a front portion of the internal space chamber to house the electric motor; and
the split surface is at a position at which the motor chamber is divided.

8. The outboard motor according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a water pump to pump cooling water; wherein
the front case includes a water passage through which the cooling water pumped by the water pump flows;
the outboard motor further includes wiring connected to the electric motor via the water passage;
the lower case includes a wiring chamber that houses an end of the wiring connected to the electric motor, communicates with the motor chamber, and is watertight; and
the split surface and the wiring chamber are spaced apart from each other in the forward-rearward direction.

9. The outboard motor according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an electric motor on an extension of the central axis of the propeller shaft to rotate the propeller instead of the engine; and
a motor driving force transmission between the electric motor and the propeller shaft to transmit a driving force of the electric motor to the propeller shaft; wherein
the split surface is positioned forward of the motor driving force transmission and at a position corresponding to the electric motor.

10. The outboard motor according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a water pump driven by the propeller shaft to pump cooling water; wherein
the lower case includes a pump housing chamber adjacent to a front portion of the internal space chamber to house the water pump; and
the split surface is at a position at which the pump housing chamber is divided.

11. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water pump to pump cooling water; wherein
the front case includes a water passage through which the cooling water pumped by the water pump flows; and
at least a portion of the water passage provided in the front case is on the split surface between the front case and the rear case.

12. The outboard motor according to claim 11 , wherein
the lower case includes a streamlined torpedo-shaped portion;
the front case includes an intake port in a vicinity of a tip of the torpedo-shaped portion and through which cooling water that flows into the water passage is taken in; and
the water passage includes an inclined water passage inclined with respect to an upward-downward direction of the outboard motor.

13. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower case includes a streamlined torpedo-shaped portion; and
the front case and the rear case are assembled to each other with a plurality of fasteners at an interval on an outer peripheral portion of the torpedo-shaped portion.

14. The outboard motor according to claim 12 , wherein
the lower case includes an upper portion connected to the torpedo-shaped portion from above; wherein
the front case and the rear case are assembled to each other with a plurality of fasteners in a vicinity of an intermediate position of the upper portion of the lower case and in a vicinity of an upper end of the upper portion of the lower case in the upward-downward direction.

15. The outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein
the upper case includes a single member assembled to the front case and the rear case from above.

16. The outboard motor according to claim 15 , wherein
the lower case includes a streamlined torpedo-shaped portion.

17. A marine vessel comprising:
a hull; and
an outboard motor mounted on the hull; wherein
the outboard motor includes:
an engine;
a propeller shaft that rotates together with a propeller and extends in a forward-rearward direction of the outboard motor;
a lower case that houses the propeller shaft; and
an upper case assembled to the lower case from above;

the lower case includes a front case and a rear case separate from the front case and positioned rearward of the front case;
the front case and the rear case are assembled to each other; and
a split surface between the front case and the rear case extends upwards over an entire area from a lower end of the lower case to an upper end of the lower case that contacts a lower end of the upper case.

18. The marine vessel according to claim 17 , wherein the split surface between the front case and the rear case extends in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the forward-rearward direction.

19. The marine vessel according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a drive shaft to transmit a driving force of the engine to the propeller shaft; wherein
the split surface between the front case and the rear case is positioned forward of the drive shaft.

20. The marine vessel according to claim 19 , wherein
the outboard motor further includes a shift shaft to switch a shift state of the outboard motor; and
the split surface is positioned forward of the shift shaft.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nanjo Morihiko
• Onoue Akihiro
• Hamada Satoru
• Saruwatari Kimitaka
• Ikegaya Yuki

Classifications

• B63H20/32

  Housings {(air intakes for outboard engines F02M35/167)} · CPC title

• B63H21/14

  relating to internal-combustion engines {(of outboard type B63H20/00)} · CPC title

• B63H2023/0283

  using gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• B63H20/007 Primary

  Trolling propulsion units (trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K) · CPC title

• B63H20/20

  with provision for reverse drive · CPC title