Marine drive lower unit having extension leg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12179899-B2
Application number	US-202117550463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2021
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A marine drive has a supporting frame for coupling the marine drive to a marine vessel; a gearcase supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine vessel in water; an extension leg disposed between the supporting frame and the gearcase; and an adapter plate between the supporting frame and the extension leg. A tube is in the extension leg. The tube has a lower end which is coupled to the gearcase and upper end which is coupled to the adapter plate by a compression nut threaded onto the tube, wherein threading the compression nut down on the tube compressively engages the compression nut with the adapter plate, which in turn clamps the extension leg between the supporting frame and the gearcase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A marine drive comprising:
a supporting frame for coupling the marine drive to a marine vessel;
a gearcase configured for supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine vessel in water;
an extension leg disposed between the supporting frame and the gearcase;
an adapter plate between the supporting frame and the extension leg;
a tube in the extension leg, the tube having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end is rigidly coupled to the gearcase; and
a compression nut which directly or indirectly couples the upper end of the tube to the supporting frame, in particular so as to clamp the extension leg in place between the supporting frame and the gearcase;
wherein the extension leg comprises a perimeter sidewall, the adapter plate comprises a perimeter sidewall, and the gearcase comprises an upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion having a perimeter sidewall, and wherein the perimeter sidewall of the extension leg is clamped between perimeter sidewall of the adapter plate and the perimeter sidewall of the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion;
wherein a radially outer profile of the lower end of the extension leg generally matches a radially outer profile of an upper end of the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion, and a radially outer profile of the upper end of the extension leg generally matches a radially outer profile of the perimeter sidewall of the adapter plate, such that the extension leg, the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion, and the adapter plate together provide a smooth outer surface which is streamlined for minimizing hydrodynamic drag as the marine vessel travels through the water.

2. The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the compression nut is engaged with the tube by a threaded connection such that rotating the compression nut relative to the tube in a first direction causes the compression nut to travel downwardly along the tube and such that rotating the compression nut relative to the tube in an opposite, second direction causes the compression nut to travel upwardly along the tube.

3. The marine drive according to claim 2 , wherein the tube extends through the adapter plate, and wherein rotating the compression nut relative to the tube in the first direction moves the compression nut into compressing engagement with the adapter plate, which in turn clamps the extension leg between the adapter plate and the gearcase.

4. The marine drive according to claim 3 , wherein rotating the compression nut relative to the tube in the second direction moves the compression nut out of compressing engagement with the adapter plate, which in turn unclamps the extension leg relative to the adapter plate and the gearcase.

5. The marine drive according to claim 3 , wherein the adapter plate is fastened to the supporting frame, optionally wherein the adapter plate is fastened to a radial flange of the supporting frame.

6. The marine drive according to claim 3 , wherein the adapter plate comprises an abutment surface disposed around the tube, wherein rotating the compression nut relative to the tube in the first direction moves the compression nut onto the abutment surface, which thereby clamps the extension leg between the adapter plate and the gearcase.

7. The marine drive according to claim 1 , further comprising an anti-ventilation plate which is sandwiched between the extension leg and an upper opening of the gearcase.

8. The marine drive according to claim 7 , wherein the anti-ventilation plate comprises a head having a radially outer profile that generally matches the radially outer profile of the lower end of the extension leg and also generally matches the radially outer profile of the upper end of the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion, in particular such as these components together provide the smooth outer surface which is streamlined and encounters minimal hydrodynamic drag as the marine vessel travels through the water.

9. The marine drive according to claim 1 , further comprising a motor in the gearcase, the motor being configured to rotate the propulsor, optionally wherein the tube provides a passageway for electrical connectors extending into the gearcase for connection to the motor.

10. The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the tube is fixed to the gearcase by a threaded connection, optionally wherein the threaded connection comprises outer threads on the tube and inner threads on the gearcase, optionally wherein the upper end of the tube has an outer diameter with flat surfaces for engagement by a tool for rotating the upper end of the tube into engagement with the gearcase.

11. The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the extension leg is a monolithic sleeve.

12. The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the tube is a monolithic aluminum tube.

13. The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the upper end of the tube is coupled to the adapter plate by the compression nut threaded onto the tube, and wherein threading the compression nut down on the tube compressively engages the compression nut with the adapter plate, which in turn clamps the extension leg between the supporting frame and the gearcase.

14. The marine drive according to claim 13 , further comprising a motor in the gearcase, the motor being configured to rotate the propulsor, wherein the tube is hollow and thus provides a passageway for electrical connectors for providing power to the motor.

15. The marine drive according to claim 13 , further comprising threads on an outer diameter of the tube which are engaged by corresponding threads on an inner diameter of the compression nut, wherein rotating the compression nut relative to the tube causes the compression nut to travel downwardly along the tube via engagement between the threads on the outer diameter of the tube and the threads on the inner diameter of the compression nut.

16. The marine drive according to claim 13 , wherein the adapter plate is fastened to the supporting frame.

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Jaszewski Wayne M
• Groeschel John A

Classifications

• B63H2020/323

  Gear cases · CPC title

• B63H21/17 Primary

  by electric motor · CPC title

• B63H2005/075

  using non-azimuthing podded propulsor units, i.e. podded units without means for rotation about a vertical axis, e.g. rigidly connected to the hull · CPC title

• B63H2005/1258

  with electric power transmission to propellers, i.e. with integrated electric propeller motors · CPC title

• B63H20/007

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