Marine outboard engine having a tilt/trim and steering bracket assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926060-B1
Application number	US-201615298667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2011
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A marine outboard engine for a watercraft has a stern bracket for mounting the marine outboard engine to the watercraft, a swivel bracket pivotally connected to the stern bracket about a generally horizontal tilt/trim axis, and a drive unit pivotally connected to the swivel bracket about a steering axis. The steering axis is generally perpendicular to the tilt/trim axis. A hydraulic actuator is operatively connected to the stern bracket and the swivel bracket for pivoting the swivel bracket and the drive unit relative to the stern bracket about the tilt/trim axis. A pump is mounted to the swivel bracket. The pump is pivotable about the tilt/trim axis together with the swivel bracket. The pump is fluidly connected to the hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A marine outboard engine for a watercraft comprising:
a stern bracket for mounting the marine outboard engine to the watercraft;
a swivel bracket pivotally connected to the stern bracket about a generally horizontal tilt/trim axis;
a drive unit pivotally connected to the swivel bracket about a steering axis, the steering axis being generally perpendicular to the tilt/trim axis;
a hydraulic actuator operatively connected to the drive unit and the swivel bracket for pivoting the drive unit relative to the swivel bracket about the steering axis; and
a pump mounted to the swivel bracket, the pump being pivotable about the tilt/trim axis together with the swivel bracket, the pump being fluidly connected to the hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

2. The marine outboard engine of claim 1 , wherein the pump is a first pump and the hydraulic actuator is a first hydraulic actuator;
the marine outboard engine further comprising:
a second hydraulic actuator operatively connected to the stern bracket and the swivel bracket for pivoting the swivel bracket and the drive unit relative to the stern bracket about the tilt/trim axis; and
a second pump mounted to the swivel bracket, the second pump being pivotable about the tilt/trim axis together with the swivel bracket, the second pump being fluidly connected to the second hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic fluid to the second hydraulic actuator.

3. The marine outboard engine of claim 2 , wherein the first pump is disposed between the tilt/trim axis and the second pump.

4. The marine outboard engine of claim 3 , wherein the first hydraulic actuator has first and second ports, the first pump supplying hydraulic fluid to the first port to pivot the drive unit in a first direction about the steering axis, the first pump supplying hydraulic fluid to the second port to pivot the drive unit in a second direction about the steering axis; and
the marine outboard engine further comprising a valve unit containing at least one valve, a position of the at least one valve determining the one of the first and second ports that is supplied with hydraulic fluid from the first pump, the valve unit being mounted to the swivel bracket, and the first pump being mounted to the valve unit, the valve unit defining a fluid reservoir for containing hydraulic fluid, the reservoir being fluidly connected to the second pump.

5. The marine outboard engine of claim 2 , wherein the first and second hydraulic actuators are first and second rotary hydraulic actuators.

6. The marine outboard engine of claim 2 , further comprising a third hydraulic actuator, the third hydraulic actuator being a linear hydraulic actuator mounted to the swivel bracket between the swivel bracket and the stern bracket,
the second pump being fluidly connected to the linear hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic fluid to the linear hydraulic actuator,
the linear hydraulic actuator being adapted to push the swivel bracket away from the stern bracket to pivot the swivel bracket and the drive unit away from the stern bracket about the tilt/trim axis up to a first angle; and
wherein the second hydraulic actuator is adapted to pivot the swivel bracket and the drive unit relative to the stern bracket about the tilt/trim axis up to a second angle, the second angle being greater than the first angle.

7. The marine outboard engine of claim 6 , wherein the first pump is disposed between the tilt/trim axis and the linear hydraulic actuator.

8. The marine outboard engine of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator has first and second ports, the pump supplying hydraulic fluid to the first port to pivot the drive unit in a first direction about the steering axis, the pump supplying hydraulic fluid to the second port to pivot the drive unit in a second direction about the steering axis; and
the marine outboard engine further comprising a valve unit containing at least one valve, a position of the at least one valve determining the one of the first and second ports that is supplied with hydraulic fluid from the pump, the valve unit being mounted to the swivel bracket, and the pump being mounted to the valve unit.

9. The marine outboard engine of claim 8 , wherein:
the at least one valve has a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port;
the pump is fluidly connected to the third port and supplies hydraulic fluid to the third port;
the fourth port is fluidly connected to the first port;
the fifth port is fluidly connected to the second port;
in a first position of the at least one valve, the third port is fluidly connected to the fourth port, the third port is fluidly disconnected from the fifth port and the pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the first port via the at least one valve; and
in a second position of the at least one valve, the third port is fluidly connected to the fifth port, the third port is fluidly disconnected from the fourth port and the pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the second port via the at least one valve.

10. The marine outboard engine of claim 8 , wherein the pump is an electric pump;
wherein the valve unit includes at least one pressure sensor sensing hydraulic pressure of hydraulic fluid in the valve unit;
the marine outboard engine further comprising a control module communicating with the pump to control operation of the pump, the control module controlling the pump based at least in part on a signal from the at least one pressure sensor.

11. The marine outboard engine of claim 10 , wherein the drive unit includes the control module.

12. The marine outboard engine of claim 10 , wherein:
the hydraulic actuator is a first hydraulic actuator;
the pump is adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from a second hydraulic actuator via the valve unit, the second hydraulic actuator being driven by a helm of the watercraft;
the pump supplies the hydraulic fluid received from the second hydraulic actuator via the valve unit to the first hydraulic actuator;
the at least one pressure sensor includes a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor;
one of the first and second pressure sensors senses a hydraulic pressure of hydraulic fluid flowing from the second hydraulic actuator to the valve unit;
another of the first and second pressure sensors senses a hydraulic pressure of hydraulic fluid flowing from the valve unit to the second hydraulic actuator;
the control module causes the pump to operate when a difference between the hydraulic pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor and the hydraulic pressure sensed by the second pressure sensor is above a predetermined value; and
the control module causes the pump to stop operating when the difference between the hydraulic pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor and the hydraulic pressure sensed by the second pressure sensor is below the predetermined value.

13. The marine outboard engine of claim 8 , wherein:
the hydraulic actuator is a first hydraulic actuator;
the pump is adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from a second hydraulic actuator, the second hydraulic actuator being driven by a helm of the watercraft;
the pump supplies the hydraulic fluid received from the second hydraulic actuator to the first hydraulic actuator; and
the valve unit includes a bypass valve, the valve unit causing hydraulic fluid received from the second hydraulic actuator to bypass the pump when a pressure of the hydraulic fluid received from the second hydraulic actuator is below a predetermined pressure.

14. The marine outboard engine of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes a shaft, the shaft being rotatable about a pump

Assignees

• Brp Us Inc

Inventors

• Wiatrowski Darrell
• Whiteside Mark
• Broughton George
• Noble Mark

Classifications

• B63H5/125

  movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction {, e.g. podded azimuthing thrusters}({outboard units or Z-drives B63H20/00; } movably mounted for steering purposes only, {rudders carrying propellers} B63H25/42) · CPC title

• B63H20/10 Primary

  Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt · CPC title

• B63H20/12

  Means enabling steering · CPC title

• B63H20/06

  on an intermediate support · CPC title