Marine propulsion housing arrangement

Details Marine propulsion housing arrangement Marine propulsion housing arrangement

1999-09-23

2002-01-29

Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)

Marine propulsion

Screw propeller

With means effecting or facilitating movement of propulsion...

C440S052000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06341991

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a marine propulsion housing arrangement, and more particularly to an improved marine propulsion housing arrangement that can effectively prevent water from entering housing.
2. Description of Related Art
An outboard motor typically is mounted on a transom of an associated watercraft by means of a bracket assembly which comprises a swivel bracket and a clamping bracket. The drive unit generally includes a powering engine, a driveshaft, a propulsion device and a housing assembly. The housing assembly contains or supports the components therein. The drive unit as constructed is supported by the swivel bracket by means of mount assemblies.
FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate an exemplary outboard motor with a conventional support structure that couples the swivel bracket to the drive unit. In particular,
FIG. 1
illustrates an elevational side view of a conventional outboard motor
16
mounted on a transom
18
of an associated watercraft
20
, and
FIG. 2
illustrates a cross-sectional plan view taken along the line
2
—
2
in FIG.
1
and showing a lower mount assembly
22
and cover members
24
.
A drive unit
26
of the outboard motor
16
comprises a power head
28
, a driveshaft housing
30
and a lower unit
32
. The power head
28
includes an engine
34
and a protective cowling
36
encircling the engine
34
. The driveshaft housing
30
depends from the power head
28
and supports a driveshaft which is driven by an output shaft of the engine
34
and extends vertically. The lower unit
32
depends from the driveshaft housing
30
and supports a propeller shaft, which is driven by the driveshaft, and a propeller
38
driven by the propeller shaft. There is a transmission mechanism including a bevel gear between the driveshaft and the propeller shaft. This transmission mechanism is shifted with a shift rod
39
so as to change a rotational direction of the propeller
38
to forward, neutral or reverse.
A swivel bracket
42
supports the drive unit
26
for pivotal movement about a generally vertically extending axis, i.e., an axis of a steering shaft
44
. The steering shaft
44
passes through a shaft housing
46
of the swivel bracket
42
. A clamping bracket
48
supports the swivel bracket
42
for pivotal movement about a generally extending axis, i.e., an axis of a pivot shaft
50
.
An upper mount assembly
54
and the lower mount assembly
22
are provided for connecting the driveshaft housing
30
and the steering shaft
44
. A steering shaft
57
is affixed to the upper mount assembly
54
and extends forwardly so that the drive unit
26
is steerable by an operator of the outboard motor
16
.
The lower mount assembly
22
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, comprises a pair of mount members
58
and a hub member
60
. The respective mount members
58
are formed with inner tubes
62
, outer tubes
64
and elastic bushings
66
. The elastic bushings
66
are formed between the inner and outer tubes
62
,
64
. The hub member
60
has a boss
68
with a vertically extending bore
70
. The steering shaft
44
passes through the bore
70
. At both sides of the boss
68
, a couple of holes
72
are provided. These holes
72
extend horizontally and fore to aft.
A front portion of the driveshaft housing
30
has a pair of recesses
73
, which axes extends horizontally and fore to aft. The mount members
58
are seated in these recesses
73
. A pair of bolts
74
are inserted into the inner tubes
62
of the mount members
58
and the bores
72
of the hub member
182
and then nuts
76
are placed at the other sides of the bolt heads. By tightening the bolts
74
and the nuts
76
, both of the members
58
,
60
are united with each other.
The lower mount assembly
22
completes with a pair of outer holders
78
that have recesses
80
. The recesses
80
of outer holders
78
are then fitted onto the outer tubes
64
and fastened to the driveshaft housing
30
with bolts (not shown). Thus, the lower mount assembly
22
is affixed to the driveshaft housing
30
.
The steering shaft
44
is joined with both of the upper and lower mount assemblies
54
,
22
by spline connections. Accordingly, the drive unit
26
is steerable within the shaft housing
46
of the swivel bracket
42
.
The pair of cover members
24
are attached onto the outer holders
78
only for concealing outer appearance of the connections that involve the mount members
58
, outer holders
78
and bolts
74
. These cover members cover the hub member
60
. In addition, the steering shaft
44
is tubular with open upper and lower ends to allow the shift rod
39
to passes therethrough.
The associated watercraft
20
often changes its drive condition between forward and reverse. The outboard motor also is frequently trimmed up and down, and the watercraft often rises and falls as it speeds up or down or as the trim angle changes. Water surrounding the outboard motor
16
consequently can enter the steering shaft
44
from its bottom opening as shown by the arrow
82
in FIG.
1
. The water, then, may go up through the steering shaft
44
and reach the power head
28
. If this occurs, components such as an engine
34
within the power head
28
can be stained or salted by the water and then corrode or rust.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A need therefore exists for an improved marine propulsion housing arrangement that can inhibit water from entering a steering shaft.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a marine outboard drive comprises a drive unit carrying a propulsion device. A steering shaft extends generally vertically. At least one mount assembly includes at least one mount member affixed to the drive unit and to a hub member that is united with the mount member. The hub member connects to both the drive unit and the steering shaft so as to unify the drive unit and the steering shaft. The outboard drive further comprises a swivel bracket that supports the steering shaft for pivotal movement about a steering axis. A mount cover is provided to generally cover both the mount member and the hub member.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a marine outboard drive comprises a drive unit carrying a propulsion device. A tubular steering shaft has an open bottom end. At least one mount assembly is connected to both the drive unit and the steering shaft so as to couple together the drive unit and the steering shaft. The outboard drive further comprises a swivel bracket that supports the steering shaft for pivotal movement about a steering axis. A cover member covers generally encloses the bottom end of the steering shaft between the cover member and the drive unit.
Further aspects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which follows.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4507090 (1985-03-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5407372 (1995-04-01), Mondek et al.
patent: 5501621 (1996-03-01), Shigedomi et al.
patent: 5799925 (1998-09-01), Kumita et al.
patent: 5846106 (1998-12-01), Kumita
patent: 5931711 (1999-08-01), Nakamura
patent: 5967865 (1999-10-01), Nakamura et al.

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