Internal-combustion engines – Frame construction – Horizontal cylinder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-26
2002-01-08
Wolfe, Willis R. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Frame construction
Horizontal cylinder
C123S1960AB, C123S179250, C123S1950AC
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336435
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to and claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, from Japanese Patent Application No. 11-150258, filed on May 28, 1999, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outboard motor having an engine to which a starter motor and an oil filter are mounted.
2. Discussion of Background
In general, an engine of an outboard motor is mounted such that a crankshaft is directed vertically uprightly, and the engine comprises a crankcase directed forward (towards a hull in a mounted state of the outboard motor), a cylinder block disposed to a rear portion of the crankcase and a cylinder head disposed to a rear portion of the cylinder block. When the engine is of a four-stroke-cycle in-line multi-cylinder type, an intake system is disposed on one side of the engine, and an exhaust system, an electrical equipment box, an oil filter and the like are disposed on the other side of the engine as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. HEI 10-176541. A starter motor for starting the engine is disposed in a central portion of a front surface of the crankcase. By disposing each of these parts in accordance with such a layout, a space in a small engine cover of the outboard motor can be utilized effectively, and the balance of weight between the left and right sides of the outboard motor can be achieved.
Further, for fixing the starter motor, there is a fixing structure as shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
in which fixing pieces
102
and
103
projecting from a peripheral surface of a starter motor
101
are fastened to starter fixing bosses
105
and
106
integrally extending from a crankcase
104
from the front side by fixing bolts
107
, and an exclusive mounting bracket is omitted to reduce the number of parts. In this arrangement, the axial direction of each fixing bolt
107
is horizontal direction.
However, according to the above structure, since the oil filter is disposed on a side surface of the engine, when the outboard motor is mounted to a hull and it is difficult to touch the oil filter with a hand and also difficult to exchange the oil filter, and maintenance performance of the engine is poor. On the other hand, electric equipments and the like are disposed below the starter motor in many cases, but since this position is located below the engine, it is not preferable in terms of waterproofing. Further, since the starter motor largely projects to the central portion of the front surface of the crankcase, forward and backward length of the engine is increased.
On the other hand, if the starter motor
101
is fixed to the crankcase
104
as shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
, since the axial direction of the fixing bolt
107
does not coincide with the axial direction of a crank bearing
108
formed on the crankcase
104
, the crank bearing
108
and a screw hole of the fixing bolt
107
must be formed separately. As a result, the relative positional precision of the starter motor
101
with respect to the crankshaft will be ensured, and there is an adverse possibility that engagement backlash between a pinion gear of the starter motor
101
and a ring gear of a flywheel which is mounted at an upper end of the crankshaft after the engine is assembled becomes improper.
The crankcase
104
is formed at its outer surface with a large number of parts such as fastening bosses for fastening and fixing the crankcase
104
itself to the cylinder block and also formed with part fixing bosses for disposing other parts. Therefore, it is difficult to freely set and design upper and lower positions of the starter fixing bosses
105
and
106
. Further, in the case of the fixing structure shown in
FIG. 9
, if the heights of the left and right starter fixing bosses
105
and
106
are slightly inaccurate, torsion or bending stress is applied to the fixing pieces
102
,
103
of the starter motor
101
, and service life of the fixing pieces
102
,
103
may therefore be shortened. On the other hand, in the case of the fixing structure shown in
FIG. 10
, since a working direction of the screw hole of the fixing bolt
107
is quite different from those of many other holes, working cost will be increased.
As described above, since there are many constraints for mounting the starter motor, in order to dispose the starter motor at a desired position, it is necessary to form the fixing pieces of the starter motor into complicated shapes. However, this results in increase in cost for producing the starter motor, and results in reduction in general utilization. In addition, when the starter motor is mounted to the crankcase, it is necessary to hold the heavy starter motor with one hand and to fasten the fixing bolt with the other hand at the same time, thus the operability of the outboard motor being made poor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The outboard motor of the present invention has been invented to solve the above problems, and it is a first object of the invention to provide an outboard motor including an improved arrangement of a starter motor and an oil filter for effectively utilizing a space, for easily exchanging the oil filter from a hull side and for enhancing the maintenance performance of an engine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor capable of shortening a forward and backward length of the engine to make the outboard motor compact.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor capable of enhancing the relative positional precision of the starter motor with respect to a crankshaft, enhancing the flexibility of mounting position of the starter motor and enhancing the mounting operation of the starter motor.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor having an improved outer appearance and providing an improved fixing structure for the starter motor and others.
These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention buy providing an outboard motor comprising:
an engine disposed of a vertical type including a crankcase in which a crankshaft extends vertically perpendicularly, a cylinder block disposed rear side of the crankcase, and a cylinder head disposed rear side of the cylinder block in a usable mounted state of the outboard motor;
a starter motor mounted to a front surface portion of the crankcase; and
an oil filter mounted to the crankcase at a portion below the starter motor.
In preferred embodiments, the starter motor and said oil filter are disposed so as to be deviated sideways in locations with respect to an axis of the crankshaft as viewed in a front view.
The crankcase is provided at an upper portion thereof with a starter fixing boss projecting horizontally and the starter motor is fastened to the starter fixing boss by means of fixing bolt which is directed in a perpendicular direction. The starter motor is provided with a fixing flange which spreads in a horizontal direction and the fixing flange is mounted on the starter fixing boss by means of the fixing bolt.
The crankcase is provided with a starter holding boss located below the starter fixing boss, a holding band is fixed to the starter holding boss, and a lower portion of the starter motor is held between the holding band and the starter holding boss. An electrical element such as relay is disposed between said starter fixing boss and said starter holding boss, and at least one of the starter fixing boss and said starter holding boss is integrally formed with a fixing boss for fixing the electrical element.
According to the outboard motor of the structures mentioned above, it is possible to dispose a starter motor and an oil filter while efficiently utilizing a space, to easily exchange the oil filter from a hull side and to shorten the forward and backward length of the engine, making the outboard motor compact.
It is possible to enhance the relative positional precision of the starter motor with respect to a crankshaft and to en
Mineno Kazuo
Toyama Takeshi
Yoshikawa Yukihiro
Huynh Hai
Oblon, Spival, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
Wolfe Willis R.
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