Outboard motor

• US 20060025025A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hirose, Tadafumi, Miyashita, Kazumi, Kitani, Hiroyuki, Terada, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,300,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 440/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/107 Direction control of propulsive fluid B63H11/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/02 Mounting of propulsion units B63H20/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/205 the second power unit being of the internal combustion engine type, or the like, e.g. a Diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/20 the vessels being powered by combinations of different types of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 23/30 characterised by use of clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/5236 Renewable or hybrid-electric solutions

Abstract

An outboard motor is equipped with a centrifugal clutch located between the crankshaft of an engine and a rotor of an electric motor for, when the engine operates, transmitting its output to through the rotor to a propeller, and with a motor output transmission mechanism for, when the engine does not operate, transmitting the output of the motor to the crankshaft. The engine can therefore be started by the motor used to drive the propeller. As a result, there is no need to install a separate electric motor for engine starting, so that starting of the engine by electric power can be made possible with minimum increase in the size and cost of the outboard motor.

Claims

1. An outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having a propeller to propel the boat, comprising:

an internal combustion engine having an engine output shaft and powering the propeller through the engine output shaft;

an electric motor having a motor output shaft and powering the propeller through the motor output shaft;

a clutch disposed between the engine and the motor and transmitting an output of the engine to the propeller through the engine output shaft and the motor output shaft, when the engine is operated; and

a motor output transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the motor to the engine through the motor output shaft and the engine output shaft, when the engine is to be started.

2. The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the motor output shaft is connected to the propeller through a drive shaft.

3. The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is a centrifugal clutch comprising:

a clutch outer slidably attached to the motor output shaft; and

a clutch shoe fastened to the engine output shaft so as to be pressed onto the clutch outer when the engine output shaft rotates.

4. The outboard motor according to claim 3, wherein the motor output transmission mechanism comprises:

a drive plate fastened to the engine output shaft;

a lever being movably in contact with the clutch outer so as to slide the clutch outer toward the drive plate such that the clutch outer engages with the drive plate, when moved; and

an electromagnetic solenoid connected to the lever to move the lever, when energized, such that the output of the motor is transmitted to the engine through the motor output shaft and the engine output shaft, when the engine is to be started.

5. The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein the clutch is a centrifugal clutch having a center of rotation that lies on a same axis as centers of rotation of the motor output shaft, the engine output shaft, the drive shaft and the propeller.

6. The outboard motor according to claim 1, further including:

an air blower provided between the motor and the clutch and blowing air to cool at least the motor.

7. The outboard motor according to claim 6, wherein the air blower comprises:

a fan connected to the motor output shaft and having a plurality of fins formed to extend radially from a center of the motor output shaft so as to blow air regardless of a direction of rotation of the output motor shaft.

8. The outboard motor according to claim 7, wherein the engine is located above the clutch that is located above the motor in a vertical direction when mounted on the stern of the boat, and the air blower includes an inlet opened at a location below the motor and an outlet opened at a location above the motor, such that the fan sucks in air from the inlet and blows upward to cool the motor, the clutch and the engine in succession.

9. The outboard motor according to claim 8, wherein the inlet is communicated with an air passage having a winding configuration, such that the air sucked in from the inlet passes through the air passage to reach the motor.

10. The outboard motor according to claim 9, wherein the air sucked in from the inlet passes through the air passage, flows upward to cool the motor, the clutch and the engine and exits to exterior through the outlet.

11. The outboard motor according to claim 1, further including:

a bar handle installed to be operable by an operator;

a throttle grip provided at the bar handle to be rotatable by the operator and having a throttle opening regulator that regulates an opening of a throttle valve of the engine in response to the rotation of the throttle grip;

a rotation angle sensor installed in the throttle grip and outputting a signal indicative of a rotation angle of the throttle grip; and

a controller installed inside the throttle grip and inputting the outputted signal of the rotation angle sensor to control operation of the motor in response to the outputted signal of the sensor.

12. The outboard motor according to claim 11, further including:

a manual switch provided at the bar handle to be operable for the operator to input one from among instructions to start or stop the engine, to start or stop the motor and to indicate a direction in which the boat moves.

13. The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the throttle opening regulator comprises a pulley being turnable in response to the rotation of the throttle grip, and a cable wound around the pulley at one end and connected to the throttle valve at other end.

14. The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein the drive shaft is oriented in a direction parallel with a vertical axis when mounted on the stern of the boat and the propeller is connected to a lower end of the drive shaft to be rotatable about the vertical axis.

15. The outboard motor according to claim 14, further including:

a cover having a tube-like shape and enclosing the propeller therein.

16. The outboard motor according to claim 15, wherein the tube-like shape is an S-like shape and is formed with openings directed forward and rearward relative to a direction of travel of the boat.

17. The outboard motor according to claim 15, wherein the cover is formed as an assembly of a plurality of removably attached members.

18. The outboard motor according to claim 1, further including a mounting device that enables the motor to be mounted on a transom of the stern of the boat, the mounting device comprising:

a stern bracket having a transom abutment member for abutment on a rear face of the transom and a slide beam projecting forward of the transom;

a slide bracket attached to the slide beam to be slidable in a thickness direction of the transom;

a clamp member supported by the slide bracket to be slidable in the thickness direction of the transom;

a manual lever supported to be swingable about a rotation axis formed on the slide bracket by an operator; and

a link interconnecting the clamp member and the manual lever to transmit displacement of the manual lever to the clamp member;

whereby the transom is clamped between the transom abutment member of the stern bracket and the clamp member to be mounted thereon by allowing the operator to operate the manual lever to slide the clamp member to a position where the clamp member abuts on a front face of the transom.

19. The outboard motor according to claim 18, further including:

a stop stopping the manual lever at a position beyond a dead point of a slider crank mechanism constituted by the manual lever, the link and the clamp member.

20. The outboard motor according to claim 19, further including:

an elastic member provided at the transom abutment member of the clamp member that abuts on the front face of the transom and having an amount of elastic deformation larger than a displacement of the clamp member from the dead point to a position at which the displacement of the manual lever is completed.

21. An outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having a propeller to propel the boat, comprising:

an internal combustion engine having an engine output shaft and powering the propeller through the engine output shaft;

an electric motor having a motor output shaft and powering the propeller through the motor output shaft;

a clutch disposed between the engine and the motor and transmitting an output of the engine to the propeller through the engine output shaft and the motor output shaft, when the engine is operated; and

an air blower provided between the motor and the clutch and blowing air to cool at least the motor.

22. The outboard motor according to claim 21, wherein the air blower comprises:

a fan connected to the motor output shaft and having a plurality of fins formed to extend radially from a center of the motor output shaft so as to blow air regardless of a direction of rotation of the output motor shaft.

23. The outboard motor according to claim 22, wherein the engine is located above the clutch that is located above the motor in a vertical direction when mounted on the stern of the boat, and the air blower includes an inlet opened at a location below the motor and an outlet opened at a location above the motor, such that the fan sucks in air from the inlet and blows upward to cool the motor, the clutch and the engine in succession.

24. The outboard motor according to claim 23, wherein the inlet is communicated with an air passage having a winding configuration, such that the air sucked in from the inlet passes through the air passage to reach the motor.

25. The outboard motor according to claim 24, wherein the air sucked in from the inlet passes through the air passage, flows upward to cool the motor, the clutch and the engine and exits to exterior through the outlet.

26. An outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having a propeller to propel the boat, comprising:

an internal combustion engine having an engine output shaft and powering the propeller through the engine output shaft;

an electric motor having a motor output shaft and powering the propeller through the motor output shaft, when the engine is not operated;

a bar handle installed to be operable by an operator;

a throttle grip provided at the bar handle to be rotatable by the operator and having a throttle opening regulator that regulates an opening of a throttle valve of the engine in response to the rotation of the throttle grip;

a rotation angle sensor installed in the throttle grip and outputting a signal indicative of a rotation angle of the throttle grip; and

a controller installed inside the throttle grip and inputting the outputted signal of the rotation angle sensor to control operation of the motor in response to the outputted signal of the sensor.

27. The outboard motor according to claim 26, further including:

a manual switch provided at the bar handle to be operable for the operator to input one from among instructions to start or stop the engine, to start or stop the motor and to indicate a direction in which the boat moves.

28. The outboard motor according to claim 26, wherein the throttle opening regulator comprises a pulley being turnable in response to the rotation of the throttle grip, and a cable wound around the pulley at one end and connected to the throttle valve at other end.

29. An outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat, comprising:

a drive shaft oriented in a direction parallel with a vertical axis when mounted on the stern of the boat;

a motor connected to an upper end of the drive shaft and rotating the drive shaft about the vertical axis;

a propeller connected to a lower end of the drive shaft to be rotatable about the vertical axis; and

a cover having a tube-like shape and enclosing the propeller inside the tube.

30. The outboard motor according to claim 29, wherein the tube-like shape is an S-like shape and is formed with openings directed forward and rearward relative to a direction of travel of the boat.

31. The outboard motor according to claim 30, wherein the cover is formed as an assembly of a plurality of removably attached members.

32. In an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a transom of a boat by a mounting device, the mounting device comprising:

a stern bracket having a transom abutment member for abutment on a rear face of the transom and a slide beam projecting forward of the transom;

a slide bracket attached to the slide beam to be slidable in a thickness direction of the transom;

a clamp member supported by the slide bracket to be slidable in the thickness direction of the transom;

a manual lever supported to be swingable about a rotation axis formed on the slide bracket by an operator; and

a link interconnecting the clamp member and the manual lever to transmit displacement of the manual lever to the clamp member;

whereby the transom is clamped between the transom abutment member of the stern bracket and the clamp member to be mounted thereon by allowing the operator to operate the manual lever to slide the clamp member to a position where the clamp member abuts on a front face of the transom.

33. The mounting device according to claim 32, further including:

a stop stopping the manual lever at a position beyond a dead point of a slider crank mechanism constituted by the manual lever, the link and the clamp member.

34. The mounting device according to claim 33, further including:

an elastic member provided at the transom abutment member of the clamp member that abuts on the front face of the transom and having an amount of elastic deformation larger than a displacement of the clamp member from the dead point to a position at which the displacement of the manual lever is completed.