Outboard motors and exhaust systems for outboard motors having an exhaust conduit supported inside the V-shape

• US 9,903,251 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Belter, David J., Broman, Jeffrey J., Glodowski, Mark J., Reichardt, Douglas D., Reid, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen P
• Application Number:
  US15/363,280
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/245 Exhaust gas outlets B63H20/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/10 of exhaust manifolds with cooling jacket F01N3/046
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/107 More than one exhaust manifold or exhaust collector
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/18 Construction facilitating manufacture, assembly, or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2340/02 characterised by the distance of the apparatus to the engine, or the distance between two exhaust treating apparatuses
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2340/04 characterised by the arrangement of an exhaust pipe, manifold or apparatus in relation to vehicle frame or particular vehicle parts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/02 for marine vessels or naval applications
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/043 without contact between liquid and exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/046 Exhaust manifolds with cooling jacket
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/10 by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust by using other chemical processes, chemical aspects of catalytic conversion, e.g. using specified catalysts, B01D53/34
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/045 for marine engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/221 with cylinder banks in narrow V-arrangement, having a single cylinder head
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/243 Cylinder heads and inlet or exhaust manifolds integrally cast together
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2001/4278 Exhaust collectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An internal combustion engine for an outboard motor comprises a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that extend transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between. An exhaust manifold conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine and is at least partially disposed in the valley. A supporting mechanism supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine. The supporting mechanism is configured to allow the exhaust conduit to move with respect to the internal combustion engine in 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes, and laterally towards and away from the internal combustion engine, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between.

Claims

1. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along a longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

wherein the exhaust conduit is coupled to the first and second inlet ports at a sealing interface having a planar sealing surface that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis, and

a supporting mechanism that supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine, the supporting mechanism configured to allow the exhaust conduit to laterally move towards and away from the internal combustion engine along a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between.

2. The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the supporting mechanism comprises a first slip joint that couples the exhaust conduit to the internal combustion engine.

3. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along a longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

a supporting mechanism that supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine, the supporting mechanism configured to allow the exhaust conduit to laterally move towards and away from the internal combustion engine along a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between;

wherein the supporting mechanism comprises a first slip joint that couples the exhaust conduit to the internal combustion engine; and

wherein the supporting mechanism further comprises a second slip joint that couples the exhaust conduit to the internal combustion engine, wherein the first and second slip joints are disposed on opposite sides of the exhaust conduit with respect to a transverse axis that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the lateral axis.

4. The outboard motor according to claim 3, wherein the first end and second slip joints are set at an angle with respect to each other so that the exhaust conduit is laterally fixed with respect to the internal combustion engine once the exhaust conduit is assembled with the internal combustion engine.

5. The outboard motor according to claim 3, wherein a first end of the first slip joint is fixed with respect to one of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine and wherein an opposite, second end of the slip joint is axially slide-able back and forth with respect to the other of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine, thereby allowing lateral movement of the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine.

6. The outboard motor according to claim 4, wherein the first slip joint further comprises fastener having a shank, a bushing on the shank, and a boss on the other of the exhaust conduit and internal combustion engine, wherein the boss is axially slide-able back and forth along the bushing, thereby allowing the lateral movement of the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine.

7. The outboard motor according to claim 5, wherein the bushing has an inner diameter and wherein the shank has an outer diameter that is sized smaller than the inner diameter of the bushing so that a radial gap exists between the shank and the bushing, wherein the elongated fastener is 360 degree radially movable in the radial gap, thereby allowing the exhaust conduit to move with respect to the internal combustion engine in 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes.

8. The outboard motor according to claim 6, wherein the boss is on the exhaust conduit and wherein the elongated fastener is fixed to the internal combustion engine.

9. The outboard motor according to claim 7, wherein the bushing is axially sandwiched between a head on the elongated fastener and a boss on the internal combustion engine.

10. The outboard motor according to claim 7, wherein a portion of the exhaust manifold is cast into the cylinder block and wherein another portion of the exhaust manifold is fastened onto the internal combustion engine.

11. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along a longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

a supporting mechanism that supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine, the supporting mechanism configured to allow the exhaust conduit to laterally move towards and away from the internal combustion engine along a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between;

wherein the exhaust conduit comprises a 180-degree bend that reverses the exhaust gas from an upstream, longitudinally upward directional flow to a downstream, longitudinally downward directional flow, and wherein the supporting mechanism supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine at a location downstream of the 180-degree bend.

12. The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the exhaust conduit comprises a first branch exhaust conduit receiving the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second branch exhaust conduit receiving the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and a third branch exhaust conduit receiving the exhaust gas from the first and second branch exhaust conduits and discharging the exhaust gas;

and further comprising a sealing interface between the third branch exhaust conduit and the first and second branch exhaust conduits.

13. The outboard motor according to claim 12, wherein the third branch exhaust conduit is attached to the first and second branch exhaust conduits by at least one elongated fastener that extends through the sealing interface.

14. The outboard motor according to claim 13, wherein the sealing interface comprises a planar sealing surface that extends transversely to the longitudinal axis.

15. The outboard motor according to claim 14, wherein the sealing interface is located higher than the first and second banks of cylinders with respect to the longitudinal axis.

16. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine that longitudinally extends with respect to a longitudinal axis, laterally extends with respect to a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and transversely extends with respect to a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the lateral axis;

the internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along the longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

wherein the exhaust is coupled to the first and second inlet ports at a sealing interface having a planar sealing surface that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis, and

a supporting mechanism that supports the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine, the supporting mechanism configured to allow the exhaust conduit to move with respect to the internal combustion engine in 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between.

17. The outboard motor according to claim 16, wherein the supporting mechanism is further configured to allow the exhaust conduit to laterally move towards and away from the internal combustion engine.

18. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine that longitudinally extends with respect to a longitudinal axis, laterally extends with respect to a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and transversely extends with respect to a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the lateral axis;

the internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along a longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

wherein the exhaust conduit is coupled to the first and second inlet ports at a sealing interface having a planar sealing surface that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis, and

a slip joint that is configured to allow the exhaust conduit to move 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes and laterally towards and away from the internal combustion engine, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between.

19. The outboard motor according to claim 18, wherein a first end of the first slip joint is fixed with respect to one of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine and wherein an opposite, second end of the slip joint is axially slide-able back and forth with respect to the other of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine, thereby allowing lateral movement of the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine.

20. An outboard motor comprising:

an internal combustion engine that longitudinally extends with respect to a longitudinal axis, laterally extends with respect to a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and transversely extends with respect to a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the lateral axis;

the internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having first and second banks of cylinders that are disposed along a longitudinal axis, the first and second banks of cylinders extending transversely with respect to each other in a V-shape so as to define a valley there between;

an exhaust manifold that conveys exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust manifold comprising a first inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the first bank of cylinders, a second inlet port that receives the exhaust gas from the second bank of cylinders, and an exhaust conduit that merges and longitudinally conveys the exhaust gas from the first and second inlet ports, wherein the exhaust conduit is at least partially disposed in the valley; and

a slip joint that is configured to allow the exhaust conduit to move 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes and laterally towards and away from the internal combustion engine, thereby facilitating assembly of the exhaust manifold and the internal combustion engine despite positional tolerance differences there between;

wherein the first slip joint further comprises fastener having a shank, a bushing on the shank, and a boss on the other of the exhaust conduit and internal combustion engine, wherein the boss is axially slide-able back and forth along the bushing, thereby allowing the lateral movement of the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine;

wherein a first end of the first slip joint is fixed with respect to one of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine and wherein an opposite, second end of the slip joint is axially slide-able back and forth with respect to the other of the exhaust conduit and the internal combustion engine, thereby allowing lateral movement of the exhaust conduit with respect to the internal combustion engine; and

wherein the bushing has an inner diameter and wherein the shank has an outer diameter that is sized smaller than the inner diameter of the bushing so that a radial gap exists between the shank and the bushing, wherein the elongated fastener is 360 degree radially movable in the radial gap, thereby the exhaust conduit to move with respect to the internal combustion engine in 360 degrees in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse axes.