JP7358908B2 - Outboard motor steering load adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor.

In an outboard motor attached to a ship, the outboard motor swings around a steering shaft in response to steering, thereby changing the direction of travel of the ship. 2. Description of the Related Art Among outboard motors whose steering wheel is manually operated by a boat operator during steering, there are known outboard motors in which the steering load can be adjusted.

For example, Patent Document 1 includes a clutch mechanism consisting of an arc-shaped friction plate and a tightening pad section that sandwiches the friction plate from both sides, and increases friction by pressing the tightening pad section against the friction plate. to keep the steering bracket immobile and fix the steering angle of the outboard motor.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-53088

In the clutch mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the steering bracket is immobilized, the operating member is oscillated (rotated) to change the amount of pressing of the tightening pad portion against the friction plate. However, it does not have a structure that limits the swing range of the operating member, and the stopping position of the operating member is determined by the boat operator. For this reason, there is a risk that the operating member may swing excessively and press the tightening pad portion more than necessary, which may affect the durability of the clutch mechanism. For example, by roughly manipulating the operating member, the clutch mechanism is likely to be damaged.

The operating member in the clutch mechanism of Patent Document 1 has a knob protruding forward from a swing center formed by a bolt and a nut, and near the swing center, a support plate and a tightening pad are connected to the operating member. are placed between the top and bottom. Due to these structural constraints, there is not enough space in the center of swing where the operating member fits into the bolt, and it is difficult to provide a means to limit the swing range of the operating member. , resulting in an expensive structure. It is possible to limit the range of swing by providing a protrusion on the operating member that protrudes rearward (towards the outboard motor) from the center of swing and bringing the protrusion into contact with a stopper. However, the protrusion that is open toward the rear has problems such as difficulty in ensuring durability when it comes into contact with the stopper, and difficulty in contributing to improving the stability of the operating member in the front-rear direction. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor that can ensure excellent durability without being affected by the operating conditions of a boat operator, and that can be obtained in a space-saving manner and at a low cost. The purpose is to provide.

The present invention provides a steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor that is disposed between a steering bracket and a swivel bracket and adjusts the load applied to the steering operation as the steering wheel is turned. The frictional force of the friction pad changes to adjust the load applied to the steering operation, and the range of swing of the operating member is limited by the operation limiting elongated hole provided in the operating member and the operating limiter. The operation limiting elongated hole is arranged on the front side of the outboard motor with respect to the center of swing of the operating member.

According to the present invention, by inserting the insertion portion into the operation restriction elongated hole provided in the operation member to limit the swing range, durability can be ensured without being affected by the operation state of the boat operator. It is possible to obtain a steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor that is configured in a space-saving manner and at a low cost.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the outboard motor according to the present embodiment attached to the stern. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of a steering load adjustment device that constitutes the steering device of the outboard motor. FIG. 2 is a side view of a steering device including a steering load adjustment device. It is a figure which shows the operation member of a steering load adjustment device, (A) is a top view, (B) is a perspective view. FIG. 3 is a top view of the operating member and the support plate. FIG. 3 is a top view of the mounting device including the steering load adjustment device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the outboard motor of this embodiment includes an outboard motor main body 1 and a mounting device 10. As shown in FIG. In the following description and the drawings, the direction in which a drive shaft 3 (described later) extends is defined as the vertical direction of the outboard motor, and the direction in which the propeller shaft 4 extends is defined as the longitudinal direction of the outboard motor. In the longitudinal direction, the front side is the hull side, and the rear side is the outboard motor side. Further, a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-back direction is defined as the width direction of the outboard motor. In the width direction, the right hand side when facing the hull side is the right side, and the left hand side is the left side.

As shown in FIG. 1, an outboard motor main body 1 transmits rotation from the output shaft of an engine 2 disposed in an upper engine room to a propeller shaft 4 via a drive shaft 3. The propeller 5 provided at the end is rotated. Propulsive force is generated by the rotation of the propeller 5.

The outboard motor main body 1 is attached to the stern of a boat body via a mounting device 10. When attached to the hull using the mounting device 10, the outboard motor main body 1 can be tilted back and forth about the tilt shaft 11 extending in the width direction, and the outboard motor main body 1 can be tilted back and forth about the tilt shaft 11 extending in the vertical direction. It is possible to perform a steering operation (steering) in which the robot 1 is swung left and right. Therefore, the vertical, longitudinal, and horizontal (width) directions of the outboard motor may not coincide with the vertical, longitudinal, and horizontal (width) directions of the hull.

The mounting device 10 includes a clamp bracket 13 (see FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6), a swivel bracket 14 (see FIGS. 2 and 6), and a steering bracket 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Note that the vertical direction in the description of the mounting device 10 refers to the vertical direction in the initial state shown in each drawing. That is, with the tilting operation, the angle of the parts of the mounting device 10 other than the clamp bracket 13 changes with respect to the hull, but the drive shaft 3 remains oriented vertically without such an angle change. Each part of the mounting device 10 will be explained based on the following.

A clamp bracket 13 is fixed to a transom 16 provided at the stern of the hull. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the clamp bracket 13 has a pair of left and right support parts that are spaced apart in the width direction, and the swivel bracket 14 is arranged between the pair of support parts of the clamp bracket 13. . A pair of left and right shaft support holes penetrating in the width direction are formed in the pair of support parts of the clamp bracket 13, and the tilt shaft 11 is supported in these shaft support holes (see FIG. 2).

The swivel bracket 14 is supported so as to be swingable about the tilt axis 11. When a driving force is applied to the swivel bracket 14 by a tilt cylinder (not shown), the swivel bracket 14 swings about the tilt shaft 11 . Then, the outboard motor main body 1, which is connected to the swivel bracket 14 via the steering bracket 15 and the steering shaft 12, performs a forward tilting operation (tilting up) to pull up the propeller 5 and a backward tilting operation (tilting up) to lower the propeller 5. tilt down).

A steering shaft hole passing through the swivel bracket 14 in the vertical direction is formed, and the steering shaft 12 is inserted into the steering shaft hole. The steering shaft 12 is supported in the steering shaft hole so as to be rotatable about an axis directed in the vertical direction. The lower end of the steering shaft 12 protrudes downward from the steering shaft hole of the swivel bracket 14 and is fixed to the outboard motor main body 1 via the mount portion 6.

The upper end of the steering shaft 12 projects upward from the steering shaft hole of the swivel bracket 14, and the steering bracket 15 is attached to the projecting portion of the steering shaft 12. The steering bracket 15 swings integrally with the steering shaft 12. The steering bracket 15 is fixed to the outboard motor main body 1 via the mount portion 7.

The steering bracket 15 includes an arm portion 17 extending forward from a portion connected to the steering shaft 12 . The arm portion 17 has an elongated shape that passes above the swivel bracket 14 . A space S is formed between the swivel bracket 14 and the arm portion 17 with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction. Near the tilt axis 11, the upper surface of the swivel bracket 14 and the lower surface of the arm portion 17 are substantially parallel and face each other with the space S in between. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the arm portion 17 extends to the front of the swivel bracket 14, and a steering wheel 18, which is operated by a boat operator during steering, is connected to the front end of the arm portion 17. There is.

The operation of the mounting device 10 configured as above will be explained. The tilting operation of the outboard motor main body 1, which is caused to swing back and forth about the tilt shaft 11, is performed by driving a tilt cylinder operated by hydraulic pressure. A steering operation of the outboard motor body 1, which is caused to swing left and right about the steering shaft 12, is performed by manual operation of the steering wheel 18. When the boat operator turns the steering wheel 18 left and right, the steering bracket 15 and the steering shaft 12 swing together, and the outboard motor main body 1, which is in a fixed relationship with the steering bracket 15 and the steering shaft 12, swings left and right. do. As a result, the direction of travel of the ship changes.

The steering device for an outboard motor includes a steering load adjusting device 20 between a swivel bracket 14 and a steering bracket 15, which adjusts the load of steering operation. The main part of the steering load adjustment device 20 is located in front of the space S between the upper surface of the swivel bracket 14 and the lower surface of the arm part 17, and a part of the steering load adjustment device 20 (load absorbing section 22b described later) is located in the space S. It has entered S. The steering load adjustment device 20 includes a support plate 21 , a friction plate 22 , an operating member 23 , a pair of pad members 24 and 25 , and a shaft bolt 26 .

As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, the support plate 21 includes a base portion 21a and a pair of extending portions 21b that bifurcate and extend rearward from the base portion 21a. The arm portion 17 of the steering bracket 15 has a pair of lateral protrusions 17a that protrude left and right (only the left lateral protrusion 17a is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3). A pair of extending portions 21b are attached to the pair of lateral protrusions 17a via shaft members 41, bolts 42, and nuts 43, respectively, and the support plate 21 swings together with the steering bracket 15.

An upper nut 27 and a restriction pin 28 are provided on the base portion 21a. The upper nut 27 and the restriction pin 28 are each fixed to the support plate 21 by welding or the like, and the restriction pin 28 is located near the front edge of the base portion 21a, and the upper nut 27 is located behind the restriction pin 28. . The upper nut 27 is located on the upper surface of the base portion 21a and has a screw hole inside. A through hole communicating with a screw hole of the upper nut 27 is formed in the base portion 21a. The restriction pin 28 has a cylindrical shape that projects downward from the base portion 21a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft bolt 26 is inserted into the screw hole of the upper nut 27. The shaft bolt 26 has a thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical shaft portion, and has a pair of parallel side planes 26a extending in the axial direction. No screws are formed on the side plane 26a. The shaft bolt 26 is threaded into a threaded hole in the upper nut 27. Although the side planes 26a are shown in FIG. 3 as being on the front and rear sides of the shaft bolt 26, the actual side planes 26a are provided on the left and right sides of the shaft bolt 26.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, the friction plate 22 includes an arcuate plate portion 22a, a load absorbing portion 22b, and a support plate portion 22c. The arcuate plate portion 22a is an arcuate plate-like portion whose central portion in the width direction protrudes most forwardly and which curves rearward as it moves left and right from the central portion.

As shown in FIG. 3, the load absorbing portion 22b is formed in a U-shape toward the rear (toward the outboard motor main body 1 side) when viewed from the side of the outboard motor. The load absorbing portion 22b protrudes rearward from the center in the width direction of the arcuate plate portion 22a, is folded back to the front while curving downward above the tilt shaft 11, and is located between the swivel bracket 14 and the arm portion 17. It is located in space S. The load absorbing part 22b (more specifically, the upper side and lower side of the U-shape excluding the curved tip) is approximately parallel to the upper part of the swivel bracket 14 and the lower part of the arm part 17, which face each other with the space S in between. There is.

A support plate portion 22c is formed by being bent further downward from the load absorbing portion 22b. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right mounting portions 14a are provided at the front end of the swivel bracket 14, and a support plate portion 22c is fixed to the mounting portions 14a from the front with bolts. That is, the friction plate 22 is supported by the swivel bracket 14 in a cantilever structure with the support plate portion 22c as the base end. The friction plate 22 is configured to be easily deformed (having a small spring constant) in response to a load from above at the load absorbing portion 22b.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operating member 23 has a base portion 23a located on the lower surface side of the base portion 21a of the support plate 21, and a grip portion 23b extending forward from the base portion 23a. . A fitting hole 23c is formed in the base portion 23a. The fitting hole 23c is a non-circular hole including a straight portion corresponding to the side plane 26a of the shaft bolt 26, and is fitted into the shaft bolt 26 in a rotationally restricted state. When the grip portion 23b is swung left and right, the operating member 23 rotates together with the shaft bolt 26.

The base portion 23a of the operation member 23 is further formed with an operation restriction elongated hole 23d. The operation restriction elongated hole 23d is an arc-shaped hole centered on the fitting hole 23c, and is located in front of the fitting hole 23c (between the fitting hole 23c and the grip portion 23b). As shown in FIG. 5, the restriction pin 28 is inserted into the operation restriction elongated hole 23d. The restriction pin 28 is slidable in the longitudinal direction (direction along the arc) of the operation restriction elongated hole 23d, and movement is restricted in the width direction of the operation restriction elongated hole 23d.

As shown in FIG. 6, the base portion 21a of the support plate 21 is located in front of the friction plate 22. Since the base portion 23a of the operation member 23 is in a positional relationship that almost overlaps with the base portion 21a of the support plate 21 (see FIG. 5), the operation restriction elongated hole 23d formed in the base portion 23a is located on the front side of the friction plate 22. It is located in

The pad member 24 and the pad member 25 are provided so as to sandwich the arcuate plate portion 22a of the friction plate 22 from above and below. The pad member 24 is composed of a pad holding plate 24a and a friction pad 24b provided on the lower surface of the pad holding plate 24a. 22a). The pad member 25 includes a pad holding plate 25a and a friction pad 25b provided on the upper surface of the pad holding plate 25a, and is located below the arcuate plate portion 22a. The friction pad 24b and the friction pad 25b are friction members having a predetermined coefficient of friction. The pad member 24 and the pad member 25 swing together with the support plate 21 and the steering bracket 15 via the shaft bolt 26, and are further movable up and down along the shaft bolt 26.

The shaft bolt 26, which is screwed into the screw hole of the upper nut 27 and fitted into the fitting hole 23c, extends further downward, penetrates the pad member 24 and the pad member 25, projects downward, and connects to the screw hole of the lower nut 29. Screw into the hole. The lower nut 29 contacts the washer 30 from below, which contacts the lower surface of the pad holding plate 25a.

In the steering load adjustment device 20 configured as described above, the frictional force (frictional resistance) acting between the pad members 24 and 25 and the friction plate 22 changes depending on the degree of tightening of the lower nut 29 with respect to the shaft bolt 26. do. The steering load of the steering bracket 15 is adjusted by changing the friction force of the pad member 24 and the pad member 25 against the friction plate 22 supported on the swivel bracket 14 side.

In the initial state of the steering load adjustment device 20, the friction pad 24b of the pad member 24 and the friction pad 25b of the pad member 25 lightly contact the arcuate plate portion 22a to provide an appropriate sense of resistance, and the steering shaft 12 is centered. The setting is made so that the steering bracket 15 can be freely swung, that is, the steering wheel 18 can be freely steered.

When the grip portion 23b is gripped and the operating member 23 is rotated in the tightening direction, a force is applied to narrow the gap between the support plate 21 and the lower nut 29, and the friction pads 24b and 25b are removed from both sides of the arcuate plate portion 22a. The rotational resistance between the support plate 21 and the friction plate 22 increases due to the friction. This increases the steering load on the steering bracket 15 to which the support plate 21 is attached. Conversely, when the operating member 23 is rotated in the opposite direction to the tightening direction, the frictional force applied to the friction plate 22 becomes smaller, and the steering load on the steering bracket 15 becomes smaller. The steering load can be changed as appropriate depending on the rotation direction and operation amount of the operation member 23. Further, when the operating member 23 is rotated to a predetermined position in the tightening direction, the steering angle of the steering bracket 15 can be fixed due to frictional engagement. The arc plate portion 22a has an arc shape that follows the movement locus of the pad member 24 and the pad member 25 when the steering bracket 15 swings about the steering shaft 12, so that it can steer the steering bracket 15 at a desired steering angle. The load can be adjusted arbitrarily.

When the operation member 23 rotates, the position of the restriction pin 28 changes within the operation restriction elongated hole 23d. When the restriction pin 28 reaches and contacts the end of the operation restriction elongated hole 23d, further rotation of the operation member 23 is restricted. This restriction prevents the boat operator from swinging the operating member 23 excessively. By preventing excessive rocking of the operating member 23, the pad members 24 and 25 do not press excessively against the friction plate 22, and the durability of the steering load adjustment device 20 is improved.

Further, since the movement of the restriction pin 28 in the width direction of the operation restriction elongated hole 23d is restricted, the operation member 23 is suppressed from any unnecessary movement other than rocking during operation, and has excellent stability. For example, a gap (backlash) may occur between the fitting hole 23c and the shaft bolt 26 due to accuracy errors that occur during parts manufacturing or assembly, or due to wear of the fitting hole 23c and shaft bolt 26 due to long-term use. Even in this state, the backlash of the operating member 23 in the front-rear direction can be suppressed by the contact between the inner surface (a pair of arcuate surfaces) of the operation limiting elongated hole 23d and the limiting pin 28.

The operation restriction elongated hole 23d, which is a closed-shaped hole, is used to restrict the movement of the operating member 23 in the swinging direction and the swinging radial direction (back and forth direction). It has excellent durability when the limiting pin 28 comes into contact with the operating member 23, and deformation of the operating member 23 is less likely to occur compared to a structure in which the swinging range is limited by an open-shaped protrusion or the like.

The grip portion 23b of the operating member 23 has an elongated shape to facilitate gripping and operation. An operation restriction elongated hole 23d is provided in the base portion 23a, which has a higher degree of freedom in shape and a larger planar shape than the grip portion 23b. This increases the degree of freedom in setting the shape and length of the operation restriction elongated hole 23d, and makes it easier to ensure rigidity by ensuring a sufficient area of the base portion 23a around the operation restriction elongated hole 23d.

Since many members including the friction pads 24b and 25b of the pad members 24 and 25 are stacked and arranged on the shaft of the shaft bolt 26, there are many restrictions in terms of space. Since the operation restriction elongated hole 23d of the operation member 23 is disposed on the front side of the fitting hole 23c and the shaft bolt 26, which are the center of swing of the operation member 23, it is subject to the above-mentioned space constraints. It can be formed in a space-efficient manner. In addition, the restriction pin 28, which is an insertion portion that fits into the operation restriction elongated hole 23d, is provided on the support plate 21 with a position shifted forward from the shaft bolt 26, so it is similar to the operation restriction elongated hole 23d. can be placed without space constraints. Therefore, the swing limiting means of the operating member 23 consisting of the operation limiting elongated hole 23d and the limiting pin 28 can be arranged with good space efficiency without interfering with the shaft bolt 26 or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, by providing the operation restriction elongated hole 23d and the restriction pin 28 on the front side of the friction plate 22, the swinging of the operation member 23 is restricted at a position away from the friction plate 22. Is going. Therefore, when restricting the swing of the operating member 23, it is difficult to affect the shape of the contact point between the arc plate portion 22a of the friction plate 22 and the friction pads 24b, 25b of the pad members 24, 25, and It is easy to ensure the performance of steering load adjustment.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, by providing the operation restriction elongated hole 23d and the restriction pin 28 on the front side of the friction plate 22, the friction plate 22 can be positioned rearward of the shaft bolt 26, and the steering operation can be controlled. The diameter from the shaft 12 to the arcuate plate portion 22a can be reduced, contributing to miniaturization of the steering load adjustment device 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the operation member 23 has a simple structure in which a fitting hole 23c and an elongated operation restriction hole 23d are formed through a flat plate-like member, so it can be manufactured at low cost by pressing a metal plate, etc. It is possible. The restriction pin 28 is fixed to the support plate 21 by welding or the like, and can also be obtained at low cost. Therefore, the swinging movement of the operating member 23 can be restricted with a space-saving and low-cost configuration.

A load may be applied from above to below to the steering load adjustment device 20 when the boat operator holds down the steering wheel 18 or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the arm portion 17 and the steering wheel 18 extend forward from the position where they are supported by the steering shaft 12, and when the steering wheel 18 is pressed down from above, a large load is applied to the steering load adjustment device 20. Easy to act.

In the steering load adjustment device 20, the friction plate 22 is provided with a load absorbing portion 22b so as to be easily deformed (having a small spring constant) in response to a load from above. When a large load equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied from above, the load absorbing portion 22b of the steering load adjustment device 20 deforms and absorbs the load. By preferentially deforming the load absorbing portion 22b, the ability of the arcuate plate portion 22a to follow changes in the vertical position of the pad members 24 and 25 is improved. As a result, changes in the contact state between the arcuate plate portion 22a and the pad members 24 and 25, that is, changes in the steering load, are suppressed. In this way, by reducing the spring constant of the friction plate 22, changes in the steering feeling caused by external load inputs different from the operation of the operating member 23 are prevented, and the steering load is stabilized, resulting in good steering. It is possible to ensure sex.

The load absorbing portion 22b protrudes rearward (toward the outboard motor body 1 side) from the arcuate plate portion 22a and has a U-shape located in the space S between the swivel bracket 14 and the arm portion 17 of the steering bracket 15. . More specifically, the tip (U-shaped rear end) of the load absorbing portion 22b is located above the tilt axis 11. In the space S between the swivel bracket 14 and the steering bracket 15, related parts (link members and cables not shown) necessary for steering are provided, and the load absorbing part 22b is installed together with these steering related parts. , are arranged making effective use of the space S. Therefore, with the configuration having excellent space efficiency, it is possible to absorb the load applied to the steering load adjustment device 20 and stabilize the steering load.

The ease with which the load absorbing portion 22b of the friction plate 22 deforms can be appropriately set depending on its shape, plate thickness, and the like. For example, the spring constant may be reduced by forming a hollowed out portion in the center portion of the load absorbing portion 22b.

As described above, in the outboard motor steering system of the present embodiment, the operation restriction elongated hole 23d formed in the operation member 23 and the restriction pin 28 provided in the support plate 21 come into contact with each other, so that the operation member 23 The durability of the steering load adjusting device 20 is improved by limiting the swinging of the steering load adjusting device 20. This swing limiting means effectively utilizes the empty space between the grip portion 23b of the operating member 23 and the fitting hole 23c, and has a simple structure, so it can be manufactured at low cost. It also has excellent structural strength and stability.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications. In the embodiments described above, the size, shape, etc. illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited to these, and can be changed as appropriate within the scope of achieving the effects of the present invention. Other changes can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, instead of the restriction pin 28 of the above embodiment, the base portion 21a of the support plate 21 may be partially cut and raised to form an insertion portion that fits into the operation restriction elongated hole 23d. By forming the insertion portion into a cut-and-raised structure integral with the support plate 21, the number of parts can be reduced.

The outboard motor steering load adjustment device of the present invention has the advantage of being able to ensure excellent durability without being affected by the operating conditions of the boat operator, and being space-saving and low-cost. This is useful for outboard motors that adjust the steering load.

1: Outboard motor body 10: Mounting device 11: Tilt shaft 12: Steering shaft 13: Clamp bracket 14: Swivel bracket 15: Steering bracket 17: Arm portion 18: Steering 20: Steering load adjustment device 21: Support plate 22: Friction Plate 22a: Arc plate portion 23: Operating member 23a: Base portion 23b: Grip portion 23c: Fitting hole 23d: Operation restriction elongated hole 24: Pad member 24b: Friction pad 25: Pad member 25b: Friction pad 26: Axial bolt 28: Restriction pin (insertion part)
S: Space

Claims (3)

In an outboard motor steering load adjustment device that is arranged between a steering bracket and a swivel bracket and adjusts the load applied to the steering operation associated with steering,
Due to the swinging of the operating member, the frictional force of the friction pad in contact with the friction plate changes, thereby adjusting the load applied to the steering operation,
The swing range of the operating member is limited by an operation limiting elongated hole provided in the operating member and an insertion portion that fits into the operation limiting elongated hole ,
A steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor, characterized in that the operation restriction elongated hole is arranged on the front side of the outboard motor with respect to the center of swing of the operating member . The steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is disposed on a support plate that supports the steering load adjustment device on the steering bracket. 3. The steering load adjustment device for an outboard motor according to claim 1 , wherein the operation limiting elongated hole is disposed further forward of the outboard motor than the friction plate.

Images