JPH0441119B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a marine vessel propulsion device with a lower unit adapted for steering movements.

A transom unit fixed to the main body of the vessel, a flexible support attached to the transom unit so as to pivot around a horizontal tilting axis, and a flexible support pivoting around a steering axis in a direction intersecting the tilting axis. Ship propulsion systems are already known which include a lower unit mounted for pivotal steering movements relative to a support and a steering device for pivoting the lower unit about a steering axis.

In such known devices, the steering device takes the form of a mechanical linkage. A mechanical linkage must be a complex mechanism in order to perform the steering function regardless of the position of the tilting movement of the swivel support.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a marine vessel propulsion device that is capable of steering the lower unit regardless of the tilting movement of the swivel support and is equipped with a steering device that has a simple mechanism.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a steering device comprising: a member rotatable about a substantially perpendicular axis in a fixed relationship with respect to the transom unit on the transom unit; and a member mounted on the lower unit. a belt device connected to the lower unit so that the lower unit pivots in response to rotation of the member.

With the above-described configuration, in the present invention, the steering operation can be performed by utilizing the deflecting property of the belt device, without relying on a complicated mechanical mechanism, and regardless of the tilting movement of the swivel support around the tilting axis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in the drawings, the present invention provides a transom unit 14 suitable for placement through a transom 18 of a boat 22 and a transom unit 14 adapted for vertical tilting movement about a horizontal tilt axis 30.
a lower unit 34 pivotably steerable with respect to the swivel support 26 about a vertical steering shaft 38;
A marine vessel propulsion device 10 is provided, comprising a steering device 42 for pivoting a lower unit 34 about the lower unit 34.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 1, transom unit 14, swivel support 26 and lower unit 34, together with engine 46, form part of the stern drive of boat 22. In another specific example,
Various units may form part of an outboard motor or other marine propulsion system.

The engine 46 drives a propeller 50 which is rotatably disposed in a gear case 54 and forms part of the lower unit. Engine 46 drives propeller 50 by a drive train 58 extending through transom unit 14, swivel 26 and lower unit 34.

The transom unit 14 is provided behind the engine 46, and the stern drive device 10 is connected to the boat 2.
It is firmly disposed on the coarse bone 62 of No. 2. The transom unit 14 extends through the transom wall 18 of the boat 22 and is surrounded by a waterproof membrane 66 to prevent water from penetrating into the boat 22.

A swivel support 26 is pivotally disposed on the transom unit 14 for vertical tilting movement of the swivel support 26 and lower unit 34 about a horizontal axis 30. The vertical tilting movement allows the lower unit 34 and propeller to be raised out of the water.

The lower unit 34 is pivotally mounted to the swivel support 26 by bearings 68. A bearing 68 allows the lower unit 34 to be rotatably supported at the distal end of the swivel stanchion 26, which defines a vertical steering axis 38. A more detailed description of the arrangement of the engine 46, transom unit 14, swivel 26 and lower unit 34 can be found in
Schimanckas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,880.

A steering device 42 for pivoting the lower unit 34 about a steering shaft 38 is connected to the transom unit 1.
4, a device 74 for rotating the first pulley 70, a second pulley 78 fixedly attached to the lower unit 34, and a device 74 for rotating the first pulley 70; A belt device 8 coupled to a pulley 78 such that the second pulley 78 pivots the lower unit 34 in response to rotation of the first pulley 70.
2.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first pulley is connected to the transom unit 14.
It is rotatably disposed in the transom unit 14 by a journal 86 fixed to the transom unit 14. The first pulley 70 has a spline 90 extending upward.
The device 74 for rotating the first pulley 70 includes a radially extending steering arm 94 attached to a spline 90 . The steering arm 94 can be connected to a conventional steering cable 98 and the first pulley 70 can be rotated in response to an operator driven device in the form of a steering wheel 102 connected to the steering cable 98.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 3, the lower unit 34 is rotatably mounted on the swivel support 26 by an assembly 110 which also forms an upper bearing 68. Assembly 110 includes lower unit 34
has an insert 114 that secures the upper portion 118 of the second pulley 78 to the second pulley 78. The assembly 110 is mounted on a swivel support 26
It also has a journal 122 on its upper part 124, on which a second pulley 78 is rotatably disposed. A cover 126 extends between the lower unit 34 and the second pulley 78 and covers the insert 114.
extends into an opening 128 in cover 126. Lower unit 34, second pulley 78 and cover 1
26 is held in place by the weight of the lower unit 34, and a bolt 130 extends through the lower unit 34, insert 114 and journal 122 and serves as an oil fill plug. As the second pulley 78 rotates on the journal 122, the lower unit 34 rotates with the second pulley 78 and pivots on the bearing 68 about the vertical steering axis 38.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the cable 82
A belt device in the form of
8 connects the first pulley 70 to the second pulley 78 so as to pivot the lower unit 34. Each of the two cables 82 is connected to a respective side of the first and second pulleys 70 and 78 by a respective securing device 134 . first pulley 7
0 rotates, one of the two cables 82 applies a pulling force to the outer circumference of the second pulley 78, causing the second pulley 78 to rotate in the same direction as the first pulley 70.

A guiding device or guide 138 through which the cable 82 is routed extends fixedly between the transom unit 14 and the swivel support 26. Guide 1
38 maintains the relative distance along cable 82 between first pulley 70 and second pulley 78 as swivel support 26 and lower unit 34 pivot about the tilt axis. More specifically, guide 138 consists of a pair of flexible tubes, each of which connects to transom unit 14 at one end and to swivel support 26 at the other end. cable 82
by extending through the guide 138, the swivel support 26 and the lower unit 34 pivot about the tilting axis 30 and the first pulley 70 and the second pulley 78
Even if they approach each other, the first pulley 70 and the second pulley 7
8 prevents cable 82 from slackening. In another embodiment, the guide 138 may have pulleys (not shown) on the cable 82 such that their circumference holds the cable 82 in a portion of the tilted axis 30 .

The marine propulsion system 10 may also include an assembly 148 that provides a means for adjusting the tension of the cable 82. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, one such assembly 148 includes a first pulley 7
The pulley 150 has a modified example of zero. In this embodiment, first pulley 150 is comprised of pulley portions 152 and 154 rotatably disposed in journal 86 . Assembly 148 includes cable 8
2 to the pulley 150 and pivotable with respect to the pulley portions 152 and 154; and rotation and retention of the retaining members 156 and 158 with respect to the pulley portions 152 and 154 to adjust the tension of the cable 82; adjustment device 16 between pulley portions 152 and 154 and retaining members 156 and 158, respectively, for
It also has 0.

Sheave portions 152 and 154 have opposed flanges extending outwardly from splines 166 to which radially extending steering arm 94 is connected. In this embodiment, pulley portions 152 and 154 and spline 166 form a single integral piece 150. spline 166
is rotatably disposed in a journal 86 at the top of the transom unit 14.

Retaining members 156 and 158 each consist of a horizontal flat plate 170 having a first end 174 and a second end 178 extending perpendicularly therefrom. The first end 174 has a receptacle 182 for receiving a ball 190 provided at the integral end of the cable 82.
and a groove 186, and the second end 178 has a receptacle 194 that receives a spring 198, described below.

One retaining member 156 is guided by splines 166 of the pulley 150 at the bottom of the pulley portions 152 and 154 such that first and second ends 174 and 178 of the retaining member 156 are attached to the pulley portion 15.
2 and 154. The other retaining member 158 is oriented in the reverse direction of the previously described retaining member and is located above the pulley portions 152 and 154.
is guided on the splines 166 of the holding member 1
The first and second ends 174 and 178 of 58 are arranged to be coplanar with the pulley portions 152 and 154. As shown in FIG. 4, first ends 174 of retaining members 156 and 158
are therefore in the same plane, allowing cable 82 to be connected to pulley 150 in the same plane. First end 1 of retaining members 156 and 158
74 are also close to each other.

Each of the pulley portions 152 and 154 has a first end 200 and a second end 204, and the first end 200 of each of the pulley portions 152 and 154 is connected to the first end 174 of the retention members 156 and 158. Proximate pulley portions 152 and 154
The second ends 204 of each of the retaining members 156
and proximate the second end 178 of 158 .

Adjustment device 160 includes each pulley portion 152 and 1
Apparatus 20 for varying the clearance between 54 and first ends 174 and 200 of retention members 156 and 158
It has 8. This device is in the form of a pin 208 that is threaded into a hole 212 in each first end 200 of pulley portions 152 and 154, respectively. The pin 208 is in the first position and the holding member 15
The first ends of 6 and 158 are movable between second positions that are further away from the first ends of each pulley portion 152 and 154 than in the first position. Thus, by threading pin 208 into and out of hole 212, retaining member 156 for each pulley portion 152 and 154 is removed.
The tension of the cable 82 can be adjusted by changing the gaps between and 158.

Adjustment device 160 includes holding members 156 and 15
8 and the second end 178 of each of the retaining members 156 and 158 and the second end of each pulley portion 154 and 152 to bias the second end 178 of each pulley portion 152 and 154 to the second end 178 of each A biasing device 198 is also provided between the device and the device 204 . As shown in FIG. 4, the biasing device includes retaining members 156 and 158 and pulley portion 15, respectively.
2 and 154 second ends 178 and 204
It is in the form of a spring 198 housed in opposing sockets 194 and 216 therein. The spring 198 biases the first end of each pulley portion 152 and 154 and the first end of each retaining member 156 and 158 away from the pin 208. Therefore, any slack present in cable 82 is taken up by spring 198 by adjusting pin 208.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view of a stern drive illustrating various features of the present invention. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view of a device for steering the stern drive shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cutaway plan view of the alternate embodiment of the pulley shown on the left side of FIGS. 2 and 3; Figure 5 shows the line 5- in Figure 4.
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view taken along line 5; DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Marine propulsion device, 14... Transom unit, 26... Universal support, 30... Horizontal tilting shaft, 34... Lower unit, 38... Vertical steering shaft, 41... Steering device, 70... Pulley, 78...
... Second pulley, 82 ... Belt device, 86 ... Journal, 110 ... Assembly, 138 ... Guide device, 152, 154 ... Pulley part, 156, 1
58... Holding device, 160... Adjusting device, 17
4,178...first and second ends (of the retaining device), 200,204...first and second ends (of the pulley portion), 208...pin, 198...biasing device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A transom unit that can be fixedly installed on a ship, and a flexible support that is pivotally arranged on the transom unit and allows vertical tilting movement around a horizontal tilting axis. a lower unit mounted for pivotal steering movement relative to said swivel support about a steering axis in a direction transverse to said tilt axis; a steering device for pivoting a lower unit around the steering shaft without regard to the steering shaft, the member being rotatably disposed on the transom unit about an axis in a fixed relation to the transom unit; a belt device connected to the lower unit so that the lower unit pivots in response to the rotation of the member; A device for preventing the effective length of the belt device from changing during movement. 2. The ship propulsion device according to claim 1, further comprising a device for rotating the member. 3. The device for preventing changes in the effective length of the belt device includes a flexible tube fixed at both ends to the transom unit and the flexible support and housing the belt device. The vessel propulsion system described. 4. The device for rotatably disposing the member on the transom unit includes a journal fixedly attached to the transom unit, the member including a pulley portion rotatably disposed on the journal, and forming part of an assembly including a retaining device connecting said belt device to said member, said retaining device being rotatably disposed on said journal adjacent said pulley portion; is pivotable with respect to the pulley portion and is adapted to adjust the tension of the belt device;
The assembly further includes an adjustment device between the pulley portion and the retaining device for rotating and retaining the retaining device with respect to the pulley portion to adjust the tension of the belt device. A marine vessel propulsion device according to claim 1. 5 said pulley portion comprises a first end and a second end, said retention device comprises a first end and a second end, said first end of said pulley portion comprises a first end of said retention device; a second end of the pulley portion is adjacent a second end of the retention device, and the adjustment device is in contact with the first end of the pulley portion and the first end of the retention device. between a first position and a second position in which the first end of the retaining device is further spaced from the first end of the pulley portion than the first position; 5. A marine vessel propulsion device according to claim 4, comprising a movable pin. 6 the adjustment device biasing the second end of the retention device toward the second end of the pulley portion to move the first end of the pulley portion away from the first end of the retention device; 6. The boat propulsion device according to claim 5, further comprising a biasing device configured to bias the belt device to absorb slack in the belt device. 7. The rotatably disposed member has a first pulley, the steering device includes a second pulley fixed to the lower unit, and the belt device has a first and second pulley. 2. A marine vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, which is coupled to a pulley. 8. The marine vessel propulsion device according to claim 7, wherein the belt device comprises two cables attached to the first pulley and the second pulley. 9. By rotatably disposing the second pulley on the universal support and fixing the lower unit to the second pulley, the lower unit can pivot relative to the universal support. 8. A marine vessel propulsion system according to claim 7, wherein the vessel propulsion system is configured to be able to steer the vessel.