JP2014172451A - Underwater unit of outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an underwater unit of an outboard motor, which not only enables effective installation of a sensor but also makes the outboard motor efficient.SOLUTION: A gear case 25 of an outboard motor is fitted with a propulsion unit and formed in a shell shape. A tip part of the shell shape is a detachable separate cone 1. The cone 1 is integrally molded from a synthetic resin material. A storage part 3 of an ultrasonic sensor 2 is provided within the cone.

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater unit configured around a gear case in which a lower unit of an outboard motor, particularly, a propeller shaft and the like are accommodated.

  In recent years, it has become common to install fish detectors almost standardly, except for fairly small boats. The fish finder is configured using an ultrasonic sensor, and drilling or the like is performed at a place where the hull is installed in order to be attached to the hull. In that case, since the sensitivity of the sensor depends on the installation location, care must be taken when determining the installation location. In addition, the experience of the operator greatly affects the ultrasonic sensor mounting operation.

  On the other hand, for example, an outboard motor (trolling motor) disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which an ultrasonic sensor (vibrator) such as a fish finder is attached to an underwater unit (motor housing). This ultrasonic sensor is usually housed in an ultrasonic sensor housing provided on the lower surface of the trunk of the underwater unit that is buried in water, and is disposed so as to protrude downward from the trunk of the underwater unit.

JP 2002-154383 A

  However, when providing the ultrasonic sensor storage part which protrudes downward in the trunk | drum of an underwater unit as described in patent document 1, the front projection area of an underwater unit increases and the water-flow resistance with respect to an underwater unit correspondingly increases it. Increase. If the water flow resistance increases in this way, problems such as a decrease in the efficiency of the outboard motor inevitably arise.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an underwater unit for an outboard motor that is capable of effectively installing a sensor and that improves the efficiency of the outboard motor.

  An underwater unit of an outboard motor according to the present invention is an underwater unit of an outboard motor formed with a shell shape, to which a propulsion device of the outboard motor is attached, and the tip portion of the shell type is detachable. It is a body cone.

In the underwater unit for an outboard motor according to the present invention, the conical body forming the tip is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.
In the submersible unit of the outboard motor according to the present invention, an ultrasonic sensor storage portion is provided inside the cone that forms the tip portion.

  Further, the underwater unit of the outboard motor of the present invention is an underwater unit of the outboard motor formed in a shell type, to which a propulsion device of the outboard motor is attached, and inside the tip of the shell type, An ultrasonic sensor is arranged.

In the underwater unit for an outboard motor according to the present invention, the ultrasonic sensor is disposed inside a cone having the tip portion formed separately.
In the underwater unit for an outboard motor according to the present invention, the conical body forming the tip is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.
In the underwater unit for an outboard motor according to the present invention, the ultrasonic sensor is arranged so that the ultrasonic wave is transmitted in a downward direction.

  According to the present invention, the ultrasonic sensor is installed easily and accurately by applying it to a fish finder or the like, and the front projection area is not affected, thereby substantially improving the efficiency of the outboard motor.

1 is a left side view illustrating a schematic configuration example of an outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a front perspective view of the lower unit of the outboard motor concerning the present invention. It is a back perspective view of the lower unit of the outboard motor concerning the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the propeller axial direction of the lower unit of the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. (A) And (B) is the side view and bottom view around the front-end | tip part of the underwater unit of the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view around the front-end | tip part of the underwater unit of the outboard motor which concerns on this invention, (B) is sectional drawing which follows the II line | wire of (A). It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the cone fixation knock in the underwater unit of the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. It is each side view of the ship which shows the effect | action of the underwater unit of the outboard motor which concerns on this invention in relation to a comparative example.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an underwater unit of an outboard motor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration example of an outboard motor 10 according to the present invention. In this case, the outboard motor 10 is fixed to the rear plate P of the hull on the front side as shown. In the following description, the front of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow Fr, the rear is indicated by an arrow Rr, and the right side of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow R as needed. The left side is indicated by an arrow L.

  In the overall configuration of the outboard motor 10, an engine unit or power unit 11, a mid unit 12, and a lower unit 13 are sequentially arranged from the upper part to the lower part. In the engine unit 11, the engine 14 is mounted and supported vertically through the engine base so that the crankshaft 15 faces the vertical direction. As the engine 14, for example, a V-type multi-cylinder engine or the like can be employed. The mid unit 12 is supported via an upper mount 16 and a lower mount 17 so as to be integrally rotatable around a support shaft 19 set on the swivel bracket 18. Clamp brackets 20 are provided on the left and right sides of the swivel bracket 18, and are fixed to the rear plate P of the hull via the clamp brackets 20. The swivel bracket 18 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a tilt shaft 21 set in the horizontal direction.

  In the mid unit 12, a drive shaft 22 connected to the lower end portion of the crankshaft 15 is vertically penetrated so that the driving force of the drive shaft 22 is transmitted to a propeller shaft described later in the gear case of the lower unit 13. It has become. On the front side of the drive shaft 22, a shift rod 23 for performing forward / reverse switching or the like is arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. Shift rod 23 includes an upper shift rod 23A and a lower shift rod 23B. The mid unit 12 has a drive shaft housing that houses the drive shaft 22. The mid unit 12 is provided with an oil pan for storing oil for lubricating the engine unit 11.

  The lower unit 13 includes a gear case 25 including a plurality of gears that rotate the propeller 24 by the driving force of the drive shaft 22. The drive shafts 22 extending downward from the mid unit 12 each have their own gears meshed with the gears in the gear case 25 so that the propeller 24 is finally rotated. The power transmission path of the internal gear device is switched, that is, shifted.

  2 to 4 show specific configuration examples of the lower unit 13. 2 is a front perspective view of the lower unit 13, FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the lower unit 13, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower unit 13 along the propeller axis direction. First, an integrally formed casing 26 as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 has an anti-splash plate 27 and an anti-cavitation plate 28 which are arranged vertically near the mating surface with the mid unit 12 and extend downwardly. At the lower part of the protruding leg portion 29, there is a gear case 25 arranged so as to exhibit a bullet shape or a bullet shape in the front-rear direction. The gear case 25 and a part of the leg portion 29 connected to the gear case 25 are referred to as an underwater unit.

  The shift rod 23 is vertically inserted and supported on the shell-shaped tip end side of the gear case 25 in the casing 26. The shift rod 23 is composed of an upper shift rod 23A extending in the region from the engine unit 11 to the mid unit 12 as described above, and a lower shift rod 23B disposed in the lower unit 13 as shown in FIG. It is substantially divided into two parts. The upper shift rod 23A is rotationally driven via a link mechanism by a driving force of an actuator (not shown) provided on the engine unit 11 side, and the rotation is further reduced via a connecting gear 30 including a pair of drive gears and driven gears. 23B. The connecting portion between the upper shift rod 23 </ b> A and the lower shift rod 23 </ b> B is held by a shift rod housing 31 fixed to the upper surface of the casing 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the shift rod 23, that is, the lower shift rod 23 </ b> B is suspended up to a position that intersects the axial extension line of the propeller shaft 32.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the drive shaft 22 is inserted and supported near the substantially central portion of the casing 26 in the front-rear direction of the leg portion 29. In this case, the drive shaft 22 is rotatably supported in the casing 26 near the upper portion of the leg portion 29 via, for example, a back-to-back tapered roller bearing 33 so that the lower end thereof reaches the gear case 25. It is suspended. A spiral or spiral concave groove 34 is formed in the drive shaft 22 below the tapered roller bearing 33, and a minute gap is formed around the concave groove 34 with the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 22. The collar 35 is fitted with a gap.

  As the drive shaft 22 rotates, the spiral groove 34 has an oil feeding or oil pump function, and an oil circulation path is formed to supply lubricating oil to the main parts and members that require lubrication in the casing 26. Is done. The lubricating oil pump for the engine unit 11 is arranged separately from the groove 34.

  A cooling water pump 36 is attached so as to be axially attached to the drive shaft 22 on the upper surface of the casing 26. The cooling water pump 36 takes in water from the water outside the outboard motor 10 and supplies the cooling water to the engine unit 11 side. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, a water intake 37 is provided near the lower front side of the casing 26, and although detailed illustration is omitted, there is a gap between the cooling water pump 36 and the water intake 37 inside the casing 26. Connected by cooling water channel. Note that a cover 38 having a filter function against foreign matter or the like is attached to the water intake 37.

  As shown in FIG. 4 in the cooling water pump 36, an impeller 39 is fixed to the drive shaft 22, and the impeller 39 is accommodated in a pump case 40. As the drive shaft 22 rotates, pressurized cooling water is discharged from the cooling water pump 36, and the cooling water is supplied through the cooling water pipe 41 and finally supplied to the engine unit 11 side.

  In the gear case 25, as shown in FIG. 4, the propeller shaft 32 is disposed along the front-rear direction, and is rotatably supported via a plurality of bearings 42, 43, and the like. Below the lower end of the drive shaft 22, a pair of front and rear forward (forward) gears 44 and reverse (reverse) gears 45 are rotatably supported via bearings 46 and 47, respectively, concentrically with the propeller shaft 32 and loosely fitted. Is done. These always mesh with a drive gear 48 fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft 22. In this example, the forward gear 44 is disposed on the front Fr side and the reverse gear 45 is disposed on the rear Rr side, and a dog clutch 49 is disposed therebetween.

  In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, an extension body 50 is formed by projecting the gear case 25 so as to extend rearward. The extended body 50 is disposed between the gear case 25 and the propeller boss 24A, and has an outer shape that is smoothly connected to the gear case 25. The outer peripheral surfaces of the two extend an integrated outer shape. The extension body 50 has a separate structure from the gear case 25, but is configured to be detachable from the gear case 25. The propeller boss 24A is pivotally attached to the rear end portion of the propeller shaft 32, and is fastened and fixed by a lock nut.

  When the hull is moved forward in the above configuration, for example, a power transmission path from the forward gear 44 to the propeller shaft 32 is formed via the dog clutch 49 by a shift operation. When the engine 14 is started, the output torque is transmitted from the drive shaft 22 to the propulsion device. That is, the propeller shaft 32 is rotated via the forward gear 44, whereby the propeller 24 rotates integrally with the propeller boss 24A, so that the outboard motor 10 generates a propulsive force, and therefore the hull carrying the propeller moves forward. On the other hand, when the vehicle travels backward, contrary to the above, a power transmission path from the reverse gear 45 to the propeller shaft 32 is formed via the dog clutch 49 by a shift operation. The output torque of the engine 14 is transmitted from the drive shaft 22 to the propeller shaft 32 via the reverse gear 45, whereby the propeller 24 rotates in the reverse direction and the hull moves backward.

  Particularly in the present invention, a propeller 24 as a propulsion device of the outboard motor 10 is attached, and the tip of the underwater unit formed mainly in a shell shape as shown in FIG. It is constituted by a free and separate cone 1. Regarding the shape and the like of the cone 1, a geometric cone is a basic shape, but as shown in FIG. 5, the peripheral surface of the cone is convex outward, that is, formed by a convex curved surface bulging outward, A small R (R) is attached to the tip. Further, the outer surface of the cone 1 is smoothly continuous with the gear case 25 main body. The front end edge of the leg 29 extends downward while pushing forward, but the cone 1 protrudes further forward than the leg 29 so protruding.

  A synthetic resin material is suitable as a material for forming the cone 1 and is integrally formed in a conical shape as described above. As will be described later, an ultrasonic sensor is mounted in the cone 1 so that the ultrasonic wave transmitted or received by the ultrasonic sensor can be substantially transmitted through the material of the cone 1. .

  As shown in FIG. 6, a storage unit 3 for storing the ultrasonic sensor 2 is provided inside the cone 1 that forms the tip of the underwater unit. The ultrasonic sensor 2 is configured as a unit including a vibrator, and is connected to a lead wire 2a for transmitting a driving signal and a reception signal of the vibrator. The ultrasonic sensor 2 is accurately housed and fixed without rattling in the housing 3, but is arranged so that the ultrasonic beam is transmitted downward.

  Since the ultrasonic sensor 2 is arranged as described above, that is, the ultrasonic wave needs to be transmitted downward at the tip of the underwater unit, the cone 1 has the ultrasonic beam directed downward. It is attached to the tip of the underwater unit at such an angle. In order to define the relative angle between the cone 1 and the gear case 25 (specifically, the rotational angle around the axis of the propeller shaft 32), the knock 4 is driven between them as shown in FIG. The knock 4 is set using an appropriate empty space on the mating surface of the cone 1 and the gear case 25.

  Further, a wiring passage 5 is formed in the vicinity of the front end edge of the leg portion 29 along the substantially vertical direction, and this wiring passage 5 communicates with the storage portion 3 extending forward and downward. The lead wire 2 a connected to the ultrasonic sensor 2 stored in the storage unit 3 is inserted through the wiring passage 5, routed to and connected to the fish detector installed in the outboard motor 10. The ultrasonic sensor 2 and its lead wire 2a are waterproofed. Further, the storage portion 3 and the wiring passage 5 are not communicated with other portions in the casing 26, that is, are isolated from each other, and these members and portions have a waterproof structure in which high water tightness is ensured.

  In the above case, the cone 1 is detachable from the gear case 25 main body, but it is also possible to fix the cone 1 by extending fastening means such as bolts from the inner side of the gear case 25. is there. In that case, a nut or the like to be screwed with the bolt or the like can be embedded in the cone 1 by insert molding or the like. Alternatively, by utilizing the flexibility of the synthetic resin, means such as engaging the claws provided on the cone 1 with the gear case 25 main body and coupling them together is also possible. The attachment and fixing method of the cone 1 is not limited to these, and an adhesive having high water resistance can be used, and an appropriate means or method is selected as necessary.

  Since the ultrasonic sensor 2 is attached to the outboard motor 10 itself at the tip of the underwater unit, there is no need for installation or installation work on the hull side. In other words, installation work such as drilling in the hull and installation space on the hull side are unnecessary, and the cost and labor for that can be greatly reduced.

  Since the ultrasonic sensor 2 mounted on the outboard motor 10 is housed at the tip of the underwater unit, it is normally reliably placed in the water as shown in FIG. 8A and functions as a sensor. The optimal installation location for the is secured. In this case, the cone 1 is integrally coupled to the gear case 25 main body at the tip of the underwater unit. By attaching the ultrasonic sensor 2 to the cone 1, the front projection area of the underwater unit is not affected at all, and there is no concern that the efficiency of the outboard motor 10 is reduced. That is, the ultrasonic sensor 2 can be installed while improving the efficiency of the outboard motor 10.

Since the position of the ultrasonic sensor 2 mounted in this manner is regulated so that the ultrasonic beam is always directed downward and transmitted, an appropriate and good function as a fish detector is ensured.
On the other hand, when the ultrasonic sensor 100 is installed on the hull side as shown in FIG. 8B, the attitude of the ultrasonic sensor 100 is affected by the attitude of the ultrasonic sensor 100 when the attitude of the hull changes at the start of the ship. It becomes unstable.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated with various embodiment, this invention is not limited only to these embodiment, A change etc. are possible within the scope of the present invention.
The arrangement position, the number, and the like of the knocks 4 described in the above embodiment can be appropriately set as necessary.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cone, 2 Ultrasonic sensor, 2a Lead wire, 3 Storage part, 4 Knock, 5 Wiring path, 10 Outboard motor, 11 Engine unit, 12 Mid unit, 13 Lower unit, 14 Engine, 20 Clamp bracket, 22 Drive Shaft, 23 Shift rod, 24 Propeller, 25 Gear case, 26 Casing, 29 Leg, 36 Cooling water pump, 42, 43 Bearing, 44 Forward gear, 45 Reverse gear, 49 Dog clutch.

Claims (7)

A submersible unit of an outboard motor formed in a shell shape with an outboard motor propulsion device attached,
An underwater unit for an outboard motor, wherein the bullet-shaped tip is a separate cone that is detachable.   The underwater unit for an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the conical body forming the tip portion is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.   The submersible unit for an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a storage portion for an ultrasonic sensor is provided inside the cone that forms the tip portion. A submersible unit of an outboard motor formed in a shell shape with an outboard motor propulsion device attached,
An underwater unit for an outboard motor, wherein an ultrasonic sensor is disposed inside the tip of the bullet type.   5. The underwater unit for an outboard motor according to claim 4, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is disposed inside a cone having the tip portion formed separately.   6. The underwater unit for an outboard motor according to claim 5, wherein the conical body forming the tip portion is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.   The underwater unit for an outboard motor according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is arranged so that ultrasonic waves are transmitted in a downward direction.

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