NZ299806A

NZ299806A - Propeller having transmission units located between slots of inner driving unit and outer thrust unit with latter having blades and ribs between inner and outer shaft naves

Info

Publication number: NZ299806A
Application number: NZ299806A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Yeun-Junn Lin
Original assignee: Lin Yeun Junn
Priority date: 1996-10-10
Filing date: 1996-11-22
Publication date: 1997-12-19
Also published as: NO964920D0; FR2755093B3; GB9622743D0; BR9604766A; DE29618257U1; CA2187605A1; AU7021696A; FR2755093A3; PT101954A; NL1004600C2; GB2318835A; NO964920L

Abstract

A propeller 10 for an outboard engine comprises a hub 20 comprising an outer shaft nave 21, an inner shaft nave 22 having a first axial hole 23 coaxial with said outer shaft nave 21, and a plurality of ribs 25 (which may be plate like or arcuate(fig. 4)) located between the inner edge of the outer shaft nave 21 and the outer edge of the inner shaft nave 22. The first axial hole 23 is provided in the inner wall thereof with a plurality of first retaining slots 24. A driving unit 14, which in use is splined to the shaft 17, of an outboard motor, is received in the first axial hole 23 and is provided in the outer periphery thereof with a plurality of second retaining slots 43. Relatively weak (plastics or alloy), rectangular or circular (fig. 7), transmission units 16 are disposed between the inner shaft nave 22 and the driving unit 14 such that they are engaged with the first retaining slots 24 and the second retaining slots 43. The transmission units 16, are easily replaced and the number of transmission units can be selected according to the power to be transmitted.

Description

New Zealand No. International No. 299806 PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 22.11.1996 Complete Specification Filed: 22.11.1996 Classification:^) B63H1/14,20; B63H20/00 Publication date: 19 December 1997 Journal No.: 1423 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Propeller Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: YEUN-JUNN LIN, a Taiwanese citizen of 5F, No. 23, Lane 10, Tian Bao Street, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China 29 9 8 06 nx patent office 2 2 NOV 1996 received Patents Form No. 5 Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PROPELLER I, Yeun-Junn LIN, of 5F, No. 23, Lane 10, Tian Bao Street, Taichung, Taiwan, REPUBLIC OF CHINA, a citizen of Taiwan, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us,-and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 (followed by la) PROPELLER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a propeller, and more particularly to an innovative propeller designed for use. in the water vehicle, such as boat, powerboat, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional boat propeller is mainly composed of a cylindrical hub, a plurality of blades fastened at an interval with the periphery of the hub, a cylindrical hub sleeve fitted over the inner hub such that the hub sleeve is linked with the end of a driving shaft which is driven by an engine, and a rubber layer lodged intimately between the outer edge of the hub sleeve and the inner edge of the hub.

In operation, the retaining groove of the driving shaft of the engine is engaged with the retaining strip of the hub sleeve for transmitting the torsion output to the hub via the hub sleeve and the rubber layer, so as to actuate the blades to generate the propulsive force. la 299806 The boat propeller In operation is immersed in water and located outside the boat hull. As a result, the blades of the propeller are prone to hit the foreign objects present in the water. The purpose of the rubber layer is to alleviate the impact of the foreign objects on the blades. In addition , the sliding action of the rubber layer in the hub can also serve to protect the blades.

However, the use of the rubber layer often results in the shortcomings, which are expounded explicitly hereinafter.

It is technically difficult to produce the rubber layer which has the uniform density throughout the rubber layer. In addition, the rubber layer is subject to deformation when it is forced into the hub. As a result, die rubber layer is located in the hub such that the hub is moved aside from the intended position located between the axis of the shaft sleeve and the axis of the hub. For this reason, the engine torsion can not be fully realized.

The aging of the rubber layer is inevitable, especially when the rubber layer is immersed in the water often. As a result of the inevitable ageing of the rubber layer, the service life span of the conventional propeller is shortened.

The damaged or worn-out rubber layer can not be easily removed from the interior of the hub without the help of a specialized tool as well as a skilled technician. In addition, the mounting of a new rubber layer inside the hub calls for the use of a specialized tool.

The conventional propeller is suitable for use in conjunction with ^9 9 8 0 6 an engine having a small output torsion in view of the fact that the rubber layer is limited in the transmission and the absorption of torsion, and that the rubber layer is susceptible to skidding.

The engine driving shafts of the water vehicle are not standardized such that the engine driving shafts of various sizes are available. In order to capture the market share, the makers of the conventional propeller are forced by the market demand to produce the propellers of various sizes, thereby resulting in an increase in die inventory cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved propeller which is free from the rubber layer.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide an improved propeller which can be mounted and dismounted without the help of a skilled technician.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide ah improved propeller which is cost-effective.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an improved propeller capable of being adjusted in the torsion transmission thereof by a person without the help of a skilled technician.

In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the 299 806 foregoing objectives of the present invention are attained by a propeller, which comprises a thrust unit, a driving unit, and a plurality of transmission units located between the thrust unit and the driving unit. The thrust unit comprises a hub and a plurality of blades made integrally with a periphery of the hub. The hub is provided with a cylindrical outer shaft nave, an inner shaft nave having a first axial hole coaxial with the outer shaft nave, and a plurality of ribs located between the inner periphery of the outer shaft nave and the outer periphery of the inner shaft nave. The first axial hole is provided in the inner wall thereof with a plurality of first retaining slots of a predetermined length and extending in the axial direction of the first axial hole. The driving unit is received in the first axial hole and is provided in the outer periphery thereof with a plurality of second retaining slots of a predetermined length and extending in the axial direction of the driving unit. The transmission units are disposed between the inner shaft nave and the driving unit such that they are engaged with the first retaining slots and the second retaining slots. The transmission of the engine torsion is thus brought about by the transmission units.

The foregoing objectives, features, functions and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I 2 2 OCT 1997 LiZjgjSm} FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with a conventional 299806 FIG. 2 shows a sectional view taken along the axial direction of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by a line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by the line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2 for illustrating a second preferred embodiment of die present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by the line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2 for illustrating a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by the line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2 for illustrating a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by the line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2 for illustrating a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION i As shown in FIGS. 1-3, 6 and 7, a propeller 10 embodied in the present invention is composed of a thrust unit 12, a driving unit 14, and a plurality of transmission units 16 located between the thrust unit 12 and 29 y 80# the driving unit 14.

The thrust unit 12 has a hub 20 and four spiral blades 27 which are made integrally with the hub 20 such that they are arranged equiangularly on the outer edge of the hub 20. The hub 20 has a cylindrical out shaft nave 21 for mounting each of the blades 27, and a cylindrical inner shaft nave 22 located in the inside of the outer shaft nave 21 and provided with a first axial hole 23 coaxial with the outer shaft nave 21. The first axial hole 23 is provided in the wall thereof with eight first retaining slots 24 which are of a predetermined length and arranged equiangularly along the axial direction of the first axial hole 23. The outer edge of the inner shaft nave 22 and the inner edge of the outer shaft nave 21 are provided therebetween with four ribs 25, which are made integrally therewith and arranged equiangularly. Located among the ribs 25 are four through holes 26. which pass through the front end and the read end of the hub 20.

The driving unit 14 is tubular in shape and is provided with a second axial hole 40 having an appropriate wall thickness. The driving unit 14 is received in the inner shaft nave 22 such that a shoulder 41 of the inner shaf. nave 22 is retained by the front end (having a greater outer diameter) of the driving unit 14. The second axial hole 40 is provided in the inner wall thereof with a plurality of racks 42 of a predetermined length and extending along the axial direction of the second axial hole 40. The drive unit 14 is provided in the outer edge thereof with eight second retaining slots 43 of an appropriate length and extending along the axial direction of the second axial hole 40. The second retaining slots 43 are opposite in location to the first retaining slots 24 and are similar in cross sectional profile to the first retaining slots 24. w.. ■ :\.MTOFFICE 2 2 OCT 1997 6 "2 9 9 B 0 6 Each of the transmission units 16 is made of a material, such as an engineering plastic material or an aluminum alloy material, which is weaker in strength than the materials of which the inner shaft nave 22 and the driving unit 14 are made. The transmission units 16 have a length less than or equal to the length of the retaining slots 24. 43 and a striplike shape with a rectangular shape or circular cross section and are disposed between the first retaining slots 24 and the second retaining slots 43.

The driving unit 14 is engaged with one end of a driving shaft 17 of an engine (not shown in the drawing) such that the driving unit 14 is fitted into the inner shaft nave 22 of the thrust unit 14. The four transmission units 16 are disposed respectively between the first retaining slot 24 and the second retaining slot 43 such that the rear end of the transmission unit 16 and the inner shaft nave 22 are retained by an arresting piece 18. The driving unit 14 is secured to the driving shaft 17 by fastening a nut 19. The driving unit 14 is actuated by the driving shaft 17 to rotate at a high speed so as to drive the thrust unit 12 via the transmission units 16 to generate the propulsive force.

As described above, the propeller 10 of the present invention is devoid of the rubber layer of the conventional propeller and is therefore provided with an excellent equilibrium and a relatively longer service life span. In addition, the magnitude of the output torsion of the propeller 10 of the present invention can be adjusted handily in accordance with the engine horsepower of the boat, without the assistance of a skilled mechanic. Such an adjustment as referred to above can be easily attained by adjusting the quantity of the transmission units 14 to enable ihe^Qgme f *t.Z. torsion to be fully converted into the thrust. It must be noted hpr*that the., magnitude of torsion transmitted by the transmission units* 16 d^tlftPr 2 9 9 8 0 6 propeller 10 of the present invention is directly proportional to the quantity of the transmission units 16 at work.

The propeller 10 of die present invention is cost-effective such that the expensive driving unit 14 and the thrust unit 12 are well protected at the expense of the transmission units 16 which are made of a less expensive material and are subject to sacrifice at such time when the blades 27 are overloaded or exerted on by the impact of a foreign object present in the water. In case of the destruction of the transmission units 14 under such a distressing circumstance as described above, the damaged or destroyed transmission units 14 can be easily replaced with the new ones by first disengaging the nut 19 and the arresting piece 18 so as to remove the thrust unit 12 and the driving unit 14 in order to facilitate the removing of the fragments of die transmission units 16. Thereafter, the new transmission units 16 are mounted between die first retaining slots 24 and the second retaining slots 43 in place of the retired transmission units 16.

The inventory cost of the propeller 10 of the present invention is relatively and substantially low in view of the feet that the specifications of the thrust unit 12, the first retaining slots 24 and the second retaining slots 43 are standardized, and that only the transmission units 14 are made in accordance with the specifications of the engine driving shafts of various boat makers.

The propeller 10 of the present invention is devoid of the rubber layer of the conventional propeller and is provided with a plurality of through holes 26 formed between the outer shaft nave 21 and the inner shaft nave 22 to serve as passageways of the exhaust gas produced by the engine. In other words, the propeller 10 of the present invention is 8 relatively energy-efficient.

Y9 9 8 0$ The embodiment of die present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being merely illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from die spirit thereof. For example, the ribs 25 of the thrust unit 12 of the propeller 10 of the present invention may have an S-shaped cross section, as shown in FIG. 3, so as to enhance the shock-absorbing effect of die ribs 25 for protecting the outer shaft nave 21 and the blades 27. Moreover, the ribs 25 may be modified such thaf the ribs 25 are arcuate in shape and that the ribs 25 extend outwards from the outer edge of the inner shaft nave 22 along the tangential direction of die inner shaft nave 22, as shown in FIG. 4. In addition, die driving unit 14 of die propeller 10 of the present invention may have an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the first axial hole 23, so as to dispose the driving unit 14 in the inner shaft nave 22 such that the outer edge of the* driving unit 14 and the inner wall of the first axial hole 23 form therebetween a ring-shaped gap 44, as shown in FIG. 5. The gap 44 is corresponding in location to those transmission units 16 which are disposed between the first retaining slots 24 and the second retaining slots 43. As a result, the gap 44 serves as a buffer zone for alleviating die impact brought about at such time when the propeller 10 is hit violendy by a foreign object present in the water. The present invention is therefore to be limited only by the scopes of the following appended claims. 9

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: ^99 806

1. A propeller comprising: a thrust unit having a hub and a plurality of blades made integrally with a periphery of said hub. said hub comprising a cylindrical outer shaft nave and an inner shaft nave having a first axial hole coaxial with said outer shaft nave, said first axial hole provided in an inner wall thereof with a plurality of first retaining slots of a predetermined length and extending in an axial direction of said first axial hole, said hub further comprising a plurality of ribs made integrally with said hub such that said ribs are located between an inner periphery of said outer shaft nave and an outer periphery of said inner shaft nave; a driving unit received in said first axial hole and provided in an outer periphery thereof with a plurality of second retaining slots of a predetermined length and extending in an axial direction of said driving unit; and at least one transmission unit disposed between said inner shaft nave and said driving unit such that said transmission unit is engaged with one of said first retaining slots and one of said second retaining slots.

2. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said driving unit has a predetermined length and a second axial hole of a predetermined length and extending along an axial direction of said driving unit, said second axial hole provided in an inner wall thereof with a plurality of retaining strips of a predetermined length and extending along an axial direction of J—— • said second axial hole. 10 22 CCT 1997 ' 'r'\ ^9 9 8 0 6

3. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said first retaining slots have one end extending to the rear end of said inner shaft nave; wherein said second retaining slots have one end extending to the rear end of said driving unit; and wherein said transmission unit is received in one of said first retaining slots and one of said second retaining slots via said rear end of said inner shaft nave and said rear end of said driving unit.

4. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said ribs of said thrust unit have a cross-sectional profile with a predetermined portion thereof being arcuate in shape.

5. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said ribs of said thrust unit are of a platelike construction. «

6. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said driving unit has an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of said first axial hole; and wherein said outer periphery of said driving unit and said inner wall of said first axial hole are provided therebetween a ring-shaped gap.

7. The propeller as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmission unit has a length equal to or less than the length of the said retaining slots and a rectangular cross section.

8. The propeller as defined in claim 1. wherein said transmission unit has a circular cross section. f n OCT 199? 2998 0 6

9. A propeller as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in figures 1-3, or any one of figures 4-7 inclusive, of the accompanying drawings. YEUN-JUNN LIN. by his authorised agents, P L. BERRY & ASSOCIATES. END OF CLAIMS N.2. PATENT OFFICE 2 2 NOV 1996 RECEIVCD 12