U.S. patent application number 10/172344 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-18 for multiple part cowl structure for an outboard motor.
This patent application is currently assigned to BRUNSWICK CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Alby, Jeremy L., Gunderson, Martin E. Olson, Halley, Stuart M., Krupp, Timothy D., Uppgard, Darin C., Walczak, Thomas J., Zebley, John F. JR..
Application Number | 20030232548 10/172344 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29733033 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030232548 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alby, Jeremy L. ; et
al. |
December 18, 2003 |
MULTIPLE PART COWL STRUCTURE FOR AN OUTBOARD MOTOR
Abstract
A cowl structure comprises first and second cowl members that
are independent components. A first cowl member is attachable, by a
latch mechanism, to a support structure of the outboard motor. The
second cowl member is attachable by a latch mechanism, to both the
first cowl member and the support structure. The first cowl member
extends across a rear portion of the outboard motor and at least
partially along both port and starboard sides of the outboard
motor. The second cowl member extends across a front portion of the
outboard motor and at least partially along the port and starboard
sides of the outboard motor. In a preferred embodiment, the second
cowl member also extends partially over a top portion of the
outboard motor and over a rear portion of the outboard motor.
Inventors: |
Alby, Jeremy L.; (Oshkosh,
WI) ; Gunderson, Martin E. Olson; (Oshkosh, WI)
; Halley, Stuart M.; (Brownsville, WI) ; Krupp,
Timothy D.; (Fond du Lac, WI) ; Uppgard, Darin
C.; (Neshkoro, WI) ; Walczak, Thomas J.;
(Oconomowoc, WI) ; Zebley, John F. JR.; (Fond du
Lac, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Director of Intellectual Property
Mercury Marine, Division of Brunswick
W6250 Pioneer Road
P.O. Box 1939
Fond du Lac
WI
54936-1939
US
|
Assignee: |
BRUNSWICK CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
29733033 |
Appl. No.: |
10/172344 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
440/77 ;
123/195P |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02B 61/045
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
440/77 ;
123/195.00P |
International
Class: |
B63H 020/32; B63H
021/36 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An outboard motor, comprising: a first cowl member which is
attachable to a support structure of said outboard motor, said
first cowl member being extendable across a rear portion of said
outboard motor and at least partially extendable along both port
and starboard sides of said outboard motor; and a second cowl
member which is attachable to said support structure and to said
first cowl member, said second cowl member being extendable across
a front portion of said outboard motor and at least partially
extendable along said port and starboard sides of said outboard
motor.
2. The outboard motor of claim 1, further comprising: said support
structure; and a first latch mechanism for attaching said first
cowl member to said support structure.
3. The outboard motor of claim 2, further comprising: a second
latch mechanism for attaching said first cowl member to said second
cowl member.
4. The outboard motor of claim 1, wherein: said first cowl member
comprises a groove which is shaped to receive a protruding edge
formed on said support structure.
5. The outboard motor of claim 1, further comprising: a hinge about
which said second cowl member is rotatable relative to said support
structure.
6. The outboard motor of claim 1, wherein: said first and second
cowl members are supported by said support structure.
7. The outboard motor of claim 1, further comprising: an internal
combustion engine disposed under said first and second cowl members
and supported by said support structure through isolating resilient
mounts.
8. The outboard motor of claim 1, wherein: said second cowl extends
at least partially over a top portion of said outboard motor.
9. The outboard motor of claim 1, wherein: said second cowl extends
at least partially over a rear portion of said outboard motor.
10. An outboard motor, comprising: a support structure; an internal
combustion engine supported by said support structure; a first cowl
member which is attachable to said support structure, said first
cowl member extending across a rear portion of said outboard motor
and at least partially on both port and starboard sides of said
outboard motor; and a second cowl member which is attachable to
said support structure and to an upper segment of said first cowl
member, said second cowl member extending across a front portion of
said outboard motor and at least partially on said port and
starboard sides of said outboard motor.
11. The outboard motor of claim 10, further comprising: a first
latch mechanism for attaching said first cowl member to said
support structure; and a second latch mechanism for attaching said
first cowl member to said second cowl member.
12. The outboard motor of claim 11, further comprising: a drive
shaft housing attached to said support structure; and a drive shaft
connected in torque transmitting association with said internal
combustion engine and disposed within said drive shaft housing.
13. The outboard motor of claim 12, further comprising: a hinge
about which said second cowl member is rotatable relative to said
support structure, said first cowl member comprising a groove which
is shaped to receive a protruding edge formed on said support
structure, said first and second cowl members being supported by
said support structure.
14. The outboard motor of claim 13, further comprising: an internal
combustion engine disposed under said first and second cowl members
and supported by said support structure through isolating resilient
mounts, said second cowl extending at least partially over a top
portion of said outboard motor and said second cowl extending at
least partially over a rear portion of said outboard motor.
15. An outboard motor, comprising: a first cowl member which is
attachable to a support structure of said outboard motor, said
first cowl member being extendable across a rear portion of said
outboard motor and at least partially extendable along both port
and starboard sides of said outboard motor; and a second cowl
member which is attachable to said support structure and to said
first cowl member, said second cowl member being extendable across
a front portion of said outboard motor and at least partially
extendable along said port and starboard sides of said outboard
motor.
16. The outboard motor of claim 15, further comprising: said
support structure; a first latch mechanism for attaching said first
cowl member to said support structure; a second latch mechanism for
attaching said first cowl member to said second cowl member.
17. The outboard motor of claim 16, wherein: said first cowl member
comprises a groove which is shaped to receive a protruding edge
formed on said support structure.
18. The outboard motor of claim 17, further comprising: a hinge
about which said second cowl member is rotatable relative to said
support structure, said first and second cowl members being
supported by said support structure.
19. The outboard motor of claim 18, further comprising: an internal
combustion engine disposed under said first and second cowl members
and supported by said support structure through isolating resilient
mounts, said second cowl extending at least partially over a top
portion of said outboard motor.
20. The outboard motor of claim 19, wherein: said second cowl
extends at least partially over a rear portion of said outboard
motor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a cowl structure
for an outboard motor and, more particularly, to a cowl structure
that incorporates multiple pieces that are shaped to be attached
together to form a cowl of an outboard motor.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Various types of cowls are well known to those skilled in
the art. Also, various latching mechanisms, for use in conjunction
with cowls, are well known to those skilled in the art.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,468, which issued to Boda et al on Nov.
7, 1989, discloses a cowl assembly for an outboard motor. The cowl
assembly has an upper cowl section and a lower cowl section and
includes various features for improving the structural integrity of
the cowl assembly and for providing a water resistance seal at the
joint between the cowl sections and at various points of entry of
cables and other mechanical devices. A cut-out portion in the side
of the lower cowl assembly is adapted to receive various cables and
shift levers for different configurations of outboard marine motors
(e.g. a manual tiller operated motor including shift controls, a
manual tiller operated motor having a separate shift lever and a
remote control motor having throttle and shift cables leading into
the engine cavity). A sealing mechanism is provided at the cut-out
portion of the lower assembly, to provide a water resistant seal at
the points of entry of the cables or shift lever through the lower
cowl section.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,883, which issued to Slattery on Oct.
24, 1989, discloses a latch assembly for releasably securing cowl
sections of an outboard motor. The cowl assembly for an outboard
motor includes an upper cowl section and a lower cowl section and
is provided with an improved latch assembly. The latch assembly
incorporates a pivotal hook connected to one of the cowl sections
which is engageable with a hook engaging member provided on a catch
mechanism connected to the other cowl section. Due to the presence
of the compressible seal between the upper and lower cowl sections,
relative vertical movement is possible therebetween and thereby
between the hook and the hook engaging member. The improved latch
mechanism incorporates a retainer mechanism for preventing
disengagement of the hook from the catch mechanism during such
relative vertical movement of the cowl sections for ensuring that
the cowl sections remain secure together during compression of the
compressible seal between the cowl sections.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,526, which issued to Kusche on May 11,
1976, discloses a cowl apparatus for outboard motors. An outboard
motor cowl includes separate starboard and port cowl members which
are each individually, removably hinged to the rear of the engine
by a pair of space hinge units which allow separate attachment and
removal of the cowl halves. The forward ends of the cowl members
are releasably connected to separate and independent mounts. The
uppermost aft hinge unit is visible from the front of the motor.
Each hinge unit includes a receptacle secured to a mounting plate
and a hinge pin secured to the inside of the cowl member in
slightly spaced relation to the aft edge. The receptacle is spaced
from a back edge sealing bracket and includes a guide member to
receive and guide the cowl member. The top hinge pin is longer than
the lowermost pin and serves to pilot the lower pin into the proper
position. The hinge receptacle and pin support include interfering
members which hold the cowl downward in the normal closed position
and requires slight pivotal movement of the cowl to release the
hold down members. The front of the cowl members is suspended by a
cowl pin which engages an oval shaped ring as the cowl member is
pivoted to the closed position. The lower ring is secured to a
front bracket plate having resilient clamping pads on the ends
which cooperate with similar resilience clamping pads in the
adjacent cowl to support the throttle cable to one side and the gas
line to the opposite side.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,751, which issued to Takahashi on Jan.
23, 2001, describes an engine cover unit of an outboard motor. The
engine is covered by an engine cover unit and the engine cover unit
comprises a lower cover section covering a surrounding of a lower
portion of an engine in a usable state of an outboard motor
arranged vertically, an upper cover section covering a surrounding
of an upper portion of the engine, the upper cover section being
mounted to be detachable to the lower cover section so as to
provide an engine cover when mounted, and a height adjusting device
provided for an inside surface of the lower cover section and
adapted to adjust a height of the engine cover. The height
adjusting device comprises a holder mounting section integrally
mounted to the inside portion of the lower cover section and formed
with a holder insertion groove, a cushion holder to be inserted
into the holder insertion groove, an elastic member mounted to the
cushion holder to be movable in an axial direction thereof, and a
rib member provided to the upper cover section, the rib member
having an end portion abutting against the elastic member in a
state that the upper cover section is closed.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,616, which issued to Takayanagi on Feb.
15, 2000, describes an engine cover of an outboard motor. The
outboard motor includes an engine which is covered by an engine
cover which is formed with a cylindrical air suction port having an
opening opened to an upper surface of the engine cover in a state
of the outboard motor mounted to a hull and a portion of an opening
area of the opening is covered by a lid member which is formed to a
rear edge portion of the opening.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,827, which issued to Ichihashi on Jul.
13, 1999, describes an outboard motor. The outboard motor includes
an engine bottom cover member which is disposed in a space between
a front portion of an under cover and an upper portion of an
outboard motor attachment mechanism and conceals a bottom end
portion of an engine from view at least in a lateral direction of
the outboard motor. The outboard motor has a concealed engine
bottom portion which is sightly in appearance. The engine bottom
cover member is formed integrally with an under cover and, hence,
it can be assembled automatically when the under cover is attached
to the under case.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,777, which issued to Hiraoka on Sep. 8,
1998, describes a latch for an outboard motor protective cowling. A
latching assembly for engaging and disengaging an upper cover
portion and lower tray portion of a cowling of an outboard motor is
described. The lower tray portion includes a recess in which part
of the latching assembly is located. The latching assembly includes
a shaft mounted to the lower tray portion. A latch is rotatably
secured to the shaft and movable between an engaged and disengaged
position. The latch is disposed within the recess when engaged so
that it is flush with the exterior of the cowling. A catch is
mounted to the upper cover portion and is engageable by the latch
hook. A mechanism for biasing the latch to the engaged or
disengaged position is provided for preventing the latch from
moving from the engaged or disengaged position.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,208, which issued to Westberg on Mar.
17, 1992, describes a motor cover seal. The seal is intended for
use in sealing opposed edges of upper and lower outboard motor
covers and includes an elongate body constructed and arranged for
disposition between the opposed edges of the upper and lower
covers. An attachment portion on the body is configured to be
secured to the lower motor cover and a compressible portion on the
body is configured to be compressed by the closing of the upper
motor cover against the lower motor cover.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,643, which issued to Westberg et al on
Dec. 3, 1991, describes a molded lower motor cover. A molded lower
motor cover for an outboard motor includes a first cover portion
and a second cover portion. The second cover portion is generally a
mirror image of the first cover portion. A laterally opening groove
formation is disposed generally horizontally relative to an
interface of an outer wall of each of the cover portions and each
groove formation is integrally joined to the wall by a web
configured so that its attachment to the interface will not be
visible on the external surface of the outer wall. When the first
and second cover portions are fastened to each other, the groove
formations sealingly accommodate an upper portion of the motor
exhaust housing.
[0014] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/880,380 (M09531) which
was filed on Jun. 13, 2001, discloses a structural support system
for an outboard motor. The support system is provided for an
outboard motor which uses four connectors attached to a support
structure and to an engine system for isolating vibration from
being transmitted to the marine vessel to which the outboard is
attached. Each connector comprises an elastomeric portion for the
purpose of isolating the vibration. Furthermore, the four
connectors are disposed in a common plane which is generally
perpendicular to a central axis of a driveshaft of an outboard
motor. Although precise perpendicularity with the driveshaft axis
is not required, it has been determined that if the plane extending
through the connectors is within forty-five degrees of
perpendicularity with the driveshaft axis, improved vibration
isolation can be achieved. A support structure, or support saddle,
completely surrounds the engine system in the plane of the
connectors. All of the support of the outboard motor is provided by
the connectors within the plane, with no additional support
provided at a lower position on the outboard motor driveshaft
housing.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,236, which issued to Dunham et al on
Aug. 16, 1994, describes a latch mechanism for an outboard motor
cowl assembly. The outboard motor comprises a propulsion unit
including a propeller shaft and a power head drivingly connected to
the propeller shaft, and a cowling surrounding the power head, the
cowling comprising a first cover member including an outer surface
having therein a recess, a second cover member mating with the
first member, and a selectively engageable latch mechanism for
securing the second member to the first member, the latch mechanism
including a latch handle which is supported by the first member,
which is movable in a first direction between a flush position
wherein the latch handle is in the recess and is flush with the
remainder of the outer surface and a non-flush position wherein the
latch handle extends from the recess and which is movable in a
second direction to engage and disengage the latch mechanism.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,248, which issued to Daleiden et al on
Jun. 9, 1992, discloses a cam-type latching mechanism for securing
cowl sections together. The latch mechanism for securing upper and
lower cowl sections of an outboard motor is described. The latch
system comprises a catch assembly located at one end of the cowl
assembly and a latch mechanism located at the other end of the
assembly. The catch assembly includes a catch block mounted to one
of the cowl sections with a catch slot formed in the catch block. A
roller member is mounted to the other of the cowl sections for
engaging the catch slot. The catch slot is formed so as to provide
an end wall against which the roller is maintained when the cowl
sections are secured together with the material of the catch block
engaging the roller member to prevent relative vertical movement
between the cowl sections. A cam block is located at the same end
of the cowl assembly as the latch mechanism and is mounted to one
of the cowl sections. A cam follower is mounted to the other of the
cowl sections and engages a cam surface formed on the cam block for
facilitating movement of the roller member into the catch slot. A
stationary latch member is engageable by a movable latch member in
response to movement of a latch handle to maintain the cam follower
within the cam slot and thereby to maintain the catch rollers
within the catch slots. Relative vertical and horizontal movement
between the cowl sections is thus prevented.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,194, which issued to Wagner on May 22,
1990, describes a interlock latch assembly for releasably securing
cowl sections of an outboard motor. An interlock mechanism is
provided for a latch assembly which releasably secures upper and
lower cowl sections of an outboard motor. The interlock mechanism
is movable between a locking position and released position and is
normally disposed in its locking position, such as by a coil
spring. The interlock mechanism is mounted to the latch handle
which is pivotably mounted to one of the cowl sections. A hook is
interconnected with the latch handle and is engageable with a catch
assembly provided on the other of the cowl sections. The interlock
assembly normally engages a stationary engagement pin provided on
one of the cowl sections, which prevents accidental pivoting
movement of the latch handle. The interlock mechanism is manually
movable to its released position so that the latch handle can be
pivoted so as to disengage the hook from the catch mechanism.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,396, which issued to Crane et al on Jul.
15, 1986, discloses a cowl latch for outboard motors. A latch for a
cowl of an outboard motor engine includes a catch mounted on one of
the cowl members. A lever is pivotally attached to the other cowl
member and resilient spring member is pivotally attached to the
lever. The lever and spring member act to provide an overcenter
action on the lever when the latch is closed. The lever includes a
shield to conceal the latch assembly.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,194, which issued to Walsh on Sep. 7,
1982, describes a cowl for an outboard motor. A cowl for the power
head of an outboard motor includes two bottom cowl members attached
together by screws which also mount a latch bracket and a hinge
member. The latch bracket supports a latch mechanism which, with
the hinge member serves to hold a top cowl member in place.
[0020] The patents described above are hereby expressly
incorporated by reference in the description of the present
invention.
[0021] As described above, many different types of engine covers,
or cowls, are well known to those skilled in the art. Some of the
cowls are formed in two pieces that are assembled together to
provide a covering for the engine of the outboard motor. Some of
the patents described above relate to the upper cowl assembly for
an outboard motor and others relate to the lower cowl. Several of
the patents described above describe latching mechanisms that can
be used to attach one section of a cowl to another section.
[0022] It would be beneficial if a cowl structure could be provided
which allows one section of an upper cowl assembly to be removed
while the other section remains in place and attached to the
outboard motor support assembly. This allows maintenance and
inspection to be provided with regard to the engine and associated
components without necessarily requiring the entire cowl to be
removed. It would also be beneficial if a latching mechanism could
be provided, to attach cowl sections together, which is both easy
to use and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. It would also
be beneficial if the latching mechanism for an outboard motor could
reduce the number of components necessary to form the mechanism,
thus reducing the overall assembly time and the number of metallic
components which add to the weight of the outboard motor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0023] An outboard motor, made in accordance with the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first cowl member
which is attachable to a support structure of an outboard motor.
The first cowl member is extendible across a rear portion of the
outboard motor and at least partially extendible along both port
and starboard sides of the outboard motor. It also comprises a
second cowl member which is attachable to the support structure and
to the first cowl member. The second cowl member is extendible
across a front portion of the outboard motor and at least partially
extendible along the port and starboard sides of the outboard
motor.
[0024] When used in conjunction with an outboard motor, the present
invention further comprises the support structure and a first latch
mechanism for attaching the first cowl member to the support
structure. It also comprises a second latch mechanism for attaching
the first cowl member to the second cowl member. The first cowl
member comprises a groove which is shaped to receive a protruding
edge formed on the support structure. The present invention further
comprises a hinge about which the second cowl member is rotatable
relative to the support structure. The first and second cowl
members are supported by the support structure.
[0025] When used in conjunction with an outboard motor, the present
invention further comprises an internal combustion engine disposed
under the first and second cowl members and supported by the
support structure through isolated resilient mounts. The second
cowl extends at least partially over a top portion of the outboard
motor in a preferred embodiment and also extends at least partially
over a rear portion of the outboard motor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The present invention will be more fully and completely
understood from a reading of the description of the preferred
embodiment in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a side view of an outboard motor made in
accordance with the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cowl portion of the
outboard motor shown in FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a section of a sliding track used in a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a hinge mechanism used in a preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the first and second cowl
members and an air dam cap that is associated with the second cowl
member;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a partial view of the second cowl member, showing
the latch mechanism used to attach the second cowl member to the
first cowl member;
[0033] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the first cowl member being
assembled to a support structure of an outboard motor;
[0034] FIG. 8 shows a latch base portion formed as an integral part
of a second cowl member;
[0035] FIG. 9 shows the base portion of FIG. 8 with additional
components to form the latch mechanism;
[0036] FIG. 10 is a sectioned isometric view of the components of
the latch mechanism of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 11 shows the latch member of the present invention;
and
[0038] FIG. 12 shows the pivot member used to rotatably support the
latch of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0039] Throughout the description of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention, like components will be identified by like
reference numerals.
[0040] FIG. 1 is a side view of an outboard motor 10 made in
accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
It comprises a first cowl member 12 which is attachable to a
support structure 14 of the outboard motor 10. It should be
understood that the present invention is directly related to the
cowl portions above the support structure 14. The cover members
disposed around the support structure 14 are sometimes referred to
as the "lower pan" or "lower cowl", but this structure does not
relate directly to the present invention other than the support it
provides.
[0041] The first cowl member 12 is extendible across a rear portion
16 of the outboard motor 10 and at least partially extendible along
both port and starboard sides of the outboard motor 10. With
respect to the transom 20, which is shown in dashed lines, the view
in FIG. 1 is the starboard side of the outboard motor 10 with the
rear portion 16 toward the left in FIG. 1 and the front portion 22
toward the right. A second cowl member 24 is attachable to both the
support structure 14 and to the first cowl member 12 and is in
contact with the component identified by reference numeral 36 which
will be discussed below. The second cowl member 24 is extendible
across a front portion 22 of the outboard motor 10 and at least
partially extendible along the port and starboard sides of the
outboard motor 10.
[0042] As discussed above, the outboard motor 10 also comprises the
support structure 14, an engine, adapter plate, and driveshaft
housing resiliently supported by the support structure, and a
gearcase 28. As will be described in greater detail below, a first
latch mechanism is provided for attaching the first cowl member 12
to the support structure 14 and a second latch mechanism is
provided for attaching the second cowl 24 to the first cowl 12.
[0043] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the outboard motor 10 is
provided with a transom plate 30 which allows the outboard motor 10
to be rigidly attached to a transom 20 of a marine vessel.
Alternative configurations are also available in which a jack plate
can be provided in association with the transom plate 30 to allow
positional adjustment of the outboard motor relative to the marine
vessel.
[0044] FIG. 2 shows the outboard motor 10 described above in
conjunction with FIG. 1, but with the first and second cowl
members, 12 and 24, illustrated in their open positions. The
purpose of the cowl members is to provide a cover for the internal
combustion engine 34 used as a powerhead for the outboard motor 10.
The first cowl member 12 comprises a groove which is shaped to
receive a protruding edge formed on the support structure 14. FIG.
3 is a simplified representation of the groove which is a part of
the first cowl member 12 which comprises two raised portions, 41
and 42, that define a groove therebetween. The protruding edge 43
of the support structure 14 is received in the groove to guide the
first cowl member 12 as it slides relative to the support structure
with the protruding edge 43 disposed within the groove defined by
the raised portions, 41 and 42, of the first cowl member 12. Arrow
A in FIG. 2 describes the motion of the first cowl member 12
relative to the support structure 14 as it is guided by the groove
and protruding edge 43. This relative motion will be described in
greater detail below in conjunction with a discussion of the
latching mechanism that holds the first cowl member 12 to the
support structure 14.
[0045] FIG. 2 shows the second cowl member 24 rotated clockwise
along the path described by Arrow B. The portion of the cover
identified by reference numeral 36 in FIG. 2 is not directly
related to the present invention, but provides a cover element over
the region where it is located in FIGS. 1 and 2. In certain
embodiments, this cover 36 can comprise two sections to facilitate
assembly, by a plurality of screws, to the support structure
14.
[0046] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the second cowl member 24
is intended to pivot about the region identified by reference
numeral 46. A bracket 48, shown in FIG. 4, is rigidly attached to
the support member 14 and is provided with an opening 50 formed
through it. The opening 50 is shaped to receive a tang 52 that is
attached to the second cowl member 24. In order to assemble the
second cowl member 24 to the support structure 14 and the first
cowl member 12, the tang 52 is inserted into the opening 50 in the
bracket 48 with the second cowl member 24 tilted upwardly as
represented in FIG. 2. Then, with the tang 52 remaining in the
opening 50, the second cowl member 24 is rotated in a
counterclockwise direction downward into contact with the first
cowl member 12 which has previously been moved toward the right in
FIG. 2 and latched to the support structure 14. In other words, the
order of assembly of the cowl members comprises the initial
movement of the first cowl member 12 toward the right in FIG. 2
until it latches firmly with the support structure 14. Then, the
second cowl member 24 is placed in the position shown in FIG. 2,
with the tang 52 inserted into opening 50. The second cowl member
24 is then rotated in a counterclockwise direction into contact
with the first cowl member 12 and the support structure 14. This
places the tang 52 in its relative position within the opening 50
that is illustrated in FIG. 4. In other words, FIG. 4 shows the
tang in its position that it occupies when the second cowl member
24 is fully rotated in a counterclockwise direction and attached to
the first cowl member 12.
[0047] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the first and second cowl
members, 12 and 24, and an air dam cap 60 which is attachable to
the second cowl member 24 in order to cover certain air ducts and
latch mechanisms of the second cowl member 24. In FIG. 5, the air
dam cap 60 is shown separated from its intended position on the
second cowl member 24 in order to allow certain latch components to
be illustrated.
[0048] With continued reference to FIG. 5, it can be seen that two
latch pins, 71 and 72, are attached to the first cowl member 12, or
first cover member, and positioned to be inserted into openings
formed in the second cowl member 24, or second cover member. As
will be described in greater detail below, the second cowl member
24 is provided with a handle 80 that is associated with a push-pull
cable 82 in order to operate two latches, 91 and 92. Latch 91 is
shown within a dashed circle in FIG. 5 and will be described in
greater detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 6, 8, and 9. As can
be seen in FIG. 5, the second cowl member 24 extends at least
partially over a top portion of the outboard motor in addition to
extending around the front, rear, and sides of the outboard motor.
The first cowl member 12 extends around the rear portion 16 of the
outboard motor and at least partially over its port and starboard
sides.
[0049] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the second cowl
member 24. A handle 80 is pivotally attached to the second cowl
member 24 for rotation about an axis 81 in response to manual
movement of the handle 80. A spring 85 is provided to return the
handle 80 to its deactivating position when the operation is not
manually activating the handle 80. A push-pull cable 82 transfers
the manually applied force on the handle 80 to the latches, 91 and
92. A connecting bar 97 transfers force between the first and
second latches, 91 and 92, so that manual manipulation of the
handle 80 will cause both of the latches to release the latch pins,
as will be described in greater detail below. FIG. 6 illustrates
the second cowl member 24 with the air dam cap 60 removed to expose
the latch mechanism, handle 80 and two air intake conduits, 101 and
102.
[0050] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the inside portion of the
support structure 14 with the first cowl member 12 moved slightly
away from its latched position relative to the support structure
14. Arrow A is provided to show the relationship between FIGS. 2
and 7 and the relative positions of the first cowl member 12 and
the support structure 14 in those two figures. In FIG. 7, the first
cowl member 12 is moved away from its latching position relative to
the support structure 14 and to the cover identified by reference
numeral 36. It should also be noted that half of the cover 36 is
not illustrated in FIG. 7 for purposes of clarity and the first
cowl member 12 has been sectioned in order to expose certain
internal components that will be described below.
[0051] As the first cowl member 12 is moved toward the left in FIG.
7, a latch opening 110 moves into position to allow a latch insert
112 to move into it. Until the latch mechanism 114 is manually
deactivated, this relationship holds the first cowl member 12
firmly into position with respect to the support structure 14. As
the first cowl member 12 is moved toward the left in FIG. 7, the
groove between extensions 41 and 42 captures the protruding edge 43
of the support structure 14, as described above. The combination of
the groove, between extensions 41 and 42, and the protruding edge
43, as discussed above in conjunction with FIG. 3, holds the first
cowl member 12 in position relative to the support structure 14 in
combination with the operation of two of the latches 114 described
above.
[0052] With continued reference to FIG. 7, three resilient mounts,
121-123, are visible. A fourth mount is not visible in FIG. 7. This
type of mounting arrangement is described in detail in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/880,380 which was filed on Jun. 13, 2001
(M09531) and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The
resilient mounts, 121-123, support the internal combustion engine
34 and isolate vibrations emanating from the engine. In other
words, the support structure 14 is not subjected to all of the
vibrations of the engine 34. As a result, the first and second cowl
members, 12 and 24, are isolated from those vibrations because they
are attached directly to the support structure 14 and not attached
directly to the engine in a way that would allow those vibrations
to be transmitted to the cowl structure. The cowl members are
isolated from the drive shaft housing by the resilient mounts,
121-123. As a result, they are isolated from the exhaust noise and
vibration from the propeller and propeller shaft. They are also
inherently isolated from the lower pan or lower cowl and from the
chaps that are attached to the drive shaft housing. Because of the
large surface area of the cowl, direct contact between the cowl
structure and engine would allow the transmission of the vibrations
to the cowl and would likely result in excessive movement and noise
during operation of the outboard motor. With reference to FIGS. 4
and 7, the bracket 48 shown in FIG. 4 is intended to be attached to
the region identified by reference numeral 130 in FIG. 7.
[0053] FIG. 8 is a partial view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 6,
particularly the portion within the dashed circle illustrated in
FIG. 5. It shows a base portion 200 of the latch 91 shown in FIGS.
5 and 6. The base portion 200 of the latching device is formed as
an integral part of the second cover member 24. All of the
components shown in FIG. 8 are formed as integral parts of the
second cover member 24, with no individual parts illustrated in the
Figure.
[0054] FIG. 9 illustrates the base portion 200 of the latching
device 91 with certain additional components added to the second
cowl member 24. With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, a pivot member 202
extends through an opening 204 that is formed through the base
portion 200. A latch 208 is attached for rotation about a central
axis 210 of the pivot member 202. The latch 208 is movable between
a locking position (as illustrated in FIG. 9) and an unlocking
position in which the latch 208 would be rotated clockwise about
axis 210 from the position shown in FIG. 9. A latch pin 71, as also
illustrated in FIG. 5, is attached to the first cover member 12 and
shaped to be retained by the latch 208 when the first and second
cover members, 12 and 24, are in contact with each other and the
latch 208 is in the locking position. A spring 85, as illustrated
in FIG. 6, as well as a torsional spring which is located beneath
the latch 208 and surrounding the pivot member 202 in FIG. 9, is
provided for urging the latch 208 toward its locking position as
shown in FIG. 9. The torsional spring located under the latch and
around the pivot member 202 urges the latch 208 in a
counterclockwise direction toward its latching position. A
push-pull cable 82 is associated with the latch 208 to allow the
handle 80 to be used to manually cause the latch 208 to rotate in a
clockwise direction (with respect to FIG. 9) about axis 210 so that
the latch 208 can be moved into its unlatching position to release
the second cowl member 24.
[0055] The pivot hole 204, illustrated in FIG. 8, is formed through
the base portion 200 and shaped to receive the pivot member 202
through the pivot hole. A pin 230 is attached to the pivot member
202 to prevent the pivot member from being removed from the pivot
hole 204. The push-pull cable 82 has a first end 131 attached to
the handle 80, as shown in FIG. 6, and a second end 132 attached to
the latch 208. As a result, movement of the handle 80 relative to
the second cover member 24 will cause the latch 208 to rotate about
the central axis 210 of the pivot member 202. This unlatches the
second cowl member 24 from the first cowl member 12. A sheath of
the push-pull cable 82 is attached to the second cover member at
several locations between the handle 80 and the latch 208.
Reference numerals 241 and 242 illustrate two of these attachment
positions in FIG. 9.
[0056] FIG. 10 is a section view taken through the latch pin 71 and
portions of the base portion 200. As shown in FIG. 10, a latch pin
hole 250 is formed through the first cover member 12 and the latch
pin 71 is disposed in the latch pin hole 250. The latch pin 71 is
rigidly attached to the first cover member 12 by a threaded member
252 and a step formed within the latch pin 71, as illustrated in
FIG. 10. The base portion 200 is a boss extending from a surface of
the second cover member 24 and the pivot member, described above in
conjunction with FIG. 9, extends through the pivot opening 204. The
pivot member 202 is rotatable relative to the second cover member
24. With reference to FIG. 8, an insertion hole 270 is formed
through the base portion 200 of the second cover member 24. The
insertion hole 270 is shaped to receive the latch pin 71 and to
allow the latch 208 to move into latching contact with the latch
pin 71 when the first and second cover members, 12 and 24, are
attached to each other.
[0057] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the latch 208 and the pivot
member 202. The latch 208 is provided with a hole 280 that is
shaped to receive the pivot member 202 therethrough. That pivot
member 202 is then held in position by the pin 230 described above
in conjunction with FIG. 9. A portion of the latch 208 is shaped to
receive the second end 132 of the push-pull cable assembly 82. That
opening is identified by reference numeral 288 in FIG. 11. Another
opening 290 in the latch 208 is shaped to receive the connector rod
97 that transfer force from the first latch structure 91 to the
second latch structure 92, as described above in conjunction with
FIGS. 6 and 9. The pivot member 202 is provided with a shoulder 293
that works in cooperative association with the pin 230 which is
inserted into hole 297 which is formed through the pivot member
202.
[0058] In FIG. 10, the latch pin 71 is provided with a collar 300
that is disposed around the latch pin 71 and used to align the
position of the latch pin with respect to the insertion hole 270.
The spring 304 urges the collar 300 upwardly against the lower
surface of the second cover member 24.
[0059] With reference to FIGS. 1-12, it can be seen that the
present invention provides numerous advantages with respect to the
cowl structure of an outboard motor 10. The first and second cowl
members, 12 and 24, provide for easier removal and installation of
the cowl structure, particularly when the internal combustion
engine 34 is large and would normally require a large and heavy
cowl structure to provide protection for the engine. The present
invention makes it possible to use narrower cowl segments than
would otherwise be possible with large four cycle engines. This is
particularly important when the outboard motor is used in
combination with other outboard motors in tandem applications where
twenty-six inch mounting centers are highly desirable. The first
cowl member 12 is extendible across a rear portion 16 of the
outboard motor 10 and at least partially extendible along both the
port and starboard sides of the outboard motor. The second cowl
member 24 is attachable to the support structure 14 of the outboard
motor 10 and to the first cowl member 12. The second cowl member is
extendible across a front portion 22 of the outboard motor and at
least partially extendible along the port and starboard sides of
the outboard motor. In a preferred embodiment, the second cowl
member 24 also extends across the top and rear portions of the
outboard motor. A support structure 14, which resiliently supports
the internal combustion engine 34, supports the cowl structure and
provides a first latch mechanism for attaching the first cowl
member 12 to the support structure 14 and a second latch mechanism
for attaching the first cowl member 12 to the second cowl member
24. The first cowl member, or first cover member 24, comprises a
groove which is shaped to receive a protruding edge 43 that is
formed on the support structure 14. A hinge, as shown in FIG. 4, is
provided so that the second cowl member 24 is rotatable relative to
the support structure 14 during attachment of the second cowl
member 24. Both the first and second cowl members are supported by
the support structure 14.
[0060] The second cover member 24 is attached to the first cover
member 12 by a latching mechanism which comprises a base portion
200 of the latching device 91 which is formed as an integral part
of the second cover member 24. A pivot member 202 extends through a
hole 204 formed in the base portion 200. A latch 208 is attached
for rotation about a central axis 210 of the pivot member 202 and
the latch 208 is movable between a locking position (as shown in
FIG. 9) and an unlocking position. A latch pin 71 is attached to
the first cover member 12 and shaped to be retained by the latch
208 when the first and second cover members, 12 and 24, are in
contact with each other and the latch is in the locking position. A
spring 85, along with the torsional spring described above, are
provided for urging the latch 208 toward its locking position. The
spring causes the internal cable of the push-pull cable assembly 82
to rotate the latch 208 in a counterclockwise direction about axis
210. A pivot hole 204 is formed through the base portion 200 and
the pivot member 202 extends through the pivot hole. A pin 230 is
attached to the pivot member 202 to prevent the pivot member from
being removed from the pivot hole 204. The push-pull cable 82 has a
first end 131 and a second end 132, with the second end 132 being
attached to the latch 208 and the first end 131 being attached to
the handle 80. The handle 80 is manually movable relative to the
second cover member 24 to cause the latch 208 to rotate in a
clockwise direction about the central axis 210 of the pivot member
202. This allows the latching mechanism to be placed in the
unlatching position. A sheath of the push-pull cable is attached to
the second cover member 24 at several locations between the handle
80 and the latch 208. A latch pin hole 250 is formed in the first
cover portion 12 and the latch pin 71 is inserted into the latch
pin hole 250 for rigid attachment to the first cover member 12. The
base portion 200, in a preferred embodiment is a boss that extends
from a surface of the second cover member 24. The pivot member 202
extends through the base portion 200 and, in certain embodiments,
is rotatable relative to the second cover member 24. In alternative
embodiments, the pivot member 202 is fixed with respect to the boss
portion 200 and the latch 208 is rotatable relative to the pivot
member 202. An insertion hole 270 is formed through the second
cover member 24 and is shaped to receive the latch pin 71 and to
allow the latch 208 to move into contact with the latch pin 71 when
the first and second cover members, 12 and 24, are attached to each
other.
[0061] The latching mechanism described above provides significant
benefits over those known in the prior art. Latch structures are
typically provided as independent metal components that are
attached to the cowl structure by screws or bolts. These individual
latch mechanism require additional assembly time to connect them to
their associated latch members. In addition, the metallic
components add weight to the cowl structure. By providing a base
portion 200 that is an integral part of the cowl, those additional
parts are not required. In a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the latch mechanism only requires the additional
components identified above as the latch 208, the pivot member 202,
and the pin 230. The push-pull cable 82 and the connector bar 97
would typically be required in previously known latching
mechanisms.
[0062] Although the present invention has been described with
considerable detail and illustrated to show several embodiments, it
should be understood that alternative embodiments are also within
its scope.
* * * * *