U.S. patent application number 13/748450 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for outboard marine drive.
This patent application is currently assigned to Arkmos Engineering, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Arkmos Engineering, LLC. Invention is credited to Glenn D. Foreman.
Application Number | 20140038478 13/748450 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50025936 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140038478 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Foreman; Glenn D. |
February 6, 2014 |
Outboard Marine Drive
Abstract
An outboard marine drive with an engine is described. The marine
drive can include a drive housing with an upper drive housing and
lower drive housing. The drive housing can be attached to a transom
of a marine craft. An upper gear drive assembly can be located in
the upper drive housing. A transmission can be provided with the
upper gear drive assembly in the upper drive housing. In addition,
a lower gear drive assembly can be located in the lower drive
housing and coupled to the upper gear drive assembly. A propeller
shaft may also be coupled to the lower gear drive assembly.
Inventors: |
Foreman; Glenn D.; (Sandy,
UT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Arkmos Engineering, LLC; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Arkmos Engineering, LLC
West Jordan
UT
|
Family ID: |
50025936 |
Appl. No.: |
13/748450 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61590067 |
Jan 24, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
440/53 ; 440/66;
440/75 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63H 20/12 20130101;
B63H 20/32 20130101; B63H 20/34 20130101; B63H 20/14 20130101; B63H
20/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
440/53 ; 440/75;
440/66 |
International
Class: |
B63H 20/20 20060101
B63H020/20; B63H 20/12 20060101 B63H020/12; B63H 20/34 20060101
B63H020/34; B63H 20/14 20060101 B63H020/14 |
Claims
1. An outboard transom mounted marine drive with an engine,
comprising: a drive housing having an upper drive housing and lower
drive housing, the drive housing configured to be attached to a
transom of a marine craft; an upper gear drive assembly located in
the upper drive housing; a transmission with the upper gear drive
assembly in the upper drive housing; a lower gear drive assembly
located in the lower drive housing and coupled to the upper gear
drive assembly; and a propeller shaft coupled to the lower gear
drive assembly.
2. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, wherein the
transmission has multiple speeds.
3. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, wherein the
transmission receives power from the engine and transmits power to
the lower gear drive assembly.
4. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, wherein the
transmission includes a gear ratio selection for forward or reverse
motion of the marine craft.
5. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising
multiple forward gears in the transmission.
6. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising
multiple reverse gears in the transmission.
7. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, wherein the
transmission is a cone clutch.
8. The outboard marine motor as in claim 7, wherein the cone clutch
provides forward, neutral and reverse motion of the marine
craft.
9. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
propeller attached to the propeller shaft.
10. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
steering handle attached to the drive housing to steer the outboard
marine motor.
11. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
throttle control to control the speed of the outboard marine
motor.
12. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
rudder fin on the lower drive housing of the outboard marine
motor.
13. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
cavitation plate fin on the lower drive housing of the outboard
marine motor.
14. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, wherein the lower
drive housing partially extends below the bottom of the marine
craft.
15. The outboard marine motor as in claim 1, further comprising a
flex coupler configured to transfer power between the engine and
the transmission.
16. An outboard marine motor with an engine, comprising: a drive
housing with an upper drive housing and lower drive housing, the
drive housing configured to be attached to a transom of a marine
craft; a upper gear drive assembly located in the upper drive
housing; a transmission with the upper gear drive assembly in the
upper drive housing; a lower gear drive assembly located in the
lower drive housing and coupled to the upper gear drive assembly; a
power transfer gearing in the lower gear drive assembly with a
first gear having a first gear size and the lower drive assembly
that has a second gear having a second gear size similar to the
first gear size; and a propeller shaft coupled to the lower gear
drive assembly.
17. The outboard marine motor of claim 16, further comprising a
lower drive housing that has a reduced size due to a near 1-to-1
gearing ratio of the power transfer gearing.
18. The outboard marine motor of claim 16, wherein the gearing
ratio between the upper gear drive assembly and the lower drive
assembly is near 1.20.
19. An outboard marine motor with an engine, comprising: a drive
housing with an upper drive housing and lower drive housing, the
drive housing configured to be attached to a transom of a marine
craft; a upper gear drive assembly located in the upper drive
housing; a gear reduction with the upper gear drive assembly in the
upper drive housing; a lower gear drive assembly located in the
lower drive housing and coupled to the upper gear drive assembly; a
propeller shaft with an extended length greater than 12 inches that
is coupled to the lower gear drive assembly; and a propeller
attached to the propeller shaft.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Outboard motors are typically built with a thin aluminum
frame and other light weight alloys. Outboard motors are designed
to run in open water with little or no expected impact to the
outdrive assembly. This design restricts the boat operator from
running the motor and boat along shorelines and in many waterways
where impacts to the lower drive unit are likely and can damage the
propeller, drive, and/or outdrive housing. Such impacts can come
from rocks, logs, a waterway bottoms, or other similar obstacles.
Sportsmen and others who desire to hunt, fish and travel in areas
where obstacles reside in the water may avoid these areas as much
as possible. Even then, what lies below the water's surface is
usually a mystery, especially in muddy or murky waters.
[0002] The possibility of impact and damage to the lower end of an
outboard motor is always present. As such, boaters must be
constantly alert for sub-surface obstacles. When an impact to an
outboard motor occurs, the boater is likely to face large motor
repair bills. The inconvenience, safety hazard, threat of being
stranded, and the financial losses of motor damage can be daunting
for outboard motor owners.
SUMMARY
[0003] The technology provides an outboard marine drive with an
engine. The outboard marine drive can include a drive housing with
an upper drive housing and lower drive housing. The drive housing
can be attached to a transom of a marine craft. An upper gear drive
assembly can be located in the upper drive housing. A transmission
can be provided with the upper gear drive assembly in the upper
drive housing. In addition, a lower gear drive assembly can be
located in the lower drive housing and coupled to the upper gear
drive assembly. A propeller shaft may also be coupled to the lower
gear drive assembly.
[0004] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together
illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outboard marine drive in
accordance with an example of the present technology; and
[0006] FIG. 2 is a view of the example outboard marine drive of
FIG. 1 with the drive housing removed.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a view of an example outboard marine
drive with the housing removed and a horizontally oriented
transmission.
[0008] FIG. 4A is a side view of an outboard motor boat with a
motor mounted thereto using a motor mount in accordance with an
embodiment of the present technology;
[0009] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a portion of the outboard
motor boat of FIG. 4A.
[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates that the lower drive assembly and/or
propeller shaft can be non-perpendicular with respect to the upper
gear drive assembly input drive shaft.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments
illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used
herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood
that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive
features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the
principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would
occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of
this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the
invention.
[0012] A transom mounted outboard motor technology is described
here. More specifically, a heavy duty marine outboard is described
with an upper shifting drive assembly.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an outboard motor, indicated generally at
100, in accordance with the present technology. The outboard can
include a drive housing with an upper drive housing 110 and lower
drive housing 120, and the drive housing can be configured to be
attached to a transom of a marine craft. A steering handle 130 can
also be attached to the drive housing to steer the outboard marine
motor. A shifter 132 can also be provided to actuate the shifting
of the gears. The speed of the outboard marine motor can be
controlled by a throttle control 140 on the end of the handle.
[0014] Having an outboard drive unit designed and built from
thicker and stronger alloys that can sustain motor operations when
the motor impacts objects at medium speeds can be an advantage to a
boater. In addition to the use of strong alloys, the outboard motor
can have certain structures that can allow the outboard motor to be
used in taxing environments.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of an outboard marine drive
with an engine. Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates the drive train
and propeller portions 200 of the outboard motor with the external
drive housing(s) removed. As illustrated above, the outboard marine
drive can have a drive housing with multiple housing pieces, and
the upper and lower drive housing are removed in FIG. 2. The drive
housing(s) can be configured to be attached to a transom of a
marine craft using a clamping device 211, by bolts and/or other
similar mechanism.
[0016] An upper gear drive assembly 210 can be located in the upper
drive housing. A transmission 212 can also be located with or in
the upper gear drive assembly in the upper drive housing. The
transmission receives power from the engine and transmits power
through the upper gear drive assembly. The transmission can also
have a single speed or multiple speeds and the ability to change
gear ratios in the upper gear drive assembly. For example, there
can be multiple forward gears and multiple reverse gears in the
transmission. A gear ratio selection can be provided in the
transmission for forward or reverse motion of the marine craft.
[0017] In an example, the transmission can be a cone clutch that
provides forward, neutral and reverse motion of the marine craft.
Locating the transmission in the upper drive housing provides
enough space for a transmission such as cone clutch, servo-cone
clutch, multi-plate clutch, a hydraulic clutch, dog clutch, or
another type of transmission. In existing outboards, transmission
gearing is provided in the lower housing.
[0018] Existing marine motors have a fixed gearing that does not
allow the operator to choose multiple gear ratio speeds when
operating with varying boat loads. Also, when operating in obstacle
ridden waterways, the benefit of gearing down to slow the forward
motion of the boat is useful. A marine motor with multiple forward
gears can be used in such gearing down circumstances. The ability
to use multiple gear shifting for power boats of varying loads at
different speeds provides flexibility for an outboard motor.
[0019] A power transfer gearing can be located between the upper
gear drive assembly and the lower drive assembly with a first gear
and first gearing size 232. The power transfer gearing can have a
second gear 230 with a second gearing size similar to the first
gearing size. The power transfer gearing can have a reduced size,
as compared to existing outboard motors, due to the gears having a
similar size. Since the transmission is in the upper portion of the
drive housing, the power transfer gears can be smaller and similar
in size. In addition, both of the gears can be strong due to their
similar size and strength. A power transfer gearing is generally as
strong as the smallest gear in the transfer system. So, the use of
two gears of similar size can increase the strength of the power
transfer gearing and avoids the use of a large gear in combination
with a small gear. In one example, the gearing ratio between the
upper gear drive assembly and the lower drive assembly is near a
1.20 gearing ratio as needed to match the engine size with the
propeller. In another example, the lower drive housing can have
gears with a reduced size due to a near 1-to-1 gearing ratio of the
power transfer gearing. When there is no gear ratio change or a
small gear ratio change, then the similar forces on the gears means
that the gears are less likely to fail. Useful ranges of gearing in
the described technology can range between a 1.1:1 to a 1.7:1
gearing ratio.
[0020] Previous outboard motors of vertical design provide changes
to gear ratio in the lower drive assembly. Since the gear ratio
relies on one larger gear and one smaller gear, the strength of the
gear set is determined by the smaller of the two gears. In
contrast, the present technology provides an outboard with the
ability to run at a near one to one gear ratio in the lower drive
assembly and this can allow the system to utilize a large and
strong gear set while having improved external fluid drag
efficiency. If a large gear ratio is used in the lower drive
housing as in existing outboards, then this increases the fluid
drag of the lower drive housing and increases the cross sectional
area of the lower drive housing that can hit obstacles in the
water. In contrast, the small gear ratio provides lower drag and a
smaller cross-sectional area that is more likely to avoid obstacles
in the water.
[0021] A lower gear drive 214 assembly can be located in the lower
drive housing and be coupled to the upper gear drive assembly. A
propeller shaft 216 and propeller 218 can also be coupled to the
lower gear drive assembly. The propeller shaft can be an extended
length shaft and can be more than 12 inches in length. The
propeller may be located above the bottom of the marine craft.
[0022] A rudder fin 150 (FIG. 1) and cavitation plate 222 (FIG. 2)
can be located on the lower drive housing of the outboard marine
motor. A portion of the lower drive housing may extend below the
bottom of the marine craft.
[0023] Referring again to FIG. 2, a flex coupler 224 (or impact
dampener) may be configured to transfer power between the engine
and the transmission. The impact dampener can be made of rubber or
similar components that are able to absorb the shock of an impact
from the transmission in order to preserve the transmission
components from serious damage. Users of outboard motors value the
ability to absorb medium to heavy impacts from underwater obstacles
such as logs, stumps, heavy vegetation and other obstacles in the
waterway.
[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a view of an example outboard marine
drive with the housing removed and a horizontally oriented
transmission. The horizontally oriented transmission 310 is located
in the upper drive housing and can be controlled by a shifter as
described above.
[0025] Reference will now be made to FIGS. 4A-4B. FIG. 4B is a side
view of an outboard motor boat 610 with a motor 605 mounted thereto
using a motor mount. The motor includes a handle 615 described
above, which can be used for steering and adjusting a trim or
vertical positioning of the motor in the water. FIG. 4B is a
perspective view of a portion of the outboard motor boat of FIG.
4A.
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates that the lower drive assembly and/or
propeller shaft can be non-perpendicular 500 to the upper gear
drive assembly input drive shaft. In other words, the lower drive
assembly or propeller shaft can form an obtuse angle with the upper
gear drive assembly. The lower drive assembly or propeller shaft
may also be located at a right angle with respect to the upper gear
drive assembly as illustrated previously.
[0027] It is to be understood that the above-referenced
arrangements are only illustrative of the application for the
principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and
alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention. While the present
invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above
with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently
deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the
invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from
the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth
herein.
* * * * *