# US 10,119,564 B2 · Supporting structure for gear of outboard motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,564 B2 - Document ID: US10119564B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/336,877 - Filed: 2016-10-28 - Published: 2017-06-08 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-04 - Assignees: Suzuki Motor Corporation - Applicants: Suzuki Motor Corporation - Inventors: Tomokazu Hikosaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119564B2 ## CPC - F16C 25/083: {with resilient means acting axially on a race ring to preload the bearing} - B63H 20/14: Transmission between propulsion power unit and propulsion element - F16C 19/547: {with two angular contact rolling bearings} - F16C 19/56: in which the rolling bodies of one bearing differ in diameter from those of another - F16C 19/364: {with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone} - F16C 2326/30: Ships, e.g. propelling shafts and bearings therefor - F16C 2361/61: Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts - F16C 2361/65: Gear shifting, change speed gear, gear box - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) ## Abstract An outboard motor includes a first driven gear and a second driven gear, a first conical roller bearing and a second conical roller bearing, and a nut. The first driven gear and the second driven gear mesh with a driving gear. The driving gear rotates through transmission of a rotative power from an engine unit. The first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing are disposed on an outer periphery of a tubular portion of the second driven gear. The first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing are arranged in a front-rear direction in directions opposite from one another. The nut is disposed on the outer periphery of the tubular portion of the second driven gear. The nut is displaceable in an axial direction of the tubular portion. With the nut, a preload is applied to the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing to hold the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing to the outer periphery of the tubular portion of the second driven gear. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A supporting structure for a gear of an outboard motor, comprising: a first driven gear disposed in front of a driving gear to mesh with the driving gear, the driving gear rotating through transmission of a rotative power from a driving power source; a second driven gear disposed at a rear of the driving gear to mesh with the driving gear, the second driven gear having a tubular portion concentrically to a rotational center line, the tubular portion projecting rearward; a first conical roller bearing and a second conical roller bearing disposed on an outer periphery of the tubular portion of the second driven gear, the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing being arranged in a front-rear direction in directions opposite from one another; and a supporting member disposed on the outer periphery of the tubular portion of the second driven gear, the supporting member being displaceable in an axial direction of the tubular portion, wherein the supporting member applies a preload to the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing and holds the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing to the outer periphery of the tubular portion of the second driven gear. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The supporting structure for the gear of the outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein: the second conical roller bearing is disposed at a rear of the first conical roller bearing, and the second conical roller bearing has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the first conical roller bearing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The supporting structure for the gear of the outboard motor according to claim 2, further comprising a bearing housing that houses and supports the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing, wherein: the driving power source is an internal combustion engine, a chassis of the outboard motor includes a region that forms a part of an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, the region being configured to house the bearing housing and being open at a rear side, the bearing housing has an outer diameter decreasing toward a rear, and a clearance between an inner peripheral surface of the region and an outer peripheral surface of the bearing housing increases toward the rear. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The supporting structure for the gear of the outboard motor according to claim 3, further comprising: a propeller shaft concentrically inserted through the second driven gear and the bearing housing; and a third conical roller bearing disposed rearward with respect to the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing and between the bearing housing and the propeller shaft, the third conical roller bearing rotatably supporting the propeller shaft, wherein the third conical roller bearing has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameters of the first conical roller bearing and the second conical roller bearing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The supporting structure for the gear of the outboard motor according to claim 3, wherein: the bearing housing has a stepped surface between a part that houses the first conical roller bearing and a part that houses the second conical roller bearing, the first conical roller bearing is positioned in an axial direction by bringing the stepped surface into abutment with an end surface on a rear side of an outer race of the first conical roller bearing directly or via another member, and the second conical roller bearing is relatively and displaceably supported to the bearing housing in an axial direction.