# US 10,766,590 B2 · Outboard motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,590 B2 - Document ID: US10766590B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/409,954 - Filed: 2019-05-13 - Published: 2019-11-14 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-14 - Assignees: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha; Marine Canada Acquisition Inc. - Applicants: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha; Marine Canada Acquisition Inc. - Inventors: Morihiko Nanjo; Noam Dean Davidson; Richard Tyler Redfern; Mark Isaac Dyck; Eric B. Fetchko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766590B2 ## CPC - B63H 20/12: Means enabling steering - B63H 20/06: on an intermediate support - 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 steering arm that turns around a centerline of a steering shaft together with the steering shaft, a steering actuator including a movable body that moves in a right-left direction, and a motion converter that converts a movement of the movable body in the right-left direction into a turning motion of the steering arm around the centerline of the steering shaft. The motion converter includes a bushing holder into which the steering arm is inserted in a front-rear direction and a bushing interposed between the steering arm and the bushing holder and including an outer surface provided with a pair of first sliding portions each including a convex arc-shaped vertical section that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the right-left direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An outboard motor comprising: a steering shaft extending in an up-down direction; an outboard motor main body that rotates around a centerline of the steering shaft together with the steering shaft and that includes a prime mover that generates power to rotate a propeller; a steering arm that extends forward from the steering shaft and that turns around the centerline of the steering shaft together with the steering shaft; a steering actuator including a movable body that moves in a right-left direction; and a motion converter that converts a movement of the movable body in the right-left direction into a turning motion of the steering arm around the centerline of the steering shaft, and that includes a bushing holder in which the steering arm extends in a front-rear direction and a bushing interposed between the steering arm and the bushing holder and including an outer surface provided with a pair of first sliding portions each including a convex arc-shaped vertical section that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the right-left direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the bushing further includes a pair of second sliding portions each including a convex arc-shaped horizontal section that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the up-down direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein the outboard motor main body is turnable around the centerline of the steering shaft between a right maximum steered position in which the outboard motor main body is steered to a rightmost position and a left maximum steered position in which the outboard motor main body is steered to a leftmost position; and a front end of the steering arm extends farther forward than a midpoint of the bushing in the front-rear direction when the outboard motor main body is at either of the right maximum steered position and the left maximum steered position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein the bushing holder includes an inner circumferential surface defining an arm-insertion hole in which the steering arm is located; and a length of the arm-insertion hole in the right-left direction increases at a rear end of the arm-insertion hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein the steering actuator further includes a support shaft that penetrates the movable body in the right-left direction; the movable body includes a bearing surrounding the support shaft and a housing surrounding the bearing; the bearing includes an outer race that rotates around a centerline of the support shaft together with the housing, an inner race that surrounds the support shaft inside the outer race and a rotatable element disposed between the outer race and the inner race; and the outboard motor further comprises a fastener that fixes the bushing holder to the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the bushing is disposed behind the movable body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the bushing is disposed below the movable body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the bushing is disposed above the movable body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, further comprising: a clamp bracket attachable to a rear surface of a hull; and a swivel bracket rotatable around a tilt axis extending in the right-left direction with respect to the clamp bracket, the swivel bracket being rotatable together with the outboard motor main body and the movable body; wherein the movable body overlaps the tilt axis in a side view of the outboard motor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The outboard motor according to claim 1, further comprising: a pair of clamp brackets each provided with an inner side surface, an inner circumferential surface that is open at the inner side surface, and an attachment attachable to a rear surface of a hull, the pair of clamp brackets being spaced apart from each other in the right-left direction; and a swivel bracket disposed between the pair of clamp brackets, and rotatable around a tilt axis extending in the right-left direction with respect to the pair of clamp brackets; wherein at least a portion of the movable body is surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket in a side view of the outboard motor, and the movable body is movable to a plurality of positions including a position above the swivel bracket and a position inside a space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket. ### Claim 11 An outboard motor comprising: a steering shaft extending in an up-down direction; an outboard motor main body that rotates around a centerline of the steering shaft together with the steering shaft and that includes a prime mover that generates power to rotate a propeller; a steering arm that extends forward from the steering shaft and that turns around the centerline of the steering shaft together with the steering shaft; a steering actuator including a movable body that moves in a right-left direction; and a motion converter that converts a movement of the movable body in the right-left direction into a turning motion of the steering arm around the centerline of the steering shaft, and that includes a bushing holder in which the steering arm extends in a front-rear direction and a bushing interposed between the steering arm and the bushing holder and including an outer surface provided with a pair of sliding portions each having a spherical shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the outboard motor main body is turnable around the centerline of the steering shaft between a right maximum steered position in which the outboard motor main body is steered to a rightmost position and a left maximum steered position in which the outboard motor main body is steered to a leftmost position; and a front end of the steering arm extends farther forward than a midpoint of the bushing in the front-rear direction when the outboard motor main body is at either of the right maximum steered position and the left maximum steered position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the bushing holder includes an inner circumferential surface defining an arm-insertion hole in which the steering arm is located; and a length of the arm-insertion hole in the right-left direction increases at a rear end of the arm-insertion hole. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the steering actuator further includes a support shaft that penetrates the movable body in the right-left direction; the movable body includes a bearing surrounding the support shaft and a housing surrounding the bearing; the bearing includes an outer race that rotates around a centerline of the support shaft together with the housing, an inner race that surrounds the support shaft inside the outer race, and a rotatable element disposed between the outer race and the inner race; and the outboard motor further comprises a fastener that fixes the bushing holder to the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the bushing is disposed behind the movable body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the bushing is disposed below the movable body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, wherein the bushing is disposed above the movable body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, further comprising: a clamp bracket attachable to a rear surface of a hull; and a swivel bracket rotatable around a tilt axis extending in the right-left direction with respect to the clamp bracket, the swivel bracket being rotatable together with the outboard motor main body and the movable body; wherein the movable body overlaps the tilt axis in a side view of the outboard motor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The outboard motor according to claim 11, further comprising: a pair of clamp brackets each provided with an inner side surface, an inner circumferential surface that is open at the inner side surface, and an attachment attachable to a rear surface of a hull, the pair of clamp brackets being spaced apart from each other in the right-left direction; and a swivel bracket disposed between the pair of clamp brackets, and rotatable around a tilt axis extending in the right-left direction with respect to the pair of clamp brackets; wherein at least a portion of the movable body is surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket in a side view of the outboard motor, and the movable body is movable to a plurality of positions including a position above the swivel bracket and a position inside a space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The outboard motor according to claim 19, further comprising: a support shaft extending in an axial direction parallel or substantially parallel to the tilt axis and that penetrates the clamp bracket in the axial direction; wherein the movable body is movable in the axial direction of the support shaft along the support shaft. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The outboard motor according to claim 19, wherein the swivel bracket includes a tubular portion surrounding the tilt axis and is located in the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket; and the movable body is movable to a position inside a space surrounded by both of the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket and the tubular portion of the swivel bracket.