Outboard motor steering and control system and methods for removable lower drive unit
OwnerDaniel Nortoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved outboard and steering control system that includes a removable lower drive unit with the ability to rotate 360 degrees or more. The embodiments shown herein are also design for electric outboard marine motors with cooling systems connected between the lower drive unit and the upper housing unit. This system allows the ability to configure an upper drive unit with multiple different variations of a lower drive unit and improve the ability to maneuver vessels with the increased 360-degree directional range.
Claims20
An outboard motor and drive system comprising:
- an upper housing unit configured to house a motor, the upper housing unit including:
- an upper housing,
- a slewing assembly,
- an upper drive shaft, and
- an upper lock ring;
- a lower drive unit configured to rotate 360-degrees with respect to the upper housing unit, the lower drive unit including:
- a lower housing,
- a lower drive shaft,
- a lower lock ring, and
- a propulsion system;
- and
- a locking collet configured to secure the upper lock ring about the lower lock ring.
An outboard motor and drive system comprising:
- an upper housing unit configured to house a motor, the upper housing unit including:
- an upper housing,
- an electric-powered motor
- a slewing assembly having a slewing housing where a slewing bearing and
- a driving mechanism are disposed therein,
- an upper drive shaft, and
- an upper lock ring having an alignment cavity;
- a lower drive unit configured to rotate up to 360-degrees with respect to the upper housing unit, the lower drive unit including:
- a lower housing,
- a lower drive shaft,
- a lower lock ring having an alignment protrusion, and
- a propulsion system driven by the lower drive shaft;
- and
- a locking collet configured to secure the upper lock ring about the lower lock ring.
An outboard motor and drive system comprising:
- an upper housing unit configured to house a motor, the upper housing unit including:
- an upper housing,
- a slewing assembly,
- an upper drive shaft, and
- an upper lock ring;
- a lower drive unit configured to rotate at least 360-degrees with respect to the upper housing unit, the lower drive unit including:
- a lower housing,
- a lower drive shaft,
- a lower lock ring,
- a propulsion system;
- a locking collet configured to secure the upper lock ring about the lower lock ring;
- and a cooling system comprising a pump and heat exchanger both disposed in the upper housing unit, cooling intake disposed on the lower drive unit that is in fluid communication with a lower cooling channel that is fluid communication with a circular channel that is formed when inserting the lower drive unit into the upper housing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.