Marine drive lower unit having extension leg
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsWayne M. Jaszewski, John A. Groeschel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine drive has a supporting frame for coupling the marine drive to a marine vessel; a gearcase supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine vessel in water; an extension leg disposed between the supporting frame and the gearcase; and an adapter plate between the supporting frame and the extension leg. A tube is in the extension leg. The tube has a lower end which is coupled to the gearcase and upper end which is coupled to the adapter plate by a compression nut threaded onto the tube, wherein threading the compression nut down on the tube compressively engages the compression nut with the adapter plate, which in turn clamps the extension leg between the supporting frame and the gearcase.
Claims16
A marine drive comprising:
- a supporting frame for coupling the marine drive to a marine vessel;
- a gearcase configured for supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine vessel in water;
- an extension leg disposed between the supporting frame and the gearcase;
- an adapter plate between the supporting frame and the extension leg;
- a tube in the extension leg, the tube having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end is rigidly coupled to the gearcase;
- and
- a compression nut which directly or indirectly couples the upper end of the tube to the supporting frame, in particular so as to clamp the extension leg in place between the supporting frame and the gearcase;
- wherein the extension leg comprises a perimeter sidewall, the adapter plate comprises a perimeter sidewall, and the gearcase comprises an upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion having a perimeter sidewall, and wherein the perimeter sidewall of the extension leg is clamped between perimeter sidewall of the adapter plate and the perimeter sidewall of the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion;
- wherein a radially outer profile of the lower end of the extension leg generally matches a radially outer profile of an upper end of the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion, and a radially outer profile of the upper end of the extension leg generally matches a radially outer profile of the perimeter sidewall of the adapter plate, such that the extension leg, the upwardly-facing gearcase housing portion, and the adapter plate together provide a smooth outer surface which is streamlined for minimizing hydrodynamic drag as the marine vessel travels through the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.