Marine drives having hydraulically actuated steerable gearcase
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Groeschel, Ryan A. Fergus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine drive is for propelling a marine vessel. The marine drive has a drive assembly configured to support a propulsor for generating a thrust force in water, the drive assembly comprising a driveshaft housing and a gearcase suspended from the driveshaft housing, wherein the drive assembly is trimmable relative to the marine vessel about a trim joint, a steering actuator configured to steer the gearcase relative to the driveshaft housing, and a pump configured to pump a hydraulic fluid to and/or from the steering actuator via the trim joint.
Claims20
A marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water, the marine drive comprising:
- a drive assembly including a driveshaft housing and a gearcase, the gearcase being rotatable relative to the driveshaft housing and configured to support a propulsor for generating a thrust force in the water;
- a mounting assembly configured to mount the drive assembly to the marine vessel;
- a pivot joint coupling the drive assembly to the mounting assembly and defining a trim axis about which the drive assembly is pivotable relative to the mounting assembly;
- a steering actuator configured to rotate the gearcase relative to the driveshaft housing;
- and
- a pump configured to pump a hydraulic fluid to and/or from the steering actuator, said hydraulic fluid being conveyed through the pivot joint.
A marine drive for propelling a marine vessel, the marine drive comprising:
- a drive assembly configured to support a propulsor for generating a thrust force in water, the drive assembly comprising a driveshaft housing and a gearcase suspended from the driveshaft housing;
- a mounting assembly configured to couple the driveshaft housing to the marine vessel, wherein the drive assembly is trimmable relative to the mounting assembly about a trim joint;
- a steering actuator configured to steer the gearcase relative to the driveshaft housing;
- a pump configured to pump a hydraulic fluid to and/or from the steering actuator via the trim joint, wherein the hydraulic fluid is conveyed through the mounting assembly and through the driveshaft housing;
- and
- a port mounting arm and a starboard mounting arm which pivotally couple the mounting assembly to the driveshaft housing, wherein the hydraulic fluid is conveyed through the port mounting arm and through the starboard mounting arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.