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US 2002/0117135 A1Published application
Flexible transmitter tensioner for outboard motor
OwnerToshihiro Nozueinventor
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OwnerToshihiro Nozueinventor
Estimating the term…
An engine for an outboard motor includes an engine body, a crankshaft and one or more camshafts. A camshaft drive mechanism is arranged on a top surface of the engine body. The camshaft drive mechanism includes a timing belt to rotate the camshafts with the rotation of the crankshaft. A belt tensioner is arranged to adjust tension of the timing belt. The tensioner includes a shaft unit mounted on the engine body. A peripheral unit is swingably carried by the shaft unit and abutting on a portion of the timing belt. A swing axis of the shaft unit is offset from a center axis of the peripheral unit. The tensioner further includes a hydraulic damping mechanism to damp a vibration of the timing belt. The damping mechanism has a piston rod that urges the peripheral unit toward the timing belt. The piston rod is positioned at a location which can be generally the highest of the damping mechanism when a drive unit of the outboard motor is tilted up about a tilt axis. The shaft unit also is positioned at another location which can be higher than the center axis of the peripheral unit when the drive unit of the outboard motor is tilted up about the tilt axis.
An outboard motor comprising a drive unit, a bracket assembly adapted to be mounted on an associated watercraft to support the drive unit for tilt movement about a horizontally extending tilt axis, the drive unit comprising an internal combustion engine comprising an engine body, a moveable member moveable relative to the engine body, a first rotatable member rotatable with the movement of the moveable member, an engine component comprising a second rotatable member, and a drive mechanism arranged on a top surface of the engine body, the drive mechanism comprising a flexible transmitter to rotate the second rotatable member with the rotation of the first rotatable member, a tensioner comprising a shaft unit mounted on the engine body, a peripheral unit pivotally supported by the shaft unit, the peripheral unit abutting on a portion of the flexible transmitter, said shaft unit defining a mount axis and said peripheral unit defining a center axis, said mount axis and said center axis being offset, a damping mechanism connected to the peripheral unit and comprising a damping member, the damping member being positioned at a location which is generally vertically higher than a balance of the damping mechanism when the drive unit is tilted up about the tilt axis.
An outboard motor comprising a drive unit, and a bracket assembly adapted to be mounted on an associated watercraft to support the drive unit for tilt movement about a horizontally extending tilt axis, the drive unit comprising an internal combustion engine comprising an engine body, a moveable member moveable relative to the engine body, the engine body and the moveable member together defining at least one combustion chamber, a first rotatable member rotatable with the movement of the moveable member, an air intake system arranged to introduce air to the combustion chamber, the intake system comprising at least one intake valve, an exhaust system arranged to route exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, the exhaust system comprising at least one exhaust valve, a valve actuation mechanism arranged to actuate at least one of the intake and exhaust valves between an open position and a closed position, the valve actuation mechanism comprising a second rotatable member arranged to engage the at least one of the intake and exhaust valves, and a drive mechanism arranged on a top surface of the engine body to drive the valve actuation mechanism, the drive mechanism comprising a flexible transmitter to rotate the second rotatable member with the rotation of the first rotatable member, and a tensioner arranged to adjust tension of the flexible transmitter, the tensioner comprising a shaft unit mounted on the engine body, a peripheral unit swingably carried by the shaft unit and abutting on a portion of the flexible transmitter, a swing axis of the shaft unit being offset from a center axis of the peripheral unit, and a damping mechanism to damp a vibration of the flexible transmitter, the damping mechanism having a damping member that urges the peripheral unit toward the flexible transmitter, and the damping member being positioned at a location which is capable to be generally the highest of the damping mechanism when the drive unit is tilted up about the tilt axis.
An outboard motor comprising a drive unit, and a bracket assembly adapted to be mounted on an associated watercraft to support the drive unit for tilt movement about a horizontally extending tilt axis, the drive unit comprising an internal combustion engine comprising an engine body, a moveable member moveable relative to the engine body, a first rotatable member rotatable with the movement of the moveable member, an engine component actuation mechanism arranged to actuate at least one of engine components, the actuation mechanism comprising a second rotatable member arranged to engage the engine component, and a drive mechanism arranged on a top surface of the engine body to drive the actuation mechanism, the drive mechanism comprising a flexible transmitter to rotate the second rotatable member with the rotation of the first rotatable member, and a tensioner arranged to adjust tension of the flexible transmitter, the tensioner comprising a shaft unit mounted on the engine body, and a peripheral unit swingably carried by the shaft unit and abutting on a portion of the flexible transmitter, a swing axis of the shaft unit being offset from a center axis of the peripheral unit, and the shaft unit being positioned at a location which is capable to be generally positioned higher than the center axis of the peripheral unit when the drive unit is tilted up about the tilt axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.