Marine propulsion system
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakayoshi Suzuki, Daisuke Nakamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine propulsion system includes an outboard motor including an engine, a propeller, a shift position switching mechanism, an oil pump, valves, and an ECU. The shift position switching mechanism includes hydraulic clutches arranged to change the connection state between the engine and the propeller. The shift position switching mechanism is switchable among forward, reverse, and neutral. A first valve opens and closes the communication between the oil pump and a first hydraulic clutch. A second valve opens and closes the communication between the oil pump and a second hydraulic clutch. A third valve opens and closes the communication between the oil pump and each of third and fourth valves.
Claims13
A marine propulsion system comprising:
- a power source arranged to generate rotary force;
- a propeller arranged to be driven by the power source;
- a shift position switching mechanism located between the power source and the propeller, having a first hydraulic clutch and a second hydraulic clutch arranged to change a connection state between the power source and the propeller, and arranged to be switchable among a first shift position in which the first hydraulic clutch is engaged and the second hydraulic clutch is disengaged so that the rotary force from the power source can be transmitted to the propeller as a rotary force in a first rotational direction, a second shift position in which the first hydraulic clutch is disengaged and the second hydraulic clutch is engaged so that the rotary force from the power source can be transmitted to the propeller as a rotary force in a second rotational direction which is opposite the first direction, and a neutral position in which both the first hydraulic clutch and the second hydraulic clutch are disengaged so that the rotary force from the power source cannot be substantially transmitted to the propeller;
- an oil pump arranged to generate hydraulic pressure;
- a first valve located between the oil pump and the first hydraulic clutch and arranged to open and close communication between the oil pump and the first hydraulic clutch;
- a second valve located between the oil pump and the second hydraulic clutch and arranged to open and close communication between the oil pump and the second hydraulic clutch;
- a third valve located between the oil pump and the first and second valves and arranged to open and close communication between the oil pump and each of the first valve and the second valve;
- and
- a control device arranged to control the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.