US 2010/0248564 A1 · LUBRICATOR IN POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OF MARINE PROPULSION UNIT

Abstract

A power transmission system of a marine propulsion system includes a transmission arranged to change the speed of an output from an engine and then to transmit the output to a propeller shaft. Wet-type multi-plate clutches provided in the transmission include a plurality of clutch plates fitted to a clutch rotating body for axial movement with the clutch rotating body. The clutch rotating body includes an oil reservoir in its inner bottom portion and arranged to hold lubricating oil and a peripheral wall arranged to cover the oil reservoir from the radial outside and fit to each of the clutch plates to permit axial movement of the clutch plates. Communicating holes are arranged on the peripheral wall such that they communicate the oil reservoir side to the outside of the clutch rotating body in the radial direction. The above arrangement provides an engine wherein, even at startup of the engine in the marine propulsion system, each clutch plate of the wet-type multi-plate clutch in the power transmission system is sufficiently lubricated.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A marine propulsion unit comprising:

a case arranged to be supported by a hull;
a propeller shaft supported in a lower portion of the case;
a transmission housed in the case and arranged to receive an engine output, to change a speed of the output, and to transmit the output;
a transfer device arranged to transfer the output of the transmission to the propeller shaft;
a clutch rotating body including a wet-type multiplate clutch arranged in the transmission and rotatable about an axis extending in a vertical direction;
a plurality of clutch plates on the clutch rotating body and arranged to move in an axial direction so as to be engaged with and disengaged from each other by movement in the axial direction;
an oil reservoir arranged in a bottom portion of the clutch rotating body and arranged to receive lubricating oil;
a peripheral wall arranged radially outside the oil reservoir and fit to each of the clutch plates to be movable in the axial direction;
and
a communicating hole arranged in the peripheral wall of the clutch rotating body to communicate the oil reservoir with an outside of the clutch rotating body in the radial direction.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Lubricator in power transmission system of marine propulsion unit

Life of this patent

Lubricator in power transmission system of marine propulsion unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17