US 5,580,287 AGranted

Electric motor drive for a boat

AssigneeJ. W. Outfitters, Inc.

InventorJeffrey L. Wieringa

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Abstract

An electric motor drive comprising an electric motor within a housing and coupled to a propeller; a hollow cylindrical rotatable drive shaft projecting from the housing along a vertical axis of rotation; a boat mount anchoring the drive shaft in place with the drive shaft being rotatable within the boat mount about the vertical axis of rotation; a transmission housing with a rotor engaged to the drive shaft, a directional control cable locked to the rotor with the rotor being rotatable responsive to movement of the control cable; an electric power cable extending through the drive shaft to the electric motor to deliver electric power to the motor; and a control panel with a switch connected to the first electric power cable to control electric power to the electric motor, and a directional control connected to the control cable.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Electric motor drive (10) comprising, in combination:

an electric motor (32) within a housing (34) and coupled to a propeller (36) projecting from said housing (34);
a hollow cylindrical rotatable drive shaft (40) with a first terminal end engaged to and projecting from said housing along a vertical axis of rotation (44);
a boat mount means (46) for engaging to a boat frame support and anchoring the drive shaft (40) in place with the drive shaft being rotatable within the mount means about said vertical axis of rotation (44);
a transmission housing (50) including an internal cavity (54) with a rotor (70) positioned within said cavity (54) and engaged to the drive shaft (40) extending through said cavity (54) along said axis of rotation (44) and through a bottom cover anchor (52) connected in place to the boat mount means, said rotor (70) including a disk (72) within said cavity (54) and anchored to a first terminal end of a directional control cable (100) locked to said rotor (70) with said rotor (70) being rotatable responsive to movement of said control cable (100), and a top cover (86) secured to said bottom cover anchor (52) with said internal cavity (54) being formed by said bottom and top covers (52, 86);
a first electric power cable (42) extending through the drive shaft (40) to the electric motor (32) to deliver electric power to the motor (32);
and
a control panel (120) with switch means (140, 142) connected to the first electric power cable (42) to control electric power to the electric motor (32), and a directional control (130) connected to said control cable (100) to control movement of said control cable (100).

4 more elements

Electric motor drive (10) comprising, in combination:

an electric motor (32) within a housing (34) and coupled to a propeller (36) projecting from said housing (34);
a hollow cylindrical rotatable drive shaft (40) with a first terminal end engaged to and projecting from said housing along a vertical axis of rotation (44);
a boat mount means (46) for engaging to a boat frame support and anchoring the drive shaft (40) in place with the drive shaft being rotatable within the mount means about said vertical axis of rotation (44);
a transmission housing (50) including an internal cavity (54) with a rotor (70) positioned within said cavity (54) and engaged to the drive shaft (40) extending through said cavity (54) along said axis of rotation (44) and through a bottom cover anchor (52) connected in place to the boat mount means, a directional control cable (100) locked to said rotor (70) with said rotor (70) being rotatable responsive to movement of said control cable (100), and a top cover (86) secured to said bottom cover anchor (52) with said internal cavity (54) being formed by said bottom and top covers (52, 86), said directional control cable (100) being positioned within an exterior shield (112) and movable lengthwise within said shield (112), a terminal end of said exterior shield being anchored (108, 110) to the transmission housing (50) whereby said directional control cable (100) is movable lengthwise within said exterior shield (112) and said rotor (70) rotates about said vertical axis of rotation (44) responsive to lengthwise movement of said directional control cable (100);
a first electric power cable (42) extending through the drive shaft (40) to the electric motor (32) to deliver electric power to the motor (32);
and
a control panel (120) with switch means (140, 142) connected to the first electric power cable (42) to control electric power to the electric motor (32), and a directional control (130) connected to said control cable (100) to control movement of said control cable (100).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/520,913Filed 30 Aug 1995
Granted: 3 Dec 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B63H 20/007
Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels: trolling propulsion units
B63B 34/05
Vessels specially adapted for water sports or leisure; Body-supporting devices specially adapted for water sports or leisure: vessels specially…
B63H 21/213
Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels: levers or the like for controlling the engine or the…
B63H 2020/103
Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt: using a flexible member for…