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US 5,601,464 AGranted
Transmission system for counter-rotational propulsion device
AssigneeSanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroshi Ogino, Yoshikazu Nakayasu
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AssigneeSanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroshi Ogino, Yoshikazu Nakayasu
Estimating the term…
A transmission system for a counter-rotational propulsion device is easily incorporated into an existing outboard drive of a watercraft to convert the outboard drive from a single propeller drive to a counter-rotational dual propeller system. The transmission system involves a first transmission which selectively couples an inner propulsion shaft with an existing drive shaft of the outboard drive. The inner propulsion shaft in turn drives a rear propeller. A second transmission of the transmission system is provided between the inner propulsion shaft and an outer propulsion shaft. The second transmission reverses the rotational drive direction input by the inner propulsion shaft so as to drive the outer propulsion shaft in an opposite rotational direction. The outer propulsion shaft drives a front propeller which spins in an opposite direction to that of the rear propeller, but asserts a thrust in the same direction as the rear propeller.
An outboard drive for a watercraft comprising a drive shaft adapted to be rotationally driven by a motor of the outboard drive and extending into a lower unit of the outboard drive, a first transmission which selectively couples said drive shaft to a first propulsion shaft which drives a first propulsion device external to the lower unit, and a second transmission provided between said first propulsion shaft and a second propulsion shaft, said second propulsion shaft driving a second propulsion device external to the lower unit, said second transmission configured to rotate said second propulsion shaft in a rotational direction opposite of the rotational direction that said first transmission rotatably drives said first propulsion shaft, said first and second transmissions being arranged within said lower unit of the outboard drive along an axis of said first propulsion shaft.
An outboard drive for a watercraft comprising a drive shaft adapted to be rotationally driven by a motor of the outboard drive, a first transmission which selectively couples said drive shaft to a first shaft, and a second transmission coupling said first shaft to a second shaft and to a third shaft, said second transmission comprising a planetary gear train including a sun gear connected to said first shaft, a plurality of planet gears positioned in mesh engagement about said sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding said plurality of planet gears and in mesh engagement with said plane gears, said ring gear coupled to said second shaft, said third shaft carrying a plurality of support pins, each support pin supports one of said planet gears, said planet gears and said sun gear being arranged such that rotation of said sun gear causes said planet gears to orbit said sun gear in the same rotational direction as said sun gear so as to drive said third propulsion shaft in the same rotational direction as said first propulsion shaft.
A propulsion system for a marine drive, said propulsion system being housed within a lower housing of the marine drive and selectively coupling a drive shaft with first and second propulsion shafts, said propulsion system comprising a first transmission which is driven by the drive shaft and is connected to the first propulsion shaft and which selectively couples the drive shaft to the first propulsion shaft so as to drive the first propulsion shaft in a first rotational direction, and a second transmission which is driven by the first propulsion shaft and is connected to the second propulsion shaft, said second transmission configured to drive the second propulsion shaft in a second counter-rotational direction which is opposite to said first rotational direction, said first and second transmission being disposed within said lower housing and arranged along a common axis of said first and second propulsion shafts.
A propulsion system for a marine drive, said propulsion system being housed within a lower housing of the marine drive and selectively coupling a drive shaft with first and second propulsion shafts, said propulsion system comprising a transmission which is driven by the drive shaft and is connected to the first propulsion shaft and which selectively couples the drive shaft to the first propulsion shaft so as to drive the first propulsion shaft in a first rotational direction, and means for driving the second propulsion shaft in a second counter-rotational direction which is opposite to said first rotational direction, said means for driving the second propulsion shaft being driven by the first propulsion shaft and being disposed within said lower housing and arranged to operate about the same axis about which said transmission operates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.