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US 7,387,556 B1Granted
Exhaust system for a marine propulsion device having a driveshaft extending vertically through a bottom portion of a boat hull
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorRichard A. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exhaust system for a marine propulsion device directs a flow of exhaust gas from an engine located within the marine vessel, and preferably within a bilge portion of the marine vessel, through a housing which is rotatable and supported below the marine vessel. The exhaust passageway extends through an interface between stationary and rotatable portions of the marine propulsion device, through a cavity formed in the housing, and outwardly through hubs of pusher propellers to conduct the exhaust gas away from the propellers without causing a deleterious condition referred to as ventilation.
Claims21
A marine propulsion system, comprising:
- a driveshaft;
- a housing configured to support said driveshaft for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said housing being rotatably attached to a submerged bottom surface of a marine vessel with said driveshaft extending through said submerged bottom surface;
- a propeller shaft, said housing being configured to support said propeller shaft for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, said driveshaft being disposed in torque transmitting relation with said propeller shaft;
- a first propeller attached to said propeller shaft for rotation about said generally horizontal axis and configured to provide a thrust toward said housing when said marine vessel is being propelled in a forward direction;
- and
- an exhaust gas passageway extending from a first location above said submerged bottom surface to a second location within a hub of said first propeller;
- wherein said exhaust gas passageway comprises:
- an exhaust conduit which is disposed at said first location above said submerged bottom surface;
- a cavity within said housing;
- an exhaust passage connected in fluid communication between said exhaust conduit and said cavity;
- an exhaust channel connected in fluid communication with said cavity and disposed within said housing to direct exhaust gas toward said second location;
- wherein said exhaust passage comprises:
- a stationary plate attached to said exhaust conduit;
- and
- a rotatable plate attached to said housing for rotation with said housing relative to said stationary plate, said rotatable plate having a rotatable first hole extending therethrough, said stationary plate having a stationary second hole extending therethrough, said first and second holes being shaped to remain in at least partially overlapping relation with each other when said housing rotates relative to said marine vessel, said rotatable first hole being smaller than said stationary second hole.
12 more elements
A marine propulsion system, comprising:
- a driveshaft;
- a torque transmitting structure disposable within a bilge of a marine vessel and connectable in torque transmitting relation with an engine, said engine having a crankshaft which is supported for rotation about a first generally horizontal axis;
- a housing configured to support said driveshaft for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said housing being rotatably attached to said torque transmitting structure and to a submerged bottom surface of a marine vessel with said driveshaft extending through said submerged bottom surface;
- a propeller shaft, said housing being configured to support said propeller shaft for rotation about a second generally horizontal axis, said driveshaft being disposed in torque transmitting relation with said propeller shaft;
- an exhaust gas passageway comprising an exhaust conduit which is connectable in fluid communication with said engine, a cavity within said housing, an exhaust passage connected in fluid communication between said exhaust conduit and said cavity and an exhaust channel connected in fluid communication with said cavity and disposed within said housing to direct exhaust gas out of said housing;
- and
- a first propeller attached to said propeller shaft for rotation about said second generally horizontal axis and configured to provide a thrust toward said housing when said marine vessel is being propelled in a forward direction,
- wherein:
- said exhaust passage comprises a stationary plate attached to said exhaust conduit and a rotatable plate attached to said housing for rotation with said housing relative to said stationary plate, said rotatable plate having a rotatable first hole extending therethrough, said stationary plate having a stationary second hole extending therethrough, said first and second holes being shaped to remain in at least partially overlapping relation with each other when said housing rotates relative to said marine vessel;
- said rotatable plate has a first rotated position in which said rotatable first hole is entirely overlapped by said stationary second hole, and has a second rotated position in which said rotatable first hole is only partially overlapped by said stationary second hole.
7 more elements
A marine propulsion system, comprising:
- a driveshaft;
- a housing configured to support said driveshaft for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said housing being rotatably attached to a submerged bottom surface of a marine vessel with said driveshaft extending through said submerged bottom surface;
- a propeller shaft, said housing being configured to support said propeller shaft for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, said driveshaft being disposed in torque transmitting relation with said propeller shaft;
- an exhaust conduit which is connectable in fluid communication with an engine which has a generally horizontal crankshaft;
- a stationary plate attached to said exhaust conduit;
- a rotatable plate attached to said housing for rotation with said housing relative to said stationary plate, said rotatable plate having a first hole extending therethrough, said stationary plate having a second hole extending therethrough, said first and second holes being shaped to remain in at least partially overlapping relation with each other when said housing rotates relative to said marine vessel;
- a cavity within said housing;
- an exhaust channel connected in fluid communication with said cavity and disposed within said housing to direct exhaust gas out of said housing;
- and
- a bearing support structure disposed within said housing and shaped to define said exhaust channel, said bearing support structure comprising a bearing carrier turning exhaust gas from a downward flow direction to a rearwardly directed horizontal direction.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.