# US 7,744,435 B2 · Outboard engine system

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- Number: US 7,744,435 B2
- Document ID: US7744435B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/802,581
- Filed: 2007-05-23
- Published: 2007-12-13
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2006-05-25
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shinichi Ide; Yoshiyuki Matsuda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744435B2

## CPC

- F02B 61/045: {for marine engines}
- F16H 57/04: Features relating to lubrication or cooling {or heating} (control of lubrication or cooling in hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4165)
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

An outboard engine system includes: a casing coupled to a swivel case via a swivel shaft; an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing such that a crankshaft of the engine is vertically arranged and a cylinder block of the engine faces in a direction opposite to the swivel shaft; a torque converter; a vertically arranged output shaft connected to the crankshaft through the torque converter; a horizontally arranged propeller shaft provided below the output shaft; and a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism for providing a connection between the output shaft and the propeller shaft; the torque converter, the output shaft, the propeller shaft and the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism being disposed in the casing. The crankshaft and the torque converter which is coaxially connected to a lower end of the crankshaft are disposed above the swivel shaft; and the torque converter and the output shaft which is disposed behind the swivel shaft are connected to each other via a transmission device. Thus, it is possible to minimize a bending moment which the swivel shaft receives due to the weight of the engine and the torque converter, in the case where the torque converter is used in the outboard engine system, thereby providing an excellent steering performance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An outboard engine system comprising:
a casing coupled to a swivel case via a swivel shaft
an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing such that a crankshaft of the engine is vertically arranged and a cylinder block of the engine faces in a direction opposite to the swivel shaft;
a torque converter;
a vertically arranged output shaft connected to the crankshaft through the torque converter;
a horizontally arranged propeller shaft provided below the output shaft; and
a forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism for providing a connection between the output shaft and the propeller shaft;
the torque converter, the output shaft, the propeller shaft and the forward-reverse shifting gear mechanism being disposed in the casing,
wherein the crankshaft and the torque converter which is coaxially connected to a lower end of the crankshaft are disposed above the swivel shaft; and the torque converter and the output shaft which is disposed behind the swivel shaft are connected to each other via a transmission device and
wherein the engine is mounted in a mount case which constitutes a part of the casing; the transmission device is disposed close to a bottom portion of the mount case; and the bottom portion of the mount case comprises an oil reservoir which receives a lubrication oil flowing down from the engine for lubricating the transmission device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The outboard engine system according to claim 1, further comprising: a bulkhead member which is connected to an upper end of the mount case so as to provide a partition between the torque converter and the transmission device; and a through hole is provided in the bulkhead member so as to guide lubrication oil flowing down from the engine to the oil reservoir.