US 9,126,666 B2Granted

Large outboard motor including variable gear transfer case

AssigneeSeven Marine, LLC

InventorsEric A. Davis, Richard A. Davis

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An outboard motor for a marine vessel application, transmission devices for such an outboard motor, and related methods of making, operating, and modifying attributes of same, are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the motor includes a horizontal-crankshaft engine in an upper portion of the motor, positioned substantially above a trimming axis of the motor. In at least another embodiment, first, second and third transmission devices are employed to transmit rotational power from the engine to propeller(s). In at least a further embodiment, the motor is made to include a rigid interior assembly formed by the engine, multiple transmission devices, and a further structural component. In further embodiments, the motor includes numerous cooling, exhaust, and/or oil system components, and/or other transmission features. In at least some additional embodiments, a transmission device of the motor is configured to facilitate gear ratio variation and/or includes an integrated oil pump.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An outboard motor configured to be mounted on a marine vessel, the outboard motor comprising:

a housing including an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein at least one output shaft extends outward from the lower portion upon which at least one propeller is supported;
an engine configured to provide first torque at a first shaft extending outward from the engine, the engine being substantially situated within the housing;
a first transmission device that is in communication with the first shaft so as to receive the first torque and configured to cause second torque including at least some of the first torque to be communicated to a first location beneath the engine;
at least one additional transmission device configured to receive the second torque and to cause third torque including at least some of the second torque to be at least indirectly communicated to the at least one output shaft,
wherein the first transmission device additionally includes:
a plurality of power train components including a plurality of gears;
a primary housing structure within which the power train components are supported and also including an access orifice;
and
a cover structure configured to cover over the access orifice when attached to the primary housing structure,
wherein the first transmission device is configured so that, when the cover structure is removed from the primary housing structure, one or more of the power train components are accessible by way of the access orifice,
whereby accessing and modification of one or more of the power train components is facilitated so as to facilitate modification of a gear ratio of the first transmission device.

8 more elements

An outboard motor configured to be mounted on a marine vessel, the outboard motor comprising:

a housing including an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein an output shaft extends outward from the lower portion upon which at least one propeller is supported;
an engine configured to provide first torque, the engine being substantially situated within the upper portion of the housing;
and
a transmission device comprising:
a plurality of power train components including a plurality of gears and a plurality of shafts, the plurality of shafts including an input shaft configured to at least indirectly receive at least some of the first torque,
wherein the power train components are arranged so that input rotation of the input shaft at least indirectly results in output rotation of the output shaft;
a primary housing portion within which the plurality of power train components are at least partly positioned;
a secondary housing portion that is configured to be affixable to and removable from the primary housing portion,
wherein the primary housing portion and the secondary housing portion are configured so that the secondary housing when affixed to the primary housing covers over an opening with the secondary housing portion;
and
an oil pump that is formed as part of the transmission device, wherein the transmission device with the oil pump is configured so that the oil pump is driven to pressurize and output oil when the transmission device is operating to communicate rotational power.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/861,918Filed 12 Apr 2013 · continuation in part
Priority: 11 Feb 2010
Published: US 2013/0273792 A117 Oct 2013
Granted: 8 Sep 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B63H 20/14
Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels: transmission between propulsion power unit and…
B63H 20/002
Arrangements, apparatus and methods for handling fluids used in outboard drives: for handling lubrication liquids
B63H 20/32
Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels: housings
F16H 57/031
Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein: characterised by covers or lids for gearboxes

Family

Application61/303,518Us provisional application · filed 11 Feb 2010
Application13/026,203Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Feb 2011
Application61/623,530Us provisional application · filed 12 Apr 2012
US 8,460,041 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Jun 2013
US 2013/0273792 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Oct 2013
US 2011/0195620 A1Published application
US 9,126,666 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.