JP3903646B2 - Outboard motor steering device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an outboard motor steering apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An outboard motor is generally attached to a ship via a bracket device, and can be steered in a horizontal (left and right) direction around a pilot shaft of the bracket device. Some outboard motor bracket devices include a steering adjuster that can arbitrarily set the load of the steering operation.
[0003]
FIG. 7 is an enlarged left side view of the center portion of the outboard motor showing a conventional example of the steering adjuster, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a pilot shaft 3 is pivotally supported in the vertical direction and pivotally on the bracket device 2 of the outboard motor 1, and a steering bracket is mounted on the upper and lower ends of the pilot shaft 3. 4 and the mount bracket 5 are respectively provided integrally with the rotation.
[0004]
A pair of left and right upper mount units 7a are provided at the front portion of the engine holder 6 provided on the outboard motor 1 side, and are connected to the steering bracket 4 and a pair of both sides of the drive shaft housing. The lower mount unit 7 b is provided and is connected to the mount bracket 5. As described above, the outboard motor 1 is configured to be steerable left and right around the pilot shaft 3 with respect to the bracket device 2 by a steering handle (not shown).
[0005]
A pilot shaft 3 is rotatably supported in the steering bracket 4 via a bush 8, and a bolt 9 is inserted from the side of the steering bracket 4 toward the bush 8, for example. A brake plate 10 provided at the tip of 9 is in contact with the bush 8.
[0006]
The brake plate 10 applies or removes pressure to the bush 8 by tightening or loosening the bolt 9 to adjust the load in the rotating direction of the pilot shaft 3.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the method of adjusting the pressure of the brake plate by operating the bolt, the moment applied to the pilot shaft is small, and a tool is required for operating the bolt.
[0008]
Further, the side portion of the steering bracket where the bolt is provided is a place that is difficult to operate from the hull side.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor steering apparatus capable of efficiently setting a steering operation load with a simple structure.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, an outboard motor steering apparatus according to the present invention includes a swivel bracket attached to the hull side and a steering bracket attached to the outboard motor side, as described in claim 1. In an outboard motor that can be steered in a horizontal direction around a pilot shaft that is provided integrally with the steering bracket so as to rotate, an arm portion that extends toward one side of the traveling direction is formed on the steering bracket. In addition, one end of a substantially “<”-shaped connecting member having two arms extending in opposite directions from the substantially central portion is pivotally connected to the arm portion, and the arm is guided to the swivel bracket. the shaft is provided, inserted through the slit shaped long hole formed at the other end of the connecting member to the guide shaft, When the ship body goes straight, the line connecting the connection point between the arm portion of the steering bracket and the connection member and the center of the pilot shaft, and the connection point between the arm portion and the connection member and the center of the guide shaft are connected. set substantially at a right angle the angle between the line connecting the swivel bracket and the steering bracket, the movement of the connecting member optionally a load of steering operation by regulating braking member provided on said swivel bracket It can be set.
[0011]
In order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 2, a bush formed of an elastic body is interposed at a connection portion between the steering bracket and the connection member .
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a left side view showing an embodiment of an outboard motor to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the outboard motor 11 includes an engine holder 12, and an engine 13 is installed above the engine holder 12. The engine 13 is a vertical type engine in which a crankshaft 14 is disposed substantially vertically.
[0015]
An oil pan 15 is disposed below the engine holder 12, and a bracket device 16 is attached to the outboard motor 11, for example, and the outboard motor 11 is attached to the transom 17 a of the hull 17 via the bracket device 16. The Further, the engine 13, the engine holder 12, and the oil pan 15 around the outboard motor 11 are covered with an engine cover 18.
[0016]
A drive shaft housing 19 is installed below the oil pan 15. A drive shaft 20 is disposed substantially vertically in the engine holder 12, the oil pan 15, and the drive shaft housing 19, and an upper end portion thereof is connected to a lower end portion of the crankshaft 14. The drive shaft 20 extends downward in the drive shaft housing 19 and is configured to drive the propeller 24 via a bevel gear 22 and a propeller shaft 23 in a gear case 21 provided at the lower portion of the drive shaft housing 19.
[0017]
By the way, the engine 13 mounted on the outboard motor 11 is a water-cooled cycle three-cylinder engine configured by combining, for example, a cylinder head 25, a cylinder block 26, a crankcase 27, and the like.
[0018]
A cylinder block 26 is arranged at the foremost part of the engine 13, behind the crankcase 27 arranged on the leftmost side in FIG. A cylinder head 25 is disposed behind the cylinder block 26.
[0019]
FIG. 2 is an enlarged left side view of the upper half of the outboard motor 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket device 16 mainly includes a swivel bracket 28 and a clamp bracket 29. The swivel bracket 28 is fixed to the transom 17a of the hull 17, and the clamp bracket 29 is fixed to the outboard motor 11. Is done.
[0020]
The swivel bracket 28 is pivotally supported by a tilt shaft 30 installed between a pair of left and right clamp brackets 29 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction, and a pilot shaft 31 can be rotated in the vertical direction in the swivel bracket 28. It is pivotally supported. A steering bracket 32 and a mount bracket 33 are pivotally integrated with the upper and lower ends of the pilot shaft 31, respectively.
[0021]
A pair of left and right upper mount units 34 are provided at the front portion of the engine holder 12 and connected to the steering bracket 32. A pair of lower mount units 35 are provided on both sides of the drive shaft housing 19 and are connected to the mount bracket 33.
[0022]
The steering bracket 32 is provided with a steering handle (not shown) extending forward, and the outboard motor 11 can be steered left and right around the pilot shaft 31 with respect to the bracket device 16 by swinging the steering handle left and right. become. Further, tilt and trim operations can be performed upward with the tilt shaft 30 as the center.
[0023]
3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the bracket device 16 of the outboard motor 11 is provided with a steering adjuster 36 that can arbitrarily set the load of the steering operation described above. The steering adjuster 36 mainly includes an adjuster plate 37 that is a connecting member that connects the swivel bracket 28 and the steering bracket 32, and an adjuster lever 38 that is a braking member that restricts the movement of the adjuster plate 37.
[0024]
The adjuster plate 37 is, for example, a metal plate formed in a substantially “<” shape in plan view, and has two arm portions 37 a and 37 b that extend in opposite directions from the substantially central portion. A slit-like long hole 39 is formed from the substantially central portion to the end of one arm portion 37a.
[0025]
An arm portion 32a extending from the upper part of the steering bracket 32 in the vicinity of the upper end of the pilot shaft 31 to the side, in the present embodiment, toward the left side is integrally formed. On the other hand, a guide shaft 40 extending in the upward direction is planted at substantially the center of the upper surface of the swivel bracket 28.
[0026]
The guide shaft 40 is inserted from below into a long hole 39 formed in one arm portion 37a of the adjuster plate 37, and the end portion of the other arm portion 37b of the adjuster plate 37 is an arm of the steering bracket 32. The part 32a is pivotally attached by a bolt 42 via a bush 41 formed of an elastic body such as rubber (see FIG. 4).
[0027]
That is, by swinging a steering handle (not shown) to the left and right, the steering bracket 32 rotates about the pilot shaft 31, and accordingly, the end of the arm portion 32a is on an arc (not shown) centering on the pilot shaft 31. Is moved within the range of the steering angle shown in FIG. As the arm portion 32a moves, the adjuster plate 37 moves along the guide shaft 40 as shown in FIG. 6, for example.
[0028]
From above the adjuster plate 37 inserted through the guide shaft 40, the mounting hole 38b of the base 38a of the adjuster lever 38 is inserted into the guide shaft 40 with the intermediate plate 43 interposed therebetween, and a nut 44, for example, is coupled from above.
[0029]
The adjuster lever 38 applies braking to the adjuster plate 37 by a frictional force. The adjuster lever 38 is configured to be able to increase or decrease the frictional force (braking force) applied to the adjuster plate 37 by rotating the adjuster lever 38. Composed.
[0030]
As an example of a method of generating a frictional force by rotating the adjuster lever 38, for example, screws 45 and 46 are formed in both the guide shaft 40 and the mounting hole 38b of the adjuster lever 38 base 38a, and the adjuster lever 38 is guided. When the adjuster lever 38 is rotated by being screwed to the shaft 40, the base portion 38a of the adjuster lever 38 moves the guide shaft 40 up and down in the axial direction thereof. A frictional force is generated by pressing or loosening the adjuster plate 37 by the vertical movement of the adjuster lever 38.
[0031]
Although not shown, a cam shape may be provided on the lower surface of the adjuster lever 38 base 38a so that the adjuster plate 37 is pressed and loosened by rotating the adjuster lever 38. Many other well-known techniques can be used. It is.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, for the purpose of preventing the adjuster plate 37 from being excessively pressed and loosened, for example, protrusions 38c are formed on both sides of the adjuster lever 38 base 38a, and a stopper 47 is provided between these protrusions 38c. Thus, the rotation angle of the adjuster lever 38 is regulated.
[0033]
By the way, the most efficient layout of each member for converting the above-mentioned frictional force into braking force is to connect the connecting point between the arm portion 32a of the tearing bracket and the adjuster plate 37 and the center of the steering rotation, that is, the center of the pilot shaft 31. The layout is such that the angle between the line 48 and the line 49 connecting the connection point between the arm portion 32a and the adjuster plate 37 and the center of the guide shaft 40 is a right angle (90 °).
[0034]
Originally, the situation in which the user most frequently holds and uses the outboard motor 11 at a fixed position is when the hull 17 moves straight. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the relationship between the angle A ° when turning left, the angle B ° when going straight, and the angle C ° when turning right is A °> B °> C °. In addition, the position of the arm portion 32a of the steering bracket 32, the position of the guide shaft 40, and the shape (bending condition) of the adjuster plate 37 are set so that the angle B ° when traveling straight is as close to a right angle (90 °) as possible. Is done.
[0035]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
[0036]
A steering bracket 32 attached to the outboard motor 11 side and a swivel bracket 28 attached to the hull 17 side are rotatably connected by an adjuster plate 37 as a connecting member, and the movement of the adjuster plate 37 is adjusted as a braking member. Since the load of the steering operation can be arbitrarily set by restricting with the lever 38, the pilot shaft 31 is compared with the conventional method of adjusting the pressure of the brake plate 10 by operating the bolt 9 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). A big moment can be applied. Further, a special tool is not required for the load setting operation, and the load setting operation can always be easily performed from the hull 17 side.
[0037]
Further, when the outboard motor 11 is held at a position where the hull 17 goes straight, a line 48 connecting the connection point between the arm portion 32a of the steering bracket 32 and the adjuster plate 37 and the center of rotation of the steering wheel, and the arm portion 32a and the adjuster plate. 37. The frictional force generated by the adjusting lever is determined by setting the shape and arrangement of each member so that the angle between the connecting point with the shaft 37 and the line 48 connecting the center of the guide shaft 40 is a right angle (90 °). Can be efficiently converted into braking force.
[0038]
Since the bush 41 formed of an elastic body such as rubber is interposed in the connecting portion between the arm portion 32a of the steering bracket 32 and the adjuster plate 37, vibration of the engine 13 is hardly transmitted to the hull 17 side. Also, noise generated by contact between metals does not occur.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the outboard motor steering apparatus according to the present invention, the steering bracket includes the swivel bracket attached to the hull side and the steering bracket attached to the outboard motor side. In an outboard motor that can be steered in a horizontal direction around a pilot shaft provided integrally with the rotation, an arm portion extending toward one side of the traveling direction is formed on the steering bracket, and the arm portion is formed from a substantially central portion. One end of a substantially "<"-shaped connecting member having two arms extending in opposite directions is rotatably connected, and a guide shaft is provided on the swivel bracket, and the connecting shaft is connected to the guide shaft. a slit shaped long hole formed at the other end of the member is inserted, when the hull is straight, the steering The angle between the line connecting the connecting point between the arm portion of the ring bracket and the connecting member and the center of the pilot shaft, and the line connecting the connecting point between the arm portion and the connecting member and the center of the guide shaft are substantially perpendicular to each other. since set by connecting the swivel bracket and the steering bracket, and allows arbitrarily setting a load of steering operation by the movement of the coupling member for regulating braking member provided on said swivel bracket in a simple With the structure, it is possible to set the load of the steering operation efficiently , the setting operation is facilitated, and the braking efficiency of the braking member can be improved .
[0041]
Furthermore, since a bush formed of an elastic body is interposed at the connecting portion between the steering bracket and the connecting member, vibration and noise are prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a left side view of an outboard motor showing an embodiment of an outboard motor steering apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged left side view of the upper half of the outboard motor.
FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow III in FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining the movement of an adjuster plate.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged left side view of a central portion of an outboard motor showing a conventional example of a steering adjuster.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Outboard motor 13 Engine 16 Bracket apparatus 17 Hull 28 Swivel bracket 31 Pilot shaft 32 Steering bracket 32a Arm part 36 Steering adjuster 37 Adjuster plate (connection member)
38 Adjuster lever (braking member)
39 Long hole 40 Guide shaft 41 Bush

Claims (2)

In an outboard motor equipped with a steering device composed of a swivel bracket attached to the hull side and a steering bracket attached to the outboard motor side, which can be steered in a horizontal direction around a pilot shaft provided integrally with the steering bracket. ,
The above-mentioned steering bracket is formed with an arm portion extending toward one side in the traveling direction, and the arm portion has two arm portions extending in opposite directions from the substantially central portion, respectively, in a plan view substantially in the shape of “<”. While connecting one end of the connecting member in a rotatable manner,
A guide shaft is provided in the swivel bracket, and a slit-like long hole formed on the other end side of the connecting member is inserted into the guide shaft .
When the hull moves straight, a line connecting the connection point between the arm portion of the steering bracket and the connection member and the center of the pilot shaft, and a connection point between the arm portion and the connection member and the center of the guide shaft are connected. Connect the swivel bracket and the steering bracket by setting the angle with the line to be almost right angle ,
Steering system for an outboard motor, characterized in that to allow arbitrarily set load of steering operation by regulating the movement of the coupling member in the braking member provided on said swivel bracket. The outboard motor steering apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a bush formed of an elastic body is interposed at a connection portion between the steering bracket and the connection member .

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