JP2005153727A - Electrically driven outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrically driven outboard motor of compact construction capable of serving as a substitute for a high output gasoline engine. <P>SOLUTION: The electrically driven outboard motor is equipped with a supporting part 21 to support the outboard motor 1 on a hull 20 and a motor room 3 formed over the supporting part 21 in such a way as covered with a motor cover 2, wherein the arrangement includes an electric motor 4 located inside the motor room 3, a battery 25 to supply the electric power to the electric motor 4, and a control unit 26 to control the number of revolutions etc. of the electric motor 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric outboard motor.

  Generally, an outboard motor uses an internal combustion engine that uses gasoline or the like as a power source, a so-called gasoline engine or the like. A gasoline engine has a complicated structure, a large number of parts, and many parts that cause various problems, such as a fuel system, intake / exhaust system, electrical system, lubrication system, and drive system.

  Furthermore, in recent years, environmental problems have been highlighted, and there are many problems with outboard motors equipped with gasoline engines, such as leakage of gasoline and lubricating oil and exhaust of exhaust gas into water.

In view of these problems, an outboard motor having an electric motor as a power source has been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such an outboard motor, an electric motor is disposed in front of the underwater propeller, and power is supplied from a battery disposed in the ship.
JP 59-45296 (pages 3 to 4 and FIG. 2)

  However, since conventional electric outboard motors are arranged in water to cool the electric motor that generates heat, considering the resistance in water, the size of the electric motor, that is, the replacement of the gasoline engine is not Have difficulty. Further, in order to dispose a large electric motor in water, there is a problem that the supporting member of the electric motor has to be enlarged, and the electric outboard motor uses only a small and small output electric motor.

  From the above, the conventional electric outboard motor can only be used as an auxiliary machine for trolling or berthing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a compact electric outboard motor that can replace a high-power gasoline engine.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an electric outboard motor according to the present invention includes a support portion for supporting the outboard motor on the hull, and a motor cover above the support portion. A motor room that is covered and formed, and an electric motor, a battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a control unit that controls the rotational speed of the electric motor, and the like. is there.

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 2, the electric motor is provided vertically so that the output shaft thereof is oriented substantially vertically, and a lower end of the output shaft is coupled via a coupling. The drive shaft is connected.

  Furthermore, in order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 3, the control unit is disposed in front of the electric motor, and the display panel showing the remaining amount of the battery on the front surface of the motor cover. Is provided.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 4, the motor cover that covers the electric motor is provided with an outside air inlet and an outside air outlet, and a cooling fan is provided on the output shaft of the electric motor. It is provided integrally with the rotation.

  Furthermore, in order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 5, a cooling water passage is provided around the electric motor, and a cooling water pump driven by the rotation of the drive shaft is provided. The cooling water pump and the cooling water passage are connected by a cooling water pipe.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 6, an oil jacket is formed around the electric motor, and an oil tank and an oil pump are disposed in the motor room. A jacket and the oil tank are connected, and cooling oil is circulated by the oil pump.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, as described in claim 7, an oil jacket is formed around the electric motor, and an oil tank and an extension case are provided in either the lower case or the extension case at the lower part of the motor room. An oil pump is arranged, the oil jacket and the oil tank are connected, and cooling oil is circulated by the oil pump.

  According to the electric outboard motor according to the present invention, the electric motor can be enlarged and a high-power gasoline engine can be substituted. In addition, the entire outboard motor can be compacted.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a left side view showing an example of an outboard motor according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the outboard motor. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outboard motor 1 has a box-shaped motor cover 2 at the uppermost portion thereof, and a motor room 3 formed inside the outboard motor 1 serves as a power source for the outboard motor 1. The electric motor 4 is accommodated. The motor cover 2 is formed, for example, so that it can be divided into upper and lower parts, and comprises, for example, a lower motor cover 5 fixed to the outboard motor 1 side, and an upper motor cover 6 that covers the lower motor cover 5 so as to be detachable from above. The A steering handle 7 extends from the front lower part (left side in the figure) of the lower motor cover 5 toward the front (left side in the figure), and a throttle grip 8 for adjusting the output of the electric motor 4 is provided at the tip. Further, the steering handle 7 is provided with a shift switch 9 for switching the electric motor 4 between forward and reverse.

  An extension case 10 extends downward at the lower part of the lower motor cover 5, and a lower case 11 is provided at the lower part of the extension case 10. A propeller shaft 12 is pivotally supported in the lower case 11 and a propeller 13 is provided at the rear end thereof.

  In the motor room 3, the electric motor 4 is provided vertically on the motor mount 14 integrally or integrally formed on the upper part of the extension case 10 so that the output shaft 15 thereof faces substantially in the vertical direction. 16 is fixed.

  In the extension case 10, a drive shaft 18 connected to the lower end of the output shaft 15 of the electric motor 4 via a coupling 17 extends downward, and the lower end of the drive shaft 18 is connected to the propeller shaft 12 via a bevel gear 19. Is done. The output of the electric motor 4, that is, the rotation of the output shaft 15 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 12 through the drive shaft 18 and the bevel gear 19 to rotate the propeller 13.

  The upper part of the extension case 10 is supported by a swivel portion 22 of a bracket device 21 that is a support portion for supporting the outboard motor 1 to the hull 20, while being horizontally rotatable, and a clamp portion 23 of the bracket device 21 is supported by the hull 20. The swivel portion 22 is pivotally supported by the clamp portion 23 via a tilt shaft 24 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction. That is, the outboard motor 1 is provided so as to be able to rotate about 360 ° with respect to the hull 20, and the hull 20 is steered by changing the direction of the outboard motor 1 by swinging the steering handle 7 in the horizontal direction. It is configured to be able to.

  In the motor room 3, in addition to the electric motor 4, a rechargeable battery 25 such as a lithium ion battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor 4 and a control unit 26 for controlling the rotation speed of the electric motor 4 are provided. In the first embodiment, the battery 25 is disposed behind the electric motor 4 and the control unit 26 is disposed in front of the electric motor 4. The battery 25 may be provided with a charger (not shown), but it is preferable that the battery 25 be detachable so that it can be charged at a place other than the outboard motor 1 (for example, a marina or a home).

  Further, a display panel 27 indicating the remaining amount of the battery 25 and the like is provided on the front surface of the upper motor cover 6, and a main power switch 28 is also provided on the display panel 27. The control unit 26 is disposed close to the rear of the display panel 27 in the motor room 3.

  By arranging the control unit 26 in front of the electric motor 4, the wiring 29 to the throttle grip 8, the shift switch 9, the display panel 27, etc. at the tip of the steering handle 7 can be shortened. Further, since the electric motor 4 can be easily switched between forward and reverse by the shift switch 9, a shift mechanism for connecting the drive shaft 18 and the propeller shaft 12, which has been necessary in the past, becomes unnecessary, and a two-dot chain line in FIG. It can be made smaller than the lower case and extension case of an outboard motor equipped with a gasoline engine. Since the lower part of the outboard motor 1 is normally submerged in water, downsizing of the lower case 11 and the extension case 10 reduces underwater resistance and improves propulsion efficiency.

  Similarly, since the electric motor 4 does not discharge exhaust gas, there is no need to provide an exhaust passage in the lower case 11 or the extension case 10, and even a space through which the drive shaft 18 and a cooling water pipe 30 and a cooling oil pipe 31 to be described later pass is ensured. Since it should be possible, the lower case 11 and the extension case 10 can be reduced in size.

  Further, since the electric motor 4 does not exhaust the exhaust gas, the hub 32 of the propeller 13 from which the exhaust gas has been conventionally exhausted can be reduced. As a result, since the blade area of the propeller 13 can be increased, the propulsion efficiency is improved.

  By the way, the electric motor 4 that is a power source of the outboard motor 1 has a characteristic that the electric motor 4 itself generates heat when continuously operated at a high speed. Therefore, the outboard motor 1 according to the present invention is provided with a cooling device 33 that removes or reduces the heat generated from the electric motor 4.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the cooling device 33A for the outboard motor 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling device 33 </ b> A is of a water cooling type, and a water jacket 34 that is a cooling water passage is formed around the electric motor 4. On the other hand, for example, a volume-variable cooling water pump 35 that is driven by the rotation of the drive shaft 18 is provided in the lower case 11. From the cooling water pump 35, the cooling water pipe 30 extends along the drive shaft 18 in the extension case 10 toward the upper water jacket 34.

  When the drive shaft 18 rotates with the rotation of the electric motor 4, an impeller (not shown) in the cooling water pump 35 rotates to take in external water as cooling water from a water intake (not shown) provided in the lower case 11, and this cooling Water is pumped to a water jacket 34 formed around the electric motor 4 to forcibly cool the electric motor 4. Moreover, the cooling water after cooling the electric motor 4 is discharged | emitted outside from the cooling water discharge port which is not shown in figure.

  Although not shown in detail, an external housing (not shown) of the water jacket 34 is provided with a water flush plug (not shown). For example, after use of the outboard motor 1, a tap water hose is used. And the like are connected to this stopper, the water jacket 34 can be easily cleaned, and the cooling efficiency can be prevented from being lowered.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the cooling device 33B of the outboard motor 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cooling device 33 </ b> B is also of a water cooling type, and unlike the water jacket 34, a cooling water tube 36, which is another cooling water passage through which the cooling water flows, is provided around the electric motor 4. Is provided. The cooling water tube 36 is directly attached around the electric motor 4. Then, like the cooling device 33A of the first embodiment, the cooling water pump 35 provided in the lower case 11 forcibly feeds the cooling water to the cooling water tube 36 provided around the electric motor 4 to force the electric motor 4. Cool.

  Since the water jacket 34B is not provided with the water jacket 34 in the electric motor 4, the water jacket 34B does not accumulate salt or dust in the water jacket 34 or corrode. Further, in the case of the cooling water tube 36, the flow of the cooling water becomes more uniform and stagnation does not occur as compared with the case of the water jacket 34, and the cooling performance is high. Furthermore, since the cooling water tube 36 is provided separately from the electric motor 4, a seal structure for preventing water from entering the electric motor 4 is not required, and the structure is simplified. Although not shown in detail, the cooling water tube 36 can be extended to the periphery of the battery 25 and the control unit 26, and if necessary, these electrical components can be easily cooled.

  These water-cooled cooling devices 33A and 33B can reliably suppress overheating of the electric motor 4 by sending the cooling water at the time of cruising to the electric motor 4, and are conventionally used in gasoline engines and the like. Because it has the same pumping structure as that of the tank, it is highly reliable and easy to maintain. Moreover, since there are many diverted parts, it is economical. Further, when the cooling water pump 35 is disposed in the lower case 11, the partition wall of the lower case 11 can be used as the casing of the cooling water pump 35, so that the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, since the lower case 11 is located underwater even while traveling, there is little pump loss. The cooling water pump 35 may be provided in the extension case 10.

  Since the electric motor 4 is cooled by the cooling water, it is not necessary to provide the outside air intake 37 for ventilation in the motor cover 2. As a result, since moisture from the outside such as splashes and rainwater at the time of sailing does not enter the motor room 3, the durability of the electrical components such as the electric motor 4, the battery 25, and the control unit 26 is improved.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the cooling device 33C of the outboard motor 1 which is the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the cooling device 33 </ b> C is air-cooled, and includes an outside air intake 37 </ b> A on the front upper surface of the upper motor cover 6 that covers the electric motor, and an outside air outlet 38 </ b> A on the rear surface of the upper motor cover 6. In addition, a cooling fan 39 is provided integrally with the upper end of the output shaft 15 of the electric motor 4 in a rotating manner.

  When the cooling fan 39 rotates with the rotation of the electric motor 4, fresh outside air (arrow A) is taken into the motor room 3 from the outside air intake 37 </ b> A, and the battery 25 and the control unit 26 including the electric motor 4 are cooled. Then, it is discharged out of the motor room 3 through the outside air discharge port 38A, and so-called ventilation is performed. Since this air-cooling type cooling device 33C is forced to take in the outside air by the cooling fan 39, fresh air always flows into the motor room 3 to suppress overheating of the electric motor 4. In addition, since the outside air intake 37A and the outside air outlet 38A are formed in the motor cover 2, reliable ventilation is possible.

  Furthermore, compared to the water-cooled type, the pump and piping for pumping and feeding the cooling water are unnecessary, the structure is extremely simple, the number of parts is small, and the lower case 11 and the extension case 10 can be simplified. A lightweight and compact outboard motor 1 can be provided. Furthermore, since there is no mechanical loss and the occurrence of failure is extremely low, the reliability is high.

  6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a cooling device 33D of the outboard motor 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6 (the state in which the upper motor cover 6 is removed). ). As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cooling device 33 </ b> D is an oil cooling type, and an oil jacket 40 through which cooling oil flows is formed around the electric motor 4. On the other hand, an oil tank 41A is installed in the motor room 3 adjacent to the electric motor 4, and in this embodiment on the left front side. For example, an oil pump is installed inside the motor mount 14 where the electric motor 4 is installed. 42A is arranged.

  The oil pump 42 </ b> A is driven by a pump drive gear 43 provided integrally with the coupling 17 that connects the output shaft 15 of the electric motor 4 and the drive shaft 18.

  When the output shaft 15 rotates with the rotation of the electric motor 4, the oil pump 42 </ b> A forces the cooling oil in the oil tank 41 </ b> A to the oil jacket 40 formed around the electric motor 4 to force the electric motor 4. Cool down. Further, the cooling oil after cooling the electric motor 4 is returned to the oil tank 41A from the oil discharge port 44 provided in the upper portion of the oil jacket 40, that is, the cooling oil is circulated.

  The oil tank 41A itself has a function of a heat exchanger, and is disposed in a part of the motor cover 2 or in the vicinity of the motor cover 2. For example, a cooling fin 45 shape is formed on the outer surface thereof. The upper motor cover 6 covering the electric motor and the oil tank 41A has an outside air intake port 37B on the front surface of the oil tank 41A and an upper surface of the oil tank 41A with an outside air discharge port 38B. Cool the cooling oil.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the cooling device 33E of the outboard motor 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention (a state in which the upper motor cover 6 is removed). As shown in FIG. 8, the cooling device 33E has basically the same structure as the cooling device 33D described above, but an oil pump 42B is disposed on, for example, the oil tank 41A and is driven by the battery 25. Is.

  Since these oil-cooled cooling devices 33D and 33E are provided with oil pumps 42A and 42B near the oil jacket 40, there is less mechanical loss than pumping cooling water from the outside, and thus the cooling efficiency of the electric motor 4 is improved. If it is improved and the cooling efficiency is equivalent, the pump can be downsized. Further, since the oil tank 41A is provided in the motor room 3, the lower case 11 and the extension case 10 below the motor room 3 can be reduced in size. Reduces propulsion efficiency.

  FIG. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the lower case 11, which is a sixth embodiment of the present invention and shows different arrangement examples of the oil tank 41 </ b> B. As shown in FIG. 9, the oil tank 41 </ b> B is provided in the lower case 11, and includes a tank-incorporated oil pump 42 </ b> C that is driven by the drive shaft 18. From the upper side of the oil tank 41B, although not shown in detail, the cooling oil pipe 31 extends in the extension case 10 along the drive shaft 18 toward the upper oil jacket 40. The oil tank 41B may be provided in the extension case 10. The cooling oil in the oil tank 41B is cooled by the surrounding seawater (or lake water, river water).

  Since these oil-cooled cooling devices 33D and 33E do not take in external water as a cooling medium, corrosion inside the cooling path does not occur. The oil cooling type has higher cooling efficiency than the water cooling type. Furthermore, if the oil tank 41B is provided in the lower case 11 (or in the extension case 10), the motor room 3 can be formed compactly. Furthermore, if the oil tank 41B is provided in the lower case 11 or the extension case 10 and cooled by the surrounding water, the cooling efficiency of the cooling oil is increased.

  As described above, the cooling device 33 is provided in the electric motor 4 that generates heat when continuously operated at a high rotation, whereby the electric motor 4 can be enlarged and replaced with a high-power gasoline engine. In addition, since the main components can be concentrated on the upper portion of the outboard motor 1, the entire outboard motor 1 can be compactly assembled. Further, if the battery 25 is detachable, a spare battery is prepared so that it can be used for a long time with a simple replacement operation.

  Unlike the gasoline engine, the electric motor 4 has no leakage of gasoline or lubricating oil, exhaust gas is not discharged into the water, and vibration and noise are extremely low, so it is friendly to the user and the environment.

The left view which shows one Embodiment of the electric outboard motor which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing an outboard motor cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. The expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cooling device of the outboard motor which is 2nd embodiment of this invention. The expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cooling device of the outboard motor which is 3rd embodiment of this invention. The expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cooling device of the outboard motor which is 4th embodiment of this invention. The top view of FIG. The top view which shows the cooling device of the outboard motor which is 5th embodiment of this invention. The expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lower case which is 6th embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outboard motor 2 Motor cover 3 Motor room 4 Electric motor 10 Extension case 11 Lower case 15 Output shaft 17 of electric motor 17 Coupling 18 Drive shaft 20 Hull 21 Bracket apparatus (support part)
25 Battery 26 Control unit 27 Display panel 30 Cooling water pipes 33A to 33E Cooling device 34 Water jacket (cooling water passage)
35 Cooling water pump 36 Cooling water tube (cooling water passage)
37A, 37B Outside air intake port 38A, 38B Outside air outlet port 39 Cooling fan 40 Oil jacket 41A, 41B Oil tank 42A, 42B, 42C Oil pump

Claims (7)

A support portion for supporting the outboard motor to the hull and a motor room formed by covering the support portion with a motor cover are provided, and an electric motor and electric power are supplied to the electric motor in the motor room. An electric outboard motor comprising a battery and a control unit for controlling the number of revolutions of the electric motor. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is provided vertically so that an output shaft thereof is oriented substantially in a vertical direction, and a drive shaft is connected to a lower end of the output shaft via a coupling. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is disposed in front of the electric motor, and a display panel indicating the remaining amount of the battery or the like is provided on a front surface of the motor cover. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein an outside air intake port and an outside air discharge port are provided in a motor cover that covers the electric motor, and a cooling fan is provided integrally with the output shaft of the electric motor. A cooling water passage is provided around the electric motor, a cooling water pump driven by rotation of the drive shaft is provided, and the cooling water pump and the cooling water passage are connected by a cooling water pipe. Or the electric outboard motor of 3. An oil jacket is formed around the electric motor, an oil tank and an oil pump are disposed in the motor room, the cooling oil is circulated by the oil pump by connecting the oil jacket and the oil tank. Item 4. The electric outboard motor according to item 1, 2 or 3. An oil jacket is formed around the electric motor, and an oil tank and an oil pump are disposed in either the lower case or the extension case at the lower part of the motor room, and the oil jacket and the oil tank are connected to each other to connect the oil jacket. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cooling oil is circulated by a pump.

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