JP2005193736A - Steering gear for outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering gear for an outboard motor enabling compact and small-sized layout with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The steering gear for the outboard motor comprises an outboard motor body 3 attached to a stern board 2 through a clamp bracket, a tilt shaft 12 that becomes as a rotation shaft of tilting action of the outboard motor body 3, a steering driving device 15 linearly reciprocating in a horizontal direction A parallel with the tilt shaft 12, and a coupling means 19 coupling the steering driving device 15 and a steering bracket 5. The steering driving device 15 is composed of a screw member 16 arranged in the horizontal direction, a DD type motor 17 attached to the screw member 16, and a housing unit 20 holding the DD type motor 17. The housing unit 20 or the screw member 16 is fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket holding the tilt shaft 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an outboard motor steering apparatus.

  The outboard motor steering device changes the propulsion direction by rotating the outboard motor attached to the stern plate of the hull through the clamp bracket to the left and right around the vertical swivel shaft. Conventionally, a hydraulic cylinder has been used as a driving device for such an outboard motor steering device. However, the hydraulic cylinder requires a hydraulic piping space around the steering device, and the structure is complicated.

  Instead of such a hydraulic cylinder, a steering device using an electric motor as a steering drive device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The steering device described in Patent Document 1 changes the linear motion of the rack and pinion mechanism into a rotational motion via a link mechanism to rotate the steering bracket, and steers the outboard motor main body by the rotation of the steering bracket. In this steering apparatus, an electric motor is used as a drive source for pinion rotation of the rack and pinion mechanism.

  However, since the electric motor of the steering device of Patent Document 1 is provided on the inner side of the stern plate in addition to the rack and pinion mechanism, it requires installation space in a narrow hull and is a restriction on the layout of other members and the like. .

Japanese Patent No. 2959044

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described prior art, and an object thereof is to provide an outboard motor steering apparatus capable of realizing a compact and compact layout with a simple configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the outboard motor main body attached to the stern plate via the clamp bracket and the outboard motor main body are rotatably held around the swivel shaft with respect to the clamp bracket. A swivel bracket that rotates, a tilt shaft that serves as a rotation axis of the tilt operation of the outboard motor body, a steering bracket that is fixed to the swivel shaft, and a steering drive device that linearly reciprocates parallel to the tilt shaft. And a connecting means for connecting the steering drive device and the steering bracket, wherein the clamp bracket holds the tilt shaft at two substantially symmetrical positions from the center of the tilt shaft, and the swivel bracket In the steering apparatus for an outboard motor that holds the tilt shaft between the two tilt shaft holding positions of the clamp bracket, The apparatus includes a screw member disposed in the horizontal direction, a DD type motor mounted on the screw member, and a housing unit that holds the DD type motor, and the housing unit or the screw member includes the tilt unit. An outboard motor steering apparatus is provided which is fixed to a clamp bracket or a swivel bracket for holding a shaft.

In the invention of claim 2, both end portions of the screw member are fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket via a support member, the DD motor slides with the housing unit on the screw member, and the connecting means includes: A plate-like connecting bracket fixed to the housing unit at at least two positions substantially symmetrical from the longitudinal center along the screw member, the connecting bracket being between two fixing portions to the housing unit; It is characterized in that the middle part of the is recessed from the fixing parts on both sides.

In the invention of claim 3, both ends of the screw member are fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket via a support member, and the DD motor slides together with the housing unit on the screw member. In a state where the steering angle is zero, both the left and right lengths along the screw member from the center of the screw member are equal.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the housing unit is fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket, the screw member slides in its axial direction, and the connecting means connects the end of the screw member and the steering bracket. It is characterized by comprising a link rod.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a DD (Direct Drive) type motor is directly attached to a screw member having a stroke length necessary for steering, and the DD type motor is axially fixed by fixing the screw member in the axial direction. By sliding or fixing the DD type motor and moving the screw member in the axial direction, the linear motion in the axial direction is converted into the rotational motion of the steering bracket via the connecting means, and the outboard motor main body is swiveled. It can be rotated around the axis. Thereby, a compact and small steering device can be realized with a simple structure. Further, by fixing the housing unit or the screw member constituting the steering drive device including the DD type motor to the clamp bracket or the swivel bracket, the assembling work can be easily and reliably performed, and the steering device having a solid structure can be obtained.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the mounting position of the outboard motor main body can be lowered and the center of gravity can be lowered by connecting with the steering bracket attached to the outboard motor main body side at the recessed central portion of the connecting bracket. It is possible to run stably.

  According to the invention of claim 3, a compact shape can be obtained by equalizing the left and right stroke lengths from the center of the housing unit sliding on the screw member.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration in which the DD type motor is fixed and the screw member inserted through the shaft center moves in the axial direction, the end of the screw member is connected to the steering bracket via the link rod. Thus, the linear motion can be reliably converted into a rotational motion and transmitted.

FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of an outboard motor to which the present invention is applied.
The outboard motor main body 3 is attached to the stern plate 2 of the hull 1 via the clamp bracket 4. The outboard motor main body 3 can rotate around the swivel shaft 6. A steering bracket 5 is fixed to the upper end portion of the swivel shaft 6. A steering drive device 15 is connected to the end 5 a of the steering bracket 5. In the present invention, the steering drive device 15 is constituted by a DD type motor as will be described later. The driver's seat of the hull 1 is provided with a handle 7, and its operating angle is detected by a detector 9 via a handle shaft 8. The detected steering wheel operation angle is sent to the outboard motor controller 11 through the cable 10 as a steering angle signal of an electric signal. Based on this steering angle signal, the controller 11 drives the steering drive device 15 to rotate the outboard motor main body 3 about the swivel shaft 6 to steer the hull 1.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the outboard motor steering system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The outboard motor main body 3 can be tilted by rotating around the tilt shaft 12. The tilt shaft 12 is inserted through a clamp bracket and a swivel bracket as will be described later. Ball screws 16 are fixed to both ends of the tilt shaft 12 via support members 18. A DD type motor 17 is mounted on the ball screw 16. The DD motor 17 is held by a housing unit 20 and slides on the ball screw 16 together with the housing unit 20 as indicated by an arrow A.

The ball screw 16, the DD motor 17 and the housing unit 20 constitute the steering drive device 15 of the present invention.
A plate-like connection bracket 19 is fixed to the housing unit 20. The connection bracket 19 is connected to the end of the steering bracket 5 via the connection pin 13. When the connecting bracket 19 slides together with the housing unit 20 as shown by the arrow A, the connecting pin 13 rotates around the swivel shaft 6 while moving in the long hole 14 provided in the steering bracket 5.

  3, 4 and 5 are a plan view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the tilt shaft 12 passes through the swivel bracket 21 and the clamp bracket 22 on the left and right sides from the center thereof, and is fixed by the nut 23 from the outside of the left and right clamp brackets 22. Support members 18 are attached to the outside of the nuts 23 on both sides via spacers 24 and fixed with nuts 25.

  In the housing unit 20 in a state where the steering angle is zero (the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 4), the lengths of the ball screws 16 on both the left and right sides are equal, and the stroke lengths in the left and right directions are equal.

  The connecting bracket 19 is fixed to a boss 48 protruding from the housing unit 20 with four bolts 26. Thereby, the housing unit 20 and the steering bracket 5 are connected. As shown in FIG. 4, in the connecting bracket 19, an intermediate portion 19b between the fixing portions 19a by the bolts 26 on both left and right sides is recessed from the left and right fixing portions 19a. The recessed intermediate portion 19b is connected to the steering bracket 5 via a connecting pin 13 made of a bolt and nut. As a result, the mounting position of the outboard motor main body can be lowered, the center of gravity can be lowered, and stable running can be achieved. In FIG. 4, 27 is a bolt insertion hole for attaching the clamp bracket 22 to the stern plate, 28 is a tilt cylinder, 29 is a hydraulic tank, and 30 is a hydraulic drive motor.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the main part in the tilted state of the first embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the swivel bracket 21 is rotated about the tilt shaft 12 together with the outboard motor main body 3 (FIG. 2), and is tilted up. This tilting operation is performed by a tilt cylinder 28 (FIG. 4) attached to a clamp bracket 22 fixed to the stern plate 2.

7 and 8 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the second embodiment, the housing unit 20 of the DD type motor 17 is fixed to the tilt shaft 12, and the ball screw 16 through which the DD type motor 17 is inserted is movable in the axial direction. One end of the link rod 31 is connected to the end of the ball screw 16 via a connecting pin 32 made of a bolt and nut and a ball joint 33 so as to freely rotate. The other end of the link rod 31 is connected to the steering bracket 5 via a connecting pin 34 made of a bolt and nut and a ball joint 35 so as to freely rotate.

  When the DD motor 17 is driven, the ball screw 16 inserted therethrough slides in the axial direction, and the steering bracket 5 is rotated around the swivel shaft 6 via the link rod 31 to steer the ship. Since the link rod 31 is connected to the ball screw 16 and the steering bracket 5 via the ball joints 33 and 35, respectively, the link rod 31 absorbs the tilt due to the mounting error, the tilt operation, and the tilt operation and the stable transmission function. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

9 and 10 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of the third embodiment of the present invention.
In the third embodiment, both end portions of the ball screw 16 are fixed to the swivel bracket 21 with bolts 36 via the support members 18 respectively. As a result, the support member 18 is not attached to the tilt shaft portion that protrudes to the outside of the left and right clamp brackets 22 that hold the tilt shaft 12. Can be obtained. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

11 and 12 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the fourth embodiment, the housing unit 20 of the DD type motor 17 is fixed to the swivel bracket 21 that holds the tilt shaft 12, and the ball screw 16 that passes through the DD type motor 17 is movable in the axial direction. . One end of the link rod 31 is connected to the end of the ball screw 16 via a connecting pin 32 made of a bolt and nut and a ball joint 33 so as to freely rotate. The other end of the link rod 31 is connected to the steering bracket 5 via a connecting pin 34 made of a bolt and nut and a ball joint 35 so as to freely rotate.

  When the DD motor 17 is driven, the ball screw 16 inserted therethrough slides in the axial direction, and the steering bracket 5 is rotated around the swivel shaft 6 via the link rod 31 to steer the ship. Since the link rod 31 is connected to the ball screw 16 and the steering bracket 5 via the ball joints 33 and 35, respectively, the link rod 31 absorbs the tilt due to the mounting error, the tilt operation, and the tilt operation and the stable transmission function.

Further, since the housing unit 20 is fixed not to the clamp bracket 22 but to the swivel bracket 21, the tilt shaft portion that protrudes outside the left and right clamp brackets 22 that hold the tilt shaft 12 as in the third embodiment. Since nothing is mounted on the lens, this portion is unnecessary, the length of the tilt shaft 12 can be shortened, and a compact configuration can be obtained. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

1 is an overall plan view of an outboard motor to which the present invention is applied. The block diagram of the steering device of the outboard motor which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. The top view of 1st Example of this invention. The front view of 1st Example of this invention. The side view of 1st Example of this invention. The principal part side view of the state which tilted up of 1st Example. The top view of 2nd Example of this invention. The front view of 2nd Example of this invention. The top view of 3rd Example of this invention. The front view of 3rd Example of this invention. The top view of 4th Example of this invention. The front view of 4th Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: hull, 2: stern board, 3: outboard motor body, 4: clamp bracket, 5: steering bracket, 5a: end, 6: swivel shaft,
7: handle, 8: handle shaft, 9: detector, 10: cable, 11: controller, 12: tilt shaft, 13: connecting pin, 14: long hole,
15: Steering drive device, 16: Ball screw, 17: DD type motor, 18: Support member, 19: Connection bracket, 20: Housing unit,
21: swivel bracket, 22: clamp bracket, 23: nut, 24: spacer, 25: nut, 27: bolt insertion hole,
28: tilt cylinder, 29: hydraulic tank, 30: hydraulic drive motor, 31: link rod, 32: connecting pin, 33: ball joint,
34: connecting pin, 35: ball joint, 36: bolt, 37: bolt, 48: boss.

Claims (4)

An outboard motor body attached to the stern plate via a clamp bracket;
A swivel bracket that holds the outboard motor body rotatably with respect to the clamp bracket about a swivel shaft;
A tilt axis as a rotation axis of the tilt operation of the outboard motor body;
A steering bracket fixed to the swivel shaft;
A steering drive device that linearly reciprocates in a horizontal direction parallel to the tilt axis;
Connecting means for connecting the steering drive device and the steering bracket;
The clamp bracket holds the tilt axis at two positions substantially symmetrical from the center of the tilt axis,
The swivel bracket is an outboard motor steering device that holds the tilt shaft between two tilt shaft holding positions of the clamp bracket.
The steering drive device includes a screw member disposed in the horizontal direction, a DD type motor mounted on the screw member, and a housing unit that holds the DD type motor.
The outboard motor steering apparatus, wherein the housing unit or the screw member is fixed to a clamp bracket or a swivel bracket that holds the tilt shaft. Both ends of the screw member are fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket via a support member, and the DD motor slides with the housing unit on the screw member,
The connecting means comprises a plate-like connecting bracket fixed to the housing unit at at least two positions substantially symmetrical from the longitudinal center along the screw member,
2. The outboard motor steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion between the two fixing portions to the housing unit is recessed from the fixing portions on both sides of the connecting bracket. Both ends of the screw member are fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket via a support member, and the DD motor slides with the housing unit on the screw member,
2. The outboard motor steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing unit has a uniform left and right length along the screw member from the center of the screw member when the steering angle is zero. . The housing unit is fixed to the clamp bracket or swivel bracket, and the screw member slides in its axial direction,
2. The outboard motor steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting unit includes a link rod that connects an end of the screw member and the steering bracket. 3.

Images