JP2007315499A - Vertical power unit and outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vertical power unit capable of cooling working fluid in a circulation circuit by always supplying the working oil to the circulation circuit of a torque converter through an inside of an output shaft, and making maintenance property of a load device driven by the output good. <P>SOLUTION: In the vertical power unit having the torque converter T installed between an output shaft 20 and an input shaft 17 arranged upper and lower with an axial line oriented to a vertical direction, an output shaft 20 comprises an upper output shaft 20a connected to a turbine runner 26 and a lower output shaft 20b separatably connected to the same, an oil tank 22 and an oil pump 41 are installed outside of the torque converter T, and a vertical hole 52b connecting to the circulation circuit 28 at an upper end part thereof to introduce delivered oil of the oil pump 41 to the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T and a bottom wall 78 closing a lower end of the vertical hole 52 are provided on the upper output shaft 20a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes an engine having a crankshaft arranged in a vertical direction, an output shaft arranged in a vertical direction below the crankshaft, and a torque converter interposed between the crankshaft and the output shaft. The torque converter includes a pump impeller coupled to the crankshaft, a turbine runner coupled to the output shaft facing the pump impeller, a stator disposed between the pump impeller and the turbine runner, It is composed of a power transmission oil circulation circuit defined by the three parties, and the output shaft is provided with a vertical hole whose upper end is connected to the circulation circuit in order to introduce the oil discharged from the oil pump into the circulation circuit. The present invention relates to a vertical power unit and an outboard motor.

A vertical type comprising an engine having a crankshaft arranged in a vertical direction, an output shaft arranged vertically below the crankshaft, and a torque converter interposed between the crankshaft and the output shaft The power unit and the outboard motor are already known as disclosed in Patent Document 1.
US Pat. No. 3,407,600

  In the vertical power unit and the outboard motor disclosed in Patent Document 1, the torque converter has a built-in oil sump for storing the working oil, and the circulation circuit is configured in a sealed manner. Thus, an increase in the size of the torque converter causes an increase in weight with an increase in the size of the peripheral portion, and there is also a drawback that the cooling performance of the working oil is poor in the sealed torque converter and the deterioration thereof is accelerated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. The oil sump is separated from the torque converter, and the oil in the oil sump is always supplied to the circulation circuit of the torque converter through the inside of the output shaft. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vertical power unit and an outboard motor that can reduce the size of the torque converter, cool the working oil in the circulation circuit, and improve the maintainability of the load device driven by the output shaft. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an engine having a crankshaft arranged in a vertical direction, an output shaft arranged in a vertical direction below the crankshaft, and an interposition between the crankshaft and the output shaft. A torque impeller connected to the crankshaft, a turbine runner connected to the output shaft opposite to the pump impeller, and between the pump impeller and the turbine runner. And a power transmission oil circulation circuit defined between these three components. The output shaft circulates at the upper end to introduce oil discharged from the oil pump into the circulation circuit. In a vertical power unit with a vertical hole connected to the circuit, the output shaft can be separated into an upper output shaft connected to the turbine runner and a lower end of the upper output shaft. And an oil tank outside the torque converter and an oil pump for pumping up oil in the oil tank, and the oil discharged from the oil pump is introduced into the circulation circuit. The first feature is that the upper output shaft is provided with a vertical hole whose upper end is connected to the circulation circuit and a bottom wall that closes the lower end of the vertical hole.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the upper output shaft is formed with the vertical hole, the plug hole, and the spline hole from above so as to penetrate the upper output shaft in the axial direction. A second feature is that a plug serving as the bottom wall is attached to the hole, and a spline shaft formed at an upper end portion of the lower output shaft is detachably fitted into the spline hole.

  Furthermore, in addition to the first or second feature, the present invention provides a hollow stator shaft that extends downward by being connected to the stator via a free wheel on the outer periphery of the upper output shaft, and on the outer periphery of the stator shaft. A hollow pump shaft that is connected to the pump impeller and extends downward is disposed, and the pump shaft is supported on a support through an upper bearing, and a lower end portion of the stator shaft is fixed to the support. A third feature is that the lower output shaft is supported on the lower end of the lower end of the lower end shaft via a lower bearing.

  Furthermore, in addition to the third feature, the present invention is characterized in that the oil pump driven by the pump shaft is attached to the support body between the upper and lower bearings.

  Furthermore, in addition to the fourth feature, the present invention provides an inlet oil passage extending from the support to the stator shaft and the upper output shaft, communicating the discharge port of the oil pump with the vertical hole, and the upper output shaft. A fifth feature is that a pair of seal members disposed above and below the inlet oil passage are interposed in the relatively rotatable fitting portion of the stator shaft.

  Furthermore, in addition to the fifth feature of the present invention, oil discharged from the circulation circuit is caused to flow down between the upper output shaft and the stator shaft above the pair of seal members, and the oil pump suction side or A sixth feature is that a cylindrical oil passage leading to the oil tank is defined.

  In addition, the present invention attaches the engine to the upper part of the casing connected to the swivel case via the swivel shaft so that the crankshaft is directed in the vertical direction and the cylinder block is directed in the direction opposite to the swivel shaft. In addition, a torque converter, an output shaft connected to the crankshaft via the torque converter and arranged vertically, a propeller shaft arranged horizontally below the output shaft, and between the output shaft and the propeller shaft are connected. In an outboard motor having a forward / reverse switching gear mechanism to be connected, an output shaft is connected to a turbine runner and an output shaft is connected to a lower end of the upper output shaft in a separable manner. The oil tank is composed of an output shaft, and an oil tank is pumped into the casing below the torque converter and the oil in the oil tank is pumped up. The upper output shaft is provided with a vertical hole whose upper end is connected to the circulation circuit and a bottom wall that closes the lower end of the vertical hole in order to introduce oil discharged from the oil pump into the circulation circuit. Is the seventh feature.

  The support body corresponds to a bearing bracket 14 in an embodiment described later of the present invention, and the input shaft corresponds to a crankshaft 17.

  According to the first feature of the present invention, the oil tank and the oil in the oil tank are pumped out of the torque converter and supplied to the circulation circuit in the torque converter. Can be achieved. Moreover, the oil pump discharge oil is always supplied to the circulation circuit of the torque converter through the vertical hole of the output shaft, so that overheating and deterioration of the oil in the circulation circuit can be prevented, and the oil passage is simplified. Can be achieved.

  In addition, the output shaft is divided into an upper output shaft and a lower output shaft that are connected in a separable manner, so the engine, torque converter, and upper output shaft are compactly unitized without being obstructed by the lower output shaft. can do.

  Furthermore, when maintaining the load device connected to the lower output shaft, the lower output shaft is separated from the upper output shaft, so that the load device can be easily maintained without being interrupted by the torque converter, upper output shaft, etc. Good maintainability.

  In addition, since the vertical hole is provided in the upper output shaft together with its bottom wall, the oil remaining in the vertical hole can be prevented from flowing out even when the lower output shaft is separated, and the maintainability can be further improved. it can.

  According to the second feature of the present invention, the vertical hole, the plug hole and the spline hole are provided so as to penetrate the upper output shaft in the axial direction. It can be surely prevented. And by attaching a plug to the plug hole, the lower end of the vertical hole can be easily closed.

  According to the third feature of the present invention, the pump shaft is supported on the support via the upper bearing, the lower end of the stator shaft is fixed to the support, and the lower output shaft is attached to the lower end of the stator shaft. Since it is supported via the lower bearing, the support of the pump shaft, the stator shaft and the upper output shaft is reasonable, and the vertical transmission device can be made compact.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a vertical transmission device with an oil pump can be made compact by effectively utilizing the space between the upper and lower bearings for the installation of the oil pump.

  According to the fifth feature of the present invention, the pair of upper and lower seal members can cooperate to prevent the oil in the inlet oil passage from flowing out of the fitting portion of the upper output shaft and the stator shaft.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the space between the upper output shaft and the stator shaft is used for forming a cylindrical oil passage for flowing down the oil discharged from the circulation circuit, thereby simplifying the oil passage structure. Moreover, the upper seal member of the pair of seal members can prevent the oil in the cylindrical oil passage from flowing out downward.

  According to the seventh feature of the present invention, the torque converter and the oil tank for storing the working oil are separated and arranged vertically, so that the casing for housing them and the outboard motor can be made compact and lightweight. Can be achieved. Moreover, the oil pump discharge oil is always supplied to the circulation circuit of the torque converter through the vertical hole of the output shaft, so that overheating and deterioration of the oil in the circulation circuit can be prevented, and the oil passage is simplified. Can be achieved.

  In addition, the long output shaft is divided into an upper output shaft and a lower output shaft that are separably connected, so that the engine, torque converter, and upper output shaft are compact without being obstructed by the lower output shaft. Can be unitized.

  Furthermore, during maintenance of the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism connected to the lower output shaft and propeller shaft, the lower output shaft is separated from the upper output shaft, so that the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism and the like are not obstructed by the torque converter, upper output shaft, etc. Maintenance is easy and maintenance is good.

  In addition, since the vertical hole is provided in the upper output shaft together with its bottom wall, the oil remaining in the vertical hole can be prevented from flowing out even when the lower output shaft is separated, and the maintainability can be further improved. it can.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings.

  1 is a side view of an outboard motor including a vertical power unit according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part 2 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 5 is a hydraulic circuit diagram including an oil pump.

  In FIG. 1, a casing 1 of an outboard motor O is mounted with a water-cooled multi-cylinder four-stroke engine E on the top and supports a propeller shaft 3 having a propeller 2 at the rear end at the bottom. Immediately before the casing 1, a vertical swivel shaft 6 attached to the casing 1 via the upper arm 4 and the lower arm 5 is disposed. It is connected to a stern bracket 8 clamped to Bt via a tilt shaft 9 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the casing 1 can be steered left and right around the swivel shaft 6 and can be tilted up and down around the tilt shaft 9. Reference numeral Ef is a detachable engine hood that covers the engine E.

2, 3, and 4, the casing 1 includes an extension case 10, a mount case 11 that is bolted to the upper end of the extension case 10, and a gear case 12 that is bolted to the lower end of the extension case 10. The extension case 10 includes an upper case 10a and a lower case 10b coupled to the upper case 10a. The mount case 11 is coupled to the upper end surface of the upper case 10a by a plurality of bolts 16 ₃ .

The casing 1 further includes an annular lower distance member 13, a bearing bracket 14, and an annular upper distance member 15 that are sequentially stacked on the upper end of the mount case 11. The engine E is mounted on the upper distance member 15 with the crankshaft 17 facing the vertical direction and the cylinder block 18 facing the rear. At that time, the bottom wall of the cylinder block 18 and the crankcase 19 of the engine E, bearing bracket 14 and upper distance member 15 are secured by a plurality of bolts 16 ₁ and the lower distance member 13, the bearing bracket 14 and upper distance member 15 are fixed to each other by a plurality of bolts 16 ₂ .

  2 and 3, a vertical torque converter T is disposed in the annular upper distance member 15, and the output shaft 20 connected to the crankshaft 17 via the torque converter T is vertically mounted on the extension case 10. Placed in.

  Further, the gear case 12 horizontally supports the propeller shaft 3 having the propeller 2 attached to the rear outer end thereof, and houses a forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21 for connecting the output shaft 20 to the propeller shaft 3.

  Thus, during operation of the engine E, the power is transmitted from the crankshaft 17 to the output shaft 20 via the torque converter T and further to the propeller shaft 3 via the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21 to drive the propeller 2. To do. At that time, the rotation direction of the propeller 2 is controlled by the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21.

  In the extension case 10, the upper case 10 a of the extension case 10 is integrally formed with an oil tank 22 that opens toward the mount case 11, and is commonly used for lubrication of the engine E and operation of the torque converter T. Oil 23 is stored in the oil tank 22. Further, a downstream end 90 of the exhaust path of the engine E is integrally formed with the upper case 10a.

  As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the torque converter T includes a pump impeller 25, a turbine runner 26 disposed above the pump impeller 25, a stator 27 disposed between the inner peripheral portions thereof, and the three It is comprised with the circulation circuit 28 for hydraulic oil defined between the impellers 25-27. These three-blade wheels 25 to 27 are arranged such that a common axis is oriented in the vertical direction in the same manner as the crankshaft 17 and the output shaft 20.

A transmission cover 29 that covers the upper surface of the turbine runner 3 is integrally connected to the pump impeller 25. A starting ring gear 30 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the transmission cover 29, and a drive plate 31 fixed to the lower end of the crankshaft 17 with a bolt 32 ₁ is fixed to the ring gear 30 with a bolt 32 ₂ . The torque converter T is suspended from the crankshaft 17 via the drive plate 31.

  A cup-shaped support cylinder 34 that fits into a support hole 33 that opens at the center of the lower end surface of the crankshaft 17 is fixed to the center of the transmission cover 29. The output shaft 20 has an upper end extending into the support cylinder 34, and the upper end is supported in the support cylinder 34 via a bearing bush 35, and the hub of the turbine runner 26 is splined to the output shaft 20. Combined. A hollow stator shaft 37 supported by a needle bearing 36 is disposed on the outer periphery of the output shaft 20, and a known free wheel 38 is interposed between the stator shaft 37 and the hub of the stator 27. Is done.

  On the outer periphery of the stator shaft 37, a hollow pump shaft 39 that is integrally connected to the pump impeller 25 and extends downward is disposed. The pump shaft 39 is supported on the bearing bracket 14 via an upper ball bearing 43 on the outer peripheral side, and an oil pump 41 driven at the lower end of the pump shaft 39 is formed on the lower surface of the bearing bracket 14. A pump cover 42 attached to the pump housing 40 and covering the lower surface of the oil pump 41 is bolted to the lower surface of the bearing bracket 14. An oil seal 45 is mounted on the upper end of the bearing bracket 14 so that the lip is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pump shaft 39 immediately above the ball bearing 43.

  The stator shaft 37 has an enlarged diameter portion 37a at the lower end thereof, and a flange 37b fixed to the pump cover 42 with a bolt 46 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the enlarged diameter portion 37a. A lower ball bearing 44 that supports the output shaft 20 is mounted on the periphery.

  Thus, the pump shaft 39 is supported on the bearing bracket 14 via the upper ball bearing 43, and the output shaft 20 is supported on the enlarged diameter portion 37 a of the stator shaft 37 via the lower ball bearing 44. The support of the pump shaft 39, the stator shaft 37, and the output shaft 20 becomes rational, and the vertical fluid transmission device including the torque converter T and the output shaft 20 can be made compact.

  Since the oil pump 41 is attached to the bearing bracket 14 using the space between the upper and lower ball bearings 43, 44, the vertical fluid transmission device with the oil pump 41 can be configured in a compact manner.

  A thrust needle bearing 47 is interposed between the pump impeller 25 and the hub of the stator 27, and a thrust needle bearing 48 is also interposed between the hub of the turbine runner 26 and the transmission cover 29.

  The oil pump 41 pumps up the oil in the oil tank 22 and supplies it to the engine E and the torque converter T. The path of the oil discharged from the oil pump 41 will now be described with reference to FIG.

  The oil pump 41 sucks up the stored oil 23 in the oil tank 22 through the suction oil passage 50 and discharges it to the first supply oil passage 51. The oil discharged to the first supply oil passage 51 is filtered by an oil filter 53 provided in the middle of the first supply oil passage 51 and then supplied to the lubrication part of the engine E. The oil after lubrication flows down to the bottom of the crankcase 19 of the engine E, and returns to the oil tank 22 through the first return oil passage 59.

  The oil discharged to the first supply oil passage 51 is also supplied to the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T through the second supply oil passage 52 branched from the first supply oil passage 51 upstream from the oil filter 53. The oil that has finished work in the circulation circuit 28 returns to the suction oil passage 50 or the oil tank 22 through the second return oil passage 54.

  A relief oil passage 55 that reaches the suction oil passage 50 is branched from the first supply oil passage 51 upstream of the oil filter 53, and the oil pressure of the first supply oil passage 51 is a specified value in the relief oil passage 55. A relief valve 56 is provided that opens when the above is reached.

  The second supply oil passage 52 is provided with an orifice 57 that regulates the amount of oil supplied to the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T. The second return oil passage 54 is provided with a normally closed pressure responsive valve 58 that opens when the hydraulic pressure upstream of the second second return oil passage 54 exceeds a predetermined value. It has become.

  Thus, when the first supply oil passage 51 is regulated by the single relief valve 56, the second supply oil passage 52 is also regulated at the same time, so that the circulation circuit 28 in the torque converter T The pressure can be adjusted and its transmission characteristics can be stabilized. Further, since the downstream end of the relief oil passage 55 is connected to the suction oil passage 50, the oil released from the relief oil passage 55 can be smoothly returned to the oil pump 41, and the hydraulic circuit can be simplified. Can do.

  2 and 3 again, the suction oil passage 50 is suspended from the bearing bracket 14 and has a suction pipe 50a for allowing the lower end portion to enter the oil tank 22, and a suction pipe 50a provided on the bearing bracket 14. The upper end is constituted by a lateral oil passage 50 b communicating with the suction port 41 a of the oil pump 41.

  The second supply oil passage 52 has a bottomed vertical hole 52b provided at the center thereof so as to open to the upper end surface of the output shaft 20, the pump cover 42, the stator shaft 37, and the output shaft 20. An inlet oil passage 52a that is provided so as to penetrate the fitting portion and communicates the discharge port 41b of the oil pump 41 with the lower portion of the vertical hole 52b, and a transmission cover through the peripheral portion of the thrust needle bearing 48 at the upper portion of the vertical hole 52b. 29 and a lateral hole 52c provided in the output shaft 20 so as to communicate with the inside of the output shaft 20.

  The second return oil passage 54 is defined between the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37 and is connected to the circulation circuit 28 through the peripheral portion of the thrust needle bearing 47 on the hub of the pump impeller 25. And a lateral outlet oil passage 54b provided in the pump cover 42 so as to communicate with the lower end portion of the cylindrical oil passage 54a. The outlet oil passage 54b is connected to the lateral oil passage via a pressure responsive valve 58. 50b communicates.

  The pressure responsive valve 58 includes a horizontal cylindrical valve chamber 60 provided in the pump cover 42 and a piston-like valve body 61 slidably fitted in the valve chamber 60. The outlet oil passage 54 b is opened at the end face, and a valve hole 62 connected to the lateral oil passage 50 b or the oil tank 22 is opened on the inner surface of the valve chamber 60. The valve body 61 is arranged with its top surface, that is, the pressure receiving surface, facing the outlet oil passage 54b, and closes the valve hole 62 when moving forward toward the outlet oil passage 54b, and opens the valve hole 62 when moving backward. Yes. A valve spring 63 that urges the valve body 61 in a forward direction, that is, a valve closing direction with a predetermined set load is compressed between the back surface of the valve body 61 and a screw plug 64 screwed into the opening of the valve chamber 60. Established. Therefore, the valve body 61 is normally held at the valve closing position by the set load of the valve spring 63, so that the second return oil passage 54 is blocked, and the hydraulic pressure is provided upstream of the second return oil passage 54. Is generated and rises to a predetermined value or more, the valve body 61 receiving the hydraulic pressure on the top surface retreats against the set load of the valve spring 63 and opens, whereby the second return oil passage 54 is opened. Is turned on.

  The bottom wall of the crankcase 19 of the engine E is provided with an opening 66 (see FIG. 2) through which oil that has been lubricated by the engine E flows out. The opening 66 is formed in the upper distance member 15 and the bearing bracket 14. It is opened to the upper surface of the mount case 11 through a series of longitudinal through holes 67 provided in the outer peripheral portion and the inner portion of the annular lower distance member 13. The mount case 11 is provided with an opening 68 that opens toward the oil tank 22. Therefore, the oil that has finished lubricating the engine E and has flowed down to the bottom of the crankcase 19 returns to the oil tank 22 through the opening 66, the through hole 67, and the opening 68. The opening 66, the through hole 67, and the opening 68 constitute the first return oil passage 59.

In Figure 3, the outer periphery of the stator shaft 37, the first seal member 70 ₁ is attached to close relatively rotatable on the inner peripheral surface of the pump shaft 39, oil in the torque converter T is, flows out to the pump shaft 39 downwardly To prevent you from doing.

The said _two second seal member 70 is Kai裝below the inlet oil passage 52a to the contact portion of the stator shaft 37 and the pump cover 42, the oil inlet oil passage 52a is of the stator shaft 37 and the pump cover 42 abuts subordinates To prevent it from leaking out.

Further, in the fitting portion between the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37, third and fourth outer periphery of the output shaft 20 are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the stator shaft 37 along the upper and lower sides of the inlet oil passage 52 a so as to be relatively rotatable. Seal members 70 ₃ and 70 ₄ are mounted, and the third and fourth seal members 70 ₃ and 70 ₄ cooperate with each other so that the oil in the inlet oil passage 52a is outside the fitting portion between the output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37. prevented from flowing out to, also the third seal member 70 ₃ at the top, the oil of the cylindrical oil passage 54a is adapted to prevent flow out to the fitting portion of the lower output shaft 20 and the stator shaft 37 ing.

  3 to 4, the output shaft 20 includes the upper output shaft 20a having the vertical hole 52b and supported by the lower ball bearing 44, and the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21 (see FIG. 1). The upper end of the lower output shaft 20b is supported by a support cylinder 71 formed integrally with the outside of the oil tank 22 via a bush 72. The upper output shaft 20a has a flange 73 that abuts the upper end surface of the inner race of the ball bearing 44 mounted on the inner periphery of the enlarged diameter portion 37a of the stator shaft 37. A retaining ring 74 that supports the end surface is locked to the inner peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion 37a. Therefore, unless the retaining ring 74 is removed, the upper output shaft 20a is prevented from coming out downward from the center of the torque converter T.

In addition to the vertical hole 52b, the upper output shaft 20a is provided with a plug hole 76 connected to the lower end of the vertical hole 52b, and a spline hole 77 connected to the lower end of the plug hole 76 and opened at the lower end surface of the upper output shaft 20a. Then, a plug 78 constituting the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52b is screwed into the plug hole 76. The plug 78 is provided with a part of the inlet oil passage 52a and the orifice 57 that communicates the inlet oil passage 52a with the vertical hole 52b. The plug 78, the fifth seal member 70 ₅ to close contact with the inner peripheral surface of Sen'ana 76 is mounted.

  The inlet oil passage 52a can be formed by avoiding the plug 78.

  On the other hand, a spline shaft 80 is formed at the upper end of the lower output shaft 20b, and the upper and lower output shafts 20a and 20b are connected to each other by fitting this into the spline hole 77.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  During operation of the engine E, the oil pump 41 driven by the pump shaft 39 sucks the oil 23 in the oil tank 22 through the suction oil passage 50, that is, through the suction pipe 50a and the lateral oil passage 50b, and the first supply oil passage. 51 and the second supply oil passage 52. The oil discharged to the first supply oil passage 51 is supplied to the lubrication part of the engine E as described above.

  On the other hand, the oil supplied to the second supply oil passage 52 passes through the inlet oil passage 52a and the orifice 57 in order, goes up the vertical hole 52b of the upper output shaft 20a, exits the horizontal hole 52c, and lubricates the thrust needle bearing 48. It moves into the transmission cover 29 and then flows into the circulation circuit 28 from the outer peripheral side of the turbine runner 26.

  The oil in the circulation circuit 28 circulates in the circulation circuit 28 as shown by the arrow accompanying the rotation of the pump impeller 25, thereby transmitting the rotational torque of the pump impeller 25 to the turbine runner 26 and driving the output shaft 20. At this time, if a torque amplifying action is generated between the pump impeller 25 and the turbine runner 26, a reaction force associated therewith is borne by the stator 27, and the stator 27 is fixed by the locking action of the free wheel 38. Since the propeller 2 can be driven strongly by such torque amplification action of the torque converter T, the start and acceleration of the ship can be effectively enhanced.

  When the torque amplification operation is finished, the stator 27 rotates in the same direction together with the pump impeller 25 and the turbine runner 26 while idling the free wheel 38 due to the reversal of the torque direction received by the stator 27.

  The oil that has finished the work in the circulation circuit 28 descends the cylindrical oil passage 54a while lubricating the thrust needle bearing 47 at the upper part of the pump impeller 25, and moves from the outlet oil passage 54b to the valve chamber of the pressure responsive valve 58.

  The oil flowing into the valve chamber 60 presses the valve body 61 of the pressure responsive valve 58 against the set load of the valve spring 63 by the pressure, so that the valve body 61 is opened and the valve hole 62 is opened. The oil returns to the suction oil passage 50 or the oil tank 22 from the valve chamber 60 through the valve hole 62. Thus, since oil circulates through the second supply oil passage 52 and the second return oil passage 54 between the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T and the oil tank 22 disposed therebelow, the compactness of the torque converter T is achieved. In addition, the cooling of the circulating oil can be promoted and its deterioration can be prevented.

  In particular, the oil tank 22 disposed below the torque converter T is separated from the engine E, so that the heating by the engine E is small, and the capacity is relatively large without being interfered by the engine E and the torque converter T. The cooling of the circulating oil can be further promoted, for example, by increasing the oil flow rate to the circulation circuit 28. In addition, the engine E, the torque converter T, and the oil tank 22 are arranged in that order, and the torque converter T can be configured compactly without being interfered with the oil tank 22. The outer unit O can be made slim and lightweight.

  The oil supplied to the circulation circuit 28 is the oil discharged from the oil pump 41 for lubrication of the engine E, so that the oil tank 22 and the oil pump 41 are connected to supply the oil to the circulation circuit 28. There is no need for special expansion, and it is possible to avoid the outboard motor O from being enlarged and complicated in structure.

  Meanwhile, the long output shaft 20 is divided into an upper output shaft 20a and a lower output shaft 20b that are spline-coupled to each other so that the upper output shaft 20a can be connected to the stator shaft 37, the lower ball bearing 44, and the stop shaft. Since it is connected in the axial direction via the ring 74, the torque converter T, the bearing bracket 14, the pump cover 42, and the upper output shaft 20a are used as vertical fluid transmission devices, and are compact without being obstructed by the lower output shaft 20b. It can be unitized, and the assembly property of the vertical fluid transmission device and the mounting property to the outboard motor O can be improved.

  Further, for example, when the gear case 12 is separated from the extension case 10 for maintenance of the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21, the spline shaft 80 of the lower output shaft 20b is pulled out from the spline hole 77 of the upper output shaft 20a. The lower output shaft 20b can be separated downward together with the gear case 12 while leaving the output shaft 20a on the torque converter T side. As a result, maintenance of the forward / reverse switching gear mechanism 21 can be easily performed, and disassembly of the vertical fluid transmission device can be avoided, and the gear case 12 can be easily reassembled.

  Moreover, since the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52b that is a part of the second supply oil passage 52, that is, the plug 78 is screwed to the upper output shaft 20a remaining in the vertical fluid transmission device, the lower output shaft 20b Even at the time of separation, oil can be prevented from flowing out from the vertical hole 52b to the lower side of the upper output shaft 20a. In this case, the bottom wall of the vertical hole 52b can be formed integrally with the upper output shaft 20a. However, when the plug 78 is used, the vertical hole 52b, the plug hole 76, and the spline hole 77 are formed on the upper output shaft 20a. Therefore, it is advantageous that the remaining chips can be reliably prevented by washing after the holes are machined.

  The same applies to the case where the engine E and the torque converter T are removed from the mount case 11, and therefore maintenance thereof can be easily performed.

  The engine E further includes a bearing bracket 14 that supports the pump shaft 39 of the torque converter T, an upper distance member 15 that is connected to the upper end of the bearing bracket 14 and surrounds the torque converter T, and a lower distance that is connected to the lower end of the bearing bracket 14. Since it is attached to the mount case 11 via the member 13, the engine E can be easily attached to the mount case 11 without being interfered by the torque converter T, and the assemblability is good.

  Moreover, since the oil pump 41 is mounted on a pump housing 40 formed on the lower surface of the bearing bracket 14 and the pump cover 42 is held, the bearing bracket 14 supports not only the torque converter T but also the oil pump 41. Thus, the support structure of the oil pump 41 can be simplified.

  When the operation of the engine E is stopped, the operation of the oil pump 41 is also stopped, so that the pressure in the valve chamber 60 is reduced in the pressure responsive valve 58 and the valve body 61 is closed by the set load of the valve spring 63. As a result, the outlet oil passage 54b is cut off, so that oil outflow from the circulation circuit 28 of the torque converter T to the oil tank 22 can be prevented, and the circulation circuit 28 can be held in a state filled with oil. Therefore, the operation responsiveness of the torque converter T can be improved.

  Further, a part of the second supply oil passage 52 is formed by a vertical hole 52b that is formed in the central portion of the upper output shaft 20a and communicates the upper end portion with the circulation circuit 28. The configuration can be simplified, and the backflow of oil from the circulation circuit 28 to the oil pump 41 can be prevented by the vertical holes 52b when the operation of the engine E is stopped.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the oil tank 22 may be divided into a working oil for the torque converter T and a lubricating oil for the engine E, and each oil may be suitable for the application. Further, the torque can be input from the engine E to the torque converter T via the reduction gear, and the power can be transmitted from the torque converter T to the output shaft 20 via the reduction gear.

The side view of the outboard motor containing the vertical power unit of this invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a part 2 in FIG. 1. The principal part enlarged view of FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part 4 in FIG. 1 is a hydraulic circuit diagram including an oil pump.

Explanation of symbols

E ... Engine O ... Outboard motor T ... Torque converter 1 ... Casing 3 ... Propeller shaft 6 ... · Swivel shaft 7 ··· swivel case 14 · · · bearing bracket (support)
17 ... Input shaft (crankshaft)
20 ··· Output shaft 20a ··· Upper output shaft 20b ··· Lower output shaft 22 ··· Oil tank 23 · · · Oil 25 · · · Pump impeller 26 ···・ ・ ・ Turbine runner 27 ... Stator 28 ... Circulation circuit 37 ... Stator shaft 38 ... Free wheel 39 ... Pump shaft 41 ... Oil pump 41a ... Suction port 41b ... Discharge port 43 ... Upper bearing (upper ball bearing)
44 ... Lower bearing (lower ball bearing)
52 ... Second supply oil passage 52a ... Inlet oil passage 52b ... Vertical hole 52c ... Horizontal hole 54 ... Return oil passage 54a ... Cylindrical oil Channel 76 ... Plug hole 77 ... Spline hole 78 ... Plug body 80 ... Spline shaft

Claims (7)

An engine (E) having a crankshaft (17) arranged in the vertical direction, an output shaft (20) arranged vertically below the crankshaft (17), the crankshaft (17) and the output shaft (20) a torque converter (T) interposed between the pump impeller (25) connected to the crankshaft (17) and the pump impeller (25). And a turbine runner (26) connected to the output shaft (20), a stator (27) disposed between the pump impeller (25) and the turbine runner (26), and these three (25-27) In the vertical power unit composed of the power transmission oil circulation circuit (28) defined between
The output shaft (20) includes an upper output shaft (20a) connected to the turbine runner (26) and a lower output shaft (20b) connected to the lower end of the upper output shaft (20a) in a separable manner. On the other hand, an oil tank (22) and an oil pump (41) for pumping up oil (13) in the oil tank (22) are installed outside the torque converter (T), and the oil pump (41) discharges. In order to introduce oil into the circulation circuit (28), a vertical hole (52b) having an upper end connected to the circulation circuit (28) and a bottom wall (78) closing the lower end of the vertical hole (52b) are connected to the upper output shaft. A vertical power unit provided in (20a). The vertical power unit according to claim 1,
The vertical hole (52b), the plug hole (76), and the spline hole (77) are formed in the upper output shaft (20a) from above so as to penetrate the upper output shaft (20a) in the axial direction. The plug hole (76) is fitted with a plug body (78) serving as the bottom wall, and the spline hole (77) has a spline shaft (80) formed at the upper end of the lower output shaft (20b). Vertical power unit characterized in that it can be inserted and removed. The vertical power unit according to claim 1 or 2,
A hollow stator shaft (37) extending downward by being connected to the stator (27) via a free wheel (38) on the outer periphery of the upper output shaft (20a), and a pump on the outer periphery of the stator shaft (37) Hollow pump shafts (39) extending downwardly connected to the impeller (25) are arranged, and the pump shaft (39) is supported on the support (14) via the upper bearing (43). The lower end of the stator shaft (37) is fixed to (14), and the lower output shaft (20b) is supported on the lower end of the stator shaft (37) via the lower bearing (44). Type power unit. The vertical power unit according to claim 3,
The vertical power unit, wherein the oil pump (41) driven by the pump shaft (39) is attached to the support (14) between the upper and lower bearings (43, 44). The vertical power unit according to claim 4,
An inlet oil passage (52a) that communicates the discharge port (41b) of the oil pump (41) to the vertical hole (52b) from the support (14) to the stator shaft (37) and the upper output shaft (20a). And a pair of seal members (70 ₃ , 70 ₄ ) disposed above and below the inlet oil passage (52a) in the relatively rotatable fitting portion of the upper output shaft (20a) and the stator shaft (37). A vertical power unit characterized by The vertical power unit according to claim 5,
Oil discharged from the circulation circuit (28) is caused to flow down between the upper output shaft (20a) and the stator shaft (37) above the pair of seal members (70 ₃ , 70 ₄ ), and the oil pump (41 And a cylindrical oil passage (54a) leading to an oil tank (22). The engine (E) is placed on the upper part of the casing (1) connected to the swivel case (7) via the swivel shaft (6), the crankshaft (17) faces the vertical direction, and the cylinder block (18) is the swivel shaft. (6) It is attached so as to face in the opposite direction, and in the same casing (1), it is connected to the crankshaft (17) via the torque converter (T) and the torque converter (T) and arranged in the vertical direction. Output shaft (20), a propeller shaft (3) disposed horizontally below the output shaft (20), and a forward / reverse switching gear mechanism for connecting the output shaft (20) and the propeller shaft (3). (21)
The output shaft (20) includes an upper output shaft (20a) connected to the turbine runner (26) and a lower output shaft (20b) connected to the lower end of the upper output shaft (20a) in a separable manner. On the other hand, an oil tank (22) and an oil pump (41) for pumping up the oil (13) in the oil tank (22) are installed in the casing (1) below the torque converter (T). In order to introduce oil discharged from the oil pump (41) into the circulation circuit (28), a vertical hole (52b) having an upper end connected to the circulation circuit (28) and a bottom wall (78) closing the lower end of the vertical hole (52b) ) On the upper output shaft (20a).

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