JP2012254702A - Shift apparatus of outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve shifting responsiveness of a shift apparatus of an outboard motor for switching, on the basis of a shift operation by a ship operator, a revolving direction of a propeller shaft to which a propeller is journalled, by raising rigidity of the shift apparatus.SOLUTION: A shift apparatus 110 of the outboard motor switches a revolving direction of a propeller shaft 64 to which a propeller 42 is rotatably attached thereto based on the shift operation by the ship operator. A shift actuator 111 for switching the revolving direction of the propeller shaft 64 is arranged right above a lower case 79 including a gear mechanism for switching an output from an engine unit from a drive shaft 60 to the propeller shaft 64.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift device for an outboard motor that switches the rotation direction of a propeller shaft on which a propeller is pivotally mounted based on a shift operation by a boat operator.

  Major outboard propulsion engines or propulsion systems include outboard motors, inboard motors, and inboard motors. Outboard motors are called outboard drives, etc., and are composed of an engine, its catchers, drive system gears, shafts, screws, etc., and are generally mounted on a transom board at the stern of the hull. .

Some outboard motors include a shift device that drives a shift electric actuator based on a shift operation by a boat operator to switch the propeller to normal rotation or reverse rotation.
Patent Document 1 discloses a shift device for an outboard motor in which a shift electric actuator is disposed in an engine cover. In this shift device, the rotation of the actuator output shaft is transmitted to the clutch shaft via the link mechanism, and further from the clutch rod arranged in the vertical direction in the drive shaft housing to the shift rod arranged in the vertical direction in the gear case. Communicated. The rotation of the shift rod drives the clutch dock, so that the propeller shaft rotates forward or reverse, and the shift is switched.

Patent Document 2 discloses a shift device in which a shift electric motor is disposed in an engine cover as in Patent Document 1. Also in this shift device, the output shaft of the shift electric motor is transmitted to the shift rod, and the clutch is slid according to the rotation of the shift rod, so that the shift is switched.
Patent Document 3 discloses an engine control device in which operation of a control box is transmitted to a shift lever via a command unit, a control panel, and an intermediate drive unit. In this engine control device, when the control lever of the control box is operated, the mover of the command unit moves via the push-pull cable, so that the on state of the specific switch is transmitted to the control panel. The control panel moves the shift lever via the push-pull cable by rotating the motor of the intermediate drive unit.

JP 2007-298093 A JP 2006-264361 A JP-A-3-249339

  As described above, in the shift devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the distance between the shift electric actuator arranged in the engine case and the clutch dock in the gear case is connected by a link mechanism, a shift rod, or the like. is doing. For this reason, there is a problem that the rigidity of the shift device becomes low and the response of the shift is not good. Further, when the number of parts constituting the link mechanism increases, backlash between the parts accumulates, and a shift hysteresis error increases. That is, since the operating amount of the shift electric actuator and the operating amount of the dog clutch are different in reciprocation, the shift electric actuator needs to be operated largely, and the shift electric actuator is operated wastefully. There's a problem.

  Further, in the outboard motors of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the shift electric actuator is connected to the clutch dock via a shift rod disposed in the steering shaft. Here, when each component of the outboard motor is divided into a suspension side (fixed part side) and a suspended side (movable part side) when steering operation is performed, the shift rod is included in the movable part side, and the steering shaft Is included on the fixed part side. Therefore, there is a problem that when the steering operation is performed, the shift rod on the movable portion side interferes with the steering shaft on the fixed portion side. In order to prevent interference, it may be possible to employ a stiff mount between the movable part side and the fixed part side, but this will affect the vibration proofing and the response of the steering operation.

  Moreover, in the engine control apparatus shown in Patent Document 3, a control box and a command unit, and an intermediate drive unit and a shift lever are connected via a push-pull cable. For this reason, there are problems that the rigidity of the shift device is lowered and the response of the shift is not good.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is a shift device for an outboard motor that switches the rotation direction of a propeller shaft on which a propeller is attached based on a shift operation by a boat operator. The purpose of this is to improve the response of the shift by increasing the rigidity.

An outboard motor shift device according to the present invention is an outboard motor shift device that switches the rotation direction of a propeller shaft on which a propeller is pivotally mounted based on a shift operation by a marine vessel operator. A shift actuator for switching the rotation direction of the propeller shaft is disposed immediately above a lower case having a gear mechanism for converting the propeller shaft to the propeller shaft.
The outboard motor is provided integrally with the lower case, and a drive shaft housing that accommodates the drive shaft is rotatably supported in a steering direction via a support mechanism, and the shift actuator includes the support mechanism. It is characterized by being provided on the lower side.
The outboard motor is provided integrally with the lower case, and a drive shaft housing that accommodates the drive shaft is pivotally supported via a support mechanism so as to be rotatable in a steering direction. And a shaft-rotating shift rod for transmitting the movement of the shift actuator to either the forward gear or the reverse gear of the gear mechanism, and the shift rod includes the support mechanism. It is characterized by being provided on the lower side.
The axis of the shift rod is offset from the steering shaft.
The shift device is disposed immediately above the lower case and operates in a shift neutral state position; and a second detent mechanism is disposed in the lower case and operates in a shift neutral state position; It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, in a shift device for an outboard motor that switches the rotation direction of a propeller shaft on which a propeller is mounted based on a shift operation by a boat operator, the shift response is improved by increasing the rigidity of the shift device. be able to.

It is a perspective view which shows the example of the ship or boat which mounts the outboard motor of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the outboard motor of this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the outboard motor of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure inside the engine case of this embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the main components inside the engine case of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and arrangement | positioning of the engine unit of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and arrangement | positioning of the power transmission mechanism of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and arrangement | positioning of the flame | frame of this embodiment. It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the swivel bracket periphery of this embodiment. It is a longitudinal section showing the composition of the power transmission system of this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure in the lower case of this embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the steering mechanism of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the steering mechanism of the present embodiment when the boat is traveling straight. It is the II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 13 at the time of boat going straight. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 13 at the time of boat turning left. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 13 at the time of boat turning left. It is a top view which shows the structure in the shift drive case of this embodiment. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 16 in a shift drive case. It is the IV-IV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 16 in a shift drive case. It is the VV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 16 in a shift drive case. It is a figure which shows the structure of the shift actuator of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 1st detent mechanism of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure around the shift yoke of this embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view showing the composition in the lower case of this embodiment. It is the VI-VI sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 21 in a lower case. It is a side view which shows the structure of the outboard motor of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure in the lower case of this embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows an example of a ship or a boat equipped with an outboard motor 10 according to the first embodiment. In this example, the ship is typically small and medium, and has a transom board 2 (stern board) at the rear of the hull 1. The outboard motor 10 is mounted using the transom board 2 as shown. Note that, in the main points of the respective drawings referred to below, the front (the bow side) is indicated by an arrow Fr, and the rear (stern side) is indicated by an arrow Rr. Moreover, the left-right direction (ship width direction) of a hull is shown with the arrow L and the arrow R as needed.

  First, in the hull 1 shown in FIG. 1, a ship floor 3 is laid at the bottom of the hull 1, and a transom board 2 is disposed at the rear end of the ship floor 3. The operator's cockpit 4 is provided in the vicinity of the center of the ship floor 3, and devices, equipment, instruments, and the like necessary for steering including the handle 5 are disposed in the cockpit 4. The ship operator can perform a steering operation using the handle 5, and can perform a shift operation remotely using a shift lever (not shown). The outboard motor 10 is integrally equipped with power, a propulsion device, a steering device, a shift device, and the like, and is configured as a so-called all-in-one type, and can be operated if there are normal equipment such as a fuel tank and a battery on the hull 1 side. .

  In addition, the ship is not limited to the illustrated example, and there is also a hull having a bracket for mounting an outboard motor on the rear side of the transom board, that is, a stern plate or a part corresponding to the stern plate on the stern of the hull. The outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment can be effectively applied to a type having members.

  2 and 3 show the appearance of the outboard motor 10, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outboard motor 10, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the outboard motor 10. FIG. The outboard motor 10 has a resin engine case 100. An engine unit (engine), which is a power source described later, is accommodated in the engine case 100. A propeller 42 is disposed below the rear portion of the engine case 100, and the propeller 42 is rotationally driven by the engine unit.

  The engine case 100 is configured as a housing having substantially the same width as the stern portion of the hull 1 (typically, the transom board 2) (see also FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the basic form of the engine case 100 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped is the ship width direction. The engine case 100 includes a case main body 101 that houses the engine unit and its peripheral components or members, and a case cover 102 that covers an upper opening of the case main body 101. The case cover 102 is rotatably coupled via a hinge 105 in the vicinity of the rear upper end of the case main body 101. By rotating the case cover 102 around the hinge 105 and opening it, the inside of the engine case 100 is opened and the inside can be accessed. Further, when the case cover 102 is closed with respect to the case main body 101, a lock mechanism 106 is provided for fixing and holding the case cover 102 in its closed state.

  The engine unit housed in the engine case 100 and its peripheral parts will be described. The outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment uses an internal combustion engine as a main power as its power unit, and drives this to drive the propulsion unit. FIG. 4 shows an example of the internal configuration of the engine case 100 in the outboard motor 10, and FIG. In the engine case 100, the engine unit 11 constituting the power unit is arranged and accommodated in a compact and well-balanced manner. The power unit of this embodiment has a pair of engine units 11. The pair of engine units 11 are arranged in the left-right direction with the longitudinal direction of the casing as the ship width direction with the center portion in the left-right direction of the engine case 100 interposed therebetween. Each engine unit 11 is connected to an intake system 12 and an exhaust system 13, and a power transmission mechanism 14 is coupled to each output end (crankshaft). The power transmission mechanism 14 is coupled to the propulsion unit 15 at the center in the left-right direction on the rear side of the engine unit 11. These outboard motor components are mounted and supported on the frame 16 as shown in FIG.

More specifically, in the engine unit 11, a water-cooled in-line four-cylinder four-cycle gasoline engine is used in the present embodiment. Note that the number of engine cylinders and the like can be appropriately changed as necessary, and is not limited to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the engine unit 11 is integrally coupled so that the crankcase 17, the cylinder block 18, the cylinder head 19 and the cylinder head cover 20 are sequentially overlapped, and an oil pan 21 is attached to the lowermost part. The crankshaft of each engine unit 11 is disposed along the ship width direction (left-right direction), and the engine output shaft coupled to the shaft end is disposed on both left and right outer sides. That is, the engine output shaft of the right engine unit 11 is disposed on the right side, and the engine output shaft of the left engine unit 11 is disposed on the left side.

  Next, in the intake system 12, a single air cleaner 22 is disposed between the engine units 11 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, intake manifolds 23 are coupled to the front side of the cylinder head 19 of the right engine unit 11 and to the rear side of the cylinder head 19 of the left engine unit 11, respectively. The intake manifold 23 and the air cleaner 22 are connected to each other via an intake pipe 24. An intake pipe 25 is extended from the front surface of the air cleaner 22 to the hull 1 side of the front of the engine case 100 (see FIG. 5), and air is taken in from an air intake port at the tip thereof. The air intake is installed in a room or space that is not exposed to waves, splashes, rain, or the like in the hull 1. Each engine unit 11 branches from a single intake pipe 25 to a plurality (four in this case) of intake manifolds 23.

  In the exhaust system 13, as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, an exhaust manifold 26 is coupled to the rear side of the cylinder head 19 of the right engine unit 11 and to the front side of the cylinder head 19 of the left engine unit 11. Each exhaust manifold 26 is connected to a single exhaust pipe 27. An exhaust hose 28 is connected to the exhaust pipe 27, and a muffler 29 is connected to the exhaust hose 28. An exhaust hose 30 is connected to the muffler 29, and exhaust gas is discharged from an exhaust outlet 31 attached to the exhaust hose 30.

  The muffler 29 is installed outside the lower surface of the case body 101 of the engine case 100. In this case, the muffler 29, the exhaust hose 30 and the like are arranged so as not to substantially protrude from the lower surface of the case body 101, and the left and right sides of the rear side of the case body 101 are well balanced from the exhaust outlets 31 arranged near the lower portions. Exhausted into water.

  The power transmission mechanism 14 transmits the output of the engine unit 11 to the propulsion device 15. In the power transmission mechanism 14, a speed reducer 32 is connected to the engine output shafts of the left and right engine units 11 as shown in FIG. 7. A gear group is rotatably supported in a casing 33 of the speed reducer 32, and a tie rod 34 is connected to the output shaft. The left and right tie rods 34 are arranged concentrically and horizontally in the left-right direction, and are connected to the intermediate speed reducer 35 at the center in the left-right direction. Each tie rod 34 is connected to the reduction gear 32 and the intermediate reduction gear 35 via universal joints 36 and 37 at both ends.

  In the present embodiment, the intermediate speed reducer 35 includes a pair of input side bevel gears coupled to the tie rods 34 and an output side bevel gear meshing with these input side bevel gears. The output side bevel gear is connected to the drive shaft in the drive shaft case 38, and the intermediate speed reducer 35, the drive shaft case 38, and the swivel bracket 39 are integrally coupled to each other. The drive shaft extends downward from the intermediate speed reducer 35. These swivel brackets 39 and the like are rotatably supported by the case body 101 through a bearing 40 as will be described later.

  The propulsion device 15 is arranged below the drive shaft case 38 as shown in FIG. The propulsion device 15 has a fin shape as a whole, and includes a lower case 79 constituting a casing of the propulsion device 15. The lower case 79 has a gear case 41 containing a propeller driving gear mechanism. A propeller 42 is mounted on the rear end portion of the gear case 41. The drive shaft extends further downward through the drive shaft case 38 and extends into the gear case 41. A final reduction gear is configured in the gear case 41, and the propeller 42 can be rotationally driven through the final reduction gear.

  Further, a tilt mechanism and a steering mechanism for the propulsion device 15 are provided. Of the outboard motor 10, the intermediate speed reducer 35, the drive shaft case 38, and the propulsion device 15 as a whole can be rotated up and down around the tilt axis T by the tilt mechanism. As shown in FIG. 7, the tilt axis T is set coaxially with the tie rod 34, and the propulsion unit 15 can tilt around the tilt axis T as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 7. The tilt mechanism may include a so-called power trim tilt (PTT) or the like, and an electrohydraulic tilt mechanism may be configured.

  Further, in the outboard motor 10, the drive shaft housing and the entire propulsion unit 15 described later can be rotated around the steering shaft S in the yaw direction (left-right direction) as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 7 by the steering mechanism. (Yawing). The steering mechanism has, for example, a steering cylinder that is hydraulically driven in an electro-hydraulic manner, and the propulsion unit 15 rotates left and right, that is, performs a steering operation by reciprocating along a steering rod using a hydraulic pump as a hydraulic source. Can do.

  The main components of the outboard motor 10 described above are mounted and supported on the frame 16 as shown in FIG. The frame 16 is formed using a material such as a steel pipe so as to have an outer shape substantially along the rectangular parallelepiped of the casing constituting the engine case 100 as shown in FIG. A plurality of engine mounts 43 for mounting and supporting the engine unit 11 are disposed at predetermined portions of the frame 16, and the engine unit 11 is mounted on the frame 16 through the engine mounts 43. A main bracket 44 to which a bearing 40 for supporting the swivel bracket 39 and the like described above is attached is attached to the rear portion of the frame 16.

  Further, a plurality of transom bolts 45 are attached to the front portion of the frame 16 facing the front. Outboard motor components such as the engine unit 11 are mounted on the frame 16, and the frame 16 mounting them is housed in the engine case 100. The transom bolt 45 passes through the front surface portion of the case body 101 of the engine case 100 and is fastened to the transom board 2, whereby the entire engine case 100 can be fastened and fixed to the transom board 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the engine case 100 is formed on the rear surface side of the case main body 101 so as to be recessed inward of the case main body 101 in the center in the ship width direction in the region from the rear surface portion to the bottom surface portion. A recessed portion 103 is provided. A propulsion unit 15, a tilt mechanism, a steering mechanism, and the like are disposed around the recess 103. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of through holes 104 are formed in the front portion of the case main body 101 so as to form a hole with the transom board 2. That is, a through hole 104A for inserting the intake pipe 25 for supplying combustion air to the engine, a through hole 104B for inserting a fuel pipe for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to the engine, and the inside of the engine case 100 A through-hole 104C for passing a cylinder for ventilation air for ventilating the air is formed. Further, a cord or cable for electrically (including a control signal) or mechanical connection between a device or equipment or member in the engine case 100 and the control device on the hull 1 side is inserted. A hole 104D is formed.

  As described above, the engine unit 11 is mounted and supported on the frame 16 via the engine mount 43. Specifically, the frame 16 includes left and right side frames 46, an inner frame 47 substantially corresponding to the recess 103 in the width direction of the ship, a front frame 48 at the front, a rear frame 49 at the rear, as shown in FIG. It includes an upper upper frame 50, a lower lower frame 51, and the like, and is composed of a pipe material, a plate material, and a thick portion. These members are combined by welding, bolt connection, etc., and connected to each other.

  Corresponding to the concave portion 103 formed on the rear surface side of the case body 101, the frame 16 inside the case body 101 is also formed in a concave shape. In this case, a portion corresponding to the recess 103 of the rear frame 49 or the lower frame 51 is extended downward or inclined so as to have a truss structure as can be seen from FIG. As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, pads 52 are attached to the lower left and right sides of the swivel bracket 39 so as to come into contact with the case body 101 when the propulsion unit 15 is tilted. On the other hand, a pad 53 corresponding to the pad 52 is attached to the truss structure portion of the frame 16. By providing these pads 52 and 53, the propulsion device 15 is guided from both the left and right sides.

  As described above, the swivel bracket 39 is rotatably supported by the frame 16 via the bearing 40. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a main bracket 44 to which a bearing 40 for rotatably supporting the swivel bracket 39 is attached is attached to and supported by the rear portion of the frame 16. A pair of donut-shaped flange portions 54 for attaching the main bracket 44 are provided at the center of the rear portion of the frame 16. The main bracket 44 is formed in a U shape in plan view, and has a bearing housing 55 for mounting the bearings 40 on both left and right sides of the U shape. Although the case body 101 is not shown in FIG. 8, the case body 101, more specifically, the side wall of the recess 103 is interposed so as to be sandwiched between the main bracket 44 and the flange portion 54.

  FIG. 10 shows a configuration example along a power transmission path from the intermediate speed reducer 35 to the propulsion device 15 supported via the swivel bracket 39. On both the left and right shoulders of the swivel bracket 39, a hollow cylindrical tilt suspension 56 that is coaxial with the tilt axis T is formed. The tilt suspension 56 is fitted with a bearing 40, and the bearing 40 is further fitted into the bearing housing 55 from both sides as described above. In this way, the swivel bracket 39 is supported by the tilt suspension 56 so as to be rotatable around the tilt axis T via the bearing 40, whereby the entire swivel bracket 39 can be tilted smoothly.

  In addition, a pair of input shafts 57 for the intermediate speed reducer 35 are rotatably supported via bearings 58 in the tilt suspension portions 56 coaxially with the tilt shaft T. A tie rod 34 is connected to one end side of the input shaft 57 via a universal joint 37. A bevel gear 59 that is a pinion gear is attached to the other end side of each input shaft 57. On the other hand, a drive shaft 60 is rotatably inserted and supported in a drive shaft case 38 integrally coupled with the swivel bracket 39, and a bevel gear 61 attached to the upper end of the drive shaft 60 is rotatable via a bearing 62. Supported by The bevel gear 61 meshes with both of the bevel gears 59 arranged to face each other. In this way, in the intermediate speed reducer 35, the power input from the tie rod 34 to the input shaft 57 is transmitted to the drive shaft 60 via the bevel gear 59 and the bevel gear 61, whereby the drive shaft 60 is rotationally driven.

  Further, the drive shaft 60 extends through the lower case 79 to the gear case 41, and a bevel gear 63 as a pinion gear is fixed to the lower end thereof. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the lower case 79 viewed from the right side. As shown in FIG. 11, a propeller shaft 64 is disposed in the gear case 41 along the front-rear direction, and is rotatably supported via a bearing 66 or the like held in the bearing housing 65. A pair of front and rear forward (forward) gears 67 and reverse (reverse) gears 68 concentrically and loosely fitted with the propeller shaft 64 are rotatably supported at the lower end of the drive shaft 60 via bearings 69 and 70, respectively. Is done. The forward gear 67 and the reverse gear 68 always mesh with a bevel gear 63 fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft 60. The bevel gear 63, the forward gear 67, and the reverse gear 68 constitute a gear mechanism. In the present embodiment, the forward gear 67 is disposed on the front Fr side, and the reverse gear 68 is disposed on the rear Rr side, and the dog clutch 71 is disposed therebetween.

  The dog clutch 71 has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and is fitted to the propeller shaft 64 so as to be slidable for a predetermined stroke along the axial direction thereof. On both end surfaces in the axial direction of the dog clutch 71, there are engaging portions 71a and 71b that can be engaged with engaging portions 67a and 68a provided on the inner peripheral portions of the forward gear 67 and the reverse gear 68, respectively. The dog clutch 71 engages with the forward gear 67 or the reverse gear 68 by sliding forward or backward from the neutral state position shown in FIG.

  By forming a power transmission path from the forward gear 67 to the propeller shaft 64 via the dog clutch 71, the propeller 42 attached to the propeller shaft 64 rotates to the right, and the outboard motor 10 moves forward. Further, since the power transmission path from the reverse gear 68 to the propeller shaft 64 is formed, the propeller 42 pivotally attached to the propeller shaft 64 rotates counterclockwise and the outboard motor 10 moves backward. Such sliding of the dog clutch 71 is performed by the shift device through a shift operation by the vessel operator. A specific configuration of the shift device will be described later.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a drive shaft housing 72 coaxial with the drive shaft 60 is rotatably supported in the drive shaft case 38 by a support mechanism. A drive shaft 60 passes through the drive shaft housing 72. A lower case 79 is coupled to the lower portion of the drive shaft housing 72.

  The drive shaft housing 72 is generally formed in a cylindrical shape, and is rotatably supported by the drive shaft case 38, that is, the swivel bracket 39 via bearings 73 and 74 near the upper end and the lower end, respectively. The bearings 73 and 74 constitute a support mechanism for the drive shaft housing 72. The drive shaft housing 72 is integrally coupled to the lower case 79 as described above, and the drive shaft housing 72 and the lower case 79 are rotated around the steering axis S by an operation of a steering mechanism described later, and a steering operation is performed. That is, the outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the steering shaft S and the axis of the drive shaft 60 coincide. A thrust receiver 75 is disposed on the upper end of the drive shaft housing 72. Bearings 76 and 77 are mounted on the upper and lower sides of the thrust receiver 75, and a bearing 78 is mounted near the lower portion of the drive shaft housing 72 so as to receive a thrust direction load by these swivel vertical axis thrust bearings. Yes.

  FIG. 12 shows a configuration example around the steering mechanism 80. First, as described above, the cylindrical drive shaft housing 72 is disposed in the drive shaft case 38 in the central portion of the swivel bracket 39, and the intermediate speed reducer 35 is disposed on the upper portion thereof. A lower case 79 is integrally coupled to the lower portion of the drive shaft housing 72 via a shift drive case 79a. The lower case 79 and the shift drive case 79a are configured to be detachable using bolts or the like for maintenance. The shift drive case 79a has a flat shape extending rearward along the horizontal direction, and houses a shift actuator and the like to be described later. Since the shift drive case 79a is supported integrally with the drive shaft housing 72 so as to be rotatable around the steering shaft S, the lower case 79, that is, the propulsion unit 15, can be rotated right and left around the steering shaft S together with the shift drive case 79a. Become.

  In the steering mechanism 80 of the present embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder is used as the drive source. 13 is a side view of the upper part of the outboard motor, FIG. 14A is a view of the cross section taken along the line II shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 14B is the cross section taken along the line II-II shown in FIG. It is the figure seen from. In the steering mechanism 80, a fixed rod 83 extending in the horizontal direction is inserted and supported by a stay 82 that protrudes rearward near the upper portion of the drive shaft case 38. A fixed shaft 85 is arranged in parallel with the fixed rod 83 via arms 84 attached to both ends of the fixed rod 83. A hydraulic cylinder 81 is slidably mounted on the fixed shaft 85. The hydraulic cylinder 81 slides left and right along the fixed shaft 85 by the steering operation of the vessel operator.

  A swivel arm 87 is attached to the hydraulic cylinder 81 via brackets 86 attached to both ends thereof. The swivel arm 87 is pin-coupled to the bracket 86 by its support shaft 88 and can be rotated around the support shaft 88. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, a housing 90 for supporting the steering sub shaft 89 is disposed in the horizontal direction on the rear side of the drive shaft case 38. The steering sub shaft 89 is rotatably supported in the housing 90, and steering levers 91 and 92 are attached to the upper and lower ends, respectively. The upper steering lever 91 is pin-coupled to the swivel arm 87 via a connecting pin 93. Corresponding to the reciprocating movement of the hydraulic cylinder 81 along the fixed shaft 85, the steering lever 91 rotates to the right or left around the steering sub shaft 89 via the swivel arm 87.

  The lower steering lever 92 is pin-coupled to the swivel arm 95 via a connecting pin 94. On the shift drive case 79a, a steering arm 97 including steering arms 97a and 97b coupled to each other via a connecting pin 96 is arranged. The upper steering arm 97 a is pin-coupled to the swivel arm 95 via a support shaft 98. The upper and lower steering levers 91 and 92 are synchronously rotated, and this rotation causes the shift drive case 79a, and thus the lower case 79 and the propulsion unit 15 to turn right or left via the swivel arm 95 or the like.

For example, when the outboard motor 10 is not operated by steering, that is, when the boat travels in a straight line, the steering mechanism 80 is in a neutral state as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, and the propulsion device 15 and the propeller 42 are directed straight rearward. . At this time, the upper and lower steering levers 91 and 92 both face rearward.
For example, when the outboard motor 10 is steered to the left, that is, when the boat turns to the left, the steering lever 91 rotates to the left as shown in FIG. The steering lever 92 also rotates to the left as shown in FIG. 15B. Then, the rotation of the steering lever 92 causes the lower case 79 and thus the propulsion unit 15 to turn to the left via the swivel arm 95. When the outboard motor 10 is steered to the right, that is, when the boat turns to the right, the lower case 79 and thus the propulsion device 15 turn to the right by turning to the opposite side to the direction of turning to the left.

  Here, in the basic operation of the outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment, the outputs of the two engine units 11 juxtaposed inside the engine case 100 are arranged outside the engine case 100 via the power transmission mechanism 14. Is transmitted to the propulsion unit 15. More specifically, when the engine unit 11 is started, the power is first input to the speed reducer 32 and then transmitted from the output end to the tie rod 34 via the universal joint 36. The engine power is further transmitted from the tie rod 34 to the intermediate speed reducer 35. In the intermediate speed reducer 35, the engine power is transmitted from the input shaft 57 to the drive shaft 60 via the bevel gear 59 and the bevel gear 61, whereby the drive shaft 60 is rotationally driven. Is done. The driving force of the drive shaft 60 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 64 and further to the propeller 42 through the bevel gear 63, the forward gear 67, and the reverse gear 68 in the final reduction gear in the gear case 41, and the propeller 42 rotates.

Next, a specific configuration of the shift device 110 of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the shift device 110 of this embodiment includes a shift actuator 111 for sliding the dog clutch 71 back and forth. The shift actuator 111 is disposed on the rear side in the shift drive case 79 a immediately above the lower case 79 and is disposed below the lower bearing 74 as a support mechanism for supporting the drive shaft housing 72. Therefore, the shift actuator 111 to the dog clutch 71 can be arranged close to each other in the vertical direction.

  FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a state in which the upper surface cover 79b of the shift drive case 79a is removed. The shift drive case 79a is formed in a substantially triangular shape in plan view, and is widely formed so that the right side of the left and right sides extends sideways. 17A to 17C are cross-sectional views taken along lines III-III, IV-IV, and VV shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the shift actuator 111 as viewed from below.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the shift actuator 111 includes a stepping motor 113 disposed in the actuator case 112, a worm wheel 115 and a sector gear 117, and a drive lever 116 disposed outside the actuator case 112. . The stepping motor 113 has an output shaft extending forward, a worm gear 114 is coupled to the tip thereof, and the worm gear 114 meshes with the worm wheel 115. The worm wheel 115 meshes with a sector gear 117 integrally coupled to the drive lever 116. Accordingly, when the stepping motor 113 is rotated forward or backward, the drive lever 116 swings in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 18 via the worm gear 114, the worm wheel 115, and the sector gear 117.

  A link mechanism is connected from the drive lever 116 to a shift rod 126 described later. As shown in FIG. 16, a first connecting rod 118 extending substantially diagonally to the right is supported at the tip of the drive lever 116 so as to be rotatable. Furthermore, one end of an intermediate bell crank 119 having an L shape in plan view is pivotally supported by the first connecting rod 118 so as to be rotatable. As shown in FIG. 17B, the intermediate bell crank 119 is pivotally supported in a horizontal direction around the shaft portion 119a by resin bearing portions 120 and 121 disposed in the shift drive case 79a and the upper surface cover 79b, respectively. Has been.

  On the other hand, a second connecting rod 122 extending substantially diagonally to the left is supported on the other end of the intermediate bell crank 119 so as to be rotatable. In addition, a driven lever 123 is pivotally supported by the second connecting rod 122. As shown in FIG. 17C, the driven lever 123 is pivotable in the horizontal direction around the shaft portion 123a by a resin bearing portion 124 and a bearing portion 125 respectively disposed in the shift drive case 79a and the upper surface cover 79b. It is supported. A shift rod 126 that extends downward along the axial direction of the shaft portion 123 a is connected to the shaft portion 123 a of the driven lever 123. A seal member 127 coupled to the shift drive case 79 a and a seal member 128 coupled to the lower case 79 are in close contact with the shift rod 126. The shift rod 126 is a so-called shaft rotation type that is pivotally supported around its axis. Since the shaft portion 123a and the shift rod 126 are connected to each other by a spline along the axial direction, the shift rod 126 can be rotated in synchronization with the driven lever 123 and from the shaft portion 123a of the driven lever 123 along the axial direction. Can be removed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 16, the shift actuator 111 to the shift rod 126 are interfered with the drive shaft 60 by the link mechanism including the first connecting rod 118, the intermediate bell crank 119, and the second connecting rod 122. Are connected via the right side of the drive shaft 60.

  A detent mechanism (first detent mechanism) 130 for restricting the rotation of the intermediate bell crank 119 is disposed in the shift drive case 79a. FIG. 19 is a plan view showing a state in which a part of the detent mechanism 130 is transmitted around the intermediate bell crank 119. As shown in FIG. 19, the detent mechanism 130 is disposed close to the intermediate bell crank 119, and includes a detent holder 131, a spring 132, a ball 133, a detent groove 119c, and the like. As shown in FIG. 19, a flat plate-like locking piece 119b is integrally coupled to the shaft portion 119a of the intermediate bell crank 119, and a radius of curvature of the ball 133 is substantially the same as a part of the outer periphery of the locking piece 120b. A detent groove 119c is formed. The detent groove 119c is formed at a position where the ball 133 is fitted when the dog clutch 71 is in the neutral position where the forward clutch 67 and the reverse gear 68 are not engaged. The spring 132 housed in the detent holder 131 urges the ball 133, and the ball 133 fits into the detent groove 119c of the locking piece 119b, thereby restricting the rotation of the intermediate bell crank 119.

  By restricting the rotation of the intermediate bell crank 119, the movement of the drive lever 116, the first connecting rod 118, the second connecting rod 122, and the driven lever 123 is also restricted. Further, in response to a shift operation by the vessel operator, an output greater than the urging force of the spring 132 is transmitted from the shift actuator 111 to the intermediate bell crank 119 via the first connecting rod 118, whereby the ball 133 is removed from the detent groove 119c. The intermediate bell crank 119 is rotated away. The detent mechanism 130 may be disposed in the shift drive case 79a, for example, close to the drive lever 116 or the driven lever 123.

  As shown in FIG. 17B, a throttle position sensor 135 is disposed and fixed on the lower side of the intermediate bell crank 119 so as to be covered from the lower side of the shift drive case 79a by a sensor cover 79c. The throttle position sensor 135 detects the rotation angle of the intermediate bell crank 119. As shown in FIG. 19, a neutral determination switch 136 is fixed to the detent holder 131 above the intermediate bell crank 119. The neutral determination switch 136 determines the neutral state position of the dog clutch 71 via the intermediate bell crank 119.

  Thus, the electrical components of the shift device 110, that is, the shift actuator 111, the throttle position sensor 135, and the neutral determination switch 136 are disposed in the shift drive case 79a. As shown in FIG. 16, the cables 137a to 137c connected to the respective electrical components are wired upward through the wire cover 138 and the tube 139 coupled to the left side surface of the shift drive case 79a. Yes. Watertightness in the shift drive case 79a is ensured between the wire cover 138 and the tube 139 and between the shift drive case 79a and the wire cover 138 by the clamp 140 and a gasket (not shown).

  Returning to FIG. 11, the shift rod 126 described above extends in the vertical direction in the lower case 79 and is pivotally supported around its axis. A shift yoke, which will be described later, is fixed to the lower end portion of the shift rod 126 and engages with a shift slider 143 that is arranged coaxially with the propeller shaft 64.

  FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the shift yoke 141 and the shift slider 143. As shown in FIG. 20, the shift yoke 141 is formed by partly projecting downward from the vicinity of the outer periphery of the lower surface of the adapter 142 fixed to the lower portion of the shift rod 126. On the other hand, the shift slider 143 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and an insertion hole 143a is formed through the side peripheral surface in a direction orthogonal to the cylindrical axis direction so that the lower end portion of the shift rod 126 can be inserted. Moreover, it has the engaging part 143b formed so that the shift yoke 141 could be accommodated in both right and left sides so that it might connect with the insertion hole 143a. In a state where the shift rod 126 is inserted into the insertion hole 143a of the shift slider 143, the shift yoke 141 is accommodated in either the left or right engaging portion 143b. On the rear side of the shift slider 143, a connecting portion 143c for connecting to a connector rod 144 described later is formed.

  In a state where the shift yoke 141 is housed in the engaging portion 143b of the shift slider 143, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 20, the shift rod 126 is rotated to the left or right along the horizontal direction, whereby the engaging portion 143b is pressed by the shift yoke 141, and the shift slider 143 slides either forward or backward in the axial direction.

  21 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 11, and FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the connector rod 144 connected to the shift slider 143 is inserted into the propeller shaft 64. Since one end side (front side Fr side) of the connector rod 144 is connected to the connecting portion 143c of the shift slider 143 described above, it slides in the propeller shaft 64 in the front-rear direction in synchronization with the shift slider 143. On the other hand, a locking pin 145 is coupled to the other end side (rear side Rr side) of the connector rod 144 in the orthogonal direction. The locking pin 145 locks the propeller shaft 64 and the dog clutch 71 fitted to the outer periphery of the propeller shaft 64. Therefore, the connector rod 144, the propeller shaft 64, and the dog clutch 71 always rotate integrally.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the through hole 64a of the propeller shaft 64 through which the locking pin 145 passes is a long hole in the axial direction. Accordingly, the dog clutch 71 slides either forward or backward from the neutral position shown in FIG. 21 with respect to the propeller shaft 64 in conjunction with the longitudinal sliding of the connector rod 144. That is, the dog clutch 71 slides either forward or backward from the neutral position and engages with the forward gear 67 or the reverse gear 68, thereby switching the shift.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 21, the lower case 79 is provided with a detent mechanism (second detent mechanism) 150 for restricting the sliding of the dog clutch 71. The detent mechanism 150 is disposed between the connector rod 144 and the propeller shaft 64, and includes a spring 151, balls 152a to 152c, detent grooves 64b to 64d, and the like. A spring 151 is inserted in the connector rod 144 along the axial direction thereof, and balls 152a and 152b are disposed at both ends thereof. One ball 152a abuts on the locking pin 145, and the other ball 152b abuts on a pair of small diameter balls 152c.

  A pair of ball holes 144a for projecting a part of the pair of balls 152c from the peripheral surface are formed on the peripheral surface of the connector rod 144 so as to face each other. Therefore, the ball 152c is pressed by the spring 151 via the ball 152b and is always urged in a direction protruding from the peripheral surface of the connector rod 144. On the other hand, on the inner peripheral surface of the propeller shaft 64, detent grooves 64b to 64d that are spaced apart in the axial direction and substantially the same as the radius of curvature of the ball 152c are formed. The detent groove 64b is formed up to the front end of the propeller shaft 64, and the detent grooves 64c and 64d are formed in an annular shape along the inner peripheral surface.

  Of the detent grooves 64b to 64d, the central detent groove 64c is formed at a position where the ball 152c is fitted when the dog clutch 71 is in the neutral state position. The front detent groove 64b is formed at a position where the dog clutch 71 is engaged with the forward gear 67, and the rear detent groove 64d is formed at a position where the dog clutch 71 is engaged with the reverse gear 68. . The spring 151 urges the ball 152c through the ball 152b, and the ball 152c is fitted into any of the detent grooves 64b to 64c, thereby restricting the sliding of the connector rod 144, that is, the dog clutch 71.

  By restricting the sliding of the connector rod 144, the movement of the shift slider 143, the shift yoke 141, and the shift rod 126 is also restricted. Further, an output greater than the urging force of the spring 151 is transmitted from the shift actuator 111 to the connector rod 144 via the shift rod 126 and the shift slider 143 in accordance with the shift operation by the operator, so that the ball 152c is detent grooves 64b to 64b. The dog clutch 71 slides away from any of 64c. The detent mechanism 150 may be disposed in the lower case 79 and between the shift rod 126 and the path from the dog clutch 71.

  In the outboard motor 10 configured as described above, an unillustrated ECU receives forward (forward) and reverse (reverse) shift operations by the operator through the shift lever. The ECU rotates the drive lever 116 left or right via the shift actuator 111 according to the shift operation. The drive lever 116 rotates the driven lever 123, that is, the shift rod 126 via the link mechanism. The shift rod 126 slides the dog clutch 71 through the connector rod 144 by sliding the shift slider 143 forward or backward through the shift yoke 141. The dog clutch 71 is slid and engaged with the forward gear 67 or the reverse gear 68 to switch the rotation direction of the propeller shaft 64, that is, the propeller 42, thereby switching the shift.

  According to the shift device 110 configured as described above, since the shift actuator 111 is disposed immediately above the lower case 79, the shift actuator 111 to the dog clutch 71 can be disposed close to each other. That is, since the distance from the shift actuator 111 to the dog clutch 71 is shortened, the rigidity of the link mechanism that connects the two is improved. By improving the rigidity of the link mechanism, the drive from the shift actuator 111 is transmitted to the dog clutch 71 accurately and quickly, and the responsiveness of the shift operation can be improved. Further, if the distance from the shift actuator 111 to the dog clutch 71 is shortened, the number of parts of the link mechanism that connects the two can be reduced. Therefore, the accumulation of backlash between components is reduced, the shift hysteresis error can be reduced, and the shift can be switched accurately.

  Further, as described above, in the shift device 110 of the present embodiment, the shift actuator 111 is disposed below the bearing 74 as a support mechanism for supporting the drive shaft housing 72. When each component of the outboard motor 10 is divided into a suspension side (fixed portion side) and a suspended side (movable portion side) when steering operation is performed, a drive shaft housing 72, a shift drive case 79a, a lower case 79, and the like ( The so-called unsprung part) is included on the movable part side, and the frame 16, the engine unit 11, the swivel bracket 39, the drive shaft case 38, etc. (so-called unsprung part) are included on the fixed part side. Here, the shift device 110 of the present embodiment is not disposed across the fixed portion side and the movable portion side, but is disposed only on the movable portion side. Therefore, when the steering operation is performed, the shift device 110 does not interfere with the movable part side.

  Further, as described above, in the shift device 110 of the present embodiment, the shift rod 126 is disposed below the bearing 74 as a support mechanism for supporting the drive shaft housing 72. Accordingly, the shift rod 126 of the present embodiment is not disposed across the fixed portion side and the movable portion side, but is disposed on the movable portion side. Therefore, when the steering operation is performed, the shift rod 126 does not interfere with the movable part side.

  Further, as described above, in the outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment, the steering axis S and the axis of the drive shaft 60 coincide with each other, and the axis of the shift rod 126 is offset from the steering axis S. Accordingly, since the steering shaft S can be brought close to the lift center of the lower case 79, the burden of the steering operation by the steering mechanism 80 can be reduced.

  Further, as described above, in the outboard motor 10 of the present embodiment, the lower case 79 and the shift drive case 79a can be attached and detached for maintenance. At this time, the shift actuator 111, the throttle position sensor 135, and the neutral determination switch 136, which are electrical components, are disposed in the shift drive case 79a and are not disposed in the lower case 79. Therefore, when the lower case 79 and the shift drive case 79a are attached / detached, it is not necessary to connect and disconnect the cables 137a to 137c of the electric system parts, and the attaching / detaching workability is improved. Further, since the driven lever 123 of the shift drive case 79a and the shift rod 126 of the lower case 79 are connected by a spline, the lower case 79 and the shift drive case 79a are attached and detached between the driven lever 123 and the shift rod 126. It can be done easily.

  Further, as described above, in the shift device 110 of the present embodiment, the first detent mechanism 130 that operates at least in the neutral position of the shift is disposed in the vicinity of the intermediate bell crank 119 that is one of the link mechanisms. ing. In the shift device 110, the second detent mechanism 150 that operates at least in the neutral position of the shift is disposed in the propeller shaft 64 of the lower case 79. Therefore, when the shift drive case 79a and the lower case 79 are reconnected from the separated state, the shift stroke can be reduced by setting both the first detent mechanism 130 and the second detent mechanism 150 to the neutral position. Adjustment work or the like becomes unnecessary, and the workability of the combination of both is improved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an outboard motor according to a second embodiment will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
FIG. 23 is a side view showing a partial cross section of the outboard motor 200 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 23, the front (the bow side) is indicated by an arrow Fr, and the rear (stern side) is indicated by an arrow Rr. The outboard motor 200 includes an engine holder 201, and an engine 202 is installed above the engine holder 201. The engine 202 is a vertical type water-cooled in-line four-cylinder four-cycle gasoline engine in which a crankshaft 203 is disposed substantially vertically.

  An oil pan 204 for storing lubricating oil is attached below the engine holder 201. A bracket device 205 is attached to the outboard motor 200, and the outboard motor 200 is attached to the transom board 2 via the bracket device 205. The bracket device 205 includes a clamp bracket 206, a swivel bracket 207, and a steering shaft 208. By rotating the swivel bracket 207 and the clamp bracket 206 relative to each other, the outboard motor 200 main body including the propulsion unit 15 described later can be rotated about the tilt axis T in the vertical direction. In addition, the steering shaft 208 and the swivel bracket 207 rotate relatively, so that the outboard motor 200 body including the propulsion device 15 can rotate around the steering axis S in the yaw direction (left-right direction).

  The engine 202 and the engine holder 201 are covered with an engine case 209. A drive shaft housing 210 is installed around and under the oil pan 204. A drive shaft 211 that is an output shaft of the engine 202 is disposed substantially vertically in the engine holder 201, the oil pan 204, and the drive shaft housing 210. The propulsion unit 15 is disposed below the drive shaft housing 210. The propulsion device 15 has a fin shape as a whole, and includes a lower case 79 constituting a casing of the propulsion device 15. The lower case 79 has a gear case 41 containing a propeller driving gear mechanism. A shift drive case 79 a is integrally coupled between the drive shaft housing 210 and the lower case 79. The lower case 79 and the shift drive case 79a are configured to be detachable using bolts or the like for maintenance. The configuration in the lower case 79 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, in the shift device 220 of the present embodiment, a shift actuator 111 for sliding the dog clutch 71 back and forth is disposed on the rear side in the shift drive case 79a immediately above the lower case 79. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration inside the shift drive case 79a. As shown in FIG. 24, the shift actuator 111 is connected to a driven lever 222 via a swing member 221 that is pivotally supported from the drive lever 116 about the axis of the drive shaft 211.

  The driven lever 222 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction around the shaft portion 222a. A shift rod 126 extending downward along the axial direction of the shaft portion 222a is connected to the shaft portion 222a of the driven lever 222. The shaft portion 222a and the shift rod 126 are connected by a spline along the axial direction. Note that the shift rod 126 to the dog clutch 71 are connected via a shift yoke 141, an adapter 142, a shift slider 143, a connector rod 144, and a locking pin 145, as in the first embodiment.

  In the outboard motor 200 configured as described above, an unillustrated ECU receives the forward (forward) and reverse (reverse) shift operations by the boat operator via the shift lever. The ECU rotates the drive lever 116 left or right via the shift actuator 111 according to the shift operation. The drive lever 116 rotates the driven lever 123, that is, the shift rod 126 via the swing member 221. The shift rod 126 slides the dog clutch 71 through the connector rod 144 by sliding the shift slider 143 forward or backward through the shift yoke 141. The dog clutch 71 is slid and engaged with the forward gear 67 or the reverse gear 68 to switch the rotation direction of the propeller shaft 64, that is, the propeller 42, thereby switching the shift.

  According to the shift device 220 configured as described above, since the shift actuator 111 is disposed immediately above the lower case 79, the shift actuator 111 to the dog clutch 71 can be disposed close to each other. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the drive from the shift actuator 111 is transmitted to the dog clutch 71 accurately and quickly, and the responsiveness of the shift operation can be improved.

  Further, when each component of the outboard motor 200 is divided into a suspension side (fixed part side) and a suspended side (movable part side) when the steering operation is performed, the engine 202, the drive shaft housing 210, the shift drive case 79a. The lower case 79 and the like (so-called unsprung part) are included on the movable part side, and the clamp bracket 206 and the swivel bracket 207 and the like (so-called unsprung part) are included on the fixed part side. Here, the shift device 220 of the present embodiment is not disposed across the fixed portion side and the movable portion side, but is disposed only on the movable portion side. Therefore, the shift device 220 does not interfere with the movable part side when the steering operation is performed.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated with various embodiment, this invention is not limited only to these embodiment, A change etc. are possible within the scope of the present invention.

10: Outboard motor 11: Engine unit 42: Propeller 60: Drive shaft 63: Bevel gear 64: Propeller shaft 67: Forward gear 68: Reverse gear 72: Drive shaft housing 79: Lower case 110: Shift device 111: Shift actuator 74: Bearing 126: Shift rod 130: First detent mechanism 150: Second detent mechanism 200: Outboard motor 210: Drive shaft housing 220: Shift device

Claims (5)

A shift device for an outboard motor that switches a rotation direction of a propeller shaft on which a propeller is attached based on a shift operation by a ship operator,
A shift device for an outboard motor, wherein a shift actuator for switching the rotation direction of the propeller shaft is disposed immediately above a lower case having a gear mechanism for converting an output from an engine from a drive shaft to the propeller shaft. . The outboard motor is provided integrally with the lower case, and a drive shaft housing that accommodates the drive shaft is pivotally supported via a support mechanism so as to be rotatable in a steering direction.
The outboard motor shift device according to claim 1, wherein the shift actuator is provided below the support mechanism. The outboard motor is provided integrally with the lower case, and a drive shaft housing that accommodates the drive shaft is pivotally supported via a support mechanism so as to be rotatable in a steering direction.
The shift device is disposed along a vertical direction in the lower case, and has a shaft rotation type shift rod for transmitting the movement of the shift actuator to either the forward gear or the reverse gear of the gear mechanism,
The outboard motor shift device according to claim 1, wherein the shift rod is provided below the support mechanism.   4. The outboard motor shift device according to claim 3, wherein an axis of the shift rod is offset from a steering shaft. The shift device is
A first detent mechanism disposed directly above the lower case and operating in a neutral position of the shift;
5. The outboard motor shift device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second detent mechanism that is disposed in the lower case and operates at a neutral state position of the shift. 6.

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