JP2021006427A - Outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an outboard motor capable of disposing a means for detecting a steering angle with good space efficiency and having the excellent detection accuracy of the steering angle.SOLUTION: An outboard motor includes a clamp bracket (20) to be attached to a stern part of a hull, and a swivel bracket (30) arranged between the clamp bracket and an outboard motor body (1), the outboard motor body capable of rotating the outboard motor body about a steering shaft (12) with respect to the swivel bracket. The outboard motor also includes one bevel gear (57) provided coaxially with the steering shaft, a sensor shaft (52) arranged in a sensor shaft hole (51) provided in the swivel bracket and extending in a slanting direction with respect to the steering shaft, the other bevel gear (53) arranged on the sensor shaft and meshed with the one bevel gear, and a steering angle sensor (63) provided at a position opposite to an end portion of the sensor shaft and detecting a steering angle of the steering shaft on the basis of rotations of the sensor shaft, for detecting the steering angle of the outboard motor body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an outboard motor provided with a detecting means for detecting a steering angle.

In a type of ship in which propulsion is obtained by an outboard motor attached to the hull, the outboard motor swings around the steering axis to change the direction of travel of the hull according to the steering performed by the crew. When detecting the steering angle in such an outboard motor, if the steering angle sensor is arranged coaxially with the steering shaft, it becomes easy to accurately grasp the rotation angle of the steering shaft and perform highly accurate steering angle detection.

However, in many outboard units, there is a problem that it is difficult to arrange the steering angle sensor coaxially with the steering shaft due to structural restrictions. For example, a shift shaft for forward / backward switching is inserted in the steering shaft, related parts such as a steering bracket are arranged around the upper end of the steering shaft, and the space between the lower end of the steering shaft and the main body of the outboard unit is narrow. In many cases, the steering angle sensor cannot be placed coaxially with the steering axis. Therefore, the steering angle sensor is arranged at a position offset from the steering axis.

Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a steering angle is detected by counting the number of pinion gear ridges in a drive gear portion constituting a power steering device for steering with a sensor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-10995

When the steering angle is detected by the steering angle sensor offset from the steering axis, it is necessary to consider the enlargement and complexity of the structure and the deterioration of the steering angle detection accuracy by the steering angle sensor.

For example, in order to transmit the operation of the steering shaft to a position that can be detected by the steering angle sensor offset from the steering shaft, a transmission mechanism composed of a plurality of parts is used. There is always a manufacturing tolerance in each component of such a transmission mechanism. Therefore, if the transmission mechanism is composed of many parts, an error may occur in the detection accuracy of the steering angle sensor due to the accumulation of manufacturing tolerances. As an example, in a transmission mechanism composed of a plurality of gears, the backlash existing between each gear causes an error. In Patent Document 1, a means for detecting a steering angle is provided in a drive gear portion of a power steering device, and has a complicated structure in which a steering shaft indicating the original steering angle is connected via an arm, a link, a drive portion, or the like. Therefore, the accumulated error becomes large, and it is difficult to detect the steering angle with high accuracy.

Further, in many cases, the steering shaft has a structure in which the upper end is connected to the outboard unit main body via a swivel bracket and the lower end is connected to the outboard unit main body. When the propeller of the outboard unit is driven to generate a propulsive force (force to move forward), a force pushing forward is applied to the lower end of the steering shaft, and the upper end of the steering shaft is rearward by the principle of the lever. The force that tries to make it fall down acts. A predetermined clearance is secured between the steering shaft hole formed in the swivel bracket and the steering shaft in order to realize smooth steering. Therefore, when the above-mentioned propulsive force is applied to the steering shaft, the steering shaft rattles in the front-rear direction due to the clearance. If the steering angle sensor is arranged at a position offset from the steering shaft (particularly, a position offset in the front-rear direction), the rattling of the steering shaft in the front-rear direction affects the steering angle detection accuracy.

Wiring is provided to transmit the signal from the steering angle sensor to the hull side. In a structure in which many parts are present around the steering bracket, the wiring extending from the steering angle sensor becomes complicated, and there is also a problem that the assembly workability, the durability of the wiring, and the appearance are deteriorated.

Further, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, a sensor for detecting the steering angle is arranged in a portion where moving parts for steering and tilt are present at a high density, and foreign substances such as seaweed and dust flowing from the water are placed on the moving part. The sensor is likely to be affected if it is caught or pinched.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor capable of arranging means for detecting a steering angle in a space-efficient manner and having excellent steering angle detection accuracy.

The present invention includes a clamp bracket attached to the stern of the hull and a swivel bracket arranged between the clamp bracket and the outboard unit body, and swings the outboard unit body around the steering shaft with respect to the swivel bracket. In the movable outboard unit, one bevel gear provided coaxially with the steering shaft, a sensor shaft arranged in a sensor shaft hole provided in the swivel bracket and extending diagonally with respect to the steering shaft, and a sensor shaft. The other bevel gear, which is arranged in and meshes with one bevel gear, and the steering angle sensor, which is provided at a position facing the end of the sensor shaft and detects the steering angle of the steering shaft based on the rotation of the sensor shaft. It is characterized in that it detects the steering angle of the outboard unit body.

According to the present invention, the means for detecting the steering angle can be arranged in a space-efficient manner, and an outboard unit having excellent steering angle detection accuracy can be obtained.

It is a figure which shows the outboard unit which concerns on this embodiment, (A) is the side view of the outboard unit main body and the attachment device, (B) is the sectional view of the attachment device. It is a top view of the mounting device. It is a perspective view which shows a part of the mounting device. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of the mounting device. It is a cross-sectional view which expanded a part of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1A, the outboard motor of the present embodiment includes an outboard motor main body 1 and an attachment device 10. In the following description and each drawing, the direction in which the drive shaft 6 (FIG. 1 (A)), which will be described later, extends is the vertical direction of the outboard unit, and the direction in which the propeller shaft 7 (FIG. 1 (A)) extends is the front and rear of the outboard unit. Defined as direction. Of the front-rear direction, the front is the hull side and the rear is the outboard motor side. Further, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-back direction is defined as the width direction of the outboard motor. In the width direction, the right hand side is the right side and the left hand side is the left side when facing the hull side. The outboard motor body 1 is attached to the stern of the hull by the mounting device 10, and the direction of the outboard motor body 1 with respect to the hull can be changed via the mounting device 10. Therefore, the vertical, front-rear, and horizontal (horizontal width) directions of the outboard motor may not match the vertical, front-rear, and horizontal (horizontal width) directions of the hull.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the outboard motor main body 1 has an engine cover 2 at the uppermost portion, a drive housing 3 below the engine cover 2, and a drive housing 3 below the drive housing 3 as exterior members. It has a lower housing 4. The engine cover 2 includes an upper cover 2a on the upper side and a lower cover 2b on the lower side.

The engine 5 is housed in the engine room inside the engine cover 2. A crankshaft (not shown), which is an output shaft of the engine 5, extends in the vertical direction, and a drive shaft 6 connected to the crankshaft extends through the inside of the drive housing 3 to the inside of the lower housing 4. Inside the lower housing 4, a propeller shaft 7 extending in the front-rear direction is rotatably supported. At the intersection of the drive shaft 6 and the propeller shaft 7, a bevel gear mechanism 8 for converting the rotational movement of the drive shaft 6 into the rotational movement of the propeller shaft 7 is provided. A propeller 9 is provided at the rear end of the propeller shaft 7. When the engine 5 is driven and the crankshaft rotates, the drive shaft 6 rotates integrally with the crankshaft, and the rotation of the drive shaft 6 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 7 via the bevel gear mechanism 8. Then, the propeller 9 rotates to generate propulsive force by the outboard motor.

The outboard motor main body 1 is attached to the stern portion of the hull via the attachment device 10. When attached to the hull by the attachment device 10, the outboard unit body 1 is swung back and forth around the tilt shaft 11 extending in the lateral width direction, and the outboard unit main body is centered on the steering shaft 12 extending in the vertical direction. It is possible to perform a steering operation (steering) that swings 1 left and right.

As shown in FIGS. 1B, 2 and 3, the mounting device 10 includes a clamp bracket 20, a swivel bracket 30, and a steering bracket 40. Hereinafter, the mounting device 10 will be described in detail. The vertical direction in the description of the mounting device 10 means the vertical direction in the initial state shown in each drawing. That is, the angle of the portion of the mounting device 10 other than the clamp bracket 20 changes with respect to the hull with the tilt operation described later, but the drive shaft 6 faces in the vertical direction without such an angle change. Each part of the mounting device 10 will be described with reference to the present state.

The clamp bracket 20 is fixed to a transom (not shown) provided at the stern of the hull. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamp bracket 20 has a pair of left and right support portions 21 provided apart from each other in the lateral width direction, and an upper protrusion protruding forward is provided at the upper end of each support portion 21. A portion 22 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of bolt holes 23 are formed in each support portion 21 of the clamp bracket 20 at different positions in the vertical direction. When fixing the clamp bracket 20 to the transum, a bolt (not shown) inserted through the bolt hole 23 is screwed into a screw hole (not shown) on the transam side. The height position of the clamp bracket 20 with respect to the transom can be adjusted by changing the bolt hole 23 to be bolted.

A pair of left and right shaft support holes 24 penetrating in the lateral width direction are formed near the tips of the pair of left and right upper protrusions 22 of the clamp bracket 20 (see FIG. 2). The pair of shaft support holes 24 are formed coaxially.

The swivel bracket 30 has a vertical column portion 31 extending in the vertical direction and a pair of left and right upper projecting portions 32 projecting forward from the upper end of the vertical column portion 31. A pair of left and right tilt shaft holes 33 penetrating in the lateral width direction are formed near the tips of the pair of upper protrusions 32 (see FIG. 2). The pair of tilt shaft holes 33 are formed coaxially.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pair of upper protrusions 32 of the swivel bracket 30 are located between the pair of upper protrusions 22 of the clamp bracket 20. After aligning the pair of tilt shaft holes 33 and the pair of shaft support holes 24 so as to communicate with each other, the tilt shaft 11 is inserted into each shaft support hole 24 and each tilt shaft hole 33. The tilt shaft 11 is fixed to the shaft support hole 24, and the tilt shaft hole 33 is not fixed to the tilt shaft 11 and can rotate relative to it. As a result, the swivel bracket 30 is swingably supported around the tilt shaft 11.

The vertical pillar portion 31 of the swivel bracket 30 is formed with a pair of left and right pin receiving holes (not shown) located behind and below the pair of tilt shaft holes 33. Tilt cylinder pins 25 (FIGS. 1 (B) and 4) are inserted into the pair of pin receiving holes so as to be relatively rotatable. The tilt cylinder pin 25 is a columnar pin provided at the upper end of the piston rod 26 and extending in the lateral width direction.

As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the piston rod 26 constitutes a tilt cylinder 27 for tilt operation. The tilt cylinder 27 has a cylinder body 28 into which the piston rod 26 is inserted so as to be movable in a straight line. The amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 changes depending on the hydraulic pressure supplied to the space inside the cylinder body 28. The lower end of the cylinder body 28 is pivotally supported with respect to the clamp bracket 20, and the tilt cylinder 27 can swing back and forth via the shaft support portion.

When the amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 from the cylinder body 28 increases due to flood control, the position of the tilt cylinder pin 25 becomes higher. The position where the tilt cylinder pin 25 is fitted in the pin receiving hole of the swivel bracket 30 is rearward and lower than the position where the tilt shaft hole 33 is pivotally supported by the tilt shaft 11. Therefore, when the position of the tilt cylinder pin 25 becomes high and the swivel bracket 30 rotates about the tilt shaft 11 (rotation in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1B), the swivel bracket 40 and the steering shaft 12 are used. The outboard motor main body 1 connected to the swivel bracket 30 performs a forward tilting operation (tilt up) in which the engine 5 side is lowered and the propeller 9 side is pulled upward.

On the contrary, when the tilt cylinder 27 is operated so that the amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 from the cylinder body 28 is small, the position of the tilt cylinder pin 25 is lowered. Then, due to the rotation of the swivel bracket 30 about the tilt shaft 11 (rotation in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1B), the outboard unit body 1 raises the engine 5 side and lowers the propeller 9 side. Tilt down (tilt down).

The swivel bracket 30 is formed with a tilt lock shaft hole 35 (see FIG. 4). The tilt lock shaft hole 35 is a hole extending in the lateral width direction, and is arranged above and slightly in front of a pin receiving hole (not shown) into which the tilt cylinder pin 25 is fitted. A tilt lock shaft (not shown) is inserted into the tilt lock shaft hole 35. The tilt lock shaft constitutes a tilt lock mechanism for holding the tilt-up state of the outboard motor body 1 (a forward tilted state in which the engine 5 side is lowered and the propeller 9 side is pulled upward). The tilt lock shaft is rotated by operating the tilt lock lever (not shown), and the tilt lock mechanism is switched between the locked state and the unlocked state.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a steering shaft hole 36 extending in the vertical direction is formed in the vertical column portion 31 of the swivel bracket 30. The steering shaft hole 36 penetrates the vertical column portion 31 in the vertical direction. Inside the steering shaft hole 36, a shaft support sleeve 37 is provided on the upper end side, and a shaft support sleeve 38 is provided on the lower end side. The shaft support sleeve 37 and the shaft support sleeve 38 are cylindrical members, respectively, and the inner diameters of the shaft support sleeves 37 and 38 are smaller than the inner diameter of the steering shaft hole 36.

The steering shaft 12 is inserted into the steering shaft hole 36 of the swivel bracket 30. The steering shaft 12 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The steering shaft 12 is fitted inside the shaft support sleeves 37 and 38 in the steering shaft hole 36, and the steering shaft 12 is rotatably supported around an axis line (steering center axis X1 described later) that faces in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the lower end of the steering shaft 12 projects downward from the lower end opening of the steering shaft hole 36 and is fixed to the outboard motor main body 1 via the mount portion 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the swivel bracket 30 has a configuration in which the rear portion of the upper protruding portion 32, which is divided into two branches, is connected by a vertical pillar portion 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface of the vertical column portion 31 is located below the upper surface of the upper protruding portion 32, and the upper end of the steering shaft hole 36 is opened on the upper surface of the vertical column portion 31.

As shown in FIG. 4, the swivel bracket 30 has an inclined wall 30a on the front side of a portion where the upper end of the steering shaft hole 36 opens. The inclined wall 30a is a wall portion that increases the amount of protrusion upward as it moves forward away from the steering shaft hole 36, and is located substantially at the center of the swivel bracket 30 in the lateral width direction. Following the upper end of the inclined wall 30a, a sensor support surface 30b having a shape that becomes lower as it goes forward is formed. The swivel bracket 30 has a recess having an upwardly open shape between the left and right upper protrusions 32, and a sensor support surface 30b is formed on the bottom surface of the recess.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper end of the steering shaft 12 projects upward from the upper end opening of the steering shaft hole 36, and the steering bracket 40 is attached to the protruding portion of the steering shaft 12. The steering bracket 40 has a mounting hole 41 into which the steering shaft 12 is inserted. The steering shaft 12 is fixed to the mounting hole 41, and the steering bracket 40 swings integrally with the steering shaft 12.

The steering bracket 40 includes a base end portion 42 that surrounds the mounting hole 41, and an arm portion 43 that extends forward from the base end portion 42. The arm portion 43 has an elongated shape that passes above the upper surface of the swivel bracket 30. The base end portion 42 is supported on the upper portion of the vertical column portion 31 of the swivel bracket 30. The root portion of the arm portion 43 following the base end portion 42 is an inclined wall 43a having a shape along the inclined wall 30a of the swivel bracket 30.

As shown in FIGS. 1B and 4, a recess (a portion where the sensor support surface 30b is formed) between the left and right upper protrusions 32 on the upper surface side of the swivel bracket 30 and a position above the recess. A sensor accommodating space S is formed between the steering bracket 40 and the arm portion 43.

A sensor guard member 44 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) that covers the sensor accommodation space S is attached to the swivel bracket 30. The sensor guard member 44 is bolted to the swivel bracket 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor guard member 44 includes a rear wall 44a that extends diagonally upward from the inclined wall 30a and an upper wall 44b that bends forward from the rear wall 44a and covers the upper part of the sensor support surface 30b. Have. The inclined wall 30a is formed with a recess 30c into which the rear wall 44a fits (see FIG. 4). The sensor guard member 44 further has side walls 44c extending downward from both the left and right edges of the upper wall 44b (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The front portion of the sensor guard member 44 is open.

The arm portion 43 of the steering bracket 40 is connected to the steering handle or the like (not shown) on the hull side via a cable or the like (not shown). The steering bracket 40 also includes a connecting portion 45 extending rearward from the mounting hole 41. The connecting portion 45 is fixed to the outboard motor main body 1 via the mounting portion 15 (see FIG. 1 (B)).

The operation of the mounting device 10 configured as described above will be described. The outboard motor body 1 swings back and forth (tilt operation) around the tilt shaft 11 is driven by the tilt cylinder 27. The amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 from the cylinder body 28 changes depending on the supply of hydraulic pressure to the tilt cylinder 27. As the amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 from the cylinder body 28 increases, the position of the tilt cylinder pin 25 increases. Then, the swivel bracket 30 rotates about the tilt shaft 11 (counterclockwise rotation in FIG. 1B). As a result, the outboard motor main body 1 connected to the swivel bracket 30 via the steering bracket 40 and the steering shaft 12 performs a forward tilting operation (tilt up) in which the engine 5 side is lowered and the propeller 9 is pulled upward. On the contrary, when the tilt cylinder 27 is operated so that the amount of protrusion of the piston rod 26 from the cylinder body 28 is small, the position of the tilt cylinder pin 25 is lowered. Then, due to the rotation of the swivel bracket 30 about the tilt shaft 11 (clockwise rotation in FIG. 1B), the outboard motor body 1 tilts backward to raise the engine 5 side and lower the propeller 9. Perform operation (tilt down).

The steering operation of the outboard unit main body 1 that swings left and right around the steering shaft 12 is performed by input to the steering bracket 40. When the steering means such as the steering handle on the hull side is operated, the force for turning the arm portion 43 to the left or right is transmitted. Due to this turning force, the steering bracket 40 and the steering shaft 12 swing integrally, and the outboard motor body 1 having a fixed relationship with the steering bracket 40 and the steering shaft 12 swings left and right. As a result, the direction of travel of the hull changes.

The outboard motor of the present embodiment includes a detection system for detecting the steering angle due to the steering operation. The configuration of the detection system and the detection of the steering angle by the detection system will be described below. The configuration of the detection system is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In addition, in FIG. 1 (B). The illustration of the detection system is omitted.

An outer cylinder 50 is fitted on the outside of the shaft support sleeve 37 on the upper end side arranged in the steering shaft hole 36, and the outer cylinder 50 is supported on the inner surface of the steering shaft hole 36. That is, on the upper end side in the steering shaft hole 36, the steering shaft 12 is supported by a bearing structure consisting of the shaft support sleeve 37 and the outer cylinder 50.

A sensor shaft hole 51 is formed in the swivel bracket 30. The sensor shaft hole 51 is a hole located in front of the steering shaft hole 36 and extending obliquely with respect to the steering shaft hole 36. More specifically, the lower end of the sensor shaft hole 51 communicates with the steering shaft hole 36 at a position directly below the shaft support sleeve 37 and the outer cylinder 50. The sensor shaft hole 51 is inclined so as to increase the distance from the steering shaft hole 36 to the front as it advances upward from the lower end portion. The upper end of the sensor shaft hole 51 is open to the sensor support surface 30b of the swivel bracket 30.

The sensor shaft 52 is inserted into the sensor shaft hole 51. A bevel gear 53 is attached to the outer surface of the lower end of the sensor shaft 52. The bevel gear 53 rotates integrally with the sensor shaft 52. The protruding portion 53a provided at the lower end of the bevel gear 53 abuts on the bottom surface 51a of the sensor shaft hole 51, and the amount of insertion of the sensor shaft 52 into the sensor shaft hole 51 (the axial position of the sensor shaft 52) is determined. In this state, a part of the teeth of the bevel gear 53 slightly enters the steering shaft hole 36 and is located below the shaft support sleeve 37 and the outer cylinder 50.

A cylindrical bearing portion 54 is provided on the outer surface of the sensor shaft 52 directly above the bevel gear 53. A cylindrical bearing portion 56 is provided on the outer surface of the sensor shaft 52 which is separated upward from the bearing portion 54. The outer surfaces of the bearing portion 54 and the bearing portion 56 abut on the inner surface of the sensor shaft hole 51, and the radial position of the sensor shaft 52 in the sensor shaft hole 51 is determined. Then, the outer surfaces of the bearing portion 54 and the bearing portion 56 are in sliding contact with the inner surface of the sensor shaft hole 51, so that the sensor shaft 52 can rotate around the axis in the sensor shaft hole 51. The outer diameters of the bearing portion 54 and the bearing portion 56 are larger than the outer diameter of the bevel gear 53. Therefore, the bevel gear 53 can rotate without contacting the inner surface of the sensor shaft hole 51.

An elastic member 55 is arranged between the inner surface of the bearing portion 54 and the outer surface of the sensor shaft 52. The elastic deformation of the elastic member 55 suppresses the rattling of the sensor shaft 52 in the sensor shaft hole 51. The elastic member 55 also suppresses rattling of the bevel gear 53 integrated with the sensor shaft 52.

A bevel gear 57 that meshes with the bevel gear 53 is attached to the steering shaft 12. More specifically, the annular member 57a is fixed directly below the shaft support sleeve 37. The annular member 57a surrounds the outer surface of the steering shaft 12, and teeth are formed in a part of the annular member 57a in the circumferential direction to form a bevel gear 57. The circumferential range in which the bevel gear 57 is formed by the annular member 57a is the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 when the steering bracket 40 is turned from the state in which the ship is traveling straight to the maximum steering angle assumed on both the left and right sides. Set so that the meshing of the is maintained. In other words, the meshing of the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 is set so as not to be disengaged within the swing range of the steering shaft 12 due to the steering operation.

An elastic member 58 is arranged between the inner surface of the annular member 57a and the outer surface of the steering shaft 12. The elastic deformation of the elastic member 58 suppresses the rattling of the bevel gear 57.

When the steering shaft 12 is rotated by the steering operation with respect to the steering bracket 40, a force is transmitted from the cap gear 57 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 12 to the cap gear 53, and the sensor shaft 52 to which the cap gear 53 is assembled rotates. ..

The bevel gear 57 rotates about the steering center axis X1 which is the rotation center of the steering shaft 12, and the bevel gear 53 rotates about the rotation center axis X2 of the sensor shaft 52. The steering center axis X1 and the rotation center axis X2 are located on the same plane, and the intersection angle between the steering center axis X1 and the rotation center axis X2 is a sharp angle. In the present embodiment, the intersection angle between the steering center axis X1 and the rotation center axis X2 is set to about 30 °. This angle is close to the rising angle of the inclined wall 43a of the arm portion 43 from the base end portion 42 of the steering bracket 40 (the rising angle of the inclined wall 30a on the swivel bracket 30 side), and is close to the sensor shaft hole 51 and the sensor shaft. The 52 can be arranged space-efficiently along the inclined wall 43a. Further, the upper end of the sensor shaft 52 is not too far forward from the steering shaft 12, and the structure can be made compact in the front-rear direction.

A grease pool 59 is formed near the lower end of the sensor shaft hole 51. The grease reservoir 59 is composed of a concave space between the bearing portion 54 and the tooth portion of the bevel gear 53, and a space between the tooth portion of the bevel gear 53 and the inner surface of the sensor shaft hole 51. The grease stored in the grease reservoir 59 lubricates the space between the bearing portion 54 and the sensor shaft hole 51 and the meshing portion between the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57. Above the meshing portion of the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57, the shaft support sleeve 37 and the outer cylinder 50 pivotally support the steering shaft 12. The lower end of the outer cylinder 50 has entered the grease pool 59, and the shaft support portion of the steering shaft 12 is also lubricated by the grease of the grease pool 59. That is, the grease pool 59 and the grease injected around it are used to lubricate the shaft support portion of the steering shaft 12, the shaft support portion of the sensor shaft 52, and the meshing portion of the cap gear 53 and the cap gear 57. It is used and can realize efficient lubrication.

The bearing portion 54 is formed of an oil-impregnated resin or the like, and the sensor shaft 52 can be smoothly rotated in the sensor shaft hole 51. The bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 (annular member 57a) are made of high-strength engineering plastic, a stainless steel sintered body, or the like, and have excellent corrosion resistance.

The sensor shaft 52 extends from the lower end portion of the sensor shaft hole 51 in which the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 mesh to the upper end portion of the sensor shaft hole 51 facing the sensor support surface 30b of the swivel bracket 30. A part of the upper end side of the sensor shaft hole 51 has an inner diameter larger than the portion where the bearing portion 54 and the bearing portion 56 fit, and an annular washer 65 is formed in the large diameter portion on the upper end side of the sensor shaft hole 51. It has been inserted. The washer 65 abuts on the step in the sensor shaft hole 51 to restrict downward movement. The upper end of the bearing portion 56 is in contact with the washer 65.

A cylindrical bush 60 is further inserted into the large diameter portion on the upper end side of the sensor shaft hole 51. The tip of the bush 60 is in contact with the washer 65. The bush 60 has a flange 60a at the upper end having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the sensor shaft hole 51, and the flange 60a is in contact with the sensor support surface 30b of the swivel bracket 30. The bush 60 is fixed so as not to rotate with respect to the sensor shaft hole 51.

The holder 61 fixed to the upper end of the sensor shaft 52 is rotatably inserted inside the bush 60. A permanent magnet 62 is attached to the upper end of the holder 61.

The portion of the sensor shaft hole 51 in which the bush 60 is inserted communicates with the tilt lock shaft hole 35. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the tilt lock shaft hole 35 having a circular cross-sectional shape and extending in the lateral width direction overlaps with the sensor shaft hole 51. The bush 60 and the holder 61 are formed with a recess 60b and a recess 61a at positions overlapping with the tilt lock shaft hole 35, respectively. The recess 60b and the recess 61a do not prevent the tilt lock shaft (not shown) from being inserted into the tilt lock shaft hole 35. Further, by fitting the tilt lock shaft into the recess 60b and the recess 61a, the bush 60 and the holder 61 are prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction of the sensor shaft hole 51. The recess 61a is formed over the entire circumferential direction of the holder 61 so that the holder 61, which rotates integrally with the sensor shaft 52, does not always interfere with the tilt lock shaft.

Grease for lubricating the tilt lock shaft is supplied into the tilt lock shaft hole 35. By communicating the sensor shaft hole 51 and the tilt lock shaft hole 35, the grease for lubricating the tilt lock shaft is rotated in the sensor shaft hole 51 (bush 60) of the sensor shaft 52 (holder 61 and bearing portion 56). It can be used for lubrication of parts. As a result, efficient lubrication of the sensor shaft 52 and the tilt lock shaft can be realized.

As shown in FIG. 4, the steering angle sensor 63 is mounted inside the sensor accommodation space S. The steering angle sensor 63 is supported so as to be in contact with the upper end surface of the bush 60 provided with the flange 60a, and is fixed to the swivel bracket 30. The steering angle sensor 63 is fixed to the swivel bracket 30 with bolts or the like (not shown). The steering angle sensor 63 is a Hall sensor capable of detecting a change in the magnetic field formed by the permanent magnet 62 provided at the end of the sensor shaft 52, and is steered with the permanent magnet 62 in a direction along the rotation center axis X2 of the sensor shaft 52. The angle sensor 63 is facing each other.

The rear and upper sides of the steering angle sensor 63 arranged in the sensor accommodation space S are covered with the rear wall 44a and the upper wall 44b of the sensor guard member 44 (see FIG. 4). Further, the left and right sides of the steering angle sensor 63 are covered by the side wall 44c of the sensor guard member 44 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 4, the front portion of the sensor guard member 44 is open, and the wiring 64 connected to the steering angle sensor 63 extends in front of the sensor accommodation space S through the front opening of the sensor guard member 44. To. The wiring 64 passes between the left and right upper protrusions 32 of the swivel bracket 30 and is guided toward the hull along the arm portion 43 of the steering bracket 40, and is connected to a processor unit (not shown).

In the detection system having the above configuration, when the steering operation is performed, the rotation is transmitted from the bevel gear 57 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 12 to the bevel gear 53, and the sensor shaft 52 integrated with the bevel gear 53 rotates. .. When the sensor shaft 52 rotates, the steering angle sensor 63 detects a change in the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 62 provided at the end of the sensor shaft 52. Then, the detection signal of the steering angle sensor 63 is transmitted to the processor unit through the wiring 64, and the processor unit calculates the steering angle based on the transmitted detection signal. In this way, the steering angle can be detected.

As shown in FIG. 1 (A), the gap between the mounting device 10 and the outboard unit main body 1 is small, and there is almost no space on the same axis as the steering shaft 12. Since the sensor shaft 52, the steering angle sensor 63, and the like are not located coaxially with the steering shaft 12, the detection system of the present embodiment can be arranged without being restricted by the space on the extension of the steering shaft 12. Is.

The detection system of the present embodiment uses a bevel gear mechanism including a bevel gear 53 and a bevel gear 57 to transmit rotation to a sensor shaft 52 extending diagonally with respect to the steering shaft 12 and offset forward from the steering shaft 12. The steering angle sensor 63 is arranged to detect the operation of the sensor shaft 52 to detect the steering angle. Since the bevel gear 57 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 12 meshes with the bevel gear 53 that rotates integrally with the sensor shaft 52, the rotation of the steering shaft 12 is directly taken out as the rotation of the sensor shaft 52 and read by the steering angle sensor 63. be able to. Therefore, the error of power transmission is small, and the steering angle can be detected with high accuracy by the steering angle sensor 63 arranged on the extension of the shaft end of the sensor shaft 52.

Further, the rotation of the steering shaft 12 is increased by the gear ratio between the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 and transmitted to the sensor shaft 52. As a result, the resolution of detection by the steering angle sensor 63 can be improved.

The bevel gear mechanism including the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 can reduce the distance between the steering shaft 12 and the sensor shaft 52 at the meshing position as compared with the transmission mechanism using the spur gear, and is compact around the sensor shaft 52. It can be configured to. Further, since the meshing portion can be made small, the amount of backlash between the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 can be suppressed to be small.

In order to rotate the steering shaft 12 smoothly, the steering shaft 12 is pivotally supported in the steering shaft hole 36 with a clearance, and when a propulsive force is applied from the outboard motor body 1, the steering shaft 12 is slightly moved in the front-rear direction. Swing. The bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 are located directly below the shaft support sleeve 37 and the outer cylinder 50 that pivotally support the upper end side of the steering shaft 12. As a result, when the steering shaft 12 swings back and forth, the movement of the bevel gear 57 back and forth can be minimized, and the meshing error between the bevel gear 57 and the bevel gear 53 can be reduced.

Further, on the steering shaft 12 side, the backlash around the bevel gear 57 is removed via the elastic member 58, and on the sensor shaft 52 side, the backlash around the sensor shaft 52 and the bevel gear 53 is removed via the elastic member 55. Therefore, the meshing portion between the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 can be protected from impact, vibration, and the like to prevent tooth skipping, and the rotation of the steering shaft 12 can be accurately transmitted to the sensor shaft 52. As a result, the steering angle detection accuracy of the steering angle sensor 63 can be improved.

The sensor shaft 52 and the bevel gears 53 and 57 that constitute the detection system are installed inside the swivel bracket 30. Since the operating portion of the detection system is protected by the swivel bracket 30 without being exposed to the outside, it is tough against external interference and impact, and has high durability.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the sensor shaft hole 51 is formed between the tilt cylinder pin 25 and the steering shaft hole 36 in the front-rear direction, and the sensor shaft hole 51 passes between the inclined wall 30a and the tilt lock shaft hole 35. Extends diagonally upward. In this way, the sensor shaft hole 51 is formed by efficiently utilizing the space in the swivel bracket 30, and the sensor shaft 52 can be installed without increasing the size of the mounting device 10.

By partially communicating the sensor shaft hole 51 with the tilt lock shaft hole 35, it is possible to prevent the sensor shaft 52 (bush 60 and holder 61) from being displaced using the tilt lock shaft, and to lubricate the tilt lock shaft and the sensor shaft 52. The effect of sharing can be obtained.

The steering angle sensor 63 is arranged in the sensor accommodation space S surrounded by the swivel bracket 30 and the steering bracket 40. The sensor accommodating space S is a space formed between a pair of left and right upper projecting portions 32 of the swivel bracket 30, and the arm portion 43 of the steering bracket 40 covers the upper side and the rear of the sensor accommodating space S. By using such a sensor accommodation space S, it is possible to secure an installation space for the steering angle sensor 63 without increasing the size of the mounting device 10.

The sensor accommodating space S is located near the uppermost portion of the mounting device 10, and is far from the water surface. Further, the upper protruding portion 32 of the swivel bracket 30 is located on the side of the sensor accommodating space S, and the arm portion 43 of the steering bracket 40 is located above and behind the sensor accommodating space S. Therefore, it is difficult for foreign matter from the outside to reach the steering angle sensor 63 in the sensor accommodation space S, and there is a low possibility that seaweed, dust, etc. that flow from the water will be caught around the steering angle sensor 63.

Further, since the steering angle sensor 63 is covered by the sensor guard member 44 firmly fixed to the swivel bracket 30 in the sensor accommodation space S, the protection of the steering angle sensor 63 against foreign matter and water from the outside can be enhanced.

Since the rotational motion transmitted from the steering shaft 12 to the sensor shaft 52 is detected by the steering angle sensor 63 provided facing the end of the sensor shaft 52, the hall sensor has a simple configuration, is highly versatile, and is inexpensive. Can be used as the steering angle sensor 63 to reduce the cost. Further, since the sensor shaft 52, the permanent magnet 62, and the steering angle sensor 63 are provided coaxially, the structure is space-saving, and the mutual positional deviation due to vibration or the like is unlikely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to detect the steering angle with high accuracy by using a compact and inexpensive configuration.

The wiring 64 extending from the steering angle sensor 63 is guided to the hull side along the arm portion 43 of the steering bracket 40 through between the left and right upper protrusions 32 of the swivel bracket 30 (sensor accommodation space S). Therefore, the wiring 64 does not become a complicated path and is easy to handle, and it is easy to assemble the steering angle sensor 63 and the wiring 64. Further, since the wiring 64 is passed through the space surrounded by the left and right upper protruding portions 32, the arm portions 43, and the sensor guard member 44, the exposure to the appearance is suppressed, so that the wiring 64 is also excellent in durability and appearance. ing.

As described above, in the outboard motor of the present embodiment, although the steering angle sensor 63 is not arranged coaxially with the steering shaft 12, high detection accuracy can be obtained and the steering angle can be accurately grasped. .. Further, the peripheral structure of the steering angle sensor 63 is compact, and a structure is realized in which foreign matter flowing from the water does not easily get caught in the periphery of the steering angle sensor 63. Further, the wiring 64 extending from the steering angle sensor 63 is simple to handle, and the wiring 64 is excellent in assembling workability, durability, appearance and the like.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. In the above embodiment, the size, shape, and the like shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed within the range in which the effects of the present invention are exhibited. In addition, it can be appropriately modified and implemented as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the object of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the steering center axis X1 of the steering shaft 12 and the rotation center axis X2 of the sensor shaft 52 are located in the same plane facing the front-rear direction of the outboard motor body 1, and the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear are located. Reference numeral 57 denotes a bevel gear in which two axes intersect. Unlike this, it is also possible to use a hypoid gear or the like in which the two axes are twisted (mismatched axes) as the bevel gear in the present invention.

In the above embodiment, a hall sensor is used as the steering angle sensor 63. The Hall sensor has an advantage that it can be introduced at low cost, but it is also possible to use a detection means other than the Hall sensor as a steering angle sensor. For example, a type of sensor that optically detects the rotation of the sensor shaft 52 may be used.

By providing both the elastic member 58 on the steering shaft 12 side and the elastic member 55 on the sensor shaft 52 side as in the above embodiment, the effect of preventing the bevel gear 53 and the bevel gear 57 from skipping teeth is enhanced, and rotation transmission is performed. The accuracy can be improved. However, it is also possible to provide the elastic member only on either the steering shaft 12 side or the sensor shaft 52 side.

The outboard motor of the present invention has the effect that the means for detecting the steering angle can be arranged in a space-efficient manner and the steering angle detection accuracy is excellent, and the space between the outboard motor body and the mounting device is particularly restricted. Useful for outboard motors.

1: Outboard motor body 10: Mounting device 11: Tilt shaft 12: Steering shaft 20: Clamp bracket 27: Tilt cylinder 30: Swivel bracket 32: Upper protrusion 35: Tilt lock shaft hole 36: Steering shaft hole 40: Steering bracket 43: Arm 44: Sensor guard member 51: Sensor shaft hole 52: Sensor shaft 53: Bevel gear (the other bevel gear)
54: Bearing portion 55: Elastic member 56: Bearing portion 57: Bevel gear (one bevel gear)
57a: Ring member 58: Elastic member 59: Grease pool 60: Bush 61: Holder 62: Permanent magnet 63: Steering angle sensor 64: Wiring 65: Washer S: Sensor accommodation space

Claims (6)

A clamp bracket attached to the stern of the hull and a swivel bracket arranged between the clamp bracket and the outboard motor body are provided, and the outboard motor body is swung around the steering shaft with respect to the swivel bracket. In the outboard motor that made it possible
One bevel gear provided coaxially with the steering shaft,
A sensor shaft arranged in a sensor shaft hole provided in the swivel bracket and extending diagonally with respect to the steering shaft,
The other bevel gear, which is arranged on the sensor shaft and meshes with the one bevel gear,
A steering angle sensor provided at a position facing the end of the sensor shaft and detecting the steering angle of the steering shaft based on the rotation of the sensor shaft.
The outboard motor is characterized by detecting the steering angle of the outboard motor body. The other captive gear and a bearing portion for supporting the sensor shaft in the sensor shaft hole are provided on the outer surface of the sensor shaft, and the outer diameter of the bearing portion is larger than the outer diameter of the other captive gear. The outboard unit according to claim 1, which is characterized by being large. The outboard motor according to claim 2, wherein an elastic member is arranged between the steering shaft and the other bevel gear and at least one of the bearing portion and the sensor shaft. The swivel bracket has a tilt lock shaft hole into which a tilt lock shaft that holds the tilt state of the outboard motor body is inserted.
The outboard motor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor shaft hole and the tilt lock shaft hole communicate with each other. The steering angle sensor is arranged in a space between the upper surface of the swivel bracket and the steering bracket that passes above the swivel bracket and connects to the steering shaft.
The outboard motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a sensor guard member for covering the steering angle sensor is provided in the space. The swivel bracket has a steering shaft hole into which the steering shaft is rotatably inserted.
The sensor shaft hole is located in front of the steering shaft hole, and the lower end portion of the sensor shaft hole communicates with the steering shaft hole.
The outboard according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the one bevel gear and the other bevel gear are in mesh with each other at the communicating portion between the sensor shaft hole and the steering shaft hole. Machine.

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