JP6167875B2 - Outboard motor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an outboard motor having a drive shaft that connects an upper engine and a lower propeller, and more particularly to a transmission thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an outboard motor in which an engine, which is a power source disposed at the upper part of the outboard motor main body, and a propeller having a propeller disposed at the lower part are connected to each other via a drive shaft, an appropriate place in the middle of the drive shaft. Some have a transmission. The transmission is shifted in accordance with the traveling state or environment of a ship equipped with such an outboard motor to improve the power performance and fuel efficiency performance of the outboard motor.

  Various specific configurations of such a transmission have been devised. For example, in an outboard motor described in Patent Document 1, two planetary gears, 3 on a drive shaft that connects an engine and a propulsion unit (lower unit). An automatic transmission is provided from one wet multi-plate clutch and one one-way clutch. According to this example, by setting the position of the transmission as a substantially intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the outboard motor, the outboard motor with a transmission is realized in a compact manner without affecting the profile of the entire outboard motor, Thereby, acceleration performance and fuel consumption performance can be made compatible.

  Furthermore, in the thing of patent document 2, the 2-speed transmission is comprised by the parallel shaft spur gear with sufficient power transmission efficiency. Further, there are known ones in which a transmission switching point is set using a centrifugal clutch, and a transmission case and a water pump case that are integrally configured as in Patent Document 3.

JP 2009-149202 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-14273 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-27757

  Although this type of outboard motor has its own characteristics, it has various problems. For example, in Patent Document 1, a wet multi-plate clutch requires a powerful hydraulic device, so it is expensive and requires a large amount of energy to operate a hydraulic pump to maintain the hydraulic pressure, which impedes fuel consumption performance. It becomes. In addition, the wet multi-plate clutch is connected smoothly, but unlike the case of a four-wheeled vehicle, in order to absorb changes in the propeller speed of a propeller that has only a small moment of inertia in an outboard motor, the same applies to the case of a four-wheeled vehicle. Does not require functionality. For this reason, the wet multi-plate clutch has a small merit for mitigating the shift shock for a large price, weight and operating energy. In addition, the planetary gear is not only expensive, but must be said to be unsuitable for an outboard motor because it is inferior to a parallel shaft spur gear in terms of power transmission efficiency.

  Moreover, in the thing of patent document 2, since the speed change switching mechanism is a mechanical link mechanism, the shock transmitted to a link at the time of the switching cannot be fully suppressed. Since the position at the intermediate point is allowed at the time of shifting, there is a problem of wear due to the relative speed difference. Further, since the low speed side is set when the power is directly connected and the high speed side is set via the counter, the power is transmitted via the counter during cruising, which greatly affects the fuel efficiency, and the fuel efficiency is deteriorated by the gear transmission efficiency.

Further, in Patent Document 3, the countershaft is arranged on the front side in the traveling direction, and the countergear is housed in a hydrodynamically advantageous front constricted gear case, so that a large-diameter gear cannot be arranged. A problem occurs in strength. Further, since the gear shift is performed by the mechanical link mechanism, there is a problem that a shock at the time of shifting is transmitted to the link side as it is.
In this example and other conventional outboard motors, the load around the speed change mechanism is large, and it is not easy to improve the durability and the like.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor that improves durability and the like while smoothly and appropriately performing shift control.

An outboard motor according to the present invention is an outboard motor having a drive shaft that connects an upper engine and a lower propeller, and the drive shaft drives a drive shaft input shaft connected to a crankshaft and the propeller. are separated up and down and drive shaft the output shaft, a crank shaft extending in the vertical direction of the upper portion of the engine is connected to the drive shaft input shaft, said propeller shaft extending propeller along the longitudinal mounted direction the drive shaft is connected to the lower end of the output shaft, the separated above and below the drive shaft, said drive shaft input shaft connecting the crank shaft and between said drive shaft output shaft for driving the propeller, at least in height the speed ratio 2 Outboard motor with geared gearbox Oite, the transmission is housed in the transmission chamber formed in the drive shaft housing, said drive shaft, a counter shaft disposed in parallel with the drive shaft, the drive shaft input shaft and said drive shaft output shaft And a counter train, and a dog clutch mechanism that selectively switches between a high speed stage and a low speed stage, and the dog clutch mechanism includes: a drive shaft output shaft; A dog clutch coupled to the rotation and supported so as to reciprocate up and down along the axial direction of the drive shaft output shaft is provided at the upper end of the drive shaft output shaft, and the dog clutch is moved upward to move the dog clutch Engage with the main drive gear coupled to the lower end of the drive shaft input shaft, It is configured to move the switch downward and engage with a main driven gear rotatably supported on the drive shaft output shaft to switch between a high speed stage and a low speed stage, and the dog clutch moves upward. The dog clutch is engaged with the main drive gear, the drive shaft input shaft and the drive shaft output shaft are directly connected via the main drive gear and the dog clutch, and the dog clutch moves downward. The dog clutch is engaged with the main driven gear, and the drive shaft input shaft and the drive shaft output shaft are connected via a power transmission path through the main drive gear, the main driven gear and the dog clutch, The drive device for driving the dog clutch mechanism is a hydraulic drive driven by a hydraulic cylinder. A transmission control unit that controls the drive unit and an engine control unit that controls the operation of the engine, the engine control unit in synchronization with a shift signal to the drive unit, An output reduction control for temporarily reducing the engine output is performed.

  In the outboard motor according to the present invention, the output reduction control is performed by stopping the ignition of the engine or by decimating it intermittently.

  Further, in the outboard motor according to the present invention, the engine includes a fuel injection device, and the output reduction control is performed by stopping the fuel injection of the fuel injection device or by decimating it intermittently. To do.

  According to the present invention, by reducing the drive torque acting on the dog clutch mechanism, the dog clutch can be replaced smoothly, the burden on the drive device can be reduced, and the durability of the device can be greatly improved. it can.

1 is a rear perspective view showing an outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a left view of the ship carrying the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. 1 is a left side view illustrating a schematic configuration example of an outboard motor according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of arrangement | positioning structure of the transmission in the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the case of the transmission in the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. 1 is a cutaway perspective view showing a transmission arranged in a mid unit in an outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the transmission chamber in the outboard motor according to the present invention. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a transmission in an outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the transmission in the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the transmission in the outboard motor which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the II line | wire of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the II-II line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the transmission in the outboard motor which concerns on this invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an outboard motor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing a partially broken outer appearance of an outboard motor 10 according to the present invention. The outboard motor 10 is mounted on the rear part of the hull of the ship 1 as shown in FIG. 2, and in this case, the outboard motor 10 is fixed to the rear plate P of the hull of the ship 1 as shown in FIG. 3 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration example of the outboard motor 10. In the following description, the front of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow Fr and the rear side is indicated by an arrow as necessary in each figure. Indicated by Rr, the lateral right side of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow R, and the lateral left side is indicated by an arrow L.

  First, the overall basic configuration of the outboard motor 10 will be described. In FIG. 1 and particularly FIG. 3, an engine unit or power unit 11, a mid unit 12 and a lower unit 13 are sequentially arranged from the upper part to the lower part, and these units are integrally coupled. In the engine unit 11, the engine 14 is mounted and supported vertically through an engine base or an engine holder so that the crankshaft 15 faces the vertical direction. For example, a V-type multi-cylinder engine or the like is selected as the engine 14. The engine unit 11 and the mid unit 12 are covered with an exterior cover as shown in FIG. 1, but FIG. 1 shows a state in which a part of the exterior cover of the mid unit 12 is virtually broken. A drive shaft to be described later is disposed inside 16. The engine 14 is mounted on the upper portion of the drive shaft housing 16.

  The mid unit 12 is supported via an upper mount 17A and a lower mount 17B so as to be integrally rotatable around a support shaft 19 (steering shaft) set on the swivel bracket 18. Clamp brackets 20 are provided on the left and right sides of the swivel bracket 18, and are fixed to the rear plate P of the hull via the clamp brackets 20. The swivel bracket 18 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a support shaft 21 (tilt shaft) set in the horizontal direction.

  In the mid unit 12, a drive shaft 22 connected to the lower end portion of the crankshaft 15 is vertically penetrated so that the driving force of the drive shaft 22 is transmitted to a propeller shaft described later in the gear case of the lower unit 13. It has become. On the front side of the drive shaft 22, a shift rod 23 for performing forward / reverse switching or the like is arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. The mid unit 12 includes a drive shaft housing 16 that houses the drive shaft 22.

  The lower unit 13 includes a gear case 25 including a plurality of gears that rotate the propeller 24 by the driving force of the drive shaft 22. The drive shaft 22 extending downward from the mid unit 12 causes the gear attached to itself to mesh with the gear in the gear case 25 to eventually rotate the propeller 24. The power transmission path of the gear device is switched, that is, shifted. Further, the integrally formed casing 26 has an anti-splash plate 27 and an anti-cavitation plate 28 which are arranged up and down in the vicinity of the mating surface with the mid unit 12, and below these casings 26 extending downward. The gear case 25 is disposed so as to have a bullet shape or a bullet shape in the front-rear direction.

  The shift rod 23 is vertically inserted and supported on the shell-shaped tip end side of the gear case 25 in the casing 26. The shift rod 23 is suspended from the propeller shaft 29 to a position intersecting with the axial extension line. Further, the drive shaft 22 is inserted and supported near the substantially central portion of the casing 26 in the front-rear direction. In the gear case 25, the propeller shaft 29 is disposed along the front-rear direction and is rotatably supported via a plurality of bearings. A drive gear 30 is attached to the lower end portion of the drive shaft 22, and a pair of front and rear forward gears 31 and a reverse (reverse) gear 32 that mesh with the drive gear 30 are rotatably supported on the propeller shaft 29. The

  A power transmission path from the forward gear 31 or the reverse gear 32 to the propeller shaft 29 is formed by a shift operation via the shift rod 23. When the engine 14 is started, the output torque is transmitted from the drive shaft 22 to the propulsion device. That is, the propeller shaft 29 and the propeller 24 are rotated via the forward gear 31 or the reverse gear 32, and the outboard motor 10 generates a propulsive force. Therefore, the ship 1 on which the outboard motor 10 is mounted moves forward or backward.

  In the outboard motor 10 having the above-described basic configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, in the mid unit 12, a drive shaft 22 connected to the lower end portion of the crankshaft 15 is arranged to penetrate in the vertical direction. The propeller shaft 29 in the gear case 25 of the lower unit 13 is coupled. Particularly in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive shaft 22 is vertically separated into a drive shaft input shaft 22 </ b> A connected to the crankshaft 15 and a drive shaft output shaft 22 </ b> B driving the propeller 24. Between the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the drive shaft output shaft 22B, a gear-type transmission 33 capable of switching the gear ratio to at least two stages of high and low is interposed.

  In the mid unit 12, below the drive shaft housing 16, an upper case 34 and a lower case 35 for forming a transmission chamber 37 (described later) of the transmission 33 are integrally coupled to each other. The upper case 34 is coupled to the drive shaft housing 16, and the lower case 35 is coupled to the lower unit 13. FIG. 5 shows a specific configuration example of the upper case 34 and the lower case 35, both of which are superposed vertically, and a space for forming a transmission chamber 37 of the transmission 33 mainly in the front half of the upper case 34. Have An exhaust passage 36 is formed in the latter half of both the upper case 34 and the lower case 35 for exhausting exhaust gas discharged from the engine 14 disposed above to the lower unit 13 side. . Here, the upper case 34 and the lower case 35 are configured separately from the drive shaft housing 16, but they substantially function as a part of the drive shaft housing 16, and thus the transmission 33 itself is also included in the drive shaft housing 16. It is good also as arrangement | positioning.

  FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view showing the transmission 33 configured in the upper case 34 and the lower case 35 with the exterior cover around the mid unit 12 removed. As described above, the transmission chamber 37 of the transmission 33 is formed in the upper case 34 and the lower case 35 that are integrally coupled, and a plurality of components of the transmission 33 are accommodated in the transmission chamber 37. Is done. The transmission chamber 37 has a liquid-tight structure. FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the transmission chamber 37. The transmission chamber 37 is disposed in the front half of the upper case 34, and an exhaust passage 36 is formed in the rear half thereof.

The transmission 33 will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. The transmission 33 is accommodated in a transmission chamber 37 and is arranged between a counter shaft 38 disposed in parallel with the drive shaft 22, and a drive shaft input shaft 22 A and a drive shaft output shaft 22 B of the drive shaft 22 and the counter shaft 38. A gear train 39 spanned between them and a dog clutch mechanism 40 capable of selectively switching between a high speed stage and a low speed stage are included.
In particular, a later-described drive device 63 that drives the dog clutch mechanism 40 is configured by a hydraulic drive device that is driven by a hydraulic cylinder, and this hydraulic cylinder is disposed in the transmission chamber 37.

  Referring also to FIG. 9, the drive shaft input shaft 22A is inserted from above into the substantially central portion in the left-right direction near the front portion of the transmission chamber 37, and the lower end portion thereof is a bearing 41 (a taper roller unless otherwise specified). The upper case 34 is rotatably supported via a bearing). The drive shaft output shaft 22B is directly below the drive shaft input shaft 22A, and its upper end side is indirectly supported by the lower case 35 via a bearing 42. Further, the upper and lower ends of the counter shaft 38 are rotatably supported by the upper case 34 and the lower case 35 through bearings 43 and 44, respectively.

  As a gear train 39, a main drive gear 45 that is rotatably integrated with the drive shaft input shaft 22A, a main driven gear 46 that is rotatably supported by the drive shaft output shaft 22B, and a countershaft that meshes with the main drive gear 45. A counter driven gear 47 provided integrally with the rotary shaft 38 and a counter drive gear 48 provided integrally with the counter shaft 38 and meshed with the main driven gear 46 are included.

  The spline (male) 49 formed at the lower end portion of the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the spline (female) 50 formed at the boss portion of the main drive gear 45 are engaged, so that the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the main drive are connected. The gear 45 is coupled to rotate integrally. Further, a spacer 51 is interposed between the counter driven gear 47 and the counter drive gear 48, and the distance between the two gears, that is, the vertical position is regulated. Spline (male) 52 is formed in the counter shaft 38 corresponding to the counter driven gear 47 and the counter drive gear 48, and spline (female) 53 and 54 are formed in the counter driven gear 47 and the counter drive gear 48, respectively. The counter shaft 38 and the counter driven gear 47 or the counter drive gear 48 are coupled together in a rotating manner by the engagement of the 52, 53 and 54. Therefore, the gear train 39 composed of the main drive gear 45, the counter driven gear 47, the counter drive gear 48, and the main driven gear 46 is always kept in a connected state.

  A hollow idle shaft 55 is fitted on the upper end of the drive shaft output shaft 22B. In this case, a spline (male) 56 formed on the drive shaft output shaft 22B and a spline (female) 57 formed on the idle shaft 55 are provided. , The drive shaft output shaft 22B and the idle shaft 55 are coupled together in a rotating manner. Further, a bearing (needle bearing) 59 is mounted between the inner sleeve 58 and the main driven gear 46 that are fitted on the idle shaft 55, and the main driven gear 46 is rotatable in relation to the drive shaft output shaft 22B.

Each gear of the gear train 39 is constituted by a helical gear. In this case, the thrust reaction force acting on the main drive gear 45 and the counter driven gear 47 engaged with each other and the thrust reaction force acting on the main driven gear 46 and the counter drive gear 48 engaged with each other are made to oppose each other. The twist angle of the tooth is set.
Further, assuming that the gear ratio Gr ₁ between the main drive gear 45 and the counter driven gear 47 and the gear ratio Gr ₂ between the main driven gear 46 and the counter drive gear 48, the reduction ratio R = Gr ₁ × Gr ₂ in the entire gear train 39 is obtained. is there.

  The dog clutch mechanism 40 includes a dog clutch 60 that is externally fitted to the idle shaft 55 and supported between the main drive gear 45 and the main driven gear 46 so as to reciprocate up and down along the axial direction of the idle shaft 55. When the spline (male) 61 formed on the idle shaft 55 and the spline (female) 62 formed on the dog clutch 60 are engaged with each other, the idle shaft 55 and the dog clutch 60 are coupled integrally with each other. As described above, the drive shaft output shaft 22B and the idle shaft 55 are coupled together in a rotating manner. Therefore, the three members of the dog clutch 60, the idle shaft 55 and the drive shaft output shaft 22B are coupled together in a rotating manner.

  The drive device that moves the dog clutch 60 up and down will be described later, but it moves upward to engage with the main drive gear 45 (upper engagement position), and moves downward to engage with the main driven gear 46 (lower side). Engagement position). The transmission 33 is configured such that the dog clutch 60 slides up and down to switch between the high speed stage and the low speed stage, and the lower engagement position of the dog clutch 60 is set to the low speed stage. Although FIG. 9 shows the neutral position of the dog clutch 60, that is, the neutral position, the dog clutch 60 is engaged with the main drive gear 45 by moving upward. In this case, the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the drive shaft output shaft are engaged. 22B is directly connected via the main drive gear 45 and the dog clutch 60. Further, when the dog clutch 60 moves downward, the dog clutch 60 engages with the main driven gear 46. In this case, the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the drive shaft output shaft 22B are connected with the main drive gear 45, the counter driven gear 47, and the counter. A reduction ratio R is connected through a power transmission path that passes through the drive gear 48 and the main driven gear 46.

  The drive device 63 of the transmission 33 is configured by a hydraulic drive device that is driven by a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic drive device includes an electric hydraulic pump, and operates a hydraulic cylinder by hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic pump. As shown in FIG. 10, there is a hydraulic cylinder 64 whose cylinder axis is set in the vertical direction. In this example, the cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder 64 is fixedly supported on the top part 37 a of the transmission chamber 37. The hydraulic cylinder 64 and the dog clutch 60 are connected via a slide yoke 65 disposed between them. In this case, the slide yoke 65 is supported so as to be vertically slidable along a guide shaft 66 suspended in the transmission chamber 37, and one end side is connected to an output rod 64 a of the hydraulic cylinder 64. As a result, the slide yoke 65 is moved up and down by the hydraulic cylinder 64.

  A shift fork 67 is attached to the other end side of the slide yoke 65, and the shift fork 67 extends to the dog clutch 60 side and engages therewith. Specifically, the dog clutch 60 has a substantially circular shape in a plan view as shown in FIG. 11 and the like, and a flange portion 60a is projected along the outer peripheral edge thereof as shown in FIGS. The shift fork 67 has an arc shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 11, and engages so as to sandwich the flange portion 60a from both the upper and lower sides (FIG. 10).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12, the drive shaft 22 (the drive shaft input shaft 22 </ b> A and the drive shaft output shaft 22) is disposed at the center in the left-right direction at the forefront of the transmission chamber 37. Further, the countershaft 38 and the hydraulic cylinder 64 are offset in the left and right directions behind the drive shaft 22 and arranged in a triangular shape in plan view. That is, the drive shaft 22, the countershaft 38, and the hydraulic cylinder 64 are arranged so that they are not linearly arranged in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

  A hydraulic pipe 68 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder 64 as shown in FIG. 6, and pressure oil flows into and out of the hydraulic cylinder 64 through these hydraulic pipes 68. The hydraulic pipe 68 immediately adjacent to the hydraulic cylinder 64 is accommodated in the exterior cover. Of the drive device 63 of the transmission 33, the electric hydraulic pump excluding the hydraulic cylinder 64 and the electromagnetic switching valve are external to the outboard motor 10. That is, it is arranged on the hull side of the ship 1. In this case, the hydraulic pipe 68 and the hydraulic pump on the hull side are connected via a hydraulic hose 69 shown in FIG.

  In the transmission 33, as shown in FIG. 13, a detent device 70 that holds at least the movement position of the slide yoke 65 at the upper engagement position of the dog clutch 60 can be provided. Referring also to FIG. 10 (A arrow view), the detent device 70 has a detent holder 71 fixed to the side wall of the upper case 34 and projecting toward the slide yoke 65, and is attached to the detent holder 71. The ball 72 is elastically brought into contact with the outer surface of the slide yoke 65 by the elasticity of the spring 73. The detent device 70 can be selectively provided as necessary.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of the overall configuration of the drive device 63. In a hydraulic system including a hydraulic cylinder 64, a hydraulic pump 74 driven by an electric motor 74A, a regulator 75 for adjusting hydraulic pressure, a one-way valve 76, a filter 77, an accumulator 78, a solenoid valve 79, a hydraulic sensor 80, and a reservoir tank 81 are provided. The connection is made as shown in the figure via a hydraulic pipe 82. These components are installed on the hull side, and the solenoid valve 79 and the hydraulic cylinder 64 are connected via the hydraulic hose 69 as described above. The solenoid valve 79 and the like are controlled by an ECU (Engine Control Unit) 2 installed on the hull side. A stroke sensor 83 is attached to the hydraulic cylinder 64, and at least the operation stroke end of the hydraulic cylinder 64 is detected by the stroke sensor 83, and a detection signal is sent to the ECU 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a steering device 3, a remote control device 4, and the like are disposed in the cockpit of the ship 1, and the drive device 63 is controlled via the ECU 2 in accordance with these operations.

In the above case, the outboard motor 10 of the present invention has the V2 multi-cylinder engine or the like as the engine 14 as described above, and includes the ECU 2 that is an engine control unit that controls the operation thereof. In addition, a drive control unit 63 (FIG. 14) for controlling the drive device 63 that switches the transmission gear ratio of the transmission 33 by a hydraulic drive system as described above is provided. This transmission control unit is linked to the engine 14 by the ECU 2. Controlled.
In the present embodiment, based on a signal input for shifting the transmission 33, the engine control unit performs output reduction control for temporarily reducing the engine output of the engine 14 in synchronization with a shift signal for the drive device 63. .

More specifically, although detailed illustration etc. are abbreviate | omitted to the engine 14, the ignition plug is attached to the combustion chamber, and the ignition timing of the ignition plug etc. are controlled by ECU2. The output reduction control for the engine 14 is performed by stopping the ignition of the engine 14 or by decimating it intermittently.
Alternatively, in the intake system of the engine 14, an injector (fuel injection device) for fuel injection is attached to the intake pipe (intake pipe), and the injector injects fuel into the intake passage at a predetermined timing under the control of the ECU 2. As a result, an air-fuel mixture having a predetermined air-fuel ratio is supplied to the engine 14. The engine 14 is provided with such a fuel injection device, and the output reduction control is performed by stopping the fuel injection of the fuel injection device or by decimating it intermittently.

  Here, basic operational effects of the transmission 33 in the outboard motor 10 of the present invention will be described. First, in the basic operation of the transmission 33, the hydraulic cylinder 64 is operated and the dog clutch 60 is moved upward from the neutral position in FIG. In this case, the dog clutch 60 is engaged with the main drive gear 45, the drive shaft input shaft 22A and the drive shaft output shaft 22B are directly connected via the main drive gear 45 and the dog clutch 60, and the transmission 33 is in a high speed stage. shift. On the other hand, when the solenoid valve 79 is switched to operate the hydraulic cylinder 64 in the opposite direction, the dog clutch 60 moves downward from the neutral position in FIG. In this case, the drive shaft input shaft 22 </ b> A and the drive shaft output shaft 22 </ b> B are connected with a reduction gear ratio R via the gear train 39. Thus, by sliding the dog clutch 60 up and down in the transmission 33, it is possible to appropriately switch between the high speed stage and the low speed stage.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the drive device 63 of the dog clutch 60 is configured by a hydraulic drive device that is driven by the hydraulic cylinder 64, so that the shift control in the transmission 33 can be easily performed. In addition, by providing the transmission 33 in the middle of the drive shaft 22, it is possible to improve power performance, fuel consumption performance, and the like. Further, since the hydraulic cylinder 64 is disposed in the transmission chamber 37, there is no concern that the hydraulic cylinder 64 is exposed to seawater, and the durability of the apparatus can be greatly improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11 and the like, in the transmission 33, the drive shaft 22 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the foremost part of the transmission chamber 37, and the counter shaft 38 and the hydraulic cylinder 64 are located behind the drive shaft 22. Each is offset to the left and right and arranged in a triangular shape.

  With the arrangement relationship as described above, the drive shaft 22 of the outboard motor 10 is provided close to the support shaft 19 that is a steering shaft that rotates the outboard motor 10 to the left and right (see FIG. 3). Thus, the drive shaft housing 16 in which the drive shaft 22 is accommodated is compactly formed by arranging the three members in a triangular shape. In addition, since the drive shaft housing 16 and the steering shaft can be arranged closer to each other, the moment of inertia of the outboard motor 10 can be reduced, and a large maximum steerable angle can be ensured. Will improve.

  The dog clutch mechanism 40 of the transmission 33 is configured such that the dog clutch 60 slides up and down to switch between a high speed stage and a low speed stage, and the lower engagement position of the dog clutch 60 is set to a low speed stage. .

  The dog clutch 60 of the transmission 33 slides up and down the shaft of the transmission 33 extending in the vertical direction. The hydraulic cylinder 64 that drives the dog clutch 60 decreases in hydraulic pressure when the outboard motor 10 stops. In the hydraulic cylinder 64 whose hydraulic pressure has decreased, the weight of the dog clutch mechanism 40 or the like acts, and the dog clutch 60 is lowered downward. In such a case, if the lower engagement position of the dog clutch 60 is set to the low speed stage, the transmission 33 is already moved to the low speed stage when the outboard motor 10 is restarted. There is no need to check the shift position of the motor, and it is excellent in usability and handling.

The hydraulic drive device includes an electric hydraulic pump 74, and the electric hydraulic pump 64 and the electromagnetic switching valve excluding the hydraulic cylinder 64 are disposed on the hull side outside the outboard motor 10.
Since it is not necessary to provide a mounting place inside the outboard motor 10 for these components, the outboard motor 10 can be configured compactly.

Next, characteristic operations and effects of the outboard motor 10 of the present invention will be described. The ECU 2 that is the engine control unit performs output reduction control that temporarily reduces the engine output of the engine 14 in synchronization with the shift signal to the drive device 63.
When the transmission 33 is switched by the dog clutch mechanism 40, the engine output of the engine 14 is temporarily reduced at a timing at which a shift signal is sent to the drive device 63. By controlling the engine output in this way, the drive torque acting on the dog clutch mechanism 40 from the drive shaft 22 (drive shaft input shaft 22A) side is reduced. As a result, the dog clutch 60 can be replaced smoothly, the burden on the driving device 63 can be reduced, and the durability of the device can be greatly improved.

Further, when the engine output of the engine 14 is temporarily reduced, specifically, the ignition device (not shown) is controlled by the ECU 2 to stop the ignition of the engine 14 or to be intermittentd by thinning out. Is called. Although temporarily, the engine output can be reduced by eliminating or reducing the explosion process in the engine 14. It should be noted that the time, frequency, or rate at which ignition is stopped or thinned out may be appropriately set so as to increase or decrease according to, for example, the engine speed at that time.
Here, as a control for reducing the engine output of the engine 14, a method of reducing the intake air amount with a throttle valve is known. In this case, the response of the control operation is slow, that is, it takes time to reduce the output and return the output from the state. On the other hand, if the engine output control is based on ignition, there is no moving part such as a throttle valve, and control such as electrical signal processing is sufficient. In addition, a good response can be ensured because the response is good.

Further, as another method for temporarily reducing the engine output of the engine 14, the ECU 2 controls a fuel injection device (not shown) to stop the fuel injection, or by decimating it intermittently. To be done. It should be noted that the time, frequency, rate, or the like to stop or inject fuel injection may be appropriately set so as to increase or decrease according to the engine speed at that time, for example.
By stopping fuel injection from the fuel injection device, unburned gas is not discharged, so that exhaust gas is not contaminated. Even in an engine equipped with an exhaust gas purification catalyst, damage such as melting damage due to overheating is not given to the exhaust gas purification catalyst.

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.
In the above-described embodiment, when the ignition of the engine 14 or the fuel injection of the fuel injection device is stopped or thinned, the engine 14 may be performed for all the cylinders of the engine 14 or may be performed for a specific cylinder. Further, in the case of the engine 14 having an injector for each cylinder, the fuel injection restriction may be performed on the cylinder that performs the ignition restriction.

10 outboard motor, 11 engine (power) unit, 12 mid unit, 13 lower unit, 14 engine, 15 crankshaft, 16 drive shaft housing, 17A upper mount, 17B lower mount, 18 swivel bracket, 19, 21 support shaft, 20 Clamp Bracket, 22 Drive Shaft, 23 Shift Rod, 24 Propeller, 25 Gear Case, 26 Casing 26 (Lower Case), 27 Anti Splash Plate, 28 Anti Cavitation Plate, 29 Propeller Shaft, 30 Drive Gear, 31 Forward (Forward) Gear, 32 Reverse gear, 33 Transmission, 34 Upper case, 35 Lower case, 36 Exhaust passage, 37 Transmission chamber, 38 Counter shaft, 39 Gear train, 40 Dog clutch mechanism, 45 Main drive gear, 46 Main driven gear, 47 Counter driven gear, 48 Counter drive gear, 51 Spacer, 55 Idle shaft, 58 Inner sleeve, 60 Dog clutch, 63 Drive device, 64 Hydraulic cylinder, 65 Slide yoke, 66 Guide shaft, 67 Shift fork, 68 Hydraulic piping, 69 Hydraulic hose, 70 Detent device, 71 Detent holder, 72 Ball, 73 Spring, 74 Hydraulic pump, 75 Regulator, 76 One-way valve, 77 Filter, 78 Accumulator, 79 Solenoid valve , 80 Hydraulic sensor.

Claims (3)

An outboard motor having a drive shaft that connects an upper engine and a lower propeller,
The drive shaft is vertically separated into a drive shaft input shaft connected to a crankshaft and a drive shaft output shaft driving the propeller,
Crankshaft extending in the vertical direction of the upper portion of the engine is connected to the drive shaft input shaft,
A propeller shaft attached to the propeller and extending along the front-rear direction is connected to a lower end portion of the drive shaft output shaft,
The separated above and below the drive shaft, the between the drive shaft the output shaft for driving the drive shaft input shaft and the propeller is connected to the crankshaft, the gear ratio can be switched in at least high and low two stages of gear transmission In the outboard motor
The transmission is housed in the transmission chamber formed in the drive shaft housing, wherein said drive shaft, a counter shaft disposed in parallel with the drive shaft, said drive shaft input shaft and said drive shaft output shaft counter Each including a gear train spanned between the shaft and a dog clutch mechanism that selectively switches between a high speed stage and a low speed stage,
The dog clutch mechanism has a dog clutch at the upper end portion of the drive shaft output shaft, which is coupled to the drive shaft output shaft so as to be reciprocated up and down along the axial direction of the drive shaft output shaft. And
The dog clutch is moved upward to engage with a main drive gear coupled to the lower end of the drive shaft input shaft, and the dog clutch is moved downward to be rotatably supported by the drive shaft output shaft. It is configured to engage the main driven gear and switch between high speed and low speed,
When the dog clutch moves upward, the dog clutch engages with the main drive gear, and the drive shaft input shaft and the drive shaft output shaft are directly connected via the main drive gear and the dog clutch,
When the dog clutch moves downward, the dog clutch engages with the main driven gear, and the drive shaft input shaft and the drive shaft output shaft pass through the main drive gear, the main driven gear, and the dog clutch. Connected through a power transmission path
The drive device for driving the dog clutch mechanism is constituted by a hydraulic drive device driven by a hydraulic cylinder,
A transmission control unit that controls the drive device, and an engine control unit that controls the operation of the engine,
The outboard motor, wherein the engine control unit performs output reduction control for temporarily reducing engine output in synchronization with a shift signal to the drive device. 2. The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the output reduction control is performed by stopping or decimating the ignition of the engine to make it intermittent. 2. The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the engine includes a fuel injection device, and the output reduction control is performed by stopping the fuel injection of the fuel injection device or by decimating the fuel injection intermittently. .

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