JPH04362494A - Steering mechanism for outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a steering device to cope with the steering of one set or two sets outboard motors by using the same main constitution, which can make the setting space smaller in one set specification, while not only can make the setting space smaller, but also can tilt up the outboard motors separately in two-set specification. CONSTITUTION:A hydraulic cylinder 4 of a double-acting two-rod type is fixed to the installing brackets 1c and 1d of outboard motors 1a and 1b in the condition almost equally distributing to the left side and the right side to the installing center of the outboard motors. When the system is composed as a two-set specification, stays 6a and 6b are fixed to both ends of a piston rod 20, and pins 24a and 24b rotatable on the extension of the rotation center in the tilt up condition of the outboard motors 1a and 1b are provided to the stays 6a and 6b. Steering metal fittings 30a and 30b of the outboard motors 1a and 1b, and the pins 24a and 24b corresponding to the metal fittings 30a and 30b are connected separately with links 7 and 7b.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering mechanism for an outboard motor used to propel a small boat, and more particularly to a type of steering mechanism that uses a hydraulic cylinder as a driving source for steering.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various methods have been used for arranging hydraulic cylinders in this type of steering mechanism. The first example is a hollow support provided as a central axis for rotating (tilting up) the outboard motor body relative to the mounting bracket fixed to the hull when lifting the outboard motor propeller part from the water surface. The main body of the hydraulic cylinder is fixed with the piston rod passed through the rod, and the tip of the piston rod is connected to the steering fitting provided on the outboard motor with a link. One example is one that absorbs the movement of In addition, other examples include one in which a tip end fitting fixed to a piston rod is swingably connected to a steering fitting, and the end of the cylinder body on the opposite rod side is swingably attached to the hull. . However, these steering mechanisms have a problem in that the cylinders protrude sideways from the outboard motor, resulting in a large width and a relatively large installation space.

[0003] Therefore, the applicant of the present invention has provided a steering mechanism having a configuration shown in FIG. 1, which can reduce the width required for installation (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 190090/1983). In this steering mechanism, cylinder support arms 54 are swingably attached to both ends of a support rod 53 that connects the main body of an outboard motor 59 to a mounting bracket 51 fixed to a hull 50 in a tiltable manner. A piston rod 55 is fixed so as to connect the main cylinder support arm 54. Further, a piston (not shown) is fixed to approximately the center of the piston rod 55, and the piston rod 5
A cylinder tube 56 having a piston chamber extending to both sides of the piston is provided so as to be able to slide on the piston in both left and right directions. The cylinder support arm 54 and the piston rod 55 are formed hollow, and the hydraulic oil is guided from the hydraulic hose 52 through the cylinder support arm 54 and the piston rod 55 into the piston chamber, thereby moving the cylinder tube 56 left and right. by cylinder tube 5
A steering metal fitting 58 connected to the 6th side is driven.

However, with this configuration, when the outboard motor 59 is tilted up, the cylinders 55 and 56 also rotate around the support rod 53, so it is necessary to provide a space for the cylinders 55 and 56 to operate when the outboard motor 59 is tilted up. There was a problem that it had to be done.

[0005] When two outboard motors are attached to a boat hull, the steering mechanism is often constructed by reusing parts for one outboard motor from the viewpoint of suppressing cost increases. For example, if the steering mechanism mentioned in the first example is configured as a two-unit specification, the piston rod is connected to the outboard motor connected to the steering bracket by a link, and the other outboard motor is separated by the operating space of the piston rod. The second outboard motor follows the operation of the first outboard motor by connecting the steering fittings of both outboard motors with a tie rod. However, with this configuration, the cylinder body is placed outside the outboard motor, and the outboard motors must be spaced apart by the space for the piston rod to move, which makes installation difficult. There was a problem that the width dimension became very large.

[0006] In order to reduce the installation space in the width direction, the length of the cylinder tube 56 is extended to accommodate the two-unit specification of the steering mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-190090. It is also possible to connect two outboard motors with links, but with that configuration, it would not be possible to tilt up just one outboard motor, for example, even if one of the outboard motors malfunctions while maneuvering the boat.
A problem arises in that the ship must continue to be operated in the same state. The problem of not being able to tilt up only one outboard motor also occurs with the tie rod connection type described above, except for steering mechanisms specifically designed for two outboard motors.

[0007] As described above, conventional steering mechanisms tend to require a relatively large installation space, and when using this configuration to create a two-engine specification, it is difficult to tilt up each outboard motor separately. There was a problem. Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a steering mechanism with a configuration that can reduce the installation space, and which tilts up each outboard motor separately when a single-engine configuration is used to create a two-engine configuration. The objective is to provide a steering mechanism that can

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems, Actions and Effects] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the outboard motor steering mechanism according to the present invention is constructed as follows. That is, the hydraulic cylinder is composed of a cylinder body and a piston rod that integrally holds a piston that can slide inside the cylinder body and whose ends protrude from both sides of the cylinder body. It is fixed to the hull approximately symmetrically with respect to the center of attachment of the aircraft to the hull. The piston rod also has a holding means that rotatably holds a fulcrum shaft located on an extension of the center of rotation of the outboard motor body when pulling the propeller section of the outboard motor above the water surface. There is. The steering fitting of the outboard motor and the fulcrum shaft are connected by a connecting means that is swingable in response to arc-shaped movement of the steering fitting during steering. Note that in this configuration, the cylinder body is fixed to the hull of the outboard motor, but in reality, the cylinder body is fixed to the hull of the outboard motor in order to maintain a certain dimensional relationship between the fulcrum shaft held by the piston rod holding means and the steering fitting. Preferably, it is fixed to the hull by fixing it to a mounting bracket.

In the above structure, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the hydraulic cylinder and the piston rod is reciprocated left and right, the steering fitting is driven left and right via the connecting means. Since the connecting means is swingably connected between the fulcrum shaft of the holding means of the piston rod and the steering fitting, the arcuate movement of the steering fitting when the outboard motor changes direction is caused by the connecting means. is absorbed by rocking. Further, when tilting up the outboard motor main body, the steering fitting and the fulcrum shaft rotate around the rotation center of the outboard motor, so the connecting means also rotates around the rotation center.

[0010] In this way, even when the outboard motor is tilted up, the cylinder itself does not rotate relative to the rotation center of the outboard motor, so the cylinder is not positioned forward of the rotation center of the outboard motor, but is positioned below it. can be placed in Furthermore, since the cylinders are arranged to the left and right with respect to the mounting center of the outboard motor, the cylinders do not protrude significantly to the left and right of the outboard motor. Therefore, the steering mechanism can be installed in an extremely small space.

[0011] Furthermore, this steering mechanism is configured as a two-unit specification in response to the case where a first outboard motor having a first steering fitting and a second outboard motor having a second steering fitting are attached to the hull. In this case, the fulcrum shaft is composed of a first fulcrum shaft located outside one of the outboard motors on an extension line of the rotation center, and a second fulcrum shaft located outside the other outboard motor on an extension line of the rotation center. The retaining means for the piston rod includes a first retaining means for retaining the first fulcrum shaft and a second retaining means for retaining the second fulcrum shaft, and the connecting means is configured to connect the first steering fitting to the piston. a first connection means that is swingably connected to the first holding means of the rod; and a second connection that is swingably connected between the second steering fitting and the second holding means of the piston rod. It may consist of means.

With this configuration, when tilting up the first and second outboard motors, the first connecting means and the second connecting means rotate separately around the first fulcrum shaft and the second fulcrum shaft. do. Therefore, it is possible to tilt up each outboard motor separately, and it is also possible to perform steering with only one side tilted up. In addition, since the fulcrum shaft is located outside the rotation center of the outboard motor, the outboard motors can be placed close to each other, so the cylinders can be distributed to the left and right with respect to the outboard motor's mounting center. Coupled with the fact that it is fixed to the hull, the installation space can be extremely small.

[0013]

[Example] Below, the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 will be described.
An outboard motor steering mechanism according to an embodiment will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this steering mechanism, FIG. 3 is a plan view, FIG. 4 is a side view, and FIG. 5 is a side view when tilted up.
FIG. 6 is a partially sectional front view. In this steering mechanism, by rotating the handle 2a of the hydraulic pump 2, the directions of the two outboard motors 1a and 1b are simultaneously changed. Therefore,
A hydraulic pump 2 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 4 via hydraulic piping 3a, 3b, and a piston rod 20 of the hydraulic cylinder 4 moves left and right by hydraulic oil pumped from the pump 2.
The steering fittings 3 of the outboard motors 1a, 1b are connected to the steering fittings 3 of the outboard motors 1a, 1b via the end fittings 5a, 5b fixed to both ends, the stays 6a, 6b as holding means, and the links 7a, 7b as connecting means.
It is connected to 0a and 30b.

A detailed configuration of the hydraulic cylinder 4 is shown in FIG. The cylinder 4 has cylinder covers 11, 13, 1
It is constructed as a double-acting, double-rod type, consisting of a cylinder body consisting of a cylinder body 5 and cylinder tubes 12 and 14, and a piston rod 20 to which a piston 19 is fixed by welding or the like. In this cylinder body, the cylinder tube 12
, 14 are formed on both ends of the cylinder cover 1.
It is screwed into female threads formed in cylinder covers 13, 15 and cylinder tube 12,
There is a lock nut 17, 1 for length adjustment on the threaded part of 14.
6 is provided. The cylinder covers 11 and 13 have
Elbow-type pipe joints 9 and 10 for connecting the above-mentioned hydraulic pipes 3a and 3b, respectively, and an air bleed valve 29a.
, 29b are attached. Further, seal rings are attached to the cylinder covers 11, 13, 15 and the piston 19 to prevent oil leakage.

Cylindrical mounting portions 1e and 1f are provided integrally with the outboard motors 1a and 1b, and mounting brackets 1c and 1d are formed separately from the outboard motors 1a and 1b, and screws are provided at both ends. Support rods 28a, 28b made of pipes are inserted, and nuts 26a, 26b and 2
By tightening 7a and 27b, the outboard motors 1a and 1b
The main body and mounting brackets 1c and 1d are rotatably connected. Furthermore, cylinder support arms 8a and 8b are integrally held on the nuts 26a and 26b sides of the mounting brackets 1c and 1d, respectively. Cylinder covers 11, 15 are attached to the cylinder support arms 8a, 8b using nuts 18a, 18b.

Stays 6a and 6b are fixed to both ends of the piston rod 20 via end fittings 5a and 5b. The end fittings 5a and 5b have upper and lower through-holes that are oriented 90 degrees apart in order to fix the piston rod 20 and the stays 6a and 6b, and are divided into two halves at the top and bottom of each through-hole. . Then, the piston rod 20 and stays 6a, 6b are inserted and bolts 21a, 21b and 22a, 22b are tightened to fix these. A support rod 28 is provided at the tip of the stays 6a and 6b.
Pins 24a, 2 located on the extension of the center line of a, 28b
4b (the center of the pins 24a, 24b is connected to the support rod 28a,
In order to ensure that the center of piston rod 28b aligns with the center of
0, cylinder bodies 11 to 15 are prevented from rotating by an appropriate method (not shown) are inserted into bushes 23a and 23b that can receive loads in both thrust and radial directions. nut 25a in condition
, 25b. One ends of the links 7a, 7b are fixed to the pins 24a, 24b. A rod end 7 is attached to the other ends of the links 7a and 7b.
e and 7f are fixed by lock nuts 7c and 7d so that their positions can be finely adjusted. The rod ends 7e, 7f have bushes 7g, 7h and steering fittings 30a, 3 thereon.
0b and washers 7i, 7j and bolts 7m, 7n
are connected to the steering fittings 30a, 30b by further tightening nuts 7k, 7l onto the bolts 7m, 7n. Since the links 7a and 7b can swing relative to the stays 6a and 6b and the steering fittings 30a and 30b, they can absorb the arcuate movement of the steering fittings 30a and 30b during steering.

The operation of this steering mechanism will be explained. When the handle 2a is turned in the X1 direction in FIG. 2, hydraulic oil is force-fed from the pipe 3a to the cylinder 4 through the elbow 9, and the piston rod 20 moves to the right in FIG. Therefore, the steering fittings 30a, 30b move to the right via the stays 6a, 6b and links 7a, 7b, and the outboard motors 1a,
The direction of 1b changes. Also, reverse the handle 2a to
When turned in this direction, hydraulic oil is sent from the elbow 10 into the cylinder 4, and the piston rod 20 moves to the left, so the outboard motors 1a and 1b move in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, in this configuration, when the outboard motors 1a and 1b are tilted up as shown in FIG. 5 in the maneuvering state shown in FIG. , but the pins 24a, 2
4b is provided concentrically with the support rods 28a, 28b as described above, so even if the outboard motors 1a, 1b rotate, the pins 24a, 24b rotate, and the links 7a, 7b rotate around them. , and the cylinder 4 does not change its position. Therefore, since there is no need to provide a space for the cylinder 4 to operate, the installation space can be reduced by arranging the cylinder 4 below the support rods 28a, 28b as in this embodiment. Furthermore, in this configuration, the cylinders 4 are arranged to the left and right with respect to the center of the outboard motors 1a, 1b, and the links 7a, 7b are connected to both ends of the piston rod 20, so that
It becomes possible to reduce the distance between them, and as a result, the installation space can also be reduced in the horizontal direction. Further, the stays 6a, 6b and links 7a, 7b are connected to each outboard motor 1a, 1b.
Since the outboard motors 1a, 1b can be tilted up separately.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7 will be described. This embodiment has almost the same configuration as the first embodiment, but only one outboard motor is driven, and parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. ing. The cylinder 4' has a cylinder cover 11,
15', a cylinder body consisting of a cylinder tube 12', and a piston rod 20' to which a piston (not shown) is fixed, and is shorter than the cylinder of the first embodiment. A tip fitting 5b is fixed to only one end of the piston rod 20', and a stay 6b and a link 7b are fixed to the piston rod 20'.
and is connected to the steering fitting 30b via the rod end 7f. Further, the cylinder 4' has arms 8a and 8b.
is fixed to the mounting bracket 1c. In this way, in this embodiment, the connection structure for the right outboard motor of the two outboard motors described in the first embodiment is applied as is. Also in this configuration, the handle 2 of the hydraulic pump 2
By turning a, the direction of the outboard motor 1b can be changed to the left or right.

[0021] In this embodiment as well, the installation space can be made extremely small by arranging the cylinders so as to be almost divided to the left and right with respect to the center of the outboard motor, and by not allowing the cylinders to move around the support rod. .

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be implemented in various other ways. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the cylinders 4, 4
' by the arms 8a, 8b to the mounting brackets 1c, 1
Although the cylinders 4 and 4' are fixed to the mounting brackets 1c and 1d, the cylinders 4 and 4' are not necessarily fixed to the mounting brackets 1c and 1d. Pins 24a, 2 which are shafts
4b may be directly fixed to the hull as long as it is located on an extension of the rotation center of the outboard motors 1a, 1b.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional outboard motor steering mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outboard motor steering mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the steering mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the steering mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the steering mechanism when it is tilted up.

FIG. 6 is a partially sectional front view of the steering mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a steering mechanism according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a, 1b outboard motor
2 Hydraulic pump 3a, 3b piping
4 Cylinder 5a, 5b tip fitting
6a, 6b Stay (holding means) 7a, 7b Link (connection means)
8a, 8b Arms 9, 10 Elbow type pipe fittings
11, 13, 15 Cylinder cover 12, 14 Cylinder tube
19 Piston 20 Piston rod
24a, 24b pin (fulcrum shaft) 28a, 28b support rod
29a, 29b Air vent valve 30a, 30b Steering metal fittings

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A piston rod (20, 20') of a hydraulic cylinder (4, 4') is connected to a steering fitting (30a, 30b) of an outboard motor (1a, 1b), and the piston rod (20, The outboard motors (1a, 1
b) In the outboard motor steering mechanism configured to change the direction of A piston rod (15, 12', 15') that integrally holds a slidable piston (19) and whose ends protrude from both sides of the cylinder body (11-15, 12', 15') 20, 20'),
The above cylinder body (11 to 15, 12', 15') is
The piston rods (20,
20') is the rotation center (28a, 28a, 28') of the outboard motor body when pulling the propeller section of the outboard motor (1a, 1b) above the water surface.
The fulcrum shaft (24a, 24b) located on the extension line of 8b)
Holding means (6a, 6
b), and has a steering fitting (
30a, 30b) and the fulcrum shaft (24a, 24b) are connected to a connecting means (7a, 7b) that can swing in response to the arcuate movement of the steering fitting (30a, 30b) during steering.
) A steering mechanism for an outboard motor. 2. The outboard motors (1a, 1b) include a first outboard motor (1a) having a first steering fitting (30a) and a second outboard motor having a second steering fitting (30b). (1b)
is attached to the hull, and the fulcrum shaft (24a, 2
4b) is a first fulcrum shaft (24a) located on an extension line of the rotation center (28a, 28b) on the outside of one of the first and second outboard motors (1a, 1b), and and a second fulcrum shaft (24b) located on an extension line of the rotation center (28a, 28b), and the piston rod (24b)
The holding means (6a, 6b) of the first fulcrum shaft (2)
4a), and a second holding means (6b) that holds the second fulcrum shaft (24b), and the connecting means (7a, 7b) A first member swingably connected between the steering fitting (30a) and the first holding means (6a) of the piston rod (20).
a connecting means (7a); and a second connecting means (7b) pivotally connected between the second steering fitting (30b) and the second holding means (6b) of the piston rod (20). The steering mechanism for an outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that the steering mechanism is configured as follows.