A clamping system for use with an electric outboard motor

Abstract

The application discloses a clamping system for an electric outboard motor and relates to the technical field of electric outboard motors. The clamping system comprises a left bracket, a right bracket, a left hook shifting block and a right hook shifting block. A plurality of bracket fixing shafts are arranged between the left bracket and the right bracket. A rotating bracket is further arranged rotatably between the left bracket and the right bracket. A rotating shaft is arranged in the rotating bracket. A screw handle assembly is arranged on each of the left bracket and the right bracket. A guide shaft is arranged between the left hook shifting block and the right hook shifting block. A lifting reset mechanism is arranged in the rotating bracket. The automatic driving of the rotating rocker arm assembly along the guide groove and the reset spring can be achieved by short pressing of the operator, so that the falling adjustment and automatic positioning can be completed. When the lifting is performed, the pressing is not needed, and the automatic positioning along the sliding groove is realized. One hand is not needed to hold the outboard motor and the other hand is not needed to aim at the pin hole, so that the operation difficulty and the physical consumption are obviously reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric outboard motor technology, specifically a clamping system used in electric outboard motors. Background Technology

[0002] An outboard motor is a small marine propulsion device suspended and mounted over the stern of a ship, forming a detachable fixed connection with the stern plate via a clamping mechanism. In actual navigation, the ship needs to adjust the entry angle of the propeller into the water according to water depth, speed, and berthing requirements. Therefore, the outboard motor clamping system usually also needs to integrate a lift angle adjustment function, so that the propeller can switch between multiple preset angles or be completely lifted out of the water.

[0003] Some traditional clamping systems lack overload protection when fully locked. When the underwater propeller collides with reefs, tree stumps, or hard objects in shallow water, the impact load is directly transmitted through the fuselage to the stern plate and transmission system. This can cause minor issues like propeller deformation and gearbox gear breakage, or even severe damage such as bending of the motor output shaft or cracking of the stern plate. A few products with overload protection use a one-time shear pin structure. When the impact torque exceeds a set value, the shear pin breaks, and the propeller flips upward to release the impact energy. However, this solution has two inherent drawbacks: first, the shear pin is a one-time destructive component; after triggering, the vessel must stop and a new pin must be replaced to restore normal operation, making operation extremely difficult when hitting reefs far from the shore; second, the shearing threshold of the shear pin is determined by material strength and cross-sectional dimensions, making it difficult to precisely match the protection requirements under different operating conditions. If the threshold is too high, it provides no protection; if the threshold is too low, it may be falsely triggered by hydrodynamic impact during normal high-speed navigation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a clamping system for use in electric outboard motors to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a clamping system for an electric outboard motor, comprising a left bracket, a right bracket, a left hook stop, and a right hook stop, characterized in that: multiple bracket fixing shafts are provided between the left and right brackets; a support fixing mechanism is provided at the bottom of the left and right brackets; a rotating bracket is rotatably provided between the left and right brackets; a rotating shaft is provided inside the rotating bracket; a tightening handle assembly is provided on both the left and right brackets; a guide shaft is provided between the left hook stop and the right hook stop; a tilting and resetting mechanism is provided inside the rotating bracket; the tilting and resetting mechanism includes a reset spring, a limiting plate, a locking arm shaft, and a rotating rocker arm assembly; the rotating rocker arm assembly is movably disposed within multiple tilting guide grooves provided along the inner sides of the left and right brackets.

[0006] Preferably, the support and fixing mechanism includes bracket fixing shaft A, bracket fixing shaft B and bracket fixing shaft C. The three bracket fixing shafts pass through the corresponding mounting holes on the left bracket and the right bracket respectively and are fixed at both ends by locking nuts. The rotating bracket is hinged to the left bracket and the right bracket through bracket fixing shaft A.

[0007] Preferably, a bushing D is provided between the fixed shaft A and the mounting holes of the left bracket and the right bracket, and the bushing D is made of wear-resistant engineering plastic.

[0008] Preferably, the rotating shaft is installed in the rotating bracket via bushing B, and a locking ring and a shaft retaining ring are sequentially provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft to limit the axial displacement of the rotating shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the rotating bracket is provided with a damping adjustment mechanism, which includes at least one hexagonal set screw that is screwed into a threaded hole in the side wall of the rotating bracket.

[0010] Preferably, the left hook stop and the right hook stop are fixedly connected by a guide shaft and move up and down synchronously. The rotating bracket is provided with an elastic positioning bead, which cooperates with a preset positioning groove on the left hook stop to keep the left hook stop in the locked position and the unlocked position respectively. The sliding mating surfaces between the left hook stop, the right hook stop and the rotating bracket are provided with bushings C.

[0011] Preferably, the reset spring is sleeved on the outside of the locking arm shaft, one end of the spring is fixedly connected to the limiting plate, and the other end of the spring is on the preset protrusion on the inner wall of the bracket. The limiting plate is linked to the rotating rocker arm assembly. When the rotating rocker arm assembly moves to the preset limiting groove entrance position, the spring drives the limiting plate to rotate, so that the rotating rocker arm assembly automatically engages into the corresponding limiting groove.

[0012] Preferably, the tilting guide grooves provided on the inner sides of the left bracket and the right bracket each include an arc-shaped guide section and multiple stepped limiting grooves, each limiting groove corresponding to a different tilting angle setting of the electric outboard motor.

[0013] Preferably, the support and fixing mechanism further includes a limiting pin and a spring ring, wherein the pin passes through the limiting mounting holes corresponding to the left bracket and the right bracket.

[0014] Preferably, the tightening handle assembly includes a tightening handle, a screw, and a clamping disc, wherein the screw forms a helical engagement with the threaded holes on the left and right brackets.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The clamping system used in this electric outboard motor automatically drives the rotating rocker arm assembly to slide along the guide groove in conjunction with the return spring. The operator only needs to press briefly to complete the lowering adjustment and automatic positioning. When tilting up, no pressing is required, and it can be automatically positioned along the slide groove. Furthermore, there is no need to hold the outboard motor with one hand and align the pin hole with the other, which significantly reduces the difficulty of operation and physical exertion.

[0016] 2. The clamping system used in this electric outboard motor employs stepped limit grooves for independent mechanical limiting of each gear position, rather than relying on friction or simple buckles. It will not disengage itself under propeller vibration and wave impact, greatly improving positioning reliability. By using the preload of the reset spring as the trigger threshold for striking a reef, the outboard motor automatically resets itself after the impact is released, without the need to replace any parts. This overcomes the shortcomings of traditional shear pins, which are disposable and inconvenient to replace, and improves emergency protection capabilities and equipment utilization efficiency.

[0017] 3. The clamping system used in this electric outboard motor has a detachable connection structure between the limiting pin and the spring ring, which allows the clamping system to be quickly separated and assembled from the outboard motor body, reducing transportation volume and lowering maintenance and storage costs.

[0018] 4. The clamping system used in this electric outboard motor allows the operator to adjust the frictional damping between the rotating shaft and the rotating bracket by adjusting the set screw with an internal hexagonal flat end. This enables the operator to flexibly adjust the directional stability according to the speed, load and personal operating habits, thus improving the operating comfort under different working conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reset spring of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating rocker arm assembly of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Rotating shaft; 2. Left bracket; 3. Right bracket; 4. Left hook stop; 5. Right hook stop; 6. Tightening handle assembly; 7. Hex socket set screw; 10. Nylon lock nut A; 12. Return spring; 13. Limiting plate; 14. Clamping arm shaft; 15. Rotating rocker arm assembly; 16. Nylon lock nut B; 17. Bushing D; 18. Bracket fixing shaft A; 19. Bushing B; 20. Rotating bracket; 21. Shock absorber; 22. Bushing C; 25. Spring ring; 26. Locking ring; 27. Shaft retaining ring; 28. Guide shaft; 29. ​​Limiting pin; 30. Bracket fixing shaft C; 31. Bracket fixing shaft B; 32. Elastic positioning ball. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this embodiment is a clamping system for an electric outboard motor. The clamping system is integrally installed on the upper edge of the stern plate and is used to suspend and fix the electric outboard motor. It also provides multi-level tilting angle adjustment and automatic anti-reef protection. The left bracket 2 and right bracket 3 are the main load-bearing components on both sides of the clamping system, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the stern plate. Three fixing shafts—A18, B31, and C30—are arranged in parallel and pass through the pre-set first, second, and third mounting holes on the left bracket 2 and right bracket 3, respectively. Specifically, the path of the fixing shaft A18 is: first mounting hole of the left bracket 2, left bushing D17, corresponding hinge hole of the rotating bracket 20, right bushing D17, and first mounting hole of the right bracket 3, with both ends locked with nylon lock nuts B16. Bushing D17 is fitted between the outer wall of bracket fixing shaft A18 and the mounting holes of left bracket 2 and right bracket 3. It is made of oil-impregnated self-lubricating copper-based composite material, effectively reducing rotational friction resistance and preventing wear between metal parts. Bracket fixing shafts B31 and C30 pass through the second and third mounting holes of left bracket 2 and right bracket 3, respectively, and are secured at both ends with nylon lock nuts A10. The axes of the three bracket fixing shafts form a stable triangular load-bearing frame in space, providing high-rigidity support for the entire clamping system and effectively withstanding the thrust reaction force, steering torque, and wave impact loads generated during outboard motor propulsion.

[0024] Specifically, the rotating bracket 20 is positioned between the left bracket 2 and the right bracket 3. Its lower hinge hole, with the bracket fixing shaft A18 as its pivot, allows for vertical oscillation within a limited angle range around this axis. The rotating shaft 1 is vertically rotatably mounted within the central through-hole of the rotating bracket 20 via a bushing B19. The bushing B19, made of wear-resistant engineering plastic, is positioned between the rotating shaft 1 and the through-hole of the rotating bracket 20, ensuring both flexible circumferential rotation of the rotating shaft 1 and preventing direct friction that could cause noise and wear.

[0025] Furthermore, the upper end of the rotating shaft 1 is machined with a mounting flange surface, which is connected to the mounting base of the electric outboard motor by bolts; the lower end of the rotating shaft 1 extends from the bottom of the rotating bracket 20 and is sequentially fitted with a locking ring 26 and a shaft retaining ring 27. The locking ring 26 is tightly attached to the lower end face of the rotating bracket 20, and the shaft retaining ring 27 is engaged in the retaining ring groove at the lower end of the rotating shaft 1. Together, they restrict the upward axial displacement of the rotating shaft 1 relative to the rotating bracket 20, ensuring that it will not come out during operation.

[0026] Furthermore, the locking ring 26 is tightly fitted against the lower end face of the rotating bracket 20, and the shaft retaining ring 27 is engaged in the retaining ring groove at the lower end of the rotating shaft 1. Together, they restrict the upward axial displacement of the rotating shaft 1 relative to the rotating bracket 20, ensuring that it will not come out during operation. Two threaded holes are machined on the inner side of the rotating bracket 20, into which hexagonal set screws 7 are screwed. Positioning bolts 23 respectively fix the left and right hook stops. The flat ends of the two set screws 7 radially press against the outer circular surfaces of the upper and lower sides of the rotating shaft 1. By tightening or loosening the set screws 7 with an hexagonal wrench, the contact pressure between the flat ends and the rotating shaft 1 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the frictional damping during the rotation of the rotating shaft 1. Tightening clockwise increases the contact pressure and rotational resistance, which is beneficial for directional stability during high-speed navigation; tightening counterclockwise decreases the contact pressure and rotational resistance, facilitating maneuverability during low-speed berthing or in narrow waters.

[0027] Furthermore, there are two sets of tightening handle assemblies 6, respectively installed on the rear sides of the left bracket 2 and the right bracket 3. Each set of tightening handle assembly 6 consists of a tightening handle, a drive screw, and a clamping disc. The drive screw passes through a threaded hole on the bracket, and its front end is universally hinged to the clamping disc. When the operator rotates the handle, the drive screw drives the clamping disc forward, pressing it against the inner side of the stern plate. The self-locking force of the threads firmly presses the entire clamping system onto the stern plate.

[0028] Furthermore, the left hook stop 4 and the right hook stop 5 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the rotating bracket 20, and are fixedly connected as a whole by the guide shaft 28. Vertical guide grooves are opened on both side walls of the rotating bracket 20, and the left hook stop 4 and the right hook stop 5 can slide synchronously up and down along the guide grooves. An elastic positioning ball 32 is installed inside the rotating bracket 20. The steel ball of the elastic positioning ball 32 can be inserted into the upper positioning groove and the lower positioning groove on the back of the left hook stop 4 respectively under the thrust of the internal spring. When the left hook stop 4 slides down to the lower positioning groove, the hook-shaped lower end of the left and right hook stops is locked onto the front boss of the rotating bracket 20, and the rotating bracket 20 is locked and cannot be flipped upward, and the outboard motor maintains the lowest working angle. When the left hook stop 4 slides up to the upper positioning groove, the hook stop disengages from the boss of the rotating bracket 20, and the rotating bracket 20 regains the freedom to flip upward around the bracket fixed axis A18. Both the left hook stop 4 and the right hook stop 5 have bushings C22 on their sliding mating surfaces with the rotating bracket 20 to reduce sliding friction and clearance wobble. The lifting and resetting mechanism, installed inside the rotating bracket 20, is one of the core mechanisms that distinguishes this invention from existing technologies. This mechanism consists of a reset spring 12, a limiting plate 13, a locking arm shaft 14, and a rotating rocker arm assembly 15. The locking arm shaft 14 is fixed at both ends to mounting seats on the inner wall of the rotating bracket 20. The reset spring 12, a stainless steel torsion spring, is sleeved on the locking arm shaft 14. One end of the reset spring 12 is inserted into a slot on the side of the limiting plate 13, and the other end abuts against a pre-set spring stop protrusion on the inner wall of the rotating bracket 20. One end of the limiting plate 13 is hinged to the middle section of the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 through a hinge hole. The rotational movement of the limiting plate 13 can drive the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 to swing synchronously around the axis of the locking arm shaft 14. The rotating rocker arm assembly 15 has a U-shaped long arm structure. Its two protruding ends pass through the long strip-shaped clearance holes on both sides of the rotating bracket 20 and extend into the lifting guide grooves machined on the inner side of the left bracket 2 and the right bracket 3.

[0029] Furthermore, both the left bracket 2 and the right bracket 3 have lifting guide grooves machined on their inner sidewalls, forming a mirror-symmetrical structure. Each set of lifting guide grooves consists of an arc-shaped guide section and multiple stepped, downwardly recessed limiting grooves. In this embodiment, a three-level limiting groove is used as an example, consisting of the lowest level limiting groove, the middle level limiting groove, and the highest level limiting groove from bottom to top, corresponding to the three working states of the outboard motor propeller: fully submerged, partially submerged, and completely raised off the water surface, respectively.

[0030] The method of use in this embodiment is as follows: When using this clamping system, firstly, clamp and fix the left bracket 2 and right bracket 3 to the stern plate by tightening the handle assembly 6, and connect the electric outboard motor to the rotating shaft 1 to complete the installation; during normal navigation, move the left hook stop 4 and right hook stop 5 downward to the locked position. At this time, the elastic positioning bead 32 is engaged in the lower positioning groove, and the hook-shaped lower end of the hook stop is engaged with the front boss of the rotating bracket 20, and the rotating bracket 20 is reliably locked at the lowest working angle; when it is necessary to adjust the tilting angle, or when navigating to unfamiliar waters, the left hook stop 4 and right hook stop 5 can be moved upward to the unlocked position. The elastic positioning bead 32 is engaged in the upper positioning groove, the hook stop is disengaged from the boss of the rotating bracket 20, and the rotating bracket 20 regains its upward tilting freedom. No pressing is required. When lifting the whole machine, the rotating bracket 20 rotates upward around the bracket fixing shaft A18, and the two ends of the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 slide along the tilting guide groove. The rotating rocker arm assembly 15 rotates around the bracket fixing shaft A18. (18) The axis rotates automatically. When it rotates to the entrance of the target gear limit groove, the reset spring 12 drives the limit plate 13 to rotate and drives the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 to automatically engage in the limit groove to complete the gear positioning. If it is necessary to restore the lowest working angle, the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 is continuously pressed in the unlocked state. The rotating bracket 20 falls down under the action of the outboard motor's own weight. The rotating rocker arm assembly 15 automatically slides back to the lowest gear limit groove along the guide groove to complete the reset. When the lowest working gear is in the unlocked state and the hook shift is in the unlocked state, if the underwater thruster hits a reef or other obstacle and is subjected to an upward impact torque exceeding the preset threshold, the rotating rocker arm assembly 15 disengages from the lowest gear limit groove. The rotating bracket 20 automatically flips upward to lift the thruster away from the obstacle to release the impact energy. After the obstacle is removed, the rotating bracket 20 automatically falls back to the lowest gear limit groove under the combined action of the outboard motor's own weight and the reset spring 12 to restore the normal working position. The whole process can be reused without replacing any parts.

[0031] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A clamping system for an electric outboard motor, comprising a left bracket (2), a right bracket (3), a left hook stop (4), and a right hook stop (5), characterized in that: Multiple bracket fixing shafts are provided between the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3). Support fixing mechanisms are provided at the bottom of the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3). A rotating bracket (20) is also rotatably provided between the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3). A rotating shaft (1) is provided inside the rotating bracket (20). A tightening handle assembly (6) is provided on both the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3). A guide shaft (28) is provided between the left hook stop (4) and the right hook stop (5). A lifting and resetting mechanism is provided inside the rotating bracket (20). The lifting and resetting mechanism includes a resetting spring (12), a limiting plate (13), a clamping arm shaft (14), and a rotating rocker arm assembly (15). The rotating rocker arm assembly (15) is movably disposed in multiple lifting guide grooves provided along the inner side of the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3).

2. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support and fixing mechanism includes bracket fixing shaft A (18), bracket fixing shaft B (31) and bracket fixing shaft C (30). The three bracket fixing shafts pass through the corresponding mounting holes on the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3) respectively and are fixed at both ends by locking nuts. The rotating bracket (20) is hinged to the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3) through bracket fixing shaft A (18).

3. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bushing D (17) is provided between the bracket fixing shaft A (18) and the mounting holes of the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3). The bushing D (17) is made of wear-resistant engineering plastic.

4. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft (1) is installed in the rotating bracket (20) through bushing B (19). The lower end of the rotating shaft (1) is provided with a locking ring (26) and a shaft retaining ring (27) to limit the axial displacement of the rotating shaft (1).

5. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating bracket (20) is provided with a damping adjustment mechanism, which includes at least one hexagonal flat-end set screw (7) that is screwed into a threaded hole in the side wall of the rotating bracket (20).

6. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left hook stop (4) and the right hook stop (5) are fixedly connected by a guide shaft (28) and move up and down synchronously. The rotating bracket (20) is provided with an elastic positioning bead (32). The elastic positioning bead (32) cooperates with the positioning groove on the left hook stop (4) so ​​that the left hook stop (4) is kept in the locked position and the unlocked position respectively. The sliding mating surfaces between the left hook stop (4) and the right hook stop (5) and the rotating bracket (20) are provided with bushings C (22).

7. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reset spring (12) is sleeved on the outside of the clamping arm shaft (14). One end of the spring is fixedly connected to the limiting plate (13). The other end of the spring is on the preset protrusion on the inner wall of the bracket. The limiting plate (13) is linked to the rotating rocker arm assembly (15). When the rotating rocker arm assembly (15) moves to the preset limiting groove entrance position, the spring drives the limiting plate (13) to rotate, so that the rotating rocker arm assembly (15) automatically engages in the corresponding limiting groove.

8. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting guide grooves provided on the inner sides of the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3) each include an arc-shaped guide section and multiple stepped limiting grooves, each limiting groove corresponding to a different electric outboard motor lifting angle position.

9. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support and fixing mechanism also includes a limiting pin (29) and a spring ring (25), wherein the pin passes through the limiting mounting holes corresponding to the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3).

10. The clamping system used in the electric outboard motor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tightening handle assembly (6) includes a tightening handle, a screw and a clamping plate, wherein the screw is helically engaged with the threaded holes on the left bracket (2) and the right bracket (3).

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