Outboard engine steering gear adjustment assembly

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of steering gear position adjusting assembly, including gear position adjusting plate, rotary adjusting part, friction ring, gear position adjusting plate vertical sliding is arranged, rotary adjusting part is rotatably inserted and is connected, and friction ring is fixedly sleeved and is arranged on the insertion end of rotary adjusting part, and the outer circumferential surface of friction ring for increasing contact friction is also with the board surface of gear position adjusting plate for increasing contact friction and abutting contact, rotary adjusting part rotates to drive gear position adjusting plate vertical sliding by friction ring, and then adjust the steering gear position of outboard motor.The utility model discloses a kind of steering gear position adjusting assembly of outboard motor, using screwing type gear position adjusting structure, so that driver can observe and adjust the steering gear position of outboard motor without sticking out body, and will not appear because of excessive force and lead to skip gear position, to improve operation experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of outboard motor steering control technology, and in particular to a steering gear adjustment component. Background Technology

[0002] Lightweight outboard motors have multiple steering modes, and generally, the maximum permissible turning angle varies depending on the mode. For example, during normal operation, the outboard motor's steering is adjusted to the sailing mode, at which point the steering range is limited to ±75°. The operator (captain) can then easily control the outboard motor's steering without the outboard motor turning more than 90°, which could lead to the boat reversing or even capsizing.

[0003] In addition, in certain special scenarios such as competitive events, professional operators (professional captains) can adjust the steering of the outboard motor to the free position. At this time, the outboard motor can rotate freely 360° to meet the various extreme operation needs of professional operators and facilitate maintenance personnel to inspect the outboard motor, replace battery components, etc.

[0004] In addition, the steering gears of outboard motors also include transfer gears and storage gears.

[0005] The existing technology for adjusting the steering gear of an outboard motor is a paddle-type gear adjustment structure, in which the operator manually moves the paddle to slide it vertically to different positions, thereby creating different limiting effects on the steering of the outboard motor, thus giving the outboard motor multiple adjustable steering gears.

[0006] However, when adjusting the steering gear of the outboard motor using a paddle shifter, the following drawbacks still exist:

[0007] 1. The gear shift paddle is usually located on the back of the outboard motor structure, which is not directly visible to the driver. When the driver uses the gear shift paddle to adjust the steering gear of the outboard motor, he / she needs to lean out of his / her body to observe the position of the paddle and then adjust the steering gear. This operation is not very convenient and poses a safety risk.

[0008] 2. During gear shifting, if the driver applies too much force, the paddle shifters may skip the middle gear and switch between the high and low gears, resulting in a poor user experience. Utility Model Content

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical deficiencies in the existing technology, this utility model provides an outboard motor steering gear adjustment component. It adopts a rotary gear adjustment structure, allowing the operator to observe and adjust the outboard motor steering gear without having to lean out of their body, and preventing gear skipping due to excessive force, thereby improving the operating experience.

[0010] The technical solution of this utility model to solve the above problems is: to provide an outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly, including a gear adjustment plate, a rotary adjustment component, and a friction ring. The gear adjustment plate is vertically slidable, the rotary adjustment component is rotatably inserted, and the friction ring is fixedly sleeved on the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component. The outer circumferential surface of the friction ring, which increases the contact friction, is in close contact with the plate surface of the gear adjustment plate, which also increases the contact friction. The rotary adjustment component rotates to drive the gear adjustment plate to slide vertically through the friction ring, thereby adjusting the steering gear of the outboard motor.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a steering shaft and a housing, the steering shaft being rotatably inserted into the housing, the outboard motor being rotatably connected to the steering shaft, the gear shifting plate being vertically slidably installed inside the housing, and the rotary adjustment component being rotatably inserted into the housing.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a steering bracket, which is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the steering shaft. The outboard motor is fixedly mounted on the steering bracket so as to rotate synchronously with the steering shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, a steering limit ring is fixedly sleeved on the steering shaft. The steering limit ring has a first gear limit area, a second gear limit area, and a third gear limit area opened in sequence. The gear adjustment plate has a limit end. The gear adjustment plate slides so that the limit end is inserted into the first gear limit area, or into the second gear limit area, or into the third gear limit area, or not inserted into any gear limit area, so as to form four steering adjustment gears.

[0014] Furthermore, both the first and third gear limiting areas are designed with notches that just accommodate the limiting end, and the second gear limiting area is designed with a notch that can accommodate and allow the limiting end to move within it; the first and second gear limiting areas are vertically connected, the notch of the second gear limiting area is set downwards, and the first and third gear limiting areas are set 180° apart along the circumferential direction.

[0015] Furthermore, when the limit end is inserted into the second gear limit area, the maximum allowable rotation angle of the steering shaft is ±75°.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes an adjustment mounting plate, which is installed inside the housing. The adjustment mounting plate has a sliding limiting groove for the insertion of the limiting end. The sliding limiting groove, through the limiting end, restricts the gear adjustment plate to slide only vertically and limits the sliding stroke of the gear adjustment plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the mounting plate is fitted with ball bolts, the ball head of which faces the gear adjustment plate. The gear adjustment plate is provided with at least two sets of spherical grooves at equal intervals in the vertical direction. Both sets of spherical grooves are used to cooperate with the ball bolts to prevent the gear adjustment plate from sliding downward.

[0018] Furthermore, the outer end of the rotary adjustment component is provided with a screw-holding end for easy screwing.

[0019] Furthermore, a rotation limiting groove is axially provided on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component, and a corresponding rotation limiting strip is provided on the inner wall of the friction ring. The friction ring rotates synchronously with the rotary adjustment component by embedding the rotation limiting strip into the rotation limiting groove.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0021] 1. By using frictional resistance, a rotating adjusting component is used to drive the gear adjusting plate to slide vertically, thereby adjusting the steering gear of the outboard motor.

[0022] 2. The use of a rotary adjustment method can effectively avoid the phenomenon of sudden gear shifting due to excessive force, thus improving the user experience.

[0023] 3. The surface of the adjustment mounting plate is provided with ball bolts. When the gear adjustment plate is pressed onto the adjustment mounting plate by the rotating adjustment component, since the gear adjustment plate first contacts the ball head end of the ball bolt, there is actually not much frictional resistance between the gear adjustment plate and the rotating adjustment plate (usually only the ball head end contacts, and the contact area between the two is very small, so the friction is small). Therefore, this utility model can use frictional resistance to drive the gear adjustment plate to slide vertically through the rotating adjustment component to achieve gear adjustment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to denote similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. Other drawings will be readily available to those skilled in the art based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly in this embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an overall structural diagram of the outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly in this embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly in this embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the steering limit ring in this embodiment;

[0029] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the rotating adjustment component in this embodiment.

[0030] Relevant annotations in the image:

[0031] 11- Gear adjustment plate, 12- Rotary adjustment component, 121- Tightening grip end, 122- Rotation limit groove, 13- Friction ring, 131- Rotation limit strip, 14- Steering shaft, 15- Housing, 16- Steering bracket, 17- Steering limit ring, 171- First gear limit area, 172- Second gear limit area, 173- Third gear limit area, 18- Adjustment mounting plate, 181- Sliding limit groove, 182- Ball bolt. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description. They 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of those features. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] The following is based on Figures 1-5 The heating box of this utility model embodiment is described below.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the figure, a specific embodiment of the present invention provides an outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly, including a steering shaft 14, a housing 15, a gear adjustment plate 11, and a rotary adjustment component 12. The steering shaft 14 is vertically rotatably inserted into the housing 15, and the outboard motor is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the steering shaft 14. The gear adjustment plate 11 is vertically slidably installed inside the housing 15, and the rotary adjustment component 12 is horizontally rotatably inserted into the housing 15. The insertion end of the rotary adjustment component 12 into the housing 15 abuts against the gear adjustment plate 11.

[0037] In this way, the driver can manually turn the rotating adjustment component 12 to convert the rotation of the rotating adjustment component 12 into the vertical sliding displacement of the gear adjustment plate 11 by means of frictional resistance, so that the gear adjustment plate 11 slides vertically to different height positions, thereby producing different steering limit effects on the steering shaft 14, thus forming steering gear adjustment.

[0038] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 , refer to Figure 1 As shown, the housing 15 includes a main housing portion for rotatably inserting the steering shaft 14 and a sub-housing portion for mounting the gear shift adjustment plate 11 and the rotary adjustment component 12. The sub-housing portion is spliced ​​to the upper right side of the main housing portion. The inner side of the sub-housing portion has a receiving cavity. The gear shift adjustment plate 11 is vertically slidably disposed in the receiving cavity. The rotary adjustment component 12 is horizontally inserted into the sub-housing portion. A friction ring 13 is sleeved on the rotary adjustment component 12. The outer circumferential surface of the friction ring 13 is a rough friction surface for increasing contact friction. The right side surface of the gear shift adjustment plate 11 is also a rough friction surface for increasing contact friction. When the rotary adjustment component 12 is rotatably inserted into the sub-housing portion, the outer circumferential surface of the friction ring 13 on it is in close contact with the right side surface of the gear shift adjustment plate 11, so that the driver can rotate the rotary adjustment component 12 to drive the gear shift adjustment plate 11 to slide vertically in the receiving cavity to slide vertically to different height positions.

[0039] For further details, please refer to Figure 2 , refer to Figure 2 As shown in the orientation, in some embodiments of this utility model, a steering bracket 16 is fixedly installed on the upper end of the steering shaft 14. The steering bracket 16 can rotate synchronously with the steering shaft 14. The outboard motor can be fixedly installed on the steering bracket 16 to rotate synchronously with the steering shaft 14.

[0040] For further details, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 , refer to Figure 3As shown in the orientation, in some embodiments of this utility model, an adjustment mounting plate 18 is also installed in the receiving cavity of the shell part. The upper and lower ends of the adjustment mounting plate 18 are fixedly connected to the shell part. The adjustment mounting plate 18 is located on the left side of the gear adjustment plate 11, and the rotating adjustment member 12 is located on the right side of the gear adjustment plate 11. The adjustment mounting plate 18 limits the gear adjustment plate 11 on the left side to ensure that the rotating adjustment member 12 can abut against the gear adjustment plate 11.

[0041] Additionally, a sliding limiting groove 181 is vertically provided in the middle of the adjusting mounting plate 18, and a limiting end is provided on the gear adjusting plate 11 extending to the left. The limiting end of the gear adjusting plate 11 passes through the sliding limiting groove 181 and extends to the steering shaft 14. The sliding limiting groove 181 can be used to... Figure 3 The front and rear directions of the plate restrict the limiting end, thereby further limiting the position adjustment plate 11 to ensure that the position adjustment plate 11 can be stably adjusted and slid vertically.

[0042] Further, please refer to Figure 1 , refer to Figure 1 As shown in the orientation, in some embodiments of this utility model, a ball bolt 182 is embedded on each side of the sliding limiting groove 181 in the central area of ​​the adjusting mounting plate 18. The ball ends of the two ball bolts 182 are both set to the right. The gear adjusting plate 11 can be limited to the left side by contacting the ball ends of the two ball bolts 182, so that the contact friction between the gear adjusting plate 11 and the adjusting mounting plate 18 is close to zero, so that the rotating adjusting member 12 can rotate to drive the gear adjusting member to slide vertically.

[0043] Further, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of this utility model, a steering limiting ring 17 is fixedly sleeved on the steering shaft 14. The steering limiting ring 17 is provided with a first gear limiting area 171, a second gear limiting area 172, and a third gear limiting area 173 in sequence. The gear adjusting plate 11 has a limiting end. The adjusting member slides to allow the limiting end to be inserted into the first gear limiting area 171, or into the second gear limiting area 172, or into the third gear limiting area 173, or not inserted into any gear limiting area, so as to form four steering gears.

[0044] For details, please refer to Figure 4 , refer to Figure 4As shown, the first gear limiting area 171 is located on the upper right side of the steering limiting ring 17. The first gear limiting area 171 is a notch with a width exactly equal to the width of the limiting end of the gear adjusting plate 11 and a downward notch. The first gear limiting area 171 communicates with the second gear limiting area 172 through the notch. The second gear limiting area 172 is located below the first gear limiting area 171. The second gear limiting area 172 is also a notch. The second gear limiting area 172 is distributed in a 150° circumferential arc area on the steering limiting ring 17, and the second gear limiting area 172 is symmetrically distributed with respect to the first gear limiting area 171. The second gear limiting area 172 also has a downward notch. The third gear limiting area 173 is also a notch with a width exactly equal to the width of the limiting end of the gear adjusting plate 11 and a downward notch.

[0045] In response, the driver can rotate the adjustment component 12 to make the limiting end of the gear adjustment component slide vertically into the first gear limiting area 171. At this time, the outboard motor is facing the bow direction. Taking the direction of the outboard motor facing the bow direction as the 0° angle reference, the outboard motor is at 0° orientation, which is the first steering gear and cannot be turned, so that the driver can drive the boat along a fixed course.

[0046] At the same time, the operator can also rotate the adjustment component 12 to make the gear adjustment plate 11 slide vertically downward, so that the limiting end moves from the first gear limiting area 171 to the second gear limiting area 172, so that the outboard motor is in the second steering gear. With the direction of the outboard motor toward the bow of the ship as the 0° angle reference, the operator can swing the outboard motor left and right by ±75° to achieve a ±75° heading adjustment for normal navigation of the ship.

[0047] Alternatively, the driver can continue to turn the rotary adjustment component 12 to slide the gear adjustment plate 11 down to its lowest point, causing the limit end to move downward away from any gear limit area, so that the outboard motor is in a free gear, i.e., the fourth steering gear. At this time, the outboard motor can turn freely 360° to meet the various extreme operation needs of professional drivers and facilitate maintenance personnel to inspect the outboard motor, replace battery components, and perform other operations.

[0048] In addition, the operator can rotate the outboard motor, which is in the free position, to face the stern. For example, if the outboard motor was previously facing the bow, it needs to be rotated 180° to face the stern. Then, the rotation adjustment component 12 is turned in the opposite direction to make the gear adjustment plate 11 slide upward and the limit end slide upward to the third gear limit area 173 to lock the outboard motor and put it in the third steering gear, so as to stop the boat and subsequently disassemble and store the outboard motor separately.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, the outboard motor must first be adjusted to the free position, and then the outboard motor must be rotated to the position facing the stern before the outboard motor's operating position can be adjusted to the third steering position by turning the rotation adjustment component 12.

[0050] It should be noted that in some embodiments of this utility model, two sets of spherical grooves are vertically equidistantly provided on the gear adjustment plate 11. The two sets of spherical grooves are vertically distributed, and each set of spherical grooves includes two spherical grooves. When the outboard motor is adjusted to the first steering gear, the upper set of spherical grooves corresponds to and precisely accommodates the ball ends of the two ball bolts 182, thereby vertically limiting the gear adjustment plate 11. When the outboard motor is adjusted to the second or third steering gear, the lower set of spherical grooves corresponds to and precisely accommodates the two ball bolts 182, thereby vertically limiting the gear adjustment plate 11. This further prevents the gear adjustment plate 11 from having vertical movement in its respective gear area, which would affect the steering gear adjustment accuracy.

[0051] Furthermore, when the gear adjustment plate 11 is at its lowest position, the outboard motor is in the free gear position. Technicians can design the position of the lower end of the sliding limit groove 181 so that the limiting end of the gear adjustment plate 11 is exactly blocked and limited by the lower groove wall of the sliding limit groove 181, so that the gear adjustment plate 11 does not need to be further positioned by the spherical groove in the free gear position.

[0052] Furthermore, the driver can determine whether the steering gear adjustment is in place by checking the screw-in scale on the housing 15 and by listening to the impact sound generated by the elastic retraction and reset of the ball head of the ball bolt 182.

[0053] Of course, in other embodiments, if the outboard motor has five or more steering positions, the number of spherical grooves can also be three or more.

[0054] Further, please refer to Figure 5 , refer to Figure 5 As shown in the orientation, in some embodiments of this utility model, the left end of the rotating adjustment member 12 extends out of the outer side of the housing 15, and the left end of the rotating adjustment member 12 is integrally provided with a rotating grip end 121 for easy turning by the driver.

[0055] Meanwhile, multiple rotation limiting grooves 122 are axially arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component 12. The multiple rotation limiting grooves 122 are equidistantly arranged along the circumferential direction. The inner wall of the friction ring 13 is correspondingly provided with multiple rotation limiting strips 131. When the friction ring 13 is sleeved on the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component 12, each of the multiple rotation limiting strips 131 is accommodated by a rotation limiting groove 122, so that the friction ring 13 can rotate synchronously with the rotary adjustment component 12, so as to ensure that turning the rotary adjustment component 12 can drive the gear adjustment component to slide vertically.

[0056] In other embodiments, the gear adjustment plate 11 is replaced with a rack, and the friction ring 13 is correspondingly replaced with a gear and fitted onto the rotary adjustment member 12. The rotary adjustment member 12 can also drive the gear adjustment plate 11 to move vertically through a gear and rack transmission structure, thereby realizing gear adjustment.

[0057] Anything not mentioned above applies to existing technologies.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A steering gear adjustment assembly for an outboard motor, characterized in that, The device includes a gear adjustment plate (11), a rotary adjustment component (12), and a friction ring (13). The gear adjustment plate (11) is vertically slidable, the rotary adjustment component (12) is rotatably inserted, and the friction ring (13) is fixedly sleeved on the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component (12). The outer circumferential surface of the friction ring (13) for increasing contact friction is also in close contact with the plate surface of the gear adjustment plate (11) for increasing contact friction. The rotary adjustment component (12) rotates to drive the gear adjustment plate (11) to slide vertically through the friction ring (13), thereby adjusting the steering gear of the outboard motor.

2. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a steering shaft (14) and a housing (15), the steering shaft (14) being rotatably inserted into the housing (15), the outboard motor being synchronously rotatably connected to the steering shaft (14), the gear adjustment plate (11) being vertically slidably installed inside the housing (15), and the rotation adjustment member (12) being rotatably inserted into the housing (15).

3. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a steering bracket (16), which is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the steering shaft (14). The outboard motor is fixedly mounted on the steering bracket (16) to rotate synchronously with the steering shaft (14).

4. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A steering limit ring (17) is fixedly sleeved on the steering shaft (14). The steering limit ring (17) is provided with a first gear limit area (171), a second gear limit area (172), and a third gear limit area (173) in sequence. The gear adjustment plate (11) has a limit end. The gear adjustment plate (11) slides so that the limit end is inserted into the first gear limit area (171), or into the second gear limit area (172), or into the third gear limit area (173), or not inserted into any gear limit area, so as to form four steering adjustment gears.

5. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first gear limiting area (171) and the third gear limiting area (173) are both configured to accommodate the notch of the limiting end. The second gear limiting area (172) is configured to accommodate and allow the limiting end to move within it. The first gear limiting area (171) and the second gear limiting area (172) are vertically connected. The notch of the second gear limiting area (172) is set downward. The first gear limiting area (171) and the third gear limiting area (173) are set 180° apart along the circumferential direction.

6. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When the limiting end is inserted into the second gear limiting area (172), the maximum allowable rotation angle of the steering shaft (14) is ±75°.

7. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes an adjustment mounting plate (18), which is installed inside the housing (15). The adjustment mounting plate (18) has a sliding limiting groove (181) for the limiting end to be inserted. The sliding limiting groove (181) limits the limiting end to restrict the gear adjustment plate (11) to slide only vertically and to limit the sliding stroke of the gear adjustment plate (11).

8. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The adjusting mounting plate (18) is fitted with ball bolts (182), the ball head of the ball bolts (182) is set towards the gear adjustment plate (11), and the gear adjustment plate (11) is provided with at least two sets of spherical grooves at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The at least two sets of spherical grooves are used to cooperate with the ball bolts (182) to prevent the gear adjustment plate (11) from sliding downward.

9. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer end of the rotary adjustment member (12) is provided with a screw-holding end (121) for easy screwing.

10. The outboard motor steering gear adjustment assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer circumferential surface of the insertion end of the rotary adjustment component (12) is provided with a rotation limiting groove (122) axially, and the inner wall of the friction ring (13) is provided with a corresponding rotation limiting strip (131). The friction ring (13) rotates synchronously with the rotary adjustment component (12) by embedding the rotation limiting strip (131) into the rotation limiting groove (122).

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