Electric outboard motor

Abstract

To provide an electric outboard motor capable of suppressing each of upward and rearward overhangs of a storage part while arranging a battery in the storage part installed on the top of an electric outboard motor.SOLUTION: An electric outboard motor 51 comprises two batteries 61, 62 to drive the motor installed in a propeller unit 52, a battery case 57 to accommodate these batteries 61, 62, and a supporting part 65 to support the propeller unit 52 and the battery case 57 by connecting both. Each of the batteries 61, 62 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the smallest thickness dimension among a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension. One battery 61 is arranged in the battery case 57 so that the thickness direction of the battery is in the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 51 and it is located above the supporting part 65. The other battery 62 is arranged in the battery case 57 so that thickness direction of the battery is in the anteroposterior direction of the electric outboard motor 51 and it is located at the rear of the top of the supporting part 65.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric outboard motor for propelling a boat. [Background technology]

[0002] An electric outboard motor includes a motor as a power source that generates propulsive force for the boat, a propeller that converts the power of the motor into propulsive force, a propeller shaft to which the propeller is fixed, and a transom bracket for attaching the electric outboard motor to the transom of the boat.

[0003] Electric outboard motors are classified into two types: one in which the propeller, propeller shaft and motor are arranged at the bottom of the electric outboard motor which is positioned below the water surface, and one in which the propeller and propeller shaft are arranged at the bottom of the electric outboard motor which is positioned below the water surface, the motor is arranged at the top of the electric outboard motor which is positioned above the water surface, and a drive shaft is provided between the motor and propeller shaft to transmit the power of the motor to the propeller shaft.

[0004] Furthermore, a battery is required to drive the motor, and electric outboard motors are classified into a type in which the battery is disposed on the boat and a type in which the battery is disposed inside the electric outboard motor. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-162054 (Patent Document 1) describes an electric outboard motor in which a motor case is provided on the top of the motor and a battery is disposed inside the motor case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-162054 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When an electric outboard motor is attached to a boat and used for sailing, it is necessary to increase the battery capacity in order to extend the cruising distance of the boat. Increasing the battery capacity increases the battery size. When a storage section such as a case is provided on top of the electric outboard motor and a battery is placed inside the storage section, the storage section may end up protruding significantly upward or rearward due to the large size of the battery. If the storage section protrudes significantly upward or rearward, the electric outboard motor may become larger or the weight balance of the electric outboard motor may become worse.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of problems such as those described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric outboard motor that allows a battery to be placed inside a housing provided at the top of the electric outboard motor, while minimizing the upward and rearward protrusion of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electric outboard motor for propelling a marine vessel, the electric outboard motor including a propeller unit having a propeller shaft, a propeller fixed to the propeller shaft, and a case rotatably supporting the propeller shaft, the propeller unit being disposed at a lower portion of the electric outboard motor, a motor for rotating the propeller shaft, a first battery and a second battery for supplying power to the motor for driving the motor, a storage section disposed at an upper portion of the electric outboard motor for storing the first battery and the second battery, and a storage battery formed in a columnar shape extending in a vertical direction and having a lower portion for storing the propeller unit. the first battery and the second battery are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest of their length, width and thickness dimensions, the first battery is disposed in the accommodating section such that the thickness direction of the first battery is in the up-down direction of the electric outboard motor and is located above the support part, and the second battery is disposed in the accommodating section such that the thickness direction of the second battery is in the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor and is located rearward of the upper part of the support part. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, while arranging a battery in a housing provided on an upper portion of an electric outboard motor, it is possible to reduce the upward and rearward protrusions of the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor of a first comparative example, and FIG. 2C is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor of a second comparative example. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an electric outboard motor according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the upper left front side; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left. [Diagram 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an electric outboard motor according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a battery case detached from the electric outboard motor according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the electric outboard motor taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5 as viewed from the left. [Figure 8] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a battery case in an electric outboard motor according to an embodiment of the present invention has been removed from the electric outboard motor and placed on a floor or the like; [Figure 9] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement of the first battery and the second battery in the electric outboard motor according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of an electric outboard motor of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (First embodiment) Fig. 1(A) shows an electric outboard motor 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left. In Fig. 1(A), the electric outboard motor 1 is an electric outboard motor for propelling a boat, and includes a propeller unit 2 arranged at the bottom of the electric outboard motor 1, a motor 6, a first battery 11 and a second battery 12 that supply power to the motor 6 for driving the motor 6, a storage section 7 arranged at the top of the electric outboard motor 1 for storing the first battery 11 and the second battery 12, and a support section 8 formed in a vertically extending column shape, with the propeller unit 2 supported at its bottom and the storage section 7 supported at its top. The propeller unit 2 has a propeller shaft 3, a propeller 4 fixed to the propeller shaft 3, and a case 5 that rotatably supports the propeller shaft 3. In the electric outboard motor 1 according to the first embodiment, the motor 6 is arranged inside the case 5 of the propeller unit 2, and the propeller shaft 3 is rotated by the power of the motor 6.

[0012] Moreover, the first battery 11 and the second battery 12 are each, for example, a battery module or a battery pack formed by arranging a plurality of cells. Moreover, the first battery 11 and the second battery 12 are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the thickness dimension is the smallest among the length, width and thickness dimensions. Moreover, the first battery 11 is disposed in the housing 7 so that its thickness direction is the up-down direction of the electric outboard motor 1, and the second battery 12 is disposed in the housing 7 so that its thickness direction is the fore-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 1. Moreover, the first battery 11 is disposed so as to be located above the support part 8, and the second battery 12 is disposed so as to be located behind the upper part of the support part 8.

[0013] In the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the first battery 11, which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest among the length, width and thickness dimensions, is arranged so that its thickness direction is the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 1, thereby minimizing the vertical dimension of the first battery 11. Also, by arranging the first battery 11 above the support part 8 and the second battery 12 behind the upper part of the support part 8, the first battery 11 can be brought close to the upper end of the support part 8 while avoiding the first battery 11 from interfering with the second battery 12. In this way, by minimizing the vertical dimension of the first battery 11 and bringing the first battery 11 close to the upper end of the support part 8, the distance D1 between the upper surface of the storage part 7 and the upper end of the support part 8 can be shortened, and the upward protrusion of the storage part 7 can be suppressed.

[0014] Moreover, by arranging the second battery 12, which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest among the length, width and thickness dimensions, so that its thickness direction is the fore-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 1, the dimension in the fore-aft direction of the second battery 12 can be minimized. Moreover, by arranging the first battery 11 above the support part 8 and arranging the second battery 12 behind the upper part of the support part 8, the second battery 12 can be brought close to the upper part of the support part 8 while avoiding the second battery 12 from interfering with the first battery 11. In this way, by minimizing the dimension in the fore-aft direction of the second battery 12 and bringing the second battery 12 close to the upper part of the support part 8, the distance D2 between the rear surface of the storage part 7 and the upper part of the support part 8 can be shortened, and the protrusion of the storage part 7 to the rear can be suppressed.

[0015] As described above, with the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the upward and rearward protrusion of the storage section 7 can be reduced, thereby preventing the electric outboard motor 1 from becoming larger and also preventing the weight balance of the electric outboard motor 1 from becoming unbalanced.

[0016] This effect of the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention will be further considered. FIG. 1(B) shows the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example as viewed from the left. In the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example, a first battery 161 and a second battery 162 are accommodated in the accommodation section 157. The first battery 161 and the second battery 162 are the same as the first battery 11 and the second battery 12 of the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the accommodation section 157 of the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example, the first battery 161 is arranged so that its thickness direction is the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 151, and the second battery 162 is also arranged so that its thickness direction is the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 151. The second battery 162 is arranged above the first battery 161 so as to overlap the first battery 161. In the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example, the first battery 161 and the second battery 162 are arranged so as to overlap one another in the vertical direction, so that the distance D3 between the upper surface of the storage section 157 and the upper end of the support section 158 in the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example is longer than the distance D1 between the upper surface of the storage section 7 and the upper end of the support section 8 in the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. As a result, the storage section 157 in the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example protrudes upward compared to the storage section 7 in the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example, the storage section 157 protrudes upward, so that the height dimension of the electric outboard motor 151 is larger. In addition, since the second battery 162, which is a heavy object, is housed inside the upwardly protruding portion of the housing section 157, the upper portion of the electric outboard motor 151 becomes significantly heavier than the lower portion, which may cause the weight balance of the electric outboard motor 151 to deteriorate.

[0017] FIG. 1C shows the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example as viewed from the left. In the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example, a first battery 181 and a second battery 182 are accommodated in the accommodation section 177. The first battery 181 and the second battery 182 are the same as the first battery 11 and the second battery 12 of the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the accommodation section 177 of the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example, the first battery 181 is arranged so that its thickness direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 171, and the second battery 182 is also arranged so that its thickness direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 171. The second battery 182 is arranged behind the first battery 181 so as to overlap the first battery 181 in the fore-and-aft direction. In the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example, the first battery 181 and the second battery 182 are arranged to overlap in the front-to-rear direction, so that the distance D4 between the rear surface of the storage section 177 in the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example and the upper part of the support section 178 is longer than the distance D2 between the rear surface of the storage section 7 in the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention and the upper part of the support section 8. As a result, the storage section 177 in the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example protrudes rearward compared to the storage section 7 in the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example, the storage section 177 protrudes rearward, so that the length dimension (length in the front-to-rear direction) of the electric outboard motor 171 is larger. In addition, since the second battery 182, which is a heavy object, is housed inside the portion of the housing 177 that protrudes rearward, the rear portion of the electric outboard motor 171 becomes significantly heavier than the front portion, which may worsen the weight balance of the electric outboard motor 171.

[0018] As can be seen from a comparison between the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the electric outboard motor 151 of the first comparative example, and the electric outboard motor 171 of the second comparative example, the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention can appropriately reduce both the upward and rearward protrusion of the housing, thereby appropriately reducing increases in the height and length of the electric outboard motor and preventing deterioration of the weight balance of the electric outboard motor. Also, the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention has two batteries 11, 12, which increases the battery capacity and extends the cruising range of the boat.

[0019] Second Embodiment Fig. 2 shows an electric outboard motor 21 according to a second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left. In the electric outboard motor 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the motor 6 is disposed inside the case 5 of the propeller unit 2 as shown in Fig. 1(A), but in the electric outboard motor 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the motor 26 is disposed inside a storage section 27 disposed on the upper part of the electric outboard motor 21 as shown in Fig. 2. The first battery 31 and the second battery 32 housed inside the storage section 27 are the same as the first battery 11 and the second battery 12, respectively, of the electric outboard motor 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As with the electric outboard motor 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in the electric outboard motor 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the first battery 31 is disposed inside the storage section 27 so that its thickness direction is in the up-down direction of the electric outboard motor 21, and the second battery 32 is disposed inside the storage section 27 so that its thickness direction is in the fore-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 21. The first battery 31 is disposed above the support portion 28, and the motor 26 is disposed between the upper end of the support portion 28 and the first battery 31. The second battery 32 is disposed behind the upper portion of the support portion 28 and behind the motor 26. The support portion 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a drive shaft 29 extending in the vertical direction is provided within the support portion 28. The propeller unit 22 has a propeller shaft 23, a propeller 24, and a case 25, similar to the propeller unit 2 of the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and a gear mechanism 30 is provided within the case 25. The propeller shaft 23 rotates by the power of the motor 26. The power of the motor 26 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 23 via the drive shaft 29 and the gear mechanism 30. With the electric outboard motor 21 of the second embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration, like the electric outboard motor 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the upward and rearward protrusion of the storage section 27 can be reduced. EXAMPLES

[0020] An embodiment of an electric outboard motor of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 10. In the embodiment, when describing the directions of up (Ud), down (Dd), front (Fd), rear (Bd), left (Ld), and right (Rd), please refer to the arrows drawn at the bottom left of Figures 3 to 7, 9, and 10.

[0021] (Electric outboard motor) Fig. 3 shows an electric outboard motor 51 according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the upper left front. Fig. 4 shows the electric outboard motor 51 as seen from the left. Fig. 5 shows the electric outboard motor 51 as seen from the front.

[0022] The electric outboard motor 51 is a device that is attached to the transom of a boat to propel the boat. As shown in Fig. 4, the electric outboard motor 51 includes a propeller unit 52, a first battery 61, a second battery 62, a battery case 57, a support portion 65, a transom bracket 71, a swivel bracket 74, a steering shaft 75, a bar handle 76, and a fine dust capture device 77.

[0023] The propeller unit 52 is disposed under the electric outboard motor 51, and is located below the water surface when the electric outboard motor 51 is attached to the boat. The propeller unit 52 includes a motor 53, a propeller shaft 54, a propeller 55, and a propeller unit case 56. The motor 53 is disposed at the front part of the propeller unit case 56. The propeller shaft 54 ​​extends in the front-rear direction, and a front part of the propeller shaft 54 ​​is rotatably supported at the rear part of the propeller unit case 56. The propeller shaft 54 ​​is connected to the output shaft of the motor 53, or is formed integrally with the output shaft of the motor 53, and is rotated by the power of the motor 53. The propeller 55 is fixed to the rear end part of the propeller shaft 54, and rotates integrally with the propeller shaft 54. The propeller unit case 56 is a sealed cylindrical case.

[0024] The first battery 61 and the second battery 62 are electrically connected to the motor 53 and supply power to the motor 53 for driving the motor 53. The first battery 61 and the second battery 62 are each, for example, a battery module or a battery pack formed by arranging a plurality of cells. Moreover, the first battery 61 and the second battery 62 are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest among the length, width, and thickness dimensions.

[0025] The battery case 57 is disposed on top of the electric outboard motor 51 and is located above the water surface when the electric outboard motor 51 is attached to a boat. A first battery 61 and a second battery 62 are housed inside the battery case 57. The battery case 57 is a specific example of a "housing section."

[0026] FIG. 6(A) shows the battery case 57 removed from the electric outboard motor 51. FIG. 6(B) shows the battery case 57 removed from the electric outboard motor 51 as viewed from the front lower left. As shown in FIG. 6(A), the battery case 57 is detachable from the electric outboard motor 51. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and 6(B), the battery case 57 is formed in a triangular cylinder shape with a bottom and a lid, whose axis extends in the left-right direction. The battery case 57 has a left wall portion 57A, a right wall portion 57B, an upper wall portion 57C, a rear wall portion 57D, and a mounting wall portion 57E. The left wall portion 57A and the right wall portion 57B are each formed in a flat plate shape that expands in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, and when viewed from the left or right, the left wall portion 57A and the right wall portion 57B each have a shape that is approximately a right-angled isosceles triangle. The upper wall portion 57C is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, and when viewed from above, the shape of the upper wall portion 57C is a rectangle elongated in the front-rear direction. The rear wall portion 57D is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the up-down and left-right directions, and when viewed from behind, the shape of the rear wall portion 57D is a rectangle elongated in the up-down direction. The mounting wall portion 57E is formed in a flat plate shape extending from the front edge of the upper wall portion 57C to the lower edge of the rear wall portion 57D. The mounting wall portion 57E is inclined so that the rear end is located lower than the front end, and the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal is approximately 45 degrees. In addition, a recessed portion 58 that fits with a protruding portion 67 of a mounting plate portion 66 described later is formed in the central portion of the outer surface of the mounting wall portion 57E, as shown in FIG. 6(B).

[0027] A space is formed within the battery case 57, and a first battery 61 and a second battery 62 are disposed within the space. The first battery 61 and the second battery 62 are surrounded by a left wall portion 57A, a right wall portion 57B, an upper wall portion 57C, a rear wall portion 57D, and an attachment wall portion 57E.

[0028] 3, the battery case 57 is provided with a handle 59 for carrying the battery case. The handle 59 for carrying the battery case is disposed at a portion where the upper wall portion 57C and the rear wall portion 57D of the battery case 57 intersect, that is, at the rear end of the upper wall portion 57C or the upper end of the rear wall portion 57D. When the battery case 57 is viewed from the left or right, the handle 59 for carrying the battery case is disposed at the apex angle of each of the left wall portion 57A and the right wall portion 57B formed in a substantially right-angled isosceles triangle shape, as shown in FIG. 6(A). The apex angle of the left wall portion 57A and the apex angle of the right wall portion 57B each protrude upward and rearward, and the handle 59 for carrying the battery case extends in the left-right direction so as to bridge between the tip of the portion protruding upward and rearward from the apex angle of the left wall portion 57A and the tip of the portion protruding upward and rearward from the apex angle of the right wall portion 57B. A user can hold the battery case transport handle 59 to transport the battery case 57 removed from the electric outboard motor 51. Furthermore, when the battery case 57 is attached to the electric outboard motor 51, a user can hold the battery case transport handle 59 to tilt up the electric outboard motor 51.

[0029] 4, the support part 65 is a member that connects the battery case 57 and the propeller unit 52 and supports them. The propeller unit 52 is supported on a lower part of the support part 65, and the battery case 57 is supported on an upper part of the support part 65.

[0030] Specifically, the support portion 65 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the vertical direction, and the propeller unit case 56 is fixed to the lower end of the support portion 65. Also, at the upper end of the support portion 65, as shown in FIG. 6(A), a mounting plate portion 66 is provided for mounting the mounting wall portion 57E of the battery case 57. The mounting plate portion 66 is formed in a plate shape inclined so that the rear end is located lower than the front end. The inclination angle of the mounting plate portion 66 with respect to the horizontal is approximately 45 degrees. Approximately the center of the lower surface of the mounting plate portion 66 is fixed to the upper end of the support portion 65.

[0031] The upper surface of the mounting plate 66 has a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the mounting wall 57E of the battery case 57. A convex portion 67 is formed in the central portion of the upper surface of the mounting plate 66, and the shape of the convex portion 67 corresponds to the shape of the concave portion 58 formed in the mounting wall 57E of the battery case 57. When the battery case 57 is mounted to the electric outboard motor 51, the mounting wall 57E of the battery case 57 is placed on the mounting plate 66 of the support part 65. At this time, the mounting plate 66 and the mounting wall 57E overlap each other, and the convex portion 67 formed on the mounting plate 66 fits into the concave portion 58 of the mounting wall 57E. Although not shown in the drawings, the mounting plate 66 and the mounting wall 57E are provided with a fixing mechanism for detachably connecting and fixing them.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, an outboard motor carrying handle 68 is provided at the rear of the support portion 65 for use by a user to carry the electric outboard motor 51 that has been removed from the boat.

[0033] The transom bracket 71 is a clamp mechanism that attaches the electric outboard motor 51 to the transom of the boat. As shown in Fig. 4, the transom bracket 71 is disposed at the front of the upper end portion of the support part 65. A clamp screw 72 for fastening the electric outboard motor 51 to the transom is provided at the front of the transom bracket 71. In addition, a trim angle adjustment part 73 for adjusting the trim angle of the electric outboard motor 51 is provided at the rear of the transom bracket 71.

[0034] The swivel bracket 74 is a bracket for enabling the electric outboard motor 51 attached to the transom to rotate left and right relative to the boat, and is formed integrally with the rear part of the transom bracket 71. A steering shaft 75 is rotatably attached to the swivel bracket 74, and the steering shaft 75 is fixed to the front part of the upper part of the support part 65. This allows the support part 65 to rotate relative to the swivel bracket 74 around the axis of the steering shaft 75 as the rotation axis, and as a result, the electric outboard motor 51 can rotate left and right relative to the boat.

[0035] The bar handle 76 is a handle for turning the electric outboard motor 51 left and right relative to the boat in order to steer the boat. The bar handle 76 is disposed above and in front of the support part 65. Specifically, the bar handle 76 is attached to the end part on the upper front side of the mounting plate part 66. A user can turn the electric outboard motor 51 right or left relative to the boat by gripping the tip of the bar handle 76 and moving the bar handle 76 left or right, thereby changing the direction of the propeller 55 to the right or left.

[0036] In addition, the base end of the bar handle 76 is attached to the mounting plate portion 66 so that the bar handle 76 is rotatable in the vertical direction around the axis K relative to the mounting plate portion 66. The user can rotate the bar handle 76 in the vertical direction within a range of approximately 90 degrees from a position where the bar handle 76 extends horizontally to a position where the bar handle 76 extends substantially vertically. This allows the user to adjust the height of the tip portion of the bar handle 76. In addition, when removing the electric outboard motor 51 from the boat and storing it in a warehouse or the like, the user can change the orientation of the bar handle 76 so that the extension direction of the bar handle 76 is substantially parallel to the extension direction of the support portion 65. This makes it easier to store the electric outboard motor 51.

[0037] The fine dust capture device 77 is a device that captures fine dust such as microplastics scattered in the water area where the ship navigates. The fine dust capture device 77 is provided with a passage that takes in water from the front part of the fine dust capture device 77 and discharges the taken-in water from the rear part of the fine dust capture device 77, and a filter for capturing fine dust is provided in the middle of the passage. The fine dust capture device 77 is disposed between the lower end of the support part 65 and the propeller unit case 56, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] (Battery placement) FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the electric outboard motor 51 taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5, as viewed from the left (the right in FIG. 5).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, within the battery case 57, the first battery 61 is arranged so that its thickness direction is in the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 51, and the second battery 62 is arranged so that its thickness direction is in the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 51.

[0040] The first battery 61 is located above the support part 65. Specifically, the first battery 61 is disposed at a position intersecting with a straight line L1 that passes through the center of the support part 65 in the up-down direction. The second battery 62 is located behind the upper part of the support part 65. Specifically, the second battery 62 is disposed at a position intersecting with a straight line L2 that extends in the front-rear direction and passes through an intersection Q between the upper end surface S of the support part 65 and the straight line L1. In FIG. 7, the upper end surface S of the support part 65 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0041] The first battery 61 is disposed so that its upper surface 61A is parallel to the upper wall portion 57C of the battery case 57, and is disposed in a position close to the upper wall portion 57C. The second battery 62 is disposed so that its rear surface 62A is parallel to the rear wall portion 57D of the battery case 57, and is disposed in a position close to the rear wall portion 57D.

[0042] A position P15 of the upper end of the second battery 62 is lower than a position P14 of the lower surface of the first battery 61. A position P5 of the rear end of the first battery 61 is equal to the position of a rear surface 62A of the second battery 62 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] Furthermore, position P17 of the lower end of the second battery 62 is lower than position P16 of the upper end of the transom bracket 71. Furthermore, position P2 of the front end of the first battery 61 is forward of position P3 of the rear end of the transom bracket 71, specifically, the rear end of the trim angle adjustment part 73.

[0044] Moreover, the position P15 of the upper end of the second battery 62 is lower than the position of the base end of the bar handle 76, specifically, the position P13 of the axis K of rotation in the vertical direction of the bar handle 76. Moreover, in the vertical direction, the position of the first battery 61 is approximately equal to the position of the base end of the bar handle 76.

[0045] Moreover, the mounting plate portion 66 overlaps with the first battery 61 in a plan view. That is, the position P2 of the front end of the first battery 61 is located forward of the position P4 of the rear end of the mounting plate portion 66, and the position P5 of the rear end of the first battery 61 is located behind the position P1 of the front end of the mounting plate portion 66. Also, the mounting plate portion 66 overlaps with the second battery 62 in a front view. That is, the position P15 of the upper end of the second battery 62 is located above the position P18 of the lower end of the mounting plate portion 66, and the position P17 of the lower end of the second battery 62 is located below the position P11 of the upper end of the mounting plate portion 66.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, the first battery 61 and the second battery 62 are each disposed approximately in the center of the battery case 57 in the left-right direction.

[0047] The first battery 61 is fixed, for example, by brackets or the like to the inner surfaces of the upper wall 57C, the left wall 57A, and the right wall 57B of the battery case 57. The second battery 62 is fixed, for example, by brackets or the like to the inner surfaces of the rear wall 57D, the left wall 57A, and the right wall 57B of the battery case 57.

[0048] (Use as a mobile battery) FIG. 8 shows the battery case 57 housing the batteries 61, 62 removed from the electric outboard motor 51 and placed on a floor surface or the like (for example, a boat deck, the ground, a desk, etc.).

[0049] As shown in Fig. 8, by removing the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61, 62 from the electric outboard motor 51, the batteries 61, 62 can be used as a mobile battery. As shown in Fig. 6(B), a recess 58 is formed in the central portion of the outer surface of the mounting wall 57E of the battery case 57, but the outer peripheral portion of the outer surface of the mounting wall 57E is a flat surface. Therefore, by placing the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61, 62 on a floor surface or the like with the mounting wall 57E facing down, the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61, 62 can be placed stably on the floor surface or the like.

[0050] A user can carry the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61 and 62 by holding the battery case carrying handle 59. Since the two batteries 61 and 62 are arranged in the battery case 57 as shown in FIG. 7, the center of gravity G of the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61 and 62 is located on a straight line L3 that passes through the center point of the mounting wall 57E of the battery case 57 and is perpendicular to the mounting wall 57E, between the mounting wall 57E and the battery case carrying handle 59, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, when a user holds the battery case carrying handle 59 and lifts up the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61 and 62, the outer peripheral portion of the outer surface of the mounting wall 57E becomes horizontal. Therefore, when a user holds the battery case carrying handle 59 to lift and transport the battery case 57 containing the batteries 61 and 62, and then places the battery case 57 on a floor surface or the like, the user can easily place the battery case 57 on the floor surface or the like in a stable state by lowering the battery case 57 in a vertical direction.

[0051] As described above, in the electric outboard motor 51 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first battery 61 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest of its length, width and thickness dimensions is disposed within the battery case 57 such that its thickness direction is the up-down direction of the electric outboard motor 51 and is located above the support part 65, and the second battery 62 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest of its length, width and thickness dimensions is disposed within the battery case 57 such that its thickness direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 51 and is located rearward of the upper part of the support part 65. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the battery case 57 from protruding upward and backward.

[0052] That is, the first battery 61, which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest among the length, width and thickness dimensions, is arranged so that its thickness direction is the vertical direction of the electric outboard motor 51, thereby minimizing the vertical dimension of the first battery 61. Also, by arranging the first battery 61 above the support part 65 and arranging the second battery 62 behind the upper part of the support part 65, the first battery 61 can be brought close to the upper end of the support part 8 while avoiding the first battery 61 from interfering with the second battery 62. In this way, by minimizing the vertical dimension of the first battery 61 and bringing the first battery 61 close to the upper end of the support part 65, the distance between the upper surface of the battery case 57 and the upper end of the support part 65 can be shortened, and the upward protrusion of the battery case 57 can be suppressed. Moreover, by arranging the second battery 62, which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness dimension being the smallest among the length, width and thickness dimensions, in a direction such that its thickness direction is the fore-aft direction of the electric outboard motor 51, the dimension in the fore-aft direction of the second battery 62 can be minimized. Moreover, by arranging the first battery 61 above the support part 65 and arranging the second battery 62 behind the upper part of the support part 65, the second battery 62 can be brought close to the upper part of the support part 65 while avoiding interference between the second battery 62 and the first battery 61. In this way, by minimizing the dimension in the fore-aft direction of the second battery 62 and bringing the second battery 12 close to the upper part of the support part 8, the distance between the rear surface of the battery case 57 and the upper part of the support part 65 can be shortened, and the protrusion of the battery case 57 to the rear can be suppressed.

[0053] As described above, with the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the upward and rearward protrusion of the battery case 57 can be reduced, so that even while accommodating two batteries 61, 62 within the battery case 57, the electric outboard motor 51 can be prevented from becoming larger and deterioration of the weight balance of the electric outboard motor 51 can be prevented.

[0054] 7, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the first battery 61 is disposed at a position intersecting with a straight line L1 that passes vertically through the center of the support part 65, and the second battery 62 is disposed at a position intersecting with a straight line L2 that extends in the fore-aft direction and passes through an intersection Q between the upper end surface S of the support part 65 and the straight line L1. This allows the first battery 61 and the second battery 62 to be located close to the upper end of the support part 65, and prevents the battery case 57 from protruding upward and backward.

[0055] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, position P15 of the upper end of the second battery 62 is lower than position P12 of the upper surface 61A of the first battery 61. This makes it possible to prevent the upper end of the second battery 62 from protruding above the upper surface 61A of the first battery 61, thereby making it possible to suppress upward projection of the battery case 57.

[0056] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the rear end of the first battery 61 is located at the same position in the front-to-rear direction as the rear surface 62A of the second battery 62. This makes it possible to prevent the rear end of the first battery 61 from protruding rearward beyond the rear surface 62A of the second battery 62, thereby making it possible to suppress rearward protrusion of the battery case 57.

[0057] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the upper end of the second battery 62 is located below the lower surface of the first battery 61. This allows the second battery 62 to be brought close to the upper part of the support portion 65 while avoiding interference between the second battery 62 and the first battery 61. This makes it possible to prevent the battery case 57 from protruding rearward.

[0058] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the lower end of the second battery 62 is located lower than the upper end of the transom bracket 71. In this way, by lowering the position of the second battery 62, the position of the first battery 61 can be lowered while preventing the first battery 61 from interfering with the second battery 62. As a result, the upward protrusion of the battery case 57 can be suppressed.

[0059] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the front end of the first battery 61 is located forward of the rear end of the transom bracket 71. By locating the first battery 61 on the front side of the electric outboard motor 51 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the rear end of the first battery 61 from protruding rearward. This makes it possible to prevent the battery case 57 from protruding rearward.

[0060] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the upper end of the second battery 62 is located lower than the base end of the bar handle 76. In this way, by lowering the position of the second battery 62, the position of the first battery 61 can be lowered while preventing the first battery 61 from interfering with the second battery 62. Therefore, the upward protrusion of the battery case 57 can be suppressed.

[0061] Furthermore, in the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, the position of the first battery 61 in the up-down direction is approximately the same as the position of the base end of the bar handle 76. By lowering the position of the first battery 61 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the battery case 57 from protruding upward.

[0062] In the electric outboard motor 51 of this embodiment, a mounting plate 66 is provided at the upper end of the support portion 65, and the mounting plate 66 is formed in a plate shape that is inclined so that the rear end is located lower than the front end. The battery case 57 has a mounting wall 57E, and the mounting wall 57E is formed in a plate shape that is inclined so that the rear end is located lower than the front end. When the battery case 57 is attached to the electric outboard motor 51, the mounting wall 57E is placed on the mounting plate 66, and the mounting plate 66 and the mounting wall 57E overlap each other. When the battery case 57 is attached to the electric outboard motor 51, the mounting plate 66 overlaps the first battery 61 in a plan view and overlaps the second battery 62 in a front view. With this configuration, the first battery 61 can be arranged above the support portion 65, and the second battery 62 can be arranged behind the upper part of the support portion 65.

[0063] In the electric outboard motor of this embodiment, the battery case 57 is formed in a triangular tubular shape with a bottom and a lid, which allows the rigidity of the battery case 57 to be increased.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the rear surface of the second battery 62 and the rear end of the first battery 61 are at the same position in the front-rear direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 9(A), the second battery 62 may be arranged so that its rear surface is located forward of the rear end of the first battery 61. In this case, the first battery 61 is arranged so that its front end is located forward of the rear end of the transom bracket 71, to prevent the rear end of the first battery 61 from protruding backward.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the rear end of the first battery 61 is located at the same position as the rear surface of the second battery 62 in the front-rear direction, and the upper end of the second battery 62 is located below the lower surface of the first battery 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 9(B), the first battery 61 and the second battery 62 may be arranged so that the rear end of the first battery 61 is located in front of the front surface of the second battery 62, and the upper end of the second battery 62 is located at the same position as the upper surface of the first battery 61 in the vertical direction.

[0066] 9(B), the upper surface of the first battery 61 and the upper end of the second battery 62 are at the same position in the vertical direction, but as shown in FIG 9(C), the first battery 61 may be arranged so that its upper surface is located lower than the upper end of the second battery 62. In this case, the second battery 62 is arranged so that its lower end is located lower than the upper end of the transom bracket 71, thereby preventing the upper end of the second battery 62 from protruding upward.

[0067] The first battery 61 and the second battery 62 may be arranged so as to be in contact with each other, or so as to form a gap between them. In the above embodiment, the upper end of the second battery 62 is very close to the lower surface of the first battery 61, and the gap between them is small, but as shown in Fig. 9(D), for example, when the length dimension of the first battery 61 or the second battery 62 is small, the gap between the first battery 61 and the second battery 62 may be made larger.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the steering shaft 75 is fixed to the front part of the upper part of the support part 65, and this steering shaft 75 is rotatably attached to the swivel bracket 74, but the present invention is not limited to this. As in an electric outboard motor 81 shown in Fig. 10, the entire support part 82 may be formed by the steering shaft. In other words, the battery case 57 may be supported at the upper end of the steering shaft, and the propeller unit 52 may be supported at the lower end of the steering shaft, and such a steering shaft may be attached to the swivel bracket 74.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the battery case 57 is formed into a triangular cylinder with a bottom and a lid, but in the present invention, the shape of the battery case (housing portion) is not limited to a triangular cylinder with a bottom and a lid.

[0070] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention as can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and electric outboard motors with such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1, 21, 51, 81 electric outboard motor 2, 22, 52 Propeller unit 3, 23, 54 Propeller shaft 4, 24, 55 Propellers 5, 25 cases 6, 26, 53 Motor 7, 27 Storage unit 8, 28, 65, 82 Support part 11, 31, 61 First Battery 12, 32, 62 Second Battery 56 Propeller unit case (case) 57 Battery case (container) 57A Left wall (wall) 57B Right wall (wall) 57C Upper wall (wall) 57D Rear wall (wall) 57E Mounting wall (wall) 66 Mounting plate 71 Transom bracket 76 Bar Handle

Claims

1. An electric outboard motor for propelling a boat, a propeller unit disposed at a lower portion of the electric outboard motor, the propeller unit having a propeller shaft, a propeller fixed to the propeller shaft, and a case rotatably supporting the propeller shaft; A motor that rotates the propeller shaft; a first battery and a second battery that supply power to the motor for driving the motor; a storage section disposed on an upper portion of the electric outboard motor and configured to store the first battery and the second battery; a support part formed in a columnar shape extending in a vertical direction, the support part supporting the propeller unit at a lower part and the support part supporting the accommodation part at an upper part, each of the first battery and the second battery is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the thickness dimension of which is the smallest among length, width and thickness dimensions; the first battery is disposed within the storage portion such that a thickness direction of the first battery is in the up-down direction of the electric outboard motor and is located above the support portion, and the second battery is disposed within the storage portion such that a thickness direction of the second battery is in the fore-and-aft direction of the electric outboard motor and is located rear of an upper part of the support portion.

2. 2. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is disposed at a position intersecting a first line passing through a center of the support portion in a vertical direction, and the second battery is disposed at a position intersecting a second line extending in a fore-aft direction that passes through an intersection point between an upper end surface of the support portion and the first line.

3. 2. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the second battery is located at the same position as an upper surface of the first battery in the vertical direction or is located lower than an upper surface of the first battery.

4. 2. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the first battery is located at the same position as a rear surface of the second battery in the front-rear direction or is located forward of the rear surface of the second battery.

5. 5. An electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is provided with a transom bracket for mounting the electric outboard motor to a transom of the boat, and a lower end of the second battery is located lower than an upper end of the transom bracket.

6. 5. An electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is provided with a transom bracket for mounting the electric outboard motor to a transom of the boat, and a front end of the first battery is located forward of a rear end of the transom bracket.

7. 5. An electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a steering bar handle is disposed above and in front of the support portion, and an upper end of the second battery is located below the position of a base end of the bar handle.

8. 5. An electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a steering bar handle is disposed above and in front of the support part, and the position of the first battery in the up-down direction is substantially equal to the position of a base end of the bar handle.

9. 5. An electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the support portion is provided with a mounting plate portion for mounting the housing portion, the mounting plate portion being formed in an inclined plate shape so that a rear end is located lower than a front end.

10. 10. The electric outboard motor according to claim 9, wherein the storage section has a wall section that surrounds the first battery and the second battery, the wall section including a mounting wall section for mounting the storage section to the mounting plate section, and the mounting wall section is inclined so that a rear end is located lower than a front end.

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