Marine propulsion engine cooling device

Abstract

To facilitate maintenance of a collector for collecting a fine object while inhibiting deterioration of a flow of cooling water.SOLUTION: Between an upstream part 27A and a downstream part 27B of a drain passage 27 in a cooling device for an outboard motor, a collector 31 for collecting a fine object in cooling water flowing in the drain passage 27 is provided. The collector 31 includes: a filter cartridge 32; a case 41 accommodating the filter cartridge 32; a branch pipe 53 connecting the upstream part 27A of the drain passage 27 and the case 41; a connection hose 54 connecting the case 41 and the downstream part 27B of the drain passage 27; and a merging pipe 55. The connection hose 54 extends downward from an upper end part thereof along an axis J of the case 41, is then bent at an upper bent part 54A in such a direction as to be separated from the axis J, and is then bent at a lower bent part 54B in such a direction as to approach the axis J.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for a marine propulsion machine that has a function of collecting fine particles dispersed in seawater, lake water, or other water. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, pollution of oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. caused by the dispersion of fine garbage such as microplastics in seawater, lake water, river water, etc. has become a problem. It is also known that the dispersion of bait residues used in aquaculture in seawater, lake water, river water, etc. pollutes oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. In order to suppress such pollution, it is desirable to capture and recover fine garbage such as microplastics, bait residues, etc. (hereinafter, these are referred to as "fine objects").

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes an outboard motor equipped with a cooling device having a function of collecting fine objects. The cooling device uses a pump to take in seawater, lake water, or other water into the outboard motor, and supplies the taken-in water as cooling water to a water jacket provided on the engine of the outboard motor. The cooling water supplied to the water jacket flows through the water jacket, thereby cooling the engine. In addition, the cooling water after flowing through the water jacket flows through a drain pipe, passes through a filter device provided midway through the drain pipe, and is then discharged outside the outboard motor. As the cooling water passes through the filter device, fine objects in the cooling water are captured by the filter device and removed from the cooling water. In this way, according to the cooling device, seawater, lake water, or the like can be taken into the outboard motor, and fine objects contained in the taken-in seawater, lake water, or the like can be collected by the filter device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-163872 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] FIG. 9(A) shows the drain pipe and the filtration device in the cooling device shown in FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1. In FIG. 9(A), 133 is the drain pipe, and 135 is the filtration device. Also, FIG. 9(B) shows the state of the drain pipe 133 and the filtration device 135 in FIG. 9(A) as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow S in FIG. 9(A). Also, in FIG. 9(A) and FIG. 9(B), the arrow X indicates the flow direction of the cooling water in the drain pipe 133 and the filtration device 135. As shown in FIG. 9(B), in the cooling device of Patent Document 1, the cooling water flows while bending significantly in the filtration device 135, so that the pressure loss in the flow path of the cooling water increases, and the flow of the cooling water may become poor.

[0006] In order to suppress an increase in pressure loss in the cooling water flow path, a method may be considered in which a drain passage that sends the cooling water after flowing through the water jacket to the drain port of the outboard motor is divided into an upper drain passage portion 201 and a lower drain passage portion 202, and a filter device 203 is disposed between the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202, coaxially with the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202, as shown in Fig. 10. According to this method, the cooling water flows linearly through the upper drain passage portion 201, the filter device 203, and the lower drain passage portion 202, as indicated by the arrow Y in Fig. 10, so that an increase in pressure loss in the cooling water flow path can be suppressed and the flow of the cooling water can be improved.

[0007] However, if the filtration device 203 is arranged coaxially between the upper drain passage section 201 and the lower drain passage section 202, it becomes difficult to remove the filtration device 203 from between the upper drain passage section 201 and the lower drain passage section 202, which creates the problem that maintenance of the filtration device 203 (for example, removing fine objects accumulated in the filter) becomes difficult.

[0008] That is, the lower end of the upper drain passage section 201 is inserted into and fitted into the upper part of the filtration device 203, and the upper end of the lower drain passage section 202 is inserted into and fitted into the lower part of the filtration device 203. Therefore, in order to remove the filtration device 203 from between the upper drain passage section 201 and the lower drain passage section 202, it is necessary to be able to move the filtration device 203 in the vertical direction relative to the upper drain passage section 201 or the lower drain passage section 202, for example, by moving the filtration device 203 downward relative to the lower end of the upper drain passage section 201 so that the upper drain passage section 201 and the filtration device 203 can be separated, or by moving the filtration device 203 upward relative to the upper end of the lower drain passage section 202 so that the lower drain passage section 202 and the filtration device 203 can be separated. However, when the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202 are made of highly rigid pipes or hoses, it is difficult to move the filtration device 203 sandwiched between the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202 upward or downward. Therefore, it is difficult to remove the filtration device 203 from between the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202.

[0009] In this regard, if a rubber hose or the like with low rigidity is used as the upper drain passage portion 201 or the lower drain passage portion 202, the filter device 203 can be easily removed from between the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202 by bending the rubber hose by hand. However, the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202 need to have high durability against vibration, impact, heat, and the like. Therefore, even when a rubber hose is used as the upper drain passage portion 201 or the lower drain passage portion 202, it is necessary to use, for example, a rubber hose containing reinforced fibers or a rubber hose with a thick wall, and as a result, the rigidity of the rubber hose is high. That is, in order to meet the need to increase the durability of the upper drain passage portion 201 and the lower drain passage portion 202, it is difficult to use a rubber hose with low rigidity that can be easily bent by hand as the upper drain passage portion 201 or the lower drain passage portion 202.

[0010] The present invention has been developed in consideration of problems such as those described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device for a marine propulsion unit that can simplify maintenance of a collector (filter) that captures fine objects while suppressing deterioration of the flow of cooling water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cooling device for a marine propulsion unit that is provided in a marine propulsion unit, takes in water outside the marine propulsion unit into the marine propulsion unit, flows the taken-in water around or inside a power source of the marine propulsion unit as cooling water to cool the power source, and discharges the cooling water after flowing around or inside the power source to the outside of the marine propulsion unit, the cooling device comprising: a drain passage for discharging the cooling water after flowing around or inside the power source to the outside of the marine propulsion unit, and a collector interposed between an upstream portion and a downstream portion of the drain passage for collecting fine objects contained in the cooling water that flows from the upstream portion of the drain passage to the downstream portion of the drain passage, the collector collecting the fine objects and allowing the cooling water to pass through the drain passage, The drainage passage has a collector body, a case formed so as to be separable into an upper and lower part, housing the collector body, the upper part being connected to the upstream part of the drainage passage, and a connecting pipe which is flexible and has an upper end connected to the lower part of the case and a lower end connected to the downstream part of the drainage passage, wherein a first bent portion is provided between the upper end and lower end of the connecting pipe, and a second bent portion is provided between the first bent portion and the lower end of the connecting pipe, and the connecting pipe extends downward from its upper end along an axis extending in the vertical direction of the case, then bends at the first bent portion in a direction away from the axis, and then bends at the second bent portion in a direction approaching the axis. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate the maintenance of a collector that collects fine objects while suppressing deterioration of the flow of cooling water. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing an outboard motor provided with a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an external view showing an engine of an outboard motor according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left side; FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an external view showing the engine in FIG. 2 as seen from the rear. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 3, showing the upstream portion of the drainage passage, the collector, the downstream portion of the drainage passage, and the bypass passage. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the case and the filter cartridge in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are explanatory views showing a method for removing the filter cartridge from the upper case part by separating the lower case part from the upper case part in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection hose, a bypass pipe, etc., taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5, as viewed from above. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a drainage pipe and a filtering device in a conventional cooling device. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a filter device and a drainage passage portion arranged coaxially with each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] A cooling device for a marine propulsion unit in an embodiment of the present invention is a cooling device that is provided on a marine propulsion unit, takes in water outside the marine propulsion unit into the marine propulsion unit, cools the power source by flowing the taken-in water around or inside the power source of the marine propulsion unit as cooling water, and discharges the cooling water after flowing around or inside the power source outside the marine propulsion unit, and is equipped with a drainage passage for discharging the cooling water after flowing around or inside the power source to outside the marine propulsion unit, and a collector interposed between the upstream and downstream portions of the drainage passage and collecting fine objects contained in the cooling water flowing from the upstream portion of the drainage passage toward the downstream portion of the drainage passage.

[0015] The collector also includes a collector body that captures fine objects and allows cooling water to pass through, a case that is formed in a cylindrical shape with an axis extending in the vertical direction and that houses the collector body, an upper connecting pipe that extends in the vertical direction and has an upper end connected to the upstream portion of the drainage passage and a lower end connected to the upper part of the case, and that allows cooling water to flow from the upstream portion of the drainage passage into the case, and a lower connecting pipe that is flexible and has an upper end connected to the lower part of the case and a lower end connected to the downstream portion of the drainage passage, and that allows cooling water to flow from the case to the downstream portion of the drainage passage.

[0016] A first bent portion is provided between the upper end and the lower end of the lower connecting pipe, and a second bent portion is provided between the first bent portion and the lower end of the lower connecting pipe. The lower connecting pipe extends downward from its upper end along the axis of the case, then bends at the first bent portion, then extends downward while inclining relative to the axis of the case so as to move away from the axis of the case, then bends at the second bent portion, and then extends downward while inclining relative to the axis of the case so as to move closer to the axis of the case.

[0017] In the cooling device of this embodiment, the case is formed in a cylindrical shape having an axis extending in the vertical direction, and the upper connecting pipe extends in the vertical direction between the upstream part of the drain passage and the case. Also, although the lower connecting pipe has a first bent part and a second bent part, the part from the upper end of the lower connecting pipe to the first bent part extends downward along the axis of the case, the part from the first bent part to the second bent part of the lower connecting pipe extends downward while inclining with respect to the axis of the case, and the part from the second bent part to the lower end of the lower connecting pipe extends downward while inclining with respect to the axis of the case. Therefore, the lower connecting pipe extends in the vertical direction between the case and the downstream part of the drain passage as a whole. In this way, the flow path of the cooling water in the collector interposed between the upstream part of the drain passage and the downstream part of the drain passage is not greatly bent like the flow path of the conventional technology shown in FIG. 9(B). Therefore, an increase in pressure loss in the flow path of the cooling water in the collector can be suppressed, and the flow of the cooling water in the collector can be improved.

[0018] In addition, in the collector of the cooling device of this embodiment, the lower connecting pipe is provided with a first bent portion and a second bent portion, and the portion of the lower connecting pipe from the first bent portion to the second bent portion and the portion of the lower connecting pipe from the second bent portion to the lower end are inclined with respect to the axis of the case extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, a user can easily bend the lower connecting pipe by holding the upper portion of the lower connecting pipe with his / her hand and applying a downward force, and can easily move the upper end portion of the lower connecting pipe downward. For example, by configuring the case to be detached from the upper connecting pipe and the lower connecting pipe by moving the upper end portion of the lower connecting pipe downward, or by configuring the case to be separated from the case by moving the upper end portion of the lower connecting pipe downward, a user can easily perform maintenance of the collector body accommodated in the case (for example, removing fine objects accumulated in the collector body). EXAMPLES

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cooling device for a marine propulsion unit of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In the embodiment, when describing the directions of front (Fd), rear (Bd), top (Ud), bottom (Dd), left (Ld), and right (Rd), please refer to the arrows drawn at the bottom left of Figures 1 to 8.

[0020] (Outboard motor) FIG. 1 shows an outboard motor 1, which is one form of marine propulsion device, as viewed from the left. As shown in FIG. 1, the outboard motor 1 includes an engine 2 as a power source, a drive shaft 3 that rotates by receiving power from the engine 2, a propeller 4 that generates propulsive power for the marine vessel, a propeller shaft 5 to which the propeller 4 is attached, and a gear mechanism 6 that transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 3 to the propeller shaft 5. Although not shown, the gear mechanism 6 is provided with a shift device that switches the direction of rotation transmitted from the drive shaft 3 to the propeller shaft 5. The engine 2 is disposed in an upper portion of the outboard motor 1. The gear mechanism 6, the propeller shaft 5, and the propeller 4 are disposed in a lower portion of the outboard motor 1. The drive shaft 3 extends in the vertical direction between the engine 2 and the gear mechanism 6.

[0021] Furthermore, the lower part of the engine 2 is covered by an engine bottom cover 7, and the vertical middle and upper parts of the engine 2 are covered by an engine top cover 8. The engine top cover 8 is detachably attached to the engine bottom cover 7. By removing the engine top cover 8, a wide range of the engine 2 from the vertical middle to the upper part can be exposed. Furthermore, the upper part of the drive shaft 3 is covered by an upper case 9, and the vertical middle part of the drive shaft 3 is covered by a middle case 10. Furthermore, the lower part of the drive shaft 3, and the front part of the gear mechanism 6 and the propeller shaft 5 are covered by a lower case 11.

[0022] Fig. 2 shows the engine 2 as seen from the left. Fig. 3 shows the engine 2 as seen from the rear. The engine 2 is, for example, a four-stroke, four-cylinder gasoline engine, and is cooled by water. The engine 2 is arranged so that the extension direction of the crankshaft is the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the engine 2 has a crankcase 12 arranged at the front, a cylinder block 13 arranged behind the crankcase 12, and a cylinder head 14 arranged behind the cylinder block 13. The rear of the cylinder head 14 is covered by a cylinder head cover 15.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the outboard motor 1 is provided with an exhaust passage 16 for discharging exhaust gas discharged from the engine 2 to the outside of the outboard motor 1. The upper end of the exhaust passage 16 is connected to an exhaust port provided in a cylinder head 14 of the engine 2, and the lower end of the exhaust passage 16 is connected to an exhaust chamber 17 provided in a rear part of the lower part of the outboard motor 1. In the outboard motor 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust chamber 17 is provided in a portion extending from the rear part of the middle case 10 to the rear part of the lower case 11. Exhaust gas discharged from an exhaust port of the engine 2 is sent to the exhaust chamber 17 via the exhaust passage 16, and is then discharged to the outside of the outboard motor 1 via an exhaust port provided in a shaft part of the propeller 4, for example. Note that the exhaust port of the engine 2 and the exhaust passage 16 are not shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

[0024] (cooling device) The outboard motor 1 is equipped with a cooling device 21 that uses the water around the outboard motor 1, such as seawater, lake water, or river water, as cooling water to cool the engine 2 and other heat-generating parts of the outboard motor 1. Figure 4 shows the configuration of the cooling device 21.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling device 21 includes a water intake port 22, a water intake passage 23, a water pump 24, a water supply passage 25, a water jacket 26, a water drain passage 27, a thermostat 28, a pressure valve 29, and a collector 31.

[0026] The water intake 22 is an opening for taking in water around the outboard motor 1 into the outboard motor 1, and is provided in a portion of the outboard motor 1 that is submerged under the water surface, specifically, in a part of the lower case 11 (see FIG. 1). The water intake 22 is also provided with a strainer or a cover with many small holes to prevent stones, seaweed, and other objects larger than minute objects from entering the outboard motor 1 together with seawater, lake water, or river water.

[0027] The water intake passage 23 is a passage for sucking water taken into the outboard motor 1 from the water intake port 22 into the water pump 24, and is provided inside the lower case 11.

[0028] The water pump 24 is a pump that sucks up water taken into the outboard motor 1 through the water intake 22 and discharges the sucked up water as cooling water, and is provided, for example, inside the lower case 11 or the middle case 10. The water pump 24 is operated by utilizing the rotation of the drive shaft 3.

[0029] The water supply passage 25 is a passage for sending the cooling water discharged from the water pump 24 to the water jacket 26, and is formed, for example, by a hose or pipe provided inside the middle case 10, the upper case 9, and the engine bottom cover 7.

[0030] The water jacket 26 is a mechanism for cooling the engine 2 by causing the cooling water fed via the water supply passage 25 to flow around or inside the engine 2, and is provided around or inside the engine 2.

[0031] The drain passage 27 is a passage for discharging the cooling water after flowing through the water jacket 26 to the outside of the outboard motor 1, and is formed by, for example, a hose or a pipe provided inside the engine top cover 8, the engine bottom cover 7, the upper case 9, etc. The upstream end of the drain passage 27 is connected to the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26 arranged on the upper part of the cylinder head 14, as shown in FIG. 2. The drain passage 27 extends from the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26 to the upper left side of the rear of the engine 2, passes through a collector 31, and then extends downward inside the engine bottom cover 7 and the upper case 9. The downstream end of the drain passage 27 is connected to the exhaust chamber 17, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0032] The thermostat 28 is a device that limits the flow of cooling water to warm up the engine 2 or to prevent overcooling of the engine 2, and is provided, for example, near the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26. The thermostat 28 opens when the temperature of the cooling water flowing inside the water jacket 26 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined reference temperature, and closes when the temperature of the cooling water becomes lower than the reference temperature.

[0033] The pressure valve 29 is a valve for lowering the water pressure in the water supply passage 25 or the water jacket 26 by releasing the cooling water discharged from the water pump 24 toward the exhaust chamber 17 when the flow of the cooling water is restricted by the thermostat 28. The pressure valve 29 is, for example, a normally closed valve, and opens when the water pressure in the water supply passage 25 exceeds a predetermined reference pressure.

[0034] The collector 31 is a device that collects fine objects contained in the cooling water flowing through the drain passage 27. The collector 31 will be described in detail later.

[0035] In the cooling device 21 having such a configuration, when the water pump 24 is operating, the thermostat 28 is open, and the pressure valve 29 is closed, water around the outboard motor 1 is taken into the outboard motor 1 through the water intake port 22, and the water flows successively through the water intake passage 23 and the water supply passage 25, and is sent to the water jacket 26 as cooling water. The cooling water sent to the water jacket 26 flows inside the water jacket 26, thereby cooling the engine 2. The cooling water that has flowed inside the water jacket 26 flows into the drain passage 27 from the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26, flows inside the drain passage 27, passes through the collector 31 on the way, and is then discharged into the exhaust chamber 17. The cooling water discharged into the exhaust chamber 17 is discharged outside the outboard motor 1 together with the exhaust gas, for example, through a discharge port provided on the shaft of the propeller 4. On the other hand, when the water pump 24 is operating, the thermostat 28 is closed, and the pressure valve 29 is open, water taken into the outboard motor 1 from the water intake 22 flows successively through the water intake passage 23 and the water supply passage 25, but before reaching the water jacket 26, it is sent to the exhaust chamber 17 side via the open pressure valve 29 and released into the exhaust chamber 17. The cooling water released into the exhaust chamber 17 is discharged outside the outboard motor 1 together with the exhaust gas.

[0036] (collector) As described above, the collector 31 is a device that collects fine objects contained in the cooling water flowing through the drain passage 27. The fine objects are, for example, fine garbage such as microplastics, or residue of bait used in aquaculture. The size of the fine objects is, for example, about 0.1 mm or more and about 5 mm or less. Because of their size, the fine objects cannot be removed by a strainer or a cover having many small holes provided on the water intake 22. That is, when the water pump 24 is operating, the thermostat 28 is open, and the pressure valve 29 is closed, the fine objects enter the outboard motor 1 from the water intake 22 together with seawater, lake water, river water, etc., and flow into the collector 31 through the water intake passage 23, the water supply passage 25, the water jacket 26, and the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27.

[0037] 2 and 3, the collector 31 is disposed on the left side of the rear of the engine 2. The collector 31 is interposed between the upstream portion 27A and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27. The collector 31 is disposed inside the engine top cover 8 together with a bypass passage 56 described later.

[0038] The upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 is a portion of the drain passage 27 located within a region extending from above the middle portion of the engine 2 in the front-rear direction and the middle portion in the left-right direction to the left of the upper rear portion of the engine 2. Specifically, the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 is a portion of the drain passage 27 extending from the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26 disposed at the top of the cylinder head 14 to a position to the left of the top of the cylinder head cover 15. The upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 is formed of a resin pipe having high heat resistance and rigidity or a metal pipe having high corrosion resistance, or a rubber hose having high heat resistance and rigidity. Further, the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 extends leftward from the outlet 26A of the water jacket 26 and then bends, then extends rearward while inclining downward on the left side of the rear upper portion of the engine 2 and then bends, then extends horizontally rearward on the left side of the rear upper portion of the engine 2 and then bends, and then extends vertically downward on the left side of the rear upper portion of the engine 2. The lower end opening of the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 faces downward.

[0039] Further, the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 is a portion of the drain passage 27 located within the region extending from the lower left part of the rear of the engine 2 to the exhaust chamber 17. The upper end of the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 is formed by a drain hole 30 formed in the lower left part of the rear of the housing of the engine 2. Further, the portion of the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 below the upper end is formed by a hose or a pipe or the like provided inside the engine bottom cover 7 and the upper case 9, etc. Further, the upper end of the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27, i.e., the drain hole 30, extends downward although it is inclined slightly to the right, and the upper end opening of the drain hole 30 faces upward.

[0040] Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the upstream portion 27A of the drainage passage 27, the collector 31, the upper end of the downstream portion 27B of the drainage passage 27, and the bypass passage 56, taken along the cutting line VV in Fig. 3, viewed from the left. As shown in Fig. 5, the collector 31 has a filter cartridge 32, a case 41, a branch pipe 53, a connecting hose 54, and a junction pipe 55. Note that the filter cartridge 32 is a specific example of a "collector body", and the connecting hose 54 is a specific example of a "connecting pipe".

[0041] FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the filter cartridge 32 and the case 41 in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the filter cartridge 32 has a filter 33 that captures fine objects and allows cooling water to pass through, and a holder 34 that holds the filter 33. The filter 33 is formed, for example, from a nonwoven fabric or a resin mesh, and is formed in a bag shape with an open upper side and a closed lower side. The holder 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an axis extending in the vertical direction, from a resin with high heat resistance and rigidity, or a metal with high corrosion resistance. In addition, a plurality of water passage holes 37 are provided in the peripheral wall of the holder 34. The filter 33 is disposed inside the holder 34 so as to cover each water passage hole 37 and the opening 36 on the lower side of the holder 34. In addition, the upper part of the filter 33 is attached and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the upper part of the holder 34, for example, by an adhesive.

[0042] An O-ring 38 is provided in an annular recess formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper part of holder 34. O-ring 38 presses and contacts the inner surface of upper case part 42. O-ring 38 has a function of preventing holder 34 from falling off from upper case part 42 when lower case part 45 is separated from upper case part 42.

[0043] The case 41 is a member that houses the filter cartridge 32. The case 41 is made of a heat-resistant and highly rigid resin, a highly corrosion-resistant metal, or the like, and is formed into a cylindrical shape having an axis that extends in the vertical direction. The case 41 is divided into an upper case portion 42 that forms the upper portion of the case 41, and a lower case portion 45 that forms the lower portion of the case 41.

[0044] The lower end of the first outlet pipe section 53B of the branch pipe 53 is connected to the upper opening 43 of the upper case section 42. In this embodiment, the upper case section 42 is integrally formed with the first outlet pipe section 53B of the branch pipe 53. In addition, a large diameter section 44 having an outer diameter and an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the upper section of the upper case section 42 is formed in the lower section of the upper case section 42, and a thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter section 44.

[0045] Meanwhile, a connection pipe portion 46 is provided below the lower case portion 45, and the lower case portion 45 and the connection pipe portion 46 are integrated together. The upper end portion of the connection hose 54 is connected to the lower end portion of the connection pipe portion 46. A flange portion 47 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the lower portion of the lower case portion 45 is formed at the upper portion of the lower case portion 45, and the flange portion 47 is inserted into the large diameter portion 44 of the upper case portion 42.

[0046] The lower case part 45 is detachably connected to the upper case part 42 by a connecting member 51. That is, the connecting member 51 that detachably connects the lower case part 45 to the upper case part 42 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower case part 45. The connecting member 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, from resin or metal. The inner diameter of the upper part of the connecting member 51 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the large diameter part 44 of the upper case part 42, and a thread that screws with the thread formed on the large diameter part 44 of the upper case part 42 is formed on the inner surface of the upper part of the connecting member 51. The inner diameter of the lower part of the connecting member 51 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange part 47 of the lower case part 45 and larger than the outer diameter of the lower part of the lower case part 45. The connecting member 51 can rotate around the lower case part 45. The lower case part 45 can be connected to the upper case part 42 and fixed by screwing the connecting member 51 to the large diameter part 44 of the upper case part 42. Moreover, by removing the connecting member 51 from the large diameter portion 44 of the upper case portion 42, the lower case portion 45 can be separated from the upper case portion 42. Moreover, a protrusion 48 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower end portion of the lower case portion 45 to prevent the connecting member 51 from falling off the lower case portion 45 when the connecting member 51 is removed from the large diameter portion 44 of the upper case portion 42.

[0047] In addition, an O-ring 50 is provided on the upper surface of the lower case portion 45 to seal between the upper case portion 42 and the lower case portion 45 when the lower case portion 45 is joined to the upper case portion 42.

[0048] The upper part of the filter cartridge 32 is mounted in the upper case part 42, and is prevented from slipping out of the upper case part 42 by an O-ring 38 provided on the upper part of the holder 34. When the lower case part 45 is joined to the upper case part 42, the lower part of the filter cartridge 32 is covered by the lower case part 45, and the filter cartridge 32 is held between the upper case part 42 and the lower case part 45. The filter cartridge 32 is disposed coaxially with the case 41, and the position of the upper opening 35 of the holder 34 of the filter cartridge 32 coincides with the position of the upper opening 43 of the upper case part 42, and the position of the lower opening 36 of the holder 34 coincides with the position of the lower opening 49 of the lower case part 45.

[0049] 6 indicates the vertical position of the upper end of the lower case part 45 when the lower case part 45 is joined to the upper case part 42. Further, dashed double-dashed line Q in Fig. 6 indicates the vertical center position of the filter cartridge 32 when the filter cartridge 32 is held between the joined upper case part 42 and lower case part 45. As can be seen from the dashed double-dashed lines P and Q, when the lower case part 45 is joined to the upper case part 42 and the filter cartridge 32 is held between the upper case part 42 and the lower case part 45, the upper end of the lower case part 45 is located below the vertical center of the filter cartridge 32.

[0050] The cooling water flows from the first outflow pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53 through the upper opening 43 of the upper case portion 42 and the upper opening 35 of the holder 34 in this order, and then flows into the bag-shaped filter 33 arranged in the holder 34 of the filter cartridge 32. The cooling water that flows into the filter 33 passes through the filter 33, passes through the lower opening 36 of the holder 34, the lower opening 49 of the lower case portion 45, and the connecting pipe portion 46 in this order, and then flows into the connecting hose 54. When the cooling water passes through the filter 33, fine objects in the cooling water are captured by the filter 33, and the fine objects are removed from the cooling water.

[0051] 5, the branch pipe 53 is a pipe that connects the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 to the case 41 and also connects the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 to the bypass passage 56. The branch pipe 53 is made of a resin having high heat resistance and rigidity, or a metal having high corrosion resistance, etc. The branch pipe 53 has an inlet pipe section 53A, a first outlet pipe section 53B, and a second outlet pipe section 53C.

[0052] In the branch pipe 53, the inflow pipe section 53A is located on the upper side, and the first outflow pipe section 53B is located on the lower side. The inflow pipe section 53A and the first outflow pipe section 53B are arranged coaxially, and the part of the branch pipe 53 from the inflow pipe section 53A to the first outflow pipe section 53B extends linearly in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper end of the inflow pipe section 53A is connected to the lower end of the upstream section 27A of the drainage passage 27, and the lower end of the first outflow pipe section 53B is connected to the upper opening 43 of the upper case section 42 (in this embodiment, as described above, the first outflow pipe section 53B and the upper case section 42 are integrally formed). In addition, the inflow pipe section 53A is arranged coaxially with the lower end of the upstream section 27A of the drainage passage 27, and the first outflow pipe section 53B is arranged coaxially with the case 41.

[0053] The second outflow pipe section 53C extends forward while inclining downward from approximately the middle in the vertical direction of the portion of the branch pipe 53 between the inflow pipe section 53A and the first outflow pipe section 53B. The upper end section of a bypass pipe 57 forming an upper portion of the bypass passage 56 is connected to the lower end section of the second outflow pipe section 53C.

[0054] The connection hose 54 is a pipe that connects the case 41 and the first inlet pipe portion 55A of the junction pipe 55. The connection hose 54 is made of a rubber hose that is heat resistant and has high rigidity. For example, when the exhaust volume is 2000 cm 3In the case of an outboard motor 1 equipped with an engine 2 having a maximum output of about 103 kW (140 PS), a rubber hose containing reinforced fibers and having an outer diameter of 34 mm, a hose thickness of 3.5 mm, and a rubber hardness of 65 to 75 (Durometer A hardness) is used as the connection hose 54. The connection hose 54 is flexible, but is difficult to bend due to its high rigidity. The upper end of the connection hose 54 is connected to the lower end of the connection pipe portion 46 formed integrally with the lower case portion 45. The lower end of the connection hose 54 is connected to the upper end of the first inlet pipe portion 55A of the junction pipe 55. The upper end of the connection hose 54 is arranged coaxially with the case 41.

[0055] Moreover, in the connection hose 54, an upper bent portion 54A is provided between the upper end and the lower end, and a lower bent portion 54B is provided between the upper bent portion 54A and the lower end. As will be described in detail later, the upper bent portion 54A and the lower bent portion 54B have the function of making the connection hose 54 easy to bend when the lower case portion 45 is moved downward and separated from the upper case portion 42. In this embodiment, the lower bent portion 54B is disposed approximately in the center between the upper end and the lower end of the connection hose 54, and the upper bent portion 54A is disposed approximately in the center between the upper end of the connection hose 54 and the lower bent portion 54B.

[0056] The connection hose 54 extends downward from its upper end along the axis J of the case 41, then bends at an upper bent portion 54A, then extends downward while inclining with respect to the axis J so as to move away from the axis J, then bends at a lower bent portion 54B, and then extends downward while inclining with respect to the axis J so as to approach the axis J. Moreover, the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B extends downward while inclining toward the rear of the engine 2 and toward the center (rightward) in the left-right direction of the engine 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Moreover, the portion of the connection hose 54 from the lower bent portion 54B to the lower end extends downward while inclining toward the front left.

[0057] Although the connection hose 54 has the upper bent portion 54A and the lower bent portion 54B as described above, the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper end to the upper bent portion 54A extends downward along the axis J of the case 41, the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B extends downward although it is inclined with respect to the axis J, and the portion of the connection hose 54 from the lower bent portion 54B to the lower end extends downward although it is inclined with respect to the axis J. Therefore, the connection hose 54 extends in the vertical direction between the case 41 and the junction pipe 55 as a whole. The upper bent portion 54A is a specific example of a "first bent portion," and the lower bent portion 54B is a specific example of a "second bent portion."

[0058] The junction pipe 55 is a pipe that connects the connection hose 54 and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27, and also connects the bypass passage 56 and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27. The junction pipe 55 is made of a resin having high heat resistance and rigidity, or a metal having high corrosion resistance, etc. The junction pipe 55 has a first inflow pipe portion 55A, a second inflow pipe portion 55B, and an outflow pipe portion 55C.

[0059] In the junction pipe 55, the second inflow pipe section 55B is located on the upper side, and the outflow pipe section 55C is located on the lower side. The second inflow pipe section 55B and the outflow pipe section 55C are arranged coaxially, and the portion of the junction pipe 55 from the second inflow pipe section 55B to the outflow pipe section 55C extends linearly in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper end of the second inflow pipe section 55B is connected to the lower end of the connecting pipe 58 that forms the lower part of the bypass passage 56, and the lower end of the outflow pipe section 55C is connected to the upper end of the downstream section 27B (drain hole 30) of the drain passage 27.

[0060] The first inflow pipe section 55A extends rearward while inclining upward and to the right from approximately the middle of the vertical direction of the portion of the junction pipe 55 extending from the second inflow pipe section 55B to the outflow pipe section 55C. The lower end section of the connection hose 54 is connected to the upper end section of the first inflow pipe section 55A. The inner diameters of the inflow pipe section 53A of the branch pipe 53, the first outflow pipe section 53B of the branch pipe 53, the connection hose 54, and the first inflow pipe section 55A of the junction pipe 55 are approximately equal to each other.

[0061] (Bypass passage) In the cooling device 21, a bypass passage 56 is provided between the upstream portion 27A and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27. The bypass passage 56 is connected in parallel to the passage formed by the filter cartridge 32, the case 41, and the connection hose 54 between the upstream portion 27A and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27. The bypass passage 56 is a passage for smoothly flowing the cooling water from the upstream portion 27A to the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 when a large amount of fine objects accumulate in the filter 33 and the filter 33 becomes clogged. That is, when the filter 33 becomes clogged, it becomes difficult for the cooling water to pass through the filter 33, so that it becomes difficult for the cooling water flowing out from the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 to flow through the passage formed by the filter cartridge 32, the case 41, and the connection hose 54. In this case, the cooling water flowing out from the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 flows through the bypass passage 56.

[0062] The bypass passage 56 is formed by a bypass pipe 57 and a connecting pipe 58. The bypass pipe 57 is formed of a rubber hose having high heat resistance and high rigidity, or a pipe made of resin having high heat resistance and high rigidity or metal having high corrosion resistance. The upper end of the bypass pipe 57 is connected to the lower end of the second outflow pipe portion 53C of the branch pipe 53, and the lower end of the bypass pipe 57 is connected to the upper end of the connecting pipe 58. The bypass pipe 57 extends downward from its upper end while inclining forward with respect to the axis J of the case 41, then bends, and then extends in the vertical direction so as to be parallel to the axis J of the case 41. The connecting pipe 58 is formed of a resin having high heat resistance and high rigidity, or a metal having high corrosion resistance. The lower end of the connecting pipe 58 is connected to the upper end of the second inflow pipe portion 55B of the junction pipe 55. The connecting pipe 58 extends in the vertical direction and is arranged coaxially with the bypass pipe 57. The inner diameters of the second outlet pipe section 53C of the branch pipe 53, the bypass pipe 57, the connecting pipe 58, and the second inlet pipe section 55B of the junction pipe 55 are approximately equal to each other. The inner diameters of the second outlet pipe section 53C of the branch pipe 53, the bypass pipe 57, the connecting pipe 58, and the second inlet pipe section 55B of the junction pipe 55 are approximately equal to the inner diameters of the inlet pipe section 53A of the branch pipe 53, the first outlet pipe section 53B of the branch pipe 53, the connecting hose 54, and the first inlet pipe section 55A of the junction pipe 55.

[0063] (Flow of cooling water in collector and bypass passage) In FIG. 5, the cooling water flows from the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 into the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53, as indicated by the arrow A. Here, the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53, the first outflow pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53, and the case 41 are arranged coaxially, and the flow path from the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53 to the case 41 extends linearly in the vertical direction. In contrast, the second outflow pipe portion 53C of the branch pipe 53 is inclined with respect to the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53, and the flow path from the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53 to the bypass pipe 57 is bent. Therefore, when the filter 33 is not clogged, most of the cooling water that flows into the inflow pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53 flows into the case 41 through the first outflow pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53, as indicated by the arrow B. The cooling water that has flowed into the case 41 passes through the filter 33, flows out of the case 41, and flows into the connecting hose 54. When the cooling water passes through the filter 33, fine objects in the cooling water are removed. The cooling water that has flowed into the connecting hose 54 flows inside the connecting hose 54, flows into a first inlet pipe section 55A of the junction pipe 55 as indicated by arrow C, and then flows into the downstream section 27B of the drain passage 27 from the outlet pipe section 55C of the junction pipe 55 as indicated by arrow D.

[0064] In addition, there is no large bent portion in the flow path from the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 through the inlet pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53, the first outlet pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53, the case 41, the connection hose 54, the first inlet pipe portion 55A of the junction pipe 55, and the outlet pipe portion 55C of the junction pipe 55 to the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27. Therefore, when the filter 33 is not clogged, the cooling water flows smoothly from the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 through the inlet pipe portion 53A of the branch pipe 53, the first outlet pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53, the case 41, the connection hose 54, the first inlet pipe portion 55A of the junction pipe 55, and the outlet pipe portion 55C of the junction pipe 55 to the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27.

[0065] On the other hand, when the filter 33 is clogged, it becomes difficult for the cooling water to pass through the filter 33, and the flow of the cooling water is stagnated in the case 41 and the first outlet pipe section 53B of the branch pipe 53. Therefore, when the filter 33 is clogged, most of the cooling water that flows from the upstream section 27A of the drain passage 27 into the inlet pipe section 53A of the branch pipe 53 flows into the bypass pipe 57 through the second outlet pipe section 53C of the branch pipe 53, as shown by arrow E. The cooling water that flows into the bypass pipe 57 flows into the second inlet pipe section 55B of the junction pipe 55 through the bypass pipe 57 and the connecting pipe 58 in sequence, as shown by arrow F, and then flows into the downstream section 27B of the drain passage 27 from the outlet pipe section 55C of the junction pipe 55, as shown by arrow D.

[0066] (Removing and attaching the lower case) When the outboard motor 1 is used to navigate the boat, fine objects are captured by the filter 33 of the collector 31 and the captured fine objects are accumulated in the filter 33. For this reason, after using the outboard motor 1, the user removes the fine objects accumulated in the filter 33. Also, after using the outboard motor 1 for an extended period of time, the user replaces the filter cartridge 32. When performing such maintenance of the collector 31, the user separates the lower case portion 45 from the upper case portion 42 and removes the filter cartridge 32 from the upper case portion 42.

[0067] FIG. 7 shows a method of separating the lower case part 45 from the upper case part 42 and removing the filter cartridge 32 from the upper case part 42. First, the user rotates the connecting member 51 of the case 41 in a direction in which the screw is unscrewed, and removes the connecting member 51 from the large diameter part 44 of the upper case part 42. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the user holds the upper part of the connection hose 54 with his / her hand and pushes it down as indicated by the arrow K in FIG. 7(A). By pushing down the upper part of the connection hose 54, the lower case part 45 moves downward, and as shown in FIG. 7(B), the lower case part 45 is separated from the upper case part 42. Next, the user pushes the upper part of the connection hose 54 in a direction away from the engine 2 (generally to the left) as indicated by the arrow L in FIG. 7(B), and moves the lower case part 45 to a position that is not directly below the upper case part 42. As shown in Figure 7(C), after moving the lower case part 45 to a position away from directly below the upper case part 42, the user pulls down the filter cartridge 32 attached to the upper case part 42 as indicated by arrow M in Figure 7(C) to remove it from the upper case part 42.

[0068] Thereafter, the user removes the fine objects accumulated in the filter 33, and mounts the filter cartridge 32 from which the fine objects have been removed into the upper case part 42, or mounts a new filter cartridge 32 into the upper case part 42, and then attaches the lower case part 45 to the upper case part 42 to join the two together.

[0069] As described above, the connection hose 54 is flexible but has high rigidity and is therefore difficult to bend. However, in the outboard motor 1 of this embodiment, a user can grasp the upper part of the connection hose 54 with his or her hand and push down to separate the lower case part 45 from the upper case part 42, as shown in Fig. 7. This point will be described below.

[0070] If the connection hose were to extend vertically in a straight line from case 41 to first inflow pipe section 55A of junction pipe 55, even if a user grasped the upper part of the connection hose with their hand and applied downward force, it would be difficult to push down the connection hose and to separate lower case section 45 from upper case section 42. One reason for this is that the direction of the force applied to the connection hose is the same as the extension direction of the connection hose, making it extremely difficult for the connection hose to bend.

[0071] However, in the outboard motor 1 of this embodiment, the connection hose 54 is provided with an upper bent portion 54A and a lower bent portion 54B, and the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B and the portion of the connection hose 54 from the lower bent portion 54B to the lower end extend in a direction intersecting with the axis J of the case 41 extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, when a user grips the upper portion of the connection hose 54 with his / her hand and applies a force downward, the direction of the force differs from the direction of extension of the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B, and also the direction of the force differs from the direction of extension of the portion of the connection hose 54 from the lower bent portion 54B to the lower end. Therefore, the connection hose 54 is more flexible than when the connection hose 54 extends linearly in the vertical direction as described above. Therefore, a user can easily push down the connection hose 54 by grasping the upper part of the connection hose 54 with his / her hand and applying downward force, thereby easily separating the lower case part 45 from the upper case part 42.

[0072] (Positional relationship between connection hose and bypass hose) Fig. 8 shows a state in which the cross section of connection hose 54 and bypass pipe 57 are viewed from above, taken along section line VIII-VIII in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 8, when connection hose 54 and bypass pipe 57 are viewed from above, axis N of the portion of connection hose 54 from upper bent portion 54A to lower bent portion 54B intersects with straight line T that passes through both axis U of the upper end portion of connection hose 54 and axis V of bypass pipe 57 excluding its inclined upper end portion.

[0073] Because the connection hose 54 and the bypass pipe 57 are arranged in this manner, the lower bent portion 54B and the like of the connection hose 54 do not come into contact with the bypass pipe 57. Furthermore, when the lower case part 45 is separated from the upper case part 42 and the filter cartridge 32 is removed from the upper case part 42, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 8, the lower case part 45 separated from the upper case part 42 does not come into contact with the bypass pipe 57. Note that the two-dot chain line in Fig. 8 shows the lower case part 45 in a state in which it has been pushed and moved to the position shown in Fig. 7(C).

[0074] As described above, in the collector 31 of the cooling device 21 of the embodiment of the present invention, the case 41 that houses the filter cartridge 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an axis extending in the vertical direction, the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 and the case 41 are connected by the inlet pipe portion 53A and the first outlet pipe portion 53B of the branch pipe 53 extending in the vertical direction, and the case 41 and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 are connected by the connection hose 54 that has bent portions 54A and 54B but extends in the vertical direction as a whole. In this way, the flow path of the cooling water in the collector 31 interposed between the upstream portion 27A of the drain passage 27 and the downstream portion 27B of the drain passage 27 is not greatly bent like the flow path of the conventional technology shown in FIG. 9(B). Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in pressure loss in the flow path of the cooling water in the collector 31, and to improve the flow of the cooling water in the collector 31.

[0075] In the collector 31 of the cooling device 21 of this embodiment, the connection hose 54 is provided with an upper bent portion 54A and a lower bent portion 54B, and the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B and the portion of the connection hose 54 from the lower bent portion 54B to the lower end are inclined with respect to the axis J of the case 41 extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, a user can easily bend the connection hose 54 by gripping the upper portion of the connection hose 54 with his / her hand and applying a downward force, and can easily separate the lower case portion 45 from the upper case portion 42 by moving the lower case portion 45 connected to the upper end portion of the connection hose 54 downward. This allows the user to easily perform maintenance on the collector 31.

[0076] Furthermore, the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B extends downward while inclining toward the rear of the engine 2 and toward the center in the left-right direction of the engine 2. This makes it possible to prevent a portion of the connection hose 54, for example the lower bent portion 54B, from protruding outward to the side of the engine 2. This makes it possible to make the engine top cover 8 that covers the engine 2 in which the collector 31 is disposed smaller, thereby enabling the outboard motor 1 to be made more compact.

[0077] Furthermore, with the lower case part 45 joined to the upper case part 42, the upper end of the lower case part 45 is located lower than the center in the up-down direction of the filter cartridge 32. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of downward movement of the lower case part 45 when separating the lower case part 45 from the upper case part 42. This makes it even easier to separate the lower case part 45 from the upper case part 42 and remove the filter cartridge 32 from the upper case part 42.

[0078] 8, when the connection hose 54 and the bypass pipe 57 are viewed from above, the axis N of the portion of the connection hose 54 from the upper bent portion 54A to the lower bent portion 54B intersects with a straight line T passing through both the axis U of the upper end portion of the connection hose 54 and the axis V of the portion of the bypass pipe 57 excluding the inclined upper end portion. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the lower bent portion 54B and the like of the connection hose 54 from contacting the bypass pipe 57. In addition, when the lower case portion 45 is separated from the upper case portion 42 and the filter cartridge 32 is removed from the upper case portion 42, it is possible to prevent the lower case portion 45 separated from the upper case portion 42 from contacting the bypass pipe 57.

[0079] Furthermore, by providing the outboard motor 1 with a cooling device 21 having a collector 31 capable of collecting microplastics, it is possible to collect the microplastics that have dispersed in seawater, lake water, river water, etc. while the ship is sailing, thereby making it possible to purify the sea, lake or river.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the filter cartridge 32 is rendered removable from the case 41 by moving downward together the upper end of the connection hose 54 and the lower case 41, which is inseparably connected to the upper end of the connection hose 54, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the case 41 may be separably connected to the branch pipe 53 and the case 41 may be separably connected to the connection hose 54, and the case 41 may be separated from both the branch pipe 53 and the connection hose 54 by pushing down only the upper end of the connection hose 54. This allows the entire case 41 to be removed from the outboard motor 1, and fine objects accumulated in the filter 33 can be removed.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the collector 31 is disposed on the left side of the rear of the engine 2, but the collector 31 may be disposed at another position around the engine 2, such as on the right side of the rear of the engine 2.

[0082] The power source of the outboard motor 1 is not limited to an engine, but may be an electric motor. The cooling device of the present invention is not limited to an outboard motor, but may also be provided in other types of marine propulsion motors, such as inboard-outboard motors or inboard motors.

[0083] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not contradict the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and a cooling device for a marine propulsion unit that includes such modifications is also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Outboard motor (marine propulsion unit) 2 Engine (power source) 21 Cooling device 27 Drain passage 27A Upstream section 27B downstream 31 Collector 32 Filter cartridge (collector body) 41 cases 42 Upper case part 45 Lower case part 53 Branch Pipe 54 Connection hose (connection pipe) 54A Upper bend (first bend) 54B Lower bend (second bend) 56 Bypass Passage

Claims

1. A cooling device for a marine propulsion device that is provided to a marine propulsion device, takes in water outside the marine propulsion device into the marine propulsion device, flows the taken-in water as cooling water around or inside a power source of the marine propulsion device to cool the power source, and discharges the cooling water that has flowed around or inside the power source to the outside of the marine propulsion device, a drain passage for discharging the cooling water after flowing around or inside the power source to the outside of the marine propulsion device; a collector disposed between the upstream and downstream portions of the drain passage and configured to collect fine objects contained in the cooling water flowing from the upstream portion of the drain passage toward the downstream portion of the drain passage; The collector is A collector body that captures the fine objects and passes cooling water through the collector body; a case that is formed so as to be separable into an upper portion and a lower portion, that houses the collector body, and the upper portion is connected to an upstream portion of the drainage passage; a connecting pipe having flexibility, an upper end connected to the lower part of the case, and a lower end connected to the downstream part of the drain passage; a first bend portion is provided between the upper end and the lower end of the connecting pipe; a second bent portion is provided between the first bent portion and a lower end portion of the connecting pipe; a connecting pipe extending downward from an upper end thereof along an axis extending in the vertical direction of the case, then bending in a direction away from the axis at the first bending portion, and then bending in a direction toward the axis at the second bending portion.

2. 2. The cooling device for a marine propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the connecting pipe from an upper end to the first bent portion is shorter than the width of the back of a hand of a user of the marine propulsion device.

3. The cooling device for a marine propulsion unit as described in claim 2, characterized in that when the user holds the portion of the connecting pipe between the upper end and the first bent portion with his / her hand, the upper part of the portion of the connecting pipe between the first bent portion and the second bent portion is located higher than the lower end of the back of the user's hand holding the portion of the connecting pipe between the upper end and the first bent portion.

4. 4. The cooling device for a marine propulsion machine according to claim 1, wherein the second bent portion is disposed at a lower position than the first bent portion.

5. 5. The cooling device for a marine propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the connecting pipe above the first bent portion extends linearly.

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