Outboard Motor Corrosion Protection via Elastic Conductor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outboard motors face challenges in maintaining a reliable electrical connection between cylinders and rods that move within the cylinder, leading to inadequate corrosion protection for components that contact water.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an elastically deformable metal conductor within the cylinder to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body, ensuring a consistent electrical connection between the rod and the cylinder, even when the mobile body moves, thereby preventing corrosion of the rod.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cylinder, piston, and rod are not fixed with metal bolts, then the device structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but a mutual electrical connection is not reliably made
Solution Approach 1:
A conductor is introduced as an intermediary component between the piston and rod. This conductor maintains electrical connection between the moving piston and rod without requiring them to be fixed together with metal bolts, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and electrical connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is designed to be elastically deformable, allowing it to change its physical state (elastic deformation) to maintain contact between the piston and rod during movement. This parameter change enables reliable electrical connection while avoiding fixed mechanical fastening
2Device complexity
If the rod is not electrically connected to the anode electrode, then the device structure is simpler, but corrosion of the rod that contacts water occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor acts as an intermediary that transmits electrical connection from the anode electrode through the cylinder to the moving piston and rod. This allows the rod to be electrically connected to the anode electrode for corrosion protection without adding complex fixed connection mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The elastically deformable conductor automatically maintains electrical contact between the moving rod and the anode electrode system without requiring external power or control systems. The conductor self-adjusts through elastic deformation to maintain connection throughout the rod's movement cycle
3Reliability
If a rigid conductor is used, then the electrical connection is stable, but the conductor cannot maintain contact when the mobile body moves within the cylinder
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is designed with elastic deformability as a key parameter, allowing it to change its shape and dimensions in response to the movement between the piston and rod. This elastic parameter change enables the conductor to adapt to varying positions while maintaining stable electrical contact throughout the movement range
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures a reliable electrical connection between the cylinder and the rod, effectively protecting the rod from corrosion regardless of its extended or retracted state, while simplifying the device structure by using a common anode electrode for multiple components.
Implementation Method 1
a conductor made of a metal, provided in the cylinder, and elastically deformable to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body by elastically deforming between the cylinder and the mobile body
Implementation Method 2
an anode electrode for corrosion protection located below a water surface in electrical connection with the cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor includes an outboard motor main body, a power trim and tilt including a cylinder made of a metal and a mobile body made of a metal and including a piston and a rod fixed to the piston to move the piston within the cylinder to extend and retract the rod to tilt the outboard motor main body, an anode electrode for corrosion protection located below a water surface in electrical connection to the cylinder, and a conductor made of a metal, provided in the cylinder, and elastically deformable to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body by elastically deforming between the cylinder and the mobile body. The conductor is operable to make an electrical connection between the rod and the cylinder even when the mobile body moves within the cylinder.