Outboard Motor Mount Bracket With Fixed Flexible Connector Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing outboard motor mounting structures require a large motor well to accommodate the displacement of rigging hoses, which compromises the strength and space efficiency of the hull, and can result in an unsightly exterior due to exposed connectors.
Innovation Solution
A mounting structure that includes a flexible connector supported by a first connector support adjacent to the mounting bracket, with a fixed support position that does not change with the tilt angle, reducing the need for a large motor well and allowing for a more compact and aesthetically pleasing design by keeping connectors close to the mounting bracket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rigging hose is designed to be long enough to accommodate the displacement during tilting and steering operations, then the connection between the hull and outboard motor body is maintained, but the hose becomes exposed and moves in response to operation, impairing the exterior appearance
Solution Approach 1:
A cover member is introduced as an intermediary component that conceals the rigging hose and its connectors. The cover member has a hollow interior space that accommodates the rigging hose, allowing it to move during tilting and steering operations while maintaining a clean exterior appearance. This mediator resolves the conflict between maintaining connection reliability and preserving exterior appearance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large motor well is provided to accommodate the displacement of the rigging hose, then the hose can move freely during operation, but the hull structure becomes complicated and requires more labor and cost to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member serves as a mediator that provides an enclosed space for the rigging hose to move within, eliminating the need for a large motor well in the hull structure. The cover member absorbs the complexity of accommodating hose movement, thereby simplifying the hull structure and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining full adaptability of the hose during operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the motor well is made large in size to allow rigging hose movement, then the hose can accommodate tilting and steering operations, but the strength of the hull structure near the stern is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member acts as a mediator that relocates the hose accommodation space from the hull structure to a separate component. This allows the hull structure to maintain its full strength and structural integrity near the stern, while the cover member provides the necessary space for the rigging hose to move during tilting and steering operations without compromising hull strength.
4Ease of operation
If the rigging hose is designed with sufficient length to allow full range of motion, then the connection is maintained during operation, but the exposed hose and connectors create an unsightly exterior
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is an intermediary that conceals the rigging hose and connectors while allowing them to move freely within its hollow interior space. This maintains the full operational range and ease of operation for the outboard motor body during tilting and steering, while presenting a clean, unsightly-free exterior by hiding the moving hose and connectors.
5Adaptability or versatility
If a large motor well is provided to accommodate rigging hose displacement, then the hose can move freely, but the residence space on the hull is compressed and the hull size cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member serves as a mediator that provides the necessary accommodation space for the rigging hose outside the hull structure. This eliminates the need to compress residence space on the hull or increase overall hull size, as the cover member houses the moving hose in a separate, dedicated space that does not interfere with the hull's internal volume or residence space.
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor mounting structure mounts an outboard motor body on a hull and includes a mounting bracket fixed to the hull, a swivel bracket joined to the mounting bracket to be tiltable around a tilt axis and that supports the outboard motor body, a flexible connector, and a first connector support that supports the flexible connector at a support position in a region adjacent to the mounting bracket. The relative position of the support position with respect to the mounting bracket does not change depending on a tilt angle of the outboard motor body. The flexible connector includes at least one of a wire, an operating cable, and a pipe that connects equipment on the hull and equipment provided in the outboard motor body. The adjacent region is a region defined between an upper surface of the hull and the engine cover and between a lowest point of the engine cover and the tilt axis in a state that the outboard motor body is tilted up at a maximum tilt angle.