Outboard Motor Steering Segmentation for Hull Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outboard motor designs face challenges in increasing the angular range of rotation while maintaining a simple attachment structure to the hull, due to the complexity of swinging electrical wiring and fuel tubes when the upper portion is rotated.
Innovation Solution
The outboard motor design incorporates a bracket for attaching the outboard motor main body to the hull, featuring a lower portion with two distinct sections and an upper portion with a drive source. The steering system includes a first steering to rotate the first lower portion in the right-left direction and a second steering to integrally rotate both lower portions, while keeping the upper portion stationary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the upper portion including the drive source is rotated in the right-left direction to increase the angular range, then the angular range of rotation is improved, but the attachment structure becomes more complex due to swinging electrical wiring and fuel tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The outboard motor is divided into three distinct segments: the upper portion (drive source), the lower portion (propeller), and the intermediate portion (connection section). This segmentation allows independent rotation of the lower portion while keeping the upper portion stationary, resolving the contradiction by enabling angular range increase without requiring the entire assembly to rotate.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate portion acts as an intermediary element between the upper and lower portions. It includes a connection section with universal joints that transmit power while accommodating the rotation of the lower portion independently, thus mediating between the stationary upper portion and the rotatable lower portion.
2Device complexity
If a single steering mechanism rotates the entire outboard motor main body, then the attachment structure is simple, but the angular range of rotation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The steering function is segmented into two independent steering mechanisms: a first steering for rotating the lower portion and a second steering for rotating the upper portion. This segmentation allows each steering to operate independently, achieving a combined angular range greater than either steering alone while maintaining relatively simple attachment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, single-rotation-mode design to a dynamic, multi-rotation-mode design. The lower portion can rotate independently of the upper portion, and both can rotate in different directions and by different angles, providing dynamic adaptability while keeping the attachment structure manageable.
3Ease of operation
If the upper portion is rotated to increase maneuverability, then the angular range is improved, but electrical wiring and fuel tubes swing and become complex to manage
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the rotation capability to only the lower portion while keeping the upper portion stationary, the patent eliminates the swinging of electrical wiring and fuel tubes that would occur if the entire assembly rotated. The lower portion's rotation does not affect the upper portion's connections to the hull.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation function is extracted from the upper portion and applied only to the lower portion. This extraction allows the upper portion and its connected wiring and tubes to remain stationary and simple, while the lower portion gains the maneuverability needed for effective operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor includes a steering including a first steering to rotate a first lower portion of the outboard motor in a right-left direction with respect to a hull, and a second steering to integrally rotate the first lower portion and a second lower portion of the outboard motor in the right-left direction with respect to the hull. The steering does not rotate an upper portion of the outboard motor in the right-left direction with respect to the hull.