Outboard Motor Upper Case Recesses for Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outboard motors with removable upper cases do not provide a convenient means for users to grip or hold the upper case during removal, making it difficult to remove the upper case from the main body, especially for larger motors.
Innovation Solution
The outboard motor design includes an upper case with a top recess and a pair of side recesses, positioned to allow both hands to extend similarly, facilitating easy removal by providing a comfortable grip without the need for additional handles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the outboard motor size increases, then the power output increases, but the upper case weight and size increase making it difficult to grip and remove
Solution Approach 1:
The upper case incorporates recesses at specific locations (front, rear, and sides) to provide localized grip points. These recesses create areas with different geometric properties that facilitate hand insertion and gripping, allowing users to easily remove heavy upper cases from large outboard motors without requiring the entire case to be lightweight.
2Device complexity
If no grip or handle is provided on the upper case, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates when the upper case is heavy
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding handles or grips throughout the upper case, recesses are strategically positioned at the front, rear, and sides. These localized geometric features provide gripping functionality without adding complex handle structures, maintaining overall structural simplicity while enabling easy operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper case structure itself provides the gripping function through its own recesses, eliminating the need for separate handles or external gripping aids. The case serves both its protective function and its own manipulation function through the integrated recess design.
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor, comprising: a lower case (12) having an open top end and covering a main frame (3) that supports a power source (2) and a vertically extending drive shaft (4) for transmitting a power output of the power source; a bottom frame (17) a rotatable propeller (18), and a gear mechanism (5) for transmitting the power output from a lower end of the drive shaft to the propeller; and an upper case (13) attached to the open top end of the lower case in a detachable manner, wherein the upper case is provided with a top recess (21) provided in a top surface part of the upper case, and a pair of side recesses (26) provided on either side of the upper case, the top recess at least partly overlapping with the side recesses along a fore and aft direction in normal operation.