Outboard Motor Shift Switch Rotary Drive Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outboard motors with shift switches have a high number of components and increased size due to the need for a gear mechanism to transmit drive force, leading to increased resistance and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The outboard motor design incorporates a rotary drive on the axis of the shift shaft, directly transmitting drive force and eliminating the need for additional axes, with the rotary drive and shift switch components optimized to reduce size and component count by positioning them below the mount and adjacent to the propeller shaft, and utilizing a rotation sensor to detect shift state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a gear mechanism is used to transmit drive force from the electric motor to the rotation shaft, then the drive force can be transmitted, but the number of components increases and the size of the shift actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the gear mechanism from the drive force transmission path. By positioning the electric motor's rotation shaft directly on the shift shaft axis, the patent removes the intermediate gear components while maintaining effective drive force transmission from the motor to the shift mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation shaft of the electric motor serves dual functions: it acts as both the motor's internal rotation axis and the shift shaft that directly controls the propeller shaft rotation direction. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate gear mechanisms and reduces component count.
2Power
If a gear mechanism is used to transmit drive force, then the drive force can be transmitted, but the size of the shift actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the gear mechanism from the drive force transmission path. By positioning the electric motor's rotation shaft directly on the shift shaft axis, the patent removes the intermediate gear components while maintaining effective drive force transmission from the motor to the shift mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the electric motor's rotation shaft with the shift shaft into a single aligned axis. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate gear transmission components and reduces the overall volume of the shift actuator assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If the lower case size is increased to accommodate components, then components can be housed, but resistance generated during traveling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rotary drive components (electric motor and shift mechanism) from the lower case housing and positions them above the lower case. This extraction reduces the volume requirements of the lower case, thereby reducing its size and the resistance it generates during water travel.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial arrangement by moving rotary drive components from the vertical dimension (inside lower case) to the horizontal dimension (above lower case). This dimensional repositioning allows compact lower case design while accommodating all necessary components elsewhere in the assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor includes a shift switch including a shift shaft and a rotary drive provided on an axis of the shift shaft and that rotates the shift shaft, and that switches a rotation direction of a propeller shaft. An entirety of the rotary drive is disposed below a mount, and at least a portion of the rotary drive is disposed above a lower case.