Abstract: An outboard motor operating system, includes a shared switch for inputting operation instructions to either a steering (hydraulic) cylinder for steering an outboard motor or a PTT unit for regulating the tilt/trim angles of the outboard motor. The system also includes a first group of signal lines connected to the steering cylinder, a second group of signal lines connected to the PTT unit, and a third group of signal lines connected to the shared switch. The operating system also includes a selector switch for connecting either the first or second group of signal lines to the third group of signal lines. Thus, a shared operating system is provided for inputting operation instructions to the steering cylinder and PTT unit, and the destination of the instructions is made selectable, enabling a reduction in the number of components and a reduction in the amount of space needed for installing the operating system on the boat.

Abstract: In a boat having a seat, a steering wheel, and an outboard motor, an outboard motor steering system is provided, where the steering wheel is installed near the seat a steering angle sensor installed near the steering wheel for outputting a signal indicative of a steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering system also includes a swivel shaft connected to a propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat, and an electric motor connected to the swivel shaft for rotating the swivel shaft in response to the detected steering angle. The steering system also includes a manipulation load regulation mechanism, such as a hydraulic damper, to produce an added load for increasing a manipulation load of the steering wheel, thereby enabling reduced operator load by using the electric motor to steer the outboard motor, while improving the operator's feel of steering wheel manipulation.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, having a swivel shaft connected to the propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat and housed in a swivel case, a hydraulic actuator such as a double-acting cylinder connected to the swivel shaft to rotate the swivel shaft, a hydraulic pressure supplier connected to the hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic pressure, and a controller that controls supply of the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator in response to a steering signal inputted by an operator such that the outboard motor is steered relative to the boat. In the system, the hydraulic actuator and the hydraulic pressure supplier are housed in the swivel case.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system wherein an electric motor is installed inside the outboard motor and the output of the electric motor rotates a swivel shaft to steer the propeller, thereby enhancing steering feel by using an electric motor to enable highly responsive and accurate control. In addition, the configuration is simple and does not lead to an increase in number of components or weight. In another steering system wherein a first hydraulic cylinder for driving a steering system and second hydraulic cylinders for driving a power tilt-trim system are supplied hydraulic oil from the same pump, thereby making a dedicated hydraulic pump for the steering system unnecessary and thus enabling reduction of system size and weight. In still another steering system wherein the outboard motor main unit is swiveled to turn the propeller by extension/contraction of the hydraulic cylinder whose one end is attached to the outboard motor main unit and other end is attached to the boat side of the outboard motor.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat. The system includes a swivel shaft connected to the propeller to turn it relative to the boat, a swivel case fixed to the outboard motor and rotatably accommodating the swivel shaft, and a hydraulic actuator connected to the swivel shaft to rotate it. The actuator has a shape whose height is larger than its width and is installed in such a manner that a direction of the height is in parallel with a vertical direction, so as not to project outside a profile of the outboard motor, obtained by looking down the outboard motor from downward, regardless of a steered angle of the outboard motor.

Abstract: In An outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine, a throttle body (that accommodates the throttle valve) is installed at a position close to the boat, and an electric motor is fastened to the throttle body so as to drive the throttle valve to open or close through a simple gear mechanism. This arrangement can mitigate operation load and offer improved operation feel. Further, it is simpler than a cable or a link mechanism, does not lead to an increase in number of components or weight, and hence the amount of required installation space can be reduced. A knob is provided and the operator can pinch and rotate it to open the throttle valve manually, when the electric motor breaks down.

Abstract: In an outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, a controller is connected to an actuator to rotate the outboard motor relative to the boat, and controls the actuator in such a manner that steered angle of the outboard motor relative to a steering angle inputted through a steering wheel becomes a predetermined ratio that is changed such that the steered angle of the outboard motor relative to the steering angle decreases with increasing moving speed of the boat.

Abstract: In an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, and having a shift mechanism comprising a clutch installed in the outboard motor to be engaged from with a forward gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a forward direction or a reverse gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a reverse direction, a shift rod movably installed in the outboard motor, and a shift slider connected to the shift rod to slide to a position at which the clutch is engaged with the forward gear or a position at which the clutch is engaged with the reverse gear, an actuator such as an electric motor is installed in the outboard motor to move the shift rod.

Abstract: In a shift mechanism for an outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, having an electric motor installed in the outboard motor, a shift rod rotatably connected to the electric motor, a shifter clutch connected to the shift rod, the shifter clutch being movable by the shift rod from a neutral position to engage with at least one of a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a controller controlling the electric motor to rotate the shift rod such that the shifter clutch engages with the forward gear or the reverse gear, corresponding to an inputted shift instruction made by the operator, there is provided a shock mitigator mitigating shock generated during the shift. The shock mitigator comprises projections formed on the clutch and the forward/reverse gear.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine and a propeller with a rudder powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat. The system includes a swivel shaft connected to the propeller, a swivel case rotatably accommodating the swivel shaft, and a hydraulic cylinder connected to the swivel shaft to rotate it. The swivel case is formed with a box-like recess to accommodate the hydraulic cylinder therein such that the hydraulic cylinder does not project outside a profile of the outboard motor, regardless of a steered angle of the outboard motor. A rotation angle sensor is also installed in the recess and outputs a signal indicative of an angle of swivel shaft rotation. Further, moving orifices are provided in a hydraulic pressure circuit of the actuator for relieving excessive hydraulic pressure. Thus, space utilization around the outboard motor and boat is not restricted and steering feel is improved.

Abstract: In an outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and including an outboard motor main unit having an internal combustion engine and a propeller with a rudder powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat and mounted on the stern of the boat through a mounting unit having a swivel shaft connected to the propeller to turn the propeller, and a swivel case rotatably accommodating the swivel shaft, a vibration attenuator is installed at a portion connecting the outboard motor main unit and the mounting unit and attenuating vibration of the outboard motor main unit to be transmitted to the mounting unit by causing the outboard motor main unit to displace relative to the mounting unit.

Abstract: In outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and equipped with an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, having a throttle actuator moving a throttle valve installed at an air intake pipe of the engine for regulating an amount of air to be sucked into the engine to change a boat running speed, a shift actuator rotating a shift rod connected to a clutch such that the clutch moves from a neutral position to engage with at least one of a forward gear and a reverse gear, a steering actuator rotating a swivel shaft installed in the outboard motor such that the outboard motor is steered relative to the boat, a group of devices (i.e., a steering grip, a shift/throttle lever, etc.) is installed at a position other than the boat and each operable by an operator to generate a signal indicating that the operator's instruction to operate at least one of the actuators is inputted.

Abstract: In an outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, a controller is connected to an actuator to rotate the outboard motor relative to the boat, and controls the actuator in such a manner that steered angle of the outboard motor relative to a steering angle inputted through a steering wheel becomes a predetermined ratio that is changed such that the steered angle of the outboard motor relative to the steering angle decreases with increasing moving speed of the boat.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat. The system includes a swivel shaft connected to the propeller to turn it relative to the boat, a swivel case fixed to the outboard motor and rotatably accommodating the swivel shaft, and a hydraulic actuator connected to the swivel shaft to rotate it. The actuator has a shape whose height is larger than its width and is installed in such a manner that a direction of the height is in parallel with a vertical direction, so as not to project outside a profile of the outboard motor, obtained by looking down the outboard motor from downward, regardless of a steered angle of the outboard motor.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, having a swivel shaft connected to the propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat and housed in a swivel case, a hydraulic actuator such as a double-acting cylinder connected to the swivel shaft to rotate the swivel shaft, a hydraulic pressure supplier connected to the hydraulic actuator to supply hydraulic pressure, and a controller that controls supply of the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator in response to a steering signal inputted by an operator such that the outboard motor is steered relative to the boat. In the system, the hydraulic actuator and the hydraulic pressure supplier are housed in the swivel case.

Abstract: An outboard motor steering system wherein an electric motor is installed inside the outboard motor and the output of the electric motor rotates a swivel shaft to steer the propeller, thereby enhancing steering feel by using an electric motor to enable highly responsive and accurate control. In addition, the configuration is simple and does not lead to an increase in number of components or weight. In another steering system wherein a first hydraulic cylinder for driving a steering system and second hydraulic cylinders for driving a power tilt-trim system are supplied hydraulic oil from the same pump, thereby making a dedicated hydraulic pump for the steering system unnecessary and thus enabling reduction of system size and weight. In still another steering system wherein the outboard motor main unit is swiveled to turn the propeller by extension/contraction of the hydraulic cylinder whose one end is attached to the outboard motor main unit and other end is attached to the boat side of the outboard motor.

Abstract: In an outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, and having a shift mechanism comprising a clutch installed in the outboard motor to be engaged from with a forward gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a forward direction or a reverse gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a reverse direction, a shift rod movably installed in the outboard motor, and a shift slider connected to the shift rod to slide to a position at which the clutch is engaged with the forward gear or a position at which the clutch is engaged with the reverse gear, an actuator such as an electric motor is installed in the outboard motor to move the shift rod.

Abstract: In An outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine, a throttle body (that accommodates the throttle valve) is installed at a position close to the boat, and an electric motor is fastened to the throttle body so as to drive the throttle valve to open or close through a simple gear mechanism. This arrangement can mitigate operation load and offer improved operation feel. Further, it is simpler than a cable or a link mechanism, does not lead to an increase in number of components or weight, and hence the amount of required installation space can be reduced. A knob is provided and the operator can pinch and rotate it to open the throttle valve manually, when the electric motor breaks down.

Abstract: A center frame 64 fixed to a lower end of a swivel shaft 62 of an outboard engine system by a bolt 79 includes a swivel shaft extension 641 extending downwards from the lower end of the swivel shaft 62, and a core metal 642 which extends laterally from a lower end of the swivel shaft extension 641 and has a lower mount rubber 80 integrally baked thereto. The lower mount rubber 80 is restrained on a rear surface of the extension case 42. Thus, the distance between an upper mount rubber mounted at an upper portion of the swivel shaft 62 and the lower mount rubber 80 mounted at a lower portion of the swivel shaft 62 can be increased without downward extension of the swivel shaft 62 itself to enhance the anti-vibration effect, while avoiding an increase in extra weight and an increase in cost.

Abstract: A method and apparatus by which accurate correction values for thermal displacement is calculated even when the rotation of the main spindle is restarted after interruption. The apparatus has means 2, 3 for measuring the temperature near the main spindle 15, means 5 for estimating the thermal displacement of the main spindle 15 on the basis of the measured temperature and a predetermined thermal displacement calculation expression, means 7 for calculating the correction value, and means 6 which estimates the displacement delay in re-rotation caused by the interruption of the rotation of the main spindle 15, and calculates an adjusting displacement on the basis of the estimated displacement delay. The correction value calculating means 7 calculates a correction value on the basis of the thermal displacement estimated by the thermal displacement estimating means 5 alone when the main spindle 15 is started up and rotated.