Abstract: An outboard motor, includes: an engine; and an accommodation cover forming an accommodation space accommodating the engine. The accommodation cover includes: a lower cover configured to accommodate a lower part of the engine; an upper cover attached to the lower cover and configured to accommodate an upper part of the engine; and a plurality of lock portions provided in a connection part between the lower cover and the upper cover facing the accommodation space and configured to fix the upper cover to the lower cover. A part of the plurality of lock portions includes an interlocking mechanism configured to lock or unlock the part of the plurality of lock portions simultaneously in response to a single operation.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an engine, an engine cover forming an engine compartment for holding the engine therein, a ventilation system with an outer outlet ventilation space through which air in the engine compartment flows to the outside of the engine compartment, and a generator. The ventilation system includes a case disposed in the engine compartment and forming an air discharge passage leading to the outer outlet ventilation space. A fan is placed in the air discharge passage to deliver air by pressure from the engine compartment to the outer outlet ventilation space. The air discharge passage has an inlet ventilation passage formed in an upper space in the engine compartment and opening upward. The engine compartment holding the engine therein can be efficiently ventilated, and ventilation air can effectively cool the engine and can effectively suppress temperature rise in the engine compartment.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an internal combustion engine, an engine cover forming an engine compartment for holding the internal combustion engine therein, and a top cover covering the engine cover from above and provided with a carrying grip. An intermediate member is placed in a space between the engine cover and the top cover. First connecting parts for connecting the engine cover and the intermediate member are arranged in a space between the engine cover and the intermediate member, and second connecting parts for connecting the top cover and the intermediate cover are arranged in a space between the top cover and the intermediate cover. The connecting parts arranged in the spaces between the engine cover and the top cover ensure rigid connection, the degree of freedom of arranging the connecting parts is increased, and the engine cover can be manufactured at low cost.

Abstract: A walk-behind lawnmower is provided with a height-adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of a housing above the ground. The walk-behind lawnmower further comprises an operating button for switching an adjustment operation of the height-adjusting mechanism from a restricted state to a permissive state; and a height-adjusting grip capable of being grasped by a hand so as to raise or lower the housing when the operating button is operated, and the adjustment operation of the height-adjusting mechanism is thereby permitted. The height-adjusting grip is provided to the housing in the vicinity of a left or right lateral part. The operating button is positioned in an area allowing operation by a finger of the hand grasping the height-adjusting grip.

Abstract: A steering apparatus whereby the steering load is equal even when the left and right steering angles are large when an outboard motor is steered to the left and right via a swivel shaft. A connecting hole of a steering plate is provided at a position spaced from a center line of the steering plate so that equal angles are formed by a first straight line, joining the center of the swivel shaft and the connecting hole, and a second straight line, joining the connecting hole and a link hole formed in a steering rod.

Abstract: Outboard engine body is mounted via a swivel shaft to a stern bracket. Angle sensor, provided on the stern bracket, includes a contact having a maximum operating angle set to be not greater than half of a maximum steered angle of the engine body, and it outputs detection information indicative of an operating angle of the contact. Curved member is provided on the engine body and normally held in engagement with the contact, and it has a continuously varying radius of curvature from the central axis of the swivel shaft, so that the contact varies in operating angle while sliding along a curved outer peripheral surface of the curved member in response to steering operation. Thus, a steered angle is determined on the basis of the detection information from the angle sensor.

Abstract: A walk-behind lawnmower is provided with a height-adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of a housing above the ground. The walk-behind lawnmower further comprises an operating button for switching an adjustment operation of the height-adjusting mechanism from a restricted state to a permissive state; and a height-adjusting grip capable of being grasped by a hand so as to raise or lower the housing when the operating button is operated, and the adjustment operation of the height-adjusting mechanism is thereby permitted. The height-adjusting grip is provided to the housing in the vicinity of a left or right lateral part. The operating button is positioned in an area allowing operation by a finger of the hand grasping the height-adjusting grip.

Abstract: A steering apparatus whereby the steering load is equal even when the left and right steering angles are large when an outboard motor is steered to the left and right via a swivel shaft. A connecting hole of a steering plate is provided at a position spaced from a center line of the steering plate so that equal angles are formed by a first straight line, joining the center of the swivel shaft and the connecting hole, and a second straight line, joining the connecting hole and a link hole formed in a steering rod.

Abstract: Outboard engine body is mounted via a swivel shaft to a stern bracket. Angle sensor, provided on the stern bracket, includes a contact having a maximum operating angle set to be not greater than half of a maximum steered angle of the engine body, and it outputs detection information indicative of an operating angle of the contact. Curved member is provided on the engine body and normally held in engagement with the contact, and it has a continuously varying radius of curvature from the central axis of the swivel shaft, so that the contact varies in operating angle while sliding along a curved outer peripheral surface of the curved member in response to steering operation. Thus, a steered angle is determined on the basis of the detection information from the angle sensor.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an engine, an engine cover forming an engine compartment for holding the engine therein, a ventilation system with an outer outlet ventilation space through which air in the engine compartment flows to the outside of the engine compartment, and a generator. The ventilation system includes a case disposed in the engine compartment and forming an air discharge passage leading to the outer outlet ventilation space. A fan is placed in the air discharge passage to deliver air by pressure from the engine compartment to the outer outlet ventilation space. The air discharge passage has an inlet ventilation passage formed in an upper space in the engine compartment and opening upward. The engine compartment holding the engine therein can be efficiently ventilated, and ventilation air can effectively cool the engine and can effectively suppress temperature rise in the engine compartment.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an internal combustion engine, an engine cover forming an engine compartment for holding the internal combustion engine therein, and a top cover covering the engine cover from above and provided with a carrying grip. An intermediate member is placed in a space between the engine cover and the top cover. First connecting parts for connecting the engine cover and the intermediate member are arranged in a space between the engine cover and the intermediate member, and second connecting parts for connecting the top cover and the intermediate cover are arranged in a space between the top cover and the intermediate cover. The connecting parts arranged in the spaces between the engine cover and the top cover ensure rigid connection, the degree of freedom of arranging the connecting parts is increased, and the engine cover can be manufactured at low cost.

Abstract: A lubrication and breather system for an engine that is generally adapted for use as either a vertically-oriented crankshaft-type engine or a horizontally-oriented crankshaft-type engine. The crankcase has first and second bearing bosses supporting first and second journal portions of the crankshaft. The second bearing boss lies above the first bearing boss when the engine is of the vertical-type. The system includes a cap that is secured over the second bearing boss and cooperates with the second bearing boss to define an annular chamber for receiving splashed oil produced in the crankcase. The cap has a plurality of ribs formed thereon that reduce an amount of oil, which is entrained in the blow-by gas, sent from the annular chamber to the breather chamber. The second bearing block includes an oil feed hole, a plurality of oil sumps, and a plurality of oil return holes, with the oil return holes being of relatively smaller size. Each of the oil sumps is associated with one oil return hole.

Abstract: A vertical internal combustion engine for an outboard motor having a crankshaft directed substantially in a vertical direction contains a flywheel provided integrally on a lower end of the crankshaft and an oil pan provided under the flywheel. A lubricating oil pump driven by the crankshaft to rotate is disposed under the flywheel, and in the internal combustion engine, the center of gravity is positioned low so that the flywheel can be supported stably and the dischagrability of the lubricating oil pump will be high. Moreover, a pair of balancer shafts connected to the crankshaft to be driven thereby is disposed in parallel with the crankshaft on both sides of the engine cylinders, and balancer shaft lubricating oil passages are provided for lubricating balancer shaft pivot portions.

Abstract: Integrally fastening a cylinder block 6 and a crankcase 7 together by dividing the cylinder block 6 and the crankcase 7 at a dividing surface 31 passing through the center of a crankshaft 15 vertically arranged and screwing a bolt 32 inserted from the crankcase 7 side in the cylinder block 6. The bolt 32 fastening the crankcase 7 to the cylinder block 6 is prevented from interfering with a pair of left and right secondary balancer shafts 37, 38 by supporting both the secondary balancer shafts by the cylinder block 6, but not by the crankcase 7 to increase the degree of freedom of the layout of both the secondary balancer shafts 37, 38.

Abstract: A water-cooled 4-stroke cycle internal combustion engine for propelling ships having a cylinder head and a cylinder block.

Abstract: A vertical internal combustion engine in which lubricating oil can be cooled efficiently is provided. The engine includes a crankshaft directed in a vertical direction, a lubricating oil pump, an oil filter and a cooling water pump. A lubricating oil passage is arranged along a side wall of a main body of the engine and extends between the lubricating oil pump and the oil filter, a cooling water chamber is formed around the lubricating oil passage, and a branch water passage communicating with the cooling water chamber branches at a discharge side of the cooling water pump from a cooling water passage leading into the main body of the engine.

Abstract: A public telephone system includes public telephone sets assigned with different specific numbers and allowing speech communication using cards and a center apparatus connected to the public telephone sets through a telephone line. The center apparatus includes a list number forming unit for forming one list number from numbers of a plurality of invalid cards produced by illegally rewriting the cards, a registering unit for registering each formed list number in association with a series number, management number, and telephone number of each of the telephone sets, a storage unit for storing the list number and the series number, management number, and telephone number of each telephone set, all of which are registered by the registering unit, and a list number transmitting unit for calling, through the telephone line, each public telephone set corresponding to the telephone number registered in the storage unit and transmitting a list number corresponding to each telephone set.

Abstract: A public telephone system includes a plurality of public telephone sets and a center apparatus.

Abstract: An X.25 protocol apparatus can communicate with another X.25 apparatus or a X.32 apparatus through a telephone network, an ISDN network, or a PBX network, by attaching protocol conversion system to the X.25 apparatus. The conversion system has a pair of signal identification portions (1, 6) for separating a receive packet to a data packet and a control packet, a call process portion (3, 12) for dial signal process, and an address table (4) and a packet edition portion (5) for address conversion of a control packet. A data packet is forwarded from one signal identification portion to another signal identification portion through direct path (53). A control packet is forwarded to a control packet identification portion (2) for control process which includes dial signal process, address conversion, and protocol sequences. This system is applicable to couple a data communication network which has a X.32 correspondence portion to another data communication network.