Patents by Inventor Yu WAKAMIZU

Yu WAKAMIZU has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240101238
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a first housing, a second housing, and a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism is operable to steer the second housing around a steering axis. The steering mechanism includes a pinion gear, a first rack, and a second rack. The pinion gear is connected to the first housing or the second housing. The first rack includes first teeth and a first relief portion. The first teeth mesh with the pinion gear and are arranged side by side with each other in a first direction. The first relief portion does not mesh with the pinion gear and allows the pinion gear to idle. The first rack is movable in the first direction. The second rack includes second teeth. The second teeth mesh with the pinion gear and are arranged side by side with each other in a second direction. The second rack is movable in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Tomohiro HAGI, Yu WAKAMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240101239
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a first housing, a second housing, a propeller shaft, and a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism includes a first pinion gear, a second pinion gear, a first rack, and a second rack. The first pinion gear is connected to the first housing or the second housing. The second pinion gear is connected to the first pinion gear. The first rack includes first teeth. The first teeth mesh with the first pinion gear and are arranged side by side with each other in a first direction. The first rack is movable in the first direction. The second rack includes second teeth. The second teeth mesh with the second pinion gear and are arranged side by side with each other in a second direction. The second teeth have a smaller module than the plurality of first teeth. The second rack is movable in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Tomohiro HAGI, Yu WAKAMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240067318
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a lower portion including a propeller shaft, an upper portion including a drive source to provide a rotational force to rotate the propeller shaft, and a support portion to rotatably support the lower portion relative to the upper portion about a steering shaft and rotate integrally with the lower portion. The upper portion includes a water pump assembly to suck up water from the lower portion through the support portion and supply the water to the drive source. When viewed along a shaft line direction of the steering shaft, the water pump assembly overlaps the lower portion at a first rotation position of the lower portion with respect to the upper portion, and at least a portion of the water pump assembly does not overlap the lower portion at a second rotation position of the lower portion with respect to the upper portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Yu WAKAMIZU, Yoshihiko OKABE, Hiroki KOGA
  • Publication number: 20240067319
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a lower portion including a propeller shaft, an upper portion including a drive source to provide a rotational force to rotate the propeller shaft, a support portion to rotatably support the lower portion relative to the upper portion about a steering shaft and rotate integrally with the lower portion, a water pump assembly in the upper portion to supply water to the drive source, and a water inlet including a first filter in the lower portion to take in external water. A water channel extends from the water inlet to the water pump assembly, and a seal is between a fixed portion fixed with respect to the upper portion and the support portion. A second filter, which has a mesh size smaller than a mesh size of the first filter, is in the water channel upstream of the seal and downstream of the water inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Yu WAKAMIZU
  • Publication number: 20230415874
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine, a propeller shaft, a propeller attached to the propeller shaft, a transmission to transmit rotation of the engine to the propeller shaft, an upper accommodation body accommodating at least a portion of the engine, a lower accommodation body accommodating at least a portion of the propeller shaft, and a steering to cause the lower accommodation body to rotate about a steering axis with respect to the upper accommodation body. The upper accommodation body includes an upper coolant channel. The lower accommodation body includes a lower coolant channel including a coolant intake port. A communication area between the upper and lower coolant channels is changeable according to a rudder angle of the steering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Yu WAKAMIZU
  • Publication number: 20230415876
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine, a propeller shaft, a propeller attached to the propeller shaft, a transmission to transmit rotation of the engine to the propeller shaft, an upper accommodation body accommodating a portion of the engine, a lower accommodation body accommodating a portion of the propeller shaft, and a steering to cause the lower accommodation body to rotate about a steering axis with respect to the upper accommodation body. The upper accommodation body includes an upper exhaust channel including an upper exhaust port that communicates with the engine. The lower accommodation body includes a lower exhaust channel including a lower exhaust port. The upper exhaust channel and the lower exhaust channel are switchable between a communication state of communicating with each other and a non-communication state of not communicating with each other based on a rudder angle of the steering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Yu WAKAMIZU, Daisuke KOYAMA, Masashi HIROTA, Takuma ISHIDA
  • Patent number: 11673642
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a first exhaust passage connected to an exhaust port and extending downward from the exhaust port through a support frame on a lateral side of a cylinder head. A first case accommodates an engine. A second case accommodates a propeller shaft. A third case is between the first case and the second case in a vertical direction. An exhaust pipe is between the first case and the second case in the vertical direction. The exhaust pipe is connected to the first exhaust passage. At least a portion of the exhaust pipe is outside the third case as seen in a side view of the outboard motor. An exterior cover is between the first case and the second case in the vertical direction. The exterior cover covers the exhaust pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kimitaka Saruwatari, Shuhei Okamoto, Seiji Arai, Daisuke Koyama, Yu Wakamizu
  • Publication number: 20230030804
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a first exhaust passage connected to an exhaust port and extending downward from the exhaust port through a support frame on a lateral side of a cylinder head. A first case accommodates an engine. A second case accommodates a propeller shaft. A third case is between the first case and the second case in a vertical direction. An exhaust pipe is between the first case and the second case in the vertical direction. The exhaust pipe is connected to the first exhaust passage. At least a portion of the exhaust pipe is outside the third case as seen in a side view of the outboard motor. An exterior cover is between the first case and the second case in the vertical direction. The exterior cover covers the exhaust pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Shuhei OKAMOTO, Seiji ARAI, Daisuke KOYAMA, Yu WAKAMIZU
  • Publication number: 20230009087
    Abstract: A marine propulsion device includes an engine, an exhaust pipe to allow exhaust gas of the engine to pass through the exhaust pipe, and a cooling water supply passage to supply cooling water for the engine into the exhaust pipe toward a downstream side in a flow direction of the exhaust gas and cause the cooling water to flow circumferentially along an inner peripheral surface of the exhaust pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Kenji YUKISHIMA, Yu WAKAMIZU