Steering Device Particularly for Outboard Marine Engines

Abstract

A steering device for marine engines, particularly for outboard engines, includes a rod that is sealingly mounted in a cylindrical housing sliding along the rod and that projects out of heads of the cylindrical housing. A piston is secured in a substantially intermediate position on the rod and divides the cylindrical housing in two variable volume chambers. Each of two inlets/outlets is in fluid communication with one of the two chambers through a separated feeding conduit defined inside the rod and both of the feeding conduits, through their inlets/outlets, open at one same end of the rod.

1 . A steering device for marine engines comprising:
 a rod sealingly mounted in a cylindrical housing sliding along said rod, the rod sealingly projecting out of heads of the cylindrical housing;   a piston secured in a substantially intermediate position on the rod, the piston dividing the cylindrical housing in two chambers of variable volume;   two inlets/outlets, each one of the two inlets/outlets fluidly communicating with one of said two chambers by a separated feeding conduit;   wherein said separated feeding conduits are defined inside the rod, and   wherein said separated feeding conduits are connected to the inlets/outlets at one same end of said rod.   
   
   
       2 . The steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the separated feeding conduits are defined by two axial apertures parallel one with respect to the other extending from the same head end of the rod, and
 wherein each of the separated feeding conduits is fluidly connected to one of the two chambers via a radial opening, the radial openings being at the outer surface of the rod and on opposite sides of the piston.   
   
   
       3 . The steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the separated feeding conduits are disposed one inside the other, thereby causing the rod to be made of two tubular members having different diameters, the two tubular members being placed one inside the other at a certain distance one from the other. 
   
   
       4 . The steering device according to  claim 3 , wherein the separated feeding conduits are parallel bores within the rod. 
   
   
       5 . A hydraulic steering device comprising: a terminal fastening an outboard engine to a boat transom;
 an engine/propulsor assembly rotatably mounted to the boat transom;   a closed hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by steering means;   a rudder; and   a hydraulic double-acting actuating cylinder comprising,
 a cylindrical housing, 
 a rod disposed in the cylindrical housing and sealingly projecting out of heads of the cylindrical housing, the rod carrying an intermediate separating piston which divides the cylindrical housing into a first and a second variable volume chambers and which further divides the rod in a first and a second rod portions, wherein the first variable volume chamber is fluidly connected to a first inlet/outlet for a hydraulic fluid or oil and the second variable volume chamber is fluidly connected to a second inlet/outlet for the hydraulic fluid or oil, the first and the second inlet/outlets being fluidly connected to a same end of the rod, and 
 means for fastening an assembly of the cylindrical housing and of the rod to the boat transom and/or to the terminal fastening the engine to the transom, 
   wherein the first inlet/outlet is fluidly connected to a first conduit and the second inlet/outlet is fluidly connected to a second conduit,   wherein said first and said second conduits are defined inside the rod and extend from the same end of the rod,   wherein a first opening fluidly communicates with the first variable volume chamber and a second opening fluidly communicates with the second volume chamber, and   wherein the first opening fluidly connected to the first conduit and the second opening fluidly connected to the second conduit are disposed on opposite sides of the intermediate separating piston.   
   
   
       6 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first conduit is defined within the rod, and wherein the second conduit is defined within the rod and is fluidly connected to the second chamber through a third opening in the piston. 
   
   
       7 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first and the second conduits are coaxial one with respect to the other. 
   
   
       8 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the hydraulic fluid comprises oil. 
   
   
       9 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first variable volume chamber receives the hydraulic fluid or oil through the first opening and the first conduit receives the hydraulic fluid or oil from the first inlet/outlet, and wherein the second variable volume chamber receives the hydraulic fluid or oil through the second opening from the second conduit and the second conduit receives the hydraulic fluid or oil from the second inlet/outlet. 
   
   
       10 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the second conduit is substantially concentric with the first conduit, and wherein the second conduit extends to or beyond the intermediate separating piston. 
   
   
       11 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the second conduit fluidly communicates with the second variable volume chamber through the second opening and it is fluidly connected at the same end of the rod with the second inlet/outlet. 
   
   
       12 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 11 , wherein said first conduit is positioned concentrically and outside said second conduit. 
   
   
       13 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first opening is defined on or adjacent to the intermediate separating piston. 
   
   
       14 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein said first opening is placed radially in relation to a longitudinal axis of said first conduit. 
   
   
       15 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein both the first conduit and the second conduit are provided in the first rod portion. 
   
   
       16 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 15 , wherein the second rod portion is hollow. 
   
   
       17 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 16 , wherein the intermediate separating piston includes a third opening enabling the hydraulic fluid or oil to enter the second rod portion. 
   
   
       18 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein walls of the first and the second variable volume chambers comprise,
 the heads of the cylindrical housing, the heads being sealingly fastened to the cylindrical housing,   an outer surface of the rod,   an inner wall of the cylindrical housing, and   a wall of the intermediate separating piston.   
   
   
       19 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein sealing closures are provided between members of the actuating cylinder such to avoid leaks of the hydraulic fluid or oil. 
   
   
       20 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein said first and second conduits are disposed in the first rod portion but not concentrically. 
   
   
       21 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 20 , wherein said first and second conduits are bores within the rod, at least one of the bores being blind. 
   
   
       22 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 21 , wherein said first and second conduits extend from the same end of the rod at least to the intermediate separating piston. 
   
   
       23 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 20 , wherein the first conduit ends at the first opening, and wherein the second conduit ends at the second opening. 
   
   
       24 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 20 , wherein the second conduit extends through an opening in the intermediate separating piston and beyond the piston, and to the second opening for fluid communication with the second variable volume chamber. 
   
   
       25 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 20 , wherein the first and the second openings are adjacent to the intermediate separating piston. 
   
   
       26 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 20 , wherein said first conduit and said second conduit are in fluid communication with the first and the second inlets/outlets at the same end of the rod and are further in fluid communication with a remaining part of the closed hydraulic circuit. 
   
   
       27 . The hydraulic steering device according  claim 5 , wherein the rod is supported by brackets, and wherein the same end of the rod ends at one of the brackets. 
   
   
       28 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 27 , wherein the first and the second inlets/outlets are connected to the rod through a coupling member. 
   
   
       29 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 28 , further comprising a first and a second ducts carrying the hydraulic fluid or oil to each of the first and the second inlets/outlets. 
   
   
       30 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 28 , wherein the rod is not directly interfaced with the one of the supporting brackets, and wherein the coupling member is interposed between the same end of the rod and the one of the brackets. 
   
   
       31 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the first and second conduits are coaxial,   wherein the first and the second inlets/outlets are disposed on a coupling member coupled to the same end of the rod, and   wherein one or more ducts are formed inside the coupling member such that the second conduit is directly connected to the second inlet/outlet and the first conduit is connected to one of the one or more ducts, the one of the one or more ducts being directly connected to the first inlet/outlet.   
   
   
       32 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the first and the second conduits are substantially parallel one to the other,   wherein the first and the second inlets/outlets are disposed on a coupling member coupled to the same end of the rod, and   wherein the coupling member has a first duct connecting said first conduit to the first inlet outlet and a second duct connecting said second conduit to the second inlet/outlet.   
   
   
       33 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 27 , wherein the same end of the rod is coupled to a rod head having ducts therein, wherein the rod operates as a coupling member, and wherein the brackets have no ducts therein. 
   
   
       34 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 27 , wherein ending portions of said rod comprise means for coupling the rod to said brackets, and wherein the means for coupling the rod comprise a thread on an outer surface of said rod that couples to a side of the one of the brackets and further comprise one or more holding nuts that couple to an opposite side of the one of the brackets. 
   
   
       35 . The hydraulic steering device according to  claim 5 , wherein the means for fastening the hydraulic double-acting actuating cylinder to the boat transom and/or to the terminal fastening the engine to the boat transom comprise a transmission arm, wherein the transmission arm is rotatable and translatable inside a seat on the hydraulic double-acting actuating cylinder, and wherein an ending part of the transmission arm is rotatable and translatable in relation to a body of the arm.