Outboard motor and boat

Abstract

An outboard motor includes a drive source, a propeller, a propeller shaft extending in a first direction and rotatable together with the propeller, and a transmission shifter to transmit a drive power of the drive source to the propeller shaft. The transmission shifter includes a first assembly including an input shaft rotatable by the drive power of the drive source, a second assembly positioned around a second virtual axis, a gear transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly and including a first gear rotatable around the first virtual axis and a second gear to mesh with the first gear and rotatable around the second virtual axis, a winding transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly, and a switch to turn on and off the transmission of power between the gear transmission and the winding transmission.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An outboard motor comprising:
 a drive source;   a propeller;   a propeller shaft extending in a first direction and rotatable together with the propeller; and   a transmission shifter to transmit a drive power of the drive source to the propeller shaft, the transmission shifter including:
 a first assembly positioned around a first virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to a second direction, and including an input shaft rotatable by the drive power of the drive source; 
 a second assembly positioned around a second virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the second direction; 
 a gear transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly, and including a first gear rotatable around the first virtual axis and a second gear to mesh with the first gear and rotatable around the second virtual axis; 
 a winding transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly; and 
 a switch to turn on and off transmission of power between the gear transmission and the winding transmission. 
   
     
     
         2 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first assembly further includes:
 a first clutch; and 
 a first rotor to which rotation of the input shaft is transmitted by engaging the first clutch to rotate around the first virtual axis; and 
   the second assembly includes:
 a second clutch; and 
 a second rotor to which the rotation the input shaft is transmitted by engaging the second clutch to rotate around the second virtual axis. 
   
     
     
         3 . The outboard motor according to  claim 2 , wherein the second rotor includes an output shaft that transmits power to the propeller shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The outboard motor according to  claim 3 , wherein the switch is operable to transmit the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft via one of the gear transmission and the winding transmission by engaging the first clutch, and transmit the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft via the other of the gear transmission and the winding transmission by engaging the second clutch. 
     
     
         5 . The outboard motor according to  claim 4 , wherein the first clutch and the second clutch are hydraulic clutches. 
     
     
         6 . The outboard motor according to  claim 3 , wherein the first assembly further includes:
 a third clutch; and   a planetary gear assembly below the input shaft, the planetary gear assembly including:
 an internal gear connected to the input shaft; 
 a sun gear; 
 a planetary gear connected to the first rotor and meshing with the sun gear by engaging the third clutch; and 
 an engaging portion engaged with the sun gear by engaging the first clutch. 
   
     
     
         7 . The outboard motor according to  claim 6 , wherein the switch is operable to switch between:
 a first state in which the internal gear rotates along with the rotation of the input shaft by engaging the first clutch, the planetary gear orbits around the sun gear engaged with the engaging portion, and the rotation of the input shaft is transmitted via the first rotor and one of the gear transmission and the winding transmission; and   a second state in which the internal gear rotates along with the rotation of the input shaft by engaging the third clutch, the internal gear, the sun gear, and the planetary gear rotate integrally, and the rotation of the input shaft is transmitted to the output shaft via the first rotor and one of the gear transmission and the winding transmission.   
     
     
         8 . The outboard motor according to  claim 7 , wherein the switch is operable to transmit the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft via the other of the gear transmission and the winding transmission by engaging the second clutch. 
     
     
         9 . The outboard motor according to  claim 8 , wherein the first clutch, the second clutch, and the third clutch are hydraulic clutches. 
     
     
         10 . The outboard motor according to  claim 2 , further comprising an output shaft rotatable around the first virtual axis along with rotation of the first rotor. 
     
     
         11 . The outboard motor according to  claim 10 , wherein the first assembly further includes:
 a third clutch; and   a planetary gear assembly below the input shaft, the planetary gear assembly including:
 an internal gear connected to the input shaft; 
 a sun gear; 
 a planetary gear connected to the first rotor and meshing with the sun gear by engaging the third clutch; and 
 an engaging portion engaged with the sun gear by engaging the first clutch. 
   
     
     
         12 . The outboard motor according to  claim 11 , wherein the switch is operable to switch between:
 a first state in which the internal gear rotates along with the rotation of the input shaft by engaging the first clutch, the planetary gear orbits around the sun gear engaged with the engaging portion, and the rotation of the input shaft is transmitted to the output shaft via the first rotor; and   a second state in which the internal gear rotates along with the rotation of the input shaft by engaging the third clutch, the internal gear, the sun gear, and the planetary gear rotate integrally, and the rotation of the input shaft is transmitted to the output shaft via the first rotor.   
     
     
         13 . The outboard motor according to  claim 12 , wherein the switch is operable to transmit the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft via the second rotor, the gear transmission, and the winding transmission by engaging the second clutch. 
     
     
         14 . The outboard motor according to  claim 13 , wherein the first clutch, the second clutch, and the third clutch are hydraulic clutches. 
     
     
         15 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gear and the second gear are helical gears. 
     
     
         16 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the winding transmission includes:
 a first sprocket positioned around the first assembly;   a second sprocket positioned around the second assembly; and   a chain connecting the first sprocket to the second sprocket.   
     
     
         17 . The outboard motor according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a driven device to be driven by the drive power of the drive source; wherein   the second assembly is located on one side of the first assembly in the first direction; and   the driven device is located below the input shaft and on another side of the output shaft in the first direction.   
     
     
         18 . A boat comprising;
 a hull; and   the outboard motor according to  claim 1  mounted to a rear of the hull.   
     
     
         19 . An outboard motor comprising:
 a drive source;   a propeller;   a propeller shaft extending in a first direction and rotatable together with the propeller; and   a transmission shifter to transmit a drive power of the drive source to the propeller shaft, the transmission shifter including:
 a first assembly positioned around a first virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to a second direction, and including an input shaft rotatable by the drive power of the drive source; 
 a second assembly positioned around a second virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the second direction; 
 a winding transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly; and 
 a switch to turn on and off transmission of power of the winding transmission. 
   
     
     
         20 . A boat comprising;
 a hull; and   the outboard motor according to claim  19  mounted to a rear of the hull.   
     
     
         21 . An outboard motor comprising:
 a drive source;   a propeller;   a propeller shaft extending in a first direction and rotatable together with the propeller; and   a transmission shifter to transmit a drive power of the drive source to the propeller shaft, the transmission shifter including:
 a first assembly positioned around a first virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to a second direction, and including an input shaft rotatable by the drive power of the drive source; 
 a second assembly positioned around a second virtual axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the second direction; 
 a gear transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly, and including a first gear to rotate around the first virtual axis and a second gear that meshes with the first gear and is rotatable around the second virtual axis; 
 a transmission to transmit power between the first assembly and the second assembly, and including a third gear to rotate around the first virtual axis and a fourth gear that is spaced apart from the third gear and rotatable around the second virtual axis, and that rotates the first assembly and the second assembly in a same direction; 
 a switch to turn on and off transmission of power between the gear transmission and the transmission; 
   a driven device; and   a shaft to transmit the drive power of the drive source to the driven device and is rotatable along with rotation of either or both of the third gear and the fourth gear.   
     
     
         22 . A boat comprising;
 a hull; and   the outboard motor according to claim  21  mounted to a rear of the hull.