Brunswick Corporation

Andrew S Waisanen

Jeffrey C Etapa

Wayne M Jaszewski

Douglas D Reichardt

Benjamin C Wald

Ameer B Ambavaram

Robert Raymond Osthelder

Donald Anderson, Jr

Steven R Johns

Brent C Frost

Daniel F Nonn

Steven J Andrasko

Steven J Gonring

Matthew W Jaeger

Stephen R Collins

Travis C Malouf

John I S Park

Charles H Eichinger

Steven M Anschuetz

Scott George Ahlswede

David J Waldvogel

Mark W Henker

Brad J VanRuiswyk

Jeffrey J Broman

William P O'Brien

Daniel E Clarkson

Wade A Loberger

Michael J Biel

Duane Harding

Daniel W Jensen

Bret A Martin

Brian Jon Fregonese

Jeffrey Chiang

Jong Hoe Huh

A marine drive is for propelling a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine drive has a motor housing, the motor housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion which together define a motor cavity; an electric motor nested in the first housing portion, the electric motor being configured to cause rotation of an output shaft extending from the first housing portion; and a propulsor coupled to the output shaft so that rotation of the output shaft causes rotation of the propulsor. A vibration isolating joint couples first housing portion to the second housing portion. The vibration isolating joint comprising an isolating connector assembly has an elastomeric member which is clamped between the first housing portion and the second housing portion and being configured to limit transfer of vibrations from the first housing portion to the second housing portion, and a compression limiter which prevents over clamping of the elastomeric member during assembly of the motor housing.

Marine drives having noise and vibration isolating joint

A marine drive is for propelling a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine drive has a supporting frame configured to support the marine drive with respect to the marine vessel; an extension leg depending on the supporting frame; a motor housing depending on the extension leg, the motor housing for containing an electric motor; and a vibration isolating joint which couples the extension leg to the motor housing. The vibration isolating joint has an isolating connector assembly having an elastomeric member which is clamped between the extension leg and motor housing and configured to limit transfer of vibrations from the motor housing to the extension leg, and a compression limiter which prevents over clamping of the elastomeric member during assembly of the extension leg and the motor housing.

An outboard motor has a top cowl and a service lid on the top cowl is movable into and between a closed position enclosing the powerhead compartment and an open position providing manual access to the powerhead compartment from above the outboard motor. An engine is in the powerhead compartment, wherein a peripheral gap is defined between the top cowl and the engine. A serviceable engine oil device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position. A serviceable transmission fluid device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position. A serviceable gearcase fluid device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position.

Top-down serviceable outboard motors

A marine drive is for propelling a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine drive has a supporting frame configured to support the marine drive with respect to the marine vessel, an extension leg depending on the supporting frame, a motor housing depending on the extension leg, the motor housing for containing an electric motor, and a vibration isolating joint which couples the extension leg to the supporting frame. The vibration isolating joint having an isolating connector assembly including an elastomeric member which is clamped between the extension leg and the supporting frame and configured to limit transfer of vibrations from the extension leg to the supporting frame, and a compression limiter which prevents over clamping of the elastomeric member during assembly of the extension leg and the motor housing.

A marine drive has a primary exhaust outlet on its lower gearcase that discharges a primary flow of exhaust gas from the engine to seawater in which the marine drive is situated. A secondary exhaust outlet is located on the marine drive above the primary exhaust outlet and discharges a secondary flow of exhaust gas from the engine to atmosphere around the marine drive at least when the engine is operated at an idle speed. A tertiary exhaust outlet is located on the marine drive between the primary and secondary exhaust outlets, and discharges a tertiary flow of exhaust gas from the engine to the seawater or to the atmosphere depending upon a current location of the tertiary exhaust outlet with respect to the seawater. A muffler is configured to reduce noise emanating from the tertiary exhaust outlet.

Marine drives having a muffler for tertiary exhaust outlet

A marine drive is configured to propel a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine drive has an engine; a primary exhaust conduit receiving exhaust gases from the engine and discharging the exhaust gases to a primary exhaust outlet discharging the exhaust gases to the body of water; an idle relief exhaust outlet discharging exhaust gases to atmosphere, above the body of water; a primary idle relief muffler receiving exhaust gases from the primary exhaust conduit; a secondary idle relief muffler receiving exhaust gases from the primary idle relief muffler; and a tertiary idle relief muffler configured to receive exhaust gases from the secondary idle relief muffler and discharges exhaust gases to atmosphere via the idle relief exhaust outlet.

Marine drives and idle relief exhaust systems for marine drives

An intake plenum is for a marine engine, the marine engine having first and second throttle devices for controlling flow of intake air to the marine engine. The intake plenum has an airbox providing an expansion volume, first and second inlets that convey the intake air in parallel to the expansion volume, first and second outlets that convey the intake air in parallel from the expansion volume to the first and second throttle devices, and first and second Helmholtz-style attenuator devices located at the first and second outlets, respectively. Together the first and second inlets, expansion volume, and first and second Helmholtz-style attenuator devices are configured to attenuate different frequencies of sound emanating from the marine engine via the first and second outlets.

Air intake plenum for attenuating sound from a marine engine

A system for controlling exhaust flow from an internal combustion engine powering a marine propulsion device includes a primary exhaust conduit having an upstream end receiving exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine and a downstream end discharging exhaust gas to a body of water via a gearcase housing. A bypass exhaust conduit has an upstream end receiving exhaust gas from the primary exhaust conduit and a downstream end discharging exhaust gas from a bypass outlet of the marine propulsion device. A bypass valve is selectively openable to allow exhaust gas to flow through the bypass conduit. A control module is in signal communication with the bypass valve. The control module opens the bypass valve to divert the exhaust gas through the bypass conduit and out the bypass outlet in response to selection of a control mode of the marine propulsion device other than a default lever control mode.

System and method for controlling exhaust flow from an internal combustion engine

A marine propulsion device includes an internal combustion engine powering the marine propulsion device and an engine compartment containing the engine. A primary exhaust passageway routes exhaust gas away from the engine and out of the engine compartment. A sound enhancement assembly communicates with the primary exhaust passageway. The sound enhancement assembly includes a sound enhancement device tuned to amplify exhaust sounds of a predetermined frequency and a sound duct downstream of the sound enhancement device that transmits the amplified exhaust sounds to an area outside the engine compartment. The sound enhancement device isolates the sound duct from the exhaust gas. A method for modifying sounds produced by an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine is also disclosed.

Exhaust sound enhancement assembly and method for a marine propulsion device

A marine drive includes an engine; an exhaust conduit that conveys exhaust gases from the engine to an idle relief outlet on the marine drive, wherein the idle relief outlet discharges the exhaust gases to atmosphere when the marine drive is operated at an idle speed; and an idle relief muffler having a muffler inlet that receives the exhaust gases from the exhaust conduit, a muffler outlet that discharges the exhaust gases to the idle relief exhaust outlet, and a drain for draining water from the idle relief muffler. The muffler inlet conveys exhaust gases into the idle relief muffler in a direction that is oriented away from the muffler outlet and away from the drain, such that water in the exhaust gases is encouraged to separate from the exhaust gases and then drain from the idle relief muffler via the drain.

Marine drives and idle relief mufflers for marine drives

A marine propulsion system configured to propel a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine propulsion system includes an engine and an exhaust system that conveys exhaust gas from the engine. A controller controls the marine propulsion system and includes a memory module that stores operating modes with corresponding sound profiles for controlling the marine propulsion system. An input device is provided for selecting one of the operating modes for controlling the marine propulsion system. Selecting a first operating mode causes the marine propulsion system to sound different than selecting a second operating mode.

Marine propulsion systems with actively tunable sound

A stern drive arrangement is for propelling a marine vessel in water. A diverter valve is movable into and between an open position in which the exhaust gas is allowed to flow through the above-water outlet via the secondary exhaust conduit and a closed position in which the exhaust gas is at least partially prevented from flowing through an above-water outlet via a secondary exhaust conduit. Via a bypass conduit, the exhaust gas in the secondary exhaust conduit can bypass the diverter valve and discharge to atmosphere when the diverter valve is in the closed position.

Stern drive arrangements having idle relief exhaust gas bypass

An outboard motor includes an internal combustion engine and a cowl covering the engine. An air vent allows intake air into the cowl, an air intake duct routes the intake air from the air vent to the engine, and a throttle body meters flow of the intake air from the air intake duct into the engine. A sound enhancement device is located proximate the throttle body. A sound duct is provided, and has an inlet end located proximate the sound enhancement device and an outlet end located proximate an outer surface of the cowl. The sound enhancement device is tuned to amplify a first subset of sounds having a desired frequency that are emitted from the throttle body, and the sound duct transmits the amplified sounds to an area outside the cowl. A method for modifying sounds produced by an air intake system of an outboard motor is also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Fond du Lac, WI, United States of America

Andrew S Waisanen