Brunswick Corporation

Bradley R Stafford

Matthew W Jaeger

Steven J Amerling

David M Foulkes

Evan N Kobman

Caleb J VanSomeren

Timothy D Krupp

Brad J Van Ruiswyk

Andrew C Gunderson

Rick R Roth

A service door for a cowl for a marine propulsion device. A door panel is positionable in open and closed positions. A first hinge rotatably couples the door panel to the cowl. A coil spring biases the door panel towards the open position and a damper resists rotation of the door panel towards the open position. The first hinge rotates about a first axis and has a first hinge base, a first hinge axle, and a first hinge axle opening that receives the first hinge axle. The first hinge axle has base and distal ends. The base end is coupled to the first hinge base and the distal end has a spring slot. The coil spring has fixed and rotating ends. The rotating end imparts a spring force on the door panel with the fixed end in the spring slot.

Service doors for cowls on outboard marine propulsion devices

A marine propulsion device is provided. The device includes an engine, a driveshaft that is caused to rotate by the engine, a cowling system, a gearcase that supports a propulsor for imparting a propulsive force in a body of water, and a cooling water circuit that conveys cooling water that exchanges heat with the engine. The cooling water circuit includes an engine dump hose that extends from a first end to a second end. The first end is coupled to a cooling water outlet of the engine. The cooling water circuit further includes an egress component configured to discharge the cooling water from the device along a discharge trajectory parallel to a plane that bisects the device into a port side and a starboard side. The egress component extends through one or more components of the cowling system and is coupled to the second end of the engine dump hose.

Outboard motor cowling with cooling water egress system

A marine propulsion device is provided. The device includes an engine, a driveshaft that is caused to rotate by the engine, a cowling system, a gearcase that supports a propulsor for imparting a propulsive force in a body of water, and a cooling water circuit that conveys cooling water that exchanges heat with the engine. The cooling water circuit includes an engine dump hose that extends from a first end to a second end. The first end is coupled to a cooling water outlet of the engine. The cooling water circuit further includes an egress component configured to discharge the cooling water from the device at a discharge angle relative to a vertical axis. The egress component extends through one or more components of the cowling system and is coupled to the second end of the engine dump hose.

A cowling for an outboard motor extends from port side to starboard side in a lateral direction. The cowling includes port and starboard inlets that direct flow of intake air into the cowling and face outwardly in the lateral direction. The cowling further comprises port and starboard duct systems. Each duct system is configured to receive and convey intake air from one of the port and starboard intake ports to an intake conduit for the outboard motor. Each duct system defines a first separation region that receives and conveys the intake air laterally outward to separate a first portion of water from the intake air. Each duct system further defines a second separation region that receives and conveys the intake air from the first separation region laterally inward to separate a second portion of water from the intake air.

Outboard motor cowling with air intake system that provides water separation

A marine drive is provided. The marine drive includes a propulsion unit, a supporting cradle that couples the propulsion unit to a transom bracket for attachment to a marine vessel, and a cowling system that at least partially covers a portion of the propulsion unit and a portion of the supporting cradle. The cowling system includes multiple cowl components, and at least one of the multiple cowl components is coupled to the supporting cradle using an elastic cowl mount assembly. The elastic cowl mount assembly includes a conical bushing coupled to the cowl component, an external housing coupled to the supporting cradle, and a compliant body coupled to the conical bushing and the external housing. The compliant body permits radial and axial movement of the conical bushing relative to the external housing.

Outboard motor with compliant cowl mounting

A service door for a cowl for an outboard marine propulsion device that includes a door panel that is positionable in an open position and in a closed position. A first hinge rotatably couples the door panel to the cowl. A biasing device operates in conjunction with the first hinge and biases the door panel towards the open position. A second hinge rotatably couples the door panel to the cowl and at least one of the first hinge and the second hinge provides only one shear of rotation between the door panel and the cowl. A damper operates in conjunction with the second hinge and resists rotation of the door panel towards the open position. The inside of the cowl is accessible when the door panel is in the open position and inaccessible when the door panel is in the closed position.

Service door for cowls on outboard marine propulsion devices

A marine drive has a propulsion unit, a supporting cradle, a resilient mount that couples the propulsion unit to the supporting cradle, a sound blocking member that extends across an internal gap between the propulsion unit and the supporting cradle, and a cowling system having upper and lower cowlings that cover at least a portion of the propulsion unit and lower cradle covers that cover at least a portion of the supporting cradle. The upper and lower cowlings are separated from the lower cradle covers by an external gap so that the upper and lower cowlings can move along with the propulsion unit and with respect to the supporting cradle and the cradle covers. The sound blocking member blocks the sound which otherwise would emanate from propulsion unit via the internal gap and then from the marine drive via the external gap.

Marine drives having sound blocking member

A latching device is for a cowl on an outboard marine engine, the cowl having first and second cowl portions that are separated from each other in an open cowl position and that are latched together by the latching device in a closed cowl position. A retainer is adapted to be fixed to the first cowl portion and a latch is adapted to be fixed to the second cowl portion. The latch is movable into and between a latched position in which the latch is latched to the retainer and an unlatched position in which the latch is unlatched from the retainer. The latch comprises an engagement member, a bell crank, and a spring that is coupled to the engagement member and the bell crank. Movement of the bell crank with respect to the engagement member generates an overcenter force on the engagement member that facilitates latching and unlatching of the engagement member and the retainer.

Growing community of inventors

Omro, WI, United States of America

Bradley R Stafford