IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,448,102
Granted Patent B2
US 12,448,102 · App. 17/939,477 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Hybrid ship propulsion machine

Inventor: Masatoshi Kimpara (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
B63H21/20B63H20/32B63H20/007B63H2021/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,448,102
App. No.
17/939,477
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hybrid ship propulsion machine includes an internal-combustion-drive propulsion part and an electric propulsion part. The electric propulsion part is attached to a first housing part of the internal-combustion-drive propulsion part, and is disposed at a position higher than an anti-cavitation plate of the internal-combustion-drive propulsion part such that a second propeller of the electric propulsion part sinks below a water surface during low-speed movement, which is not a planing state of a ship, and the second propeller comes out of the water surface during planing of the ship.

Claims (27)

1. A hybrid ship propulsion machine comprising:

an internal-combustion-drive propulsion part configured to generate a propulsive force of a ship by an internal combustion engine; and

an electric propulsion part configured to generate a propulsive force of the ship by an electric motor, wherein

the internal-combustion-drive propulsion part includes

the internal combustion engine;

a first propeller shaft configured to be rotated by power output from the internal combustion engine;

a power transmission mechanism configured to transmit the power output from the internal combustion engine to the first propeller shaft;

a first housing part housing the power transmission mechanism and the first propeller shaft;

a first propeller attached to the first propeller shaft; and

an anti-cavitation plate provided in the first housing part and disposed above the first propeller,

the electric propulsion part includes

the electric motor;

a second propeller shaft provided separately from the first propeller shaft and configured to be rotated by power output from the electric motor;

a second housing part housing the electric motor and the second propeller shaft; and

a second propeller provided separately from the first propeller and attached to the second propeller shaft,

the electric propulsion part is attached to the first housing part, and is disposed at a position higher than the anti-cavitation plate such that the second propeller sinks below a water surface during low-speed movement, which is not a planing state of the ship, and the second propeller comes out of the water surface during planing of the ship,

the electric propulsion part includes two electric propulsion parts, and

when the hybrid ship propulsion machine is viewed from above, the two electric propulsion parts are disposed such that axes of two second propeller shafts thereof are orthogonal to each other.

2. The hybrid ship propulsion machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the electric propulsion part includes an attachment part attaching the electric propulsion part to the first housing part, and

the electric propulsion part is detachably attached to the first housing part via the attachment part.

3. The hybrid ship propulsion machine according to claim 2 , wherein

the first housing part or the attachment part has an attachment position changing structure configured to be capable of changing an attachment position of the electric propulsion part with respect to the internal-combustion-drive propulsion part in an upper-lower direction.

4. The hybrid ship propulsion machine according to claim 1 , wherein

an inverter configured to control driving of the electric motor is provided in the second housing part.

5. The hybrid ship propulsion machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a movement controller configured to each control rotation of two electric motors of the two electric propulsion parts to move the ship to any position or hold the ship at a current position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: KIMPARA, MASATOSHI
To: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061015/0528 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-152541 · Sep 17, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230090635A1 · Mar 23, 2023
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