Marine drives
A marine drive is for propelling a marine vessel in water. The marine drive comprises an upper unit; a lower unit for supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine drive in the water, wherein the lower unit is suspended from the upper unit and is configured for attachment to the marine vessel via a mounting bracket which supports the marine drive relative to the marine vessel; a cowling suspended on the upper unit apart from the lower unit; and a vibration isolating joint which couples the lower unit to the upper unit so as to vibrationally isolate the upper unit and the cowling from the lower unit and the marine vessel.
1 . A marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water, the marine drive comprising:
an upper unit including a frame body and a service tray,
a lower unit for supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine drive in the water, wherein the lower unit is suspended from the upper unit and is configured for attachment to the marine vessel via a mounting bracket which supports the marine drive relative to the marine vessel,
a cowling suspended from the service tray apart from the lower unit, and
a vibration isolating joint which couples the lower unit to the upper unit to vibrationally isolate the upper unit and the cowling from the lower unit and the marine vessel.
2 . The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein vibrations emanating from the propulsor are transferred via the lower unit to the vibration isolating joint, thereby vibrationally isolating the upper unit and the cowling from the propulsor.
3 . The marine drive according to claim 1 , further comprising an electric motor on the lower unit, the electric motor being configured to power the propulsor, wherein vibrations from the electric motor are transferred via the lower unit to the vibration isolating joint, thereby vibrationally isolating the upper unit and the cowling from the electric motor.
4 . The marine drive according to claim 3 , wherein the lower unit further comprises a torpedo housing, wherein the electric motor is supported in the torpedo housing.
5 . The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the upper unit comprises a supporting frame and wherein the lower unit comprises an extension leg which extends from and is suspended on the supporting frame via the vibration isolating joint.
6 . The marine drive according to claim 5 , wherein the supporting frame comprises a lower mounting flange and wherein the extension leg comprises an upper mounting flange which faces the lower mounting flange, and wherein the vibration isolating joint couples the lower mounting flange to the upper mounting flange.
7 . The marine drive according to claim 6 , wherein the vibration isolating joint comprises an elastomeric member which is clamped between the lower mounting flange and the upper mounting flange and configured to limit transfer of vibrations from the extension leg to the supporting frame.
8 . The marine drive according to claim 7 , wherein the vibration isolating joint further comprises a compression limiter which prevents over clamping of the elastomeric member during assembly of the lower unit and the upper unit.
9 . The marine drive according to claim 8 , wherein the vibration isolating joint further comprises a fastener, and wherein tightening the fastener clamps the elastomeric member between the extension leg and the supporting frame, and wherein the compression limiter prevents over tightening of the fastener to thereby prevent over compression of the elastomeric member.
10 . The marine drive according to claim 9 , wherein tightening the fastener clamps the elastomeric member between the lower mounting flange and the upper mounting flange.
11 . The marine drive according to claim 9 , wherein the compression limiter comprises a first limiter portion located between the extension leg and the supporting frame and a second limiter portion located on an opposite side of one of the extension leg and the supporting frame relative to the first limiter portion, and wherein the elastomeric member comprises a first resilient portion located between the first limiter portion and the one of the extension leg and the supporting frame and a second resilient portion located between the second limiter portion and the one of the extension leg and the supporting frame, and wherein the fastener extends through the first limiter portion and the second limiter portion.
12 . The marine drive according to claim 1 , wherein the cowling has a first cowl portion and a second cowl portion which together define a cowl interior in which the upper unit is disposed, wherein the first cowl portion and the second cowl portion are separate components.
13 . The marine drive according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first cowl portion and the second cowl portion is coupled to the upper unit, and further wherein the first cowl portion and the second cowl portion are coupled to each other, apart from the upper unit.
14 . The marine drive according to claim 13 , wherein the first cowl portion is a port side cowl portion and wherein the second cowl portion is a starboard side cowl portion, and wherein the port side cowl portion and the starboard side cowl portion are fastened to opposite sides of the upper unit and separately to each other.
15 . The marine drive according to claim 1 , further comprising a service lid on the service tray.
16 . A marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water, the marine drive extending from a top to a bottom along a first axis, from a port side to a starboard side along a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis, and from a front to a back along a third axis which is perpendicular to the first axis and perpendicular to the second axis, the marine drive comprising:
an upper unit including a service tray,
a lower unit disposed below the upper unit along the first axis, the lower unit configured to support a propulsor for propelling the marine drive in the water, wherein the lower unit is suspended from the upper unit and is configured for attachment to the marine vessel via a mounting bracket which supports the marine drive relative to the marine vessel,
a cowling suspended from the service tray apart from the lower unit, the cowling comprising an upper portion which is coupled to and encloses the upper unit and a lower portion which is spaced apart from but encloses an upper portion of the lower unit, and
a vibration isolating joint which couples the lower unit to the upper unit to vibrationally isolate the upper unit and the cowling from the lower unit and the marine vessel.
17 . The marine drive according to claim 16 , wherein vibrations emanating from the propulsor are transferred to the marine vessel via the lower unit and to the vibration isolating joint, thereby vibrationally isolating the upper unit and the cowling from the propulsor and the marine vessel.
18 . The marine drive according to claim 16 , wherein the cowling further comprises a first cowl portion and a second cowl portion which are separate components and are both coupled to the upper unit, and further wherein the first cowl portion and the second cowl portion have lower portions that are coupled to each other and completely spaced apart from the upper unit, thereby further vibrationally isolating the upper unit and the cowling from the propulsor and the marine vessel.
19 . The marine drive according to claim 16 , wherein the cowling further comprises a port side cowl portion and a starboard side cowl portion that is a separate component from the port side cowl portion, and wherein the port side cowl portion and the starboard side cowl portion are fastened to the port side and the starboard side of the upper unit, respectively, and also fastened to each other.