Patent ID: 9522720
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: B63H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A vessel propulsion apparatus comprising: a prime mover that generates power by which a propeller is rotated; a drive shaft rotationally driven by the prime mover; a drive gear connected to the drive shaft; a front gear that engages the drive gear; a rear gear that engages the drive gear and that is disposed behind the front gear; a dog clutch that moves in a front-rear direction of the vessel propulsion apparatus between an engagement position in which the dog clutch engages either the front gear or the rear gear and a non-engagement position in which the dog clutch engages neither the front gear nor the rear gear; an intermediate shaft rotatably supported by the front gear and by the rear gear and that rotates together with the dog clutch; a propeller shaft that rotates together with the propeller around a propeller axis extending in the front-rear direction and to which rotation of the intermediate shaft is transmitted; a lower case containing the drive gear, the front gear, the rear gear, the dog clutch, and the intermediate shaft; and a annular lid, a housing that surrounds the propeller shaft, and at least one bearing that receive a thrust in a forward direction from the propeller shaft that propels a vessel forwardly and that transmit the thrust to the lower case without transmitting the thrust to the intermediate shaft; wherein the propeller shaft includes a shaft portion disposed on the propeller axis and a flange portion extending outwardly from the shaft portion, and the annular lid is disposed in front of the flange portion.