Patent ID: 9708045
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: B63H

Claim:
1. An outdrive for a watercraft having an inboard engine, the outdrive comprising: an input shaft extending through a transom of the watercraft, away from an engine within a hull of the watercraft, a mounting bracket configured to mount to the transom of a watercraft, an upper drive unit joined with the input shaft, the upper drive unit including a driveshaft rotatable upon rotation of the input shaft; a lower drive unit joined with the upper drive unit, the lower drive unit including a housing, a propeller shaft rotatable upon rotation of the driveshaft, and a propeller joined with the propeller shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, thereby producing thrust to propel the watercraft through a body of water; wherein the lower drive unit is operable in a raised mode, in which the lower drive unit is disposed adjacent the upper drive unit, and in a lowered mode, in which the lower drive unit is disposed a preselected distance away from the upper drive unit, wherein the lower drive unit is moveable from the raised mode to the lowered mode while the watercraft is moving through a body of water and while the propeller is producing thrust, wherein the upper drive unit is supported by the mounting bracket, wherein the upper drive unit is pivotally mounted relative to the mounting bracket so that the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit can tilt up and down together, but the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit do not tilt relative to one another.