Patent ID: 6835109
Filing Date: 2004-12-28
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
A shift mechanism for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, comprising:a clutch installed in the outboard motor to be engaged from a neutral position with at least one of a forward gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a forward direction and a reverse gear that causes the boat to be propelled in a direction reverse to the forward direction; a shift rod movably installed in the outboard motor; an actuator installed in the outboard motor to move the shift rod; and a shift slider installed in the outboard and connected to the shift rod to slide to at least one of a position at which the clutch is engaged with the forward gear and a position at which the clutch is engaged with the reverse gear, wherein the actuator drives the shift rod to rotate such that the shift slider slides to at least one of the position at which the clutch is engaged with the forward year and the position at which the clutch is engaged with the reverse gear, and wherein the actuator drives the shift rod to rotate in an angular range of rotation beginning from a line extended from a center axis of the shift slider and ending at the same line.