Patent ID: 7458866

Claim:
An outboard drive comprising a prime mover having an output shaft, a driveshaft coupled with the output shaft, a propulsion device coupled with the driveshaft, the prime mover rotating the output shaft to drive the propulsion device through the driveshaft, and a speed change mechanism positioned between the output shaft and the driveshaft, the speed change mechanism being disposed in a housing and configured to change a rotational speed of the output shaft that it transmits to the driveshaft, wherein the speed change mechanism includes a planetary mechanism comprising a sun gear coupled with the output shaft, a ring gear coupled with the housing for rotation about an axis of the sun gear, and a clutch device for selectively at least slowing the rotation of the ring gear, wherein the clutch device comprises a clutching unit and an actuating unit for actuating the clutching unit, the clutching unit including a friction member extending along an outer circumferential surface of the ring gear, a first end of the clutching unit being coupled with the housing, a second end of the clutching unit being coupled with the actuating unit, and the actuating unit making the friction member abut on the outer circumferential surface of the ring gear to stop the rotation of the ring gear.