Patent ID: 8246398

Claim:
An outboard marine motor, comprising: an upper case receiving an internal combustion engine therein; a mounting fixture configured to attach the upper case to a part of a watercraft; a lower case connected to a lower end of the upper case via a tubular member so as to be rotatable relative to the upper case around a first vertical axial line; a spur gear provided around the tubular member; a propeller shaft extending in the lower case in a fore-and-aft direction; a propeller attached to a rear end of the propeller shaft projecting from a rear end of the lower case; a drive shaft extending vertically at least in the lower case coaxially with the first vertical axial line, and having an upper end connected to an output shaft of the engine in a torque transmitting relationship; a torque transmitting mechanism interposed between a lower end of the drive shaft and the propeller shaft; and an actuator provided in the upper case and configured to selectively turn the lower case around the first vertical axial line, the actuator including an electric motor with an output shaft that coaxially extends along the first vertical axial line, wherein the output shaft of the electric motor defines an inner bore receiving the drive shaft therein, the output shaft being fitted with a pinion that meshes with the spur gear via a gear assembly including a counter shaft fitted with counter gears meshing with the pinion and spur gear, respectively.