Patent ID: 7513809

Claim:
A tilt actuator for adjusting the trim or tilt of an outboard motor, comprising: a cylinder having opposite end walls and an inner bore extending between the end walls and adapted to receive fluid therein; a piston in sliding engagement with the inner bore and dividing the inner bore of the cylinder into first and second chambers, the piston having a plurality of damping passages for flow of fluid from the first chamber on one side of the piston to the other chamber on the other side of the piston in a first direction, each damping passage having a check valve for blocking reverse flow through the damping passage, and each damping passage opening to the first chamber at an inlet opening; a rod connected to the piston and extending through an aperture in one of the end walls of the cylinder, whereby externally forced movement of the rod can cause the piston to move in a second direction opposite the first direction with such movement being dampened by flow of fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber through the damping passages; and a damper member cooperative with the piston in a first position to at least partially block the inlet opening of at least one of the damping passages thereby to restrict flow of fluid from the first chamber to the damping passages in the piston and in a second position that allows full damping flow of fluid to the inlet openings of the damping passages from the first chamber to the damping passages in the piston during movement of the piston in the second direction, the damper member being disposed within the first chamber such that the damper member is moved from the second position to the first position when the piston moves within a specified distance from the end wall, whereby the damping effect is increased near the end of travel of the piston, and wherein such movement of the damper member is effected by a resilient member through interaction with the chamber.