Patent ID: 8172628

Claim:
A throttle valve drive mechanism for driving a throttle valve provided in an air intake system of an outboard engine unit, comprising: a pivot arm supported by a base via an arm support shaft in such a manner that the pivot arm is pivotable about the arm support shaft by being pulled via a throttle cable; and a throttle cam supported by the base via a cam support shaft and having a guide groove that has a guide section of the pivot arm fitted therein, the throttle cam being pivotable about the cam support shaft with a pivoting characteristic corresponding to a valve characteristic of the throttle valve, wherein the arm support shaft and the cam support shaft are disposed in non-parallel relation to a valve shaft of the throttle valve and at such positions as not to overlap the throttle valve as viewed from a lateral side of the throttle valve drive mechanism, and wherein the valve shaft of the throttle valve is disposed to extend one of generally vertically or generally horizontally while the arm support shaft and the cam support shaft are disposed to extend another of generally vertically or generally horizontally.