Patent ID: 7841600

Claim:
In an engine cover for an outboard motor, said engine cover including an upper cover member, and a lower cover member which is formed with a horizontal seal surface and a substantially vertical seal surface extending integrally upwardly adjacent the horizontal seal surface, the improvement comprising a seal member for sealing a gap between the upper and lower cover members, the upper cover member being releasably attached to the lower cover member, the seal member comprising: a supporting portion disposed on a lower end portion of the upper cover member for supporting the upper cover member relative to the lower cover member, the supporting portion having a recessed groove formed therein for receiving a lower edge portion of the upper cover member, said recessed groove having a floor portion and two opposite side walls; a hollow sealing portion having cross-sectional wedge shape comprising a plurality of integrally formed walls enclosing an airtight hollow space including an inner wall formed integrally with an engine-compartment side of the supporting portion, an outer wall including a plurality of deformable sealing lips, a top wall interconnecting upper ends of the inner and outer wall and a lower end joining lower portions of the inner and outer walls, which is disposed between an inner surface of an inner peripheral part of a lower end portion of the upper cover member and an outer surface of an outer peripheral part of the upper end portion of the lower cover member, such that the hollow sealing portion and the sealing lips of the outer wall thereof become substantially compressed when the upper cover member and the lower cover member are locked together, wherein: the supporting portion and the sealing portion cooperate to define and surround a hollow space therebetween, the hollow space extending down below the recessed groove of the supporting portion; the supporting portion having a large spring modulus; and the sealing portion having a spring modulus smaller than the spring modulus of the supporting portion; and wherein the hollow sealing portion extends both below and above the floor portion of the recessed groove of the supporting portion between said outer surface of lower cover member and said inner surface of the upper cover member.