Patent ID: 7294030

Claim:
An outboard motor comprising: an engine; a mount case on which the engine is mounted; a cover structure that covers the engine; an exhaust release pipe for releasing at least part of an exhaust gas from the engine into the air outside the outboard motor, the exhaust release pipe having an outlet portion projecting outward of the cover structure through an opening formed in the cover structure; and elastic seal means for creating a hermetic seal between the cover structure and the exhaust release pipe while closing the opening of the cover structure, the elastic seal means having a retaining portion engaged with the cover structure or the exhaust release pipe to retain the seal means on the cover structure or the exhaust release pipe, a first seal portion in sealing contact with the cover structure, a second seal portion in sealing contact with the exhaust release pipe, and an offset absorbing portion elastically deformable to absorb an offset between the exhaust release pipe and the opening of the cover structure without affecting the hermetic seal created between the cover structure and the exhaust release pipe, the elastic seal means comprising a seal member formed from an elastic material into a generally double tube structure having an inner tube fitted around the outlet portion of the exhaust release pipe and an outer tube retained on the cover structure, the inner tube and the outer tube being joined together at one end and extending at an angle relative to each other, a joint portion between the inner and outer tubes forming the offset absorbing portion of the seal means.