Outboard motor and marine vessel

Abstract

An outboard motor includes an outboard motor main body, a power trim and tilt including a cylinder made of a metal and a mobile body made of a metal and including a piston and a rod fixed to the piston to move the piston within the cylinder to extend and retract the rod to tilt the outboard motor main body, an anode electrode for corrosion protection located below a water surface in electrical connection to the cylinder, and a conductor made of a metal, provided in the cylinder, and elastically deformable to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body by elastically deforming between the cylinder and the mobile body. The conductor is operable to make an electrical connection between the rod and the cylinder even when the mobile body moves within the cylinder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An outboard motor comprising:
 an outboard motor main body;   a power trim and tilt including a cylinder made of a metal and a mobile body made of a metal and including a piston and a rod fixed to the piston to move the piston within the cylinder to extend and retract the rod to tilt the outboard motor main body with the rod;   an anode electrode for corrosion protection to be located below a water surface in electrical connection with the cylinder; and   a conductor made of a metal, provided in the cylinder, and elastically deformable to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body by elastically deforming between the cylinder and the mobile body; wherein   the conductor is operable to make an electrical connection between the rod and the cylinder even when the mobile body moves within the cylinder.   
     
     
         2 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the power trim and tilt includes a lid made of a metal and provided on the cylinder with the rod inserted through the lid to seal an internal space of the cylinder; and   the conductor is provided on the piston of the mobile body so as to maintain contact with the cylinder or is provided on the lid so as to maintain contact with the mobile body.   
     
     
         3 . The outboard motor according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the conductor is provided on the piston of the mobile body so as to maintain contact with the cylinder; and   the rod and the cylinder are electrically connected to each other via the piston and the conductor.   
     
     
         4 . The outboard motor according to  claim 2 , wherein the conductor is annularly provided on the piston along an annular outer peripheral surface of the piston that faces an annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. 
     
     
         5 . The outboard motor according to  claim 4 , wherein the conductor includes an annular radial spring made of a metal to generate a radially outward pressing force against the annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder over an entire circumference of the piston. 
     
     
         6 . The outboard motor according to  claim 3 , wherein the conductor includes a ball plunger including a metal ball, an elastically deformable metal compression spring to press the ball against an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, and a metal fastener to which the compression spring is attached and fixed to the piston. 
     
     
         7 . The outboard motor according to  claim 6 , wherein the ball plunger includes a plurality of ball plungers at equal or substantially equal angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the piston. 
     
     
         8 . The outboard motor according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the power trim and tilt includes a hydraulic cylinder drivable by hydraulic oil supplied into the cylinder; and   the hydraulic oil is constantly supplied to the conductor via a gap between the annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder and the annular outer peripheral surface of the piston.   
     
     
         9 . The outboard motor according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the power trim and tilt includes an annular oil seal along the annular outer peripheral surface of the piston; and   the conductor is provided on the piston at a location closer to a tip end of the rod than the annular oil seal.   
     
     
         10 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the rod includes at least one of a trim rod or a tilt rod;   the power trim and tilt includes:
 a trim mechanism to tilt the outboard motor main body with the trim rod; and 
 a tilt mechanism to tilt the outboard motor main body with the tilt rod; and 
   the conductor is operable to make at least one of an electrical connection between the trim rod and the cylinder or an electrical connection between the tilt rod and the cylinder.   
     
     
         11 . The outboard motor according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the trim mechanism is located below the tilt mechanism; and   the conductor is provided in the trim mechanism and operable to make an electrical connection between the trim rod and the cylinder even when the mobile body moves within the cylinder.   
     
     
         12 . The outboard motor according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a swivel bracket to which the outboard motor main body is attached; and   a clamp bracket, to which the anode electrode is fixed in an electrically connected state, to attach the swivel bracket to a hull; wherein   the power trim and tilt is fixed to the clamp bracket in an electrically connected state such that an electrical connection between the anode electrode and the rod is made via the clamp bracket.   
     
     
         13 . A marine vessel comprising:
 a hull; and   an outboard motor mounted on the hull; wherein   the outboard motor includes:
 an outboard motor main body; 
 a power trim and tilt including a cylinder made of a metal and a mobile body made of a metal and including a piston and a rod fixed to the piston to move the piston within the cylinder to extend and retract the rod to tilt the outboard motor main body with the rod; 
 an anode electrode for corrosion protection to be located below a water surface in electrical connection with the cylinder; and 
 a conductor made of a metal, provided in the cylinder, and elastically deformable to maintain contact with both the cylinder and the mobile body by elastically deforming between the cylinder and the mobile body; and 
   the conductor is operable to make an electrical connection between the rod and the cylinder even when the mobile body moves within the cylinder.   
     
     
         14 . The marine vessel according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the power trim and tilt includes a lid made of a metal and provided on the cylinder with the rod inserted through the lid to seal an internal space of the cylinder; and   the conductor is provided on the piston of the mobile body so as to maintain contact with the cylinder or is provided on the lid so as to maintain contact with the mobile body.   
     
     
         15 . The marine vessel according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the conductor is provided on the piston of the mobile body so as to maintain contact with the cylinder; and   the rod and the cylinder are electrically connected to each other via the piston and the conductor.   
     
     
         16 . The marine vessel according to  claim 14 , wherein the conductor is annularly provided on the piston along an annular outer peripheral surface of the piston that faces an annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. 
     
     
         17 . The marine vessel according to  claim 16 , wherein the conductor includes an annular radial spring made of a metal to generate a radially outward pressing force against the annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder over an entire circumference of the piston. 
     
     
         18 . The marine vessel according to  claim 15 , wherein the conductor includes a ball plunger including a metal ball, an elastically deformable metal compression spring to press the ball against an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, and a metal fastener to which the compression spring is attached and fixed to the piston. 
     
     
         19 . The marine vessel according to  claim 18 , wherein the ball plunger includes a plurality of ball plungers at equal or substantially equal angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the piston. 
     
     
         20 . The marine vessel according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the power trim and tilt includes a hydraulic cylinder drivable by hydraulic oil supplied into the cylinder; and   the hydraulic oil is constantly supplied to the conductor via a gap between the annular inner peripheral surface of the cylinder and the annular outer peripheral surface of the piston.