Outboard Motor Capable of Being Coupled to a Watercraft

Abstract

The invention relates to an outboard motor ( 1 ) that is capable of being coupled to a watercraft ( 20 ) and comprises an elongate hollow body ( 2 ) that is open at its upper end ( 3 ), a propeller ( 5 ) positioned on the lower end ( 4 ) of the body ( 2 ), a system ( 6 ) for rotating the propeller ( 5 ) integrated into said body ( 2 ), and a steering bar ( 7 ) provided at its free end with an acceleration lever ( 8 ). The steering bar ( 7 ) is slidably mounted inside a longitudinal guideway ( 9 ) provided inside the body ( 2 ) for moving the steering bar ( 7 ) between an at least partially retracted configuration within the body ( 2 ) of the outboard motor ( 1 ) and a deployed configuration in which the steering bar ( 7 ) at least partially projects from said body ( 2 ). In the deployed configuration, the steering bar ( 7 ) is mounted so as to pivot about a shaft ( 10 ) transverse to the longitudinal axis of the guideway ( 9 ) in order to move said bar ( 7 ) between a raised position in which it extends in the axial extension of the guideway ( 9 ) and a lowered position in which it forms an angle (a) of between 60° and 120° with the longitudinal axis of the guideway ( 9 ).

11 . An outboard motor adapted to be coupled to a watercraft, the outboard motor comprising:
 an elongate hollow body having an upper end and a lower end, the elongate hollow body being open at the upper end;   a propeller positioned on the elongate hollow body at the lower end;   a system for rotating the propeller, the system integrated into the elongate hollow body;   a steering bar having a free end; and   an acceleration lever at the free end of the steering bar,   wherein the steering bar is slidably mounted inside a guideway that is provided inside the elongate hollow body and that extends longitudinally from the upper end to the lower end for moving the steering bar between a retracted position within the elongate hollow body and a deployed position in which the free end of the steering bar projects from the elongate hollow body.   
     
     
         12 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , wherein, in the deployed position, the steering bar is mounted so as to pivot about a shaft transverse to a longitudinal axis of the guideway in order to move the steering bar between the retracted position in which the steering bar extends along the longitudinal axis of the guideway and the deployed position in which the steering bar forms an angle at the shaft of between 60° and 120° with the longitudinal axis of the guideway. 
     
     
         13 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a slide to which the steering bar is pivotally coupled, wherein the slide is slidably mounted in the guideway.   
     
     
         14 . The outboard motor of  claim 13 , wherein the elongate hollow body comprises a sliding movement end stop for the steering bar, the sliding movement end stop being disposed in the guideway to prevent a sliding movement of the steering bar beyond a predetermined position toward the upper end of the elongate hollow body. 
     
     
         15 . The outboard motor of  claim 14 , wherein the sliding movement end stop comprises an accommodation provided in the elongate hollow body to accommodate a pushbutton carried by the slide, wherein, in the deployed position of the steering bar, this pushbutton is inserted into the accommodation of the elongate hollow body. 
     
     
         16 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , wherein the steering bar is electrically connected to the system by a wire connection disposed in the guideway for rotating the propeller. 
     
     
         17 . The outboard motor of  claim 16 , wherein the wire connection is a spiral-shaped cord. 
     
     
         18 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , wherein the system for rotating the propeller comprises:
 an electric motor; and   a battery for supplying electricity to the electric motor, the battery being removable from the elongate hollow body.   
     
     
         19 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an arm; and   a longitudinal slideway provided on an outer surface of the elongate hollow body, wherein the arm is adpated to be inserted into the longitudinal slideway to attach the outboard motor to the watercraft in a positionally adjustable manner, and wherein the longitudinal slideway extends on the outer surface of the elongate hollow body from the lower end to the upper end.   
     
     
         20 . The outboard motor of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a connection interface coupled to the arm; and   a support which is coupled to the connection interface and which is adpated to be coupled to the watercraft, wherein the connection interface is pivotably coupled to the arm by a pivot connection providing at least one pivot axis for movement of the arm between two end pivot positions, and wherein the connection interface is rotatably coupled to the support by a rotational connection providing at least one axis of rotation to allow, in a coupled state of the connection interface to the arm and to the support, a movement of the arm and of the connection interface about the at least one axis of rotation over an angular range of at least 160°, wherein the at least one axis of rotation and the at least one pivot axis are orthogonal to each other.   
     
     
         21 . The outboard motor of  claim 11 , wherein the guideway includes rails arranged inside the elongate hollow body. 
     
     
         22 . A watercraft comprising:
 a watercraft main body; and   an outboard motor adapted to be coupled to the watercraft main body, the outboard motor comprising:
 an elongate hollow body having an upper end and a lower end, the elongate hollow body being open at the upper end; 
 a propeller positioned on the elongate hollow body at the lower end; 
 a system for rotating the propeller, the system integrated into the elongate hollow body; 
 a steering bar having a free end; and 
 an acceleration lever at the free end of the steering bar, 
   wherein the steering bar is slidably mounted inside a guideway that is provided inside the elongate hollow body and that extends longitudinally from the upper end to the lower end for moving the steering bar between a retracted position within the elongate hollow body and a deployed position in which the free end of the steering bar projects from the elongate hollow body.   
     
     
         23 . The watercraft of  claim 22 , wherein, in the deployed position, the steering bar is mounted so as to pivot about a shaft transverse to a longitudinal axis of the guideway in order to move the steering bar between the retracted position in which the steering bar extends along the longitudinal axis of the guideway and the deployed position in which the steering bar forms an angle at the shaft of between 60° and 120° with the longitudinal axis of the guideway. 
     
     
         24 . The watercraft of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a slide to which the steering bar is pivotally coupled, wherein the slide is slidably mounted in the guideway.   
     
     
         25 . The watercraft of  claim 24 , wherein the elongate hollow body comprises a sliding movement end stop for the steering bar, the sliding movement end stop being disposed in the guideway to prevent a sliding movement of the steering bar beyond a predetermined position toward the upper end of the elongate hollow body. 
     
     
         26 . The watercraft of  claim 25 , wherein the sliding movement end stop comprises an accommodation provided in the elongate hollow body to accommodate a pushbutton carried by the slide, wherein, in the deployed position of the steering bar, this pushbutton is inserted into the accommodation of the elongate hollow body. 
     
     
         27 . The watercraft of  claim 22 , wherein the steering bar is electrically connected to the system by a wire connection disposed in the guideway for rotating the propeller. 
     
     
         28 . The watercraft of  claim 22 , wherein the system for rotating the propeller comprises:
 an electric motor; and   a battery for supplying electricity to the electric motor, the battery being removable from the elongate hollow body.   
     
     
         29 . The watercraft of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 an arm;   a longitudinal slideway provided on an outer surface of the elongate hollow body, wherein the arm is adpated to be inserted into the longitudinal slideway to attach the outboard motor to the watercraft in a positionally adjustable manner, and wherein the longitudinal slideway extends on the outer surface of the elongate hollow body from the lower end to the upper end;   a connection interface coupled to the arm; and   a support which is coupled to the connection interface and which is adpated to be coupled to the watercraft, wherein the connection interface is pivotably coupled to the arm by a pivot connection providing at least one pivot axis for movement of the arm between two end pivot positions, and wherein the connection interface is rotatably coupled to the support by a rotational connection providing at least one axis of rotation to allow, in a coupled state of the connection interface to the arm and to the support, a movement of the arm and of the connection interface about the at least one axis of rotation over an angular range of at least 160°, wherein the at least one axis of rotation and the at least one pivot axis are orthogonal to each other.   
     
     
         30 . A method of driving a watercraft, the method comprising:
 supplying electric power to an outboard motor coupled to a watercarft, the outboard motor comprising:
 an elongate hollow body having an upper end and a lower end, the elongate hollow body being open at the upper end; 
 a propeller positioned on the elongate hollow body at the lower end; 
 a system for rotating the propeller, the system integrated into the elongate hollow body; 
 a steering bar having a free end; and 
 an acceleration lever at the free end of the steering bar, 
 wherein the steering bar is slidably mounted inside a guideway that is provided inside the elongate hollow body and that extends longitudinally from the upper end to the lower end for moving the steering bar between an a retracted position within the elongate hollow body and a deployed position in which the free end of the steering bar projects from the elongate hollow body; 
   powering the propeller using the supplied electric power; and   driving the watercraft using the powered propeller.