Drive Arrangement for Driving a Boat

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drive arrangement (10) for driving and steering a boat (1), comprising an electric drive motor (14) having a shaft (14a) and receiving element (12), receivable in or on a hull (3) of the boat (1), for receiving the shaft (14a), wherein the shaft (14a) is pivotably or rotatably mounted in the receiving element (12) in a position of the receiving element (12) to be arranged outside the boat hull (3).

Claims

1. A drive arrangement for driving and steering a boat, comprising an electric drive motor having a shaft, and a receiving element for receiving the shaft, the receiving element being receivable in or on a hull of the boat, wherein the shaft is pivotably or rotatably mounted in the receiving element in a position of the receiving element arranged outside of the boat hull.

2. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is received in the receiving element substantially along its entire length.

3. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiving element is tubular in shape, in particular in the shape of a rudder tube.

4. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is supported in the receiving element by at least one bearing, preferably a roller bearing or a plain bearing or a bearing bush, particularly preferably a ball bearing, and the bearing being provided in a position of the receiving element arranged outside of the boat hull.

5. The drive arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shaft is supported by more than one bearing in the receiving element and all bearings are arranged in positions arranged outside of the boat hull.

6. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in the receiving element at least one sealing element is arranged to provide a seal between the shaft and the receiving element.

7. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiving element is arranged and configured to be arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the boat hull, wherein a first portion of the receiving element is arrangeable inside the boat hull, and wherein a second portion of the receiving member is arrangeable outside the boat hull.

8. The drive arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the receiving element comprises a fastening member for receiving on the boat hull and the first portion is arranged above and the second portion is arranged below the fastening member.

9. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a servomotor acting on the shaft or a linkage lever is provided for rotating the electric drive motor about the axis of rotation formed by the shaft.

10. A boat comprising a drive arrangement for driving and steering a boat and a power source for supplying power to the electric drive motor, wherein the drive arrangement comprise an electric drive motor having a shaft, and a receiving element for receiving the shaft, the receiving element being receivable in or on a hull of the boat, wherein the shaft is pivotably or rotatably mounted in the receiving element in a position of the receiving element arranged outside of the boat hull.

11. The boat according to claim 10, wherein the shaft is received in the receiving element substantially along its entire length.

12. The boat according to claim 10, wherein the receiving element is tubular in shape, in particular in the shape of a rudder tube.

13. The boat according to claim 10, wherein the shaft is supported in the receiving element by at least one bearing, preferably a roller bearing or a plain bearing or a bearing bush, particularly preferably a ball bearing, and the bearing being provided in a position of the receiving element arranged outside of the boat hull.

14. The boat according to claim 13, wherein the shaft is supported by more than one bearing in the receiving element and all bearings are arranged in positions arranged outside of the boat hull.

15. The boat according to claim 10, wherein in the receiving element at least one sealing element is arranged to provide a seal between the shaft and the receiving element.

16. The boat according to claim 10, wherein the receiving element is arranged and configured to be arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the boat hull, wherein a first portion of the receiving element is arrangeable inside the boat hull, and wherein a second portion of the receiving member is arrangeable outside the boat hull.

17. The boat according to claim 16, wherein the receiving element comprises a fastening member for receiving on the boat hull and the first portion is arranged above and the second portion is arranged below the fastening member.

18. The boat according to claim 10, wherein a servomotor acting on the shaft or a linkage lever is provided for rotating the electric drive motor about the axis of rotation formed by the shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Thereby shows:

[0039] FIG. 1 a schematic view of a drive arrangement and its arrangement on a boat according to an embodiment; and

[0040] FIG. 2 a detailed section of a drive arrangement and its arrangement on a boat according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In the following, exemplary embodiments are described on the basis of the figures. Thereby, identical, similar or similarly acting elements are provided with identical reference signs in the different figures, and a repeated description of these elements is partly omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a drive arrangement and its arrangement on a boat 1.

[0043] The drive arrangement 10 comprises an electric drive motor 14 having a shaft 14a, and a receiving element 12 receivable in a boat hull 3 of the boat 1 to receive the shaft 14a. The shaft 14a is pivotally or rotatably mounted in the receiving element 12 in a position arranged outside the boat hull 3, thereby achieving control of the boat 1.

[0044] The illustrated embodiment schematically shows a battery 20 accommodated in the boat 1, which supplies power to the electric drive motor 14. An electrical line 24 is thereby led from the electric drive motor 14 to an upper end of the receiving element 12. The electrical line 24 is formed as a helical line to easily allow rotation of the electric drive motor 14 relative to the receiving element 12.

[0045] At the upper end of the receiving element 12, a connector 240 is provided which is hermetically sealed to the receiving element 12. The receiving element 12 is thus completely sealed from the outside of the boat hull 3 of the boat 1 in a watertight manner. The battery 20 can be connected to the connector 240 via a corresponding supply line 242, to correspondingly allow contacting of the electric drive motor 14.

[0046] Thereby, the receiving element 12 and the shaft 14a are configured in such a way that electrical lines 24 connect the battery 20 and the electric drive motor 14.

[0047] The drive arrangement 10 and, in particular, the receiving element 12 are arranged completely below the construction waterline KWL of the boat 1 so that the installation space above is available. This is may be helpful, for example, if the drive arrangement 10 is to be used in a boat 1 under a deeply arranged cockpit, for example, in a sailboat that is also open to the transom, for example.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a detailed section of the drive arrangement 10.

[0049] The receiving element 12 comprises a first portion 120 arranged within the boat hull 3 of the boat 1. The receiving element 12 comprises a second portion 122 arranged outside the boat hull 3.

[0050] In the embodiment shown, the shaft 14a is arranged entirely in the second portion 122, which is the portion of the receiving element 12 arranged outside the boat hull 3. The bearing of the shaft 14a is also located entirely in the second portion 122, which is arranged outside the boat hull 3.

[0051] The arrangement of the position of the shaft 14a and/or the position of the bearing of the shaft 14a can also be determined, for example, on the drive arrangement 10 itself based on the position of a fastening element 17 provided for mounting the drive arrangement 10 on the boat hull 3.

[0052] According to the embodiment shown, the shaft 14a is received in the receiving element 12 along substantially the entire length of the shaft 14a. As a result, the installation space and overall height of the receiving element 12 in the boat 1 can be kept low, since the shaft 14a does not have to protrude into the interior of the boat hull 3. However, the mounting of the shaft 14a of the electric drive motor 14 can still be designed to be low in torsion on the boat 1, so that there is no functional loss if the dimensions are appropriate.

[0053] The shaft 14a is thereby pivotally or rotatably mounted in the receiving element 12 by at least two bearings 16, so that a pivoting of the shaft 14a also achieves a pivoting of the electric drive motor 14, which can lead to a steering of the boat 1.

[0054] A flange 14b is provided at the upper end of the shaft 14a to prevent the shaft 14a from slipping out of the bearings 16 and out of the receiving element 12.

[0055] All bearings 16 are thereby provided in positions arranged outside the boat hull 3 in the receiving element 12, i.e., in the second portion 122 of the receiving element 12.

[0056] The boat 1 with the drive arrangement 10 is shown here with a power supply 20 for supplying power to the electric drive motor 14. In some embodiments (not shown), the power supply 20 also supplies power to an electric servo motor 15. The servo motor 15 can act on the shaft 14a arranged in the receiving element 12 to rotate the electric drive motor 14 about the axis of rotation formed by the shaft 14a. This may facilitate steering for the user of the boat and may provide a “steer by wire” function.

[0057] Further, according to FIG. 2, within the receiving element 12 at least one sealing element 18 is arranged to provide a seal 19 between the shaft 14a and the receiving element 12 and to reduce or to prevent water from entering the receiving element 12.

[0058] Furthermore, it is shown by way of example that the receiving element 12 is tubular, in particular in the form of a rudder tube (German: Hennegatt tube), which can preferably be arranged completely below the construction waterline and which is sealed watertight towards the boat hull 3.

[0059] In some embodiments, the receiving element 12 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the portion of the bottom of the boat hull 3 surrounding the receiving element 12, wherein a first portion 120 of the receiving element 12 is arranged inside the boat hull 3, and wherein a second portion 122 of the receiving element 12 extends outside the boat hull 3.

[0060] The receiving element 12 can be connected to the boat hull 3 by means of a flange 17. Other ways of connecting the receiving element 12 are also conceivable, such as screwing the tubular receiving element 12 to the bottom of the boat hull 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0061] 1 Boat [0062] 10 drive arrangement [0063] 12 receiving element [0064] 14 drive motor [0065] 14a shaft [0066] 14b flange [0067] 15 servo motor [0068] 16 bearing [0069] 17 flange [0070] 18 sealing element [0071] 19 seal [0072] 120 first portion [0073] 122 second portion [0074] 20 power supply [0075] 24 electrical line [0076] 240 connector [0077] 242 supply line [0078] 3 boat hull [0079] KWL construction waterline

[0080] To the extent applicable, any of the individual features shown in the embodiments may be combined and/or interchanged without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.