US 12,221,921 B1
Outboard engine assembly
Nathan Blank, Burlington, WI (US); and Roger Raetzman, Pleasant Prairie, WI (US)
Assigned to BRP US Inc.
Filed by BRP US INC., Sturtevant, WI (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/331,346.
Application 18/331,346 is a continuation of application No. 17/730,876, filed on Apr. 27, 2022, granted, now 11,708,788.
Application 18/331,346 is a continuation of application No. 17/164,250, filed on Feb. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,655,784, issued on May 23, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/180,310, filed on Apr. 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/968,855, filed on Jan. 31, 2020.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F02B 61/04 (2006.01); F01N 13/00 (2010.01); F01N 13/12 (2010.01); F02B 75/02 (2006.01)
CPC F02B 61/045 (2013.01) [F01N 13/004 (2013.01); F01N 13/12 (2013.01); F01N 2590/021 (2013.01); F02B 2075/027 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An outboard engine assembly for a watercraft comprising:
an engine unit including:
an engine unit housing,
an internal combustion engine disposed in the engine unit housing, the engine defining at least one combustion chamber,
an exhaust system having at least one exhaust outlet,
the exhaust system fluidly communicating with the at least one combustion chamber for supplying exhaust gases from the at least one combustion chamber to an exterior of the outboard engine assembly via the at least one exhaust outlet,
a gearcase connected to the engine unit housing,
a control module connected to the engine for controlling at least one operating parameter of the outboard engine assembly, and
a water sensor disposed at least in part in the exhaust system for detecting presence of water in the exhaust system, the water sensor being in communication with the control module;
at least one of a cooling water passage and an intermediate water conduit for supplying cooling water to at least one of:
an engine block of the internal combustion engine,
a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine,
the control module,
a fuel injector assembly,
a vapor separator assembly, and
a power steering system,
a cooling water conduit fluidly connected to the at least one of the cooling water passage and the intermediate water conduit for receiving cooling water from the at least one of the cooling water passage and the intermediate water conduit, the cooling water conduit having a cooling water conduit outlet fluidly communicating with the exhaust system, cooling water being supplied sequentially from the at least one of the cooling water passage and the intermediate water conduit to the cooling water conduit and from the cooling water conduit to the cooling water outlet for supplying water into the exhaust system at a position upstream of the at least one exhaust outlet, the cooling water conduit outlet being positioned such that cooling water exiting the cooling water conduit outlet flows across the water sensor, and
a propulsion device operatively connected to the engine.