US 12,441,450 B2
Marine propulsion apparatus
Koji Kiyooka, Amagasaki (JP); Tomoyuki Ebihara, Amagasaki (JP); Takashi Nishizawa, Amagasaki (JP); Koga Yamane, Amagasaki (JP); Kengo Sasahara, Amagasaki (JP); Shigeaki Nakagawa, Amagasaki (JP); Kazuki Yasui, Amagasaki (JP); and Toshiaki Okanishi, Amagasaki (JP)
Assigned to KANZAKI KOKYUKOKI MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Amagasaki (JP)
Appl. No. 17/633,419
Filed by Kanzaki Kokyukoki Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Amagasaki (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/028112
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/024779, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-145921 (JP), filed on Aug. 8, 2019; and application No. 2019-145922 (JP), filed on Aug. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0289355 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. B63H 23/16 (2006.01); B63H 23/30 (2006.01); F03B 13/26 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 23/16 (2013.01) [B63H 23/30 (2013.01); F03B 13/26 (2013.01); F05B 2220/706 (2013.01); F05B 2240/93 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A marine propulsion apparatus that can-transmits power of an internal combustion engine mounted on a ship to a propeller via a forward reverse switching mechanism, the marine propulsion apparatus comprising:
a generator motor; and
a connection switching mechanism capable of selectively connecting the generator motor to a power input side and a power output side of the forward reverse switching mechanism,
wherein the connection switching mechanism is interposed between the generator motor and the forward reverse switching mechanism,
wherein in a state where the generator motor is connected to the output side of the forward reverse switching mechanism by the connection switching mechanism, when the forward reverse switching mechanism is neutral, the propeller is driven by power of the generator motor, or the generator motor is operated as a generator by an idle force of the propeller due to a tidal current.