초록 ▼

A cooling system for a marine vessel is configured to allow all cooling water to flow out of the cooling circuit naturally and under the influence of gravity when the marine vessel is removed from the body of water. All conduits of the cooling circuit are sloped downwardly and rearwardly from withi

A cooling system for a marine vessel is configured to allow all cooling water to flow out of the cooling circuit naturally and under the influence of gravity when the marine vessel is removed from the body of water. All conduits of the cooling circuit are sloped downwardly and rearwardly from within the marine vessel to an opening through its transom. Traps are avoided so that residual water is not retained within locations of the cooling system after the natural draining process is complete. The opening through the transom of the marine vessel is at or below all conduits of the cooling system in order to facilitate the natural draining of the cooling system under the influence of gravity and without the need for operator intervention.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A cooling system for a marine propulsion device, comprising: a heat exchanger; a first cooling circuit configured to conduct a first coolant therethrough; a second cooling circuit configured to conduct a second coolant therethrough, said first and second cooling circuits being disposed

We claim: 1. A cooling system for a marine propulsion device, comprising: a heat exchanger; a first cooling circuit configured to conduct a first coolant therethrough; a second cooling circuit configured to conduct a second coolant therethrough, said first and second cooling circuits being disposed in thermal communication with each other within said heat exchanger, said first cooling circuit extending at least partially through a transom of a marine vessel, said first cooling circuit being configured to prevent a residual quantity of water from being trapped, when said marine vessel is removed from a body of water in which it has been operated, within any portion of said first cooling circuit in a sufficient quantity to block passage of a fluid through said first cooling circuit. 2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: said first and second cooling circuits are configured to conduct said first and second coolants in non-contact association with each other within said heat exchanger. 3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: said first coolant is water drawn from a body of water in which said marine propulsion device is operated and said second coolant is ethylene glycol. 4. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: an inboard portion of said first cooling circuit is disposed at a position in front of said transom and an outboard portion of said first cooling circuit is disposed at a position behind said transom. 5. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said first cooling circuit from being blocked by said residual quantity of water which becomes solidified within said first cooling circuit, after said marine vessel is removed from a body of water in which it has been operated. 6. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said first cooling circuit from being more than fifty percent blocked by said residual quantity of water which becomes solidified within said first cooling circuit, after said marine vessel is removed from a body of water in which it has been operated. 7. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising: a transom fitting extending through said transom, said transom fitting being connected in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit. 8. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising: a water pump disposed in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit for pumping water from a body of water and causing said water to flow through said first cooling circuit. 9. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein: said first cooling circuit comprises a heat exchanger segment extending through said heat exchanger in thermal communication with said second cooling circuit and a plurality of water ports formed in a drive housing of said marine propulsion device. 10. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising: an engine having a cooling system connected in thermal communication with said second cooling circuit. 11. A cooling system for a marine propulsion device, comprising: a heat exchanger; a transom opening formed through a transom of a marine vessel; an engine having an internal cooling passage, said engine being disposed within said marine vessel at a position in front of said transom; a drive unit attached to said transom at a position behind said transom, said drive unit being connected in torque transmitting relation with said engine; a first cooling circuit configured to conduct a first coolant therethrough; a second cooling circuit configured to conduct a second coolant therethrough, said second cooling circuit being connected in fluid communication with said internal cooling passage of said engine, said first and second cooling circuits being disposed in thermal communication with each other within said heat exchanger, said first and second cooling circuits being configured to conduct said first and second coolants in non-contact association with each other, said first cooling circuit extending at least partially through said transom opening of said marine vessel, all portions of said first cooling circuit being configured to slope downwardly from said heat exchanger to said drive unit when a crankshaft of said engine is generally horizontal. 12. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent an occlusion from forming within any portion of said first cooling circuit when said marine vessel is removed from a body of water in which it has been operated. 13. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said occlusion from completely blocking said first cooling circuit. 14. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said occlusion from blocking fifty percent of the cross section of any portion of said first cooling circuit. 15. The cooling system of claim 11, further comprising: a transom fitting extending through said transom opening, said transom fitting being connected in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit. 16. The cooling system of claim 15, wherein: said transom fitting is adapted to be connected to a hose to facilitate the introduction of water into said first cooling circuit for the purpose of flushing said first cooling circuit. 17. The cooling system of claim 11, further comprising: a water pump disposed in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit for pumping water from a body of water and causing said water to flow through said first cooling circuit. 18. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein: said first cooling circuit comprises a heat exchanger segment extending through said heat exchanger in thermal communication with said second cooling circuit and a plurality of water ports formed in a drive housing of said marine propulsion device. 19. A cooling system for a marine propulsion device, comprising: a heat exchanger; a transom opening formed through a transom of a marine vessel; an engine having an internal cooling passage, said engine being disposed within said marine vessel at a position in front of said transom; a drive unit attached to said transom at a position behind said transom, said drive unit being connected in torque transmitting relation with said engine; a first cooling circuit configured to conduct a first coolant therethrough; a second cooling circuit configured to conduct a second coolant therethrough, said second cooling circuit being connected in fluid communication with said internal cooling passage of said engine, said first and second cooling circuits being disposed in thermal communication with each other within said heat exchanger, said first and second cooling circuits being configured to conduct said first and second coolants in non-contact association with each other, said first cooling circuit extending at least partially through said transom opening of said marine vessel, said first cooling circuit being configured to have no segments in which a substantial occlusion can reside when said marine vessel is removed from a body of water in which it has been operated and a crankshaft of said engine is generally horizontal. 20. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: said first and second cooling circuits are configured to conduct said first and second coolants in non-contact association with each other within said heat exchanger. 21. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: said first coolant is water drawn from a body of water in which said marine propulsion device is operated and said second coolant is ethylene glycol. 22. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: all portions of said first cooling circuit being configured to slope downwardly from said heat exchanger to said drive unit when said crankshaft of said engine is generally horizontal. 23. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said occlusion from completely blocking said first cooling circuit. 24. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: said first cooling circuit is configured to prevent said occlusion from blocking fifty percent of the cross section of any portion of said first cooling circuit. 25. The cooling system of claim 19, further comprising: a transom fitting extending through said transom opening, said transom fitting being connected in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit. 26. The cooling system of claim 25, wherein: said transom fitting is adapted to be connected to a hose to facilitate the introduction of water into said first cooling circuit for the purpose of flushing said first cooling circuit. 27. The cooling system of claim 19, further comprising: a water pump disposed in fluid communication with said first cooling circuit for pumping water from a body of water and causing said water to flow through said first cooling circuit. 28. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein: said first cooling circuit comprises a heat exchanger segment extending through said heat exchanger in thermal communication with said second cooling circuit and a plurality of water ports formed in a drive housing of said marine propulsion device. 29. A method for draining water from a cooling system of a marine propulsion device, comprising the steps of: providing a first cooling circuit disposed forward of a transom of a marine vessel; connecting said first cooling circuit in fluid communication with a transom opening extending through a transom of said marine vessel; disposing all fluid conducting portions of said first cooling circuit above said transom opening, whereby water within said fluid conducting portions of said first cooling circuit will drain through said transom opening under the effects of gravity without necessitating manual intervention to open drain passages. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: providing a second cooling circuit; providing a heat exchanger; and disposing said first and second cooling circuits in fluid communication with each other within said heat exchanger. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein: said marine propulsion device is a sterndrive propulsion system having an engine disposed within said marine vessel and a drive unit attached to a read surface of said transom.