In a trim system for an outboard engine system, a thrust receiver abuts against an output rod of a trim cylinder which is fixed to a stern bracket. The thrust receiver includes a thrust receiver body which is fitted in a mounting hole defined in a swivel case. The thrust receiver body is fixed by a nut. A steel ball is rotatably supported at a tip end of the thrust receiver body and rollable on an abutment surface of the output rod. The thrust receiver body includes a mounting shaft portion which has a first tapered surface. The first tapered surface is wedged to a second tapered surface formed in the mounting hole, thereby causing the mounting shaft portion and the mounting hole to smoothly abut against each other. Thus, it is possible to prevent the thrust receiver mounted on the swivel case from chattering relative to the swivel case.
A thrust receiver abuts against an expandable and contractable trim rod to adjust a trim angle of a body of an outboard engine system. The thrust receiver includes a shaft portion rotatable about an axis generally parallel to an axis of the trim rod, and a pressure-receiving portion provided on the shaft portion to abut against a tip end of the trim rod. An abutment point between the trim rod and the pressure-receiving portion is displaced by a distance from an axis of the shaft portion in a lateral direction of the system body. Because the pressure-receiving portion of the thrust receiver rotates about the axis of the shaft portion accompanying the expansion and contraction of the trim rod, a twisting generated at the abutment point can be minimized to suppress generation of an abnormal sound. Moreover, the structure can be simplified to contribute to a reduction in cost, as compared with a system in which a ball is disposed at an abutment point.
A trim and tilt system for use with an outboard propulsion unit on a marine craft having a transom. The trim and tilt system comprises a stern bracket configured to be mounted on the transom of the marine craft and a swivel bracket for supporting the outboard propulsion unit. The swivel bracket is pivotally supported on an upper end of the stern bracket. There is also a tilt cylinder unit that has a lower end supported by the stern bracket and an upper end in pivotal engagement with the swivel bracket. The tilt cylinder unit pivotally supports a pair of trim cylinder units. Each of the trim cylinder units is on an opposite side of the tilt cylinder unit. Each said trim cylinder unit has a longitudinal axis, a lower end in pivotal arrangement with the tilt cylinder unit and a trim rod for engagement with the swivel bracket. The swivel bracket has means for aligning the trim rods therewith, whereby the force exerted by the swivel bracket on the trim cylinder unit is substantially along the longitudinal axis. There is also means for actuating the tilt cylinder unit and the trim cylinder units.
