As boating is spreading in Finland, so are the thefts of outboard motors. Nowadays, about 500 outboard motors are stolen in Finland annually. Thus, the growing number of thefts has resulted in a need to develop a reliable locking arrangement for outboard motors.

A number of prior art locking arrangements for outboard motors are previously known. Standard outboard motors are usually fastened with screwbars to the rear side of the boat. Known locking solutions are usually based on a method where the screwbar clamps are locked relative to each other so that the screwbars cannot be unscrewed.

The prior art is described below with reference to figure 1, which shows a prior art locking arrangement for an outboard motor.

Figure 1 shows a prior art locking arrangement for outboard motors. The prior art locking arrangement for outboard motors comprises a tubular part 1, which is open at its first end and closed at its other end, a key cyinder 3 and a key 4. The tubular part 1 has a groove 2 extending from the open end towards the closed end, enabling the screwbar clamps to be placed in the tubular part 1. The outboard motor is locked by fitting the key cylinder 3 into the tubular part 1 and locking it with the key 4.

The prior art locking arrangement has the drawback of being suitable for use only with specific outboard motors. In the prior art locking arrangement, the tubular part 1 made of thin metal sheet can be broken easily for instance with a screwdriver.

Furthermore, a key cylinder 3 can be broken for instance by means of a drilling machine.

The prior art locking arrangements for outboard motors described above involve the problem of being unable to adequately fulfil their basic function, i. e. to provide anti- theft protection for outboard motors.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a locking arrangement for outboard motors which provides better anti-theft protection than previous solutions and which overcomes the problems and eliminates the shortcomings mentioned above. To achieve this, the locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention is characterised by the fact that it comprises a fastening part and a locking part, which both comprise sleevelike projections in which the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor are fitted and that the locking part also comprises a locking means, by means of which the fastening part and the locking part are locked relative to each other so as to provide anti-theft protection for the screwbar clamps.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: figure 1 shows a prior art locking arrangement for outboard motors, figure 2 is an exploded view of the locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention, figure 3 shows the locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention with the parts assembled, figure 4 shows the locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention when mounted on an outboard motor.

Figure 1 has been described above. The arrangement in accordance with the invention is described below with reference to figures 2 to 4, which show an embodiment of the arrangement in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the locking arrangement for outboard motors in accordance with the invention. The locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention comprises a fastening part 5 and a locking part 10. The fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 both comprise sleevelike projections 6 and 11, in which the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor are fitted. The locking part 10 also comprises a locking means 13, by means of which the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 are locked relative to each other so as to provide anti-theft protection for the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor.

The sleevelike projections 6,11 of the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 in the locking arrangement of the invention comprise grooves 7,12 so as to provide anti- theft protection for the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor with the aid of these sleevelike projections.

In the locking arrangement of the invention, the fastening part 5 is barlike and the locking part 10 is tubular so as to allow the parts 5,10 to intermesh so that they can be locked relative to each other by means of the locking means 13. The tubular r fastening part 5 in the locking arrangement of the invention is equipped with grooves 8,9 which the tubular locking part 10 can engage lockingly with the aid of the locking means 13.

In the locking arrangement of the invention, the locking means 13 may consist of a key cylinder 13 which can be locked with the key 14.

Figure 3 illustrates the locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention with the parts assembled. The locking arrangement includes a barlike fastening part 5 and a tubular locking part 10 adapted to interlock. The fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 both comprise sleevelike projections 6 and 11, in which the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor are fitted. The locking part 10 also comprises a locking means 13, by means of which the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 are locked relative to each other so as to provide anti-theft protection for the screwbars clamps of the outboard motor.

In the locking arrangement of the invention, the sleevelike projections 6,11 of the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 comprise grooves 7,12 so as to provide anti- theft protection for the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor by means of these sleevelike projections. The locking means 13 of the locking arrangement of the invention may consist of a key cylinder 13, which can be locked with the key 14.

Figure 4 shows the locking arrangement of the invention mounted on an outboard motor. The locking arrangement for outboard motors of the invention comprises a barlike fastening part 5 and a tubular locking part 10 adapted to interlock. The fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 both comprise sleevelike projections 6 and 11, in which the screwbar clamps of the outboard motor 15 are fitted. The locking part 10 also comprises a locking means 13, by means of which the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 are locked relative to each other so as to provide anti-theft protection for the screwbars clamps 16,17 of the outboard motor 15.

In the locking arrangement of the invention, the sleevelike projections 6,11 of the fastening part 5 and the locking part 10 comprise grooves 7,12 so as to provide anti- theft protection for the screwbar clamps 16,17 of the outboard motor 15 by means of these sleevelike projections. The locking means 13 of the locking arrangement of the invention may consist of a key cylinder 13, which can be locked with the key 14, fitted with the key side down so that the key cylinder cannot be broken by drilling.

In the locking arrangement of the invention, the sleevelike projections 6,11 are equipped with rubber pads 18 which protect the screwbar clamps 16,17 of the outboard motor 15 and attenuate their noise. The rubber pads of the sleevelike projections 6,11 are elastic and their shape and size can be adapted to the type and the size of the outboard motor. The sleevelike projections 6,11 of the locking arrangement of the invention provide protection for the screwbar clamps 16,17 of the outboard motor 15 against say, heavy-duty jaws, by means of which a clamp 16, 17 made of aluminium alloy can be very easily broken : The elastic rubber pads at the bottom of the sleevelike projections 6,11 enable the barlike fastening part 5 to be fitted, because each of the screwbar clamps 16,17 of the outboard motor 15 provided at each of the opposite sleeves has very low lateral elasticity, usually in the range of about 6 to 8 mm, so that the grooves in the locking bar can be spaced by about 8 to 9 mm. The rubber pads prevent any sound resonance which can be extremely annoying for instance during trolling.

The key cylinder 13 of the locking arrangement of the invention can also comprise a pressure lock pin which is released and rises only with the right key 14. When the lock pin rises, the tubular locking part 10 can be adjusted relative to the barlike fastening parts 5 placed at various distances. The standard distance can be in the range from 150 to 160 mm.

In most cases, an overall length of about 260 to 300 mm is adequate for the locking arrangement of the invention, because the screwbars of outboard motors 15 are usually spaced by about 150 to 160 mm and the screwbar of outboard motors 15 has a diameter of approximately 10 mm. The clamp 16,17 itself usually has a length of approximately 80 mm, and then the groove 7,12 in the sleevelike projections 6,11 should be long enough to prevent access to the clamp 16,17 by means of heavy-duty jaws.