Patent Application
20240326961
The present disclosure relates to a display device for a watercraft.
In a case of a watercraft, when a pilot performs an operation, there is a delay before the watercraft actually moves in response to the content of the operation by the pilot. For example, if a reverse operation is performed while the watercraft is moving forward, the watercraft cannot move in reverse instantaneously, and instead the watercraft gradually slows down and stops before beginning to move in reverse. If there is a large disturbance, such as waves or wind, in the direction opposite to the desired direction of movement, the vessel may be swept away from the desired direction of movement, this situation being especially likely to occur during low-speed operation in which thrust is low. Consequently, there may be a disagreement between the maneuvering direction specified by the pilot and the actual direction of movement of the watercraft, and in some cases, this disagreement may create a feeling of discomfort or confusion in the pilot. In particular, when there is a quay or other stationary land-based object near the watercraft, it is easy for the pilot to sense the actual direction of movement. In contrast, when there is no stationary land-based object near the watercraft, it is difficult for the pilot to sense the direction of movement of the watercraft. Consequently, in such situations, the pilot may be unable to correctly determine the actual direction of movement of the watercraft, which is likely to create a feeling of discomfort in the pilot.
Moreover, even in a case where the maneuvering direction specified by the pilot and the actual direction of movement of the watercraft are in agreement, the pilot may still feel discomfort if the amount of input to the prime mover (the rotation speed of the prime mover) as inputted by the pilot and the vessel speed are largely divergent from each other. For example, if the rotation speed of the prime mover is increased suddenly from a state of low vessel speed, the vessel speed does not immediately reach a high speed even though the rotation speed of the prime mover is high, and the pilot may feel discomfort. This makes it difficult for the pilot to correctly judge whether the vessel speed has reached the specified speed as inputted or the vessel is still accelerating.
A watercraft including an outboard motor has limited space for use for displaying information related to the piloting of the vessel, and therefore, there is a limit on a quantity of information that can be displayed at the same time. Furthermore, it is desirable that necessary information can be checked easily. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2006-8003 discloses a configuration in which a display form is switched in response to a button operation, and a navigation information display meter is switched between a mode for displaying the engine rotation speed of an outboard engine and mode for displaying the vessel speed.
However, the display form in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2006-8003 does not allow for the engine rotation speed and the vessel speed to be checked at the same time. Consequently, for example, if the vessel speed is going in reverse (a negative display or the like) even though the pilot is performing an operation for moving forward, the pilot may feel even greater discomfort. In addition, displaying the engine rotation speed alone does not enable the pilot to judge whether an appropriate vessel speed corresponding to the engine rotation speed is achieved.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a display device for a watercraft with which the disparity between an operating instruction and the actual speed of a watercraft can be grasped easily.
The present disclosure is to achieve the above object through solutions described below. Note that although the following description contains reference signs corresponding to an embodiment of the present disclosure to facilitate understanding, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
According to the first aspect of the disclosure, a display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) includes a first indicator (131) that shows a specified speed based on an operation by a user and a second indicator (132) that shows an actual speed of the watercraft. The first indicator (131) and the second indicator (132) each include a forward indicator (131F, 132F) and a reverse indicator (131R, 132R), and the first indicator (131) and the second indicator (132) are displayed in juxtaposition.
According to the second aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in the first aspect, the first indicator (131) and the second indicator (132) are each in a circular or partially circular display form and are displayed substantially concentrically.
According to the third aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in the first aspect, the first indicator (131) and the second indicator (132) are each in a linear display form and are displayed in juxtaposition.
According to the fourth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to third aspects, the first indicator (131) shows only a specified speed (131L) that takes account of a load factor.
According to the fifth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to third aspects, the first indicator (131) shows both of a specified speed (131P) in an ideal state not taking account of a load factor and a specified speed (131L) taking account of the load factor.
According to the sixth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to third aspects, the first indicator (131) shows only a specified speed (131P) in an ideal state not taking account of a load factor.
According to the seventh aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the first indicator (131) shows a specified speed (131P) in an ideal state not taking account of a load factor, together with a display of a range of variation (131V) that varies depending on the load factor.
According to the eighth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in the seventh aspect, the display of the range of variation (131V) changes depending on a speed of the watercraft.
According to the ninth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects further includes a third indicator (133) that shows a rotation speed of a prime mover (104) or a screw propeller (105) based on a throttle operation, wherein the first indicator (131) and the third indicator (133) are displayed in juxtaposition.
According to the tenth aspect of the disclosure, in the display device (111, 130) for a watercraft (200) as described in any one of the first to ninth aspects, at least one selected from the first indicator (131) and the second indicator (132) is capable of displaying, on an enlarged scale, a vicinity of a boundary between the forward indicator (131F, 132F) and the reverse indicator (131R, 132R).
The present disclosure provides a display device for a watercraft with which the disparity between an operating instruction and the actual speed of the watercraft can be grasped easily.
Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
The outboard motor 100 is used by being mounted onto a hull 200. The outboard motor 100 is provided with an outboard motor body 101 and a mounting device 102 for mounting the outboard motor body 101 onto the hull 200. The outboard motor body 101 includes a body case 103, a prime mover 104, a screw propeller 105, and a controller 110. Note that although the present embodiment illustrates a mode in which the screw propeller 105 is used to obtain thrust, an outboard motor that uses a water jet to obtain thrust, for example, is also possible. Furthermore, the outboard motor body 101 includes a drive shaft 106, a propeller shaft 108, a tiller handle 120, and a display 130.
The body case 103 is formed from a metallic or plastic material and covers the internal structure of the outboard motor body 101. The upper portion of the body case 103 accommodates the prime mover 104 and the controller 110. The lower portion of the body case 103 accommodates the drive shaft 106, the propeller shaft 108, and the like.
For the prime mover 104, an electric motor, engine (internal combustion engine (ICE)), or the like for rotating the screw propeller 105 can be used. In the case of using an electric motor as the prime mover 104, a power source including a secondary battery or the like is additionally provided. The prime mover 104 is disposed in the upper portion of the body case 103 such that an output shaft thereof extends vertically downward. Note that in the case in which the prime mover 104 is an ICE, a driving direction switching mechanism is provided to switch the rotation direction of the rotary driving force to be transmitted to the drive shaft 106 between forward rotation and reverse rotation.
The drive shaft 106 extends in the vertical direction below the prime mover 104. The upper end of the drive shaft 106 is connected to the output shaft of the prime mover 104. A drive gear 107 configured as a bevel gear is united with the lower end of the drive shaft 106. The drive shaft 106 is rotatably supported by the body case 103.
The propeller shaft 108 extends in the fore-aft direction (substantially the horizontal direction) below the drive shaft 106. The propeller shaft 108 is rotatably supported by the body case 103. A driven gear 109 configured as a bevel gear to engage the drive gear 107 is united with the fore end of the propeller shaft 108. The propeller shaft 108 extends rearward from the body case 103 through a support hole (not shown) in the body case 103, and is exposed on the outside of the body case 103. The rotation of the drive shaft 106 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 108 through the drive gear 107 and the driven gear 109.
The screw propeller 105 is driven by the prime mover 104 to generate thrust. The screw propeller 105 is mounted on the rear portion of the propeller shaft 108 so as to be united with the propeller shaft 108, and can rotate with the propeller shaft 108. The screw propeller 105 is located farther rearward than the rear end of the body case 103, and is exposed on the outside of the body case 103. Multiple fins project out on the circumference of the screw propeller 105.
The tiller handle 120 extends forward (toward the hull 200) from the outboard motor body 101, and can turn with the outboard motor body 101 relative to the hull 200. The tiller handle 120 is moved left and right by the pilot to steer, which causes the outboard motor body 101 to turn left or right relative to the hull 200. The tiller handle 120 includes an accelerator grip 121 rotatably provided on the fore end of the tiller handle 120, an accelerator position sensor 122 that detects the amount of rotation inputted to the accelerator grip 121 (that is, the accelerator position), and a switch 123. The switch 123 is provided on the tip (fore end) of the tiller handle 120. The switch 123 may also be provided on the side of the tiller handle 120 near the tip.
The accelerator grip 121 is normally urged by an urging member to be positioned at an initial position. The accelerator grip 121 accepts an operation of rotating to one side from the initial position and back to the other side toward the initial position as a change operation for changing the output of the prime mover 104. The accelerator position sensor 122 detects the accelerator position of the accelerator grip 121 and outputs a detection signal.
The switch 123 is configured to accept a switching operation for switching the rotation direction of the drive shaft 106 driven by the prime mover 104, and to be selectively switchable between a forward specification that causes the drive shaft 106 to rotate in a direction causing the hull 200 to move forward and a reverse specification that causes the drive shaft 106 to rotate in a direction causing the hull 200 to move in reverse. In the case in which the prime mover 104 is an electric motor, the forward specification and the reverse specification switch the rotation direction of the prime mover 104. On the other hand, in the case in which the prime mover 104 is an ICE, the rotation direction of the rotary driving force to be transmitted to the drive shaft 106 is switched between forward rotation and reverse rotation by a drive direction switching mechanism, without changing the rotation direction of the prime mover 104. In the present embodiment, a momentary switch is used for the switch 123. With this arrangement, the forward specification is given while the switch 123 is not being pressed and the reverse specification is given while the switch 123 is being pressed. Note that the embodiment is not limited to the above and may also be an alternate switch.
The controller 110 acquires the amount of rotation inputted to the accelerator grip 121 (that is, the accelerator position) from the accelerator position sensor 122 and controls the rotation speed of the prime mover 104 in accordance with the amount of rotation input. The controller 110 also acquires, from the prime mover 104, the actual rotation speed of the prime mover 104 through a tachometer (not shown). An actual speed detector 300 reads location information from a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit (not shown), for example, to detect the actual speed of movement of the hull 200, and conveys the actual speed of movement of the hull 200 to the controller 110. Note that the actual speed detector 300 may use, not limited to GPS, but also another satellite positioning system. The actual speed detector 300 may be provided to the outboard motor 100, but multiple GPS antennas may be spaced apart from each other at multiple positions on the hull 200 to increase the positioning accuracy.
The controller 110 is provided with a display controller 111. The display controller 111 controls what is displayed on the display 130. The display controller 111 and the display 130 form the display device for a watercraft according to the present disclosure. Note that although the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the display controller 111 is configured as part of the controller 110, the display controller 111 may also be provided as a separate configuration from the controller 110. The display controller 111 is provided with a specified speed calculator 112. The specified speed calculator 112 calculates a specified speed on the basis of the accelerator position (amount of input) of the accelerator grip 121 obtained from the accelerator position sensor 122. The specified speed refers to the vessel speed calculated from the accelerator position of the accelerator grip 121 rather than the speed at which the hull 200 is actually moving, and is the speed that may be reached once the speed has risen sufficiently rather than the speed while the vessel is accelerating or decelerating. Therefore, the specified speed is the vessel speed thought to be desired by the pilot according to the operation of rotating the accelerator grip 121. Note that in the case of a watercraft having a shift lever rather than an accelerator grip, the lever position of the shift lever may be used.
The specified speed calculator 112 stores a function expressing the relationship between the rotation speed of the prime mover 104 and the vessel speed as illustrated in
The display controller 111 causes two indicators, namely a first indicator 131 indicating the specified speed in the ideal state based on an operation by the user, which is calculated by the specified speed calculator 112 described above, and a second indicator 132 indicating the actual speed of the vessel, to be displayed in juxtaposition on the display 130.
As described above, the display device for a watercraft according to the first embodiment causes the two indicators of the first indicator 131 indicating the specified speed based on an operation by the user and the second indicator 132 indicating the actual speed of the vessel to be displayed in juxtaposition on the display 130. Therefore, the disparity between the operating instruction and the actual vessel speed can be grasped easily. Moreover, since the forward indicators 131F, 132F and the reverse indicators 131R, 132R are included, agreement or disagreement between the direction of movement specified by the switch 123 and the actual direction of movement can be grasped easily.
A second embodiment and other embodiments described later are similar to the first embodiment except that the display form on the display 130 is different. Therefore, in the description of the second and subsequent embodiments, parts that fulfill functions similar to the first embodiment described above are denoted with the same signs, and a duplicate description of such parts is omitted where appropriate. Also, the second and subsequent embodiments only illustrate the example of displaying the first and second indicators with a linear shape, but in the second and subsequent embodiments, the first and second indicators may also be displayed with a circular or partially circular shape, similarly to the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the second and subsequent embodiments, the forward indicators 131F, 132F and the reverse indicators 131R, 132R are included, but a detailed description is omitted.
The behavior of a watercraft is greatly influenced by load conditions such as wind and water currents. For example, if there is a very strong headwind or a water current in the direction opposite to the direction of movement, it may not be possible to reach the vessel speed expected from the amount of input, and the vessel speed may be very slow in some cases, or the vessel may even be swept in the direction opposite to the desired direction of movement. In such cases, the pilot may feel discomfort. In the second embodiment, the specified speed 131L under load is displayed, thereby making it possible to display an appropriate specified speed closer to the actual state, and the disparity with the second indicator 132 indicating the actual speed of the vessel can be reduced. Therefore, the pilot can grasp the situation more appropriately and be less likely to feel discomfort, allowing the pilot to maneuver the vessel with assurance.
Moreover, vessel speed is also largely influential as a load factor. That is, the faster the vessel speed is, the greater the influence of the load such as wind and water currents on the vessel speed is, and the wider the range of variation is. Accordingly, the range of variation indicator 131V displayed on the display 130, being calculated by accounting for the vessel speed, changes according to changes in the vessel speed. Normally, the faster the vessel speed is, the larger the range of variation indicator 131V is. The display example on the left side of
According to the third embodiment, the range of variation indicator 131V is displayed together with the specified speed 131P in the ideal state, thereby making it easy to grasp the degree of the range over which the speed may vary from the specified speed 131P in the ideal state.
For example, if there is a very strong headwind or a water current in the direction opposite to the direction of movement, it may not be possible to reach the vessel speed expected from the amount of input, and in some cases, the vessel speed may be very slow even though the rotation speed of the prime mover is high. Even in such cases, according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible prevent the pilot from feeling discomfort or suspecting a malfunction of the watercraft.
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and may be subjected to various modifications and alterations which also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
For example, the description of each of the embodiments gives an example in which the speed is shown as linear shapes in the vertical direction. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and the speed may also be shown as linear shapes in the horizontal direction, for example.
Note that the embodiments and modifications may also combined as appropriate and used, but a detailed description is omitted. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments described above.
