The present disclosure relates to methods for positioning multiple trimmable devices, such as outboard motors or sterndrives, coupled to a transom of a marine vessel.
Each of the below U.S. patents and applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,359 discloses a hydraulic system for a combined power trim and shock absorbing piston-cylinder unit of an outboard motor that includes a reversible pump means having a trim-up port connected by a pressure responsive pilot valve piston cylinder units and a trim-down port through a reverse lock solenoid valve and a down-pilot spool valve providing full drain flow for trim-up and power flow for trim-down. An up-reverse pilot valve with a pressure operator is in parallel with the reverse lock valve and provides a restricted by-pass for limited trim-up in reverse. The trim-up hydraulic input or powered side of the cylinder units define a trapped hydraulic system creating memory in the system so after impact the motor returns to the original trim position. The return side permits relatively free-flow to permit trail-out under low impact. At high speed impact, the flow is restricted and cylinder pressure increases. At a selected point, a shock valve within the piston-cylinder opens and absorbs the shock forces. The piston unit includes an inner floating head telescoped into a head secured to the piston rod with a chamber thereby formed to store the liquid flow during shock movement. A metered orifice and check valve allows return to the original trim-set position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,699 discloses a sensor that responds to the operation of a marine transportation system to sense on-plane and off-plane conditions of a boat to operate a trim control to automatically position a trimmable drive for a desired boating operation. The preferred embodiment senses engine speed while an alternative embodiment senses fluid pressure opposing boat movement. The drive is moved to an auto-out position at high speeds and to a trimmed-in position at lower speeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,120 discloses a hydraulic system for trimming and tilting an outboard propulsion unit, which includes both trim piston-cylinder units and a trim-tilt piston-cylinder unit. The flow of hydraulic fluid from the reversible pump is controlled by a spool valve. A pressure relief valve is mounted in the spool to maintain pressure on one side of the spool when the pump is turned off to rapidly close the return valve and prevent further movement of the piston-cylinder units.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,818 discloses an electrical control system for trimming a pair of stern motors or drives mounted side-by-side on a boat. The two drives are both jointly and independently movable through a plurality of trim positions. The system includes two trim cylinders, each coupled to one associated drive, to move its associated drive to different trim positions both jointly as well as independently of each other. An operator controlled mechanism energizes and de-energizes the two trim cylinders simultaneously to jointly vary the trim position of the two drives. Two lines, each coupled at its first end to one associated drive, independently detect both the angular trim position of its associated drive with respect to the other drive as well as detect the trim position of the two drives jointly. Automatic control means coupled to the second end of each of the two lines is responsive to the two lines, when the two drives are not in the desired equal trim position with respect to each other, and controls switches to inactivate one of the trim cylinders and thereby move the other of the trim cylinders with respect to the inactivated one trim cylinder until the desired equal trim position is achieved between the two drives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,292 discloses a system for optimizing the speed of a boat at a particular throttle setting that utilizes sensed speed changes to vary the boat drive unit position vertically and to vary the drive unit trim position. The measurement of boat speed before and after an incremental change in vertical position or trim is used in conjunction with a selected minimum speed change increment to effect subsequent alternate control strategies. Depending on the relative difference in before and after speeds, the system will automatically continue incremental movement of the drive unit in the same direction, hold the drive unit in its present position, or move the drive unit an incremental amount in the opposite direction to its previous position. The alternate control strategies minimize the effects of initial incremental movement in the wrong direction, eliminate excessive position hunting by the system, and minimize drive unit repositioning which has little or no practical effect on speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,391 discloses an automatically adjustable trim system for a marine propulsion system that provides automatic trimming of the propeller in response to increased loads on the propeller. A propulsion unit is attached to a boat transom through a tilt mechanism including a transom bracket and a swivel bracket. In a first embodiment, the transom bracket is clamped to a flexible transom which flexes in response to forces exerted on the transom during acceleration. In a second embodiment, the transom bracket is clamped to a transom bracket mounting platform that is generally parallel to and pivotally attached to the transom. A trim angle biasing mechanism is mounted between the transom and the transom bracket mounting platform for automatically adjusting the trim angle. A third embodiment includes a trim angle biasing mechanism incorporated into the transom bracket or swivel bracket. A fourth embodiment includes a spring-loaded pawl assembly between the swivel bracket and transom bracket.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,753 discloses a hydraulic system for a sterndrive marine propulsion device that directs the flow of hydraulic fluid through the body and peripheral components of a gimbal ring in order to reduce the number and length of flexible hydraulic conduits necessary to conduct pressurized hydraulic fluid from a pump to one or more hydraulic cylinders used to control the trim or tilt of a marine drive unit relative to a gimbal housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,456 discloses an automatic trim control system that changes the trim angle of a marine propulsion device as a function of the speed of the marine vessel relative to the water in which it is operated. The changing of the trim angle occurs between first and second speed magnitudes which operate as minimum and maximum speed thresholds.
Unpublished U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/873,803, filed Oct. 2, 2015, and assigned to the Applicant of the present application, discloses systems and methods for controlling position of a trimmable drive unit with respect to a marine vessel. A controller determines a target trim position as a function of vessel or engine speed. An actual trim position is measured and compared to the target trim position. The controller sends a control signal to a trim actuator to trim the drive unit toward the target trim position if the actual trim position is not equal to the target trim position and if at least one of the following is true: a defined dwell time has elapsed since a previous control signal was sent to the trim actuator to trim the drive unit; a given number of previous control signals has not been exceeded in an attempt to achieve the target trim position; and a difference between the target trim position and the actual trim position is outside of a given deadband. The method may include sending a second control signal for a defined brake time to trim the drive unit in an opposite, second direction in response to a determination that the actual trim position has one of achieved and exceeded the target trim position.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
One example of the present disclosure is of a method for positioning two or more trimmable marine propulsion devices coupled to a transom of a marine vessel and powered by internal combustion engines, the method being carried out by a controller. The method includes identifying two propulsion devices located one on each of a port side and a starboard side of a vertical centerline of the transom and spaced symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the transom, and defining the two propulsion devices as a first set of propulsion devices. The method also includes setting a first target trim position for the first set of propulsion devices as a function of a vessel operating condition, and determining if an actual trim position of each propulsion device in the first set of propulsion devices differs from the first target trim position by at least a given amount. Each propulsion device in the first set of propulsion devices is actuated to the first target trim position only if the actual trim positions of all propulsion devices in the first set of propulsion devices differ from the first target trim position by at least the given amount.
In another example of the present disclosure, another method for positioning two or more trimmable marine propulsion devices coupled to a transom of a marine vessel and powered by internal combustion engines includes identifying two propulsion devices located one on each of a port side and a starboard side of a vertical centerline of the transom and spaced symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the transom, and defining the two propulsion devices as a first set of propulsion devices. The method also includes identifying at least one additional propulsion device coupled to the transom of the marine vessel and defining the at least one additional propulsion device as a second set of propulsion devices. The method comprises setting a first target trim position for the first set of propulsion devices and setting a second target trim position for the second set of propulsion devices. A controller sets the first and second target trim positions according to one of the following: (a) in response to a user sync command; or (b) automatically as a function of a vessel operating condition.
The present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.
In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed.
The present disclosure provides methods for controlling multiple trim actuators that trim two, three, or more propulsion devices coupled to a transom of a marine vessel, for reasons that will be discussed with respect to
For example, in
Further, hull designs that include pads, setbacks and/or unique notches can also contribute to the effect that a given propeller will have on producing thrust to propel the marine vessel as well as on adjusting its attitude in the water. Nonetheless, most operators simply use a “trim-all” button (that trims each of the two, three, four, or more propulsion devices to the same trim position) and accept less than optimized running behavior, or they manually command each propulsion device independently to an optimized trim angle, which takes time and requires a free hand. The present inventors realized that because vessels equipped with two, three, or more marine propulsion devices typically benefit from different trim angles between pairs (or sets) of outer and inner propulsion devices for optimal efficiency, user controls could be provided to achieve differentially trimmed propulsion devices in a faster, easier, and more intuitive way. The present inventors discovered that automatically assigning the propulsion devices 12a-12d into first or second sets of propulsion devices and trimming all devices in a given set in the same manner is efficient, because each propulsion device in a set is at the same level on the transom 10 as the other and is equally spaced from the keel. Thus, the propulsion devices in one set can be treated independently from the propulsion devices in another set without fear of substantially upsetting the roll or steering of the vessel.
For example,
In an automatic trimming (auto-trim) mode, a controller 26 (described herein below with respect to
Therefore, according to the present disclosure, a controller 26 carries out a method for positioning two or more trimmable marine propulsion devices 12a-12d coupled to a transom 10 of a marine vessel and powered by internal combustion engines. Referring to
In some examples, the controller 26 may include a computing system that includes a processing system, storage system, software, and input/output (I/O) interfaces for communicating with devices such as those shown in
The storage system (e.g., memory 30) can comprise any storage media readable by the processing system and capable of storing software. The storage system can include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The storage system can be implemented as a single storage device or across multiple storage devices or sub-systems. The storage system can further include additional elements, such as a controller capable of communicating with the processing system. Non-limiting examples of storage media include random access memory, read only memory, magnetic discs, optical discs, flash memory, virtual memory, and non-virtual memory, magnetic sets, magnetic tape, magnetic disc storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and that may be accessed by an instruction execution system. The storage media can be a non-transitory or a transitory storage media.
In this example, the controller 26 communicates with one or more components of the system 24 via a communication link 32, which can be a wired or wireless link. The controller 26 is capable of monitoring and controlling one or more operational characteristics of the system 24 and its various subsystems by sending and receiving control signals via the communication link 32. In one example, the communication link 32 is a controller area network (CAN) bus, but other types of links could be used. It should be noted that the extent of connections of the communication link 32 shown herein is for schematic purposes only, and the communication link 32 in fact provides communication between the controller 26 and each of the sensors, devices, etc. described herein, although not every connection is shown in the drawing for purposes of clarity.
As mentioned, the controller 26 receives inputs from several different sensors and/or input devices aboard or coupled to the marine vessel. For example, the controller 26 receives a steering input from a steering wheel 34. The controller 26 is also provided with an input from a vessel speed sensor 36. The vessel speed sensor 36 may be, for example, a pitot tube sensor, a paddle wheel type sensor, or any other speed sensor appropriate for sensing the actual speed of the marine vessel. The vessel speed may instead be obtained by taking readings from a GPS device, which calculates speed by determining how far the vessel has traveled in a given amount of time. The propulsion devices 12a, 12b are each powered by an engine 38a, 38b, the speed of which is measured by engine speed sensors 40a, 40b, such as but not limited to tachometers, that determine a speed of the engines 38a, 38b in rotations per minute. The engine speeds can be used along with other measured or known values to approximate a vessel speed (i.e., to calculate a pseudo vessel speed). Trim position sensors 42a, 42b are provided for sensing actual positions of trim actuators 44a, 44b, for example, by measuring a relative position between two parts associated with the trim actuators 44a, 44b. The trim position sensors 42a, 42b may be any type of sensor known to those having ordinary skill in the art, for example Hall effect sensors or potentiometers. A steering actuator 46a, 46b and steering angle sensor 48a, 48b can also be provided for each propulsion device 12a, 12b.
Other inputs to the system 24 can come from operator input devices such as a throttle lever 50, a keypad 52, and a touchscreen 54. The throttle lever 50 allows the operator of the marine vessel to choose to operate the vessel in neutral, forward, or reverse, as is known. The keypad 52 can be used to initiate or exit any number of control or operation modes (such as the auto-trim mode), or to make selections while operating within one of the selected modes. In one example, referring to
After assigning the propulsion devices into sets, the controller 26 can determine target trim positions for each set of propulsion devices. For example, referring again to
The same method shown in
Thus, for propulsion devices that are grouped together into sets, whether it is outers that are paired together, inners that are paired together, or all three or four propulsion devices that are grouped together, each propulsion device in the defined “set” must have an actual trim position that differs from a target trim position by at least a given amount before a command to trim is initiated. After that, all paired/grouped propulsion devices in a set are trimmed at the same time. The given amount may be quantified as the minimum controllable discrete movement that the trim actuator 44a, 44b is capable of achieving, because if a trim difference is less than this, activating the trim actuator 44a, 44b will not result in achieving the target anyhow. Thus, the method described herein avoids busyness of the trim system on vessels equipped with multiple propulsion devices, such that each propulsion device is not being trimmed independently and continually in order to attempt to achieve a target. The present method thus achieves a more coordinated and integrated functionality.
Another example of an algorithm the controller 26 may use to ensure that propulsion devices in a given set are trimming only when all devices in that set have a trim error that is greater than a given amount is shown in
If the answer at box 902 is NO, the method instead continues to box 914, and the controller 26 determines if the difference between the target and actual trim positions for the first propulsion device 12a is at least the given amount. In other words, is TARGET−DEVICE 1≧DEADBAND? If YES, the method continues to box 916, where the controller 26 determines if the difference between the target and actual trim positions for the second propulsion device 12b is at least the given amount. If YES, the method continues to box 918 to determine if the given time has elapsed. If YES, the method continues to box 920 and both propulsion devices 12a, 12b are trimmed up toward the target trim position. Once feedback from the trim position sensors 42a, 42b indicates that the target trim position has been reached by each propulsion device independently, the method may then include briefly trimming down to prevent overshoot, as shown at box 922. The method then returns to start as shown at box 912.
If the answer at box 904 is NO, then only one of the propulsion devices has a trim position error greater than the given amount, and the method returns to start at 900. Thus, the controller 26 actuates each propulsion device in the first set of propulsion devices to the first target trim position only if a given time has elapsed since a previous command was sent to actuate all propulsion devices in the first set of propulsion devices to the first target trim position. This prevents busyness of the system by limiting corrective trim commands to times when both propulsion devices in a set have trim error that exceeds the deadband. Additionally, if the answer at box 906 is NO (i.e. the time since a previous corrective trim command was sent has not elapsed), then the method also returns to start at 900. This prevents busyness of the system by limiting the frequency of corrective trim commands. Similarly, if the answer at boxes 916 or 918 is NO, the method returns to start at 900. If the answer at box 914 is NO, then one of the propulsion devices in the set does not have a trim error that is at least the given amount and the system will not initiate trimming.
Note that the method diagram in
A “first pass” state may be set upon entry into the method of
Also after assigning the propulsion devices into sets as discussed herein above with respect to
When the user inputs a command to initiate a given synchronization function, all propulsion devices 12a-12d will independently compare their actual trim position to the newly set target trim position. The controller 26 will independently command each propulsion device for which the difference is at least a given amount (i.e. exceeds a deadband) to match the new target trim position. In other words, the methods of
If the above sync algorithms are implemented when auto-trim is turned off, or on a vessel that is not equipped with auto-trim, there is no reason to determine if both or all propulsion devices in a set have trim errors greater than a given amount before initiating a trim command. Again, because the sync command is input by a user, the algorithm requires that each propulsion device compare its actual trim position to the target trim position individually and trim if necessary, as the user expects some response to his direct input. In contrast, if one of the sync commands is input while the user is operating in auto-trim mode, the controller 26 will set the first and second target trim positions in response to the user sync command. The controller 26 will then actuate an individual propulsion device in the first set of propulsion devices to the first target trim position in response to the user sync command and in response to the actual trim position of the individual propulsion device differing from the first target trim position by at least the given amount, regardless of whether the actual trim position of another individual propulsion device in the first set of propulsion devices differs from the first target trim position by at least the given amount. The controller 26 will also actuate an individual propulsion device in the second set of propulsion devices to the second target trim position in response to the user sync command and in response to the actual trim position of the individual propulsion device differing from the second target trim position by at least the given amount, regardless of whether the actual trim position of another individual propulsion device in the second set of propulsion devices differs from the second target trim position by at least the given amount.
The chart in
A little after 655,500 mS, the controller 26 determines that the actual position of the first propulsion device (shown at 86) is below the average (shown at 90) by at least the difference threshold and that the actual position of the second propulsion device (shown at 88) is above the average (shown at 90) by at least the difference threshold. Thus, the controller 26 triggers a sync attempt for the first propulsion device 12a as shown at 94, resulting in activation of the trim-up relay of the first propulsion device 12a as shown at 96. Shortly after this, the controller 26 triggers a sync attempt for the second propulsion device 12b as shown at 98, resulting in activation of the trim-down relay of the second propulsion device 12b, as shown at 100. As a result, the first propulsion device 12a trims up toward the average 90 (which is the setpoint) as shown at 102, and the second propulsion device 12b trims down toward the average 90 as shown at 104.
In the above description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different systems and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other systems and methods. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/183,398, filed Jun. 23, 2015, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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