Patent Grant
7452254
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-115305, filed on Apr. 19, 2006, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to remote control units configured to control marine propulsion units, and more specifically to a remote control unit for controlling a plurality of propulsion units.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote control units are often used to control operation of a propulsion unit, such as an outboard motor, of a boat. An operating lever of the remote control unit typically controls shift and throttle operation. An idling button sometimes is located in a side surface of a rotary shaft of the operating lever. Depressing the idling button allows throttle operation to be performed while maintaining the transmission in neutral.
Remote control units can be located at one or more operator's seats, such as a main operator's seat and an upper operator's seat. Remote control units in each location can each be connected to an electronic controller provided in an outboard motor. In some cases, an electrical wire electrically connects various switches on the remote control and an electric actuator arranged near the stern, and a throttle cable, a shift cable, or other such device mechanically connects the electric actuator and an outboard motor. A plurality of outboard motors, two or three for example, are often mounted to the stern of the boat to enable navigation in the event that one of the outboard motors malfunctions.
In conventional mechanical remote control systems, such as those described above, the mechanical idling button rotates together with the operating lever as the operating lever is rotated because the idling button is positioned in the side surface of the rotary shaft of the operating lever. Therefore, a finger pressing the idling button also needs to be rotated in accordance with the movement of the operating lever since the idling button only functions while the button is being pressed.
Further, in conventional remote control units for electronic remote control systems, specific switches can perform multiple functions since there is a limited area for placement of switches to perform a plurality of functions. This means that an operator must learn an operation method involving a plurality of modes for realizing various functions, such as operating different kinds of switches in combination. When controlling three or more propulsion units using a pair of left and right operating levers, in particular, the correspondence between the switches positioned on a body of the remote control unit and the operating levers can be complicated and difficult to grasp.
Further, in conventional remote control units for electronic remote control systems, it is not possible to rest a hand on a top surface of the body while no tilt/trim angle adjustment is being performed because the fingers or the palm of the hand come into contact with various switches, indicator lamps, etc. positioned on the top surface of the body when the hand is placed on the top surface of the body.
Therefore, there is a need for a remote control unit for a boat in which the configuration of the body, the layout of various switches, indicator lamps, etc. are improved to facilitate the output adjustment and tilt/trim angle adjustment of a plurality of propulsion units, and a boat equipped with the remote control unit.
A remote control unit for a boat having a plurality of propulsion units can comprise a body having a top surface and a side surface, at least a first operating lever extending from the side surface of the body and adapted for rotational movement for effecting shift operation and throttle operation of the plurality of propulsion units, and a plurality of tilt/trim angle adjustment switches. The plurality of tilt/trim angle adjustment switches can be positioned on the top surface such that each of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches can be operated by fingertips of a hand resting on the top surface of the body with the palm resting upon a palm portion of the top surface and the fingertips pointing generally forward. Each tilt/trim angle adjustment switch can correspond to a respective propulsion unit. The palm portion of the top surface can be free of switches.
The abovementioned and other features of the inventions disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings of the preferred embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the inventions. The drawings contain the following figures:
The remote control unit 1 can have a body 2. The body 2 can be mounted onto a table in front of a control panel provided on a front surface of the operator's seat of a boat or onto the deck near the operator's seat. The body 2 preferably is shaped generally like a truncated square cone or pyramid. The corner portions corresponding to its edges can be sufficiently rounded to avoid injury to the human hand or the like.
Operating levers 5, 5, which can be capable of forward and backward rotational movement for effecting the shift and throttle operations of a plurality of propulsion units such as outboard motors, can be provided upright on a left side surface 3 and right side surface 4 of the body 2.
As shown in
Referring to the schematic diagram of the configuration of an electronic remote control system of
Further, a lever position detector 6 that can detect the rotational position of the operating lever 5 can be provided inside the body 2 of each of the remote control units 1, 1. The position of the operating lever 5 can be sequentially detected by the lever position detector 6. In the embodiment illustrated in
In the remote control unit 1 according to the embodiment illustrated in
The three tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S can be arranged in parallel so as to diverge radially from the rear to the front of the top surface 9 in conformity with the shape of the hand, as illustrated in
Accordingly, when a hand is resting on the top surface 9 of the body 2 with the palm facing down, the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S corresponding to the respective propulsion units, can be in contact with the fingertips, while the portion in contact with the palm can be free of switches to avoid accidental operation of switches while enhancing operator comfort and steadiness in operating the switches. The tilt/trim angle of each propulsion unit can be thus properly adjusted, and also the top surface 9 of the body 2 can be safely used as a hand rest when no tilt/trim angle adjustment is being performed. Further, when a hand rests on the top surface 9 of the body 2 with the palm facing down in order to operate the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S corresponding to the respective propulsion units, the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S preferably come into contact with the fingertips in a natural position, thereby allowing the tilt/trim angles of the respective propulsion units to be adjusted without unnecessary movement. In one embodiment, the palm portion of the top surface 9 can include one or more indicator lamps. In another embodiment, the palm portion of the top surface 9 is devoid of indicator lamps as well as switches.
As seen in
Accordingly, when a hand rests on the top surface 9 of the body 2 with the palm facing down, the hand can be supported by the thumb and the little finger with respect to the body 2, thereby allowing the tilt/trim angles of the respective propulsion units to be adjusted with greater accuracy even when the boat's posture is not steady.
It should be noted that while the body 2 can be assembled by combining injection molded parts made of synthetic resin materials, at least the portions of the body 2 where the thumb and the little finger come into contact with the left side surface 3 and right side surface 4 of the body 2 are preferably embossed with minute surface irregularities 11 to provide an anti-slip effect.
Horizontal handles 12, 12 can be provided above the operating levers 5, 5. A main tilt/trim angle adjustment switch 13 for adjusting the tilt/trim angles of the three propulsion units at once can be provided in the side surface of one of the horizontal handles 12, 12.
Referring to
The tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S can be configured so as to increase the tilt/trim angle of the propulsion units upon depressing the front side of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S, and so as to decrease the tilt/trim angle of the propulsion units upon depressing the rear side thereof. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, a projection 17 can be formed in the portion of the top surface on the front side of each of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S, and a depression 18 can be formed in the top surface on the rear side thereof, thereby allowing the operator to discern whether the switch is to be operated to increase the tilt/trim angle or to decrease the tilt/trim angle by touching the projections and depressions. Further, to prevent the contact members 14, which can be incorporated in the body 2 and correspond to each of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S, from coming into contact with water, the contact members 14 can be covered by an integrally molded part made of an elastic synthetic resin material that is open at the bottom and can block the contact members 14 from the outside air.
With reference again to
Behind the portion of the top surface 9 of the body 2 which comes into contact with the palm, there can be provided activation indicator lamps 22P, 22C, 22S indicative of a normal activation state and alarm indicator lamps 23P, 23C, 23S indicative of an abnormal activation state, which respectively correspond to the port-side propulsion unit, the center-broadside propulsion unit, and the starboard-side propulsion unit.
In the illustrated embodiment, the portion from the top surface 9 to back surface 19 of the body 2 can be covered with a single semi-transparent panel 24 formed so as to have a substantially L-shaped cross section as shown in
In one embodiment, remote control units 1 can be positioned near each of the main operator's seat and the upper operator's seat. The two remote control units 1, 1 can have the same structure and function, and can be adapted so that either one of the remote control units 1, 1 becomes active when in use.
As shown in
The indicator lamps 22P, 22C, 22S can turn off when the remote control unit 1 is not active.
Although a preferred embodiment has been described with reference to a remote control unit used in a boat equipped with three propulsion units, in other embodiments a boat can be equipped with two or four propulsion units or more. The number of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches provided in the top surface 9 of the body 2 can be two or four or more in accordance with the number of propulsion units.
The remote control unit 1 can be connected to a control mechanism 28 configured to perform the shift and throttle operations and tilt/trim angle adjustment of the outboard motor E via the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 provided in the outboard motor E, as illustrated in
Accordingly, upon operating the operating lever 5, a command signal of the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 that has received a signal from the lever position detector 6 corresponding to the operating position of the operating lever 5 can be transmitted to the control mechanism 28 via the outboard-motor side electronic controller 8, and a shifter (not shown) for switching between the forward rotation, reverse rotation, and neutral position of the propeller of the outboard motor E can be activated. Further, upon performing throttle operation using the operating lever 5, a command signal of the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 that has received a signal from the lever position detector 6 corresponding to the operating position of the operating lever 5 can be transmitted to the control mechanism 28 via the outboard-motor side electronic controller 8, and the opening of the throttle valve (not shown) of the engine of the outboard motor E can be determined.
An idling switch 29 can be provided in either one of the left side surface 3 and right side surface 4 of the body 2. The idling switch 29 preferably switches between an idling state and a normal state of operation. When in the idling state, throttle operation can be performed while maintaining the transmission in neutral. When in the normal state, throttle and shift operation can be performed in the manner discussed above with the description of
The idling switch 29 can switch between the idling state and the normal state through opening/closing of an electrical circuit. Once switched to the idling state, the idling switch 29 can maintain the idling state unless the idling switch 29 is pressed for switching to the normal state. Unlike mechanical idling switches, the idling switch 29 can thus maintain the idling state without being constantly pressed. Therefore, unlike a mechanical remote control system, the idling switch 29 does not rotate as the operating lever 5 is rotated, so a finger pressing the idling switch 29 need not be rotated together with the idling switch 29. Further, since a layout similar to that of a mechanical remote control system can be used, operation of the operating lever 5 and the idling switch 29 at the same time does not feel improper.
Referring to
As a result, a signal transmitted from the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 of the remote control unit 1 installed in the upper operator's seat can be blocked by the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 of the remote control unit 1 in the main operator's seat, and the signal from the remote control unit 1 in the main operator's seat can be transmitted to the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 in the outboard motor E and can be then transmitted to the control mechanism 28, thereby executing shift/throttle operation and tilt/trim angle adjustment.
As shown in
On the other hand, when the operating lever 5 is rotated from the position B′ to the position C′, the shifter can remain unaffected while the throttle valve can be controlled by the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 and the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 so as to change from the fully closed (idling) position to fully open position.
The position of the operating lever 5 can be sequentially detected by the lever position detector 6, and the resulting detection value can be sent to the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 and the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 via an electrical wire. The operation for returning the operating lever 5 toward the position A can be the reverse of the operation described above.
When the projection 17 in the top surface located on the front side of each of the tilt/trim angle adjustment switches 10P, 10C, 10S is pressed downward, the resulting signal can be sent via the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 to the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 of the controller C of the outboard motor E corresponding to the operated switch, and an actuator (not shown) for adjusting tilt/trim angle, which is a component of the control mechanism 28, can be activated, causing the tilt/trim angle of the outboard motor E to increase. Further, upon pressing the depression 18 in the top surface located on the rear side, the resulting signal can be sent via the remote-control-side electronic controller 7 to the outboard-motor-side electronic controller 8 of the controller C of the outboard motor E corresponding to the operated switch, causing the tilt/trim angle of the outboard motor E to decrease.
As shown in
Next, upon pressing the left-right control switch 20 in the initial state, as shown in
Upon pressing the center control switch 21 in the initial state, as shown in
Alternatively, the center control switch 21 can be configured such that upon pressing the center control switch 21, the starboard-side propulsion unit 30S can stop and the activation indicator lamp 22S can turn off, while the center propulsion unit 30C and the port-side propulsion unit 30P can remain active and the activation indicator lamps 22C and 22P remain on. Upon pressing the center control switch 21 in this state, the starboard-side propulsion unit 30S can be activated and the activation indicator lamp 22S can turn on, so that the port-side propulsion unit 30P, center propulsion unit 30C, and starboard-side propulsion unit 30S are all active, and the activation indicator lamps 22P, 22C, 22S are all on. Furthermore, the center control switch 21 and/or the left-right control switch 20 can be configured to function in other manners.
As described above, the remote control unit 1 can enable operation of the operating levers 5, 5 simultaneous with selective use of the left-right control switch 20 and the center control switch 21, thereby allowing management of the kind of operation being performed with respect to each propulsion unit.
Although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present inventions extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of these inventions, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-115305 | Apr 2006 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5127858 | Pelligrino et al. | Jul 1992 | A |
| 5539294 | Kobayashi | Jul 1996 | A |
| 6085684 | Cotton | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6280269 | Gaynor | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6751533 | Graham et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070249244 A1 | Oct 2007 | US |
