System and method for controlling a tilt-trim position of a marine propulsion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059415-B1
Application number	US-201715679516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A system for controlling a tilt-trim position of a propulsion device on a marine vessel includes a user input device generating a command to rotate the propulsion device to a desired tilt-trim position, a position sensor sensing a current tilt-trim position of the propulsion device, a control module receiving the user command and the current tilt-trim position, and a tilt-trim actuator rotating the propulsion device. In response to determining that the propulsion device's engine is not running, the control module rotates the propulsion device until the desired tilt-trim position is achieved, and starts the engine in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position does not exceed a threshold. In response to determining that the engine is running, the control module determines whether a vessel and/or engine speed condition is met, and if so, rotates the propulsion device about the tilt-trim axis until the desired tilt-trim position is achieved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a tilt-trim position of a marine propulsion device on a transom of a marine vessel, the method being carried out by a control module and comprising:
receiving a user input to rotate the propulsion device about a horizontal tilt-trim axis to a predetermined desired tilt-trim position;
determining whether an engine powering the propulsion device is running; and
in response to determining that the engine is not running:
rotating the propulsion device about the tilt-trim axis until determining that a current tilt-trim position of the propulsion device is equal to the desired tilt-trim position; and
starting the engine in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position is less than a first trim position threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the engine is running, the method further comprises determining whether at least one of a vessel speed condition and an engine speed condition is met; and
in response to the at least one of the vessel speed condition and the engine speed condition being met, rotating the propulsion device about the tilt-trim axis until determining that the current tilt-trim position is equal to the desired tilt-trim position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in response to determining that the engine is running and that the at least one of the vessel speed condition and the engine speed condition is met, the method further comprises stopping the engine in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position is greater than or equal to a second trim position threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method includes determining if the engine speed condition is met and further comprises determining a speed of the engine;
wherein the engine speed condition is that the engine speed is less than or equal to an engine speed threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first trim position threshold is different from the desired tilt-trim position.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input is a command to rotate the propulsion device to a predefined maximum trim position.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising comparing the current tilt-trim position to the maximum trim position in response to receiving the user input;
wherein, in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position is greater than the maximum trim position and that the engine is not running, the method includes rotating the propulsion device down until determining that the current tilt-trim position is equal to the maximum trim position; and
wherein, in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position is less than the maximum trim position and that the engine is not running, the method includes rotating the propulsion device up until determining that the current tilt-trim position is equal to the maximum trim position.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input is received in response to selection of a single button by an operator of the marine vessel after the engine has been keyed-on.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input is a command to rotate the propulsion device to a predefined minimum trim position, and wherein the method further comprises doing at least one of the following in response to receiving the user input:
turning on a blower in a bilge of the marine vessel;
turning on running lights on the marine vessel; and
rotating a steerable portion of the propulsion device to a neutral steering position.

10. A system for controlling a tilt-trim position of a marine propulsion device on a transom of a marine vessel, the system including:
a user input device generating a command to rotate the propulsion device to a predetermined desired tilt-trim position;
an engine speed sensor sensing a speed of an engine powering the propulsion device;
a vessel speed sensor sensing a speed of the marine vessel;
a tilt-trim position sensor sensing a current tilt-trim position of the propulsion device with respect to the transom;
a control module receiving the command from the user input device, the engine speed from the engine speed sensor, the vessel speed from the vessel speed sensor, and the current tilt-trim position from the tilt-trim position sensor; and
a tilt-trim actuator configured to rotate the propulsion device about a horizontal tilt-trim axis in response to signals from the control module;
wherein the control module determines whether the engine is running and then does one of the following:
in response to determining that the engine is not running:
controls the tilt-trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device about the tilt-trim axis until determining that the current tilt-trim position is equal to the desired tilt-trim position; and
starts the engine in response to determining that the current tilt-trim position is less than or equal to a first trim position threshold; or

in response to determining that the engine is running:
determines whether at least one of a vessel speed condition and an engine speed condition is met; and
in response to the at least one of the vessel speed condition and the engine speed condition being met, controls the tilt-trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device about the tilt-trim axis until determining that the current tilt-trim position is equal to the desired tilt-trim position.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user input device comprises a button configured to allow an operator of the marine vessel to select a minimum trim position of the propulsion device as the desired tilt-trim position; and
wherein in response to selection of the minimum trim position button and determining that that engine is not running, the control module controls the tilt-trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device down to the minimum trim position.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first trim position threshold is greater than the minimum trim position.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein in response to selection of the minimum trim position button, determining that the engine is running, and determining that the engine speed is less than a predetermined engine idle speed, the control module controls the tilt-trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device down to the minimum trim position.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein in response to selection of the minimum trim position button, the control module does at least one of the following:
turns on a blower in a bilge of the marine vessel;
turns on running lights on the marine vessel; and
rotates a steerable portion of the propulsion device to a neutral steering position.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user input device comprises a button configured to allow an operator of the marine vessel to select a maximum trim position of the propulsion device as the desired tilt-trim position;
wherein the control module compares the current tilt-trim position to the maximum trim position; and
wherein in response to selection of the maximum trim position button, determining that the current tilt-trim position is less than the maximum trim position, and determining that the engine is not running, the control module controls the tilt-trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device up to the maximum trim position.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a throttle lever that provides a vessel speed command to the control module;
wherein in response to selection of the maximum trim position button, determining that the current tilt-trim position is less than the maximum trim position, and determining that the engine is runnin

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Anschuetz Steven M
• Lemke Mark J

Classifications

• B63H20/10 Primary

  Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt · CPC title