Methods of, and apparatuses for, controlling at least one trim tab of a marine vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12124276-B2
Application number	US-202217724061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 19, 2021
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

Methods of, and apparatuses for, controlling at least one trim tab of a marine vessel are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trim-tab controller for controlling at least one trim tab of at least two trim tabs of a marine vessel, the trim-tab controller comprising:
a trim-tab-input device; and
at least one processor circuit programmed to, at least:
in response to a first user input using the trim-tab-input device and indicating an amount of change of roll or pitch of the marine vessel in a first direction, cause a first trim tab of the at least two trim tabs on a first side of the marine vessel to move relative to a hull of the marine vessel more than a second trim tab of the at least two trim tabs on a second side of the marine vessel opposite the first side of the marine vessel by a difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs relative to the hull in response to the second trim tab reaching an end of a range of motion of the second trim tab; and
in response to a subsequent user input indicating a subsequent amount of change of roll or pitch of the marine vessel in a second direction opposite the first direction, cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab by an amount responsive to at least the difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs.

2. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the first user input is a single user input.

3. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the first and subsequent user inputs indicate respective amounts of change of roll of the marine vessel.

4. The trim-tab controller of claim 3 , wherein the first user input comprises rotation of a rotatable user-input device of the trim-tab-input device.

5. The trim-tab controller of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount indicated by an amount of rotation of the rotatable user-input device.

6. Trim-tab controller of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount indicated by an amount of rotation of the rotatable user-input device and a user-configurable sensitivity setting.

7. The trim-tab controller of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount proportionate to an amount of rotation of the rotatable user-input device.

8. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the first and subsequent user inputs indicate respective amounts of change of pitch of the marine vessel.

9. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the first user input comprises user actuation of a button.

10. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount indicated by a duration of the first user input.

11. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount indicated by a duration of the first user input and a user-configurable sensitivity setting.

12. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move an amount proportionate to a duration of the first user input.

13. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tab to move independently of any measurement of angular position of the marine vessel.

14. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause each trim tab of the at least one trim tabs to move independently of any steering change of any angle of thrust of the marine vessel.

15. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab is an end of possible motion of the second trim tab.

16. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab is configured.

17. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to, at least, cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab by the difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs in response to the first user input for at least a predetermined period of time after the second trim tab reaches the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab.

18. A trim-tab system comprising:
the trim-tab controller of claim 1 ; and
the at least two trim tabs.

19. A marine vessel comprising:
the trim-tab controller of claim 1 ; and
the at least two trim tabs.

20. The trim-tab controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is programmed to at least, in response to the first user input:
cause the first and second trim tabs to move relative to the hull until the second trim tab reaches the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab; and
cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab by the difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs in response to the second trim tab reaching the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab.

21. A trim-tab controller for controlling at least one trim tab of at least two trim tabs of a marine vessel, the trim-tab controller comprising:
a trim-tab-input device; and
at least one processor circuit programmed to, at least:
in response to a first user input using the trim-tab-input device and indicating an amount of change of roll or pitch of the marine vessel in a first direction, cause a first trim tab of the at least two trim tabs on a first side of the marine vessel to move relative to a hull of the marine vessel more than a second trim tab of the at least two trim tabs on a second side of the marine vessel opposite the first side of the marine vessel by a difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs relative to the hull;
in response to a subsequent user input indicating a subsequent amount of change of roll or pitch of the marine vessel in a second direction opposite the first direction, cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab;
in response to the first user input:
cause the first and second trim tabs to move relative to the hull until the second trim tab reaches an end of a range of motion of the second trim tab; and
cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab by the difference between the movements of the first and second trim tabs in response to the second trim tab reaching the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab;
in response to the first and subsequent user inputs and in response to the second trim tab reaching the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab, determine virtual positions of the second trim tab, wherein the virtual positions of the second trim tab are positions that the second trim tab would have according to the first and subsequent user inputs if the second trim tab could move beyond the end of the range of motion of the second trim tab; and
in response to the subsequent user input:
cause the first trim tab to move relative to the hull more than the second trim tab until the virtual positions of the second trim tab return t

Assignees

• Marine Canada Acquisition Inc
• Dometic Marine Canada Inc

Inventors

• Chan Anson Chin Pang
• Kang Andrew Joseph

Classifications

• G05D1/49

  Control of attitude, i.e. control of roll, pitch or yaw · CPC title

• B63B1/30

  retracting or folding {(B63B1/244 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B63H21/213

  Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers · CPC title

• G05D1/0875 Primary

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title

• B63B39/061 Primary

  by using trimflaps, i.e. flaps mounted on the rear of a boat, e.g. speed boat · CPC title