Remote control device for vessel and remote control method for vessel propulsion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9272764-B2
Application number	US-201414230117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Apr 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A remote control device for a vessel is installed in a vessel and remotely controls a vessel propulsion device of the vessel. The remote control device includes an operation member, an operation load applying mechanism, a control section, and an actuator. The operation member is supported rotatably around a rotation axis, and is operated by an operator to switch the shift position of a forward-reverse switching mechanism in the vessel propulsion device according to the operation angle of the operation member. The operation load applying mechanism applies an operation load to the operation member. The control section controls the operation load. The operation load applying mechanism includes an actuator that adjusts the operation load. The control section is arranged to control the actuator based on a vessel speed of the vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote control device for a vessel that is installed in a vessel and remotely controls a vessel propulsion device of the vessel, the remote control device comprising:
an operation member that is supported rotatably around a rotation axis, and is operated by an operator to switch a shift position of a forward-reverse switching mechanism in the vessel propulsion device according to an operation angle of the operation member;
an operation load applying mechanism that applies an operation load to the operation member and includes an actuator that adjusts the operation load; and
a control section programmed to control the operation load by controlling the actuator based on a vessel speed of the vessel; wherein
the vessel propulsion device includes an engine; and
the operation member includes a single lever that is operated by the operator to both switch the shift position of the forward-reverse switching mechanism and change a throttle opening degree of the engine according to the operation angle of the operation member.

2. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the operation member includes an operation lever supported rotatably around the rotation axis in a predetermined angle range, and a rotating member that rotates in response to an operation of the operation lever;
the operation load applying mechanism further includes a contact member that comes into contact with the rotating member; and
the actuator changes a pressing load to be applied to the rotating member by operation of the contact member.

3. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the operation load applying mechanism further includes an elastic member that presses the contact member against the rotating member; and
the actuator changes the pressing load to be applied to the contact member by operation of the elastic member.

4. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the shift position of the forward-reverse switching mechanism includes a forward shift position to make the vessel travel forward, a reverse shift position to make the vessel travel in reverse, and a neutral shift position at which no thrust is applied to the vessel; and
when performing a shift switching operation to switch the shift position between the forward shift position and the reverse shift position in a case where the vessel speed of the vessel is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control section is programmed to control the actuator so that the pressing load to be applied to the rotating member by the contact member increases when the shift position is switched to the neutral shift position, and the increased pressing load to be applied to the rotating member is kept until the shift position is switched to the forward shift position or the reverse shift position.

5. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the shift position of the forward-reverse switching mechanism includes a forward shift position to make the vessel travel forward, a reverse shift position to make the vessel travel in reverse, and a neutral shift position at which no thrust is applied to the vessel; and
when performing a shift position switching operation to switch the shift position between the forward shift position and the reverse shift position in a case where the vessel speed of the vessel is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control section is programmed to control the actuator so that the pressing load to be applied to the rotating member increases when the shift position is switched to the neutral shift position, and the pressing load to be applied to the rotating member by the contact member decreases from a timing at which the shift position is switched to the forward shift position or the reverse shift position.

6. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the shift positions of the forward-reverse switching mechanism includes a forward shift position to make the vessel travel forward, a reverse shift position to make the vessel travel in reverse, and a neutral shift position at which no thrust is applied to the vessel; and
when performing a shift position switching operation to switch the shift position between the forward shift position and the reverse shift position in a case where the vessel speed of the vessel is lower than a predetermined value, the control section is programmed to control the actuator so that the pressing load to be applied to the rotating member by the contact member becomes a predetermined low value regardless of the position of the operation member.

7. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating member includes a plurality of recesses arranged such that the contact member fits therein to enable the contact member to come out therefrom at positions different in a rotating direction around the rotation axis.

8. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the contact member is a rolling member arranged to move while rolling on a surface of the rotating member with respect to the rotating member according to rotation of the rotating member around the rotation axis, and the elastic member incudes a spring.

9. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel speed is determined based on the rotation speed of the engine.

10. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel speed is determined by a vessel speed detection device including at least one of a pitot tube, a global positioning system, and a paddle wheel.

11. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel propulsion device and the remote control device are connected to each other with a wire or wirelessly;
the vessel speed is determined in the vessel propulsion device; and
a detection signal from the vessel propulsion device is transmitted to the remote control device with a wire or wirelessly.

12. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the forward-reverse switching mechanism includes a drive gear to be driven by a drive source of the vessel propulsion device, a forward gear and a reverse gear that engage with the drive gear and are driven by the drive gear, and a dog clutch that selectively engages with the forward gear or the reverse gear, and switches the shift position by switching the engagement of the dog clutch between engagement with the forward gear and engagement with the reverse gear; and
the shift position includes a forward shift position at which the dog clutch engages with the forward gear, a reverse shift position at which the dog clutch engages with the reverse gear, and a neutral shift position at which the dog clutch engages with neither of the forward gear nor the reverse gear.

13. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 12 , wherein when performing a shift switching operation to switch the shift position between the forward shift position and the reverse shift position in a case where the vessel speed of the vessel is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control section is programmed to control the actuator so that the operation load of the operation member necessary for the shift switching operation becomes larger than the operation load of the operation member necessary for an operation other than the shift switching operation.

14. The remote control device for a vessel according to claim 12 , wherein in a case where the vessel speed of the vessel is equal to or higher than a predetermined valu

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bamba Takaaki

Classifications

• B63H20/00

  Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title

• F02D11/10

  of the electric type · CPC title

• B63H21/213 Primary

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

• F02B61/045

  for marine engines · CPC title

• B63H2021/216

  using electric control means · CPC title