Outboard motor control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376196-B2
Application number	US-96728610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2010
Priority date	Dec 16, 2009
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and a transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, it is determined whether acceleration is instructed to the engine when the second speed is established and operation of the engine is controlled to increase a fuel amount to be supplied to the engine when detected engine speed is greater than a predetermined speed, thereby improving the performance immediately after acceleration is started.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller through a propeller shaft, and a transmission installed at a location between the engine and the propeller shaft, the transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, comprising:
an engine speed detector that detects speed of the engine;
a throttle opening change amount detector that detects a change amount of throttle opening of the engine; and
a controller that controls operation of the transmission and the engine after the second speed is established,
wherein the first speed and the second speed are each forward speeds with the first speed having a higher gear ratio than the second speed,
and wherein the controller:
controls operation of the transmission to maintain the second speed and operation of the engine to supply a basic fuel amount calculated based on the detected engine speed in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being less than a predetermined value,
controls operation of the transmission to maintain the second speed and operation of the engine to increase a fuel amount to be supplied to the engine by a predetermined amount more than the basic fuel amount in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being equal to or greater than the predetermined value and in response to the detected engine speed being greater than a predetermined speed, the predetermined speed being a fixed value set regardless of the throttle opening, and
controls operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed and of the engine to increase the fuel amount to be supplied to the engine by the predetermined amount more than the basic fuel amount in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being equal to or greater than the predetermined value and in response to the detected engine speed being equal to or less than the predetermined speed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes:
a slip ratio detector that detects a slip ratio of the propeller based on theoretical boat velocity and actual boat velocity;
and controls operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed, in addition to increase the fuel amount to be supplied to the engine in response to the detected slip ratio being equal to or less than a predetermine slip ratio and in response to the detected engine speed being equal to or less than the predetermined speed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including:
a neutral position determiner that determines whether a shift position of the transmission is changed to a neutral position;
and the controller controls the operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed in response to the determination that the shift position is changed to the neutral position when the second speed is established.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further including:
a hydraulic clutch that is installed in the transmission and adapted to establish the speeds including the first speed and the second speed;
and the controller controls the operation of the transmission to establish the first speed when the clutch is not supplied with hydraulic pressure.

5. A method for controlling operation of an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller through a propeller shaft, and a transmission installed at a location between the engine and the propeller shaft, the transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, comprising the steps of:
detecting speed of the engine;
detecting a change amount of throttle opening of the engine; and
controlling operation of the transmission and the engine after the second speed is established,
wherein the first speed and the second speed are each forward speeds with the first speed having a higher gear ratio than the second speed,
and wherein the step of the controlling includes:
controlling operation of the transmission to maintain the second speed and operation of the engine to supply a basic fuel amount calculated based on the detected engine speed in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being less than a predetermined value,

controlling operation of the transmission to maintain the second speed and of the engine to increase a fuel amount to be supplied to the engine by a predetermined amount more than the basic fuel amount in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being equal to or greater than the predetermined value and in response to the detected engine speed being greater than a predetermined speed, the predetermined speed being a fixed value set regardless of the throttle opening, and
controlling operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed and of the engine to increase the fuel amount to be supplied to the engine by the predetermined amount more than the basic fuel amount in response to the detected change amount of the throttle opening being equal to or greater than the predetermined value and in response to the detected engine speed being equal to or less than the predetermined speed.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling includes the step of:
detecting a slip ratio of the propeller based on theoretical boat velocity and actual boat velocity;
and controls operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed, in addition to increase the fuel amount to be supplied to the engine in response to the detected slip ratio being equal to or less than a predetermined slip ratio and in response to the detected engine speed being equal to or less than the predetermined speed.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further including the step of:
determining whether a shift position of the transmission is changed to a neutral position;
and the step of controlling controls the operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed in response to the determination that the shift position is changed to the neutral position when the second speed is established.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of controlling controls the operation of the transmission to establish the first speed when a hydraulic clutch adapted to establish the speeds including the first speed and the second speed is not supplied with hydraulic pressure.

Assignees

• Kuriyagawa Koji
• Yoshimura Hajime
• Yamamoto Hiroshi
• Katagiri Nobuchika
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuriyagawa Koji
• Yoshimura Hajime
• Yamamoto Hiroshi
• Katagiri Nobuchika

Classifications

• F02D11/105

  characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque · CPC title

• B63H21/21 Primary

  Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels · CPC title

• B60W2510/0638

  Engine speed · CPC title

• F02D41/10

  for acceleration · CPC title

• F02D41/023

  in relation with the gear ratio shifting (conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19) · CPC title