Tillers, tiller systems and methods for controlling outboard motors with tillers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764813-B1
Application number	US-201615273052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A tiller is for an outboard motor. The tiller comprises a tiller body that is elongated along a tiller axis between a fixed end and a free end. A throttle grip is disposed on the free end. The throttle grip is rotatable through a first (left handed) range of motion from an idle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at idle speed to first (left handed) wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed and alternately through a second (right handed) range of motion from the idle position to a second (right handed) wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tiller for an outboard motor, the tiller comprising: a tiller body that is elongated along a tiller axis between a fixed end and a free end, and a throttle grip on the free end, wherein the throttle grip is rotatable through a first range of motion from an idle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at idle speed to first wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed and alternately through a second range of motion from the idle position to a second wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed.

2. The tiller according to claim 1 , wherein the first range of motion is separate and distinct from the second range of motion.

3. The tiller according to claim 1 , wherein the first range of motion is oppositely oriented with respect to the second range of motion.

4. The tiller according to claim 1 , wherein the idle position is disposed between the first and second ranges of motion, wherein the first range of motion extends in a first rotational direction away from the idle position and wherein the second range of motion extends in an opposite, second rotational direction away from the idle position.

5. The tiller according to claim 1 , wherein the tiller is configured to prevent over-rotation of the throttle grip past the first and second wide open throttle positions.

6. The tiller according to claim 5 , further comprising a first engagement structure associated with the throttle grip and a second engagement structure associated with the tiller body, wherein over-rotation of the throttle grip past the first wide open throttle position is prevented by engagement between the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure and wherein over-rotation of the throttle grip past the second wide open throttle position is prevented by engagement between the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure.

7. The tiller according to claim 6 , wherein the first engagement structure comprises at least one radially inwardly extending ledge on the throttle grip and wherein the second engagement structure comprises at least one radially outwardly extending ledge on the tiller body.

8. The tiller according to claim 6 , further comprising a throttle shaft coupled to the throttle grip such that rotation of the throttle grip causes rotation of the throttle shaft, wherein the first engagement structure comprises a radially extending member on the throttle shaft and wherein the second engagement structure comprises a corresponding radially extending member on the tiller body.

9. The tiller according to claim 8 , wherein the radially extending member on the tiller body comprises a contour that is configured to receive and retain the radially extending member on the throttle shaft.

10. The tiller according to claim 9 , wherein the radially extending member on the tiller body is rotatable into and between a first position in which the contour is oriented to receive the radially extending member on the throttle shaft when the throttle grip is rotated through the first range of motion and a second position in which the contour is oppositely oriented to receive the radially extending member on the throttle shaft when the throttle grip is rotated through the second range of motion.

11. A tiller system for controlling an outboard motor, the tiller system comprising:
a tiller comprising a tiller body that is elongated along a tiller axis between a fixed end and a free end, and a throttle grip on the free end, wherein the throttle grip is rotatable through a first range of motion from an idle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at idle speed to first wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed and alternately through a second range of motion from the idle position to a second wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed;
a throttle linkage coupled to the throttle grip, wherein the throttle linkage is configured to control a throttle of the outboard motor based upon manual rotation of the throttle grip; and
a rotation direction switching mechanism that is movable into a first position in which movement of the throttle grip in the first range of motion causes the throttle linkage to control the throttle of the outboard motor and a second position in which movement of the throttle grip in the second range of motion causes the throttle linkage to control the throttle of the outboard motor.

12. The tiller system according to claim 11 , wherein the throttle linkage comprises a throttle shaft coupled to the throttle grip such that rotation of the throttle grip causes rotation of the throttle shaft; wherein the rotation direction switching mechanism comprises a pulley on the throttle shaft, a pulley on the throttle of the outboard motor, and a pair of cables that connect the pulley on the throttle shaft to the pulley on the throttle of the outboard motor so that rotation of the throttle grip causes rotation of the pulley on the throttle of the outboard motor; and wherein the pulley cables are positionable in a first position in which rotation of the throttle grip through the first range of motion causes rotation of the pulley on the throttle of the outboard motor and a second position in which rotation of the throttle grip through the second range of motion causes rotation of the pulley on the throttle of the outboard motor.

13. The tiller system according to claim 11 , wherein the throttle linkage comprises a throttle shaft coupled to the throttle grip such that rotation of the throttle grip causes rotation of the throttle shaft; wherein the rotation direction switching mechanism comprises a driving gear that rotates with the throttle shaft and a throttle gear that is rotated by the driving gear; and wherein the rotation direction switching mechanism is positionable in a first position in which the driving gear drives the throttle shaft gear so that rotation of the throttle grip through the first range of motion controls the throttle of the outboard motor and a second position in which the driving gear drives the throttle gear so that rotation of the throttle grip through the second range of motion controls the throttle of the outboard motor.

14. The tiller according to claim 13 , wherein the throttle linkage comprises a throttle shaft and wherein the driving gear is positionable along the throttle shaft on a first side of the throttle gear and alternately along the throttle shaft on an opposite, second side of the throttle gear.

15. The tiller according to claim 14 , wherein the tiller shaft has holes located for engagement with a pin to secure the driving gear to the driving shaft on opposite sides of the throttle gear.

16. The tiller system according to claim 11 , wherein the rotation direction switching mechanism comprises a driving gear, a first connecting gear, a second connecting gear, and a throttle gear; wherein the driving gear is coupled to the throttle gear by the first connecting gear when a manual switch is moved into the first position; wherein the driving gear is coupled to the throttle gear by the second connecting gear when the manual switch is moved into the second position; and wherein the rotation direction switching mechanism further comprises a reversing gear that rotationally couples one of the first and second connecting gears to the throttle gear.

17. A method of controlling an outboard motor with a tiller, the method comprising:

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Zarembka Jeffrey A
• Vaninetti Travis J
• Jaszewski Wayne M
• Ingebritson Jolayne K

Classifications

• B63H20/12 Primary

  Means enabling steering · CPC title

• B63H21/213 Primary

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