Boat speed and direction control system
First Claim
1. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
- a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other,b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly,c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat,d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat,e. said controller adapted to be operable by a foot of said boat operator such that the relative rotational movement between said first and second members and the movement of said third member may be imparted by the foot of said boat operator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a steering control system for a boat propelled by either bow mounted or transom mounted trolling motors. The steering control system includes a steering cam assembly, actuating device for imparting relative rotational movement between the steering cam and the steering cam housing, and steering device for turning the trolling motors in a manner responsive to the actuation of the switching device. The steering cam assembly has a steering cam with actuating surfaces that form varying contours, a steering cam housing that houses the steering cam such that the steering cam rotates relative to the steering cam housing, electrical switching device coupled to the steering cam housing with actuating portions responsive to the actuating surface. Several different embodiments of the steering device are provided that either swing the trolling motors in an arc or rotate the trolling motors. In this continuation-in-part application there is disclosed a speed and direction control system in which there are a controller having a steering assembly with rotatable members and a speed assembly located within the steering assembly, electrical circuits for controlling speed and direction, portions of which are located within the controller, and trolling motor mounting apparatuses for turning the trolling motors for directional control. One type of mounting apparatus utilizes differential thrust outputs of several trolling motors, while another type of mounting apparatus utilizes a steering motor to turn trolling motors.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
-
a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other, b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly, c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat, d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat, e. said controller adapted to be operable by a foot of said boat operator such that the relative rotational movement between said first and second members and the movement of said third member may be imparted by the foot of said boat operator. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
-
a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other, b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly, c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat, d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat, e. an actuating surface located on said steering assembly first member, so as to rotate relative to said second member, f. a rotatable member which rotates about an axis which is fixed relative to said second member, said rotatable member being responsive to the relative rotational movement of said first member actuating surface, wherein said first electrical means is actuated by said rotatable member when said rotatable member is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
-
a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other, b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly, c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat, d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat, e. said first electrical means comprising a first potentiometer and said second electrical means comprising a second potentiometer.
-
-
11. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
-
a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other, b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly, c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat, d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat, e. said first member comprises a first plate and said second member comprises a second plate, said first plate being rotatably mounted to said second plate, and said first and second plates having inside surfaces that define a cavity, f. said third member is mounted within said cavity. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A controller for use by a boat operator in controlling the speed and direction of a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical system including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said controller, comprising:
-
a. a steering assembly having a first member and a second member positioned relative to said first member such that said first and second members may be rotated about a fixed axis relative to each other, b. a speed assembly mounted adjacent one of said first or second members, having a third member which is accessible to a boat operator, said third member being movable by said boat operator relative to said steering assembly, c. first electrical means for controlling the direction of said boat, said first electrical means being actuated by the relative rotational movement between the first and second members, wherein when said first electrical means is actuated, said first electrical means causes said propulsion means to change the direction of said boat, d. second electrical means for controlling the speed of said boat, said second electrical means being actuated by the movement of the third member, wherein when said second electrical means is actuated said second electrical means changes the amount of electrical energy supplied to said propulsion means thereby changing the speed of said boat, e. means for limiting the relative rotational distance traversed between said first and second members to a predetermined angular range, f. means for realigning said second member relative to said first member to a preactuation alignment, after the actuation of said steering assembly.
-
-
15. A speed and direction control system for a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said propulsion means comprising at least two submergible portions for providing directional propulsive thrust, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical systems including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said speed and direction control system, said boat having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
-
a. mounting means for mounting said submergible portions to said boat such that said submergible portions are positioned in fixed relation to one another, said mounting means having steering means for automatically varying the orientation of both of said submergible portions relative to the longitudinal axis of said boat in a manner responsive to differential thrust outputs of said submergible portions thereby varying the direction of propulsive thrust of said submergible portions relative to the longitudinal axis of said boat, wherein said steering means maintains the fixed relationship of the submergible portions to one another, b. first electrical means controllable by a boat operator for controlling the direction of said boat by selectively varying the amount of energy supplied by the energizing means to one of the submergible portions with respect to the other submergible portion, wherein the thrust outputs of said submergible portions become differential so as to change the direction of said boat, c. second electrical means controllable by a boat operator for controlling the speed of said boat by varying the amount of energy supplied by the energizing means to all of the submergible portions, wherein the thrust outputs of said submergible portions change so as to change the speed of said boat. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A speed and direction control system for a boat propelled by electrical propulsion means, said propulsion means comprising a submergible portion for providing directional propulsive thrust, said boat having means for energizing electrical systems on said boat, said electrical systems including portions of said propulsion means and portions of said speed and direction control system, said boat having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
-
a. mounting means for mounting said submergible portion to said boat, said mounting means having steering means for automatically varying the orientation of said submergible portion relative to the longitudinal axis of said boat thereby varying the direction of propulsive thrust of said submergible portion relative to the longtitudinal axis of said boat, said steering means comprising steering motor means for rotating said submergible portion, b. first electrical means controllable by a boat operator for controlling the direction of said boat by controlling the energy supplied by the energizing means to said steering motor means, wherein said steering motor means rotates said submergible portion so as to change the direction of said boat, c. second electrical means controllable by a boat operator for controlling the speed of said boat by varying the amount of energy supplied by the energizing means to said submergible portion, wherein the thrust output of said submergible portion changes so as to change the speed of said boat. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification