Electric type steering device for outboard motors

• US 7,527,537 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson; Lars A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Venne; Daniel V
• Application Number:
  US11/593,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 440/53, 440/61.S, 440/1, 440/63, 114/144.E
• US Class Current: 440/53
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/12 Means enabling steering

Abstract

A steering device can include a steering wheel, connecting members for connecting outboard motors together, and a plurality of steering motors for steering a plurality of outboard motors. A target steering angle setting device can be configured to obtain a steering angle according to a steering displacement of the steering wheel, and steering unit angle sensor can be configured to detect actual steering unit angles of the respective outboard motors. A correcting device can be configured to obtain the difference between actual steering unit angles of the outboard motors, to correct the target steering angles based on the difference, and to obtain a target steering angle of each of the outboard motors. Motor controlling device can be configured to control the steering motors so that a target steering angle agrees with the actual steering unit angle for each of the outboard motors.

Claims

1. An electric type steering device for a plurality outboard motors, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a connecting member for connecting outboard motors together so that the steering movements of a plurality of outboard motors are linked together;

a plurality of electric steering motors configured to steer the plurality of outboard motors;

a target steering angle setting device configured to obtain a target steering angle according to a steering displacement of the steering wheel and an actual steering unit angle detecting device configured to detect an actual steering unit angle of each of the outboard motors;

a correcting device configured to obtain a difference between actual steering unit angles of at least two of the plurality of outboard motors, to correct a target steering angle of each outboard motor according to this difference, and to obtain a target steering angle of each outboard motor; and

a motor controlling device configured to control the electric steering motors so that the target steering angle of each of the outboard motors agrees with the actual steering unit angle.

2. The electric type steering device according to claim 1, wherein differences between actual steering unit angles of the outboard motors are differences between an average of actual steering unit angles of all outboard motors and an actual angle of each outboard motor.

3. The electric type steering device according to claim 1 additionally comprising a trim angle detecting device configured to detect a trim angle of each outboard motor, wherein the correcting device is configured to correct a target steering angle of each outboard motor so that each target steering angle agrees with the size of the trim angle detected by the trim angle detecting device.

4. The electric type steering device according to claim 2 additionally comprising a trim angle detecting device configured to detect a trim angle of each outboard motor, wherein the correcting device is configured to correct a target steering angle of each outboard motor so that each target steering angle agrees with a size of the trim angle detected by the trim angle detecting device.

5. The electric type steering device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together in a forward propulsion mode, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the outboard motors.

6. The electric type steering device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together in a forward propulsion mode, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the outboard motors.

7. The electric type steering device according to claim 3, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together in a forward propulsion mode, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the outboard motors.

8. The electric type steering device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together, a plurality of pairs of outboard motors connecting system including the connecting member and a plurality of outboard motors are installed, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the connected outboard motors.

9. The electric type steering device according claim 1, wherein a connecting assembly including the connecting member connects at least three outboard motors together, and an electric steering motor is provided on each of at least two of the plurality of outboard motors.

10. The electric type steering device according claim 2, wherein a connecting assembly including the connecting member connects at least three outboard motors together, and an electric steering motor is provided on each of at least two of the plurality of outboard motors.

15. The electric type steering device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electric steering motors comprises at least first and second electric steering motors connected to first and second of the at least two outboard motors, respectively, and where in the first and second electric steering motors are configured to change the steering angle of the first and second outboard motors relative to first and second clamp brackets, respectively.

16. The electric type steering device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member consists of a rod.

11. An electric type steering device for a plurality of outboard motors, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a connecting member connecting a plurality of outboard motors together so that the steering movements of the plurality of outboard motors are linked;

a plurality of electric steering motors configured to steer the plurality of outboard motors;

a target steering angle setting device configured to obtain a target steering angle according to a steering displacement of the steering wheel;

an actual steering unit angle detecting device configured to detect an actual steering unit angle of a predetermined reference outboard motor of the plurality of outboard motors; and

a motor controlling device configured to obtain a controlling steering angle which is the difference between an actual steering unit angle detected by the actual steering unit angle detecting device and the target steering angle, and to operate all electric steering motors only by the controlling steering angle.

12. The electric type steering device according to claim 11, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together in a forward propulsion mode, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the outboard motors.

13. The electric type steering device according to claim 11, wherein the connecting member connects at least two outboard motors whose propellers rotate in different directions together, a plurality of pairs of outboard motors connecting system including the connecting member and a plurality of outboard motors are installed, and wherein an electric steering motor is provided on each of the connected outboard motors.

14. The electric type steering device according claim 11, wherein a connecting assembly including the connecting member connects at least three outboard motors together, and an electric steering motor is provided on each of at least two of the plurality of outboard motors.