Control apparatus for outboard motor, and marine vessel running support system and marine vessel using the same

• US 7,556,547 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaji, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson; Lars A
• Application Number:
  US11/937,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1, 440/84, 440/87, 440/89.A, 440/89.R
• US Class Current: 440/87
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/20 the vessels being powered by combinations of different types of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/213 Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/42 Steering or dynamic anchoring by propulsive elements by jets B63H25/46; Steering or dynamic anchoring by propellers used therefor only; Steering or dynamic anchoring by rudders carrying propellers

Abstract

The control apparatus controls an outboard motor having a propeller and an engine that rotates the propeller and discharges exhaust gas in water. The control apparatus includes a judgment unit arranged to determine a reduction in the propulsive force of the outboard motor due to in-water exhaust of the engine, and a control unit arranged to control the engine such that, when the judgment unit determines that a reduction in the propulsive force occurs, the output of the engine is increased as compared to when the judgment unit determines that a reduction in the propulsive force does not occur.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor provided with a propeller and an engine that rotates the propeller and discharges exhaust gas in water, the control apparatus comprising:

a judgment unit arranged to determine a reduction in a propulsive force of the outboard motor due to in-water exhaust of the engine; and

a control unit arranged to control the engine such that, when the judgment unit determines that a reduction in the propulsive force occurs, an output thereof is increased as compared to when the judgment unit determines that a reduction in the propulsive force does not occur.

2. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the judgment unit is arranged to determine a reduction in the propulsive force based on a running speed of a marine vessel in which the outboard motor is provided.

3. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the judgment unit is arranged to determine a reduction in the propulsive force based on a direction of the propulsive force.

4. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the judgment unit includes a bubble entrainment judgment unit arranged to determine whether the propeller is in a running state in which bubbles generated by in-water exhaust of the engine are entrained in the propeller;

and

the control unit controls the engine based on a predetermined normal control mode when the bubble entrainment judgment unit determines that the propeller is not in a running state in which bubbles are entrained in the propeller, and controls the engine based on a correction control mode differing from the normal control mode when the bubble entrainment judgment unit determines that the propeller is in a running state where bubbles are entrained in the propeller.

5. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 4, wherein the normal control mode is a control mode in which the control unit sets a first target rotational speed of the engine according to predetermined first characteristics, and the correction control mode is a control mode in which the control unit sets a second target rotational speed of the engine according to second characteristics to set a target rotational speed of the engine to be greater than the first characteristics.

6. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 5, further comprising:

a correction coefficient setting arranged to set a correction coefficient which is 1.0 or more; and

a characteristics setting unit arranged to calculate the second target rotational speed of the engine by multiplying the first target rotational speed of the engine by a correction coefficient set by the correction coefficient setting unit, to thereby set the second characteristics.

7. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 6, further comprising:

a speed instruction unit arranged to generate a rotational speed instruction value of the propeller, wherein

the correction coefficient setting unit causes the correction coefficient to approach 1.0 according to at least one of a decrease in the rotational speed instruction value generated by the speed instruction unit and an increase in the running speed of a marine vessel to which the outboard motor is attached.

8. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 4, wherein the bubble entrainment judgment unit includes a rotation direction judgment unit arranged to determine whether a rotation direction of the propeller is a first direction along which bubbles generated by in-water exhaust of the engine are moved away the propeller or a second direction along which the bubbles are dragged to the propeller.

9. The control apparatus for controlling an outboard motor according to claim 4, wherein the bubble entrainment judgment unit includes a speed judgment unit arranged to determine whether the running speed of the marine vessel to which the outboard motor is attached is not more than a predetermined forward speed.

10. A marine vessel running support system, comprising:

a propeller;

an outboard motor including an engine that rotates the propeller and discharges exhaust gas in water; and

the control apparatus according claim 1 for controlling the outboard motor.

11. A marine vessel, comprising;

a hull;

an outboard motor provided with a propeller, and an engine that rotates the propeller and discharges exhaust gas in water; and

the control apparatus according to claim 1 for controlling the outboard motor.