EP1541463A2 - Appareil électromecanique de controle, en particulier pour un bateau - Google Patents

Appareil électromecanique de controle, en particulier pour un bateau Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1541463A2
EP1541463A2 EP04104917A EP04104917A EP1541463A2 EP 1541463 A2 EP1541463 A2 EP 1541463A2 EP 04104917 A EP04104917 A EP 04104917A EP 04104917 A EP04104917 A EP 04104917A EP 1541463 A2 EP1541463 A2 EP 1541463A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
control
movement
setting
mechanical transmission
mechanisms
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04104917A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1541463A3 (fr
Inventor
Giorgio Gai
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ultraflex SpA
Original Assignee
Ultraflex SpA
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ultraflex SpA filed Critical Ultraflex SpA
Publication of EP1541463A2 publication Critical patent/EP1541463A2/fr
Publication of EP1541463A3 publication Critical patent/EP1541463A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
    • B63H21/00—Use of propulsion power plant or units on vessels
    • B63H21/21—Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
    • B63H21/213—Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
    • G05G7/00—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with one single controlled member; Details thereof
    • G05G7/02—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with one single controlled member; Details thereof characterised by special provisions for conveying or converting motion, or for acting at a distance
    • G05G7/10—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with one single controlled member; Details thereof characterised by special provisions for conveying or converting motion, or for acting at a distance specially adapted for remote control

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an electromechanical control device, particularly for boats, suitable also for other means such as earthwork means and generally any other equipment requiring remote control of drive and operation means.
  • the electric/electronic transmission system comprises a gearcase that operates communications between different boat mechanisms the communication links thereof being connected with the gearcase by means of bus links with a predetermined coding and signal transmitting protocol such as CAN.
  • the gearcase interprets and recognises signals of different control mechanisms such as levers, buttons, or the like that are associated to electromechanical transducers and it produces control signals of an actuator connected to the setting mechanism. This easily allows to add to the system several units integrating with the current ones increasing the automation degree of operations.
  • the aim of the present invention is a similar system of the electromechanical type allowing also to improve to some extent the current mechanical control systems such to work likewise the electronic systems without providing high costs for structural change of the system, such as replacing control mechanisms or providing complex wiring.
  • the invention attains the above aims with a control device, particularly for boats, which device comprises at least a control mechanism for setting the operation conditions of at least an engine and/or of other operating units, which control mechanism is movable along a predetermined path and for a predetermined travel between two end limit stop positions, at least means for setting the engine supply and/or operation parameters of said other operating units which setting means have at least a mobile setting mechanism ,such as a throttle of a carburator, and which setting mechanism is connected by means of a mechanical transmission, such as a cable, a lever or tie rod system or the like, to the said at least one control mechanism so that a movement thereof causes a movement of the setting mechanism characterized in that in conjunction the system further has a movement and/or position sensor of the at least one control mechanism, which sensor produces electrical signals univocally correlated to the position and/or movement of said control mechanism, at least a motor actuator for working the setting mechanism, which motor actuator is connected to a control gearcase and which gearcase produces control signals of the motor actuator univoc
  • the system can be mounted on boats having control mechanism of the mixed type that is with movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms of the axial type that is directly associated to the control mechanism of the type described in US6587765 and/or of the serial type that is made of movement and/or position sensors inside a transmission insert namely a mobile connecting member to be inserted in series to the mechanical transmission.
  • the control gearcase processes only signals of movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism or only signals of movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member or in parallel both signals of movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and of movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member. That allows the greatest flexibility of the installation and for selecting the control mechanisms, tipically levers, as well as of the control and command methods that can be used.
  • control gearcase has hardware or software comparators of movement and/or position sensor signals of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and of movement and/or position sensor signals of the mobile connecting member and means indicating error or alarm in case of non-correspondence between said signals of the movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and of the movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member.
  • the reliability of the electromechanical connection is guaranteed by an automatic joint for engaging and disengaging the mechanical transmission and/or the motor actuator to the setting mechanism, which joint engages and disengages in an alternative way the mechanical transmission and/or the motor actuator one with respect to the other to the setting mechanisms.
  • the system can have two control mechanisms, tipically levers, for controlling two engines or for controlling the supply and for controlling the reversing gear of a single engine.
  • the forward, reverse and idle gear conditions are guaranteed by mechanical devices called reversing gears.
  • These can be directly controlled by a particular control lever or by the same control lever of the engine supply constituting a so called single-lever system.
  • the control station is composed of a single lever with a neutral central position and forward and reverse gear engagement with a first movement in one direction or in the opposite one of said lever and forward and reverse acceleration with a further movement of the lever.
  • two or more levers of this type two or more engines can be correspondingly controlled.
  • the invention provides at least two control stations connected in such a way to control setting mechanisms of at least one engine, each of which stations is composed of at least a control mechanism mechanically connected to at least a motor electromechanical actuator.
  • each station it is possibile to provide a control mechanism for setting means of each engine, to each setting mechanism being associated a corresponding actuator.
  • control mechanisms of each station or only those of a station sub-group or only of one of the control stations may be provided in conjunction with a movement and/or position sensor of the at least one control mechanism, which sensor produces electrical signals univocally correlated to the position and/or movement of said control mechanism that can be of the type that is directly connected to the control mechanism and/or alternatively or in conjunction with said direct sensor it can be composed of an interposing unit between two portions of the mechanical transmission in the same way as disclosed above.
  • control mechanisms of the two or more different stations are connected in series one with respect to the other by a mechanical transmission, such as a cable or the like, to the setting mechanisms of the corresponding engine, whereas movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms can be connected in series or in parallel to the control gearcase of the electromechanical actuator of actuating mechanisms and/or directly to the electromechanical actuators.
  • a mechanical transmission such as a cable or the like
  • the invention relates also to a method for making an electromechanical control system, particularly for boats provided with mechanical control systems, constiting of the following steps:
  • the invention has further improvements that are object of the subclaims.
  • FIG 1 there is shown a first embodiment of the invention with respect to a system for controlling a single control mechanism, called load and not shown in figure, by means of a control station 1 composed of a single lever 101.
  • the lever 101 movable along a predetermined path and for a predetermined travel between two end limit stop positions 201 and 301, is connected via a short mechanical cable 2 to a mobile interposing unit 3, for simplicity sake hereinafter referred to as position sensor in series, connected via a mechanical cable 4 to an actuator 5 such as for example the one shown in figure 5.
  • the actuator 5 is connected via a mechanical cable 6 to the load, for example constituted of the throttle of an engine.
  • the lever 101 has a position sensor constituted of a potentiometer 401 directly constrained to the lever axis.
  • the sensor 3 in series is composed of a rack member connected at the ends to the two mechanical cables 2 and 4 and with which a pinion 103 cooperates mounted on the shaft of a potentiometer 203.
  • the sensor further comprises an electronic gearcase, an input connector 303 for connecting other sensors by means of a bus 7 of the CAN type, and to which the potentiometer 401 of the lever 101 in particular is connected, an output connector 403 to which the actuator 5 is connected by means of a bus 8 of CAN type, a connector 503 for directly connecting the potentiometer on axis 401 of the lever and with a control panel 9 provided with a button 109 for selecting the station and a led 209 for indicating the occurred selection of the station.
  • connection 10 with the connector 503 is shown as a broken line in figure since it is optional and it has to be considered as a possible development above all in more complex multi-station systems that, due to the introduction of the electronic gearcase, can have the greatest possible flexibility level and can be provided with commands and controls typical of electronic systems as the ones disclosed in US658776.
  • the direct connection with the potentiometer on axis 401 via connection 10 is redundant since it already exists via connection 7.
  • the system is functioning as follows: the movement of the lever 101 by the user, sensed by the potentiometer 401 integral with the lever axis, is transmitted via the mechanical cable 2 to the rack placed inside the sensor 3 which correspondingly moves.
  • the movement of the rack and thus of the lever 101, is sensed by the potentiometer 203 by the rotation of the pinion 103 mounted on the shaft of the potentiometer.
  • the control electronic gearcase arranged inside the sensor 3 processes the signals coming from the potentiometers 401 and 203 and it produces control signals of the motor actuator 5 through the CANbus 8.
  • the motor actuator 5 is also mechanically connected via cable 4 to sensor 3 and thus it is able to move the load even only by means of the mechanical action due to its advantageous structure that is shown in more details in figure 5.
  • the motor actuator 5 provides two idle levers 105 and 205 with coaxial semicylindrical sector shaped bodies 305, 405 having an arc of slighly less than 180°.
  • the control lever 105 is connected to the flexible control cable 4, whereas the other driven lever 205 is connected to the driven flexible cable 6. Said two levers are assembled, can freely rotate with the aid of known means.
  • the bodies of levers 305, 405 surround a spiral spring 505 provided with opposed ends faced outwards 605, 705.
  • the driving shaft of a geared motor not indicated in the drawings and of known construction, which is tightly widened by said spring 505 so that there is a strong friction and a good adhesion between the shaft and the unstressed spring thus making an automatic joint for engaging and disengaging the mechanical transmission and/or the motor actuator.
  • the shaft 805 rotates the spring 505 tightly coiled thereon, whose tip 605, in the case of clockwise rotation, 705 in the opposite case, pushes on the body of the driven lever 405, causing its rotation.
  • control lever 105 pushes with its body 305 against the tip of the spring 605, or 505, in opposite direction of its winding. That causes a widening of the spring 505 that is no longer winded on the shaft 805 and can freely rotate. This free rotation of the spring 505 causes a push against the body of the driven lever 405, causing a rotation. With the action stopped on the control cable 4, the control lever 105 stops rotating so that the spring 505 no longer stressed restores its original adhesion condition on the shaft 805 thus disengaging the mechanical transmission and engaging the motor actuator.
  • FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of the invention.
  • the control station 1 is formed of two levers 101 and 101' for controlling two not shown control mechanisms such as for example for controlling two engines or for controlling supply and for controlling the reversing gear of a single engine.
  • the two control levers 101 and 101' are mechanically connected to actuators 5 and 5' via mechanical cables 2, 2', 4, 4' and two mobile sensors 3 and 3' as in figure 1. From the electric prospective, only the sensor 3 is connected to actuators 5 and 5' via the output connector 403 and bus 8 whereas sensor 3' is connected to sensor 3 via connectors 304', 303 and bus 7.
  • the gearcase arranged inside sensor 3' is responsible only of feeding, according to the predetermined protocol, for example of the CAN type, the position data of the lever 101' to the gearcase arranged in sensor 3 working for controlling both actuators on the basis of such position signal of the lever 101' and of the one relative to lever 101 detected by the potentiometer 203 inside sensor 3.
  • the system with a single control station 1 of figure 2 can be combined with a second control station 11 mechanically connected in series with the first one, as shown in figure 3, via mechanical cables 12 and 13.
  • the levers of station 1 are moved by dragging with the same effect occuring with a direct movement of the user.
  • the control of actuators can thus occur as the preceding case as figure 2.
  • the second control station 11 is mechanically connected to the first one via two sensors 14 and 14' in series, whereas the first station 1 is mechanically connected to actuators 5 and 5' via sensors 3 and 3' such as in figures 2 and 3.
  • the first station 1 is mechanically connected to actuators 5 and 5' via sensors 3 and 3' such as in figures 2 and 3.
  • Sensor 3' is connected to sensor 3 via connectors 403', 303 and bus 7.
  • Sensor 14' is connected to sensor 14 via connectors 414', 314 and bus 15, whereas sensor 14 is connected to sensor 3' via the output connector 414, the input connector 303' and bus 16.
  • Radial sensors of levers of the second control station 411 and 411' are in turn connected respectively to sensor 14' via connector 514' and to sensor 14 via connector 514.
  • Control panels 9 and 15 of each control station are connected respectively to sensor 3 via connector 503 and to sensor 14 via connector 514.
  • the electronic gearcase arranged inside sensor 14' reads position signals of lever 111' by means of potentiometers 411' and 214' and transmits them to the gearcase arranged inside sensor 14 via connector 414'. This one, in addition to position signals relevant to the lever 111' coming from sensor 14', reads position signals relevant to the lever 111 by means of potentiometers 411 and 214 and communicates them to the gearcase arranged on sensor 3' via bus 16.
  • the gearcase arranged in sensor 3' is responsible for inputting position data of levers 111' and 111 coming from the gearcase 14 and for the position data of lever 101', obtained by reading potentiometer 203, to the gearcase arranged in sensor 3 that controls both actuators 5 and 5' on the basis of said position signals of levers 111', 111, 101' received as input and on the basis of the one relevant to lever 101 sensed by potentiometer 203 inside sensor 3.
  • the system further provides two control panels 9 and 15 placed in station 1 and 11 respectively each comprising a button and a led connected to the gearcase placed in sensor 3 and to the one placed inside sensor 14 respectively.
  • the presence of sensors at both the stations 1 and 11 makes necessary to communicate to the operating electronics which of the two stations is used by the operator. Such comunication is made by the button + led couple.
  • the operator pushing the button of the station where he is working communicates to the system which position sensors are to be used in order to give control to actuators.
  • the system operation is as follows: if the operator chooses to work from the remote station 11, he pushes the button arranged on the control panel 15.
  • the gearcase placed inside sensor 14 reads such button, feeds the on signal to the led placed on the same control panel and it inputs information to the gearcase placed in sensor 3 that feeds an off signal to the led placed on the control panel 9 and drives actuators 5 and 5' on the basis of position data of levers 111 and 111'. If the operator chooses to work from station 1, he pushes the button arranged on the control panel 9.
  • the gearcase placed inside sensor 3 reads such button, feeds the on signal to the led placed on the same control panel and it inputs information to the gearcase placed in sensor 15 that in turn feeds an off signal to the led placed on the control panel 15 .Thus the gearcase placed inside sensor 3 drives actuators 5 and 5' on the basis of position data of levers 101 and 101'.
EP04104917A 2003-12-11 2004-10-07 Appareil électromecanique de controle, en particulier pour un bateau Withdrawn EP1541463A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITSV20030048 2003-12-11
IT000048A ITSV20030048A1 (it) 2003-12-11 2003-12-11 Dispositivo elettromeccanico di comando in particolare per imbarcazioni.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1541463A2 true EP1541463A2 (fr) 2005-06-15
EP1541463A3 EP1541463A3 (fr) 2006-02-08

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EP04104917A Withdrawn EP1541463A3 (fr) 2003-12-11 2004-10-07 Appareil électromecanique de controle, en particulier pour un bateau

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US (1) US20050148247A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1541463A3 (fr)
IT (1) ITSV20030048A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2025592A2 (fr) 2007-08-14 2009-02-18 Ultraflex Spa Dispositif de commande pour bateaux à voile
ITGE20080068A1 (it) * 2008-08-01 2010-02-02 Ultraflex Spa Comando monoleva per il controllo combinato della alimentazione di motori marini e dell'invertitore
ITGE20090062A1 (it) * 2009-08-06 2011-02-07 Ultraflex Spa Comando monoleva per il controllo combinato della condizione di alimentazione di uno o piu' motori e di un meccanismo invertitore di cambio marcia

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103754348B (zh) * 2014-01-10 2016-06-01 上海瑞华(集团)有限公司 一种纯电动船的手操纵控制装置
JP2016037224A (ja) * 2014-08-08 2016-03-22 ヤマハ発動機株式会社 ジェット推進艇

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3640155A (en) * 1970-04-01 1972-02-08 North American Rockwell Control system for coordinated actuation of a transmission and throttle
US5280282A (en) * 1990-02-28 1994-01-18 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Remote control system
EP0658836A1 (fr) * 1993-12-16 1995-06-21 ULTRAFLEX S.r.l. Dispositif de télécommande électromécanique
US5782659A (en) * 1995-01-30 1998-07-21 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Control for watercraft
US6238255B1 (en) * 1998-09-14 2001-05-29 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Marine propulsion control
US6273771B1 (en) * 2000-03-17 2001-08-14 Brunswick Corporation Control system for a marine vessel

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5222901A (en) * 1991-03-18 1993-06-29 Marine Brokers, Inc. Redundant marine engine control system

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3640155A (en) * 1970-04-01 1972-02-08 North American Rockwell Control system for coordinated actuation of a transmission and throttle
US5280282A (en) * 1990-02-28 1994-01-18 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Remote control system
EP0658836A1 (fr) * 1993-12-16 1995-06-21 ULTRAFLEX S.r.l. Dispositif de télécommande électromécanique
US5782659A (en) * 1995-01-30 1998-07-21 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Control for watercraft
US6238255B1 (en) * 1998-09-14 2001-05-29 Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Marine propulsion control
US6273771B1 (en) * 2000-03-17 2001-08-14 Brunswick Corporation Control system for a marine vessel

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2025592A2 (fr) 2007-08-14 2009-02-18 Ultraflex Spa Dispositif de commande pour bateaux à voile
ITGE20080068A1 (it) * 2008-08-01 2010-02-02 Ultraflex Spa Comando monoleva per il controllo combinato della alimentazione di motori marini e dell'invertitore
ITGE20090062A1 (it) * 2009-08-06 2011-02-07 Ultraflex Spa Comando monoleva per il controllo combinato della condizione di alimentazione di uno o piu' motori e di un meccanismo invertitore di cambio marcia

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Publication number Publication date
ITSV20030048A1 (it) 2005-06-12
US20050148247A1 (en) 2005-07-07
EP1541463A3 (fr) 2006-02-08

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