EP3321169B1 - Device for determining the drive stage of an electrical drive of a boat - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a device for presetting the gear stage of an engine of a boat, preferably a remote throttle for prescribing the gear stage of a built-in sailboat electric motor.

Technical background

It is known to power boats with an electric motor. Furthermore, it is known to control the drive stage of the electric motor by means of a device for specifying the drive, wherein the predetermining the drive level, for example, by setting the power or the speed of the electric motor. To specify the drive level by the operator, for example by the helmsman, two different possibilities are known in principle:
In a boat drive constructed as an outboard motor with an electric motor, it is known, the driving position of the electric motor by means of a rotary handle, which is provided at the end of a mounted directly on the outboard motor tiller pretend. The operator of the outboard motor can then specify in a conventional manner by means of the tiller both the direction of travel, and also control the speed of the motor.

Furthermore, it is known to provide a remote gas device, in which a distance from the controlled boat drive arranged ride lever is provided, by means of which then the speed of the electric motor can be controlled. Conventionally, the remote throttle is located at a control station of the boat, so that it can be easily operated by a driver, while the driver also operates the steering wheel. A remote gas device is used in particular when the engine is installed inaccessible in the boat - for example, if it is provided as a built-in motor with shaft drive, as a built-in motor with Z drive, Saildrive or pod drive. A remote gas device can also be used to control a Außenbormotors.

In sailboats, such a remote gas device is usually arranged either on a control column of the steering wheel or on a wall - typically a side wall or a floor area of the cockpit. An arrangement of the remote gas device in the cockpit is especially to be found when the sailboat has a tiller steering and accordingly no control column is provided.

To control a boat drive and multiple remote gas devices may be provided which are arranged in different positions on the boat - for example, at two different control states.

In this case, remote gas devices for predetermining the gear stage of an electric motor of a boat are known, which have a base plate connectable to a wall of the boat, on which a about a pivot axis with respect to the base plate pivotable drive lever is provided. During the pivoting movement about the pivot axis, the drive lever acts on a motion sensor - for example in the form of a sensor - by means of which the power electronics of the electric motor can be controlled, in order to implement the drive level desired by the operator.

In order to be able to specify the speed of the electric motor and thus control the travel of the boat, the lever can be operated by the respective operator. The drive lever usually has a shaft portion and a spaced from the axis of rotation handle part on which the operator usually takes the drive lever with his hand. The handle has in this case to the side wall at a distance which is large enough to allow the operator to fully enclose the handle with his hand and thus a secure and firm grip is possible. Due to the known geometric design of the drive lever, it may happen that get tangled on the drive lever rope and especially pods, mooring lines, or other ropes, which are necessary for guiding the boat, or even fishing lines and / or that moving on the boat People with clothing and / or limbs get caught on the throttle. The known drive levers continue to increase, especially if they are located in a near-ground or knee-near area, the risk of injury to the person moving on the boat people.

document US 8888544 B1 is considered to be the closest prior art and discloses the preamble of claim 1.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for setting the speed of an engine of a boat.

The object is achieved by a device for setting the speed of an engine of a boat with the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments emerge from the subclaims, the present description and the figures.

Accordingly, a device for specifying the gear stage of an engine of a boat, preferably a sailboat proposed, comprising a connectable to a side wall of the boat base plate and arranged on the base plate and pivotable about a pivot axis travel lever coupled to a motion sensor for driving the motor is. According to the invention, the drive lever forms a substantially closed contour with a plane formed by the base plate.

Under a substantially closed contour is understood here that between the drive lever and the plane defined by the base plate no gap occurs, which is so large that could catch between the plane defined by the base plate and the lever rope, clothing or limbs. In other words, the drive lever and the plane defined by the base plate form such an outer contour, which is substantially closed with respect to the outer area.

Characterized in that the drive lever forms a substantially closed contour with a plane formed by the base plate, can be prevented that rope and in particular pods, mooring lines, or other ropes that are necessary for guiding the boat, or fishing lines on the drive lever get tangled up or the people moving on the boat with clothes or limbs hanging on the lever. Furthermore, the device is characterized particularly compact, so that it can be arranged even in the reduced, available space in a cockpit of a smaller sailboat or a fishing boat or generally in smaller boats, without the guiding of the boat is adversely affected.

It should be noted that by the substantially closed contour of the drive lever with the plane formed by the base plate complete enclosure of a part of the drive lever and in particular a surrounding a grip portion of the drive lever by the Hand of the operator is no longer possible. At least in the base plate facing the part of the drive lever can no longer be grasped by the hand of the operator. In other words, the haptic and the handling of the operation of the proposed drive lever differs significantly from the feel and handling of conventional drive lever, which can be perceived by the operator as unfamiliar. However, the perceived disadvantages are more than offset by the improved safety of the proposed device. This is especially the case when - as in a sailboat or a fishing boat - the engine is rarely used and the vast majority remains off. It is here that the beneficial effects of preventing entanglement or entanglement of pods and other ropes during sailing of tangling fishing lines are particularly prominent.

The device is preferably designed such that it can be arranged on a lateral side wall of the boat.

The drive lever can be moved and positioned in a range that is limited by the zero position and a maximum position in which the electric drive is operated in its maximum gear. The drive lever is preferably coupled to a motion sensor for controlling the power electronics of an electric motor when the engine of the boat is in the form of an electric motor.

The drive lever is preferably coupled to a motion sensor for controlling an electronic or mechanical carburetor control or injection control when the engine of the boat is designed in the form of an internal combustion engine.

The speed can be realized via a preset by means of the throttle lever speed specification, so that upon reaching the predetermined maximum speed in the maximum gear, the rated power of the engine, such as the electric motor, is retrieved. If, however, by a non-optimal design of the drive system - for example, by a propeller with too high pitch - a system predetermined maximum torque of the electric motor achieved before the predetermined by means of the drive lever maximum speed is reached, the rated power is not reached in the predetermined by the drive lever maximum driving position. In such a case, the speed is then specified by the system-dictated maximum torque. A maximum torque of the electric motor is usually specified in the system to prevent thermal overload of the engine and thus damage to the engine.

The driving gear can also be realized via a predetermined by means of the drive lever power setting or torque specification.

In the invention, the drive lever extends radially in relation to the pivot axis substantially in the region of the base plate. In a device in such an embodiment, regardless of the installation position of the device on the boat ensures that no parts of the drive lever protrude substantially above the base plate. As a result, no loose parts, such as clothing, ropes, pods or cords can hang on the drive lever or on parts thereof or get tangled up with this. If, in accordance with a further preferred embodiment, the travel lever and the base plate form only a small axial gap with respect to the pivot axis, tangling or entanglement of ropes or pods can be prevented with particular certainty. Preferably, the gap is kept smaller than the diameter of the thinnest rope used on board the boat, and preferably has a gap width of 0.1 mm to 5 mm, preferably 1 mm to 2 mm.

In other words, an area of the drive lever, for example a handle part, in each position of the drive lever directly adjoins the base plate such that only a marginal gap is formed.

In a preferred embodiment, the gap is completely closed by a bridging element. The bridging element may be, for example, a low-friction element, for example made of a Teflon material, which is prestressed in the gap closing direction. The bridging element may also be an elastomeric element. A complete closing of the gap is particularly advantageous in fishing boats.

Preferably, the gap between the base plate and the drive lever is formed and is substantially constant over the entire pivoting range of the drive lever. This can be achieved that the substantially closed contour is achieved not only in the neutral position or the zero position of the device, but also in all other pivotal positions of the drive lever. This can be a catching of rope are prevented even when the electric motor is running and especially in the time-critical maneuvering, for example, in the port a snagging and tangling rope are avoided, so that the safety of the boat can be further increased.

In order to further reduce the risk of entanglement of rope on the device and at the same time to improve the feel, in a further preferred embodiment, the drive lever and the outer surface of the base part also form a radial gap. Preferably the gap has a size of 1 mm to 50 mm, preferably 5 mm to 20 mm. Thus, on the one hand, a safe operation of the drive lever is made possible and at the same time the possibility of the aforementioned tangling remains reduced.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a rotatably fixed to the base plate base member is provided, wherein the drive lever is arranged on the base part and is pivotable relative to the base part about the pivot axis. The base part is particularly preferably substantially cylindrical in order to further reduce hooking of rope due to the absence of undercuts.

The drive lever has in the region of the base part in a particularly preferred embodiment, an at least partially conical cover member, which forms a closed contour together with the base part and the drive lever. By providing the conical cover, the risk of entanglement of rope and the risk of injury can be further reduced.

In a further preferred embodiment, the drive lever has a locking device for locking the drive lever in a specific position, preferably in a neutral position or neutral position, in which the motor is not supplied with power. This ensures that the drive lever is not accidentally moved out of the zero position and the motor accordingly unintentionally exerts accelerations on the boat or runs unnoticed and so unnoticed the charge state of a battery supplying the electric motor unnoticed and / or unintentionally or fuel is consumed unnoticed.

In order to provide a particularly compact design of the device and at the same time to achieve a high level of operating comfort for the operator, in another preferred embodiment, an actuating button for unlocking the locking on a side facing away from the base plate side of the drive lever is arranged and the actuating button is particularly preferably in the direction the pivot axis operable.

In a further preferred embodiment, a trim-tilt switch for adjusting the position of the motor relative to a horizontal pivot axis of the motor is arranged on the drive lever. Thereby, the position of the drive can be adjusted according to the position of the boat in the water, so that a Propreller or its axis of rotation is positioned substantially horizontally in the water. The thrust generated by the drive unit of the engine then contributes substantially fully to the acceleration of the boat in the direction of travel. Furthermore, by the trim-tilt switch, the engine, preferably at Non-use or standstill of the boat to be lifted out of the water to either reduce driving resistance in sailing or to prevent the growth of fouling at a standstill.

In order to achieve a particularly simple and robust construction of the device and to provide good operability, the trim tilt switch can be designed in the form of a membrane keyboard. The structure of the device is then also particularly compact, since the membrane keypad builds only slightly, preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm, preferably 1 mm to 2 mm based on a base surface on which the trim-tilt switch is arranged.

Alternatively, the trim tilt switch can also be designed in the form of a rocker switch.

In a further preferred embodiment, the drive lever is provided in a cruise control unit together with a graphic display unit for the graphical representation of information. Thereby, a compact structure can be provided. On any additional units, which would be necessary to provide information otherwise necessary in the boat, can be dispensed with. By means of the graphical display unit, in particular the speed of the boat, the state of charge of the battery as well as the expected range of the boat, the retrieved engine power, and / or error messages of the power electronics can be displayed. The graphic display unit may be received, for example, in the region of the base plate or of the base part.

Brief description of the figures

Figur 1

schematisch eine perspektivische Seitenansicht einer Vorrichtung zum Vorgeben der Leistung eines Elektromotors eines Bootes; und

Figur 2

schematisch eine Seitenansicht der Vorrichtung aus Figur 1 in einem Einbauzustand an einer Bordwand eines Bootes.

Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

schematically a perspective side view of a device for setting the power of an electric motor of a boat; and

FIG. 2

schematically a side view of the device FIG. 1 in an installed state on a side wall of a boat.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

In the following, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the figures. The same, similar or equivalent elements in the different figures with provided with identical reference numerals, and a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

In FIG. 1 is shown schematically a perspective side view of a device 1 for setting the speed of an electric motor of a boat. The device 1 has a connectable to a side wall of the boat base plate 2. On the base plate 2, a substantially cylindrical base part 3 is provided. On the side remote from the base plate 2 of the base part 3, a relative to the base part 3 about a pivot axis 44 pivotable drive lever 4 is arranged. The drive lever 4 extends with respect to the axis of rotation 44 radially beyond the base part 3 and forms a handle part 40, on which an operator can grip the drive lever 4. The drive lever 4 and a plane formed by the base plate 2 form a substantially closed contour, so that rope, clothing, limbs or other can not catch or get tangled behind the drive lever 4.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the travel lever 4 extends radially, with respect to the pivot axis 44, barely beyond the base plate 2. Thus, the substantially closed contour is formed by the base plate 2, the base part 3 and the drive lever 4.

The base plate 2 is circular in the embodiment shown, but may also have a different shape. Due to the circular design of the base plate can be achieved that the geometric relationships between the drive lever 4 and the base plate 2 are not changed over the entire pivoting range of the drive lever 4.

At the drive lever 4, a detent 7 is also provided for locking the drive lever 4 in its zero position. To release the lock, the drive lever 4 on its side facing away from the base plate 2 on an operating button 70 for unlocking the lock 7.

Via a connection 9, the device 1 can be connected to power electronics of the electric motor, to which the speed step is to be preset by means of the device 1. This speed is set via a motion sensor, which is connected to the drive lever 4, by pivoting the drive lever 4 in a corresponding driving position. The motion sensor can be designed, for example, in the form of a potentiometer, a Hall sensor or another sensor, by means of which a driving desire of the operator can be determined from the position of the drive lever 4 relative to the base plate 2.

The speed can be realized via a predetermined by means of the throttle lever speed specification, so that upon reaching the predetermined maximum speed in the maximum driving level and the rated power of the electric motor is retrieved. The driving gear can also be realized via a predetermined by means of the drive lever power setting or torque specification.

The actuator is preferably arranged in the base part 3, so that a possible space-saving training can be achieved.

The drive lever 4 further has a conically shaped cover element 410, which forms a connection between the drive lever 4 and the cylindrical base part 3 and which enables safe and low-injury coverage and connection of the drive lever 4 to the base part 3.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of the device 1 from FIG. 1 in an installed state on a side wall 8 of a boat. The device 1 is fixed with its base plate 2 rigidly to the side wall 8 and the terminal 9 is connected inside the boat with the power electronics of the electric motor to be controlled.

The drive lever 4 and the base plate 2 form an axial gap 5 with respect to the pivot axis 44. Consequently, the grip part 40 or an end face 400 of the drive lever 4 of the base plate 2 is located at a small distance directly opposite.

Furthermore, the drive lever 4 and the outer surface of the base part 3 form a radial gap 6 with respect to the pivot axis 44. The radial gap 6 extends substantially between the handle portion 40 and the base part 3. A shaft portion 42 of the drive lever 4 is executed according to particularly short.

The in the FIGS. 1 and 2 shown device is therefore particularly compact and is particularly suitable for use in boats, in which for the device 1 only a small space is available, or in an arrangement of the device 1 in the ground area of the boat, as in particular Sailboats or fishing boats is the case.

In the embodiments shown in the FIGS. 1 and 2 was referred to the control of an electric motor. The control via the device 1 can also be made for an internal combustion engine, wherein the pivotable drive lever 4 is then coupled, for example, with a motion sensor for controlling an electronic or mechanical carburetor or injection control.

Where applicable, all individual features illustrated in the embodiments may be combined and / or interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1

device

2

baseplate

3

base

4

drive lever

40

grip area

42

shank part

44

swivel axis

400

front

410

cover

5

Axial gap

6

Radial gap

7

lock

70

operating key

8th

tailboard

9

connection

Claims (11)

1. Device (1) for setting the driving position of a motor of a boat, comprising a base plate (2) which can be connected with a wall (8) of the boat, and a hand throttle (4) pivotable in relation to the base plate (2) about a pivot axis (44) which is coupled with a speed controller to control the motor,
   wherein the hand throttle (4) forms with a plane formed by the base plate (2) a substantially closed contour, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) extends in relation to the pivot axis (44) in a radial direction substantially in the region of the base plate (2).
2. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) and the base plate (2) form an axial gap (5) in relation to the pivot axis (44).
3. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a base part (3) is provided that is fastened to the base plate (2) and the hand throttle (4) is arranged relatively to the base part (3) on the base part (3) and pivotable about the pivot axis (44).
4. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) and the outer surface of the base part (3) form a radial gap (6).
5. Device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) has a conically-shaped cover element (410).
6. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) has a detent (7) for locking the hand throttle (4) in a predetermined position, preferably in a neutral position in which the motor is idle.
7. Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that an actuating pushbutton (70) for unlocking the detent (7) is arranged on a side facing away from the base plate (2) of the hand throttle (4).
8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a trim-tilt-switch is provided for setting the position of the motor relatively to a vertical pivot axis of the motor, preferably on the hand throttle (4), particularly preferably in the form of a film keyboard.
9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand throttle (4) is provided in a drive regulating unit together with a graphic display unit for the graphic representation of information.
10. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivotable hand throttle (4) is coupled with a speed controller for controlling the power electronics of an electric motor.
11. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivotable hand throttle (4) is coupled with a speed controller for controlling an electronic or mechanical carburettor control or injection control of an internal combustion engine.

Images