JP2013035350A - Outboard motor control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an outboard motor control apparatus that includes a transmission and configured to improve accelerating performance right after acceleration and to perform optimum shift control of the transmission depending on the condition of navigating a ship regardless of the specifications of the hull.SOLUTION: The outboard motor control apparatus, which includes the transmission and can be mounted on the hull, determines whether acceleration is instructed to an internal combustion engine by a ship handler (S24) when a second speed is selected by the transmission, operates the transmission to change a gear position from the second speed into a first speed (S38) when determining that the acceleration is instructed, and changes the gear position from the first speed into the second speed (S56) when an engine speed (engine revolutions) NE is a predetermined speed NE1 or higher (S20), a navigation acceleration a showing the change amount of a navigation speed V per predetermined time is a predetermined value a1 or lower (S50), and a slip ratio εis a predetermined slip ratio (a third predetermined slip ratio) ε3 or lower (S54) after changing the gear position into the first speed.

Description

  The present invention relates to an outboard motor control apparatus, and more particularly to an outboard motor control apparatus including a transmission.

  In recent years, in outboard motors, a technology has been proposed in which a transmission is inserted into a power transmission shaft that transmits power from an internal combustion engine mounted on the propeller to shift the output of the internal combustion engine and transmit it to the propeller. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a throttle lever is operated by a ship operator and acceleration is instructed, the transmission speed (gear ratio) of the transmission is changed from the second speed to the first speed. Amplifying the torque transmitted from the propeller to the propeller to improve the acceleration performance, and when the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine subsequently increases to reach a predetermined rotational speed, the gear position is returned from the first speed to the second speed. Is done.

JP 2009-190671 A

  By the way, the hull to which the outboard motor is attached receives resistance (hull resistance) from the water surface during navigation, but the magnitude of the resistance varies depending on the specifications of the hull (for example, offshore boat, bus boat, etc.). Therefore, for example, in the case of a ship with relatively high resistance, even when acceleration is instructed and the engine speed increases and reaches the maximum speed, in other words, the acceleration has not yet been completed. Sometimes.

  However, if configured as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the engine speed reaches a predetermined speed and shifts from the first speed to the second speed even though the acceleration is not completed depending on the hull. There is a risk of inconvenience, and the optimum gear position that reflects the navigational state of the ship is not necessarily selected.

  In addition, the propeller may be caught in the air bubbles generated in the vicinity, and the grip force may be relatively weak. However, when shifting from the first speed to the second speed as described above, the propeller is rather There was a risk of reducing the propulsive force, leaving room for improvement in terms of improving acceleration performance.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, to provide a transmission, improve acceleration performance, and to perform optimum transmission shift control according to the navigation state of the ship regardless of the specifications of the hull. An outboard motor control apparatus is provided.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in claim 1, the power transmission shaft for transmitting the power from the internal combustion engine to the propeller is inserted, and at least a first gear and a second gear are provided. An outboard motor control device comprising a transmission for shifting the output of the internal combustion engine at a selected gear among the gears and transmitting the output to the propeller, wherein the second speed is selected. An acceleration instruction determination means for determining whether or not acceleration is instructed to the internal combustion engine by a vessel operator; an engine speed detection means for detecting the engine speed of the internal combustion engine; and a predetermined speed of navigation speed Navigation acceleration detection means for detecting navigation acceleration indicating the amount of change per hit, and slip ratio detection means for detecting the slip ratio of the propeller based on the theoretical speed of the ship on which the outboard motor is mounted and the navigation speed. When it is determined that the acceleration is instructed, a first-speed transmission means for operating the transmission to change the speed from the second speed to the first speed, and after shifting to the first speed by the first-speed transmission means, When the detected engine speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, the detected navigation acceleration is lower than a predetermined value, and the detected slip ratio is lower than a predetermined slip ratio, the first speed to the second speed And a second-speed transmission means for shifting the gears.

  The outboard motor control device according to claim 2 includes a receiving device that receives a GPS signal, and the navigation acceleration detecting means is configured to detect the navigation acceleration based on an output of the receiving device. did.

  In the outboard motor control device according to claim 3, the navigation acceleration detecting means detects the navigation speed based on the output of the receiving device, and differentiates the detected navigation speed, The navigation acceleration is detected.

  The outboard motor control apparatus according to claim 4 further comprises a throttle opening change amount detecting means for detecting a change amount of the throttle opening of the internal combustion engine, and the acceleration instruction determining means is detected. When the amount of change in the throttle opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the acceleration is instructed.

  In the outboard motor control apparatus according to the first aspect, when the second speed is selected in the transmission, it is determined whether or not acceleration is instructed by the ship operator to the internal combustion engine, and the acceleration is instructed. When the transmission is operated, the transmission is operated to change the speed from the second speed to the first speed, and after being changed to the first speed, the engine speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed and the navigation acceleration is equal to or lower than the predetermined value. When the slip ratio is less than or equal to the predetermined slip ratio, the speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed, so that the acceleration performance can be improved and the optimal shift control of the transmission according to the navigational state of the ship is performed. Can be done regardless of specifications.

  That is, when it is determined that acceleration is instructed by the operator to the internal combustion engine, the speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed, so that the output torque of the internal combustion engine is amplified by the transmission and transmitted to the propeller. Therefore, the acceleration performance immediately after the outboard motor is accelerated can be improved.

  Further, after shifting to the first speed, when the engine speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed, the navigation acceleration is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, and the slip ratio is equal to or lower than the predetermined slip ratio, the speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed. By using the engine speed and navigation acceleration, it is possible to accurately detect that acceleration has ended regardless of the specifications of the hull, in other words, regardless of the amount of resistance acting on the hull from the water surface. In addition, by using the slip ratio, for example, it is possible to detect that the slip ratio has decreased to a relatively low value (that is, the grip force has increased), and the speed is changed to the second speed at the timing when these are detected. It becomes possible to make it. As a result, there is no backlash of acceleration that occurs when shifting to the second speed when the slip ratio of the propeller is relatively high (the grip force is low), so that the acceleration performance can be further improved and the navigation state of the ship (acceleration state) ) According to the optimal transmission control. Furthermore, fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine can be reduced by optimal shift control according to the navigation state of the ship, in other words, fuel efficiency can be improved.

  The outboard motor control device according to claim 2 is provided with a receiving device that receives a GPS signal, and is configured to detect the navigation acceleration based on the output of the receiving device. The navigation acceleration can be accurately detected with a simple configuration.

  In the outboard motor control device according to claim 3, the navigation speed is detected based on the output of the receiving device that receives the GPS signal, and the navigation acceleration is detected by differentiating the detected navigation speed. Since it comprised in this way, in addition to the effect described in Claim 2, navigation acceleration can be detected still more correctly.

  In the control apparatus for an outboard motor according to claim 4, acceleration is instructed when the change amount of the throttle opening of the internal combustion engine is detected and the detected change amount of the throttle opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In addition to the effects described above, it is possible to accurately determine that the acceleration instruction has been made.

It is the schematic which shows the control apparatus of the outboard motor based on the Example of this invention whole including a hull. FIG. 2 is a partially sectional enlarged side view of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a hydraulic circuit diagram schematically showing a hydraulic circuit of the speed change mechanism shown in FIG. 2. 2 is a flowchart showing a shift control operation, a throttle opening control operation, and an ignition timing control operation of the electronic control unit shown in FIG. 5 is an explanatory graph showing the characteristics of the throttle opening with respect to the operation amount of the shift / throttle lever used in the processing of the flow chart of FIG. 5 is a time chart for explaining a part of the processing of the flow chart.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out an outboard motor control apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an outboard motor control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention as a whole including a hull, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional enlarged side view of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is an enlarged side view of a machine.

  1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a ship in which an outboard motor 10 is mounted on a hull (hull) 12. As shown well in FIG. 2, the outboard motor 10 can be attached to the rear (stern) 12 a of the hull 12 via the swivel case 14, the tilting shaft 16 and the stern bracket 18.

  In the vicinity of the swivel case 14, a steering electric motor (actuator) 22 that drives a swivel shaft 20 accommodated in the swivel case 14 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis is disposed. The rotation output of the electric motor 22 for steering is transmitted to the swivel shaft 20 via the reduction gear mechanism 26 and the mount frame 28. Therefore, the outboard motor 10 uses the swivel shaft 20 as a turning axis to the left and right (around the vertical axis). Steered.

  An internal combustion engine (hereinafter referred to as “engine”) 30 is mounted on the outboard motor 10. The engine 30 is a spark-ignition water-cooled gasoline engine having a displacement of 2200 cc. The engine 30 is located on the water surface and is covered with an engine cover 32.

  A throttle body 36 is connected to the intake pipe 34 of the engine 30. The throttle body 36 includes a throttle valve 38 therein, and a throttle electric motor (actuator) 40 for opening and closing the throttle valve 38 is integrally attached thereto.

  The output shaft of the electric motor 40 for throttle is connected to the throttle valve 38 via a reduction gear mechanism (not shown), and the throttle valve 38 is opened and closed by operating the electric motor 40 for throttle. The engine speed (engine speed) is adjusted by metering.

  The outboard motor 10 is supported rotatably around a vertical axis, and a drive shaft (power transmission shaft) 42 whose upper end is connected to a crankshaft (not shown in FIG. 2) of the engine 30 and a horizontal axis. A propeller shaft (power transmission shaft) 46, which is rotatably supported and has a propeller 44 attached to one end thereof, is inserted between the drive shaft 42 and the propeller shaft 46, and from first speed, second speed, and third speed. A transmission (automatic transmission) 48 having a plurality of shift stages is provided. In other words, power from the engine 30 can be transmitted to the propeller 44 via the drive shaft 42, the transmission 48, and the propeller shaft 46.

  The transmission 48 includes a transmission mechanism 50 that can switch a plurality of shift speeds, and a shift mechanism 52 that can switch a shift position to a forward position (forward position), a reverse position (reverse position), and a neutral position.

  FIG. 4 is a hydraulic circuit diagram schematically showing a hydraulic circuit of the speed change mechanism 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the speed change mechanism 50 includes a drive shaft (input shaft) 42, a counter shaft 54 connected to the drive shaft 42 via speed change gears, and the counter shaft 54 via a plurality of speed change gears. The first connecting shaft (output shaft) 56 connected in parallel is a parallel shaft stepped transmission mechanism arranged in parallel.

  A hydraulic pump (gear pump; only shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) 60 that pumps hydraulic oil (lubricating oil, oil) to a later-described hydraulic clutch and a lubricating portion is connected to the countershaft 54. The shafts 42, 54, 56, the hydraulic pump 60, and the like are accommodated in a case (shown only in FIG. 2) 62, and the lower portion of the case 62 constitutes an oil pan 62a that receives hydraulic oil.

  In the speed change mechanism 50 configured as described above, a gear arranged on a shaft so as to be relatively rotatable is fixed on the shaft by a speed change clutch. Any one of the gears is selected (established), and the output of the engine 30 is shifted at the selected gear and transmitted to the propeller 44 via the shift mechanism 52 and the propeller shaft 46. The gear ratio of each gear stage is set so that the first speed is the largest and the second speed and the third speed become smaller. Specifically, for example, the first gear ratio is 2.3, the second gear ratio is 1.9, and the third gear ratio is 1.7.

  The transmission mechanism 50 will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 4, an input primary gear 64 is supported on the drive shaft 42. A counter primary gear 66, a counter first speed gear 68, a counter second speed gear 70, and a counter third speed gear 72 that mesh with the input primary gear 64 are supported on the counter shaft 54.

  The first connecting shaft 56 has an output first speed gear 74 meshed with the counter first speed gear 68, an output second speed gear 76 meshed with the counter second speed gear 70, and an output meshed with the counter third speed gear 72. The third gear 78 is supported.

  In the above description, when the output first speed gear 74 supported by the first connection shaft 56 so as to be relatively rotatable is coupled to the first connection shaft 56 by the first speed clutch C1, the first speed (gear, gear stage) is established. To do. The first-speed clutch C1 is a one-way clutch, and hydraulic pressure is supplied to the second-speed or third-speed hydraulic clutches C2 and C3, which will be described later, to establish the second or third speed, and the rotation of the first connecting shaft 56 When the number is larger than that of the output first gear 74, the output first gear 74 is configured to idle.

  When the counter second-speed gear 70 supported rotatably on the counter shaft 54 is coupled to the counter shaft 54 by the second-speed hydraulic clutch C2, the second speed (gear, gear stage) is established. Further, when the counter third-speed gear 72 supported on the countershaft 54 so as to be relatively rotatable is coupled to the countershaft 54 by the third-speed hydraulic clutch C3, the third speed (gear, gear stage) is established. The hydraulic clutches C2 and C3 connect the gears 70 and 72 to the counter shaft 54 when hydraulic pressure is supplied, and idle the gears 70 and 72 when hydraulic pressure is not supplied.

  Thus, the coupling between the gear and the shaft by the clutches C1, C2, and C3 is performed by controlling the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic pump 60 to the hydraulic clutches C2 and C3.

  More specifically, when the hydraulic pump 60 is driven by the engine 30, the hydraulic oil in the oil pan 62a is pumped through the oil passage 80a and the strainer 82, and is discharged from the discharge port 60a to the first switching valve 84a through the oil passage 80b. The first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves (linear solenoid valves) 86a and 86b are sent through the oil passages 80c and 80d.

  A second switching valve 84b is connected to the first switching valve 84a via an oil passage 80e. A movable spool is accommodated in each of the first and second switching valves 84a and 84b, and the spool is biased to the other end side by a spring on one end side (left end in the figure). The other end side is connected to the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b through oil passages 80f and 80g.

  Accordingly, when the first electromagnetic solenoid valve 86a is energized (turned on), the spool accommodated therein is displaced, and the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic pump 60 via the oil passage 80c is changed by the first switching valve 84a. Output to the other end of the spool. As a result, the spool of the first switching valve 84a is displaced to one end side, so that the hydraulic oil in the oil passage 80b is sent to the oil passage 80e.

  Similarly to the first electromagnetic solenoid valve 86a, the second electromagnetic solenoid valve 86b has its spool displaced when energized (turned on), and the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic pump 60 via the oil passage 80d is the second switching valve. It is output to the other end side of 84b. As a result, the spool of the second switching valve 84b is displaced to one end side, so that the hydraulic oil in the oil passage 80e is supplied to the second speed hydraulic clutch C2 via the oil passage 80h. On the other hand, when the second electromagnetic solenoid valve 86b is not energized (turned off) and the hydraulic pressure is not output to the other end of the second switching valve 84b, the hydraulic fluid in the oil passage 80e is hydraulically supplied through the oil passage 80i. It is supplied to the clutch C3.

  That is, when both the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b are turned off, no hydraulic pressure is supplied to either of the hydraulic clutches C2 and C3, so that the output first speed gear 74 and the first connecting shaft 56 are 1 The first speed is established by being coupled by the speed clutch C1.

  Further, when both the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b are turned on, the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the second speed hydraulic clutch C2, so that the counter second speed gear 70 and the counter shaft 54 are coupled to increase the second speed. Establish. Further, when the first electromagnetic solenoid valve 86a is turned on and the second electromagnetic solenoid valve 86b is turned off, the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the third-speed hydraulic clutch C3, so that the counter third-speed gear 72 and the counter shaft 54 are coupled. The third speed is established. In this way, by controlling on / off of the first and second switching valves 84a and 84b, the gear position of the transmission 48 is selected (shift control is performed).

  The hydraulic oil (lubricating oil) from the hydraulic pump 60 is also supplied to the lubricating parts (for example, the shafts 42, 54, and 56) via the oil passages 80b and 80j, the regulator valve 88, and the relief valve 90. Further, an oil passage 80k for pressure release is appropriately connected to the first and second switching valves 84a and 84b and the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b, respectively.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the shift mechanism 52 is connected to the first connection shaft 56 of the speed change mechanism 50, and is arranged in parallel with the vertical axis to be rotatably supported. The forward bevel gear 52b and the reverse bevel gear 52c that are connected to the shaft 52a and rotated, and the clutch 52d that allows the propeller shaft 46 to be engaged with either the forward bevel gear 52b or the reverse bevel gear 52c.

  A shift electric motor (actuator) 92 for driving the shift mechanism 52 is disposed inside the engine cover 32, and its output shaft can be freely connected to the upper end of the shift rod 52 e of the shift mechanism 52 via the reduction gear mechanism 94. Is done. Accordingly, by driving the shift electric motor 92, the shift rod 52e and the shift slider 52f are appropriately displaced, thereby operating the clutch 52d to switch the shift position between the forward position, the reverse position and the neutral position. It is done.

  When the shift position is the forward movement position or the reverse movement position, the rotation of the shaft 56 of the speed change mechanism 50 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 46 via the shift mechanism 52, so that the propeller 44 is rotated and the hull 12 is moved forward or backward. Produces thrust (propulsive force). The outboard motor 10 includes a power source (not shown) such as a battery attached to the engine 30, and then operating power is supplied to the electric motors 22, 40, 92 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a throttle opening sensor (throttle opening change amount detecting means) 96 is disposed in the vicinity of the throttle valve 38, and generates an output indicating the opening (throttle opening) TH of the throttle valve 38. In addition, a crank angle sensor (engine speed detection means) 100 is attached in the vicinity of the crankshaft of the engine 30 and outputs a pulse signal at every predetermined crank angle.

  The output of each sensor described above is input to an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 102 mounted on the outboard motor 10. The ECU 102 includes a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and is disposed inside the engine cover 32 of the outboard motor 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a steering wheel 112 that can be freely rotated by a marine vessel operator (not shown) is disposed near the cockpit 110 of the hull 12. A steering angle sensor 114 is attached to a shaft (not shown) of the steering wheel 112 and outputs a signal corresponding to the steering angle of the steering wheel 112 input by the operator.

  A remote control box 116 is arranged in the vicinity of the cockpit 110, and a throttle lever (shift / throttle lever) 120 that can be operated by the operator is provided there. The lever 120 is attached to a rotary shaft (not shown) rotatably supported in the remote control box 116, so that the lever 120 can be swung back and forth from the initial position, and a shift change instruction is issued from the operator. (Forward / reverse / neutral switching instruction) and an engine speed adjustment instruction including an acceleration / deceleration instruction for the engine 30 are input.

  A lever position sensor 122 is disposed inside the remote control box 116, and the operation position of the throttle lever 120 by the operator (operation angle; hereinafter referred to as “operation amount”) LVR, more precisely, the rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the lever 120. Output a signal according to. The lever position sensor 122 is a rotation angle sensor such as a potentiometer.

  Furthermore, a GPS receiver (receiver) 124 that receives a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal is disposed at an appropriate position of the hull 12. The GPS receiver 124 outputs a signal indicating the position information of the ship 1 obtained from the GPS signal. The outputs of these sensors 114 and 122 and the GPS receiver 124 are also input to the ECU 102.

  The ECU 102, each sensor, and the GPS receiver 124 are, for example, a communication system (for example, NMEA2000, specifically CAN (Controller Area Network)) standardized by NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association). It is connected so that it can communicate freely.

  The ECU 102 controls the operation of each of the electric motors 22 and 92 based on the input sensor output and the like to perform the steering or shift change of the outboard motor 10 and to perform the shift control of the transmission 48. The ECU 102 also controls the operation of the throttle electric motor 40 based on the output of the lever position sensor 122, and performs throttle opening control for adjusting the throttle opening TH by opening and closing the throttle valve 38.

  Further, the ECU 102 determines the fuel injection amount and ignition timing of the engine 30 based on the input sensor output, supplies the determined injection amount of fuel via the injector 130 (shown in FIG. 3), and performs ignition. The fuel / intake fuel mixture injected is ignited according to the ignition timing determined via the device 132 (shown in FIG. 3).

  Thus, the outboard motor control apparatus according to this embodiment is a DBW (Drive By Wire) system in which the operation system (the steering wheel 112 and the throttle lever 120) and the outboard motor 10 are disconnected mechanically. Device.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the shift control operation, throttle opening control operation, and ignition timing control operation of the ECU 102. The illustrated program is executed by the ECU 102 every predetermined cycle (for example, 100 msec).

  Explaining below, first, at S (step) 10, the throttle opening TH is detected (calculated) from the output of the throttle opening sensor 96, and the routine proceeds to S <b> 12 for a predetermined time (for example, 500 msec) of the detected throttle opening TH. Change amount (variation amount) DTH is detected (calculated).

  Next, the process proceeds to S14, in which it is determined whether or not the engine operator has instructed the engine 30 to decelerate, in other words, whether or not the engine 30 is in an operating state in which the ship 1 is decelerated. Specifically, when the change amount DTH of the throttle opening TH is less than a first predetermined value DTH1 (for example, −0.5 deg) set to a negative value, the throttle valve 38 is driven in the valve closing direction. That is, it is determined that deceleration is instructed to the engine 30.

  When the result in S14 is negative, the program proceeds to S16 where the output pulses of the crank angle sensor 100 are counted to detect (calculate) the engine speed NE, and the program proceeds to S18 where a post-acceleration two-speed shift completed flag (hereinafter referred to as “two-speed shift”). It is determined whether the bit of “flag” is 0 or not. As will be described later, this flag bit is set to 1 when shifting from 1st to 2nd after the end of acceleration, and is reset to 0 otherwise.

  Since the initial value of the second speed shift flag is 0, the determination in S18 is generally affirmed in the first program loop, and the process proceeds to S20 to determine whether the engine speed NE is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed NE1. The predetermined rotational speed NE1 will be described later.

  Usually, in the program loop immediately after the engine is started, the engine speed NE is less than the predetermined speed NE1, so the determination in S20 is negative and the process proceeds to S22. In S22, it is determined whether or not the bit of the acceleration determination flag (described later, “acceleration flag” in the figure) is 0. Since the initial value of the determination flag during acceleration is also set to 0, the determination here is affirmed in the first program loop, and the process proceeds to S24.

  In S24, whether or not the engine 30 has been instructed to accelerate (to be exact, sudden acceleration), in other words, is the engine 30 in an operating state in which the ship 1 is accelerated (to be exact, sudden acceleration)? Judge whether or not. Specifically, this determination is performed by determining whether or not the throttle valve 38 is rapidly driven in the valve opening direction.

  Specifically, the change amount DTH of the throttle opening detected in S12 is compared with a second predetermined value (default value) DTH2, and when the change amount DTH is equal to or larger than the second predetermined value DTH2, the throttle valve 38 is opened. It is determined that the valve is rapidly driven, that is, acceleration is instructed. Accordingly, the second predetermined value DTH2 is a value (positive value) that is larger than the first predetermined value DTH1, and is set to a value that can determine that an instruction for acceleration has been given, for example, 0.5 deg.

  If NO in S24, that is, if there is no instruction to accelerate or decelerate the engine 30, the process proceeds to S26, and the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b (shown as "first SOL" and "second SOL" in the figure) are displayed. Both are turned on and the second gear is selected in the transmission 48, and then the process proceeds to S28, and the bit of the acceleration determination flag is reset to zero.

On the other hand, when the result in S24 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S30, where a slip ratio (slip ratio) ε indicating the rotation state of the propeller 44 is detected (calculated), and the routine proceeds to S32 where the slip ratio ε per specified time (for example, 500 msec). A change amount (variation amount) Dε is detected (calculated). The slip ratio ε is detected based on the theoretical speed Va and the navigation speed (actual speed) V of the ship 1, and specifically calculated using the following equation (1).
Slip rate ε = (theoretical speed Va (Km / h) −navigation speed V (Km / h)) / theoretical speed Va (Km / h) (1)

In equation (1), the navigation speed V is calculated from the output (position information) of the GPS receiver 124. The theoretical speed Va is calculated based on the operating state of the engine 30 and the transmission 48 and the specifications of the propeller 44 as shown in the following equation (2).
Theoretical speed Va (Km / h) = (engine speed NE (rpm) × propeller pitch (inch) × 60 × 2.54 × 10 ⁻⁵ ) / (speed ratio of gear stage) (2)

In equation (2), the propeller pitch is a value indicating a theoretical distance that can be advanced when the propeller 44 makes one rotation, and the gear ratio of the gear stage is the gear ratio of the gear stage currently selected in the transmission 48. For example, the gear ratio at the second speed is 1.9 as described above. The numerical value of 60 is for converting the engine speed NE per minute into a value per hour, and the numerical value of 2.54 × 10 ⁻⁵ is for converting the propeller pitch from inches to kilometers. Is.

  Next, in S34, the throttle opening TH of the engine 30 is controlled so as to suppress the increase in the slip ratio ε of the propeller 44. That is, when the engine 30 is instructed to accelerate, the propeller 44 is likely to be idled by entraining bubbles generated in the vicinity due to the increase in the rotational speed, and the slip ratio ε increases and the grip force becomes relatively weak. Sometimes. Therefore, in S34, the throttle opening TH is appropriately corrected to prevent the slip ratio ε from increasing.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory graph showing the characteristic of the throttle opening TH with respect to the operation amount (operation position) LVR of the throttle lever 120. In FIG. 6, the characteristic before correcting the throttle opening TH is indicated by a broken line, and the characteristic after correction is indicated by a solid line.

  As shown in the figure, in the process of S34, the operation of the electric motor 40 for throttle is controlled so as to decrease the change speed of the throttle opening TH with respect to the operation amount LVR of the lever 120 (decrease the increase in the throttle opening TH). I tried to do it. Thereby, when an acceleration instruction is input to the engine 30, specifically, when the operation amount LVR of the lever 120 increases, the throttle valve 38 is opened more slowly than before the correction. The engine speed NE is not likely to increase rapidly. In other words, the rotation speed of the propeller 44 is not easily increased rapidly. As a result, the generation of bubbles near the propeller 44 can be suppressed and the slip rate ε can be prevented from increasing, so that the propeller rotation speed can be increased while maintaining the gripping force of the propeller 44.

  Next, in S36, it is determined whether or not the slip rate ε is equal to or less than the first predetermined slip rate ε1 and the slip rate change amount Dε is equal to or less than the predetermined slip rate change amount Dε1. The predetermined slip ratio ε1 is set to a relatively low value, for example, 0.3 so that it can be determined that the grip force is relatively strong when the slip ratio ε is less than that. Further, the predetermined slip ratio change amount Dε1 is specifically set to 0. Therefore, the subsequent stage determines whether the change amount Dε is 0 or a negative value. That is, S36 is a process for determining whether or not the propeller 44 changes in a direction in which the slip ratio ε decreases and the grip force is relatively strong.

  When the result in S36 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S38, in which both the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b are turned off, and the gear position of the transmission 48 is changed (shifted down) from the second speed to the first speed. As a result, the output torque of the engine 30 is amplified and transmitted to the propeller 44 by the transmission 48 (precisely, the speed change mechanism 50) shifted down to the first speed, thereby increasing the acceleration performance. When shifting to the first speed in S38, the control for correcting the throttle opening TH of the engine 30 is terminated, and the normal control, more specifically, the throttle opening based on the characteristics shown by the broken line in FIG. Control TH.

  Next, in S40, the bit of the acceleration determination flag is set to 1. That is, this flag is set to 1 when it is determined that acceleration has been instructed to the engine 30 and then the gear position is shifted from the 2nd speed to the 1st speed, and is reset to 0 otherwise. . If the bit of this flag is set to 1, the next and subsequent program executions are denied in S22 and the processing from S24 to S36 is skipped.

  In this way, acceleration is instructed after the engine 30 is started, and the transmission 48 is set to the second speed during normal operation until the slip ratio ε satisfies the above-described conditions. The ease of use of the outboard motor 10 can be equivalent to that of the outboard motor that does not include a transmission.

  On the other hand, when the result in S36 is negative, the program proceeds to S42, in which it is determined whether or not the slip rate ε is equal to or higher than the second predetermined slip rate ε2 set higher than the first predetermined slip rate ε1. The second predetermined slip ratio ε2 is set to a value that can determine that the gripping force of the propeller 44 is relatively weak when the slip ratio ε is more than that, for example, 0.5. That is, S42 is a process for determining whether or not the slip ratio ε has increased and the gripping force of the propeller 44 has become weak despite the correction of the throttle opening TH in S34.

  When the result in S42 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S44, and the bit of the ignition timing retard flag (initial value 0, indicated as “retard flag” in the figure) is set to 1. When the bit of this flag is set to 1, control is performed to retard the ignition timing of the engine 30 in a program (not shown). Specifically, the ignition timing calculated based on the engine speed NE or the like is predetermined. Is retarded by an amount of retardation (for example, 5 degrees), and the output of the engine 30 is reduced.

  When the output of the engine 30 is reduced, the grip force of the propeller 44 thereafter increases instantaneously, the slip rate ε decreases, and becomes less than the second predetermined slip rate ε2. In this case, the result of S42 is negative and the program proceeds to S46, where the bit of the ignition timing retard flag is reset to 0, the aforementioned retard control is stopped, and normal ignition timing control is executed.

  In S44, the output of the engine 30 may be decreased via the fuel injection amount of the engine 30 instead of the ignition timing. In other words, the engine 30 is controlled to reduce the fuel injection amount supplied, specifically, by reducing (decreasing) the fuel injection amount calculated based on the engine speed NE or the like by a predetermined amount. The output may be reduced. In the case of such a configuration, S46 is a process for canceling the fuel injection amount reduction control described above or performing normal fuel injection control without performing the reduction control.

  After the transmission 48 is shifted to the first speed in S38, the engine speed NE gradually increases, and when acceleration using the torque amplification at the first speed is close to completion (when the acceleration region approaches saturation), the engine The rotational speed NE reaches the predetermined rotational speed NE1, so that the determination at S20 is affirmative and the process proceeds to S48 and subsequent steps. Accordingly, the predetermined rotational speed NE1 is set to a relatively high value, and specifically, a value (for example, 5000 rpm) at which it can be determined that the acceleration at the first speed is close to the end.

In S48, based on the output of the GPS receiver 124, the navigation acceleration a (m / s) indicating the amount of change of the navigation speed V per predetermined time (unit time) (in other words, the rate of change of the navigation speed V with respect to time). ² ) is detected. Specifically, the navigation speed V is detected based on the output of the GPS receiver 124, and the navigation acceleration a is detected by differentiating the detected navigation speed V (dV / dt).

Next, in S50, it is determined whether or not the acceleration using the torque amplification at the first speed is finished. Specifically, the navigation acceleration a detected in S48 is compared with a predetermined value a1, and when the navigation acceleration a is equal to or less than the predetermined value a1, it is determined that the acceleration has ended. Accordingly, the predetermined value a1 is set to a value that can be determined that the acceleration has ended, for example, 5 m / s ² .

  When the result in S50 is negative, the program is terminated with the first speed, whereas when the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S52, and the slip ratio ε of the propeller 44 is detected using the equations (1) and (2) as in S30 ( calculate.

  Next, in S54, it is determined whether or not the slip ratio ε detected in S52 is equal to or less than a third predetermined slip ratio (predetermined slip ratio) ε3. The predetermined slip ratio ε3 is set to a relatively low value, for example, 0.3 so that it can be determined that the grip force is relatively strong when the slip ratio ε is less than that. Therefore, S54 is a process for determining whether or not the grip force of the propeller 44 is relatively strong.

  When the result in S54 is negative, the subsequent processing is skipped while maintaining the first speed, whereas when the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S56, where both the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b are turned on and the transmission 48 is shifted. Are shifted (shifted up) from the first speed to the second speed, and the process proceeds to S58 to set the bit of the second speed shift flag to 1. As a result, the rotational speeds of the first and second connecting shafts 56 and 52a and the propeller shaft 46 are increased to improve the acceleration performance, and the navigation speed V then reaches the maximum speed (in terms of engine performance) to increase the speed. Also improves.

  If the bit of the 2nd speed shift flag is set to 1 in S58, the next and subsequent program executions are denied in S18 and proceed to S56 and S58 described above. When the result in S14 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S60, in which both the first and second electromagnetic solenoid valves 86a and 86b are turned on to shift the speed of the transmission 48 to the second speed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S62 and S64, and the bits of the second speed shift flag and the acceleration determining flag are both reset to zero.

  FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining a part of the above processing.

  As shown in FIG. 7, first, during normal operation from time t0 to t1, the transmission 48 is set to the second speed (S26), and then the throttle valve 38 is opened by the operator's operation of the throttle lever 120. When the change amount DTH of the throttle opening is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value DTH2 at time t1, it is determined that acceleration is instructed to the engine 30 (S24). Immediately after the acceleration, the propeller 44 entrains bubbles generated in the vicinity and the slip ratio ε increases, so at time t1, control for correcting the throttle opening TH of the engine 30 is started so as to suppress the increase (S34). .

  Thereafter, when the slip rate ε gradually decreases to become equal to or less than the first predetermined slip rate ε1 at time t2, and when the slip rate change amount Dε becomes equal to or less than the predetermined slip rate change amount Dε1, the transmission 48 is set to 2 The speed is changed from the first speed to the first speed (S36, S38). At this time, the correction control of the throttle opening TH is terminated.

  Next, the engine speed NE gradually increases, and at time t3, it is determined that the navigation acceleration a is equal to or greater than the predetermined value a1 and the slip rate ε is equal to or less than the third predetermined slip rate ε3. At this time, the speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed (S20, S50, S54, S56).

  It should be noted that between time t1 and time t2, as indicated by an imaginary line, the slip rate ε is set to the second value at time ta, although the throttle opening TH is controlled so as to suppress the increase in the slip rate ε. When it is determined that the predetermined slip ratio ε2 or more, the bit of the ignition timing retard flag is set to 1 to reduce the output of the engine 30 (S42, S44).

  By reducing the output of the engine 30, the grip force increases, in other words, the slip rate ε decreases, and when it is determined at time tb that it is less than the second predetermined slip rate ε2, the bit of the ignition timing retard flag Is reset to 0 to stop the decrease in the output of the engine 30 (S42, S46).

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is inserted into the power transmission shaft (drive shaft 42, propeller shaft 46) for transmitting the power from the internal combustion engine (engine) 30 to the propeller 44, and at least the first speed. A ship having a gear stage composed of two speeds, and having a transmission 48 for shifting the output of the internal combustion engine at a selected gear stage and transmitting the output to the propeller. In the control device for the external unit, when the second speed is selected, an acceleration instruction determination means (ECU102, S24) for determining whether or not acceleration is instructed to the internal combustion engine 30 by a vessel operator, and the internal combustion engine 30 engine speed (engine speed) NE for detecting engine speed (crank angle sensor 100, ECU 102, S16) and navigation speed V per predetermined time A navigation acceleration detecting means (ECU 102, S48) for detecting a navigation acceleration a indicating the amount of conversion, and a slip rate ε of the propeller 44 based on the theoretical speed Va of the ship on which the outboard motor is mounted and the navigation speed V. Slip rate detecting means (ECU102, S52) to detect, and first speed transmission means (ECU102, S24) for operating the transmission 48 to shift from the second speed to the first speed when it is determined that the acceleration is instructed. , S38), and after the first speed change means shifts to the first speed, the detected engine speed NE is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed NE1 and the detected navigation acceleration a is equal to or lower than the predetermined value a1. And, when the detected slip ratio ε becomes equal to or less than a predetermined slip ratio (third predetermined slip ratio) ε3, a second speed transmission means (E for shifting from the first speed to the second speed) U102.S20, S50, S54, S56) and was as configuration comprises a.

  Thereby, acceleration performance can be improved, and optimal shift control of the transmission 48 according to the navigation state of the ship 1 can be performed regardless of the specifications of the hull 12. That is, when it is determined that acceleration is instructed by the operator to the engine 30, the speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. Therefore, the output torque of the engine 30 is amplified by the transmission 48 and is transmitted to the propeller 44. Therefore, the acceleration performance immediately after the outboard motor 10 is accelerated can be improved.

  In addition, after shifting to the first speed, when the engine speed NE is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed NE1, the navigation acceleration a is equal to or lower than the predetermined value a1, and the slip ratio ε is equal to or lower than the third predetermined slip ratio ε3. Since the speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed, by using the engine speed NE and the navigation acceleration a, in other words, regardless of the specifications of the hull 12, in other words, the resistance acting on the hull 12 from the water surface is large. Regardless of whether or not the acceleration has been completed, the slip rate ε can be accurately detected. For example, the slip rate ε has decreased to a relatively low value (that is, the grip force has increased). Can also be detected, and it is possible to shift to the second speed at the timing at which they are detected. As a result, there is no slack in acceleration that occurs when shifting to the second speed when the slip ratio ε of the propeller 44 is relatively high (grip force is low), so that the acceleration performance can be further improved and the navigation state of the ship 1 Optimal transmission control of the transmission 48 according to (acceleration state) can be performed. Furthermore, fuel consumption of the engine 30 can be reduced by optimal shift control according to the navigation state of the ship 1, in other words, fuel efficiency can be improved.

  In addition, the navigation device includes a receiving device (GPS receiving device) 124 that receives a GPS signal, and the navigation acceleration detecting means is configured to detect the navigation acceleration a based on the output of the receiving device 124 (S48). The navigation acceleration a can be accurately detected with a simple configuration.

  Further, the navigation acceleration detecting means is configured to detect the navigation acceleration a by detecting the navigation speed V based on the output of the receiving device 124 and differentiating the detected navigation speed V. (S48) The navigation acceleration a can be detected more accurately.

  In addition, a throttle opening change amount detecting means (throttle opening sensor 96, ECU 102, S12) for detecting a change amount DTH of the throttle opening TH of the internal combustion engine is provided, and the acceleration instruction determining means is detected. When the throttle opening change amount DTH is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (second predetermined value) DTH2, since the acceleration is determined to be instructed (S24), it is accurately determined that the acceleration is instructed. can do.

  In the above description, the outboard motor has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to an outboard motor having a transmission. In S44, in order to reduce the output of the engine 30, the ignition timing is retarded or the fuel injection amount is reduced. However, both of them may be configured. You may comprise so that the output of the engine 30 may be reduced by performing a cut.

  Further, the predetermined value a1, the predetermined rotational speed NE1, the first and second predetermined values DTH1, DTH2, the first to third predetermined slip ratios ε1, ε2, ε3, the predetermined slip ratio change amount Dε1, and the engine 30 exhaust amount. Etc. are shown as specific values, but these are illustrative and not limiting.

  10 outboard motor, 12 hull, 30 engine (internal combustion engine), 42 drive shaft (power transmission shaft), 44 propeller, 46 propeller shaft (power transmission shaft), 48 transmission, 96 throttle opening sensor (throttle opening change) Quantity detection means), 100 crank angle sensor (engine speed detection means), 102 ECU (electronic control unit), 124 GPS receiver (receiver)

Claims (4)

The power transmission shaft is inserted into a power transmission shaft for transmitting power from the internal combustion engine to the propeller, and has at least a first speed and a second speed, and the output of the internal combustion engine is selected from the selected speed stages. A control device for an outboard motor that can be attached to a hull with a transmission that shifts and transmits to the propeller,
a. An acceleration instruction determination means for determining whether or not acceleration is instructed by a vessel operator to the internal combustion engine when the second speed is selected;
b. Engine speed detecting means for detecting the engine speed of the internal combustion engine;
c. Navigation acceleration detecting means for detecting navigation acceleration indicating an amount of change in navigation speed per predetermined time;
d. Slip ratio detecting means for detecting the slip ratio of the propeller based on the theoretical speed of the ship on which the outboard motor is mounted and the navigation speed;
e. A first speed transmission means for operating the transmission to shift from the second speed to the first speed when it is determined that the acceleration is instructed;
f. After shifting to the first speed by the first speed transmission means, the detected engine speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, the detected navigation acceleration is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and the detected slip ratio is 2-speed transmission means for shifting from the 1st speed to the 2nd speed when a predetermined slip ratio is reached,
An outboard motor control device comprising: g. A receiving device for receiving GPS signals;
The outboard motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation acceleration detecting means detects the navigation acceleration based on an output of the receiving device.   3. The navigation acceleration detecting means detects the navigation acceleration by detecting the navigation speed based on an output of the receiving device and differentiating the detected navigation speed. Outboard motor control device. h. A throttle opening change amount detecting means for detecting a change amount of the throttle opening of the internal combustion engine;
The acceleration instruction determination means determines that the acceleration is instructed when the detected amount of change in the throttle opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The outboard motor control device described.

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