JP2014172518A - Electrically-driven outboard engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrically-driven outboard engine which assures high safety and excellent in operation ability.SOLUTION: An outboard engine 20 mounting an electric motor 21 and a power supply unit 11 supplying power to the electric motor 21 are electrically connected. The electrically-driven outboard engine further comprises a safety switch 40 for switching a system operation mode including at least a lock mode and a travel mode. After passing of predetermined time after an accelerator is set to a neutral in a power source-on state, the mode becomes to the lock mode, and the electric motor 21 does not start operation even if the accelerator is operated.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric outboard motor in which an electric motor as a power source is mounted and electric power is supplied to the electric motor from a battery.

  In recent years, an electric outboard motor driven by an electric motor has been attracting attention in consideration of the influence on the environment. This type of electric outboard motor has a structure in which the rotation of the output shaft of the electric motor (electric motor) is transmitted to the propeller shaft via the gear to rotate the propeller. In addition to the electric motor, the electric outboard motor is provided with a rechargeable battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a control unit that controls the rotational speed of the electric motor and the like. According to such an electric outboard motor, since the exhaust gas is not discharged into the water as compared with, for example, an engine outboard motor, the influence on the environment can be reduced.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric outboard motor that includes a control device that protects a control system and has excellent driving performance. The electric outboard motor includes an electric motor current detecting means for detecting that the electric current of the electric motor is not less than a predetermined value, an electric motor stopping means for stopping the electric motor when the electric motor current becomes an overcurrent exceeding the predetermined value, and an overload state. And a motor control means for driving and stopping the motor for a predetermined time when the stop of the motor is released in a neutral state (neutral (N)) and the accelerator is opened again.

JP-A-9-164999

  Even if the electric outboard motor is on, there is no operation noise unlike the engine outboard motor. That is, an operator who does not know that the power is on touches the accelerator grip and starts unintentionally. Alternatively, an object that hits or falls on the accelerator grip makes an unintended start.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electric outboard motor that guarantees high safety and is excellent in operability and the like.

  An electric outboard motor of the present invention is an electric outboard motor in which an outboard motor main body on which an electric motor is mounted and a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the electric motor are electrically connected, and at least a lock mode and a traveling The system is equipped with a safety switch that can be switched between the system operation mode and the mode, and when the power is on, the accelerator is set to neutral and the lock mode is entered after a certain period of time, so that the electric motor does not start even when the accelerator is operated. It is characterized by.

  In the electric outboard motor of the present invention, in the lock mode, the driving mode is set by pressing the safety switch, and the drive control of the electric motor can be performed according to an accelerator operation.

  In the electric outboard motor of the present invention, the safety switch is installed at the tip of the accelerator grip.

  The electric outboard motor of the present invention is characterized by comprising mode display means for displaying a system operation mode.

  According to the present invention, by providing a safety switch, an unintended start of a ship due to an erroneous operation or the like can be prevented, a high safety can be ensured, and an outboard motor that is extremely excellent in operability can be realized.

It is a front view of the electric outboard motor as an application example of the present invention. 1 is a left side view of an electric outboard motor according to the present invention. 1 is a top view of an electric outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a partial expanded side view of the electric outboard motor which concerns on this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an electric outboard motor according to the present invention. It is a figure explaining the effect | action in the electric outboard motor which concerns on this invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electric outboard motor of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a front view of an electric outboard motor 10 as an application example of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a top view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the outboard motor 10. The overall configuration of the outboard motor 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings used in the following description including FIG. 1, the front of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow Fr and the rear is indicated by an arrow Rr as necessary, and the right side of the outboard motor 10 is indicated by an arrow. By R, the left side is indicated by an arrow L, respectively.

  The outboard motor 10 includes an outboard motor main body 20 and a control / power supply unit 11. It is also simply referred to as a power supply unit 11. The outboard motor main body 20 and the control / power supply unit 11 are separately configured, and both are electrically connected by the connection cable 14. The outboard motor main body 20 is used by being attached to a transom board or the like disposed at the stern of a ship (not shown). The control / power supply unit 11 is mounted at an appropriate position on the hull of the ship, and supplies driving power (in this case, direct current) to the outboard motor main body 20 via the connection cable 14. The control / power supply unit 11 controls the outboard motor 10. Since the outboard motor main body 20 is separate from the control / power supply unit 11, the outboard motor main body 20 can be reduced in weight and the operability can be improved.

The control / power supply unit 11 includes a control unit 12 that controls the outboard motor 10 and a battery unit 13 as a power source of the outboard motor 10.
The control unit 12 includes a memory that can store software and data related to the settings of the outboard motor 10 and a processor that can read and execute the settings of the software and the outboard motor 10 from the memory. Then, the control unit 12 controls the outboard motor 10 by executing the software based on the setting of the outboard motor 10.

  The battery unit 13 includes one or a plurality of packaged battery packs (batteries) and a battery pack mounting unit capable of mounting a plurality of batteries at the same time, and is detachable from the control / power supply unit 11. The entire control / power supply unit 11 and battery unit 13 may be housed in a battery box. The battery pack of the battery unit 13 is a direct current power source, for example, a cell assembly of a lithium ion battery can be applied, and can be repeatedly used by being charged by the charger 2 of the external device 1. Then, by attaching the battery pack to the battery pack mounting portion, it is possible to supply electric power for driving the control unit 12, the electric motor of the outboard motor main body 20, or other parts.

Next, the outboard motor main body 20 includes an electric motor 21, an inverter 22, a propulsion unit 23, a swivel bracket 24, a steering handle (tiller handle) 25, a clamp bracket 26, and the like.
The electric motor 21 is connected to a drive shaft housing 28 via a motor housing (motor case) 27. The steering handle 25 is coupled to the motor housing 27 via a handle bracket 29. The steering handle 25 is attached so as to be foldable in the vertical direction (FIG. 2, arrow A). A portion near the upper portion of the drive shaft housing 28 is coupled to the swivel bracket 24 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. It can be rotated in the horizontal direction (FIG. 2, arrow S).

  The clamp bracket 26 is connected to the front side of the swivel bracket 24 via a clamp bracket shaft 30 installed in the left-right direction. The clamp bracket 26 and the swivel bracket 24 can be relatively rotated via the clamp bracket shaft 30. Therefore, in a state where the clamp bracket 26 is fixed to the transom board of the ship, the propulsion unit 23 is pulled up from the water by rotating the outboard motor main body 20 around the clamp bracket shaft 30 (arrow T in FIG. 2). Tilt-up operation can be performed.

  The electric motor 21 is a drive source for rotationally driving the propeller 31 of the propulsion unit 23. For example, an AC motor such as a three-phase AC induction motor is applied. In this case, a coil that forms a rotating magnetic field by an alternating current and a rotor that rotates by the rotating magnetic field are accommodated in the motor housing 27. The rotation output shaft provided in the rotor is provided so that its axial direction is substantially vertical, and extends below the motor housing 27.

  The electric motor 21 has a substantially circular shape in a plan view from the axial direction of the rotation output shaft, and has a substantially flat shape in which the radial dimension with respect to the rotation output shaft is larger than the axial dimension. Have. Such an electric motor with a large radial dimension has a large torque especially at a low rotation speed. For this reason, a large propulsive force can be obtained without using an intermediate speed reducer or the like when the ship is started. The outboard motor main body 20 can achieve a necessary and sufficient output while keeping the overall height low and having a compact configuration. As shown in FIG. 5, the electric motor 21 is accompanied by a sensor 32 that detects operating parameters such as phase, speed, and temperature, and these detection signals are sent to the control unit 12.

  The inverter 22 converts the direct current supplied from the control / power supply unit 11 into an alternating current and supplies the alternating current to the electric motor 21. The inverter 22 is disposed so as to be stacked apart from the electric motor 21 in the vertical direction. In this case, the left and right and front ends of the inverter 22 are inside the outline of the electric motor 21 in plan view from above.

  The propulsion unit 23 converts the rotational power of the electric motor 21 into a propulsion force for the ship. In the propulsion unit 23, a drive shaft (not shown) housed and supported in the drive shaft housing 28 is connected to the propulsion propeller 31 through a gear in the gear case 33. Accordingly, the rotational power generated by the electric motor 21 is transmitted to the propulsion propeller 31 via the drive shaft and the gear in the gear case, whereby the propulsion propeller 31 rotates. As described above, since the electric motor 21 can output rotational power with a high torque even at a low speed, a reduction gear is not required, and the electric motor 21 and the drive shaft are directly coupled without a reduction gear. Therefore, the propulsion unit 23 can be reduced in size, weight, and configuration, and the noise generated by the gears can be reduced by reducing the number of gears. In addition, since switching or shifting between forward rotation and reverse rotation of the propulsion propeller 31 (that is, switching between forward and backward movement of the ship) is performed by switching the rotation direction of the electric motor 21, the outboard motor to which the internal combustion engine is applied. Such a reverse mechanism is not necessary.

  The steering handle 25 is a handle used by the operator for steering operation of the outboard motor 10 and constitutes a main part of the operating device of the present invention. The steering handle 25 is provided so as to extend forward from the electric motor 21. The base end portion of the steering handle 25 is fixed to the lower surface of the front end portion of the motor housing 27 via the handle bracket 29. When the boat operator rotates the steering handle 25 in a substantially horizontal direction, the electric motor 21 and the propulsion are driven. The portion 23 rotates together with the steering handle 25 in a substantially horizontal direction, so that the steering operation can be performed. Since the steering handle 25 is disposed immediately above the swivel bracket 24, the steering handle 25 has a minimum height at which the steering operation can be performed. Therefore, the heights of the steering handle 25 and the electric motor 21 are substantially the same.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the steering handle 25 is provided with a display unit 34, an emergency switch 35, an accelerator grip 36, and the like. The display unit 34 can display information related to the ship on which the outboard motor 10 and the outboard motor 1 are mounted, such as the remaining battery level of the control / power supply unit 11, the rotation speed of the electric motor 21, and the traveling speed of the ship. The emergency switch 35 is a switch for urgently stopping the outboard motor 10.

  The accelerator grip 36 adjusts the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the electric motor 21. The accelerator grip 36 is attached to the front end portion of the steering handle 25 so as to be able to rotate forward and backward around the axis of the steering handle 25 (arrow B in FIG. 2), and the rotation direction and the rotation amount thereof are the shift sensor 37 and the accelerator sensor 38 ( Each of them is detected according to FIG. The rotation speed of the electric motor 21 is set according to the rotation amount of the accelerator grip 36. The system power is turned on / off by key operation of the main switch 39.

  In the above case, the external device 1 further includes a failure diagnosis / data rewriting unit 3. The failure diagnosis / data rewriting unit 3 reads out the state of the outboard motor 10 and determines whether it is normal by electrically connecting the control / power supply unit 11 to the control unit 12 so that signals can be transmitted and received. it can. Further, the failure diagnosis / data rewriting unit 3 can rewrite software and settings stored in the memory of the control unit 12.

  Now, the outboard motor 10 of the present invention has a safety switch 40 particularly at the steering handle 25, more specifically at the tip of the accelerator grip 36 as shown in FIG. This safety switch 40 is a push button type switch that can be pushed into the accelerator grip 36 (FIG. 4, arrow C), and is turned on each time it is pushed. Via the control unit 12 of the control / power supply unit 11 via the connection. The control unit 12 receives a signal from the safety switch 40, performs control setting so that the outboard motor system enters a predetermined mode state, and switches the mode state. In this case, although not shown, a mode indicator (mode display means) for displaying the mode is mounted on the display unit 34, and the current mode state is displayed on the display unit 34.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the specific effect | action in this embodiment is demonstrated. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the system has a system operation mode including a lock mode and a travel mode. When the accelerator is in the neutral (N) state in the power-on state, the lock mode is entered after a certain period of time. The activation of is locked.

  First, the system power is turned on by key operation from the power-off state, and the lock mode is set. That is, the power-on mode starts from the lock mode. Here, the lock mode is a mode in which the electric motor 21 is not started even when the accelerator is operated. In this lock mode, the travel mode is set by pressing the safety switch 40, and the drive control of the electric motor 21 can be performed according to the accelerator operation. Here, the traveling mode is a state where normal traveling is possible, and the propeller 31 can be rotationally driven by an accelerator operation.

  On the other hand, in the traveling mode, when a predetermined time t elapses with the accelerator left in the neutral (N) state, the mode shifts to the lock mode. In this case, a warning means such as a buzzer notifies the ship operator that the mode has shifted to the lock mode. The fixed time t is set to a time that is necessary and sufficient to ensure such an accelerator operation in consideration of the case where the accelerator is frequently put in a neutral position.

Whether the driving mode or the lock mode is in the mode is displayed on the mode indicator of the display unit 34, and the operator can check the current mode state.
In any mode state, the system can be turned off by a key operation.

According to the present invention, the electric motor 21 cannot be started unless the safety switch 40 is pressed even when the power is turned on. There is no start. That is, the vehicle can be started for the first time by the two-action operation of turning on the power supply and the operation of the safety switch 40, so that high safety can be ensured.
Further, by providing the safety switch 40 on the accelerator grip 36, both the accelerator operation and the operation of the safety switch 40 can be performed with the same one hand. In other words, by providing the safety switch 40, the operation can be performed easily and accurately while ensuring the safety, and the usability and the handleability are extremely excellent.

  Further, even when the accelerator is frequently put into neutral, for example, when the shore is berthed or berthed, the lock mode is not shifted until a predetermined time t has elapsed, so that there is no concern that such an accelerator operation is hindered. In this way, even if it is in the neutral position, it does not immediately shift to the lock mode.

Here, in the modified example of the present invention, for example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the safety switch 40 is provided at the tip of the accelerator grip 36 has been described. A switch 40 may be provided.
By providing the safety switch 40 in this way, the mode state displayed on the mode indicator when the safety switch 40 is pressed can be visually confirmed and confirmed reliably. Further, the lead wire or wiring for routing the safety switch 40 can be substantially omitted, which is effective in simplifying the configuration, reducing the weight of the device, and further reducing the cost.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated with various embodiment, this invention is not limited only to these embodiment, A change etc. are possible within the scope of the present invention.
In addition to the tip of the accelerator grip 36 or the mode indicator, it is possible to set the safety switch 40 at an appropriate location near the electric motor 21, or an upper surface portion of the control / power supply unit 11.
Further, the fixed time t for shifting to the lock mode can be set to an optimal length of time as appropriate according to actual use.
In the above embodiment, the example in which the outboard motor main body and the power supply unit are electrically connected via the connection cable 14 has been described. In addition, for example, the two are connected by an electrical connection means such as a bus bar. It is also possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Outboard motor, 11 Control / power supply unit, 12 Control part, 13 Battery part, 14 Connection cable, 20 Outboard motor main body, 21 Electric motor, 22 Inverter, 23 Propulsion part, 24 Swivel bracket, 25 Steering handle, 26 Clamp Bracket, 27 Motor housing, 28 Drive shaft housing, 29 Handle bracket, 30 Clamp bracket shaft, 31 Propeller, 32 Sensor, 33 Gear case, 34 Display, 35 Emergency switch, 36 Accelerator grip, 37 Shift sensor, 38 Accelerator Sensor, 39 main switch, 40 safety switch.

Claims (4)

An electric outboard motor in which an outboard motor main body equipped with an electric motor and a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the electric motor are electrically connected,
A safety switch that can switch at least the system operation mode including the lock mode and the traveling mode,
An electric outboard motor characterized in that a lock mode is established when a certain time elapses with the accelerator in a neutral state in a power-on state, and the electric motor is not activated even when the accelerator is operated.   2. The electric outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein in the lock mode, the driving mode is set by pressing the safety switch, and the drive control of the electric motor is enabled according to an accelerator operation.   The electric outboard motor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the safety switch is installed at a tip of an accelerator grip.   The electric outboard motor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising mode display means for displaying a system operation mode.

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