JP2004217182A - Outboard motor steering system - Google Patents

Abstract

A steering actuator mounted on an outboard motor does not protrude from its outer shape regardless of the steering angle of the outboard motor so as not to restrict the space around the outboard motor. Outboard motors that increase the steering force of the outboard motors by increasing the output of the actuators, and further increase the degree of freedom in designing the actuators for steering and the mounting area around the outboard motors A steering device is provided.
A steering hydraulic cylinder (40) for rotating a swivel shaft (50), which is a steered shaft of an outboard motor (10), is disposed so as to be located within its outline regardless of the steering angle of the outboard motor (10). . In addition, an elliptical hydraulic cylinder is used as the steering hydraulic cylinder 40, and two piston rods 40b and 40c are provided in the major axis direction thereof. Deploy.
[Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering device for an outboard motor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a power source of a steering device of an outboard motor is, for example, a tiller handle type for manually steering a tiller handle attached to the outboard motor, a remote control type for remotely controlling a steering mechanism via a push-pull cable, and the like. Most of them were human.
[0003]
However, the above-mentioned manual operation has a problem that the steering feeling is poor due to a heavy steering load. Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, a hydraulic cylinder for steering is mounted on the hull as a separate structure from the outboard motor, that is, as a retrofit structure, and the steering of the tiller handle is controlled via a link mechanism. Although assisting has been proposed, a steering system using a retrofit hydraulic cylinder has a complicated structure, increases the number of parts and weight, and requires space for mounting the hydraulic cylinder on the hull. There was a problem such as becoming.
[0004]
As a technique for solving such a problem, for example, Patent Document 2 can be cited. In the technology described in Patent Document 2, by configuring the hydraulic cylinder for steering to be directly attached to the outboard motor, the number of parts and the weight are prevented from increasing, and the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the hull. Is unnecessary.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-62-125996 (FIG. 2 etc.)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2-279495 (FIG. 6, etc.)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the technology described in Patent Document 2 described above, the hydraulic cylinder projects horizontally from the outboard motor depending on the expansion and contraction state of the hydraulic cylinder (that is, the steering angle of the outboard motor). When two outboard motors are installed in parallel (so-called two boats), the space around the outboard motors is limited due to the need to install the outboard motors in consideration of the amount of protrusion. There was a problem that it occurred. In particular, when the size of the hydraulic cylinder is increased in order to increase the steering force (torque) of the outboard motor, the problem that the hydraulic cylinder protrudes in the horizontal direction becomes large, and the problem is conspicuous. In addition, when the steering force increases, the stress applied to the mounting portion between the hydraulic cylinder and the outboard motor increases, so that it is necessary to improve the strength of the mounting portion and its surroundings. There was a problem of lowering.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to prevent a steering actuator attached to an outboard motor from protruding from its outer shape line regardless of the turning angle of the outboard motor, thereby preventing the outboard motor from surrounding the outboard motor. In addition to limiting the space, the output of the steering actuator is increased to increase the steering force of the outboard motor, and the degree of freedom in the design around the mounting part of the steering actuator and the outboard motor is increased. An object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor steering device that can be improved.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, the hull of claim 1 includes a propeller driven by an internal combustion engine, and a swivel shaft that is a steered shaft and a swivel case that houses the swivel shaft. In a steering device for an outboard motor that is rotatably mounted on the outboard motor, the swivel shaft is rotated by an actuator to steer the outboard motor, and the actuator is moved regardless of a steering angle of the outboard motor. The actuator is arranged so as to be located within the outline of the outboard motor, and a plurality of displacement sides of the actuator are provided so as to overlap in the direction of gravity.
[0009]
As described above, the steering actuator for rotating the swivel shaft, which is the steered shaft of the outboard motor, is disposed so as to be located within the outer shape line regardless of the steering angle of the outboard motor. It does not always protrude from the outboard motor, so that the space around the outboard motor is not restricted. Furthermore, since the plurality of displacement sides of the actuator are provided so as to overlap in the direction of gravity, the output of the actuator can be increased by increasing the size of the actuator in the direction of gravity while preventing the actuator from projecting in the horizontal direction. Therefore, a large steering force (torque) can be obtained. In addition, since the steering force is transmitted to the outboard motor through a plurality of displacement sides, the stress applied to the mounting portion between the actuator and the outboard motor is dispersed, so that the degree of freedom in design around the mounting portion is reduced. Can be improved.
[0010]
Further, in claim 2, the displacement side of the actuator is attached to a mount frame fixed to the swivel shaft, and the fixed side of the actuator is attached to the swivel case.
[0011]
The displacement side of the steering actuator for rotating the swivel shaft is attached to a mount frame (a portion where relative angular displacement with respect to the hull occurs when the outboard motor is steered) fixed to the swivel shaft. The fixed side is configured to be attached to a swivel case in which the swivel shaft is housed (a portion that does not generate relative angular displacement with the hull even when the outboard motor is steered), in other words, a link mechanism or the like is attached. Since the output of the actuator is directly transmitted to the outboard motor without any intervention, in addition to the effects described above, steering with excellent responsiveness without rattling can be performed, and the space required for mounting the actuator is reduced. can do. Further, since the configuration is simple, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of steps required for attaching the actuator to the outboard motor.
[0012]
Further, in claim 3, the actuator comprises an elliptical hydraulic cylinder having a plurality of piston rods in a long diameter direction, and the elliptical hydraulic cylinder is adjusted so that the long diameter direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. The piston rods are arranged so as to be coaxially located.
[0013]
Using an elliptical hydraulic cylinder provided with a plurality of piston rods in the major axis direction as a steering actuator for rotating the swivel shaft, and disposing the elliptical hydraulic cylinder such that the major axis direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. Since the rod heads of the piston rods are arranged coaxially, in addition to the above-described effects, the configuration becomes simpler, and the number of parts and the number of steps required to attach the actuator to the outboard motor are reduced. It can be further reduced.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An outboard motor steering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the entire steering apparatus for an outboard motor, and FIG. 2 is a partial explanatory side view of FIG.
[0016]
1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an outboard motor in which an internal combustion engine, a propeller shaft, a propeller, and the like are integrated. As shown in FIG. 2, the outboard motor 10 has a swivel case 12 in which a swivel shaft (described later) is rotatably housed, and a stern bracket 14 to which the swivel case 12 is connected. Is mounted so as to be steerable around a gravity axis and a horizontal axis.
[0017]
The outboard motor 10 includes an internal combustion engine (hereinafter, referred to as “engine”) 18 at an upper portion thereof. The engine 18 is a spark-ignition in-line four-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine with a displacement of 2200 cc. The engine 18 is located on the surface of the water, covered with an engine cover 20 and disposed inside the outboard motor 10. An electronic control unit (hereinafter, referred to as “ECU”) 22 including a microcomputer is arranged near the engine 18 covered with the engine cover 20.
[0018]
Further, the outboard motor 10 includes a propeller 24 at a lower portion thereof and a rudder 26 provided near the propeller 24. The power of the engine 18 is transmitted to the propeller 24 via a crankshaft, a drive shaft, a gear mechanism, and a shift mechanism (not shown) to move the hull 16 forward or backward.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, a steering wheel 28 is arranged near the cockpit of the hull 16. A steering angle sensor 30 is arranged near the steering wheel 28. The steering angle sensor 30 is specifically composed of a rotary encoder, and outputs a signal corresponding to a steering (operation) amount of the steering wheel 28 input by the driver. A throttle lever 32 and a shift lever 34 are disposed on the right side of the cockpit, and their operations are transmitted to a throttle valve and a shift mechanism (both not shown) of the engine 18 via a push-pull cable (not shown).
[0020]
Further, a power tilt switch 36 for adjusting the tilt angle of the outboard motor 10 and a power trim switch 38 for adjusting the trim angle are disposed near the cockpit, and the tilt input by the pilot is increased. -Outputs signals according to the instruction for down and trim up / down. The outputs of the steering angle sensor 30, the power tilt switch 36, and the power trim switch 38 are sent to the ECU 22 via signal lines 30L, 36L, 38L.
[0021]
The ECU 22 expands and contracts a steering actuator, specifically, a hydraulic cylinder 40 (shown in FIG. 2; hereinafter, referred to as a “steering hydraulic cylinder”) according to the output of the steering angle sensor 30 sent through the signal line 30L. As a result, the outboard motor 10 is steered to swing the propeller 24 and the rudder 26 around the axis of gravity, thereby steering the hull 16.
[0022]
The ECU 22 further operates the known power tilt trim unit 42 in accordance with the outputs of the power tilt switch 36 and the power trim switch 38 sent through the signal lines 36L and 38L, and adjusts the tilt angle and the trim angle of the outboard motor 10. adjust.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the vicinity of the swivel case shown in FIG.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 3, the power tilt trim unit 42 includes one tilt angle adjusting hydraulic cylinder 42a (hereinafter, referred to as “tilt hydraulic cylinder”) and two (only one in FIG. 3) trim angles. An adjusting hydraulic cylinder (hereinafter referred to as "trim hydraulic cylinder") 42b is integrally provided.
[0025]
The hydraulic cylinder for tilt 42 a has its cylinder bottom fixed to the stern bracket 14 and attached to the hull 16, and the rod head of the piston rod is brought into contact with the swivel case 12. The hydraulic cylinder 42b for trim also has the cylinder bottom fixed to the stern bracket 14 and attached to the hull 16, and the rod head of the piston rod is brought into contact with the swivel case 12.
[0026]
The swivel case 12 is connected to the stern bracket 14 via the tilting shaft 46 such that the swivel case 12 can be displaced relative to the tilting shaft 46 as a center. In the swivel case 12, a swivel shaft 50 is rotatably housed. The swivel shaft 50 has an axial direction in the direction of gravity, and has an upper end fixed to the mount frame 52 and a lower end fixed to a lower mount center housing (not shown). The mount frame 52 and the lower mount center housing are fixed to a frame on which the engine 18, the propeller 24 and the like are arranged, respectively.
[0027]
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG.
[0028]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-described steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is disposed above the swivel case 12.
[0029]
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is formed of an elliptical hydraulic cylinder including a substantially elliptical cylinder 40a in a cross-sectional view, and more specifically, is formed of an elliptical return cylinder. In addition, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 includes a total of two piston rods (displacement sides) of a first piston rod 40b and a second piston rod 40c in the major axis direction.
[0030]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is disposed such that its major axis direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. That is, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is disposed such that the longitudinal directions (axial directions of the cylinder) of the first piston rod 40b and the second piston rod 40c overlap in the direction of gravity. This is because, in the outboard motor, generally, a space in the direction of gravity (vertical direction) is relatively easily secured above the swivel case 12, and this space is used effectively. Note that, in addition to the steering hydraulic cylinders 40, a hydraulic circuit (not shown) for supplying hydraulic pressure thereto is arranged above the swivel case 12.
[0031]
A first stay 56 is provided in the mount frame 52 just above the swivel shaft 50. The first stay 56 supports a first cylindrical member 58 having an axial direction in the direction of gravity. Near the upper end of the first cylindrical member 58, the rod head of the first piston rod 40b is provided. 40b1 is attached rotatably. A rod head 40c1 of the second piston rod 40c is rotatably mounted near the lower end of the first cylindrical member 58. As described above, the rod head 40b1 of the first piston rod 40b and the rod head 40c1 of the second piston rod 40c are respectively coaxially arranged, and the first stay 56 and the first cylindrical member 58 are connected to each other. Attached to the mount frame 52 via the.
[0032]
In addition, a second stay 60 is provided near the end on the hull side above the swivel case 12. The second stay 60 supports a second cylindrical member 62 having an axial direction in the direction of gravity. The second cylindrical member 62 has a cylinder 40 a of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40, more specifically, The cylinder bottom 40a1 (fixed side) is rotatably attached. As described above, the cylinder bottom 40a1 of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is attached to the upper part of the swivel case 12 via the second stay 60 and the second columnar member 62.
[0033]
Here, as described above, when the driver steers the steering wheel 28, the steering amount is input to the ECU 22 via the steering angle sensor 30. The ECU 22 calculates an energization command value according to the input steering amount, sends it to the electric motor through a drive circuit (not shown), drives the hydraulic pump to extend and retract the steering hydraulic cylinder 40, and controls the swivel shaft 50. Rotate.
[0034]
By driving the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 in this manner, the horizontal steering of the outboard motor 10 is assisted with the swivel shaft 50 as the steering axis, and thus the propeller 24 and the rudder 26 swing. The hull 16 is steered. Specifically, as the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is driven in the extending direction, the swivel shaft 50 and the mount frame 52 rotate clockwise (clockwise in top view) with respect to the hull 16 as shown in FIG. As a result, the outboard motor 10 is steered clockwise, so that the hull 16 is steered (turned counterclockwise) counterclockwise (top view).
[0035]
On the other hand, when the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is driven in the contracting direction, the swivel shaft 50 and the mount frame 52 rotate counterclockwise with respect to the hull 16 as shown in FIG. The hull 16 is steered clockwise (turning clockwise).
[0036]
4, 7, and 8, reference numeral 70 denotes an outer shape line (vertical projection plane) of the outboard motor 10 as viewed from above. FIG. 7 specifically shows the outline 70 and the hydraulic cylinder 40 for steering when the outboard motor 10 is rotated clockwise to the maximum steering angle, and FIG. Is rotated counterclockwise to the maximum steering angle. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the outboard motor 10 according to the present embodiment, the clockwise maximum turning angle and the counterclockwise maximum turning angle are each 30 degrees, A total of 60 degrees of steering is possible.
[0037]
As described above, in the steering apparatus for an outboard motor according to the present embodiment, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 that rotates the swivel shaft 50 that is the steered shaft of the outboard motor 10 is connected to the outboard motor 10. Irrespective of the steering angle of the outboard motor, the actuator does not always protrude from the outboard motor, so that the space around the outboard motor is not restricted.
[0038]
Further, a plurality of displacement sides of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 are provided so as to overlap with each other in the direction of gravity. More specifically, a plurality (two) of piston rods 40b and 40c are provided in the longitudinal direction of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40. Since the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is arranged so that its major axis direction is parallel to the direction of gravity, the outboard motor 10 is rotated left and right to the maximum as shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8. Even when the steering wheel is turned to the steering angle, the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 does not protrude horizontally from the inside of the outline 70 of the outboard motor 10. That is, in order to obtain a large steering force, the size of the hydraulic cylinder for steering is increased in the direction of gravity, in which the space above the swivel case 12 is relatively easy to secure, so that the hydraulic cylinder for steering 40 Large steering force (torque) can be obtained while preventing horizontal protrusion of the steering wheel. Further, since the turning force increased by increasing the size of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is transmitted to the swivel shaft 50 by the two piston rods 40b, 40c, the piston rods 40b, 40c and the outboard motor The stress applied to the ten mounting portions (the first stay 56, the first cylindrical member 58, and the like) is dispersed, so that the degree of freedom in designing around the mounting portion can be improved.
[0039]
Also, the displacement side of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40, specifically, the rod heads 40 b 1 and 40 c 1 of the two piston rods 40 b and 40 c are fixed to the swivel shaft 50 by the mount frame 52 (the outboard motor 10 is steered). And the fixed side, specifically the cylinder bottom 40a1 of the cylinder 40a, is attached to the swivel case 12 (even if the outboard motor 10 is steered). (Ie, a portion that does not generate a relative angular displacement with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 16), in other words, the output (displacement) of the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 is directly transmitted to the outboard motor 10 without going through a link mechanism or the like. With this configuration, steering with excellent responsiveness without rattling can be performed, and the necessary space for mounting the hydraulic cylinder 40 for steering is provided. It is possible to reduce the scan. Further, since the configuration is simple, it is possible to reduce the number of components and the number of steps required for mounting the steering hydraulic cylinder 40.
[0040]
Further, since the rod heads 40b1 and 40c1 of the two piston rods 40b and 40c are arranged coaxially, the configuration becomes simpler, and the number of parts and the number of steps required for mounting the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 are reduced. Can be further reduced.
[0041]
As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the propeller 24 driven by the internal combustion engine (engine 18) is provided, and the swivel shaft 50 as the steered shaft and the swivel shaft 50 are housed. In the steering device of the outboard motor 10 which is rotatably attached to the hull 16 via the swivel case 12, the swivel shaft 50 is rotated by an actuator (a steering hydraulic cylinder 40) to steer the outboard motor 10. In addition, the actuator is disposed so as to be located within the outline 70 of the outboard motor 10 regardless of the steering angle of the outboard motor 10 and the displacement side of the actuator (the first piston rod 40b). A plurality (two) of the rod heads 40b1 and the rod head 40c1) of the second piston rod 40c are weighted in the direction of gravity. It was constructed so as to provide Te.
[0042]
Further, the displacement side of the actuator is mounted on the mount frame 12 fixed to the swivel shaft 50, and the fixed side of the actuator (cylinder bottom 40a1 of the cylinder 40a) is mounted on the swivel case 12.
[0043]
The actuator comprises an elliptical hydraulic cylinder having a plurality of (two) piston rods (a first piston rod 40b and a second piston rod 40c) in the major axis direction. The directions are arranged so as to be parallel to the direction of gravity, and the rod heads 40b1 and 40c1 of the piston rods 40b and 40c are located coaxially.
[0044]
In the above description, a hydraulic cylinder has been described as an example of an actuator for rotating the swivel shaft 50. However, the actuator is not limited thereto, and a hydraulic motor or the like may be used.
[0045]
Further, although the steering hydraulic cylinder 40 has a substantially elliptical shape in a sectional view, the shape is not limited to this, and any shape may be used as long as the shape is a non-circular shape in a sectional view and has a major axis direction and a minor axis direction. May be.
[0046]
In addition, the number of the piston rods is two in total, the first piston rod 40b and the second piston rod 40c, but three or more piston rods may be provided.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steering actuator for rotating the swivel shaft, which is the steering shaft of the outboard motor, is disposed so as to be located within the outline of the outboard motor regardless of the steering angle. Therefore, the actuator does not always protrude from the outboard motor, so that the space around the outboard motor is not restricted. Furthermore, since the plurality of displacement sides of the actuator are provided so as to overlap in the direction of gravity, the output of the actuator can be increased by increasing the size of the actuator in the direction of gravity while preventing the actuator from projecting in the horizontal direction. Therefore, a large steering force (torque) can be obtained. In addition, since the steering force is transmitted to the outboard motor through a plurality of displacement sides, the stress applied to the mounting portion between the actuator and the outboard motor is dispersed, so that the degree of freedom in design around the mounting portion is reduced. Can be improved.
[0048]
According to the second aspect, the displacement side of the steering actuator for rotating the swivel shaft is fixed to the swivel shaft by a mount frame (relative angular displacement with respect to the hull by steering the outboard motor). And a fixed side thereof is attached to a swivel case in which the swivel shaft is housed (a portion that does not generate a relative angular displacement with the hull even when the outboard motor is steered). In other words, since the output of the actuator is directly transmitted to the outboard motor without passing through a link mechanism or the like, in addition to the above-described effects, steering excellent in responsiveness without rattling can be performed. The space required for mounting the actuator can be reduced. Further, since the configuration is simple, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of steps required for attaching the actuator to the outboard motor.
[0049]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, an elliptical hydraulic cylinder having a plurality of piston rods in a long diameter direction is used as a steering actuator for rotating a swivel shaft. And arranged so as to be parallel to each other, and configured so that the rod heads of the piston rods are respectively coaxially positioned.In addition to the above-described effects, the configuration becomes simpler, and in order to attach the actuator to the outboard motor, The required number of parts and the number of steps can be further reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram generally showing a steering apparatus for an outboard motor according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial explanatory side view of the apparatus in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a swivel case shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the steering hydraulic cylinder shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing the outline of the outboard motor when the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1 is steered clockwise to a maximum steering angle.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing the outline of the outboard motor when the outboard motor is turned counterclockwise to the maximum turning angle.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 10 Outboard motor 12 Swivel case 16 Hull 18 Engine (internal combustion engine)
24 Propeller 40 Hydraulic cylinder for steering (actuator (elliptical hydraulic cylinder))
40a cylinder (fixed side)
40a1 Cylinder bottom (fixed side)
40b first piston rod (displacement side)
40b1 Rod head (displacement side)
40c Second piston rod (displacement side)
40c1 Rod head (displacement side)
Reference Signs List 50 Swivel shaft 52 Mount frame 70 Outboard motor outline

Claims (3)

A steering device for an outboard motor that includes a propeller driven by an internal combustion engine and is rotatably mounted on a hull via a swivel shaft that is a steering shaft and a swivel case in which the swivel shaft is housed. A swivel shaft is rotated to steer the outboard motor, and the actuator is disposed so as to be located within the outline of the outboard motor regardless of the steering angle of the outboard motor. A steering device for an outboard motor, wherein a plurality of displacement sides of the steering wheel are arranged so as to overlap in the direction of gravity. The steering apparatus for an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a displacement side of the actuator is mounted on a mount frame fixed to the swivel shaft, and a fixed side of the actuator is mounted on the swivel case. The actuator is composed of an elliptical hydraulic cylinder having a plurality of piston rods in the major axis direction, and the elliptical hydraulic cylinder is arranged so that the major axis direction is parallel to the direction of gravity, and the rod head of the piston rod is 3. The steering apparatus for an outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the outboard motors are arranged coaxially.

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