Outboard motor steering system
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsHideaki Takada, Taiichi Otobe, Shinsaku Nakayama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an outboard motor steering system, the engine speed is detected as a value indicative of the speed of the boat and a current value for operating a steering hydraulic cylinder is determined to decrease with decreasing engine speed. The current value can therefore be determined in accordance with the steering load to reduce electric power consumption. Moreover, owing to the fact that the drive current is determined as a function of steering load, it is possible to prevent the output of the cylinder from becoming excessive relative to the steering load, thereby ensuring that the steered angle tracks a desired steering angle with good accuracy.
Claims10
A system for steering an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller, comprising:
- an actuator which regulates a steering angle of the outboard motor;
- a detector which detects a speed of the boat;
- a current value determiner which determines a current value to operate the actuator based on the detected speed of the boat;
- and
- an actuator controller which controls operation of the actuator based on the determined current value.
A method of steering an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller and an actuator regulating a steering angle of the outboard motor, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a speed of the boat;
- determining a current value to operate actuator based on the detected speed of the boat;
- and
- controlling operation of the actuator based on the determined current value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.