US 2012/0231684 A1 · OUTBOARD MOTOR CONTROL APPARATUS

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor that has an internal combustion engine equipped with a plurality of cylinders and is configured to switch a shift position between an in-gear position that enables engine's driving force to be transmitted to a propeller and a neutral position that cuts off transmission of the driving force, it is configured such that a neutral operation detector detects a neutral operation in which the shift position is switched from the in-gear position to the neutral position; a driving force controller conducts driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force when the neutral operation is detected; and a cylinder number changer detects an engine speed variation range during the driving force decreasing control and, of the plurality of the cylinders, determines and changes the number of the cylinders with which the control is to be conducted based on the variation range.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine equipped with a plurality of cylinders, the outboard motor being configured to switch a shift position between an in-gear position that enables driving force of the engine to be transmitted to a propeller by engaging a clutch with one of a forward gear and a reverse gear and a neutral position that cuts off transmission of the driving force by disengaging the clutch from the forward or reverse gear, comprising:

a neutral operation detector adapted to detect a neutral operation in which the shift position is switched from the in-gear position to the neutral position;
a driving force controller adapted to conduct driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force of the engine when the neutral operation is detected;
and
a cylinder number changer adapted to detect a variation range of a speed of the engine during the driving force decreasing control and determine and change number of the cylinders with which the driving force decreasing control is to be conducted out of the plurality of the cylinders based on the detected variation range.

1 more element

neutral operation detecting means for detecting a neutral operation in which the shift position is switched from the in-gear position to the neutral position;
driving force controlling means for conducting driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force of the engine when the neutral operation is detected;
and
cylinder number changing means for detecting a variation range of a speed of the engine during the driving force decreasing control and determining and changing number of the cylinders with which the driving force decreasing control is to be conducted out of the plurality of the cylinders based on the detected variation range.

1 more element

A method for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine equipped with a plurality of cylinders, the outboard motor being configured to switch a shift position between an in-gear position that enables driving force of the engine to be transmitted to a propeller by engaging a clutch with one of a forward gear and a reverse gear and a neutral position that cuts off transmission of the driving force by disengaging the clutch from the forward or reverse gear, comprising the steps of:

detecting a neutral operation in which the shift position is switched from the in-gear position to the neutral position;
conducting driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force of the engine when the neutral operation is detected;
and
detecting a variation range of a speed of the engine during the driving force decreasing control and determining and changing number of the cylinders with which the driving force decreasing control is to be conducted out of the plurality of the cylinders based on the detected variation range.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Outboard motor control apparatus

Life of this patent

Outboard motor control apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21