Tiller operated marine steering system

A steering system for a watercraft, comprising:

• A. a tiller having a tiller arm operatively coupled to a steered element of a watercraft so as to impose manually-generated steering forces on the steered element;
• B. a hydraulic lock preventing reaction forces imposed on or by the steered element from being transmitted from the steered element to the tiller in the absence manually-generated steering forces;
• and
• C. a thermal compensator having,
• i) a reservoir in fluid communication with the hydraulic lock;
• and
• ii) a compensating valve assembly that is provided between the reservoir and the hydraulic lock and that opens in response to changes in hydraulic fluid pressures due to temperature changes in the hydraulic lock to selectively permit a volume of fluid to flow therethrough in a first direction and a second generally opposite direction, wherein the reservoir is sealed from an ambient atmosphere and has a gas compartment defining a volume thereof that dynamically changes in response to temperature changes of the fluid within the hydraulic lock.

A steering system for a watercraft, comprising:

• A. a tiller having a tiller arm operatively coupled to a steered element of a watercraft so as to impose manually-generated steering forces on the steered element;
• B. a hydraulic lock preventing reaction forces imposed on or by the steered element from being transmitted from the steered element to the tiller in the absence manually-generated steering forces;
• and
• C. a thermal compensator having,
• i) a reservoir in fluid communication with the hydraulic lock;
• and
• ii) a compensating valve assembly including a check valve having a check valve body,
• wherein the compensating valve assembly defines a first fluid flow path extending axially through the check valve body and a second fluid flow path extending around an outer surface of the check valve body.

A steering system for a watercraft, comprising:

• A. a steered element of the watercraft;
• B. a tiller arm operatively communicating with the steered element, for imposing manually-generated steering forces to the steered element;
• C. an actuator assembly coupling and permitting generally horizontal pivotal movement between the tiller arm and the steered element;
• D. a hydraulic lock comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion that is movable relative to the fixed portion to permit fluid to flow to or from the hydraulic lock;
• and
• E. a valve assembly which is operatively coupled to the hydraulic lock for directing fluid flow within the hydraulic lock,
• wherein the pivotal movement of the tiller arm with respect to the steered element actuates the actuator assembly to cause the valve assembly to open within the hydraulic lock.