Compact Engine Control Apparatus for Improved Operability
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Summary
Problems
Side-mount type engine control apparatuses face challenges in operating mechanical transmission cables with great force, leading to deteriorated shifting or throttle operability, especially on small boats with high-power engines, and have difficulty in arranging bolts without interfering with movable members within the housing.
Innovation solutions
A slim and compact side-mount type engine control apparatus design featuring a housing with a through-hole for screw fixation, an axis unit, drive and driven gears, a sensor mounting plate, and a friction mechanism, allowing for easy operation of the control lever with reduced force and improved operability, and the ability to be mounted on either side of the hull.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If the housing is fixed to the mounting surface with a bolt penetrating the housing, then the housing can be securely mounted, but it becomes difficult to arrange the bolt without interfering with movable members inside the housing
Why choose this principle:
The patent extracts the bolt from the housing structure and relocates it to the mounting surface. The mounting surface includes a through-hole that receives the bolt, allowing the housing to be fixed without the bolt penetrating through the housing itself. This eliminates interference between the bolt and movable members inside the housing while maintaining secure mounting stability.
Principle concept:
If the housing has high rigidity to withstand reaction forces, then structural strength is improved, but the housing contour is enlarged when adding fixing portions like flanges
Why choose this principle:
The patent removes the flange structure from the housing and relocates the fixing function to the mounting surface. The mounting surface includes the through-hole and provides the necessary structural support, allowing the housing to maintain high rigidity without adding external flanges that would enlarge the housing contour.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A slim and compact side-mount type engine control apparatus design featuring a housing with a through-hole for screw fixation, an axis unit, drive and driven gears, a sensor mounting plate, and a friction mechanism, allowing for easy operation of the control lever with reduced force and improved operability, and the ability to be mounted on either side of the hull.
Abstract
An engine control apparatus includes an apparatus body, and a control lever. The apparatus body includes a housing, an axis unit including a drive gear, a driven gear, and an angle sensor. A plurality of fixing portions are provided on the housing. A through-hole is formed in the fixing portion. The through-hole is communicated with a first side wall and a second side wall of the housing. The housing is fixed to a port-side mounting surface or a starboard-side mounting surface by a screw member inserted into the through-hole. When the control lever is operated, the drive gear and the driven gear are rotated in accordance with an angle of operation. A rotational angle of the driven gear is detected by an angle sensor.