Multi-engine control device and method for outboard engine

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-engine control device and method for outboard engines, the device comprises a double-handle remote control box, a plurality of engine control boxes and a display control system, and each engine control box is connected with an outboard engine ECU; the double-handle remote control box is connected with and controls the engine control boxes respectively, and the display control system is connected with the engine control boxes and the outboard engine ECU respectively, displays information of the outboard engine and is used for configuring the outboard engine at the same time. According to the multi-engine control device and method for the outboard engines, flexible control over the outboard engines can be achieved through the remote control box with the double speed regulation handles, complex control over full-speed advancing, left turning, right turning, in-situ turning and the like is achieved, on one hand, the number of control handles is greatly reduced in a multi-engine configured ship, and on the other hand, the number of the control handles is greatly reduced; the space in the cabin is optimized, meanwhile, the control complexity of a driver is simplified, and the driving safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an outboard motor, and in particular to a multi-motor control device and method for an outboard motor. Background Art

[0002] In the field of boat applications, outboard motors are usually divided into three groups: left, middle, and right according to the installation position. For example, a two-engine boat is divided into port and starboard engines, and a three-engine boat is divided into port, starboard, and middle engines. The grouping of more than four engines will be diversified. For example, 4 engines can be divided into 2 port engines and 2 starboard engines, or 1 port engine, 1 starboard, and 2 middle engines. There will be more grouping configuration combinations for 5 or more outboard motors. When the boat is equipped with multiple engines and multiple propellers, the driver will adjust the number of engines enabled according to the specific sea conditions and boat load conditions to meet the boat operation requirements and achieve the purpose of energy saving. In actual heading applications, in order to reduce energy consumption, the middle engine is in idle state most of the time, and the middle engine is used for propulsion only when it is moving at full speed. The number and configuration of the left, middle, and right engines also determine the overall power performance of the boat.

[0003] In the application scenario of traditional ships mounting multiple outboard motors, one control handle is usually used to control one outboard motor. As the number of engines increases, the number of handles increases accordingly. In this operation scenario, to control multiple outboard motors forward and reverse, each handle needs to be operated separately. If an emergency situation occurs and emergency avoidance is required, a driver often has no time to operate multiple handles, which makes accidents more likely to occur. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-machine control device and method for outboard motors, so as to realize the control of multiple outboard motors by one handle and simplify the operation steps of the driver.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is:

[0006] A multi-machine control device for an outboard motor comprises a double-handle remote control box, an engine control box and a display and control system. There are multiple engine control boxes, each of which is connected to an outboard motor ECU. The double-handle remote control box is connected to control each engine control box respectively, and the display and control system is connected to each engine control box and the outboard motor ECU respectively to display outboard motor information and is used to configure the outboard motor.

[0007] Preferably, the double-handle remote control box has two left and right handles to control the forward, reverse, neutral and throttle opening of the outboard motor.

[0008] Preferably, the dual-handle remote control box has the start and stop functions of synchronous mode, mid-machine mode and docking mode.

[0009] Preferably, the engine control box is responsible for controlling the outboard motor ECU and forwarding the gear position and throttle information of the handle to the engine ECU, responding to the user's manipulation.

[0010] Preferably, the number N of the outboard motors is numbered 1, 2, ..., N from left to right, and there is an ID line on the connection line of the outboard motor ECU for configuring the ID numbers 1, 2, ... N of the outboard motors in one-to-one correspondence with the numbers of the outboard motors.

[0011] The multi-machine control method of outboard motors comprises the steps of:

[0012] S1. According to the outboard motor ID number, the outboard motors are grouped and configured as port motor, starboard motor and center motor respectively, so as to achieve the purpose of equipping the power demand on demand;

[0013] S2. After the left, center and right configurations of the outboard motor are completed, the outboard motor ECU configures the device according to the ID on the connection harness to achieve ID matching and corresponding control strategy configurations for the port, starboard and center motors:

[0014] The port engine responds to the manipulation of the left speed control handle of the double-handle remote control box, the starboard engine responds to the manipulation of the right speed control handle of the double-handle remote control box, and the center engine responds to the manipulation of the speed control handle only when the gear positions of the left and right speed control handles are consistent.

[0015] Preferably, the control strategies for the port engine, the starboard engine and the center engine also include a center engine mode and a synchronization mode;

[0016] When the center engine mode is enabled, only the outboard engine of the center engine group responds to the operation of the speed control handle to provide propulsion power for the boat, while the port and starboard engines are both in idle state and do not provide power output;

[0017] When Sync mode is enabled, all outboards respond to the left debug handle simultaneously, allowing a single handle to operate all outboards simultaneously.

[0018] Preferably, the left and right handles of the double-handle remote control box have three gear states, namely forward, neutral and reverse, respectively. A variety of different states can be obtained by combining them to achieve full-speed forward, reverse, left turn, right turn and on-the-spot U-turn control.

[0019] Preferably, the left and right handles of the double-handle remote control box can be combined to obtain 9 different states: full speed forward, to the right front, turn right on the spot, to the left front, docking, to the left rear, turn left on the spot, to the right rear, and full speed backward.

[0020] Preferably, the display and control system displays the outboard motor speed, oil pressure, and ship fuel tank level information, as well as the number of engines and the configuration of the left, center, and right engines.

[0021] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. The multi-engine control device and method of the outboard motor of the present invention can realize the flexible control of multiple outboard motors through a remote control box with a dual speed control handle, and realize complex operations such as full speed forward, left turn, right turn, and U-turn on the spot. On the one hand, it greatly saves the number of control handles in a boat with multiple engines, optimizes the space in the cabin, and also simplifies the driver's control complexity and improves driving safety.

[0023] 2. The present invention arranges different numbers of port engines, starboard engines and center engines by rationally grouping multiple engines, thereby realizing flexible configuration and adjustment of port and starboard power of multi-engine boats.

[0024] 3. The present invention realizes the use of a single control box to cope with the marshaling and grouping control of multiple engines through the operation of a dual-speed control handle control box and a display and control system.

[0025] 4. The present invention realizes multi-engine ID numbering by adjusting the connection sequence of the engine controller wiring harness, and realizes the engine grouping operation without computer configuration, which is simple and fast. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0027] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the multi-machine control device for outboard motors of the present invention is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-machine control device for outboard motors proposed in the present invention includes a double-handle remote control box RC-302, an engine control box EM-300 and a display and control system DP-100. There are multiple engine control boxes, each of which is connected to an outboard motor ECU; the double-handle remote control box is connected to control each engine control box respectively, and the display and control system is connected to each engine control box and the outboard motor ECU respectively to display outboard motor information and is used to configure the outboard motor.

[0029] The double-handle remote control box RC-302 has two left and right handles, both of which have the functions of forward, reverse, and neutral gear control and throttle opening control, and also has the start and stop functions of synchronous mode, mid-machine mode, and docking mode.

[0030] The engine control box EM-300 is responsible for controlling the outboard motor ECU and forwarding the gear position and throttle information of the handle to the engine ECU, responding to the user's control.

[0031] The display and control system DP-100 displays information such as engine speed, oil pressure, and ship fuel tank level, and is also used for the number of outboard motors and the configuration of left, center, and right motors.

[0032] The number of outboard motors N is numbered 1, 2, ..., N from left to right. There is an ID line on the connection line of the outboard motor ECU for configuring the ID number 1, 2, ... N of the outboard motor and the one-to-one correspondence between the outboard motor number.

[0033] The multi-machine control method of outboard motors comprises the steps of:

[0034] Step S1, according to the outboard motor ID number, the outboard motors are grouped according to the following table, and the outboard motors are respectively configured as a port motor, a starboard motor and a center motor, so as to achieve the purpose of equipping power requirements on demand.

[0035]

[0036] For example, if there are five engines, you can choose the "1-3-1" control strategy, where engine 1 is the left engine, engines 2, 3, and 4 are the center engines, and engine 5 is the right engine. You can also choose the "2-1-2" control strategy, which means two left engines (1 and 2), one center engine (3), and two right engines (4 and 5). Through the above grouping of engines, you can flexibly adjust the number of port engines, starboard engines, and center engines to achieve the purpose of matching power requirements on demand.

[0037] S2. After the left, middle and right configurations of the outboard motor are completed, the outboard motor ECU can match the IDs according to the ID configuration device on the connection harness. For example, for a 1-3-1 model, the machine with ID=1 corresponds to the left machine control strategy. The machines with ID=2, 3, 4 correspond to the middle machine control strategy, and so on. Through the harness ID configuration, it is simple and fast, and can be realized without a computer.

[0038] As mentioned above, RC-302 has two handles, with three gear positions: F (forward), N (neutral), and R (reverse). Through the combination, 9 different states can be obtained: full speed forward, right front, turn right on the spot, left front, dock, left rear, turn left on the spot, right rear, full speed reverse. See the table below for details.

[0039]

[0040]

[0041] The above configuration strategies can be summarized as follows: the port engine responds to the manipulation of the left speed control handle of the dual-handle remote control box, the starboard engine responds to the manipulation of the right speed control handle of the dual-handle remote control box, and the center engine responds to the manipulation of the speed control handle only when the gear positions of the left and right speed control handles are consistent.

[0042] The control strategies for the port engine, starboard engine and center engine also include a center engine mode and a synchronization mode; when the center engine mode is enabled, only the outboard engine of the center engine group responds to the operation of the speed control handle to provide propulsion power for the boat, while the port engine and the starboard engine are both in an idle state and do not provide power output; when the synchronization mode is enabled, all outboard engines respond to the control of the left adjustment handle at the same time, realizing synchronous operation of all outboard engines with a single handle.

[0043] The control method and device of the present invention are also applicable to other boats equipped with multiple engines.

[0044] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modifications made according to the spirit of the main technical solution of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-motor control device for outboard motors, characterized in that: It includes a double-handle remote control box, an engine control box and a display and control system. There are multiple engine control boxes, each of which is connected to an outboard motor ECU. The double-handle remote control box is connected to control each engine control box respectively, and the display and control system is connected to each engine control box and the outboard motor ECU respectively to display outboard motor information and is used to configure the outboard motor.

2. The multi-motor control device for outboard motors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The double-handle remote control box has two left and right handles for controlling the forward, reverse, neutral and throttle opening of the outboard motor.

3. The multi-motor control device for outboard motors according to claim 2, characterized in that: The double-handle remote control box has the functions of starting and stopping in synchronous mode, mid-machine mode and docking mode.

4. The multi-motor control device for outboard motors according to claim 3, characterized in that: The engine control box is responsible for controlling the outboard motor ECU and forwarding the gear position and throttle information of the handle to the engine ECU, responding to the user's operation.

5. The multi-motor control device for outboard motors according to claim 4, characterized in that: The number of the outboard motors N is numbered 1, 2, ..., N from left to right. The connection line of the outboard motor ECU has an ID line for configuring the ID numbers 1, 2, ... N of the outboard motors, which correspond one to one with the numbers of the outboard motors.

6. A multi-machine control method for outboard motors, characterized in that: Includes steps: S1. According to the outboard motor ID number, the outboard motors are grouped and configured as port motor, starboard motor and center motor respectively, so as to achieve the purpose of equipping the power demand on demand; S2. After the left, center and right configurations of the outboard motor are completed, the outboard motor ECU configures the device according to the ID on the connection harness to achieve ID matching and corresponding control strategy configurations for the port, starboard and center motors: The port engine responds to the manipulation of the left speed control handle of the double-handle remote control box, the starboard engine responds to the manipulation of the right speed control handle of the double-handle remote control box, and the center engine responds to the manipulation of the speed control handle only when the gear positions of the left and right speed control handles are consistent.

7. The multi-machine control method of outboard motors according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control strategies for the port engine, the starboard engine and the center engine also include a center engine mode and a synchronization mode; When the center engine mode is enabled, only the outboard engine of the center engine group responds to the operation of the speed control handle to provide propulsion power for the boat, while the port and starboard engines are both in idle state and do not provide power output; When Sync mode is enabled, all outboards respond to the left debug handle simultaneously, allowing a single handle to operate all outboards simultaneously.

8. The multi-machine control method of outboard motors according to claim 7, characterized in that: The left and right handles of the double-handle remote control box have three gear states: forward, neutral, and reverse. A variety of different states can be obtained by combining them to achieve full-speed forward, reverse, left turn, right turn, and on-the-spot U-turn control.

9. The multi-machine control method of outboard motors according to claim 7, characterized in that: The left and right handles of the double-handle remote control box can be combined to obtain 9 different states: full speed forward, to the right front, turn right on the spot, to the left front, docking, to the left rear, turn left on the spot, to the right rear, and full speed backward.

10. The multi-machine control method of outboard motors according to claim 9, characterized in that: The display and control system shows the outboard engine speed, oil pressure, ship tank level information, as well as the number of engines and the configuration of the left, center and right engines.

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