Marine Steering System With Parallel Actuator And Contactless Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine steering systems require significant force to operate and are cumbersome to extend with additional controls, with complex and heavy hydraulic connections that pose reliability and safety challenges.
Innovation Solution
The steering system employs a contactless sensor to measure the angular position of the steering wheel, disconnects the hydraulic connection when a parallel actuator becomes operative, and features a dual system with separate branches for redundancy, allowing for easy integration of additional controls and emergency steering through switching means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydraulic connection is used to transmit steering information, then steering control is achieved, but steering force requirement increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical hydraulic connection with an optical measurement system. A non-contact optical sensor measures the steering wheel angle and transmits this information electronically to the actuator, eliminating the need for complex hydraulic linkages and reducing the force required to operate the steering wheel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical sensor system that measures steering wheel position without physical contact. This intermediary allows the steering wheel to operate with minimal force while still providing accurate angular position information to control the hydraulic actuator that moves the rudder.
2Reliability
If hydraulic connection is maintained for steering control, then steering function is preserved, but system reliability decreases due to single point of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the steering control system into two independent parallel channels: a primary hydraulic actuator channel and a secondary electric actuator channel. Each channel can independently control the rudder, providing redundancy. If one channel fails, the other can take over, significantly improving system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the two actuator channels - the primary hydraulic actuator operates with high force for normal operation, while the secondary electric actuator operates with lower force. This parameter differentiation allows both channels to coexist in the same system with complementary roles, achieving redundancy without excessive complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional controls are integrated into the steering system, then system functionality increases, but system complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces heavy mechanical connection routing with lightweight electrical wiring for the optical sensor system. Additional controls can be integrated by simply extending electrical connections to the optical sensor, avoiding the need to route complex hydraulic lines and making the system much easier to expand and modify.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a steering system for a vehicle, comprising a turnable steering wheel (2), a steering element (4) operable by steering means (3), and an actuator (5) hydraulically connected to the steering wheel (2), which transmits information from the steering wheel (2) to the steering means (3). The steering system also comprises angular displacement means (10) (which may be contactless angular displacement means) connected to the steering wheel (2) for determining angle-related information, a parallel actuator (11) connected between the aforesaid angular displacement means (10) and the steering means (3), and switching means (12) designed to disconnect the hydraulic connection to the steering wheel when the parallel actuator (11) becomes operative. The hydraulic connection is deactivated and the hydraulic connection is broken as a result of the parallel actuator becoming operative. The angular position of the steering wheel (2), which is freewheeling at that point, is measured and used by contactless means. The vehicle will then be very light to steer.