Outboard Tiller Trim Switch Assembly with Membrane Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tiller designs for outboard motors lack efficient and intuitive control mechanisms for idle speed adjustment and trim functions, often relying on mechanical switches and complex wiring, which can be cumbersome and prone to water intrusion.
Innovation Solution
A tiller design featuring a momentary idle speed control switch and a trim switch assembly with tactile switches, coupled with a microcontroller and serial bus communication, allowing for remote electronic control of the outboard motor's idle speed and trim positions, reducing the number of wires needed and enhancing user interface and water resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical switches and complex wiring are used for idle speed control and trim functions, then the control mechanism is simple and reliable, but the wiring complexity increases and water resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical switches with tactile switches that have membrane seals, eliminating the need for complex mechanical linkages and wiring. The tactile switches provide electrical control while maintaining water resistance through their sealed membrane construction, thus substituting a mechanical system with an electro-mechanical system that resolves the contradiction between reliability and wiring complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses membrane seals in the tactile switch assembly to create a waterproof barrier. The flexible membrane allows electrical contact while preventing water intrusion, providing both the electrical functionality needed for control and the water resistance required for marine environments, thereby improving reliability without increasing wiring complexity.
2Ease of operation
If momentary idle speed control switch and tactile switches are used, then the user interface becomes more intuitive and wiring is reduced, but the control mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control logic from complex mechanical linkages and concentrates it in a microcontroller unit. The momentary idle speed control switch and tactile switches provide simple, intuitive user input, while the microcontroller handles the complex control logic electronically, thereby improving ease of operation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a microcontroller as an intermediary between the simple tactile switches and the motor control system. This intermediary processes the simple user inputs and translates them into appropriate control signals, maintaining simplicity at the user interface while managing the necessary control complexity electronically rather than mechanically.
3Reliability
If remote electronic control is implemented, then the number of wires is reduced and water resistance is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a universal microcontroller-based control system that can handle multiple functions (idle speed control, trim control, signal processing) through software rather than requiring separate dedicated wiring for each function. This multi-functional approach reduces the number of wires needed while the standardized electronic components and their mounting features provide sufficient manufacturing precision without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A tiller for an outboard motor includes a tiller body that is elongated along a longitudinal center axis between a proximal end and a distal end. A throttle grip is on the distal end of the tiller body. A trim switch assembly is located at a distal end of the throttle grip. The trim switch assembly includes a momentary switch and a driver. The driver is configured to output current to activate a trim relay on the outboard motor in response to actuation of the momentary switch.