JP4767027B2 - Navigation steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation steering apparatus such as an outboard motor.

  A small boat such as a motor boat that uses an outboard motor as a propulsion device does not have a rudder, the outboard motor is a steering mechanism, and steering is performed by changing the direction of the outboard motor main body. In particular, in the case of a small size, a handlebar is attached to the outboard motor main body so that the driver can directly steer. In other cases, the rotation of a steering wheel (steering member, steering wheel) provided in the driver's seat is transmitted by a rope and pulley, a push-pull cable, or a hydraulic plunger to steer the outboard motor body.

As a navigation steering apparatus for steering such an outboard motor, in recent years, a steering wheel of a driver's seat is arranged without mechanical connection with the outboard motor, and an actuator for steering the outboard motor is provided. The separation type is configured such that the actuator is operated based on the detection result of the operation direction and the operation amount of the steering wheel, and the outboard motor is steered to perform the steering according to the operation of the steering wheel. A steering apparatus for navigation is proposed in Patent Document 1 and the like.
Japanese Patent No. 2959044 Japanese Patent No. 2748559

Some of the navigation steering devices described above include a reaction force motor that applies a steering reaction force to the steering wheel. The steering reaction force is mainly determined based on the steering angle and the steering speed. Since the force acting on the steering mechanism that steers the hull is not reflected, there is a problem that the driver is not told what force is generated against the steering mechanism.
The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and can provide a driver with information on what force is generated against the steering mechanism at low cost. The purpose is to provide.

A navigation steering apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a steering angle detector that detects a steering angle of a steering member that steers the hull, and a steering reaction force applied to the steering member according to the steering angle detected by the steering angle detector. A reaction force actuator that provides a steering force, a steering mechanism that is mechanically separated from the steering member and steers the hull, and a steering mechanism that drives the steering mechanism according to the steering angle detected by the steering angle detector. In a navigation steering apparatus comprising a rudder actuator, a current detector that detects a current flowing through the steering actuator, a current value detected by the current detector, a steering angle detected by the steering angle detector, and the current And a correction means for correcting the steering reaction force based on the rate of change of the value .

  In the navigation steering apparatus according to the second invention, the correction means is configured such that the steering reaction force becomes large / small according to the magnitude of the current value detected by the current detector. It is characterized by.

  In the navigation steering apparatus according to a third aspect of the invention, the correction means is configured such that the steering reaction force becomes large / small according to the large / small change rate of the current value detected by the current detector. It is characterized by being.

According to the navigation steering apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, the current detector detects the current flowing through the steering actuator, the correction means detects the current value detected by the current detector, and the steering angle detected by the steering angle detector. Since the steering reaction force is corrected based on the rate of change of the current value , the driver uses an expensive component such as an axial force detector to determine what force is generated against the steering mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to realize a navigation steering apparatus that can transmit the information at a low cost without doing so.

  According to the navigation steering apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the correction means is configured so that the steering reaction force becomes large / small according to the magnitude of the current value detected by the current detector. To realize a navigation steering system that can inform the driver of what force is generated against the steering mechanism without using expensive parts such as an axial force detector. be able to.

  In the navigation steering apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, the correction means is configured so that the steering reaction force becomes large / small according to the large / small change rate of the current value detected by the current detector. The steering device can be used to convey to the driver sensitively what kind of force is generated against the steering mechanism without using expensive parts such as an axial force detector. Can be realized.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a navigation steering apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a connection relationship between an outboard motor main body and a hull used in the navigation steering apparatus according to the present invention. FIG.
This navigation steering device includes a steering shaft 37 of a steering wheel (steering member) 14 provided in a driver seat in front of the hull 8, a steering angle detector 15, a motor drive circuit 44, a reaction force motor (reaction force actuator). 9 and a rotor angle detector 12 are attached. The steering angle signal detected by the steering angle detector 15 that detects the absolute steering angle of a plurality of revolutions is given to the steering / reaction force controller 16.

The steering / reaction force controller 16 drives and controls the reaction force motor 9 based on the given steering angle signal so as to apply a steering reaction force to the steering wheel 14, and sends the steering angle signal to the rear part of the hull 8 through the cable 39. Is provided to the steering controller 42 provided in
The rotor angle signal detected by the rotor angle detector 12 is given to the motor drive circuit 44 and used to generate a three-phase voltage for driving the reaction force motor 9 which is a brushless motor.

The outboard motor 1 is attached to a transom (cross member) 7 at the rear part of the hull 8 via an outboard motor suspension bracket 4 and a pair of clamp brackets 5 (FIG. 2). The outboard motor main body 3 (steering mechanism) can be rotated in the horizontal direction around the outboard motor suspension bracket 4 via a steering shaft 45 (FIG. 2) described later fixed to the outboard motor main body 3. It is supported.
The outboard motor suspension bracket 4 is pivotally supported by a clamp bracket shaft 6 passed between a pair of clamp brackets 5 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, that is, capable of being tilted and trimmed.
A propeller (not shown) of the outboard motor main body 3 is attached below the drive shaft housing in which the drive shaft at the lower portion of the outboard motor main body is accommodated.

  The steered motor 11 (steering actuator) that generates the steered force is provided with a motor current detector (current detector) 46 and a motor drive circuit 43, and the motor drive circuit 43 drives the steered motor 11. A steering controller 42 to be controlled is connected by a cable. A gear case 27 is provided adjacent to the steered motor 11, and the gear case 27 is attached to the rack housing 18. Both ends of a rack 17 (FIG. 2), which will be described later, the central portion of which is accommodated in the rack housing 18 are supported by mounting brackets 22 mounted on the clamp brackets 5.

A guide plate 30 is fixed to the side of the rack housing 18, and a steered arm 33 is connected to the tip portion of the guide plate 30 on the outboard motor main body 3 side so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction.
The motor drive circuits 43 and 44, the steering controller 42, the steering / reaction force controller 16, the steering angle detector 15, the reaction force motor 9, and the like are supplied from a battery 40 installed at the rear of the hull 8.

Both ends of the rack (steering mechanism) 17 in the longitudinal direction, which is the width direction of the hull 8, are fixed to the mounting brackets 22 by bolts 23. Each mounting bracket 22 is fastened to the clamp bracket 5 by nuts 24 that are screwed to both ends of the clamp bracket shaft 6 that pivotally supports the outboard motor suspension bracket 4 by the clamp bracket 5.
A portion of the rack (steering mechanism) 17 that is not accommodated in the rack housing 18 is covered with a boot 50 for waterproofing that can be expanded and contracted.

A portion of the rack 17 accommodated in the rack housing 18 rolls a number of steel balls between a male screw 25 engraved on the rack 17 and a female screw engraved on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder 26. By doing so, it is a ball screw mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the steering motor 11 into a linear motion. The rotating cylinder 26 is rotatably supported by a pair of bearings 28 provided between the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the rack housing 18.
In the ball screw mechanism, the rotational motion of the steered motor 11 is caused by the meshing of the bevel gear 20 attached to the tip of the motor shaft 29 of the steered motor 11 and the bevel gear 21 provided around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder 26. The speed is reduced and transmitted to the rotary cylinder 26, and the rotary cylinder 26 rotates.

As the rotary cylinder 26 rotates, the rack housing 18 moves in the axial direction of the rack 17, and the guide plate (steering mechanism) 30 attached to the side surface of the rack housing 18 so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction similarly moves. To do.
A long hole 32 that is long in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rack 17 is formed at the tip of the guide plate 30 on the outboard motor main body 3 side, and protrudes from one end of a steering arm (steering mechanism) 33. The guide pins 34 that pass through the long holes 32.
The other end (not shown) of the steered arm 33 is fixed to the outboard motor main body 3, and the direction toward the other end of the steered arm 33 is the direction toward the propeller of the outboard motor main body 3. Is done.

A steered shaft 45 (steering mechanism) protrudes from the tip of the outboard motor suspension bracket 4 on the outboard motor main body 3 side, and the steered shaft 45 is drilled in an intermediate portion of the steered arm 33. The turning arm 33 is pivotally supported by the turning shaft 45.
A turning angle detector 41 is provided around the turning shaft 45, and the turning angle detector 41 detects the rotation angle with the turning arm 33 as the turning angle, and detects the detected turning angle. A steering angle signal is supplied to the steering controller 42.

From the connection relationship of the steering motor 11, the rack 17, and the steering arm 33, when the steering motor 11 rotates in one direction, the rack housing 18 and the guide plate 30 move in one axial direction of the rack 17. . When the guide plate 30 moves in one axial direction of the rack 17, the steered arm 33 rotates in the other direction around the axis of the steered shaft 45 as the guide pin 34 slides in the long hole 32. The outboard motor body 3 is steered.
Further, when the steering motor 11 rotates in the other direction, the rack housing 18 and the guide plate 30 move in the other direction of the rack 17 in the axial direction. When the guide plate 30 moves in the other direction in the axial direction of the rack 17, the steered arm 33 rotates in one direction around the axis of the steered shaft 45 as the guide pin 34 slides in the long hole 32. The outboard motor body 3 is steered.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the navigation system according to the present invention.
In this control system, a steering angle signal of the steering wheel 14 detected by the steering angle detector 15 and a motor current value signal of the steered motor 11 detected by the motor current detector 46 are given to the steering / reaction force controller 16. . The steering / reaction force controller 16 drives and controls the reaction force motor 9 by the motor drive circuit 44 based on the given steering angle signal and motor current value signal. Further, a steering angle signal is given to the steering controller 42 through the cable 39.

The rotor angle signal detected by the rotor angle detector 12 is given to the motor drive circuit 44, and the motor drive circuit 44 generates, for example, a three-phase voltage for driving the reaction force motor 9 based on the given rotor angle signal. generate.
The turning controller 42 calculates the target turning angle based on the steering angle signal given from the steering / reaction force controller 16. Further, the calculated target turning angle, the motor current value of the turning motor 11 detected by the motor current detector 46, and the turning angle between the turning shaft 45 and the turning arm 33 detected by the turning angle detector 41. Based on the signal, the motor drive circuit 43 drives and controls the steered motor 11.
The calculation of the target turning angle can also be performed by the steering / reaction force controller 16.

Hereinafter, the steering reaction force control operation of the navigation steering apparatus having such a configuration and operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the steering / reaction force controller 16 reads the steering angle θ of the steering wheel 14 detected by the steering angle detector 15 (S1), and calculates the motor current value I of the steered motor 11 detected by the motor current detector 46. Read (S3). Next, dI / dt is calculated, the read motor current value I is differentiated with respect to time, and the rate of change is obtained (S5).
Next, the steering / reaction force controller 16 calculates target current = a | θ | + bI + cdI / dt to determine the target motor current value of the reaction force motor 9 (S7), and the reaction force motor based on the steering angle θ. 9 is instructed to the motor drive circuit 44 and the determined target motor current value is returned (S9). Here, a, b, and c are positive proportionality constants.

The controller 16 for steering / reaction force increases the steering reaction force as the motor current value I decreases as the motor current value I of the given steering motor 11 increases as the motor current value I increases. The reaction force motor 9 is driven and controlled so as to reduce the. Also, the motor current value I is differentiated to calculate the rate of change. The larger the rate of change, the greater the steering reaction force. The smaller the rate of change including the minus sign, the smaller the steering reaction force. Thus, the reaction force motor 9 is driven and controlled.
Thus, the driver can feel sensitively what force is generated against the steering mechanism that steers the hull.

It is a mimetic diagram showing composition of an embodiment of a steering device for navigation concerning the present invention. It is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the outboard motor main body and the hull used in the navigation steering apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control system of the steering apparatus for navigation which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the steering reaction force control operation | movement of the steering apparatus for navigation which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 outboard motor, 3 outboard motor body (steering mechanism), 4 outboard motor suspension bracket, 5 clamp bracket, 8 hull, 9 reaction force motor (reaction actuator), 11 steering motor (steering actuator), 14 Steering wheel (steering member), 15 Steering angle detector, 16 Steering / reaction force controller (correction means), 17 Rack (steering mechanism), 18 Rack housing, 22 Mounting bracket, 26 Rotating cylinder (steering mechanism) , 30 Guide plate (steering mechanism), 33 Steering arm (steering mechanism), 41 Steering angle detector, 42 Steering controller, 45 Steering shaft (steering mechanism), 46 Motor current detector (current) Detector)

Claims (3)

A steering angle detector that detects a steering angle of a steering member that steers the hull, a reaction force actuator that applies a steering reaction force to the steering member according to the steering angle detected by the steering angle detector, and the steering member A navigation steering apparatus comprising: a steering mechanism that is mechanically separated and steers the hull; and a steering actuator that drives the steering mechanism according to a steering angle detected by the steering angle detector;
The steering reaction force based on a current detector for detecting a current flowing through the steering actuator, a current value detected by the current detector, a steering angle detected by the steering angle detector, and a rate of change of the current value. A navigation steering apparatus comprising: correction means for correcting   2. The navigation steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit is configured such that the steering reaction force becomes large / small depending on the magnitude of the current value detected by the current detector. 3.   3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit is configured such that the steering reaction force is increased / decreased according to a change rate of a current value detected by the current detector. Steering device.

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