JPH07122572B2 - Tilt angle detector for outboard motors - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an outboard motor inclination angle detection device, and more particularly to detecting an inclination angle of an outboard motor body with respect to a hull and setting an optimum inclination angle. The present invention relates to an outboard motor tilt angle detector for use.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, the inclination of the outboard motor changes depending on the running state of the hull. Therefore, the outboard motor body is equipped with a tilt angle detection device for always setting an optimum tilt angle.

More specifically, the inclination angle detecting device 50 is mounted on the clamp bracket 53 of the outboard motor main body 51 as shown in FIG. The clamp bracket 53 and the swivel bracket 52 are rotatably supported by a tilt shaft 54 portion.

For this reason, the change in the inclination of the outboard motor main body 51 appears as it is as the rotating operation of the swivel bracket 52 with respect to the clamp bracket 53. The lever 50 of the tilt angle detection device 50 is biased by the operation of the swivel bracket 52.
A rotates in the up or down direction of the arrow, whereby the tilt of the outboard motor body 51 is detected. 55 shows a part of the stern.

In this case, the tilt angle detecting device 50 often uses a sliding variable resistor (potentiometer) or a magnetic sensor as a means for continuously detecting the tilt angle.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, those using a potentiometer often suffer from insufficient contact due to vibration or dew condensation, and at the same time, are often damaged by friction, and thus have a difficulty in durability.

Further, the one using a magnetic sensor has a drawback that it is easily affected by an external magnetic field and that the magnetic sensor element is required to have high accuracy, resulting in a high cost.

[Object of the Invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a durable outboard motor inclination angle detecting device capable of improving the disadvantages of the conventional example, and particularly capable of continuously detecting the outboard motor inclination angle with high accuracy. , And its purpose.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is intended to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a rotation lever, a rotation support shaft provided at a rotation fulcrum of the rotation lever, and the rotation lever and the rotation support shaft. The present invention is an improved outboard motor tilt angle detection device including a case body and a rotation angle detection means provided on the rotation support shaft portion. That is, the present invention, the case body is attached to the clamp bracket for fixing the outboard motor to the stern,
The rotation angle detecting means is composed of a variable light reflection plate mounted on the rotation support shaft and a light transmission / reception unit mounted on the inner wall of the case body so as to face the variable light reflection plate. The transmitter / receiver and the variable light reflector are arranged substantially vertically.

[Operation of the invention]

When the outboard motor tilts, the rotation lever and the rotation support shaft rotate. The variable light reflection is also rotated by the rotation of the rotation support shaft. Therefore, since the reflected light of the variable light reflector changes with the rotation of the variable light reflector, the tilt angle of the outboard motor is detected by the light transmitting / receiving unit.

The contact surface between the clamp bracket and the stern has a sufficiently large area for fixing the outboard motor. Therefore, the clamp bracket is stably supported, and the contact surface of the stern absorbs the vibration, so that the vibration of the clamp bracket is extremely small. Since the case main body is attached to such a clamp bracket, since the case main body also has little vibration, the detection accuracy of the rotation angle detection means is high.

In addition, the rotation angle detecting means including the light transmitting / receiving unit and the light variable reflecting plate is likely to cause a large error due to a change in the distance between the light transmitting / receiving unit and the light variable reflecting plate when vibration is applied in the light irradiation direction. . In the present invention, since the light transmitting / receiving unit and the variable light reflection plate are arranged substantially in the vertical direction, the direction is substantially parallel to the contact surface of the stern. In this direction, since the rigidity is high, the vibration is small, which contributes to the improvement of the detection accuracy of the rotation angle detection means.

Example of Invention

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

First, in FIG. 1, 1 is a sender housing as a case body, and 2 is a lid. Sender housing 1
Has a structure in which one side is opened and the cross section is formed into a flat box shape, and a rotary support shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a part of the box shape.

A rotary lever 4 is integrally attached to the outer end of the rotary support shaft 3. Further, a rotation angle detecting means 10 is provided on the inner protruding portion of the rotation support shaft 3. The rotation angle detecting means 10 is mounted on the inner wall of the sender housing 1 so as to face the light-reflective surface 12 provided on the outer peripheral surface 11A of the resin-made rotary drum 11 and the light-reflective surface 12. Optical transceiver
It is composed of 13 and. The light transmitting / receiving unit 13 includes a light emitting diode 13A as a light emitting unit and a phototransistor 13B as a light receiving unit, and constitutes an optical coupler through the light anti-slope 12 as a light variable reflector. Light reflection surface 12
2 is formed by adhering a planar light reflecting member formed in an isosceles triangle to the rotary drum 11 as shown in FIG.

A coil spring 4A as an original position returning means for the rotary lever 4 is provided on the rotary support shaft 3 portion. 1E and 1F indicate the mounting parts.

The tilt angle detecting device configured as described above is the sixth embodiment described above.
As in the case of the figure, the swivel bracket 52 mounted on the clamp bracket 53 and rotated with the inclination of the outboard motor 55 rotates the rotation lever 4 portion, whereby the optical transmission / reception unit 13 makes a predetermined rotation change. The quantity is set to be output.

FIG. 4 shows the operation of the rotation angle detecting means 10 by the light reflection method. In FIG. 4, the light output from the light emitting diode 13A hits the light reflecting surface 12 of the rotating drum 11, and is diffusely reflected to the surroundings by the light reflecting surface 12. Therefore, the amount of light reflected and input to the phototransistor 13B, which is the light receiving unit, changes depending on the rotational position of the rotary drum 11. A, B, and C of FIG. 2 show changes in the amount of received light, and the amount of light clearly changed by A <B <C is received by the phototransistor 13B. Therefore, the rotation angle detecting means 10 has an advantage that the output characteristics can be freely changed by changing the shape of the light reflecting surface 12.

FIG. 5 shows an electric circuit in the case where the rotation information from the rotary drum 11 output from the phototransistor 13B as the light receiving portion is displayed on the trim gauge 21 amplified by the amplifier circuit 20. In this case, the light-emitting diode 13A is provided with a constant voltage circuit 22 on the power supply side thereof, thereby ensuring stable operation of the light-emitting diode 13A. 2
Reference numeral 4 indicates a diode for preventing reverse connection.

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention is configured and functions as described above, according to this, it becomes possible to detect and output the inclination angle of the outboard motor with high accuracy without being affected by an external magnetic field and the like, and the rotation angle detecting means is provided. It is possible to provide an unprecedented excellent outboard motor inclination angle detection device that does not have any sliding contact portion or the like mechanically and eliminates any malfunction caused by external vibration or dew condensation.

Moreover, according to the present invention, since the case main body is attached to the clamp bracket that fixes the outboard motor to the stern, and the optical transmission / reception unit and the variable light reflection plate are arranged substantially vertically, The influence can be eliminated as much as possible, and thus the detection accuracy of the rotation angle detection means can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a light reflecting surface as a variable light reflecting plate, and FIG. 3 is a light reflecting surface mounted on a rotary drum. Illustration,
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the rotation angle detecting means, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of the light transmitting / receiving section 13 which is a main part of the rotation angle detecting means, and FIG. 6 is equipped with the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows some outboard motors. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sender housing as case body, 3 ... Rotating support shaft, 4 ... Rotating lever, 10 ... Rotation angle detecting means, 12
...... Light reflecting surface as a variable light reflector, 13 ・ ・ ・ Optical transceiver.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rotary lever, a rotary support shaft mounted on a rotary fulcrum of the rotary lever, and a case main body for supporting the rotary lever and the rotary support shaft. In an outboard motor tilt angle detection device comprising a rotation angle detecting means at a dynamic support shaft part, the case body is attached to a clamp bracket for fixing the outboard motor to the stern, and the rotation angle detecting means is The optical variable reflector provided on the drive shaft and the optical transmitter / receiver mounted inside the case body so as to face the optical variable reflector, the optical transmitter / receiver and the optical variable reflector. Is provided in a substantially vertical direction, an outboard motor inclination angle detecting device.