Electromechanical control device particularly for boats

Abstract

Control device with a control mechanism for setting operation conditions of an engine and/or of other operating units. The control mechanism is movable along a predetermined path for a predetermined travel between two end-limit stop positions. A setting device sets an engine supply and/or operation parameters of other operating units. The setting device has at least a mobile setting mechanism, for example, a carburetor throttle is connected to the control mechanism by mechanical transmission. A movement thereof causes a movement of the setting mechanism. The system further provides a movement and/or position sensor on the control mechanism. The sensor produces electrical signals univocally correlated to the position/movement of said control mechanism. A motor actuator operating the setting mechanism is connected to a control gearcase. The gearcase produces control signals of the actuator univocally correlated and corresponding to signals transmitted by the position/movement sensor. The actuator and the mechanical transmission are contemporaneously connected to the setting mechanism.

1 . Control device particularly for boats, which device comprises: 
 at least a control mechanism for setting the operation conditions of at least an engine and/or of other operating units, which control mechanism is movable along a predetermined path and for a predetermined travel between two end limit stop positions    at least means for setting the engine supply and/or the operation parameters of said other operating units which setting means have at least a mobile setting mechanism, such as for example a throttle of a carburetor, and which setting mechanism is connected to said at least single control mechanism by means of a mechanical transmission, such as a cable, lever or tie rod system or the like, so that a movement thereof causes a movement of the setting mechanism. characterized in that in conjunction the system further provides:    a movement and/or position sensor of the at least one control mechanism, which sensor produces electrical signals univocally correlated to the position and/or movement of said control mechanism,    at least a motor actuator for operating the setting mechanism, which motor actuator is connected to a control gearcase and which gearcase produces control signals of the motor actuator univocally correlated and corresponding to signals transmitted by the position and/or movement sensor, the motor actuator and the mechanical transmission being contemporaneously connected to the setting mechanism.    
   
   
       2 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises mechanical transmission means divided in two portions one of which is connected to the control mechanism and one is connected to the setting mechanism and means for mechanically connecting said two portions one with respect to the other composed of a interposable unit in series between said two portions and with a connection member of the two portions of the mechanical transmission means that is movable together with said two portions and in that it further comprises position and/or movement sensors of the mobile connecting member generating a univocal signal corresponding to the position and/or movement of said mobile connecting member.  
   
   
       3 . System according to  claim 2 , wherein movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism are composed of movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member.  
   
   
       4 . System according to  claim 2 , wherein it has position and/or movement sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and in conjunction, that is in parallel or in series, movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member.  
   
   
       5 . System according to  claim 4 , wherein the control gearcase processes only signals of movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism or only signals of movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member or in parallel both signals of movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member.  
   
   
       6 . System according to  claim 5 , wherein the control gearcase has hardware or software comparators of movement and/or position sensor signals of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and of movement and/or position sensor signals of the mobile connecting member and means indicating error or warning in case of no correspondence between said signals of movement and/or position sensors of the control mechanism directly associated to the control mechanism and of movement and/or position sensors of the mobile connecting member.  
   
   
       7 . Control system according to one or  claim 1 , wherein it has an automatic joint for engaging and disengaging the mechanical transmission and/or the motor actuator to the setting mechanism, which joint alternatively engages and disengages the mechanical transmission and/or the motor actuator to setting mechanisms.  
   
   
       8 . System according to  claim 7 , wherein the automatic joint is provided between a mobile actuating member and the mechanical transmission and/or between said mobile actuating member and a drive engine thereof ( 805 ).  
   
   
       9 . System according to  claim 7 , wherein it comprises an electromechanical actuator comprising a driving shaft dynamically connected to the setting mechanism by means of mechanical means, an automatic mutual engaging and disengaging joint being provided between said driving shaft and said mechanical means, while said mechanical means for the dynamic connection to the setting mechanism are further connected by means of an automatic engaging and disengaging joint to mechanical transmission means to control mechanism.  
   
   
       10 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein on the driving shaft a first radial control lever is mounted connected by mechanical means to setting means and which lever can be dinamically connected respectively by means of a disengaging and engaging automatic joint to the driving shaft or to a second radial lever having a different angular position that is connected to transmission means to the control mechanism, said disengaging and engaging automatic joint being such that engages alternatively in turn with the first radial lever the driving shaft or the second radial lever, in this last condition the two levers being rotating together about the driving shaft.  
   
   
       11 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises at least a unit composed of a transmission insert that can be mounted in series at any suitable point of the mechanical transmission dividing said mechanical transmission in two portions, one coming from the control mechanism and the other directed to the setting mechanism, and which insert is composed of a rack member connected to the ends of said two portions of mechanical transmission means and with which a pinion cooperates mounted on the shaft of a position transducer.  
   
   
       12 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises at least a unit composed of a transmission insert that can be mounted in series at any suitable point of the mechanical transmission dividing said mechanical transmission in two portions, one coming from the control mechanism and the other directed to the setting mechanism, and which insert is composed of a slide connected to the ends of said two portions of mechanical transmission means and of a slider integral with said slide to which a position transducer is secured.  
   
   
       13 . System according to  claim 11 , wherein the position transducer is a potentiometer or a variable condenser or an Hall effect device.  
   
   
       14 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein it is provided in combination with a pair of engines and which system is composed of two control mechanisms, two movement and/or position sensors of said control mechanisms, at least a control gearcase for processing signals of movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms and two motor electromechanical actuators one for each control mechanism each control mechanism being associated to one of the two engines.  
   
   
       15 . System according to  claim 14 , wherein movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms are of the serial type that is composed of movement and/or position sensors of mobile connecting members of an interposing unit.  
   
   
       16 . System according to  claim 14 , wherein movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms are of the axial type that is directly associated to the control mechanism.  
   
   
       17 . System according to  claim 14 , wherein movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms are both of the axial type that is directly associated to the control mechanism, and of the serial type that is composed of movement and/or position sensors of mobile connecting members of an interposing unit.  
   
   
       18 . System according to  claim 14 , composed of several control gearcases for processing movement and/or position sensor signals of control mechanisms such gearcases being associated to the respective sensor.  
   
   
       19 . System according to  claim 14 , further comprising an electric connecting bus between sensors, gearcase or gearcases and actuators.  
   
   
       20 . System according to  claim 19 , wherein the electric connecting bus is of the CAN type.  
   
   
       21 . System according to  claim 1 , composed of at least two control stations connected in such a way to control setting mechanisms of at least an engine, each of which station is composed of at least a control mechanism mechanically connected to at least an electromechanical motor actuator.  
   
   
       22 . System according to  claim 21 , wherein each control mechanism of each station is associated to a separate electromechanical actuator.  
   
   
       23 . System according to  claim 21 , wherein it is provided in conjunction with more than one engine, especially two engines, and in each station it has a control mechanism for setting means of each engine, to each setting mechanism being associated a corresponding actuator.  
   
   
       24 . System according to  claim 21 , wherein it has at least two or more control stations and control mechanisms of each control station or only those of a subgroup of stations or of a single station are provided in conjunction with a movement and/or position sensor of the at least one control mechanism, which sensor produces electrical signals univocally correlated to the position and/or movement of said control mechanism and which sensors are of the type directly connected to the control mechanism and/or alternately or in conjunction with said direct sensor of the type composed of an interposing unit between two portions of the mechanical transmission.  
   
   
       25 . System according to  claim 21 , wherein control mechanisms of the two or more stations are connected in series one with the other by a mechanical transmission, such as a cable or the like, to setting mechanisms of the corresponding engine, whereas movement and/or position sensors of control mechanisms can be connected in series or in parallel to the control gearcase of the electromechanical actuator of actuating mechanisms and/or directly to the electromechanical actuators.  
   
   
       26 . System according to  claim 21 , characterized by a number of movement and/or position sensors lower than the number of control mechanisms.  
   
   
       27 . System according to  claim 26 , wherein movement and/or position sensors are placed at the control station that is nearest the load and whose number is equal to the number of homologous control mechanisms.  
   
   
       28 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mechanisms are levers.  
   
   
       29 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the control station or each of the control stations or a part thereof is composed of a pair of levers one of which for setting the engine supply and the other for controlling the reversing gear the control for the reversing gear being made as the setting control of the engine supply.  
   
   
       30 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the control station or each of the control stations or a part thereof is composed of a single lever with a central neutral position and forward and reverse gear engagement with a first movement in one direction or in the opposite one of said lever and forward and reverse acceleration with a further movement of the lever.  
   
   
       31 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein position signals of control mechanisms relating to the setting of supply of at least two engines are processed together and in particular the control signals of the first engine are used to produce control signals of the second engine.  
   
   
       32 . System according to  claim 31 , wherein the at least two engines are controlled in synchronism in order to maintain the same operation condition.  
   
   
       33 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises at least two control stations with at least a control lever of setting mechanisms of at least an engine and wherein the control levers of an engine of the at least two stations are connected by a mechanical transmission in cascade one with respect to the other and in series to the actuator of the setting mechanism, whereas the control lever of the last station of the control station set has a movement or position direct sensor of said lever and/or an interposing unit provided with a mobile connecting mechanism and with a movement and/or position sensor of said connecting means that is connected to a control gearcase of an electromechanical actuator and/or directly to an electromechanical actuator.  
   
   
       34 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein it is provided a movement or position direct sensor and/or an interposing unit with a mobile connecting means and an associated movement and/or position sensor thereof which movement and/or position sensor is associated to the control lever of at least one of the further control stations and/or of the further control station, whereas the interposing unit is provided downstream of said further control station and upstream of the first one or of a further different control station.  
   
   
       35 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein it has at least two, three or more control stations each with at least a control lever and wherein one of said control stations has only mechanical means for transmitting to the actuator or actuators of the setting mechanism or mechanisms.  
   
   
       36 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein at least some or all the control stations have at least two control levers one of which for controlling the setting mechanisms of the engine supply and the other for controlling the reversing gear.  
   
   
       37 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein at least some or all the control stations have at least two control levers that are setting mechanism control levers of the supply of one of two the engines respectively.  
   
   
       38 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein at least some control stations have for each engine a pair of control levers of the supply setting mechanisms of the corresponding engine and of the reversing gear of the corresponding engine respectively.  
   
   
       39 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some control stations have only a control lever for each engine, of the supply setting mechanisms of the corresponding engine and of the reversing gear of the corresponding engine respectively.  
   
   
       40 . Interposing unit in a mechanical transmission between two portions thereof wherein it comprises a connecting member of said two mechanical transmission portions, which member is mobile therewith, and a movement and/or position sensor of said mobile connecting member driven by said connecting member.  
   
   
       41 . Interposing unit in a mechanical transmission between two portions thereof according to  claim 40 , wherein it is composed of a rack member connected to the ends of said two portions of mechanical transmission means and with which a pinion cooperates mounted on the shaft of a position transducer.  
   
   
       42 . Interposing unit in a mechanical transmission between two portions thereof according to  claim 40 , wherein it is composed of a slide connected to the ends of said two portions of mechanical transmission means and of a slider integral with said slide to which a position transducer is secured.  
   
   
       43 . Interposing unit according to  claim 41 , wherein the position transducer is a potentiometer or a variable capacitor or a Hall effect device.  
   
   
       44 . Interposing unit according to  claim 40 , wherein it further comprises a control electronic gearcase of a remote mechanism, particularly an actuator.  
   
   
       45 . Interposing unit according to  claim 44 , wherein it further comprises connectors to which movement and/or position sensors external to the unit can be connected, and the control gearcase is able to read and process signals coming from such movement and/or position sensors external to the unit and/or from the movement and/or position sensor arranged inside the unit.  
   
   
       46 . Interposing unit according to  claim 40 , wherein the control gearcase has hardware or software comparators of signals coming from the movement and/or position sensor arranged inside the unit and from movement and/or position sensors external to the unit and means indicating error or warning in case of non correspondence between said signals of movement and/or position sensors internal and external to the unit.  
   
   
       47 . Interposing unit in a mechanical transmission between two portions thereof according to  claim 40  provided in an electromechanical control system.  
   
   
       48 . Method for making an electromechanical control system, particularly for boats provided with mechanical control systems, constituting of the following steps: 
 divide the current mechanical transmission system in two portions, one coming from the control mechanism and the other directed to the setting mechanism;    insert a unit composed of a transmission insert connected to the ends of said two portions of mechanical transmission means and provided with a position transducer;    divide the mechanical transmission system between the transmission insert and the setting mechanism in two portions;    insert an electromechanical actuator made according to  claim 1 , between said portions    the position transducer and the actuator being connected to at least a control gearcase by means of an electric connecting bus.