Trim angle control apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus controls trim angle of outboard motor (or sterndrive) attached to watercraft. Outboard motor includes prime mover and propulsor driven by prime mover. Apparatus includes: actuator changing trim angle; sensor detecting moving speed of watercraft (or rotational speed of prime mover); switch operated by operator to enable or disable automatic trim for automatically adjusting trim angle to target angle predetermined in accordance with moving speed detected by sensor; electronic control unit including processor and memory coupled to processor and controlling actuator so that trim angle becomes target angle when automatic trim is enabled; and operation member operated by operator to input change command for changing target angle when automatic trim is enabled. Processor disables automatic trim when target angle changed by change command reaches maximum value of target angle predetermined in accordance with moving speed or rotational speed.

1 . A trim angle control apparatus configured to control a trim angle of an outboard motor or a sterndrive attached to a watercraft, wherein
 the outboard motor or the sterndrive includes a prime mover and a propulsor driven by the prime mover, wherein   the trim angle control apparatus comprises:   an actuator configured to change the trim angle;   a sensor configured to detect a moving speed of the watercraft or a rotational speed of the prime mover;   a switch configured to be operated by a ship operator to enable or disable an automatic trim for automatically adjusting the trim angle to a target angle predetermined in accordance with the moving speed of the watercraft or the rotational speed of the prime mover detected by the sensor;   an electronic control unit including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to control the actuator so that the trim angle becomes the target angle when the automatic trim is enabled; and   an operation member configured to be operated by the ship operator to input a change command for changing the target angle when the automatic trim is enabled, wherein   the processor is configured to disable the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches a maximum value of the target angle predetermined in accordance with the moving speed or the rotational speed.   
     
     
         2 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that the trim angle before the target angle is changed by the change command is equal to or less than a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         3 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the predetermined angle is a minimum value of the target angle predetermined in accordance with the moving speed or the rotational speed.   
     
     
         4 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that the moving speed detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value.   
     
     
         5 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that the rotational speed detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value.   
     
     
         6 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a depth sensor configured to detect a water depth around the watercraft, wherein   the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that the water depth detected by the depth sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value.   
     
     
         7 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that the moving speed or the rotational speed detected by the sensor decreases.   
     
     
         8 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor disables the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches the maximum value on condition that a difference between the trim angle before the target angle is changed by the change command and the trim angle changed by the change command is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         9 . The trim angle control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor keeps the automatic trim enabled even if the target angle changed by the change command is equal to or greater than the maximum value when the target angle is changed by the change command to be smaller than the trim angle before the target angle is changed by the change command.   
     
     
         10 . A watercraft attached with an outboard motor or a sterndrive including a prime mover and a propulsor driven by the prime mover, comprising:
 an actuator configured to change the trim angle;   a sensor configured to detect a moving speed of the watercraft or a rotational speed of the prime mover;   a switch configured to be operated by a ship operator to enable or disable an automatic trim for automatically adjusting the trim angle to a target angle predetermined in accordance with the moving speed of the watercraft or the rotational speed of the prime mover detected by the sensor;   an electronic control unit including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to control the actuator so that the trim angle becomes the target angle when the automatic trim is enabled; and   an operation member configured to be operated by the ship operator to input a change command for changing the target angle when the automatic trim is enabled, wherein   the processor is configured to disable the automatic trim when the target angle changed by the change command reaches a maximum value of the target angle predetermined in accordance with the moving speed or the rotational speed.