초록 ▼

An electrically controlled shift and throttle system for a watercraft having multiple control stations is disclosed. The system has a number of control units having an elongated lever arm which can be moved in forward and reverse directions for shifting the transmission among forward, neutral, and r

An electrically controlled shift and throttle system for a watercraft having multiple control stations is disclosed. The system has a number of control units having an elongated lever arm which can be moved in forward and reverse directions for shifting the transmission among forward, neutral, and reverse operating modes, as well as controlling the throttle of the engine for varying the operating speed thereof. The control units are electrically connected to a controller which also is electrically connected to a shift gear motor and throttle motor. Switches associated with each of the control units enables one of the control units to be selected as a master control unit and the nonselected control units then operate as slave units. During operation, the angular position of the master control unit lever arm is duplicated in the nonselected control units so that all control unit lever arms have the same angular orientation. A warm-up switch enables the throttle motor to be operated to vary the operating speed of the engine without shifting the transmission out of the neutral position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Apparatus for controlling the shift and throttle systems of a marine craft having at least one engine with a throttle system and a transmission with a shift system for selecting one of forward, neutral, and reverse operating modes, the craft having at least two operator control stations, the shif

1. Apparatus for controlling the shift and throttle systems of a marine craft having at least one engine with a throttle system and a transmission with a shift system for selecting one of forward, neutral, and reverse operating modes, the craft having at least two operator control stations, the shift system being of the type which has a shift gear linkage means for shifting a transmission among forward, neutral, and reverse operating modes, the throttle system having a throttle linkage means operably connected to the engine for controlling the operating speed of the engine, the apparatus comprising:a first control unit located at a first operator control station and being adapted to generate electrical signals indicative of the operating speed and operating mode as a function of the position throw said control unit having a drive motor to selectively position the same responsive to positioning signals being received thereby; a second control unit located at a second operator control station and being adapted to generate electrical signals indicative of the operating speed and operating mode as a function of the position thereof said second control unit having a drive motor to selectively position the same responsive to positioning signals being received thereby; means associated with at least one of said control units for selecting one of said control units to be the master control unit for controlling the operating mode and operating speed; a shift gear motor adapted to operate the shift gear linkage means to shift the transmission among operating modes responsive to electrical shift signals being applied thereto; a throttle motor adapted to operate the throttle linkage means for controlling the operating speed of the engine; and processing means adapted to receive said signals from each of said control units and to generate said positioning signals and to generate said shift signals for operating said shift gear motor and said throttle motor; said apparatus operating in a manner whereby selection of a lever control means enables an operator to position the same and select the operating mode and operating speed and generate said electrical signals and communicate them to said processing means, said processing means communicating positioning signals to said drive motor of the nonselected control unit for positioning the same in substantially the same position as the selected control unit.