Marine propulsion – Screw propeller – With means effecting or facilitating movement of propulsion...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-05-22
Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)
Marine propulsion
Screw propeller
With means effecting or facilitating movement of propulsion...
C114S1440RE
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234853
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to docking systems for marine vessels and, more particularly, to a simplified docking system that uses two or more propulsion systems to maneuver a marine vessel for docking purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of docking systems are known to those skilled in the art. Also, many different types of push button controls and joystick controls are known to those skilled in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,269, which issued to Leach on Nov. 8, 1994, describes a personal water vehicle. The jet motor powered water vehicle is intended for single person use. The jet powered boat includes a deck having a flat surface portion enabling a person to lie prone thereon while manually controlling the boat and steering the boat by utilizing a joystick mounted on the deck. The hull of the boat has a generally wide and shallow V-shaped configuration at a bore, lower portion thereof. The hull also has a flat bottom surface at mid and aft lower portions thereof which blend with the V-shape. The hull also includes a rear portion which is curved and upwardly slanted at a lower portion thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,438, which issued to Maier et al on Nov. 8, 1983, describes a video game controller. The video game joystick controller includes a lower housing which defines a lower convex bearing surface, an upper housing which defines an upper concave bearing surface concentric with the lower bearing surface, and a handle which defines inner and outer bearing surfaces. The inner bearing surface of the handle is adapted to mate with the lower bearing surface of the lower housing and the outer bearing surface of the handle is adapted to mate with the upper bearing surface of the upper housing such that the handle is free to pivot with a smooth action.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,929, which issued to Rieben on Feb. 25, 1992, describes a paired motor system for small boat propulsion and steerage. Paired spaced electrically driven motors provide a steerable propelling system for small boats. Each motor drives a propeller carried in an elongate channel, communicating with each lateral side of a boat beneath the water line to one boat end, to move water through such channels for boat propulsion. The electrical motors are of variable speed, reversible, and separately controlled by a joystick type control device to provide differential control of motor speed to allow steerage. The propelling system provides a low speed, maneuverable propulsion system for fishing use, as an auxiliary power system for boats having a separate principal powering system, and to aid maneuverability alone or in conjunction with the principal powering system.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in this description.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/078,976, which was filed by Alexander et al on May 14, 1998 and assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, describes a water jet docking control system for a marine vessel.
Known docking systems require additional propulsion units to be employed solely for the purpose of maneuvering a marine vessel at low speeds for the purpose of docking the marine vessel. The requirement of maneuvering propulsion systems, in addition to the primary propulsion system, increases the cost of marine vessels. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a means could be provided for allowing an operator to control the maneuvering of a marine vessel during docking procedures by utilizing the normal propulsion systems of the vessel. This would significantly simplify the maneuvering, or docking, process while minimizing the overall cost of the docking system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for maneuvering a marine vessel which comprises the steps of providing a first marine propulsion unit which is attachable to a transom of the marine vessel and also providing a second marine propulsion unit which is also attachable to the transom of the marine vessel. Although the present invention can also be utilized with a third marine propulsion unit, it is not necessary to provide additional marine propulsion units beyond a first pair. The present invention further comprises the steps of receiving a maneuver command signal from a manually controllable device. The manually controllably device can be a joystick or a plurality of push buttons which an operator can activate to convey a maneuver command to a controller of the present invention. The present invention further comprises the step of calculating a first magnitude of thrust for the first marine propulsion unit as a function of the maneuver command and calculating a second magnitude of thrust for the second marine propulsion unit as a function of the maneuver command. The first and second magnitudes of thrust are calculated to create a resultant force vector imposed on the marine vessel in combination with a resultant moment about an instantaneous center of turn of the marine vessel which will achieve the maneuver command received from the manually controllable device.
Certain embodiments of the present invention further comprise the steps of causing the first marine propulsion unit to provide the first magnitude of thrust and causing the second marine propulsion unit to provide the second magnitude of thrust. The causing steps of the present invention can comprise the steps of changing the operating speeds of engines which are associated with the first and second marine propulsion units. In other words, if the first and second marine propulsion units are outboard motors or stem drive systems with individual internal combustion engines, the operating speed of the two or more engines, measured in revolutions per minute, can be changed to appropriately affect the magnitudes of thrust produced by the first and second marine propulsion units. Alternatively, the causing steps of the present invention can comprise the steps of changing the pitch of each of two controllable pitch propellers associated with the first and second marine propulsion units.
Certain embodiments of the present invention can further comprise the steps of changing the relative position of the first marine propulsion unit relative to the transom in order to change the direction of the first magnitude of thrust relative to the marine vessel. Similarly, this embodiment of the present invention would also comprise changing the relative position of the second marine propulsion unit relative to the transom in order to change the direction of the second magnitude of thrust relative to the marine vessel. In other words, two outboard motors can be steered in a direction other than straight ahead in certain embodiments of the present invention while other embodiments can leave the two outboard motors positioned as they would be for straight ahead travel of the marine vessel. The first and second marine propulsion units can be stem drive systems, outboard motors, or inboard drives. The manually controllable device can be a joystick or a device which comprises a plurality of push buttons.
An apparatus made in accordance with the present invention comprises first and second marine propulsion units which are attachable to a transom of a marine vessel. It further comprises a manually controllable device which has an output that is representative of a maneuver command provided by a marine vessel operator. It also comprises first and second means for calculating a first magnitude of thrust and a second magnitude of thrust, respectively, for the first and second marine propulsion units, respectively, as a result of the maneuver command received from the manually controllably device. The first and second calculating means are typically incorporated as part of a micro-processor. The micro-processor can be included as a component within an engine control unit.
The present invention can further comprise means for causing the first and second marine propulsion units to actually provide the first and second
Ehlers Jeffery C.
Lanyi William D.
Suhre Blake R.
Brunswick Corporation
Lanyi William D.
Sotelo Jesus D.
LandOfFree
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