JPH11193741A - Alarm device of outboard motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the driver surely recognize the breakdown of sensors. SOLUTION: This alarm device of an outboard motor has a censor trouble judgment means (for instance, a censor trouble judgment means 3) to judge breakdown situations of various sensors 12 installed on an engine, and an audible alarm means (buzzer 16) and display warning means (LED 17) individually controlled by a warning control means (for instance, a buzzer control audio- communication circuit 14 and a LED audio-communication circuit 15) in separate systems, respectively. When the various sensors 12 are broken down, the device operates the audible alarm means and the display warning means at the same time by an input from the censor trouble judgment means. The device is also provided with a warning type judgmentmeans (awarning judgment circuit 9) which sets a voice mode of the audible alarm means in a diagnosis mode with a small volume when an engine speed N falls below a rotational speed α at which the noise grows, and sets it in a warning mode with a large volume when the engine speed exceeds the rotational speed α.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an alarm system for an outboard motor for recognizing a driver of a failure of various sensors provided in an engine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An outboard motor of a medium to large size is provided with an alarm device for allowing a driver to recognize a failure of various sensors attached to an engine, and is provided on an instrument panel in the event of a failure. The failure is notified by a display such as an LED.

[0003] In the case of a small machine or the like which does not have such an alarm device, the diagnostics data (failure diagnosis output) output from the engine control device is inspected by a tester at the time of a periodic inspection, so that the failure of the sensors and the like is performed. Was aware of.

[0004]

However, even if the outboard motor is provided with an alarm device, the failure of which is warned only by a visual display means such as an LED is not noticed by the driver. there is a possibility. It is also easy to neglect to check the diagnosis data with a tester. Therefore, there are many cases where the outboard motor is operated with a failure, and there is a concern that fuel efficiency may deteriorate or drivability may decrease.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a first object of the present invention is to make a driver surely recognize a failure of sensors and the like.

It is a second object of the present invention to prevent a driver from feeling uncomfortable when issuing a voice alarm.

It is a third object of the present invention to allow a driver to recognize the type of a sensor that has failed so that quick and appropriate countermeasures can be taken.

A fourth object of the present invention is to remind the driver of a malfunction when the outboard motor is reused while the sensors are still malfunctioning.

A fifth object of the present invention is to enable resetting of fault data after repair of a failed sensor is completed without requiring any special operation.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alarm system for an outboard motor according to the present invention. Sensor failure determination means for determining the situation; voice alarm means and display warning means individually controlled by different systems of alarm control means; The alarm means and the display alarm means are simultaneously operated, and the sound mode of the sound alarm means at that time is set to a diagnosis mode with a small volume when the engine rotation speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which the noise increases.
And a warning type determining means for setting a warning mode in which the volume is high when the rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed α.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alarm system for an outboard motor according to the second aspect of the present invention, which determines a failure state of various sensors installed in an engine. Sensor failure determination means, voice alarm means controlled by the alarm control means, and the input from the sensor failure determination means, when the various sensors fail, activates the voice alarm means, and at that time of the voice alarm means The voice mode is set to the diagnosis mode when the engine speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which the noise becomes loud, the warning mode is set when the engine speed N is higher than the rotation speed α, and the diagnosis mode and the warning are set. And an alarm type judging means for making the sound quality of the audio alarm means different between the modes.

Further, in order to achieve the third object,
The outboard motor alarm device according to the present invention, as described in claim 3, when operating the voice alarm means in the diagnosis mode, the sound quality of the voice alarm means according to the type of the failed sensors. A sound quality switching means for switching is provided.

[0013] In order to achieve the fourth object,
The outboard motor alarm device according to the present invention is characterized in that, as set forth in claim 4, the storage means for storing the failure data of the sensors, and the failure data stored in the storage means simultaneously with the reactivation of the control power supply. And a reading means for operating at least the voice warning means of the voice warning means and the display warning means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outboard motor alarm device according to the present invention, wherein the alarm stored in the storage means is simultaneously stored in the storage means when the engine is restarted. Erasing means for erasing data is provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an outboard motor alarm device is configured, when a sensor of the outboard motor fails, the sensor failure determination means determines a failure state and inputs it to the alarm type determination means. The alarm type judging means simultaneously activates the audio alarm means and the display alarm means via the alarm control means of another system. At this time, the sound mode of the sound alarm means is set to a diagnosis mode in which the sound volume is low when the engine speed is lower than the rotation speed at which the noise is increased, and is increased when the engine speed is higher than the rotation speed at which the noise is increased. The warning mode is set.

As described above, since the voice alarm means and the display alarm means operate simultaneously, the driver can be surely notified of the failure of the sensors. Further, when the engine noise is large, the volume of the voice alarm means is large, so that the failure can be recognized more reliably. In this case, even if the display / warning means has failed, it is possible to immediately determine whether the warning is a warning warning of the engine itself or a failure warning of sensors by lowering the engine rotation speed.

Further, since the voice alarm means and the display alarm means are controlled by different alarm control means, even if one of the alarm means or the alarm control means fails, an alarm is issued by the other. Therefore, it is possible to recognize the alarm.

In the case where the outboard motor alarm device is constructed as in claim 2, when a sensor of the outboard motor fails, the sensor failure determination means determines the failure state and inputs it to the alarm type determination means. The alarm type determining means activates the audio warning means via the alarm control means, and the sound mode of the sound alarm means at that time is set to the diagnosis mode if the engine rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed at which the noise increases. If the engine rotation speed exceeds the rotation speed at which the noise increases, a warning mode having a different sound quality from the diagnosis mode is set.

According to this, since the diagnosis mode and the warning mode can be distinguished without changing the volume of the voice alarm means, it is not necessary to increase the volume of the voice alarm means for discrimination. It is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable.

Further, if the alarm device for the outboard motor is configured as in claim 3, the sound quality switching means switches the sound quality of the voice alarm means according to the type of the failed sensor when the sensors fail. The operator can immediately recognize the type of the failed sensor, and can take prompt and appropriate measures.

According to the alarm device of claim 4, the storage means stores the failure data even when the control power supply is once turned off when the sensors or the like fail, and the reading means is simultaneously turned on again when the control power supply is turned on. Is read out of the stored failure data and at least one of the voice alarm means and the display alarm means is activated, so that when the outboard motor is reused while the sensors are faulty, the driver is damaged. Can be re-recognized.

According to the alarm device of the fifth aspect, even if the failure data is stored in the storage means, the failure data is erased by the erasure means at the same time as the engine is restarted. After completion, the failure data can be reset without any special operation.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the alarm device according to the present invention.

The alarm device 1 includes an engine control circuit 2 for performing control such as ignition control and fuel injection control essential for the operation of the engine as essential components of the alarm device 1. Circuits such as a memory circuit 4, a reading circuit 5, an erasing circuit 6, an engine warning control circuit 7, a reset circuit 8, and a warning judging circuit 9 are provided. These circuits are connected to each other.

The alarm device 1 has a control power supply 11 such as a battery and a generator for supplying power to the entire system.
And various sensors 12 installed in the engine, for example, an engine temperature sensor, an intake air temperature sensor, a boost sensor, an idle switch, and the like.

Further, a reset switch 13 is connected to the reset circuit 8, while a buzzer control circuit 14 and an LED control circuit 15 are provided in parallel in the warning judgment circuit 9, and the buzzer 16 is connected to the buzzer control circuit 14. LED control circuit 15
Are connected to the LEDs 17, respectively. in this way,
The buzzer 16 and the LED 17 are connected to the control circuit
15 and are controlled individually.

When the LED 17 is turned on, a monitor gauge provided on the instrument panel of the outboard motor shown in FIG.
It is installed so that the characters “CHECK ENGINE” are displayed in the light emission in 19. Also, reset switch 13
And a buzzer 16 are also installed around the instrument panel.

In the alarm device 1, the sensor failure determination circuit 3 functions as an example of the sensor failure determination means described in claim 1, and the warning determination circuit 9 functions as an example of the alarm type determination means. The buzzer control circuit 14
The LED control circuit 15 functions as an example of an alarm control unit, and the buzzer 16 functions as an example of an audio alarm unit.
Function as an example of the display alarm means. Note that the sensor failure determination circuit 3 also functions as an example of the sound quality switching means described in claim 3.

Further, in the alarm device 1, the memory circuit 4 functions as an example of the storage means, and the reading circuit 5 functions as an example of the reading means.
Further, the erasing circuit 6 functions as an example of the erasing means described in claim 5.

The alarm device 1 having such a structure operates as follows.

First, when any of the sensors 12 provided in the engine has failed, the sensor failure determination circuit 3 determines the state of the failure and inputs it to the warning determination circuit 9. The warning determination circuit 9 drives the buzzer control circuit 14 and the LED control circuit 15 to simultaneously activate the buzzer 16 and the LED 17, and outputs the sound from the buzzer 16 and the “CHECK ENGIN” in the monitor gauge 19 due to the emission of the LED 17.
The display of "E" causes the driver to recognize the failure.

At this time, the sound mode of the buzzer 16 is set to a diagnosis mode in which the sound volume is low when the engine rotation speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which the noise increases, under the control of the warning determination circuit 9. When the rotation speed is higher than α, the warning mode is set to a large volume. The sound in the warning mode is different from the warning sound that is issued when the engine itself breaks down or the engine rotational speed becomes excessive.

The voice in the warning mode with a large volume is automatically returned to the voice in the diagnosis mode with a small volume when the driver closes the throttle and the engine speed N becomes less than α. When the driver recognizes the failure and operates the reset switch 13, the reset circuit 8 operates the buzzer control circuit 14 to stop the operation of the buzzer 16. Thus, after recognizing the failure of the sensors 12, the driving can be continued without continuing to sound the buzzer 16.

As described above, when the sensors 12 fail, the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 operate at the same time.
Can be surely recognized by the driver. Further, when the engine noise is high, the volume of the buzzer 16 is also high, so that the failure can be recognized more reliably. in this case,
Even if the LED 17 is out of order, it is possible to immediately determine whether it is a warning alarm of the engine itself or a failure alarm of the sensors 12 by lowering the engine rotation speed N.

Further, since the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 are individually controlled by the control circuits 14 and 15 of different systems, even if one of the buzzer 16 or the LED 17 and the control circuit 14 or 15 fails, the other one controls the other. Since an alarm is issued, it is possible to recognize the alarm.

The sensor failure determination circuit 3 is programmed to switch the sound quality of the buzzer 16 according to the type of the failed sensors 12 when the buzzer 16 operates in the diagnosis mode. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the switching of the sound quality is a chord sound combining short sounds and long sounds like a Morse code signal.

For example, when a sensor fails,
As shown in FIG. 3 (A), a chord sound is produced in which three short tones are emitted three times and then one short tone is emitted one beat later. When another sensor breaks down, it is a chord sound in which a long sound is emitted once and then a short sound is emitted once after one beat as shown in FIG. 3 (B).
Similarly, specific chord sounds are preset for all other sensors.

As described above, the buzzer 16 emits a specific code sound in accordance with the type of the failed sensor 12, so that the driver can immediately recognize the type of the failed sensor 12, and the driver can quickly recognize the type of the failed sensor 12. And appropriate measures can be taken. Also, when the service factory is inquired about the details of the failure by telephone or the like, if the code sound is transmitted, the service factory can easily respond.

The sound mode of the buzzer 16 when a failure occurs in the sensors 12 is set to the diagnosis mode when the engine speed N is lower than the speed α at which the noise increases, as described above. When the rotation speed N exceeds the rotation speed α at which noise increases, a warning mode is set. In addition to discrimination by changing the sound volume between the diagnosis mode and the warning mode, discrimination by changing the sound quality itself is performed. Is also possible.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3C, in the warning mode, the sound quality of the buzzer 16 is set to, for example, a long tone at a constant interval, so that each of the chord sounds in the diagnosis mode (FIGS. B) Classify the sound quality as clearly different from). As a result, the diagnosis mode and the warning mode can be distinguished without changing the volume of the buzzer 16, so that it is not necessary to increase the volume of the buzzer 16 to discriminate. Can also be prevented.

On the other hand, when the sensors 12 fail, the failure data is stored in the memory circuit 4. This stored data is read out by the readout circuit 5 at the same time as the power is turned on again even if the use of the outboard motor is terminated with the sensors 12 malfunctioning and the control power supply 11 of the alarm device 1 is once turned off. Is read. Then, the readout circuit 5 inputs to the warning determination circuit 9 to activate both the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 or at least the buzzer 16.

As described above, since the failure alarm of the failed sensors 12 is restored when the power is turned on again, when the outboard motor is reused with the failed sensors 12, the driver is reminded of the failure. And appropriate measures can be taken.

The erasing circuit 6 erases the fault data stored in the memory circuit 4 at the same time when the engine of the outboard motor is restarted. For this reason, after the failure repair of the sensors 12, the failure data can be reset without requiring any special operation. However, if the repair of the sensors 12 is not completed, the failure is immediately confirmed again by the sensor failure determination circuit 3, and the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 emit an alarm.

Next, the flow of control of the alarm device 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of control of the alarm device 1 during cruising. In this control,
, It is first determined in S1 whether or not the sensors 12 have a failure. If S1 is NO (no failure), the determination in S1 is repeated again. If S1 is YES (failure), S2 is performed. Then, the fault data is stored (the fault data is stored in the memory circuit 4).

Thereafter, in S3, it is determined whether or not the engine rotation speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which noise increases.
If this S3 is YES (N <α), the process shifts to S4, and the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 are operated simultaneously. Buzzer at this time
The 16 audio modes are set to the diagnosis mode. At the same time, the sound quality of the buzzer 16 is switched according to the type of the failed sensors 12 under the control of the sensor failure determination circuit 3.

Further, the reset switch 13 is turned on in S5.
It is determined whether or not the operation has been performed. If S5 is YES (the reset switch 13 has been turned ON), the process proceeds to S6 and the buzzer
Release the operation of 16 and return to. In S6, the operation of the buzzer 16 is released, but the operation of the LED 17 is not released, and the LED 17 is kept lit.

If S5 is NO (the reset switch 13 remains OFF), the process returns to S3, and the control after S3 is repeated. Therefore, the buzzer 16 continues to sound in the diagnosis mode until the reset switch 13 is turned on.

When S3 is NO (N> α), S7
Then, the buzzer 16 is operated in the warning mode, and the LED 17 is turned on at the same time. The volume of the sound of the buzzer 16 is increased or the sound quality is changed from that in the diagnosis mode. After that, reset switch at S8
13 ON operations are collated, and S8 is YES (turned on)
If so, the process proceeds to S6 to cancel the operation of the buzzer 16, and if S8 is NO (remains OFF), the process returns to S3 to repeat the control after S3. Also in this case, the buzzer 16 continues to sound in the warning mode until the reset switch 13 is turned on.
At this time, if the throttle is closed and the engine speed N falls below α, the sound mode of the buzzer 16 changes to the diagnosis mode.

As described above, when the sensors 12 fail, the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 operate simultaneously, and the sound quality of the buzzer 16 increases according to the increase of the engine noise or the sound quality is changed. Failure can be reliably recognized. In addition, since the sound quality of the buzzer 16 changes according to the type of the failed sensor 12, the driver can immediately recognize the type of the failed sensor 12, and can take quick and accurate measures even on a ship.

On the other hand, the flowchart of FIG. 5 shows a flow of control after the control power supply 11 is turned on to the alarm device 1. In this control, after the control power supply 11 is turned on, it is determined in S11 whether or not failure data is stored in the memory circuit 4. If S11 is NO (no failure data), the process proceeds to S12 to start the engine. Collate. If S12 is YES (the engine has been started), the failure data is reset in S13 (the failure data in the memory circuit 4 is erased by the erasure circuit 6),
Returning to the flowchart of FIG. If S11 is NO, there is no fault data in the memory circuit 4, so that the fault data need not be reset in S13.

If S11 is YES (failure data is present), the flow shifts to S14 to activate both the buzzer 16 and the LED 17, or at least the buzzer 16. At this time, the sound mode of the buzzer 16 is set to the diagnosis mode, and the sound quality is switched according to the type of the failed sensors 12.

After that, in S15, the start of the engine is collated,
If S15 is NO (the engine is not started), the ON operation of the reset switch 13 is checked in S16.
Release the operation of step 16 and return to S12.

If S15 is YES (the engine has been started), the flow shifts to S13 to reset the failure data. Further, S16 is NO (the reset switch 13 remains OFF)
If so, the process returns to S14 to repeat the control of S14 → S15 → S16. Therefore, the buzzer 16 continues to sound until the reset switch 13 is turned on.

Thus, when the sensors 12 are out of order,
Even if the power is turned off, the buzzer 16 and the LED 17 or at least the buzzer
16 is activated to let the driver recognize the failure and continue this operation until the repair of the failed part is completed.
In a case where the outboard motor is used while the outboard motor 12 is out of order, the driver can be made to recognize the outage again. Also, once the repair of the failure is completed, the failure data is reset just by starting the engine, so no special operation is required,
Failure data can be easily reset.

In the alarm device 1 of this embodiment, the buzzer 16 is used as the sound alarm means, and the LED 17 is used as the display alarm means.
Display means other than the ED 17 may be used.

[0057]

As described above, the alarm system for an outboard motor according to the present invention comprises sensor failure determination means for determining the failure status of various sensors installed in the engine and alarm control means of another system. The voice alarm means and the display alarm means, which are individually controlled, and the input from the failure determination means, simultaneously activate the voice alarm means and the display alarm means at the time of failure of various sensors, and perform the voice alarm means at that time. Alarm type determining means for setting the sound mode of the diagnosis mode to a low volume when the engine rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed at which the noise increases, and setting the warning mode to a high volume when the rotation speed exceeds the rotation speed. And characterized in that:

As described above, by simultaneously operating the voice alarm means and the display alarm means, it is possible to make the driver surely recognize the failure of the sensors and the volume of the voice alarm means with the increase of the engine noise. , The failure can be more reliably recognized. Furthermore, since the voice alarm means and the display alarm means are controlled by different alarm control means, if one of the alarm means or the alarm control means fails, an alarm is issued by the other. Recognition is possible.

The alarm device for an outboard motor according to the present invention comprises:
Sensor failure determination means for determining the failure status of various sensors installed in the engine, voice alarm means controlled by the alarm control means, and input from the sensor failure determination means. The alarm means is activated, and the sound mode of the sound alarm means at that time is set to the diagnosis mode when the engine rotation speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which the noise becomes loud, and exceeds the rotation speed α. In some cases, a warning mode is set, and an alarm type determining means for making the sound quality of the voice alarm means different between the diagnosis mode and the warning mode is provided.

According to this, since the diagnosis mode and the warning mode can be distinguished without changing the volume of the voice alarm means, it is not necessary to increase the volume of the voice alarm means to discriminate. The accompanying discomfort of the driver can be eliminated.

Further, the alarm device for an outboard motor according to the present invention includes a sound quality switching means for switching the sound quality of the sound alarm means according to the type of the failed sensor when operating the sound alarm means in the diagnosis mode. With the provision, the driver can immediately recognize the type of the failed sensor, and can take quick and appropriate measures.

The alarm device for an outboard motor according to the present invention includes a storage unit for storing failure data of sensors and the like, and reads out the failure data stored in the storage unit at the same time when the control power supply is turned on again. The reading means for activating at least one of the voice alarm means and the display alarm means is provided, so that even if the power is turned off while the sensors are broken, at least the voice alarm means is activated and an alarm is generated at the same time as the power is turned on again. This makes it possible for the driver to recognize the malfunction again when the outboard motor is reused while the sensors are malfunctioning.

Further, the outboard motor alarm device according to the present invention comprises:
Eliminating means for erasing the failure data stored in the storage means at the same time as restarting the engine enables resetting of the failure data without any special operation after repair of the failed sensors is completed. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an alarm device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a monitor gauge provided on an instrument panel of the outboard motor.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of switching buzzer sound quality.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of control of an alarm device during traveling.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow after a control power supply is turned on to the alarm device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Alarm device 2 Engine control circuit 3 Sensor failure determination circuit functioning as an example of sensor failure determination means and sound quality switching means 4 Memory circuit functioning as an example of storage means 5 Reading circuit functioning as an example of reading means 6 Example of erasing means Erase circuit 7 functioning as engine 7 Engine warning control circuit 8 Reset circuit 9 Warning determining circuit functioning as an example of alarm type determining means 11 Control power supply 12 Various sensors 13 Reset switch 14 Buzzer control circuit functioning as an example of alarm control means 15 LED control circuit functioning as an example of alarm control means 16 Buzzer functioning as an example of sound alarm means 17 LED functioning as an example of display alarm means N Engine speed α Engine speed at which noise increases

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sensor failure judging means for judging a failure situation of various sensors installed in an engine; an audio alarm means and a display alarm means individually controlled by alarm control means of different systems; By the input from the judging means, when the various sensors fail, the sound alarm means and the display alarm means are simultaneously activated, and the sound mode of the sound alarm means at that time is changed to the rotation speed α at which the engine rotation speed N becomes loud. When the value is below, set the diagnosis mode to low volume,
An alarm device for an outboard motor, comprising: an alarm type determination unit that sets a warning mode with a large volume when the rotation speed α exceeds the rotation speed α. 2. Sensor failure determining means for determining the failure status of various sensors installed in the engine; voice alarm means controlled by the alarm control means; In the event of a failure, the voice alarm means is activated, and the voice mode of the voice alarm means at that time is set to the diagnosis mode when the engine speed N is lower than the rotation speed α at which the noise becomes loud. an outboard motor alarm device, comprising: a warning mode when α is greater than α; and an alarm type judging unit for making the sound quality of the audio alarm unit different between the diagnosis mode and the warning mode. . 3. The ship according to claim 1, further comprising: sound quality switching means for switching the sound quality of the sound alarm means according to the type of the failed sensor when the sound alarm means is operated in the diagnosis mode. Outer unit alarm device. 4. A storage means for storing fault data of sensors and the fault data stored in said storage means at the same time when the control power supply is turned on again, and at least one of the voice alarm means and the display alarm means is provided with a voice. 3. The alarm device for an outboard motor according to claim 1, further comprising: a reading unit that activates the alarm unit. 5. The alarm device for an outboard motor according to claim 4, further comprising an erasing means for erasing the failure data stored in the storage means at the same time as restarting the engine.