Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Hydraulic steering system for a watercraft
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Application No.: US16022157Application Date: 2018-06-28
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Publication No.: US10543895B1Publication Date: 2020-01-28
- Inventor: Samuel McGinley , Darrell Wiatrowski , Jeremiah Gillis
- Applicant: BRP US INC.
- Applicant Address: US WI Sturtevant
- Assignee: BRP US INC.
- Current Assignee: BRP US INC.
- Current Assignee Address: US WI Sturtevant
- Agency: BCF LLP
- Main IPC: B63H20/12
- IPC: B63H20/12 ; B63H20/00 ; B63H25/04 ; B63H25/42 ; B63H25/02

Abstract:
A steering system for a watercraft has steering position sensors sensing a steering position of first and second outboard motors, hydraulic steering actuators for steering the outboard motors, a hydraulic helm selectively supplying hydraulic fluid to the steering actuators, at least one valve for reversing a direction of flow of hydraulic fluid into the steering actuators, and a steering controller. The steering controller executes a realignment process including: receiving signals indicative of the steering positions of the outboard motors from the steering position sensors; based at least in part on the signals, determining if the outboard motors are misaligned; and, if the outboard motors are misaligned, actuating the at least one valve to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid into a corresponding steering actuator in a direction opposite to that corresponding to an active steering direction set by the hydraulic helm so as to reduce misalignment of the outboard motors.
Information query