Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a boat equipped with an outboard motor mounted on its stem and having an internal combustion engine, a propeller to be driven by the engine and a propeller pitch changer adapted to variably change a pitch of the propeller, an opening of a throttle valve installed at an air intake system of the engine and its change amount are detected, and based on the change amount of the detected opening of the throttle valve, it is determined whether or not the pitch of the propeller is to be changed through the propeller pitch changer.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller, and a transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, it is determined whether acceleration is instructed to the engine when the second speed is established and whether a preset condition is met, and operation of the transmission is controlled to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the acceleration is determined to be instructed and the preset condition is met, thereby improving the acceleration performance of immediately after the acceleration is started.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and transmission, it is configured to determine whether acceleration is instructed to the engine by an operator when the gear position is the second speed, detect a slip ratio of a propeller based on theoretical velocity and actual velocity of a boat, control a throttle opening to suppress increase in the slip ratio when the acceleration is determined to be instructed, and change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the slip ratio is equal to or less than a first predetermined value and the change amount of the slip ratio is equal to or less than a prescribed value. With this, it becomes possible to appropriately control operation of the engine and the transmission during acceleration, thereby improving the acceleration performance of immediately after acceleration start.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a hull of a boat and equipped with an internal combustion engine to power a propeller and a trim angle regulating mechanism adapted to regulate a trim angle relative to the hull, comprising: a throttle opening change amount calculator that calculates a throttle opening change amount of the engine; an accelerating state determiner that determines whether the boat is in an accelerating state based on the calculated throttle opening change amount; and a trim angle controller that controls operation of the trim angle regulating mechanism to increase the trim angle based on an operating parameter that indicates a state of the engine and the propeller when the accelerating state determiner determines that the boat is in the accelerating state.

Abstract: In an outboard motor having a prime mover, a gear mechanism transmitting a driving force of the prime mover to a propeller, and a gear case housing the gear mechanism, it is configured to have a drain bolt fastened to a drain hole bored at the gear case and constituted as a magnetic member; a stacked portion provided at an exposed part of the drain bolt in an inside of the gear case and having a conductor, an insulator and a resistive element partially making contact with the conductor that are stacked in a gravitational direction; a current detector detecting a current value conducted from the conductor to the drain bolt under a condition where voltage is applied to the conductor; and a wear debris amount detector adapted to detect an amount of wear debris of the gear mechanism deposited at the drain bolt based on the conducted current value.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having a shift lever used to change a shift position between an in-gear position that enables driving force of an internal combustion engine to be transmitted to a propeller by engaging a clutch with one of a forward gear and a reverse gear and a neutral position that cuts off transmission of the driving force by disengaging the clutch from the forward or reverse gear, it is configured to detect a throttle opening of the engine; detect a speed of the engine; calculate a change amount of the detected engine speed; and conduct driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force of the engine based on the detected throttle opening, the detected engine speed and the calculated engine speed change amount.

Abstract: In a control apparatus for an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and a transmission adapted to establish speeds including first and second speeds and transmit an engine output to a propeller with an established speed, it is configured to determine whether acceleration is instructed to the engine by an operator when the second speed is established; detect an engine speed; detect a navigation acceleration indicative of a change amount of navigation speed per predetermined time; change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the acceleration is determined to be instructed; and change the gear position from the first speed to the second speed when the engine speed is at or above a predetermined speed and the navigation acceleration is at or below a predetermined value after the gear position is changed to the first speed.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an outboard motor mounted on a boat and equipped with a transmission having at least forward first and second speed gears and a reverse gear. The apparatus functions as a rudder angle detector that detects a rudder angle, a slip ratio detector that detects a slip ratio, and a transmission controller. The transmission controller controls the operation of the transmission to select one of the gears based on the detected engine speed or the detected slip ratio according to a comparison between the detected rudder angle and a predetermined angle.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an engine to power a propeller, a transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including a first speed and second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, and a trim angle regulation mechanism regulating a trim angle through trim-up/down operation, the transmission is controlled to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the second speed is selected and a throttle opening change amount is at or above a predetermined value; and the trim angle regulation mechanism is operated to start the trim-up operation based on engine speed. With this, the transmission can be appropriately controlled to suppress the decrease in boat speed caused by change of gear position, thereby mitigating an unnatural feel given to the operator.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor that has an internal combustion engine equipped with a plurality of cylinders and is configured to switch a shift position between an in-gear position that enables engine's driving force to be transmitted to a propeller and a neutral position that cuts off transmission of the driving force, it is configured such that a neutral operation detector detects a neutral operation in which the shift position is switched from the in-gear position to the neutral position; a driving force controller conducts driving force decreasing control to decrease the driving force when the neutral operation is detected; and a cylinder number changer detects an engine speed variation range during the driving force decreasing control and, of the plurality of the cylinders, determines and changes the number of the cylinders with which the control is to be conducted based on the variation range.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and transmission, it is configured to control operation of the transmission to change the gear position to the first or second speed in response to a speed change command outputted upon an operator's manipulation, determine whether a throttle valve of the engine is at a fully-opened position or thereabout when the speed change command to the first speed is outputted, and determine whether the engine is under a predetermined operating condition when the throttle valve is determined to be at the fully-opened position or thereabout, wherein the transmission controller changes the gear position from the first speed to the second speed when the engine is determined to be under the predetermined operating condition. With this, it becomes possible to mitigate load on a transmission gear to improve durability of the transmission.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of two outboard motors mounted on a stern of a boat side by side and each equipped with an internal combustion engine to power a propeller through a power transmission shaft and a transmission having a forward first-speed and a second-speed gear and a reverse gear supported on the power transmission shaft, control is conducted at turning of the boat to operate the inner one of the outboard motors to transmit the engine power to the propeller through the reverse gear, and to operate the outer one of the outboard motors to transmit the engine power to the propeller through the forward first-speed gear, when the detected engine speed is equal to or smaller than a predetermined first speed and the detected rudder angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle.

Abstract: In an outboard motor having an engine and an engine cover adapted to cover the engine, the engine having an air intake passage that opens at the engine cover, it is configured such that a secondary air passage having an inlet disposed at an internal space of the engine cover and an outlet connected to the air intake passage at a position downstream of a throttle valve of the engine. The inlet of the secondary air passage is disposed at an internal space of the engine cover and near a belt cover that covers a timing belt adapted to transmit rotation of a crankshaft of the engine to a cam shaft of the engine.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller, and a transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, engine speed is detected, it is determined whether acceleration is instructed when the second speed is established, and operation of the transmission is controlled to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the acceleration is determined to be instructed, and then change back the gear position from the first speed to the second speed based on the detected engine speed, thereby enabling to control the transmission optimally.

Abstract: An outboard engine unit includes a water pump disposed on a lower end portion of an input shaft of a transmission, and left and right cooling water feeding passages interconnecting the water pump and a cooling water inlet of an engine. The left and right cooling water feeding passages are disposed around a plurality of transmission gears disposed on the input shaft of the transmission. A cooling water drawn by the water pump is guided through the left and right cooling water feeding passages to the cooling water inlet.

Abstract: An outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat is provided with a transmission and an oil pump. The transmission has a first-speed and second-speed gears, a first-speed gear clutch made of a mechanical dog clutch and a second-speed gear clutch made of a hydraulic clutch each adapted to engage the first and second-speed gears on a power transmission shaft, and a first-speed gear shift actuator adapted to couple the first-speed gear clutch with the first-speed gear. In the transmission, a first speed is established when the first-speed gear is engaged on the power transmission shaft and a second speed is established when the second-speed gear is engaged on the power transmission shaft while the first speed has been established such that power of the engine is transmitted to the propeller through the established speed.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and a transmission selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, it is configured to control operation of the transmission to change the gear position to the first or second speed in response to an outputted speed change command, determine whether an engine speed is continuously equal to or greater than a predetermined speed for a predetermined time period when the speed change command to the first speed is outputted, and when the determination is affirmative, change the gear position from the first speed to the second speed. With this, it becomes possible to mitigate the load on a transmission gear to improve durability of the transmission.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller, and a transmission selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, it is configured to determine whether the transmission is in a reverse position, and control operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed when the second speed is selected and the transmission is determined to be in the reverse position. With this, it becomes possible to prevent the thrust of the boat from decreasing.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller and a transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, a change amount of throttle opening and a change amount of manifold absolute pressure of the engine are detected, and operation of the transmission is controlled to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed based on the change amounts of the throttle opening and manifold absolute pressure, thereby enabling to appropriately control the operation of the transmission to suppress the decrease in boat speed even when the resistance of water flow acting on a boat during cruising is increased due to influence of a wave, etc.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and a trim angle regulation mechanism, where operation of the transmission is controlled to change the gear position from a second speed to a first speed when detected throttle change amount not less than a first predetermined value and operation of the trim angle regulation mechanism is controlled to start the trim-up operation such that the trim angle converges to a predetermined angle, the operation of the trim angle regulation mechanism is controlled such that the trim angle is decreased based on the detected rudder angle when steering of the outboard motor is started, thereby enabling to appropriately prevent cavitation caused by steering of the outboard motor, so that the boat can be smoothly turned.