Marine vessel maneuvering system and marine vessel

Abstract

A marine vessel maneuvering system includes a controller configured or programmed to perform a propulsion reverse direction control to change a direction of a propulsive force of a propulsion generator to a reverse direction when a user operates an operator to turn a marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A marine vessel maneuvering system comprising:
 an operator to maneuver a marine vessel including a propulsion generator and a steering mechanism; and   a controller configured or programmed to control a propulsive force of the propulsion generator and a steering by the steering mechanism based on an operation on the operator by a user; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to perform a propulsion reverse direction control to change a direction of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator to a reverse direction when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and maintain a steering angle by the steering mechanism when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the operator includes a joystick operable to rotate clockwise from a neutral position to turn the marine vessel clockwise and to rotate counterclockwise from the neutral position to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise; and   the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when the user rotates the joystick either counterclockwise or clockwise and the joystick has been previously rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and the marine vessel is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively.   
     
     
         4 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to:
 control the steering mechanism such that the propulsion generator is returned to a reference position from either a portside rotation position or a starboard rotation position by the steering mechanism when the joystick is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and is returned to the neutral position; and   perform the propulsion reverse direction control with the propulsion generator returned to either the portside rotation position or the starboard rotation position by the steering mechanism when the joystick is rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise before the propulsion generator is returned to the reference position by the steering mechanism.   
     
     
         5 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when the joystick is switched from a state of being rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise to a state of being rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively, in a time shorter than a predetermined first length of time. 
     
     
         6 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when a length of time during which the joystick is located at the neutral position and the joystick is switched from a state of being rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise to a state of being rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively, is shorter than a predetermined second length of time. 
     
     
         7 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and adjust the propulsive force of the propulsion generator such that a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of operation on the operator to turn the marine vessel clockwise becomes substantially a same as a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of operation on the operator to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the operator includes a joystick operable to rotate clockwise from a neutral position to turn the marine vessel clockwise and to rotate counterclockwise from the neutral position to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise; and   the controller is configured or programmed to control a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator to turn the marine vessel according to a magnitude of an amount of rotation of the joystick, and to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and adjust the propulsive force of the propulsion generator such that a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of clockwise rotation of the joystick becomes substantially a same as a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of counterclockwise rotation of the joystick when the user operates the joystick to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the joystick has been previously rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and the marine vessel is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise.   
     
     
         9 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion generator includes an electric propulsion device driven by a motor. 
     
     
         10 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein a steering angle by the steering mechanism is about 60 degrees or more and about 80 degrees or less when the operator is operated to turn the marine vessel clockwise or counterclockwise. 
     
     
         11 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion generator includes only one outboard motor attached to a hull of the marine vessel. 
     
     
         12 . The marine vessel maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control again when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either clockwise or counterclockwise and the direction of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator is changed to the reverse direction. 
     
     
         13 . A marine vessel comprising:
 a hull; and   a marine propulsion unit attached to the hull; wherein   the marine propulsion unit includes:
 a propulsion generator to generate a propulsive force to propel the marine vessel; and 
 a steering mechanism to steer the propulsion generator; 
   the hull includes:
 an operator to maneuver the marine vessel; and 
 a controller configured or programmed to control the propulsive force of the propulsion generator and a steering by the steering mechanism based on an operation on the operator by a user; and 
   the controller is configured or programmed to perform a propulsion reverse direction control to change a direction of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator to a reverse direction when a user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively.   
     
     
         14 . The marine vessel according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and maintain a steering angle by the steering mechanism when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The marine vessel according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the operator includes a joystick operable to rotate clockwise from a neutral position to turn the marine vessel clockwise and to rotate counterclockwise from the neutral position to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise; and   the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when the user rotates the joystick either counterclockwise or clockwise and the joystick has been previously rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and the marine vessel is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise.   
     
     
         16 . The marine vessel according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to:
 control the steering mechanism such that the propulsion generator is returned to a reference position from either a portside rotation position or a starboard rotation position by the steering mechanism when the joystick is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and is returned to the neutral position; and   perform the propulsion reverse direction control with the propulsion generator returned to either the portside rotation position or the starboard rotation position by the steering mechanism when the joystick is rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise before the propulsion generator is returned to the reference position by the steering mechanism.   
     
     
         17 . The marine vessel according to  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when the joystick is switched from a state of being rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise to a state of being rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively, in a time shorter than a predetermined first length of time. 
     
     
         18 . The marine vessel according to  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control when a length of time during which the joystick is located at the neutral position and the joystick is switched from a state of being rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise to a state of being rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively, is shorter than a predetermined second length of time. 
     
     
         19 . The marine vessel according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and adjust the propulsive force of the propulsion generator such that a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of operation on the operator to turn the marine vessel clockwise becomes substantially a same as a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of operation on the operator to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise when the user operates the operator to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the marine vessel has been previously turned either clockwise or counterclockwise. 
     
     
         20 . The marine vessel according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the operator includes a joystick operable to rotate clockwise from a neutral position to turn the marine vessel clockwise and to rotate counterclockwise from the neutral position to turn the marine vessel counterclockwise; and   the controller is configured or programmed to control a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator to turn the marine vessel according to a magnitude of an amount of rotation of the joystick, and to perform the propulsion reverse direction control and adjust the propulsive force of the propulsion generator such that a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of clockwise rotation of the joystick becomes substantially a same as a magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion generator with respect to a magnitude of an amount of counterclockwise rotation of the joystick when the user operates the joystick to turn the marine vessel either counterclockwise or clockwise and the joystick has been previously rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise and the marine vessel is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise.