US 7,320,629 B2
Steering device for small watercraft
Takashi Okuyama, Shizuoka-ken (Japan)
Assigned to Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha, Shizouka (Japan)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/155,757.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-180495 (JP), filed on Jun. 18, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2005/0282447 A1, Dec. 22, 2005
Int. Cl. B63H 5/20 (2006.01); B63H 5/125 (2006.01); B63H 20/08 (2006.01); B63H 25/10 (2006.01); B63H 25/22 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 440—53  [440/61 A; 440/61 B; 440/61 C; 440/61 S; 440/63; 114/144 R; 114/150] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A steering device for a small watercraft comprising at least two outboard motors, the steering device comprising a steering unit configured to be rotatable about a steering axis and tiltable relative to the steering axis, a control unit configured to individually control propulsive directions and propulsive forces of each of the outboard motors, the control unit being configured to control shift units and throttle units of each of the outboard motors so that a hull of the watercraft moves toward a side of the hull in accordance with a tilting angle of the steering unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the respective outboard motors in response to the tilting angle only under a condition that a speed of the watercraft is slower than a preset speed.