Winches with dual mode remote control, and associated systems and methods

• US 10,781,086 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 09/22/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westin Automotive Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Westin Automotive Products Incorporated
• Inventors: August, Jacob, Dennis, Ron, Frazier, Timothy, Mason, Jon, Salmon, Scott, Hargroder, Ty, Scuito, David, Burns, David, Nasset, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Sang K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adams, Nathaniel L
• Application Number:
  US15/793,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20180170725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/12 incorporating electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/46 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 3/006 Power actuated devices operating on ropes, cables, or chains for hauling in a mainly horizontal direction B66D3/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

Winches with dual mode remote controls, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative winch can include a frame, a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame, a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum, and a winch control module. The winch control module can include an enable/disable circuit having a normally open ground path connection and a controller having wireless capability connected to the enable/disable circuit. The controller can include instructions to disable the wireless capability of the controller when the normally open ground path connection is completed.

Claims

1. A winch, comprising:

a frame;

a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;

a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum; and

a winch control module, including;

an enable/disable circuit having a normally open ground path connection; and

a controller having a wireless capability and being connected to the enable/disable circuit, the controller including instructions to disable the wireless capability of the controller when the normally open ground path connection is completed, further comprising a wired remote control, including;

a housing;

one or more control buttons; and

a remote connector connectable to the winch control module, wherein the remote connector includes a conductor positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the enable/disable circuit when the remote connector is connected to the winch control module.

2. The winch of claim 1, wherein the one or more control buttons include a winch-in button and a winch-out button.

3. The winch of claim 1, wherein the conductor comprises a jumper wire extending between a pair of corresponding terminals carried by the remote connector.

4. A winch system, comprising:

a winch, including;

a frame;

a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;

a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum; and

a winch control module, including;

an enable/disable circuit having a normally open ground path connection; and

a wireless-enablable microcontroller connected to the enable/disable circuit, the microcontroller including instructions to disable a wireless capability of the microcontroller when the normally open ground path connection is completed; and

a wired remote control, including;

a housing;

one or more control buttons; and

a remote connector connectable to the winch control module, wherein the remote connector includes a conductor positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the enable/disable circuit when the remote connector is connected to the winch control module.

5. The winch system of claim 4, further comprising a winch-in circuit having a normally open ground path connection and a winch-out circuit having a normally open ground path connection.

6. The winch system of claim 5, wherein the one or more control buttons include a winch-in button positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the winch-in circuit when pushed and a winch-out button positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the winch-out circuit when pushed.

7. The winch system of claim 6, wherein the winch control module further comprises a contactor module and the microcontroller further comprises instructions to direct the contactor module to switch a current to flow to the drive motor in a first direction when the normally open ground path connection of the winch-in circuit is completed and to switch the current to flow to the drive motor in a second direction opposite the first when the normally open ground path connection of the winch-out circuit is completed.

8. The winch system of claim 4, wherein the conductor comprises a jumper wire extending between a pair of corresponding terminals carried by the remote connector.

9. A winch system, comprising:

a winch, including;

a frame;

a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;

a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum; and

a winch control module, including;

a contactor module; and

a controller module, including;

an enable/disable circuit having a normally open ground path connection;

a winch-in circuit having a normally open ground path connection;

a winch-out circuit having a normally open ground path connection; and

a wireless-enablable microcontroller connected to the enable/disable circuit, the winch-in circuit, and the winch-out circuit, the microcontroller including instructions to;

disable a wireless capability of the microcontroller when the normally open ground path connection of the enable/disable circuit is completed;

direct the contactor module to switch a current to flow to the drive motor in a first direction when the normally open ground path connection of the winch-in circuit is completed; and

direct the contactor module to switch the current to flow to the drive motor in a second direction opposite the first when the normally open ground path connection of the winch-out circuit is completed; and

a wired remote control, including;

a housing;

a remote connector connectable to the winch control module, wherein the remote connector includes a conductor positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the enable/disable circuit when the remote connector is connected to the winch control module;

a winch-in button positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the winch-in circuit when pushed; and

a winch-out button positioned to complete the normally open ground path connection of the winch-out circuit when pushed.

10. The winch system of claim 9, wherein the conductor comprises a jumper wire extending between a pair of corresponding terminals carried by the remote connector.