Winch and fairlead with a detachable line guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723601-B2
Application number	US-201816233103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A fairlead for use with a winch is disclosed. The fairlead includes: a self-reversing screw; a motor for driving the self-reversing screw; and a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side. The guide is driven by the self-reversing screw. As a line is coiled onto a winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum. The first guide side and second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fairlead for use with a winch comprising:
a self-reversing screw;
a motor for driving the self-reversing screw;
a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side;
wherein, the guide is driven by the self-reversing screw;
wherein as a line is spooled onto a winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum; and
wherein, the first guide side and the second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other during spooling by a lateral force by the line on either the first guide side or the second guide side.

2. The invention of claim 1 , wherein the guide nut and the first guide side and the second guide side are attached together by magnets.

3. The invention of claim 2 , wherein the first or the second guide side will detach from the guide nut and the other guide side when there is lateral force on either the first guide side or the second guide side.

4. The invention of claim 3 , further comprising at least one guide rail with magnets at either end.

5. The invention of claim 4 , wherein the detached guide half is secured at the end of the guide rail until there is no longer a lateral force on the guide side.

6. The invention of claim 5 , wherein the fairlead is integrated into a winch.

7. A fairlead for use with a winch comprising:
a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling a line;
a self-reversing screw;
a motor for driving the self-reversing screw and at least the first roller;
a sensor for determining a load on the winch and whether a winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line;
a device to measure the current drawn by the motor;
a controller connected to the motor and in communication with the sensor and the device;
multiple lights in an array, each of which can be changed by the controller from one appearance to another;
a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side;
wherein, the sensor determines whether the winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line;
wherein; the controller is configured to direct the motor so that at least the first roller assists in spooling or unspooling the line in coordination with the winch drum;
wherein, in response to a signal from the sensor, the controller is configured to change the appearance of lights in the array, with the number of lights with a changed appearance being proportional to the load sensed by the sensor;
wherein the controller is configured to direct the fairlead motor to drive at least the first roller so that the fairlead motor maintains a target current draw;
wherein, the guide is driven by the self-reversing screw;
wherein as the line is coiled onto the winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum; and
wherein, the first guide side and second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other during spooling by a lateral force by the line on either the first guide side or the second guide side.

8. The invention of claim 7 , wherein the sensor determines whether the winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line based on the direction of the current.

9. The invention of claim 7 , wherein the array begins with one light in an on state when there is no load on the winch and increases the number of lights in an on state proportional to the load on the winch.

10. The invention of claim 7 , wherein the fairlead is adapted to communicate with and receive commands from a remote-control device.

11. A winch comprising:
a winch motor;
a winch drum for spooling and unspooling a line;
a fairlead comprising;
a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling the line;
a self-reversing screw;
a motor for driving the self-reversing screw and at least the first roller;
a sensor for determining a load on the winch and whether the winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line;
a device to measure the current drawn by the motor;
a controller connected to the motor and in communication with the sensor and the device;
multiple lights in an array, each of which can be changed by the controller from one appearance to another;
a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side;
wherein, the sensor determines whether the winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line;
wherein; the controller is configured to direct the motor so that at least the first roller assists in spooling or unspooling the line in coordination with the winch drum;
wherein, in response to a signal from the sensor, the controller is configured to change the appearance of lights in the array, with the number of lights with a changed appearance being proportional to the load sensed by the sensor;
wherein the controller is configured to direct fairlead motor to drive at least the first roller so that the fairlead motor maintains a target current draw;
wherein, the guide is driven by the self-reversing screw;
wherein as the line is coiled onto the winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum; and
wherein, the first guide side and second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other during spooling by a lateral force by the line on either the first guide side or the second guide side.

12. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the guide nut and the first guide side and the second guide side are attached together by magnets.

13. The invention of claim 12 , wherein the first or the second guide side will detach from the guide nut and the other guide side when there is lateral force on either the first guide side or the second guide side.

14. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the sensor determines whether the winch drum is spooling or unspooling the line based on the direction of the current.

15. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the array begins with one light in an on state when there is no load on the winch and increases the number of lights in an on state proportional to the load on the winch.

16. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the array begins with all the lights showing one color when there is no load on the winch;
wherein, as a load is applied to the winch, one light first changes to another color; and
wherein as the load is increased, more lights change to the other color according to the load on the winch.

17. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the winch is adapted to communicate with and receive commands from a remote-control device.

18. The invention of claim 17 , wherein the remote-control device is adapted to display an alert at a user selected percentage of a maximum load on the winch.

19. The invention of claim 17 , wherein the remote-control device is adapted to issue a command to the winch to stop spooling the line in when the current draw reaches a user-selected percentage of a maximum current draw.

20. The invention of claim 17 , wherein a user is able to adjust the target current draw with the remote-control device.

Assignees

• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Madsen Daniel
• Miles Jerome
• Webb Corey

Classifications

• B66D2700/0191

  Cable guiding during winding or paying out · CPC title

• B66D1/38 Primary

  by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel · CPC title

• B66D1/00

  Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans (portable or mobile lifting or hauling appliances B66D3/00) · CPC title

• B66D2700/0141

  Electrically actuated · CPC title

• B66D1/36 Primary

  Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains · CPC title