Patent Publication Number: US-10308488-B2

Title: Load-facing winch

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the field of motorized winches. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a winch support structure. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Winches are hauling or lifting devices, which pull in or let out a line. Winches function by winding or unwinding the line that is coiled around a horizontal rotating drum. When a winch is motorized, a winch-line-guide is commonly used to direct the line along the drum as it winds or unwinds. Typically, the winch is mounted to a primary support object to provide stability for the winch as it hauls or lifts a load. When the primary support object is not directly facing the load, the tension from the load can disrupt and in some cases overpower the movement of the fairlead as it attempts to guide the line during winding. Thus, one problem that is frequently encountered is how to guide the line along the drum when the primary support object does not or is unable to directly face the load. Embodiments and methods disclosed herein may improve performance of winches when hauling or lifting indirect loads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein is a winch, comprising a winch-mount, which may overcome the limitation of existing winches. In one embodiment, a winch comprises a winch-mount, wherein the winch-mount allows the winch to turn and/or tilt about a pivot to face the direction of a load. When the winch is not in use, the winch may be directed by the winch-mount to return to a natural resting position in relation to a primary support object to which the winch is connected. 
     Also disclosed herein is a method to reduce angular resistance on a winch that is created by an indirect load. The method includes directing the position of the winch such that a fairlead of a winch-line-guide faces the load. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The written disclosure herein describes illustrative embodiments that are non-limiting and non-exhaustive. Reference is made to certain of such illustrative embodiments that are depicted in the figures, in which: 
         FIGS. 1A-C  depict various embodiments of a winch letting in a line connected to a load at least 30° from center of the direction the winch faces; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a winch, according to one embodiment, comprising a winch-mount; 
         FIG. 3  portrays an exploded view of a winch-mount of a winch, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates an overhead view of an embodiment of a mounting-plate for a winch-mount; 
         FIG. 4B  depicts an underside view of the mounting-plate of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an underside of a housing for a winch-mount, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the top of the housing of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 5C  is an underneath view of the housing of  FIGS. 5A-B ; 
         FIGS. 6A-C  depict various embodiments of a winch that includes a winch-mount, letting in a line connected to a load at least 30° from center of a primary support object; 
         FIGS. 6D-F  are illustrations of the winch from  FIGS. 6A-C  that depict the winch post-rotation and/or post-tilt such that the winch now faces the load; 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method for reducing angular resistance against a moving fairlead, according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of the various embodiments disclosed herein. The embodiments disclosed herein can be manufactured without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In addition, in some cases, well-known structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more alternative embodiments. 
     Motorized winches may include a winch-line-guide that directs the line to wind along the length of the rotatable drum to avoid bunching or catching of the line on the rotatable drum. In one embodiment, a motor powers the drum to rotate about an axis within a frame. A fairlead of the winch-line-guide is connected to and simultaneously moves along the length of one or more elongated rods, which extend longitudinally within the frame in substantially parallel relation to the drum axis. 
     As the fairlead moves along the rods, the line passes through the fairlead such that the fairlead directs the line to wind uniformly around the drum. The fairlead may, at times, be unable to move along the drum length due to the force of the load working against the movement direction of the fairlead. A winch-mount that changes the direction of the drum and fairlead face may resolve this problem and allow the fairlead to smoothly move along the length of the drum. 
     In one embodiment winch-mount may include a housing with a center-pivot located in the middle of the housing. The housing may include one or more latches, clamps, and/or other securement mechanisms for securing the housing to the primary support object. 
     The center-pivot may protrude from the interior of the housing, according to one embodiment, and extend through a center-hole in the middle of a mounting-plate. In one embodiment the tip of the center-pivot may be wider than both the shaft of the center-pivot protrusion and the center-hole of the mounting-plate through which the shaft extends. Embodiments of the tip of the center-pivot may form a sphere, plate, rhombus, polyhedron, bowl-shape and/or other suitable shape. 
     In one embodiment, the mounting-plate may oscillate, rotate, balance, pivot, turn, tilt, teeter, vacillate, hover, hang, sway, and/or dither. The mounting-plate may be connected to the rotatable drum in one embodiment. The winch may include one or more spacers, insertions, and/or attachments between the rotatable drum and the mounting-plate. Some embodiments of the mounting-plate may include one or more protrusions, attachments, flanges, extensions, shelves, depressions, grooves and/or other surface discontinuities that interact with the springs. The mounting-plate may also include materials with a stronger composition than the resistance applied by the springs. In one embodiment, the mounting-plate may include one or more folds, bends, creases, and/or curvatures such that the degree to which the rotatable drum tilts is as much as 180° from rest. The mounting-plate may also rotate as much as 360° around the center pivot, according to one embodiment. 
     A plurality of springs may direct the degree to which the mounting-plate may tilt and/or turn within the housing. One or more springs of the winch-mount are arranged parallel, perpendicular, and/or diagonal to the mounting-plate. The springs may be attached directly to the housing and/or mounting-plate, according to one embodiment, or the springs may be attached to one or more securement brackets. In one embodiment, securement brackets may extend from the housing and/or mounting-plate. The winch-mount may include one or more compression springs, variable springs, coil springs, flat springs, serpentine springs, cantilever springs, coil springs, volute springs, wave spring, and/or any spring belonging to another spring classification that absorbs movement. One or more springs of the winch-mount may be comprised of steel alloys, carbon steel, ferrous metals, stainless steels, exotic alloys such as Elgiloy, Inconel X-750, and A286 alloy, non-ferrous metals, oil tempered spring wire, and/or any other material suitable to absorb movement. In one embodiment, the springs may have less compressional resistance than the force exerted to move the fairlead. One ore more of the springs may include one or more lubricants to facilitate spring movement, according to one embodiment. 
       FIGS. 1A-C  depict various embodiments of a winch  100  letting in a line  110  connected to a load  112   a  at least 30° from center of the direction the winch  100  faces.  FIG. 1A  depicts a winch  100 , according to one embodiment, attached to a primary support object  102   a , in the form of an all-terrain vehicle. The winch  100  includes a fairlead  108  that moves laterally from left to right. The force  104  from the load  112   a  may at times directionally oppose fairlead movement  106 , which may disrupt and even overpower fairlead movement  106 . 
       FIG. 1B  is another view of a winch  100  attached to a primary support object  102   b , in this case an automobile, with the line  110  connected to a load  112   b  at least 30° from center of the direction the winch  100  faces. The winch  100  includes a fairlead  108  that moves laterally within the winch  100 . The load  112   b  in this illustration exerts a force  104  against the line that opposes fairlead movement  106  in an alternative direction from the load  102   a  in  FIG. 1A . 
       FIG. 1C  illustrates an embodiment of a winch  100  attached to a primary support object  102   c , such as an aircraft, with the line  110  connected to a load  112   c  at least 30° from center of the direction the winch  100  faces. The force  104  from the load  112   c  does not necessarily have to directly oppose fairlead movement  106  in order to disrupt the ability of the fairlead  108  to function properly. At times the force  104  directed at least 30° from center of the winch  100  may cause the line  110  to rub, catch, tangle, and/or otherwise impede the functionality of the winch  100 . Such disruptions may be resolved if the winch  100  was able to tilt and/or turn. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a winch  100 , according to one embodiment, comprising a winch-mount  214 . One embodiment of the winch-mount  214  may include a cylindrical housing  220  and a disc-shaped mounting-plate  218 . A frame  223  for the rotatable drum may be connected to the mounting-plate  218 , which may rotate  222  about a center-pivot  216 . 
       FIG. 3  portrays an exploded view of a winch-mount  214  of a winch  100 , according to one embodiment. The winch-mount  214  may include a frame  223  comprising one or more inserts  326  that fit within a corresponding number of attachments  324 , and that connect the frame  223  for the rotatable drum to the mounting-plate  218 . The center-pivot  216  may protrude through a hole  328  in the center of the mounting-plate  218  and continue up through the housing  220  and into a housing-hole  330 . The center-pivot  216  may be secured with a bolt  332  or other attachment at the upper surface of the housing  220 . In another embodiment, the center-pivot  216  may be directly attached to the housing. 
     The housing  220  may include one or more horizontal-springs  334  transverse to the center-pivot  216  that are attached to a spring-securement bracket  336  that extends from the housing  220 . The mounting-plate  218  may include one or more protrusions  338  that interact with the horizontal-springs  334 . In addition to the horizontal-springs  334 , the housing  220  may also include vertical-springs  340  that extend downward from the housing  220 . One or more knobs  342  may be positioned on the mounting-plate  218  so as to interact with the vertical-springs  340 . 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates an overhead view of an embodiment of a mounting-plate  218  for a winch-mount  214 . The mounting-plate  218  may include one or more protrusions  338  that may interact with one or more horizontal-springs (see  FIG. 3 ). Additionally, the mounting-plate  218  may include knobs  342  that interact with vertical-springs (see  FIG. 3 ). The mounting-plate  218  may also include a hole  328  through which the center-pivot (see  FIG. 3 ) may pass. 
       FIG. 4B  depicts an underside view of the mounting-plate  218  of  FIG. 4A . The underside may include one or more attachments  324  for securing the frame (see  FIG. 3 ) for the rotatable drum. The mounting-plate  218  may also include a hole  328  through which the center-pivot (see  FIG. 3 ) may pass. 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an underside of a housing  220  for a winch-mount  214 , according to one embodiment. The underside of the housing  220  may include one or more horizontal-springs  334  and/or vertical-springs  340 . The horizontal-springs  334  and/or vertical-springs  340  may attach directly to the housing  220  and/or attach to one or more spring-securement brackets  336 . Some embodiments of the housing  220  may include a housing-hole  330 . 
       FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the top of the housing  220  of  FIG. 5A . The housing  220  may include a housing-hole  330  through which a center-pivot (see  FIG. 3 ) may penetrate and attach to a bolt  332 . 
       FIG. 5C  is an underneath view of the housing  220  of  FIGS. 5A-B . This embodiment shows a housing  220  includes four vertical-springs  340  and two horizontal-springs  334 . The horizontal-springs  334  are positioned such that protrusions from the mounting-plate (see  FIG. 3 ) may rotate freely until coming into contact with the horizontal-springs  334 . The vertical-springs  340  may receive compressional forces from the mounting-plate itself and/or knobs on the mounting-plate. The housing  220  may also include a housing-hole  30 . 
       FIGS. 6A-C  depict various embodiments of a winch  100  that includes a winch-mount  214 , letting in a line  110  connected to a load  112   a - c  at least 30° from center of a primary support object  102   a - c . In  FIG. 6A , the winch  100  may rotate  222  clockwise to face the load  112   a . In  FIG. 6B , the winch  100  may rotate  222  counter-clockwise to face the load  112   b . In  FIG. 6C , the winch  100  may rotate  222  and/or tilt  643  in the direction of the load  112   c.    
       FIGS. 6D-F  are illustrations of the winch  100  from  FIGS. 6A-C  that depict the winch  100  post-rotation and/or post-tilt such that the winch  100  now faces the load  112   a - c . In  FIG. 6D , the winch  100  and the fairlead  108  now face the load  112   a , and there are no longer forces that work against fairlead movement  106 . Similarly, the winch  100  of  FIG. 6E  faces the load  112   b  such that there are no longer forces that work against fairlead movement  106 . In  FIG. 6F , the winch  100  has either rotated and/or tilted to face the load  112   c , thus reducing the likelihood that the line  110  will rub, catch, tangle, and/or otherwise impede the functionality of the winch  100 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method  744  for reducing angular resistance against a moving fairlead, according to one embodiment. The method  744  may include reeling  746  in a load at least 30° from center via a line attached to a motorized rotatable drum. The method  744  may further comprise directing  748  the fairlead to face the load, and maintaining  750  a solid and stable connection between a winch-mount and a primary support object. Additionally, the method  744  may include compressing  752  one or more springs within the winch-mount. The method  744  may also include resisting  754  compression of at least one spring, and controlling  756  the degree to which the winch tilts and/or turns. The method  744  may further include moving  758  the fairlead via a motorized mechanism with less angular resistance than in a non-load-facing configuration. In one embodiment, the method  744  may further comprise providing tension to one or more of the springs within the winch-mount.