Patents by Inventor Darren Fretz

Darren Fretz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240124277
    Abstract: A winch includes a motor, a gear reduction unit, a tie structure, an external power cable, and a rotatable drum. The motor includes a motor housing with a motor case and a first drum support attached to the motor case. The gear reduction unit is drivingly attached to the motor and has a gear housing including a gear case and a second drum support. The tie structure connects said first and second drum supports. The external power cable having a first end and a second end. The first end of the external power cable is configured to be coupled to an external power source. The second end of the external power cable is coupled to a bus bar. The rotatable drum is drivingly connected to the motor and supported by the first and second drum supports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Douglas Calvert, Calvin Taylor, Troy Heynderickx, Mitchell Lund, Michael Hojnacki, Eric Vaughn, Darren Fretz
  • Patent number: 11104557
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of a motor of a winch. In one example, a system for a winch includes a controller adapted to adjust operation of a motor of the winch based on one or more of and/or each of a winch load limit, a motor temperature, a distance of a hook coupled to an end of a rope of the winch to a winch fairlead, and an amount of rope wound onto a drum of the winch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: WARN INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Bryan Averill, Darren Fretz, Kevin Talmadge, Ian Wendler
  • Publication number: 20190023542
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of a motor of a winch. In one example, a system for a winch includes a controller adapted to adjust operation of a motor of the winch based on one or more of and/or each of a winch load limit, a motor temperature, a distance of a hook coupled to an end of a rope of the winch to a winch fairlead, and an amount of rope wound onto a drum of the winch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Bryan Averill, Darren Fretz, Kevin Talmadge, Ian Wendler
  • Patent number: 10093523
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of a motor of a winch. In one example, a system for a winch includes a controller adapted to adjust operation of a motor of the winch based on one or more of and/or each of a winch load limit, a motor temperature, a distance of a hook coupled to an end of a rope of the winch to a winch fairlead, and an amount of rope wound onto a drum of the winch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: WARN INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Bryan Averill, Darren Fretz, Kevin Talmadge, Ian Wendler
  • Patent number: 9463964
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for remotely controlling winch operation via a user interface of a remote. In one example, a user interface of a remote for a winch includes a menu display including a plurality of menu items, the menu items navigable and selectable with a series of buttons of the remote. The user interface further includes a plurality of control displays, each of the plurality of control displays generated upon selection of a corresponding menu item of the plurality of menu items, each of the plurality of control displays including selectable icons for controlling one of an operation of a winch, an operation of one or more auxiliary devices, or settings of the remote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Warn Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Oliver Heravi, Kevin Christensen, Bryan Averill, Ian Wendler, Darren Fretz, Houman Tavakoli Shiraji, Barry Atwood
  • Publication number: 20160096709
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of a motor of a winch. In one example, a system for a winch includes a controller adapted to adjust operation of a motor of the winch based on one or more of and/or each of a winch load limit, a motor temperature, a distance of a hook coupled to an end of a rope of the winch to a winch fairlead, and an amount of rope wound onto a drum of the winch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Bryan Averill, Darren Fretz, Kevin Talmadge, Ian Wendler
  • Publication number: 20160098096
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of multiple accessories of a vehicle using a single control user interface in communication with a single modular accessory controller of the vehicle. In one example, a system may include a modular accessory controller for a vehicle electrically coupled to a battery and two or more accessories of the vehicle and a control interface in communication with the modular accessory controller and including a plurality of buttons for providing user input for operating each of the two or more accessories of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Bryan Averill, Darren Fretz, Kevin Talmadge, Ian Wendler
  • Publication number: 20160046468
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for remotely controlling winch operation via a user interface of a remote. In one example, a user interface of a remote for a winch includes a menu display including a plurality of menu items, the menu items navigable and selectable with a series of buttons of the remote. The user interface further includes a plurality of control displays, each of the plurality of control displays generated upon selection of a corresponding menu item of the plurality of menu items, each of the plurality of control displays including selectable icons for controlling one of an operation of a winch, an operation of one or more auxiliary devices, or settings of the remote.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Oliver Heravi, Kevin Christensen, Bryan Averill, Ian Wendler, Darren Fretz, Houman Tavakoli Shiraji, Barry Atwood
  • Patent number: D898089
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: WARN INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Darren Fretz, Eric Vaughn, Jackson Wang, Clark Brumet, Michael Thilavanh