Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a high-voltage winch system that may be used in future Ford hybrid vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on January 29th, 2019, published on June 13th, 2022, and assigned serial number 0175850.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has been exploring various ways to reinvent the old fashioned winch in recent months, even filing a patent for an EV winch and winch operating method that would plug into an all-electric vehicle’s charge port when the owner wants to use it, at which point they could control it through the infotainment screen or even their own phone. Now, this newly filed patent keeps that trend going by introducing an idea for a high-voltage winch system that may be used in future Ford hybrid vehicles, too.
In this case, the winch system would get its power from an auxiliary battery – not the traction battery present in the hybrid vehicle – along with a controller that manages the transfer of power from the battery to the winch motor itself. However, if the system determines that the winch requires more torque than the auxiliary battery is capable of providing, it could then switch over to the traction battery for extra juice when needed.
Interestingly, this system would also be capable of changing the height of the vehicle’s suspension during this process if it determines that the efficiency of the winching falls below a predetermined threshold. Overall, it’s an interesting and potentially promising way to better utilize a winch on hybrid vehicles, which figure to be popular vessels used for off-roading situations in the years to come.
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Comment
The air conditioner compressor is powered by the high voltage traction battery, so the cabling is smaller. All engine accessories, including power steering and water pump, are electric. There are no belts or pulleys and few hoses in the hybrid engine bay. This is one more reason why hybrids last longer, need less maintenance, and are cheaper to own and drive.