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US 11,987,332 B2Granted
Control system for boat lift
AssigneePremier Remotes and Products, LLC
InventorsMatt Brown, Dustin Smith, Paul Berkemeier, Mark Austin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A boat lift controller may include a digital switch, a power-isolation relay, and a motor-direction-select relay, together which control a motor. The digital switch may provide power to the power-isolation relay. The power-isolation relay may provide power to the motor-direction-select relay and to the motor. The motor-direction-select relay may control the direction in which the shaft of the motor turns.
Claims20
A control system for controlling at least one motor on a boat lift, the control system comprising:
- a processor configured to output a first digital-relay control signal and a first power-isolation relay control signal;
- a first digital relay including a control input, a high-voltage input, and a high-voltage output, wherein the control input of the first digital relay is configured to receive the first digital-relay control signal from the processor, wherein the high-voltage input of the first digital relay is configured to receive high voltage, wherein the high-voltage output of the first digital relay is configured to selectively output the high voltage based on a state of the first digital-relay control signal;
- a first power-isolation relay configured to selectively isolate the high voltage from a first motor, wherein the first power-isolation relay includes a control input, a high-voltage input, and a high-voltage output, wherein the control input of the first power-isolation relay is configured to receive the first power-isolation relay control signal from the processor, wherein the high-voltage input of the first power-isolation relay is configured to receive the high-voltage from the output of the first switching component, wherein the high-voltage output of the first power-isolation relay is configured to selectively supply the high voltage to the first motor based on a state of the first power-isolation relay control signal;
- wherein the processor is configured to cause the first motor to be energized by:
- changing a state of the first power-isolation relay control signal to actuate the first power-isolation relay, such that the high-voltage input of the first power-isolation relay becomes electrically connected to the high-voltage output of the first power-isolation relay, and
- after said changing the state of the first power-isolation relay control signal to actuate the first power-isolation relay, changing a state of the first digital-relay control signal to activate the first digital relay, such that the high-voltage input of the first digital relay becomes electrically connected to the high-voltage output of the first power-isolation relay;
- and
- wherein the processor is configured to cause the first motor to be de-energized by:
- changing a state of the first digital-relay control signal to deactivate the first digital relay, such that the high-voltage input of the first digital relay becomes electrically disconnected to the high-voltage output of the first digital relay, and
- after said changing the state of the first digital-relay control signal to deactivate the first digital relay, changing a state of the first power-isolation relay control signal to de-actuate the first power-isolation relay, such that the high-voltage input of the first power-isolation relay becomes electrically disconnected from the high-voltage output of the first power-isolation relay.
7 more elements
A control system for controlling at least one motor on a boat lift, the control system comprising:
- a processor configured to output at least one high-voltage-relay control signal and at least one additional signal;
- at least one high-voltage relay, each of the at least one high-voltage relay including a high-voltage input configured to receive high voltage, a high-voltage output configured to be electrically connected to a corresponding at least one motor, and a control input configured to receive a corresponding at least one high-voltage-relay control signal, wherein each of the at least one high-voltage relay is configured to selectively electrically connect or disconnect the high-voltage input to the high-voltage output based on a state of the corresponding at least one high-voltage-relay control signal;
- and
- at least one additional relay, each including an input, an output configured to electrically connect to each of the at least one motor, and a control input configured to receive a corresponding at least one additional signal, wherein each of the at least one additional relay is configured to selectively electrically connect or disconnect the input to the output based on a state of the corresponding at least one additional signal,
- wherein the processor is configured to change a state for each of the at least one additional signal during a process in which each of the at least one high-voltage relay is controlled to electrically connect the high-voltage input with the high-voltage output, such that each of the at least one additional relay electrically connects the input with the output, and
- wherein the processor is configured to change a state for each of the at least one additional signal during a process in which each of the at least one high-voltage relay is controlled to electrically disconnect the high-voltage input with the high-voltage output, such that each of the at least one additional relay electrically disconnects the input from the output,
- wherein the input of each of the at least one additional relay is configured to be connected to at least one of ground or neutral.
4 more elements
A control system for controlling at least one motor on a boat lift having a movable frame that moves in response to movement of the at least one motor, the control system comprising:
- at least one relay configured to selectively switch power to a corresponding one of the at least one motor;
- at least one current sensor, each configured to measure current flowing to a corresponding one of the at least one motor and responsively generate a corresponding at least one current sensor signal;
- a processor configured to control the at least one relay to turn ON the at least one motor, receive the at least one current sensor signal, determine an inferred vertical position of the moveable frame based on the at least one current sensor signal, and turn OFF the at least one motor when the inferred vertical position of the moveable reaches at least one predetermined limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.