Apparatus and method for cooling an axle
First Claim
1. An axle assembly for a work vehicle, comprising:
- an axle shaft;
an axle housing, wherein the axle shaft is disposed within the axle housing;
an axle lubricating fluid disposed within the axle housing;
an axle cooling device disposed within the axle housing, in contact with at least a portion of the lubricating fluid, including a coil;
a cooling fluid circuit fluidly coupled to the coil, wherein the cooling circuit includes a cooling fluid pump and a cooling fluid reservoir, and wherein the coil receives cooling fluid from the pump and delivers cooling fluid to the reservoir; and
a heat exchanger disposed in the cooling circuit in parallel with the coil delivering cooling fluid to the cooling fluid reservoir to remove heat from the cooling fluid.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A work vehicle includes a frame and an axle assembly coupled to the frame. The axle assembly includes a first axle shaft and a first axle housing, with the first axle shaft disposed substantially within the first axle housing; a first wheel coupled to the first axle assembly; an axle lubricating fluid disposed within the first axle housing; and a first axle cooling device disposed within the first axle housing, in contact with at least a portion of the lubricating fluid, and including a first coil. Also disclosed is a method of cooling an axle assembly of a work vehicle. The method includes steps of removing heat from the lubricating fluid by placing the lubricating fluid in contact with the outer surface of a coil, and removing the heat from the inner surface of the coil by circulating the cooling fluid through the passage.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. An axle assembly for a work vehicle, comprising:
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an axle shaft;
an axle housing, wherein the axle shaft is disposed within the axle housing;
an axle lubricating fluid disposed within the axle housing;
an axle cooling device disposed within the axle housing, in contact with at least a portion of the lubricating fluid, including a coil;
a cooling fluid circuit fluidly coupled to the coil, wherein the cooling circuit includes a cooling fluid pump and a cooling fluid reservoir, and wherein the coil receives cooling fluid from the pump and delivers cooling fluid to the reservoir; and
a heat exchanger disposed in the cooling circuit in parallel with the coil delivering cooling fluid to the cooling fluid reservoir to remove heat from the cooling fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification