US 12,325,977 B1
Active lubrication strategy
Michael A Holland, Conrad, IA (US); Clayton P. Neumann, Cedar Falls, IA (US); and Greg R. Long, Clay City, IN (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/533,419.
Int. Cl. E02F 9/22 (2006.01)
CPC E02F 9/2228 (2013.01) [E02F 9/2267 (2013.01); E02F 9/2235 (2013.01); E02F 9/2296 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A work vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of vehicle drivetrain components;
a plurality of state sensors, each of the state sensors being associated with one or more of the vehicle drivetrain components and configured to generate a state signal corresponding to an operating state of its respective one or more vehicle drivetrain components;
a variable flow conditioning hydraulic fluid source;
a control manifold including a plurality of control valves, each of the control valves being configured to control flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid from the variable flow conditioning hydraulic fluid source to one or more of the plurality of drivetrain components to lubricate and cool the drivetrain components; and
a controller functionally linked to receive one or more of the state signals from the plurality of state sensors, the controller being configured to selectively open one or more of the control valves at least in part in response to the one or more of the state signals to provide flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid to lubricate and cool any of the drivetrain components which are in an active operating state and to close one or more of the control valves to reduce or prevent flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid to any of the drivetrain components which are not in an active operating state.
 
14. A method of operating a work vehicle, the work vehicle including a plurality of vehicle drivetrain components, a variable flow conditioning hydraulic fluid source, and a control manifold including a plurality of control valves configured to control flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid from the variable flow conditioning hydraulic fluid source to the plurality of drivetrain components to lubricate and cool the plurality of drivetrain components, the method comprising:
sensing with a plurality of state sensors whether each of the plurality of drivetrain components is in an active operating state and generating a state signal corresponding to the operating state of each of the drivetrain components; and
receiving the state signals in a controller and at least in part in response to the state signals automatically opening the control valve associated with any of the drivetrain components which is in the active operating state to provide flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid to lubricate and cool any drivetrain component which is in an active operating state, and automatically closing the control valve associated with any of the drivetrain components which is not in the active operating state to reduce or prevent flow of conditioning hydraulic fluid to any drivetrain component which is not in the active operating state.