# US 10,760,736 B2 · Lubrication system and method for a work vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,760,736 B2 - Document ID: US10760736B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/791,891 - Filed: 2017-10-24 - Published: 2019-04-25 - Granted: 2020-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-24 - Assignees: Deere & Company - Applicants: Deere & Company - Inventors: Michael R. Gratton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10760736B2 ## CPC - F16N 29/02: for influencing the supply of lubricant - E02F 9/265: {with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)} - F16N 7/36: with feed by pumping action of the member to be lubricated or of a shaft of the machine; Centrifugal lubrication - G01C 19/16: Suspensions; Bearings - E02F 3/34: with bucket-arms {, i.e. a pair of arms, e.g. manufacturing processes, form, geometry, material of bucket-arms (with a single arm E02F3/283)} directly pivoted on the frames of tractors or self-propelled machines - E02F 3/36: Component parts - F16C 2326/02: Wheel hubs or castors - F16N 13/00: Lubricating-pumps (oil cans with pump F16N3/08; pumps for liquids in general F04) - F16N: LUBRICATING - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract A work vehicle having a joint, a joint sensor, a lubricant reservoir, a pump, and a controller. The joint has a first member connected to a second member by a bearing. The joint sensor is configured to provide a joint signal indicative of at least one of a position, velocity, and acceleration of the joint. The pump is configured to dispense lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the bearing when actuated. The controller receives the joint signal, determines a cumulative bearing travel based on the joint signal, determines a bearing lubrication value based on the cumulative bearing travel, and actuates the pump based on the bearing lubrication value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A work vehicle comprising: a joint comprising a first member connected to a second member by a bearing; a joint sensor configured to provide a joint signal, the joint signal indicative of at least one of a position, velocity, and acceleration of the joint; a lubricant reservoir; a pump configured to dispense lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the bearing when the pump is actuated; and a controller in communication with the joint sensor and the pump, the controller configured to: receive the joint signal; determine a cumulative bearing travel based on the joint signal; determine a cumulative bearing direction reversals based on the joint signal; determine a bearing lubrication value based on both the cumulative bearing travel and the cumulative bearing direction reversals; and actuate the pump based on the bearing lubrication value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the joint signal is indicative of an angular position of the joint and the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative angular travel for the bearing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the joint signal is indicative of an angular position of the joint and the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative linear travel equivalent for the bearing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bearing lubrication value is decreased as the cumulative bearing travel increases, and the controller is further configured to actuate the pump when the bearing lubrication value falls below a threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the joint is a first joint, the bearing is a first bearing, the joint sensor is a first joint sensor, the joint signal is a first joint signal, the cumulative bearing travel is a cumulative first bearing travel, and the bearing lubrication value is a first bearing lubrication value, the work vehicle further comprising: a second joint comprising a third member connected to a fourth member by a second bearing; a second joint sensor configured to provide a second joint signal, the second joint signal indicative of at least one of a position, velocity, and acceleration of the second joint; wherein: the pump is configured to dispense lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the first bearing and the second bearing when actuated; and the controller is further configured to: receive the second joint signal; determine a cumulative second bearing travel based on the second joint signal; determine a second bearing lubrication value based on the cumulative second bearing travel; and actuate the pump based on both the first bearing lubrication value and the second bearing lubrication value. ### Claim 6 A method of lubricating a joint of a work vehicle, the joint comprising a first member connected to a second member by a bearing, the method comprising: receiving a joint signal from a joint sensor, the joint signal indicative of at least one of a position, velocity, and acceleration of the joint of the work vehicle; determining a cumulative bearing travel based on the joint signal; determining a cumulative bearing direction reversals based on the joint signal; determining a bearing lubrication value based on both the cumulative bearing travel and the cumulative bearing direction reversals; and actuating a pump based on the bearing lubrication value, the pump configured to dispense lubricant from a lubricant reservoir to the bearing when actuated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the joint signal is indicative of an angular position of the joint and the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative angular travel for the bearing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the joint signal is indicative of an angular position of the joint and the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative linear travel equivalent for the bearing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: decreasing the bearing lubrication value based on an increase in the cumulative bearing travel; and actuating the pump when the bearing lubrication value falls below a threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the joint is a first joint, the bearing is a first bearing, the joint sensor is a first joint sensor, the joint signal is a first joint signal, the cumulative bearing travel is a cumulative first bearing travel, and the bearing lubrication value is a first bearing lubrication value, the method further comprising: receiving a second joint signal from a second joint sensor, the second joint signal indicative of at least one of a position, velocity, and acceleration of a second joint of the work vehicle; determining a cumulative second bearing travel based on the second joint signal; determining a second bearing lubrication value based on the cumulative second bearing travel; and actuating the pump based on the first bearing lubrication value and the second bearing lubrication value, the pump configured to dispense lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the first bearing and the second bearing when actuated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: decreasing the first bearing lubrication value based on an increase in the cumulative first bearing travel; decreasing the second bearing lubrication value based on an increase in the cumulative second bearing travel; and actuating the pump based on the lesser of the first bearing lubrication value and the second bearing lubrication value falling below a threshold. ### Claim 12 A work vehicle comprising: a chassis; a work implement; a linkage movably connecting the work implement to the chassis, the linkage comprising a joint, the joint comprising a bearing; a joint sensor configured to provide a joint signal, the joint signal indicative of an angular position of the joint; a lubricant reservoir; a pump configured to dispense lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the bearing when the pump is actuated; and a controller in communication with the joint sensor and the pump, the controller configured to: receive the joint signal; determine a cumulative bearing travel based on the joint signal; determining a cumulative bearing direction reversals based on the joint signal; and actuate the pump based on both the cumulative bearing travel and the cumulative bearing direction reversals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The work vehicle of claim 12, wherein the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative angular travel for the bearing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The work vehicle of claim 12, wherein the cumulative bearing travel is indicative of a cumulative linear travel equivalent for the bearing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The work vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to actuate the pump based on both the cumulative bearing travel and the cumulative bearing direction reversals which occurred since the previous actuation of the pump. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The work vehicle of claim 12, where the controller is further configured to: determine a bearing lubrication value based on both the cumulative bearing travel and the cumulative bearing direction reversals; decrease the bearing lubrication value based on an increase in the cumulative bearing travel; decrease the bearing lubrication value based on an increase in the cumulative bearing reversals; and actuate the pump based on the bearing lubrication value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The work vehicle of claim 12, wherein the joint is a first joint, the bearing is a first bearing, the joint sensor is a first joint sensor, the joint signal is a first joint signal, and the cumulative bearing travel is a cumulative first bearing travel, the work vehicle further comprising: a second joint included in the linkage, the second joint comprising a second bearing; a second joint sensor configured to provide a second joint signal, the second joint signal indicative of an angular position of the second joint; wherein the controller is further configured to: receive the second joint signal; determine a cumulative second bearing travel based on the second joint signal; and actuate the pump based on both the cumulative first bearing travel and the cumulative second bearing travel.