# US 11,991,943 B2 · Vehicle electric motor hydraulic pump decoupling

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,991,943 B2
- Document ID: US11991943B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/163,996
- Filed: 2023-02-03
- Published: 2023-08-03
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-03
- Assignees: Zimeno Inc.
- Applicants: Zimeno, Inc.
- Inventors: Zachary Meyer Omohundro; Matthew Michael O'Brien; Matthew Coleman Tindall; Karan Kaushik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11991943B2

## CPC

- A01B 71/06: Special adaptations of coupling means between power take-off and transmission shaft to the implement or machine
- B62D 33/0625: {open}
- B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00)
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- F16H 57/04: Features relating to lubrication or cooling {or heating} (control of lubrication or cooling in hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4165)
- B60K 17/34: for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles
- B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle}
- B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles
- B60L 2240/32: Driving direction
- B60L 2240/423: Torque
- F16H 3/003: {the gear ratio being changed by inversion of torque direction}
- A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21)
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A vehicle may operate in a first mode in which an electric motor operates in a forward state such that the rear ground traction members of the vehicle are driven forwardly by the electric motor while a hydraulic pump is powered by the electric motor and may alternatively operate in a second mode in which the electric motor operates in a reversed state such that the rear ground traction members are driven forwardly by the electric motor while the electric motor is operably decoupled from the hydraulic pump by a one-way clutch/bearing ring coupled between the electric motor and the hydraulic pump.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
rear ground traction members;
front ground traction members;
an electric motor;
a reversible transmission operably coupling the electric motor to the rear ground traction members to drive the rear ground traction members;
a hydraulic motor operably coupled to the front ground traction members;
a hydraulic pump operably coupled to the electric motor for being powered by the electric motor and operably coupled to the hydraulic motor to drive the hydraulic motor;
a one-way clutch/bearing operably coupled between the electric motor and the hydraulic pump; and
a controller to operate in a first mode by transmitting control signals to the reversible transmission to cause the transmission to operate in a forward state and to the electric motor to cause electric motor to operate in a forward state in which the front ground traction members are driven forwardly, and in a second mode by transmitting control signals to the transmission to cause the transmission to operate in a reversed state and to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to operate in a reversed state in which the rear ground traction members are driven forwardly and in which the electric motor is operably decoupled from the hydraulic pump by the one-way clutch/bearing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller in the first mode causes the electric motor and the hydraulic motor to concurrently drive the front ground traction members forwardly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller, in the first mode, is configured to output control signals varying an amount of rotational speed supplied by the hydraulic motor to the front ground traction members relative to an amount of rotational speed supplied by the electric motor to the rear ground traction members.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic power coupling for delivering pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulically powered implement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a transaxle operably coupled to the electric motor to receive torque from the electric motor; and
a planetary gear assembly comprising:
an output operably coupled to the front ground traction members;
a first input operably coupled to the transaxle to receive torque from the transaxle; and
a second input operably coupled to the hydraulic motor to receive torque from the hydraulic motor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the first input comprises a ring gear, wherein the second input comprises a sun gear, and wherein the output comprises a planet carrier supporting planet gears between the sun gear and the ring gear.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic pump comprises a variable displacement hydraulic piston, or vane, pump.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an operator interface to receive an operator selection between the first mode and the second mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a slip of the front ground traction members and to output a recommendation for either the first mode or the second mode based upon the determined slip.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a slip of the front ground traction members and to automatically switch between the first mode and the second mode based upon the determined slip.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine hydraulic implement powering by the hydraulic pump, wherein the controller is configured to automatically switch between the first mode and the second mode based upon a combination of the determined slip and determined hydraulic implement powering.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) antenna, wherein the controller is configured to determine a geographic location of the vehicle based upon signals from the GPS antenna and wherein the controller is configured to automatically switch between the first mode and the second mode based upon the geographic location of the vehicle.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
operating a vehicle in a first mode in which an electric motor output shaft is driven in a first direction to transmit torque to rear ground traction members of the vehicle and to transmit torque to a hydraulic pump such that the vehicle is driven in a forward direction; and
operating the vehicle in a second mode in which the electric motor output shaft is driven in a second direction to transmit torque to the rear ground traction members, wherein torque is not transmitted to the hydraulic pump and wherein the vehicle is driven in the forward direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising driving a hydraulic motor with the hydraulic pump and transmitting torque from the hydraulic motor to the front ground traction members when the vehicle is operating in the first mode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising transmitting torque from the electric motor to the front ground traction members, wherein the front ground traction members are concurrently driven by the hydraulic motor and the electric motor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising varying an amount of rotational speed supplied by the hydraulic motor to the front ground traction members relative to an amount of rotational speed supplied by the electric motor to the rear ground traction members.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein a transmission operably coupling the electric motor to the rear ground traction members is in a forward state during the first mode and a reversed state during the second mode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising operating the vehicle in a third mode in which the electric motor shaft is driven in the first direction and in which the transmission is in the reversed state to propel the vehicle in a rearward direction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 further comprising operating the vehicle in a fourth mode in which the electric motor shaft is driven in the second direction and in which the transmission is in the forward state so as to decouple the electric motor from the hydraulic pump while propelling the vehicle in a rearward direction.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for directing a processor, the instructions comprising:
slip evaluation instructions for directing the processor to evaluate a slip condition for ground traction members of a vehicle;
mode control instructions for directing the processor: (1) to operate the vehicle in a first mode in response to a first slip condition by transmitting control signals to a reversible transmission to cause the reversible transmission to operate in a forward state and to an electric motor to cause electric motor to operate in a forward state in which the front ground traction members are driven forwardly; and (2) to operate the vehicle in a second mode in response to a second slip condition by transmitting control signals to the transmission to cause the transmission to operate in a reversed state and to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to operate in a reversed state in which the rear ground traction members are driven forwardly and in which the electric motor is operably decoupled from a hydraulic pump by a one-way clutch/bearing.