# US 12,594,828 B2 · Electric work vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,828 B2 - Document ID: US12594828B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/532,057 - Filed: 2023-12-07 - Published: 2025-05-01 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2023-10-30 - Assignees: Kubota Corporation - Applicants: Kubota Corporation - Inventors: David Kieke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594828B2 ## CPC - B60K 17/043: {Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel} - B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor - B60K 7/0007: {the motor being electric} - B60K 17/28: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off - B60K 25/00: Auxiliary drives (arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10) - B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) - B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors} - F16H 57/02: Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein - F16H 63/3416: {Parking lock mechanisms or brakes in the transmission} - B60K 2007/0061: {the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle} - F16H 2057/02034: {Gearboxes combined or connected with electric machines} - F16H 2057/02052: {Axle units; Transfer casings for four wheel drive} - F16H 2057/02056: {for utility vehicles, e.g. tractors or agricultural machines} - 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 An electric work vehicle includes a rear housing, a first motor to drive a first rear wheel, the first motor being supported by the rear housing, a second motor to drive a second rear wheel, the second motor being supported by the rear housing, and a locking assembly. The first motor is connected to a first gearing to drive the first rear wheel. The second motor is connected to a second gearing to drive the second rear wheel. The first gearing and the second gearing are operable to rotate independently of each other. The locking assembly is operable to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing from being able to rotate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric work vehicle comprising: a rear housing; a first motor to drive a first rear wheel, the first motor being supported by the rear housing; a second motor to drive a second rear wheel, the second motor being supported by the rear housing; a locking assembly; a third motor to drive a first electric work vehicle component other than a wheel, the third motor being supported by the rear housing; and a fourth motor to drive a second electric work vehicle component other than a wheel, the fourth motor being supported by the rear housing; wherein the first motor is connected to a first gearing to drive the first rear wheel; the second motor is connected to a second gearing to drive the second rear wheel; the first gearing and the second gearing are operable to rotate independently of each other; the locking assembly is configured to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing from being able to rotate; at least a portion of the first gearing and at least a portion of the second gearing are located above the third motor in an up-down direction of the vehicle; the third motor is supported by the rear housing at a position between the first motor and the second motor; and an axis of the fourth motor extends in parallel or substantially in parallel with an axis of the first motor and an axis of the second motor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a linkage is connected to the locking assembly and operable to control the locking assembly to lock and unlock the first gearing and the second gearing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first gearing includes a first plurality of gears; the second gearing includes a second plurality of gears; the locking assembly is operable to engage with an outermost gear of the first plurality of gears in a left-right direction of the electric work vehicle and an outermost gear of the second plurality of gears in the left-right direction of the electric work vehicle to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first gearing includes a first plurality of gears; the second gearing includes a second plurality of gears; and the locking assembly is operable to simultaneously lock a low gear of the first plurality of gears and a low gear of the second plurality of gears. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first electric work vehicle component includes a Power Take-Off (PTO); and the second electric work vehicle component includes a hydraulic system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an axis of the third motor extends perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to an axis of the first motor and an axis of the second motor; and an axis of the third motor is lower than an axis of the first motor and an axis of the second motor in an up-down direction of the electric work vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an axis of the fourth motor is lower than an axis of the first motor and an axis of the second motor in an up-down direction of the electric work vehicle; and an axis of the second motor is collinear with an axis of the first motor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third motor is located closer to one of the first motor or the second motor and farther from another one of the first motor or the second motor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third motor is larger than each of the first motor, the second motor, and the fourth motor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an outermost portion of the first gearing is located to an inside of the first motor in a left-right direction of the vehicle; and an outermost portion of the second gearing is located to an inside of the second motor in the left-right direction of the electric work vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electric work vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising: a gear casing affixed to a portion of the rear housing; wherein a portion of the first gearing and a portion of the second gearing are located within the gear casing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electric work vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a width of the gear casing in the left-right direction of the electric work vehicle is thinner than a width of the rear housing in the left-right direction of the electric work vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The electric work vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel are connected to respective rear wheel hubs which are mounted to the gear casing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The electric work vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first gearing and the second gearing each respectively include a plurality of interlinking gears and extend from the rear housing into the gear casing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first motor is located on a left side of the rear housing; the second motor is located on a right side of the rear housing; the third motor is located on a front side of the rear housing; and the fourth motor is located on the left side of the rear housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electric work vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the first electric work vehicle component other than a wheel includes a Power-Take Off (PTO); and the third motor is connected to the PTO via a PTO shaft which extends from the front side of the rear housing out through an opening in a rear side of the rear housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electric work vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the PTO shaft is connected to the third motor through at least one PTO gear; and the PTO shaft is located below an output shaft of the PTO in the up-down direction of the electric work vehicle. ### Claim 18 An electric work vehicle comprising: a rear housing; a first motor to drive a first rear wheel, the first motor being supported by the rear housing; a second motor to drive a second rear wheel, the second motor being supported by the rear housing; and a locking assembly; wherein the first motor is connected to a first gearing to drive the first rear wheel; the second motor is connected to a second gearing to drive the second rear wheel; the first gearing and the second gearing are operable to rotate independently of each other; the locking assembly is operable to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing from being able to rotate; the first gearing includes a plurality of gears that define a first high gear transmission path and a plurality of gears that define a first low gear transmission path; the second gearing includes a plurality of gears that define a second high gear transmission path and a plurality of gears that define a second low gear transmission path; and the locking assembly is operable to engage with the first low gear transmission path and the second low gear transmission path to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing. ### Claim 19 An electric work vehicle comprising: a rear housing; a first motor to drive a first rear wheel, the first motor being supported by the rear housing; a second motor to drive a second rear wheel, the second motor being supported by the rear housing; and a locking assembly; wherein the first motor is connected to a first gearing to drive the first rear wheel; the second motor is connected to a second gearing to drive the second rear wheel; the first gearing and the second gearing are operable to rotate independently of each other; and the locking assembly is operable to simultaneously lock both of the first gearing and the second gearing from being able to rotate; the locking assembly includes a shaft; a first actuator is connected to a first end of the shaft, the first actuator being structured to receive a manual operation from a user; a second actuator is connected to a second end of the shaft, the second actuator being controlled by a controller; and the operation of the second actuator can be performed without affecting a positioning of the first actuator.