Patent ID: 6907958

Claim:
A work vehicle comprising: a frame; an axle assembly coupled to the frame and including a first axle shaft and a first axle housing, wherein the first axle shaft is disposed substantially within the first axle housing; a first wheel coupled to the axle assembly; an axle lubricating fluid disposed within the first axle housing; a first axle cooling device disposed substantially within the first axle housing, in contact with at least a portion of the lubricating fluid, including a first coil; a cooling fluid contained within the first coil, wherein the first coil is configured to conduct cooling fluid therethrough and to maintain the cooling fluid separate from the lubricating fluid; a cooling fluid circuit fluidly coupled to the first coil, wherein the cooling circuit includes a cooling fluid pump and a cooling fluid reservoir, and wherein the first coil receives cooling fluid from the pump and delivers cooling fluid to the reservoir; and a second wheel, wherein the axle assembly is further coupled to the second wheel and further includes a second axle shaft, a second axle housing, and a second coil, and further wherein the second axle shaft and the second coil are disposed substantially within the second axle housing, wherein the cooling circuit further includes a crossover conduit, an inlet of the first coil receives cooling fluid from the pump, an outlet of the first coil delivers cooling fluid through the crossover conduit to an inlet of the second coil, and an outlet of the second coil delivers cooling fluid to the reservoir, the second coil being thereby coupled to the first coil in series flow relationship by the crossover conduit.