IP Library Granted Patent US 12,496,896
Granted Patent B2
US 12,496,896 · App. 18/379,788 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Liquid cooling system for an electric vehicle

Inventor: Ian Wright (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
B60K11/04B60K1/04B60L53/20H01M10/613H01M10/625H01M10/6564H01M50/204H01M50/249H01M50/258H05K7/20263H05K7/20272H05K7/20927B60K2001/005B60K2001/006B60L2210/10H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,496,896
App. No.
18/379,788
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes a chassis, a housing to house one or more battery modules, the housing being supported by the chassis, an electric motor to receive electrical power from the one or more battery modules, a liquid cooling system including a radiator to cool a coolant when the coolant flows through the radiator, and one or more coolant pumps connected to the radiator to circulate the coolant, and an air cooling system to cool the one or more battery modules. The air cooling system includes a compressor, a condenser, and one or more evaporator coils, and the radiator and the condenser are located adjacent to each other.

Claims (98)

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a housing to house one or more battery modules, the housing being supported by the chassis;

an electric motor to receive electrical power from the one or more battery modules;

a liquid cooling system including:

a radiator to cool a coolant when the coolant flows through the radiator, and

one or more coolant pumps connected to the radiator to circulate the coolant;

an air cooling system to cool the one or more battery modules, the air cooling system including:

a compressor;

a condenser; and

one or more evaporator coils;

a roof supported by the chassis; and

a blower fan to direct air across the radiator; wherein

the radiator and the condenser are located adjacent to each other;

the blower fan is mounted on the roof adjacent to the radiator;

the blower fan includes a first blower fan and a second blower fan;

the first blower fan is located between the condenser and the radiator; and

the second blower fan is located forward of both the condenser and the radiator in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the housing includes:

a first housing supported by the chassis, and

a first side housing and a second side housing arranged on opposing lateral sides of the first housing;

each of the first housing, the first side housing, and the second side housing house a portion of the one or more battery modules;

the one or more coolant pumps include a first coolant pump and a second coolant pump; and

the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump are both mounted on the second side housing.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a cabin frame that is connected to the chassis and supports the roof of the vehicle; wherein

a fluid connection between the radiator and the first coolant pump and a fluid connection between the radiator and the second coolant pump extend through internal portions of the cabin frame.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump are located adjacent to one another on a front surface of the second side housing.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the condenser is located forward of the radiator in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the liquid cooling system further includes:

an inverter to be cooled by the coolant; and

an electric motor to be cooled by the coolant and connected to the inverter; and

the inverter is located forward of the electric motor in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein

the housing includes:

a first housing supported by the chassis; and

a first side housing and a second side housing arranged on opposing lateral sides of the first housing;

each of the first housing, the first side housing, and the second side housing house a portion of the one or more battery modules; and

the inverter is mounted to a bottom of the chassis and under the first housing.

8 . A vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a housing to house one or more battery modules, the housing being supported by the chassis;

an electric motor to receive electrical power from the one or more battery modules;

a liquid cooling system including:

a radiator to cool a coolant when the coolant flows through the radiator;

one or more coolant pumps connected to the radiator to circulate the coolant;

an inverter to be cooled by the coolant;

an electric motor to be cooled by the coolant and connected to the inverter;

a heat exchanger through which the coolant and another liquid can circulate;

an Onboard Battery Charger with a DC-to-DC converter to be cooled by the coolant; and

a secondary DC-to-DC converter to be cooled by the coolant; and

an air cooling system to cool the one or more battery modules, the air cooling system including:

a compressor;

a condenser; and

one or more evaporator coils; wherein

the radiator and the condenser are located adjacent to each other; and

the one or more coolant pumps include a first coolant pump and a second coolant pump to circulate the coolant.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein

the first coolant pump, the inverter, and the electric motor are included in a first coolant path circuit; and

the second coolant pump, the heat exchanger, the Onboard Battery Charger with the DC-to-DC converter, and the secondary DC-to-DC converter are included in a second coolant path circuit; and

the first coolant path circuit and the second coolant path circuit are parallel coolant path circuits.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a first coolant path coupling; and

a second coolant path coupling; wherein

the first coolant path coupling is located between the radiator and each of the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump; and

the second coolant path coupling is located between the radiator and an end of the first coolant path circuit and between the radiator and an end of the second coolant path circuit.

11 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein

in the first coolant path circuit, the coolant flows from the first coolant pump to the inverter and from the inverter to the electric motor.

12 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein

in the second coolant path circuit, the coolant flows from the second coolant pump to the heat exchanger, from the heat exchanger to the Onboard Battery Charger with the DC-to-DC converter, and from the Onboard Battery Charger with the DC-to-DC converter to the secondary DC-to-DC converter.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein

the another liquid includes a hydraulic fluid; and

the heat exchanger removes heat from the another liquid when the coolant and the another liquid are circulated through the heat exchanger.

14 . A vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a housing to house one or more battery modules, the housing being supported by the chassis;

an electric motor to receive electrical power from the one or more battery modules;

a liquid cooling system including:

a radiator to cool a coolant when the coolant flows through the radiator; and

one or more coolant pumps connected to the radiator to circulate the coolant;

a heat exchanger through which the coolant and another liquid can circulate;

an Onboard Battery Charger with a DC-to-DC converter to be cooled by the coolant; and

a secondary DC-to-DC converter to be cooled by the coolant; and

an air cooling system to cool the one or more battery modules, the air cooling system including:

a compressor;

a condenser; and

one or more evaporator coils; wherein

the radiator and the condenser are located adjacent to each other.

15 . The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein

the housing includes:

a first housing supported by the chassis; and

a first side housing and a second side housing arranged on opposing lateral sides of the first housing;

each of the first housing, the first side housing, and the second side housing house a portion of the one or more battery modules; and

the Onboard Battery Charger with the DC-to-DC converter is mounted to a bottom of the chassis and under the first housing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: WRIGHT, IAN
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065210/0656 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250121675A1 · Apr 17, 2025
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