Hydraulic steering device for vehicles

• US 20060162988A1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Baumaschinen GmbH (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Baumaschinen GmbH (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Grabbel, Jorg, Ivantysynova, Monika, Weber, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 7,896,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/418
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 12/00 Steering specially adapted for vehicles operating in tandem or having pivotally connected frames steering endless tracks or the like B62D11/00; steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/002 Hydraulic systems to change the pump delivery

Abstract

A hydraulic steering device for vehicles, especially construction machines, with which is simple and robust mechanically and can be precisely controlled, without possessing the disadvantages of the current state of the art. A hydraulic swivelling motor for producing the steering motion, which is connected to a variable flow rate pump with reversal of its direction of delivery.

Claims

1. A hydraulic steering device for vehicles with an articulated joint between major ground-engaging components of the vehicles, comprising:

a least one hydraulic swivelling motor for producing the steering movement;

a hydraulic pump with a variable flow rate and reversal of the direction of delivery, the pump in fluid flow communication with the at least one swivelling motor;

the at least one swivelling motor further being a swivelling vane motor incorporated into the articulation joint or arranged on the turning axle of the articulation joint.

2. The steering device of claim 1, wherein:

the variable flow pump with reversal of its delivery direction is also a constant displacement pump, driven by a controlled variable speed electric motor.

3. The steering device of claim 1, wherein:

the variable flow pump with reversal of its delivery direction is a variable displacement axial piston pump with a swashplate.

4. The steering device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one swivelling motor is arranged above and/or beneath the articulation joint.

5. The steering device of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one swivelling motor is arranged above and/or beneath the articulation joint.

6. The steering device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one swivelling motor is arranged above and/or beneath the articulation joint.

7. The steering device of claim 1, further including:

an electronic controller connected to and controlling the operation of the pump.

8. The steering device of claim 7, wherein:

the electronic controller is a micro-processor.

9. The steering device of claim 2, further including:

sensors for recording the steering angle and further system parameters of state are positioned on the at least one motor.

10. The steering device of claim 3, further including:

sensors for recording the steering angle and further system parameters of state are positioned on the at least one motor.

11. The steering device of claim 8, further including:

sensors for recording the steering angle and further system parameters of state are positioned on the at least one motor.

12. The steering device of claim 7, further including:

a joystick connected to said electronic control element for setting the steering angle.

13. The steering device of claim 12, wherein the joystick includes a force-feedback function.

14. The steering device of claim 11, further including:

a joystick connected to said electronic controller for setting the steering angle.

15. The steering device of claim 14, wherein the joystick includes a force-feedback function.

16. The steering device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one swivelling motor is a swivelling vane motor.

17. The steering device of claim 16, further including:

a set angle prescribed by the operator is recorded in the micro-processor, and depending upon that the quantity and direction of the volume flow to the at least one hydraulic steering motor is influenced.

18. The steering device of claim 17, wherein:

the actual angle of the steering device is recorded in the micro-processor and the volume flow to the steering motor is controlled by a control algorithm which is selectively variable depending upon the operating state of the vehicle, in particular a steering angle control and/or a steering angle velocity controller.