Power steering for motor vehicles

• US 5,845,736 A
• Filed: 11/08/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Moser, Martin, Bohner, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zimmerli, William R.
• Application Number:
  US08/744,840
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 180/402, 180/403, 180/405, 180/406, 180/407, 180/422, 91/367, 91/363 A, 91/363 R, 91/361
• US Class Current: 180/403
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/083 Rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/092 the electric motor being connected to the final driven element of the steering gear, e.g. rack
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00

Abstract

In a hydraulic power steering for motor vehicles having a steering control element, a position setting unit connected to the steering control element, a control motor connected to the position setting unit by way of a control circuit and a servo valve having control parts which are supported so as to be rotatable relative to each other but operatively interconnected by spring means retaining them in a central open position relative to each other, one of the control parts is operatively connected to the control motor and the other is connected to a steering gear mechanism associated with the steered wheels of the motor vehicle, and a hydraulic servomotor is associated with the vehicle wheel steering mechanism and hydraulically connected to the servo valve to receive hydraulic fluid therefrom depending on the relative rotary positions of the servo valve control parts.

Claims

1. A hydraulic power steering for motor vehicles comprising:

a steering control element, a position setting unit connected to said steering control element so as to be settable thereby, a first control motor connected to said position setting unit by way of a control circuit to be operated thereby, a servo valve having two control parts which are supported so as to be rotatable with respect to each other but are operatively coupled by spring means adapted to retain the control parts in a central rest position with respect to each other, one of said control parts being operatively connected to said first control motor to be rotated thereby depending on set values provided by said steering control element and the other control part being connected to a steering gear mechanism which is connected to steered wheels of the motor vehicle, and a hydraulic servo motor arranged to aid the movement of said steering gear mechanism and being connected to said servo valve so as to receive hydraulic fluid therefrom depending on the relative rotary positions of said servo valve control parts and a second control motor effective to displace said two servo valve parts relative to each other for executing automatic steering corrections.

2. A power steering according to claim 1, wherein said first control motor is an electric motor.

3. A power steering according to claim 1, wherein said first control motor is a hydraulic displacement member which is operatively coupled with said servo valve control parts so as to rotate the control parts relative to each other when said hydraulic displacement member is axially displaced.

4. A power steering according to claim 1, wherein said servo valve has a center position in which said servo motor is not actuated.