Hydraulic steering

• US 7,610,988 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions ApS (Danfoss A/S)
• Original Assignee: Sauer-Danfoss Aps (Bitten Og Mads Clausens Fond)
• Inventors: Jensen, Kjeld Buus, Nielsen, Finn Visgaard, Thomsen, Svend Erik, Porskrog, Bendt
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley D
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/061,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 180/204, 180/417, 701/23, 701/41
• US Class Current: 180/417
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/093 Telemotor driven by steering wheel movement hydraulic steering gear B62D3/14

Abstract

The invention concerns a hydraulic steering with a steering initiator, a steering unit with feedback properties, which can be activated by the steering initiator, the steering unit having a supply connection arrangement with a pressure connection (P) and a tank connection (T) and a working connection arrangement with two working connections (L, R), an auxiliary-force operated steering valve, which is located in parallel with the steering unit between the supply connection arrangement (P, T) and the working connection arrangement (L, R), and a feedback suppressing device, which is active, when the steering valve is active. It is endeavored to find a simple manner of ensuring the priority of the steering initiator over the steering valve. For this purpose, the steering initiator interacts with an activation sensor, which deactivates the feedback suppressing device on an activation of the steering initiator.

Claims

1. A hydraulic steering with a steering initiator, a steering unit with feedback properties, which can be activated by the steering initiator, the steering unit fluidly connecting a supply connection arrangement with a pressure connection and a tank connection to a working connection arrangement with two working connections, an auxiliary-force operated steering valve, which is located in parallel with the steering unit between the supply connection arrangement and the working connection arrangement, and a feedback suppressing device, which is active, when the steering valve is active, wherein the steering initiator receives feedback from the working connection arrangement only through the steering unit and interacts with an activation sensor, which deactivates the feedback suppressing device on an activation of the steering initiator.

2. The steering in accordance with claim 1, wherein the steering initiator exists in the form of a steering handwheel, which is connected with the steering unit via a steering shaft, the activation sensor determining an activation of the steering handwheel.

3. The steering in accordance with claim 2, wherein the activation sensor interacts with the steering shaft.

4. The steering in accordance with claim 2, wherein the activation sensor is a torque sensor.

5. The steering in accordance with claim 2, wherein the activation sensor is a rotation angle sensor.

6. The steering in accordance with claim 1, wherein the feedback suppressing device has a brake, which acts upon the steering initiator.

7. The steering in accordance with claim 6, wherein the steering initiator is a steering handwheel, and wherein the brake acts upon the steering handwheel via a steering shaft.

8. The steering in accordance with claim 7, wherein the activation sensor is located between the brake and the steering handwheel.

9. The steering in accordance with claim 6, wherein the brake is an electrically activated brake.

10. The steering in accordance with claim 6, wherein the brake generates a maximum braking torque of 8 Nm.

11. A hydraulic steering comprising:

a steering arrangement fluidly connecting a supply connection arrangement, having a pressure connection and a tank connection, to a working connection arrangement, and receiving feedback from the working connection arrangement;

a steering initiator connected to activate the steering arrangement, and receiving feedback from the working connection arrangement only through the fluid connections of the steering arrangement;

an auxiliary-force operated steering valve, fluidly connecting the supply connection arrangement to the working connection arrangement in parallel with the steering arrangement;

a feedback suppressing device, which is active when the steering valve is active; and

an activation sensor interacting with the steering initiator to deactivate the feedback suppressing device on an activation of the steering initiator.

12. The hydraulic steering according to claim 11, wherein the steering arrangement is configured to provide a first pressure at the working connection arrangement, the steering valve is configured to provide a second pressure at the working connection arrangement, and the first pressure is larger than the second pressure.

13. The hydraulic steering according to claim 11, wherein the feedback suppressing device is a brake connected to restrain the steering initiator.

14. The hydraulic steering according to claim 13, wherein the activation sensor is disposed between the feedback suppressing device and the steering initiator.

15. The hydraulic steering according to claim 13, wherein the activation sensor senses torque on the steering initiator.

16. The hydraulic steering according to claim 13, wherein the activation sensor senses rotation of the steering initiator.