Trw Fahrwerksysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Arnd Pfeifer

Alexander Wiertz

Alexander Gaschka

An assembly consists of a valve shaft, a valve member and an adjusting device which can alter the angle alignment of the valve member relative to the valve shaft.

Assembly consisting of a valve member and adjustment device for a vehicle servo-steering arrangement

A steering valve (30) directs hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic fluid source to a hydraulic cylinder of a steering system in a vehicle. The steering valve includes a rotatable first shaft (32) having a first face valve member (36) on an end portion of the first shaft and a rotatable second shaft (34) having a second face valve member (50) on an end portion of the second shaft. The first face valve member (36) includes a plurality of channels (40, 42) fluidly connected with the hydraulic cylinder and the second face valve member (50) includes a plurality of passages (54, 56) fluidly connected with the hydraulic fluid source. A rotatable intermediate disk (70) is located between the first and second face valve members (36, 50). The intermediate disk (70) includes a plurality of axially extending bores (80a-80d) for fluidly connecting the plurality of channels (40, 42) with the plurality of passages (54, 56). The intermediate disk (70) is controllably connectable with each of the first and second face valve members (36, 50) for rotation relative to the other of the first and second face valve members to provide different levels of steering assistance.

Rotary disk steering valve

Rotary slide steering valve

Steering gear

The invention proposes a rapid, safe, and economic device for assembling a servo valve with an input shaft, an output shaft and a valve sleeve in a hydraulically centered position by: a) Forming a preassembled unit consisting of the output shaft and the input shaft; b) Clamping the valve sleeve into a rotatable position, however a position in which it is fixed in the axial direction; c) Inserting the preassembled unit into the valve sleeve, with said preassembled unit being axially movable, but positioned in a nonrotatable fashion such that the valve sleeve and the output shaft adjoin one another and can be turned relative to one another; d) Charging the preassembled servo valve with hydraulic pressure; e) Centering the servo valve by turning the valve sleeve; and f) Pressing the preassembled unit into the valve sleeve such that the output shaft and the valve sleeve are pressed together within the overlapping region.

Device for assembling a servo valve

In order to be able to more simply manufacture and center a steering valve consisting of an input shaft, an output shaft, a valve sleeve surrounding the input shaft, and a reaction arrangement to which pressure can be applied to generate a centering moment, where the steering valve can simultaneously be of a shorter configuration than a conventional steering valve, it is proposed that the hydraulic lines for the system or operating pressure, as well as for tank return, be formed between the input shaft (2) and valve sleeve (5) and that the reaction arrangement (6) exerts a radial pressure acting between the input shaft (2) and the valve sleeve (5).

Growing community of inventors

Willich, Germany

Arnd Pfeifer