Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Carl D Tarum

Tomy Sebastian

Christian E Ross

James Leroy Davison

Albert C Wong

Zaki Ryne

Tom Cheuk-In Wong

Paul M Fisher

Keith A Kidder

Scott Blehm

David Fredrick Hammerbacher

Matthew A Tompkins

Kevin Mark McClendon

James Michael Shea

D Craig Cook

Robert Edward Beyerlein

Allan Lee Dickinson

Scott T Blehm

Technical solutions are described for estimating handwheel angle of a steering wheel of a vehicle based on road wheel rotational speed data. In one or more examples, the technical solutions are used when the vehicle does not have a sensor to measure the handwheel angle, or if the handwheel angle sensor is faulted and unable to provide data on the actual handwheel angle.

Steering system handwheel angle determination

A steering system for detecting a hand wheel position is provided and includes an input shaft connected to a hand wheel, a main gear disposed around the input shaft, a puck gear meshingly engaged with the main gear, and a control module. The control module receives an angular main position of the main gear and an angular puck position of the puck gear. The control module includes a rotational calculation module for calculating the hand wheel position based on at least the angular main position and the angular puck position.

Hand wheel position detection system

A motor vehicle hydraulic system including a power steering pump, a reservoir, a steering assist fluid motor, and a second fluid motor for a radiator cooling fan. A flow control valve remote from the power steering pump divides the total fluid flow from the power steering pump into a high flow branch and a low flow branch. Fluid circulates in the low flow branch at a substantially constant flow rate for a proportional control valve for the steering assist fluid motor and returns to the reservoir through an unrestricted tubular boss on the reservoir. Fluid in the high flow branch issues as a jet stream from a nozzle on the reservoir into a venturi passage submerged in fluid in the reservoir. The venturi passage is connected to an inlet port of the power steering pump. The jet stream aspirates fluid from the reservoir into the venturi passage. The kinetic energy of the jet stream is converted into superatmospheric pressure at the inlet port of the power steering pump to suppress cavitation. Fluid from the low flow branch dwells in the reservoir for a time duration adequate for natural release therefrom of any entrained gas bubbles.

Hydraulic system for motor vehicle

A coupling between an end of a fluid conducting tube and a socket in a housing at the end of a fluid conducting passage in the housing. An annular shoulder on the tube seats on an annular base of the socket in an installed position of the tube and a annulus is defined between the outside of the tube and a circular entry to the socket above the base. A tubular plastic retainer, slidably disposed on the tube behind the annular shoulder and outside the socket, has an outwardly flared front end section which is squeezed to the smaller diameter of the circular entry and pushed into the annulus between the entry and the tube. In a seated position of the retainer, the flared front end section radially overlaps the annular shoulder so that a shear section of the retainer is defined between the annular shoulder and the circular entry. The shear section resists withdrawal of the tube from the socket.

Fluid coupling

A self crimping connection for inner and outer members and the method of making the same includes providing the inner member with stepped cylindrical exterior walls defining an outboard wall of reduced diameter relative to an inboard wall with an annular groove in the outboard wall; providing the outer member with a stepped bore defining an internal outboard wall and an inboard wall to slidably receive the outboard and inboard walls, respectively, of the inner member, with an annular groove in the outboard wall of the outer member; a first bushing encircling the outboard wall of the inner member and a second bushing encircling the outboard wall of the outer member, with each of the first and second bushings having a body portion and a crimp collar portion, the arrangement being such that as the inner member and first bushing are axially pressed into the outer member and its associate second bushing, the crimp collar portion of the first bushing is crimped into locking engagement into the annular groove in the outboard wall of the outer member and the crimp collar portion of the second bushing is crimped into locking engagement into the annular groove in the inner member. Preferably, one of the walls is also knurled so as to also prevent rotation of these members as well as axial movement relative to each other.

Self crimping connection for inner and outer members and method of

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Saginaw, MI, United States of America

Carl D Tarum