Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Automotive Components Holdings, LLC

Dale Killins

Timothy Gerard Offerle

Joseph Washnock

Timothy Matthew Staton

Stephen Think Hung

Roberto Villegas Muriel

Darin Charles Petrini

Bryan Youngpeter

Scott L Radabaugh

Darrel Alan Recker

Robert A Stopper

Jack E Barry

John Crossman

Jennifer Laz

James Philip Cooper

Jackson E Barry, Jr

Ashraf A Zeid

Andreas Holthoff

Peter Kocybik

Steve Hung

Mark Eubank

Dirk Croughs

Methods and systems are provided for preventing overheating of a power steering system. In one example, a method includes operating an engine cooling fan based on a steering wheel angle and an engine speed. The cooling fan may be operated for a duration based on the steering wheel angle and engine speed, thus eliminating the need for a dedicated power steering coolant temperature sensor.

Systems and methods for controlling airflow through a power steering system

A bushing is provided for adjusting to differences in diameter between concentric elements of an assembly. The bushing may be provided with a plurality of leaf springs coupled to one another to form parts of a wall. The bushing wall may have a first contact face and a second contact face opposite the first contact face. The bushing wall may also be configured to be positioned in a generally annular shape. Each of the leaf springs forming part of the bushing wall may be radially deflectable relative to each of the other leaf springs in order to self-align the bushing by the resilient response of each leaf spring.

Radially deflectable bushing and steering gear assembly using the same

A recirculating-ball style gearbox for a vehicle steering system is provided. The gearbox has a rack with rack-teeth that are capable of providing variable ratio steering, where the rack-teeth are in mesh with the involute-teeth of a tapered sector gear. The involute-teeth of the sector gear have arrays of helical meshing lines extending across the meshing surfaces of the teeth, wherein the array of helical meshing lines have leads that decrease in length moving radially outward across the meshing surfaces.

Tapered involute sector gear and variable ratio rack recirculating-ball style steering gearbox

A power steering pump comprises a housing that includes a bore, a fluid discharge port that supplies pumped fluid into the bore, and a fluid bypass port for recycling excess fluid to the pumping elements. The pump outlet is at one end of the bore. A flow control valve is slideably received in the bore and regulate the size of the inlet to the fluid bypass port. The pump includes a solenoid assembly that has a plunger that is operatively connected to the flow control valve through the second end of the bore opposite the pump outlet. By adjusting the magnitude of the current to the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid assembly, the position of the flow control valve is varied to increase or decrease fluid flow to the fluid bypass port and thereby regulate the output from the pump.

Power steering pump having electronic bypass control

A system and method of controlling flow outlet from a hydraulic pump. The system provides the level of flow required to execute the driver's steering commands. This method of control reduces the average torque requirement of the hydraulic pump thereby improving fuel economy by unloading the vehicle's accessory drive, while also providing the variable assist power steering feature. The Fuel Efficient Power Steering (FEPS) control algorithm is an optimal method of regulating flow by actuating the electronic flow control device in the pump assembly. This electronic flow control device allows an increase in hydraulic fluid flow to the steering gear in order to increase the provided assist and to reduce hydraulic fluid flow to the steering gear to improve fuel economy, if no additional assist is needed. The calculation of the desired flow control device current is primarily based on vehicle speed and steering wheel rate. Some additional input signals such as steering angle or engine rpm could also be used for enhanced functionality.

Fuel efficient power steering control system and method

A power steering pump comprises, as main elements, a cam plate, a discharge cover plate and a suction cover plate that cooperate to define a cam chamber, a fluid discharge passage and fluid suction passage for the pump. The cam chamber is formed in the cam plate. The discharge cover plate includes a face that abuts a first face of the cam plate and includes a recess that cooperates with first cam plate face to define a fluid discharge passage. A suction cover plate includes a suction cover face that abuts a second face of the cam plate and comprises a recess that cooperates with the second cam plate face to define a suction passage. The power steering pump further comprises a rotor within the cam chamber and comprising slideable vanes.

Power steering pump

A power steering system includes at least one motor to assist the operator of a vehicle in turning the wheels and steering the vehicle and at least one computer or microprocessor controller. One of the processors adjusts the motor assist torque to reduce the driver effort based on specified requirements defined by boost curves. A second microprocessor controller uses an algorithm to calculate the output of the power steering motor, and compare the relationship between the driver torque and the power assist torque. If the relationship between the two is out of specified bounds, then the power steering assist is deemed inappropriate and the power system may go to a power-off state to assure that the motor does not generate an undesirable torque that has not been requested by the driver.

Electric power assist torque check

Growing community of inventors

Detroit, MI, United States of America

Dale Killins