The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 08, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 28, 1997
Kevin Mark McClendon, Saginaw, MI (US);
James Leroy Davison, Freeland, MI (US);
Robert Edward Beyerlein, Saginaw, MI (US);
Tom Cheuk-In Wong, Saginaw, MI (US);
Allan Lee Dickinson, Saginaw, MI (US);
Albert Cheuk-Yin Wong, Saginaw, MI (US);
Carl David Tarum, Saginaw, MI (US);
James Michael Shea, Saginaw, MI (US);
David Fredrick Hammerbacher, Saginaw, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
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.