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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 28, 1996
Henry C Sangret, St. Clair Shores, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A power steering control valve (10) includes inner and outer valve members (30 and 32) which are rotatable relative to each other to control fluid flow to and from a power steering motor. A damping assembly (60) is provided to damp relative movement between the inner and outer valve members (30 and 32). The damping assembly (60) includes a pair of pistons (64 and 66) which are connected with the inner valve member (30) and extend into arcuate grooves (70 and 72) in the outer valve member (32). The pistons (64 and 66) cooperate with the arcuate grooves (70 and 72) in the outer valve member (32) to form variable volume chambers (76, 78, 80 and 82). Upon relative rotation between the inner and outer valve members (30 and 32) in a first (clockwise) direction, the pistons (64 and 66) are moved relative to the outer valve member (32) to contract a pair of chambers (76 and 82) and force fluid from the contracting chambers through restrictors (84 and 90) to a return fluid flow from the power steering motor. At the same time, movement of the pistons (64 and 66) expands a pair of chambers (78 and 80) to induce fluid flow through a second pair of restrictors (86 and 88) into the expanding chambers from the return flow of fluid to the power steering motor.