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:
Jan. 12, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1997
James Leroy Davison, Freeland, MI (US);
Ronald Duane Elson, Merrill, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A demand responsive flow control valve including a housing in a fluid conduit between a pump and a motor vehicle power steering gear, a flow control orifice in the fluid conduit, and a valve pintle supported on the housing for linear translation. An inboard stop on the housing engageable by the valve pintle defines an active position of the valve pintle, obstructing the flow control orifice and reducing the effective area of the latter. The inboard stop is a tubular sleeve interference fitted in a bore in the housing. The position of the tubular sleeve on the housing corresponding to the active position of the valve pintle is established by inducing linear translation of the tubular sleeve into the bore in the housing as a unit with the valve pintle while monitoring the corresponding flow rate through the fluid conduit. When the actual flow rate attains a magnitude equal to a desired or scheduled low flow of the flow control valve, the corresponding calibrated position of the tubular sleeve is rigidly captured by friction attributable to the interference fit between the tubular sleeve and the housing.