Marine power steering system
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorJames M. Hundertmark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine hydraulic system for operation of a power steering assembly includes a pressure accumulator to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid and valving that permits the transfer of hydraulic fluid within the cylinder to provide efficient use of hyraulic fluid.
Claims15
A power steering system for a marine propulsion unit, comprising:
- a steering linkage interconnected with said propulsion unit;
- an operator controlled steering actuator mechanism;
- a cylinder fixed relative to said propulsion unit;
- a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and including a piston rod, said piston rod being interconnected with said steering linkage, said piston including an internal cavity;
- a first passage providing communication between a first side of said piston and said cavity;
- a second passage providing communication between a second side of said piston and said cavity;
- a third passage providing communication between said cavity and a fluid reservoir;
- wherein said first passage communicates with said cavity through a first port and said third passage communicates with said cavity through a second port;
- fluid pressure supply means providing fluid pressure to said piston;
- valve means disposed within said piston cavity for normally cutting off communication between said first and second sides of said piston and between said cavity and said third passage, said valve means including a first valve member normally cutting off communication between said first and second sides of said piston, and a second valve member normally cutting off communication between said cavity and said third passage, wherein said first valve member normally seals said first port and said second valve member normally seals said second port;
- bias means acting on said first valve member for sealing said first port and acting on said second valve means for sealing said second port;
- wherein said first and second valve members are exposed to fluid pressure within cavity, said fluid pressure creating opposing forces on said valve members, and wherein said first and second valve members each present substantially equal areas to fluid pressure within said cavity so that the force due to fluid pressure on said first and second valve members tending to seal said first and second ports, respectively, and the force due to fluid pressure on said first and second valve members tending to open said first and second ports, respectively, are substantially canceling;
- and
- actuator means slidably disposed in the piston rod for selectively actuating said valve means to selectively allow communication between said first and second sides of said piston so that fluid pressure on one side of said piston is transferred to the other side of said piston to move said piston rod in a first direction relative to said cylinder, and for selectively actuating said valve means to selectively allow communication between said cavity and said third passage means so that one side of said piston is in communication with said reservoir and fluid pressure on the other side of said piston causes movement of said piston in a second direction so as to exhaust fluid from the side of said piston in communication with said reservoir through said third passage.
A power steering system for a marine propulsion unit, comprising a steering linkage connected to the propulsion unit, an operator controlled steering actuator mechanism, a block, a control member mounted for pivotal movement relative to the block and having one end pivotally connected to said steering actuator mechanism, a cylinder fixed relative to said propulsion unit, a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and including a piston rod, said piston rod being connected to said block, said piston rod being operably connected to said steering linkage, said piston having a cavity, first passage means providing communication between a first side of side piston and said cavity, second passage means providing communication between the second side of said piston and said cavity, third passage means providing communication between said cavity and a fluid reservoir, fluid pressure supply means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cavity, an actuator rod disposed coaxially within the piston rod and slidable relative to said piston, a pair of annular valve members mounted for sliding movement on said actuator rod, said valve members being mounted for movement relative to each other and having a first position where a first of said valve members closes said first passage means and a second of said valve members close said second passage means and having a second position where said first valve member permits flow through said first passage means and said second valve member prevents flow through said second passage means and having a third position where said first valve member prevents flow through said first passage means and said second valve member permits flow through said second passage means, and valve actuating means connected to said actuating rod for moving the valve members between said positions as said rod is moved relative to said piston.
A power steering system for a marine propulsion unit, comprising a steering linkage connected to the propulsion unit, an operator controlled steering actuator mechanism, a block, a control member mounted for pivotal movement relative to the block and having one end pivotally connected to said steering actuator mechanism, said control member extending through an opening formed in a collar member received within a recess in said block and being pivotally mounted to said collar member, a cylinder fixed relative to said propulsion unit, a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and including a piston rod, said piston rod being connected to said block, said piston rod being operably connected to said steering linkage, said piston having a cavity, first passage means providing communication between a first side of said piston and said cavity, second passage means providing communication between the second side of said piston and said cavity, third passage means providing communication between said cavity and a fluid reservoir, fluid supply means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cavity of said piston, valve means disposed in said piston for controlling the flow of said fluid from the cavity of said piston to opposite sides of said piston, an actuating member disposed co-axially of said piston rod and slidable relative to said piston rod and said piston, and valve actuating means connected to said actuating member for actuating said valve means and selectively supplying fluid to opposite sides of said piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.