Hydraulic steering system and method
AssigneeBayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsAndreas Bootz, Torsten Verkoyen
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Abstract
A hydraulic steering system has a steering linkage and an actuator actuating the steering linkage. Pressurized hydraulic fluid can be fed to the actuator and removed from the actuator through a return pipe. A device installed into the return pipe counteracts volume flow pulsations by damming up the hydraulic fluid return flow. The device dams up the hydraulic fluid only in the event of an occurrence of a volume flow pulsation.
Claims8
A hydraulic steering system having a steering linkage and an actuator actuating the steering linkage, the hydraulic steering system comprising:
- a return pipe through which pressurized hydraulic fluid fed to the actuator is removable from the actuator;
- and
- a hydraulic fluid return flow damming device arranged in the return pipe, the hydraulic fluid return flow damming device counteracting volume flow pulsations by damming-up the hydraulic fluid only when a volume flow pulsation occurs,
- wherein the hydraulic fluid return flow damming device comprises a hydraulic fluid storage volume that accumulates the hydraulic fluid when the volume flow pulsation occurs.
A method of operating a hydraulic steering system having a steering linkage and an actuator that actuates the steering linkage, the method comprising the acts of:
- feeding pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuator;
- removing the hydraulic fluid from the actuator through a return pipe;
- and
- only when a volume flow pulsation occurs, damming-up a return flow of the hydraulic fluid in the return pipe,
- wherein a hydraulic fluid storage volume accumulates the hydraulic fluid when the volume flow pulsation occurs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.