# US 9,518,567 B2 · Adjusting device of a hydrostatic module

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- Number: US 9,518,567 B2
- Document ID: US9518567B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/006,350
- Filed: 2012-02-02
- Published: 2014-01-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-25
- Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
- Applicants: Udo Brehmer; Bernd Schraff; Roland Rehtanz
- Inventors: Udo Brehmer; Bernd Schraff; Roland Rehtanz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518567B2

## CPC

- F04B 1/29: by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
- F01B 3/0032: {having rotary cylinder block}
- F04B 1/10: the cylinders being movable, e.g. rotary {(F04B3/006 takes precedence)}
- F04B 1/20: having rotary cylinder block
- F04B 1/328: by changing the inclination of the axis of the cylinder barrel relative to the swash plate
- F15B 9/08: controlled by valves affecting the fluid feed or the fluid outlet of the servomotor (F15B9/06 takes precedence)
- F15B 13/0416: {with means or adapted for load sensing}
- F16H 61/42: involving adjustment of a pump or motor with adjustable output or capacity
- F04B 1/2078: Swash plates
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- F01B: MACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES (of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F01C; of non-positive-displacement type F01D; internal-combustion engines F02B; combustion-product engine plants F02G; machines or engines, other than of positive-displacement type, for liquids F03B; positive-displacement engines driven by liquids F03C; wind motors F03D; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04B; rotary-piston, or oscillating-piston, positive-displacement machines for liquids F04C)
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

An adjusting device of an axial piston machine having a displacement volume that is adjusted by a pivoting yoke. The adjusting device has a cylinder, which is radially spaced from and tangential to the yoke pivot axis. A piston communicates with the yoke and is adjusted by hydraulic pressure change. A control arrangement has a position regulating valve with a control piston which can set the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston. A mechanical return can transfer the yoke pivoting position to the control piston. The valve is axially parallel to the cylinder and radially spaced from the yoke pivot axis. The return comprises an axially movable sensing piston and coaxial return spring which are axially adjacent to the valve. The sensing piston abuts a yoke surface that is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis and connected to the control piston by the return spring.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An adjusting device of a hydrostatic module comprising:
at least one axial piston machine which communicates with a yoke such that a displacement volume of the at least one axial piston machine is adjustable by pivoting of the yoke (5),
the adjusting device having a hydraulic adjusting cylinder, which is disposed radially spaced from and tangential with respect to a pivot axis of the yoke (5),
the adjusting cylinder has an adjusting piston, which is operatively connected to the yoke (5) by way of a pivot lever and the adjusting piston is biased within the adjusting cylinder by an adjusting pressure difference of a hydraulic pressure medium which acts on two opposing piston surfaces of the adjusting piston,
the adjusting device has a control arrangement (1, 1′, 1*), which has a position regulating valve (2) in a form of an electromagnetically controllable hydraulic proportional valve, the position regulating valve has an axially slidable control piston (3), adjustment of an axial position of the control piston adjusts the adjusting pressure difference which acts on the two opposing piston surfaces of the adjusting piston of the adjusting cylinder,
the adjusting device has a non-positively locking mechanical return device (4), which communicates with the yoke such that a pivoting position of the yoke (5) is transferable to the control piston (3) of the position regulating valve (2), and the position regulating valve (2) being disposed axially parallel to the adjusting cylinder and disposed radially spaced from the pivot axis of the yoke (5), and the return device (4) comprising an axially movable, guided sensing piston (6, 6′, 6*) and a return spring (7) in the form of a helical spring, the sensing piston and the return spring are coaxially aligned and axially adjacent to the position regulating valve (2), and
the sensing piston (6, 6′, 6*) abuts a feedback surface (8) of the yoke (5), the feedback surface of the yoke is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis of the yoke and the sensing piston is operatively connected to the control piston (3) of the position regulating valve (2) by the return spring (7).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the feedback surface (8) of the yoke has a convex contour which is adapted to a desired control characteristic for controlling the pivoting position of the yoke (5).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the feedback surface (8) is formed on a component (9) that is removably attached to the yoke (5).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing piston (6) has an outer end (10) with a smooth anti-friction surface which contacts and slides on the feedback surface (8) of the yoke (5).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing piston (6′) is in contact with the feedback surface (8) of the yoke (5) via a ball (20) at an outer end (10) of the sensing piston, and the ball is rotatably mounted in a spherical indentation (19) such that the sensing piston is rotatable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing piston (6*) is in contact with the feedback surface (8) of the yoke (5) via a roller (22) at an outer end of the sensing piston (10), and the roller is rotatably mounted about an axis (21) oriented parallel to the pivot axis of the yoke (5) such that the sensing piston can roll.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a first side of the return spring (7) is received within a central blind hole (12) of the sensing piston (6, 6′, 6*), such that an end the first side of the return spring abuts the sensing piston, and a second side of the return spring abuts a spring cap (13) that is centrally disposed on the control piston (3) of the position regulating valve (2).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing piston (6, 6′, 6*) is axially movably, guided in a bore (14) of a component (15) fixed to a housing so that the sensing piston is slidable in an axial direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the position regulating valve (2) is designed as a cartridge and is disposed in a bore (14) of a component (15) fixed to a housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The adjusting device according to claim 8, wherein the sensing piston (6, 6′, 6*), the return spring (7) and the position regulating valve (2) are disposed in a stepped bore (14) of a base plate (15) of the hydrostatic module in which bearings of the yoke (5) are integrated.

### Claim 11

An adjusting device of a hydrostatic module having an axial piston machine which communicates with a yoke, a displacement volume of the axial piston machine is adjustable by pivoting of the yoke about a yoke pivot axis, the adjusting device comprises:
a hydraulic adjusting cylinder defining an adjusting axis and being radially spaced from and tangential with respect to the yoke pivot axis;
an adjusting piston being operatively connected to the yoke by a pivot lever, the adjusting piston being biased along the adjusting axis, within the hydraulic adjusting cylinder, by pressure differences acting on two axially opposed surfaces of the adjusting piston;
a control arrangement comprising an electromagnetically controllable hydraulic position regulating valve which has a control piston, and the control piston is axially slidable in the regulating valve along a control piston axis, the pressure differences, acting on the adjusting piston of the adjusting cylinder, are adjustable based on an axial position of the control piston;
a non-positively locking mechanical return device communicating with the yoke such that a pivot position of the yoke is transferred to the control piston of the position regulating valve; and
the position regulating valve is parallel to the adjusting cylinder along the adjusting axis and disposed radially spaced from the pivot axis of the yoke, and the return device comprising an axially movable, guided sensing piston and a return helical spring which are arranged coaxially with and axially adjacent to the position regulating valve, the sensing piston abutting against a feedback surface disposed on the yoke, and the feedback surface being eccentric with respect to the yoke pivot axis and the sensing piston being operatively connected to the control piston of the position regulating valve via the return spring such that as the yoke pivots about the yoke pivot axis, the eccentric feedback surface of the yoke biases the sensing piston axially along the control piston axis.