Power steering pump having electronic bypass control
View Patent ↗A power steering pump comprises a housing that includes a bore, a fluid discharge port that supplies pumped fluid into the bore, and a fluid bypass port for recycling excess fluid to the pumping elements. The pump outlet is at one end of the bore. A flow control valve is slideably received in the bore and regulate the size of the inlet to the fluid bypass port. The pump includes a solenoid assembly that has a plunger that is operatively connected to the flow control valve through the second end of the bore opposite the pump outlet. By adjusting the magnitude of the current to the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid assembly, the position of the flow control valve is varied to increase or decrease fluid flow to the fluid bypass port and thereby regulate the output from the pump.
1. A power steering pump comprising:
a housing, which includes a bore having an axis, a fluid discharge port communicating with said bore at a first axial location, a fluid bypass port communicating with said bore at a second axial location with an inlet through which fluid enters said bypass port from said bore, and a fluid outlet passage at a first end of said bore communicating with said fluid discharge port and said bore;
a cylindrical flow control valve located at a second end of said bore, having first and second ends with said first end extending into said bore and said valve being axially displaceable along said axis from a first location in which said bypass port inlet is in an unobstructed open condition and into other locations within a defined range which cause a corresponding degree of interruption of fluid flow into said bypass port inlet, including a fully obstructed closed condition;
an actuator element rigidly secured via a rod element to said second end of said flow control valve and being axially displaceable with said rod element and said valve along said axis in response to forces being applied thereto;
a coil spring about said rod element, said spring being seated between said housing at said second end of said bore and said actuator element to provide a bias force against said actuator element and to place said flow control valve in said first location in the absence of other opposing forces; and
an electromagnetic coil mounted to said housing and surrounding said actuator element for generating an electromagnetic field that applies electromagnetic forces to move said actuator element, said rod element and said flow control valve along said axis against the bias forces of said spring to position said flow control valve at locations within said range; and
wherein said flow control valve, said rod element and said actuator element each have a continuous open fluid passage coaxially located in each to extend from said first end of said valve and through said actuator element to be in communication with fluid in said bore.
2. A power steering pump comprising:
a housing including a bore having an axis, a fluid discharge port communicating with said bore at a first axial location, a fluid bypass port communicating with said bore at a second axial location and including an inlet at said bypass port through which fluid enters said bypass port from said bore, and a fluid outlet passage communicating with said fluid discharge port and said bore;
a flow control valve located in said bore and being axially displaceable along said axis in a range of locations to cause said inlet to be fully open, partially open and fully closed for proportioned fluid bypass control;
an electromagnetic coil for producing an electromagnetic field;
a plunger for moving said flow control valve along said axis at said inlet, said plunger being rigidly secured via a rod element to said flow control valve and being axially displaceable along said axis in response to said electromagnetic field;
a spring including a first end and a second end axially opposite said first end, having said first end seated against said housing and said second end seated against said plunger, and disposed to surround a portion of said rod element to provide a biasing force against said plunger, said rod element and said control valve that causes said inlet to remain in a fully open condition when no electromagnetic field is generated;
wherein said flow control valve, said rod element and said plunger each have a continuous open fluid passage coaxially located in each to extend through said valve, said rod element and said plunger to be in communication with fluid in said bore.
3. A power steering pump in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flow control valve slides axially to vary the size of said inlet and to regulate fluid flow into said fluid bypass port.
4. A power steering pump in accordance with claim 1 further comprising pumping elements disposed within said housing, said pumping elements comprising a cam chamber and a rotor having retractable vanes disposed within said cam chamber.
5. A power steering pump in accordance with claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic field urges said flow control valve to close said inlet of said bypass port, and said spring urges said flow control valve to open said inlet of said bypass port.