Combination fitting

1. A method of regulating fluid flow in a power steering fluid control apparatus comprising:

providing a hydraulic pump for the delivery of pressurized fluid through a pump outlet;

introducing pressurized fluid from the pump outlet to a fluid output chamber formed in a fluid control cylinder comprising a movable fluid control piston and a combination fitting having a fluid-receiving end defined by an outer peripheral surface and an end surface, the combination fitting having an internal bore therethrough and a channel in fluid communication with the bore, the channel opening axially to the end surface and radially to the outer peripheral surface;

directing at least a portion of said fluid through the internal bore of said combination fitting to a power steering system;

detecting the pressure of the fluid with a pressure sensing orifice;

communicating said pressure through a passageway to a low pressure chamber located at an end of the piston;

regulating the position of the piston within the cylinder relative to the pressure of the fluid;

delivering excess fluid to a fluid bypass port; and

recirculating excess fluid to the pump.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said channel further comprises a pair of radially extending channels defined on said first end of the member, the pair of channels forming a cross-shape on the end surface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said channels have a rectangular cross-section.

4. The method of claim 1 having two or more channels.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the channels are regularly spaced about the bore.

6. The method of claim 5 having four channels regularly spaced at about 90° about the bore.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the channels are irregularly spaced about the bore.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel has a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the channel define an area of from about 14 mm 2 to about 18 mm 2 .

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel has a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the at least one channel define an area of from about 15 mm 2 to about 17 mm 2 .

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel has a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the channel define an area of from about 16 mm 2 to about 16.5 mm 2 .

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel has a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the channel define an area of about 16.3 mm 2 .

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel has a width and a length, and the ratio of the length of the channel to the width of the at least one channel is from about 14:1 to about to 5:3.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of the channel to the width of the channel is from about 10:1.5 to about 6:2.5.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of the channel to the width of the channel is about 7:2.33.

15. A method of delivering fluid flow to a power steering system, the method comprising:

providing a hydraulic pump for the delivery of pressurized fluid through a pump outlet;

introducing pressurized fluid from the pump outlet to a fluid output chamber formed in a fluid control cylinder having a movable fluid control piston and a combination fitting, the combination fitting having a fluid-receiving end and an internal bore extending axially therethrough, the fluid receiving end of the combination fitting having a plurality of posts extending axially and being circumferentially spaced to define a plurality of channels therebetween, the plurality of channels fluidically connected to the internal bore;

directing at least a portion of said fluid from the fluid output chamber through one or more of the plurality of channels and through the internal bore of the combination fitting to a power steering system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of channels each have a rectangular cross-section.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the channels are regularly spaced circumferentially about the bore.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the channels are irregularly spaced circumferentially about the bore.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one channel has a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the at least one channel define an area of from about 14 mm 2 to about 18 mm 2 .

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of channels define a cross-shape on an axial end surface of the fluid receiving end.