Hydraulic Steering Valve Arrangement for Equalized Steering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic steering arrangements often exhibit differences in steering behavior when turning left versus right, leading to an unpleasant driving experience, and increasing production accuracy to address this issue is costly and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a directional valve and a flow control valve in the hydraulic steering arrangement, where the flow control valve manages hydraulic fluid flow independently of direction, reducing the directional valve's influence on fluid flow, and placing the directional valve after the flow control valve to simplify piping and design, allowing for 'on-off' operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If production accuracy is increased to equalize steering behavior, then steering equality is improved, but manufacturing cost and production effort increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
A flow control valve is introduced as an intermediary component between the directional valve and steering motor to mediate the hydraulic fluid flow. This mediator compensates for inherent asymmetries in the directional valve and piping, providing equal flow characteristics in both steering directions without requiring high manufacturing precision of the individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control valve allows for adjustment of flow parameters (flow rate, pressure) to optimize steering equality. By changing the flow characteristics through the control valve, the system can compensate for manufacturing variations and achieve equal steering behavior in both directions without requiring high manufacturing precision.
2Ease of operation
If the directional valve is placed before the flow control valve, then the directional valve must handle gradual throttling to prevent jerk-free steering, but this increases the complexity of the directional valve design
Solution Approach 1:
The steering valve arrangement is segmented into two distinct functional components: a directional valve for simple on-off flow direction control and a flow control valve for gradual flow regulation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, simplifying the directional valve design while maintaining smooth steering operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control valve acts as an intermediary that handles the gradual throttling function, relieving the directional valve of this complex task. The directional valve can therefore be designed as a simple on-off valve, while the flow control valve provides the necessary gradual flow control for jerk-free steering.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures equal steering behavior in both directions, simplifies the design, and reduces the need for complex throttling, resulting in a jerk-free steering experience with improved equality of steering performance.
Implementation Method 1
the flow control valve supplies the amount of hydraulic fluid defined by the driver via the actuation of the steering unit
Implementation Method 2
the directional valve only determines the direction, in which the vehicle shall be steered
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a hydraulic steering arrangement with a hydraulically actuated steering valve arrangement, steering motor connections (CL, CR), which are connected to supply connections (HP, T) via the steering valve arrangement, and a steering unit. It is endeavored to equalize in a simple manner the steering behavior in both directions. For this purpose, it is ensured that the steering valve arrangement has a directional valve and a flow control valve.