Patents Assigned to ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
  • Patent number: 6506029
    Abstract: A gear pump for the power steering of a motor vehicle is integrated into the housing of the drive unit and is surrounded by both the discharge space and the intake space, which extend over the entire length of the housing Ribs are provided in the discharge space for pulsation damping and for stabilization of the pressure field. A filter space is provided between the cover and a filter cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Reichenmiller
  • Patent number: 6474437
    Abstract: In a power steering system having hydraulic power support for motor vehicles, a steering gear shaft having a steering wheel is connected to an input element of a steering gear. An output element of the steering gear is connected to wheels of the vehicle to be steered. Two working chambers of a servo motor of a power boosting system can be supplied with a hydraulic medium from a servo pump through a steering valve in accordance with a torque applied in the area of the steering gear shaft input element. Two sensors for detecting an angle of rotation and a torque are provided on the steering gear shaft and on the output element of the steering gear accordingly. After the steering wheel has been released after a steering operation, the wheels to be steered and the steering gear can be returned with hydraulic support. Both the intensity and direction of the hydraulic power support as well as the returning of the wheels to be steered are controlled by a common, electronically controlled electromagnetic valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Elser, Andreas Braun, Wolfgang Zeitz
  • Patent number: 6450201
    Abstract: A multiway rotary valve includes two valve elements for directing a pressurized medium to and from two working chambers of a servomotor and to a return connection for a pressurized-media vessel. The two valve elements can rotate relatively to each other. One valve element has a cavity, in which two planar control surfaces facing each other are disposed. The other valve element is a planar disk, which has two planar control surfaces facing away from each other. The planar control surfaces of the two valve elements have control openings that interact with each other. The inner valve element can be rotated by a limited angle by an actuator. The actuator, in the form of, for example, an impacting rod acts upon the valve element in a tangential direction. The valve element is designed as a semicircular disk, upon the radial contact surfaces of which the two impacting rods act, the two impacting rods being controllable by electromagnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Elser, Falk Hofmann
  • Patent number: 6439583
    Abstract: Actuator having at least three coupling elements connected with stabilizers (3, 5) and coupling splines (4, 16, 17), wherein one axially movable coupling element (10) is prestressed by a spring (11) while the other coupling elements are firmly connected with said stabilizers, and a pressure chamber (12) whose internal pressure regulates the disengagement operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Markowetz
  • Patent number: 6422336
    Abstract: An electrically supported power steering system for motor vehicles includes an input shaft, which is mechanically linked to a steering wheel for transmitting a steering torque required for steering of wheels to be steered. An output element is mechanically linked to the wheels to be steered. An electric motor, through which a servo force can be applied directly or indirectly to the output element, is arranged on the power steering system. The input shaft and the output element are connected to one another via a torsion bar. A detection unit for detection of a torque acting on the input shaft and of other steering-specific parameters includes a single pulse generator designed as a magnet ring and at least one magnetoresistive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Abele, Peter Brenner, Martin Budaker, Willi Nagel, Klaus Noder
  • Patent number: 6397889
    Abstract: A method for assembling a rotary valve for hydraulic power assisted steering systems may be used for a rotary valve having the following features: both valve elements of the rotary valve have longitudinal control grooves, interacting control edges of the longitudinal control grooves of the control bushing and of the rotary slide being formed parallel to each other and converging in an oblique manner at the same angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rotary valve. The method includes the following steps: the rotary slide is pushed into the control bushing up to a point just ahead of a stop in the region of the valve output member. The two valve elements of the rotary valve are aligned in their central position and are clamped there in a manner secure against rotation in relation to a torsion bar spring. In order to determine the profile of a basic characteristic curve, the rotary valve is deflected fully in both directions and the pressure/angle or the pressure/torque ratio is recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Rieger
  • Patent number: 6267144
    Abstract: A rotary slide valve (1) for power steering in motor vehicles contains a rotary slide (2), which is non-rotatably connected to a valve inlet member (4). The control bushing (3) is non-rotatably connected to a valve outlet member (5). The two valve elements are disposed so that they can move coaxially inside each other and can be maximally rotated in relation to each other over the rotational path of a lost motion coupling. The outside of the rotary slide (2) and the inside of the control bushing have control longitudinal grooves (6, 7), which cooperate with one another in order to direct a pressure fluid to and from two working areas of a servomotor The rotary slide (2) is connected to the valve outlet member (5) by means of a torsion bar spring (9). Manufacture conditional tolerances that can lead to undesirable effects in the driving behavior are compensated for by means of a play-free suspension connection (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Jens-Uwe Hafermalz, Peter Ertle, Karl-Heinz Urban, Winfried De Maight