VEHICLE STEERING SYSTEM PROVIDING STEERING CORRECTIONS TO COMPENSATE FOR LATERAL DISTURBANCES, SUCH AS WIND GUSTS AND ROAD IRREGULARITIES

摘要

1283861 Steering vehicles BENDIX CORP 9 Jan 1970 [15 Jan 1969] 1104/70 Heading B7H A vehicle steering system includes means for steering the vehicle in response to driver actuations of a steering wheel 140, Fig. 6, and a fluid sensing device 12, Fig. 1, which provides signals representative of lateral course disturbances caused, e.g. by wind gusts or road irregularities, a fluid amplifier 14 supplied through a limiting circuit 18 which distinguishes between signals derived from driver-initiated course deviations and lateral disturbances, and means connecting the amplifier and steering actuator 16 to steer the vehicle in response to amplified signals to correct for course deviations related to the lateral disturbances. The sensing device 12 is a vortex device supplied with fluid under pressure from a source 22 which, upon lateral course deviation of the vehicle, generates a differential pressure between lines 24 and 26 representative of the direction and angular velocity of the device about its axis 28. The circuit 18 limits the response through the differential flow at ports 46, 50 and 48, 52. Lines 54, 56 supplying the ports 50, 52 include restrictions 60 and variable volume chamber 58 while lines 49, 51, supplying ports 46, 48 include variable restrictions 53. Signals from the device 12 having a high rate of change are attenuated by chambers 58 so as to be relatively ineffective while signals of low rate pass unaltered. A modified circuit (218), Fig. 3 (not shown), permits the passage of signals having rates of change within a predetermined range of rates rather than a single rate as provided by circuit 18, Fig. 1. The ports 46, 48, 50 and 52 form part of a fluid switch, the output of which is fed to output channels 62, 64 of an amplifier 14 which supplies signals to the steering actuator 16 having a spool valve 10 and which is movable in response to such signals to control limited rotation of a member 128 secured to a shaft 130 with respect to a casing 126. The member 128 rotates shaft 132, Fig. 6, which transmits steering movement between steering box 134 and wheels 144, the limited rotation of member 128 applying corrections to such movement to compensate for the lateral disturbances of the response rate set in circuit 18. Specifications 1,283,862 and 1,283,863 are referred to.