| 摘要 |
A hydraulic power-assisted steering system (10) includes a pump (12) containing hydraulic fluid. A rack and pinion housing (19) is operatively connected to the pump (12) via a conduit line (16). A hydraulic fluid control device (80) is operatively disposed between the pump (12) and the rack and pinion housing (19), the hydraulic fluid control device (80) having a passageway (82) formed therethrough to allow hydraulic fluid to flow from the pump (12) to the rack and pinion housing (19). An electromagnet (94) is operatively coupled to the fluid control device (80). An electronic control unit (96) is adapted to receive at least one input signal (98, 100) from at least one input source so as to generate an output signal (102) to the hydraulic fluid control device (80) so as to selectively control the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump (12) to the rack and pinion housing (19). According to the present invention, the fluid control device (80) is formed from a magnetostrictive alloy material which is capable of changing the size of the passageway (82) in the hydraulic fluid control device (80) in response to an applied magnetic field, whereby the electronic control unit (96) is operative to selectively control the physical shape or size of the passageway (82) of the hydraulic fluid control device (80), thereby selectively controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump (12) to the rack and pinion housing (19).
|
