Patent ID: 7017605

Claim:
A combination pressure relief and flow control valve assembly for use with a pump, said combination pressure relief and flow control valve assembly comprising: a housing having an outlet passage which is connected in fluid communication with the pump and through which fluid flows to a power steering system which is supplied by the pump, said housing having a recirculation port through which excess fluid flows to the pump, a valve spool disposed in a chamber in said housing, said valve spool having a first end portion which is disposed in a first end portion of said chamber in said housing and is exposed to fluid pressure in said outlet passage, said valve spool having a land which cooperates with said recirculation port to modulate fluid flow to said recirculation port, a poppet seat is exposed to fluid pressure in a second end portion of said chamber in said housing, said poppet seat has an external thread convolution which engages an internal thread convolution in a second end portion of said valve spool, said poppet seat cooperates with said valve spool to at least partially define a cavity in said valve spool, a poppet valve disposed in said cavity in said valve spool, a poppet valve spring disposed in said cavity in said valve spool to press an end portion of said poppet valve against said poppet seat to block fluid flow from said second end portion of said chamber in said housing through a passage in said poppet seat, a conduit at least partially disposed in said housing and connected in fluid communication with said outlet passage and with said second end portion of said chamber in said housing to conduct fluid pressure from said outlet passage to said second end portion of said chamber, said poppet valve being movable against the influence of said poppet valve spring from a closed condition blocking fluid flow from said second end portion of said chamber in said housing to an open condition in which said poppet valve is ineffective to block fluid flow from said second end portion of said chamber in said housing through said passage in said poppet seat into said cavity in said valve spool, a vent passage formed in said valve spool to enable fluid to flow from said cavity in said valve spool to said recirculation port in said housing, said poppet seat being movable relative to said valve spool to any one of a plurality of positions to vary and an extent of threaded engagement of said poppet seat with said valve spool and the force with which said poppet valve spring presses the end portion of said poppet valve against said poppet seat, a locking member having an internal thread convolution disposed in threaded engagement with said external thread convolution on said poppet seat, said locking member having an end surface which is disposed in engagement with an end surface on said valve spool to press the external thread convolution of said poppet seat against the internal thread convolution in said valve spool under the influence of force transmitted from said locking member to said valve spool.