US Patent 7162946 Hydraulic control valve having holding valve with improved response characteristics

Disclosed is a hydraulic control valve having a holding valve with improved response characteristics. The hydraulic control valve includes a valve housing including a pump path communicating with a hydraulic pump, a tank path communicating with an oil tank, and first and second cylinder ports communicating with a hydraulic cylinder, a control spool movably provided in the valve housing, cutting the pump path off the first and second cylinder ports in a neutral state and selectively connecting the pump path and the tank path with the first and second cylinder ports while moving in left and right directions if pilot signal pressures are applied thereto, a holding valve provided between the second cylinder port and the control spool, cutting off the second cylinder port when the control spool is in a neutral state and holding load of the hydraulic cylinder so as not to cause natural drop of the hydraulic cylinder, and an actuating path for the holding valve connecting hydraulic oil of the second cylinder port to the tank path when the control spool is in a neutral state.