Multiple way valve

A multiple way valve comprising means forming a main valve chamber containing an axially movable main valve body (9) controlled by pressure medium and having first and second axial end faces and having first and second end regions, a control valve chamber (12) having a cover and containing a mechanically operable control valve body, there being at least one pressure line opening from a pressure medium source into the main valve chamber and one working line which is closed with respect to the pressure line in the first extreme position of the main valve body and connected to the pressure line in the second extreme position of the main valve body, a partition separating the said control valve chamber (12) having a cover, which valve chamber is arranged adjacently to the main valve chamber (11) in an axial direction from the main valve chamber (11), said partition being movable in an axial direction, the first axial end face (13) of the main valve body (9) constituting a first sealing surface and facing away from the movable partition being in a space connected to the pressure line (2) in each position of the main valve body and the second axial main valve body end region containing the second end face opposite to the first end face (13) being firmly attached to the movable partition (10), and a connecting line (15), which is at all times open with respect to the first end face (13) of the main valve body (9), opening into the control valve chamber (12), a control exhaust line (17) connected to the control valve chamber (12) the control valve body (16) closing the control exhaust line (17) in its first extreme position with the connecting line (15) open and closing the connecting line (15) in its second position with the control exhaust line (17) open, the surface of the movable partition (10) which can be acted on by the pressure medium from the control valve chamber (12) being larger than the surface of the main valve body (9) which can be acted on in the reverse direction, whereby when the control valve body (16) is transferred from its first extreme position into its second extreme position, the main valve body (9) shifts over in a snap-action manner from its first extreme position into its second extreme position and vice versa, in which the housing of the multiple way valve has an axially cylindrical recess (1) having a frontal boundary surface and the partition is a diaphragm (10) made of elastic material firmly held by its external periphery, and in which the pressure line (2) opens centrally into the axial recess (1) at its frontal boundary surface, the annular surface (20) of the frontal boundary surface, bounded by the pressure line (2) and by the cylindrical surface of axial recess (1), constituting a valve seat for the first end face (13) of main valve body (9), the said main valve body (9) having an axial through-hole constituting said connecting line (15), the internal periphery of the diaphragm (10) being attached to the external periphery of the second axial end region of the main valve body (9), and the control valve body (16) being arranged centrally in the control valve chamber (12) and having a third sealing surface associated with a port of the connecting line (15) and a fourth sealing surface which is associated with the control exhaust line (17) which is arranged centrally in the cover (41) of the control valve chamber (12), said cover (41) being arranged centrally with respect to the diaphragm (10) on the opposite side thereof from the valve seat in an axial direction;

• said diaphragm comprising, in a radial direction from inside to outside successively, a first reinforced annular zone attached to the main valve body (9), a first articulated thinner annular zone (45), a second reinforced annular zone, a second articulated thinner annular zone (44) and a third reinforced annular zone, said diaphragm (10) being firmly held, the reinforced annular zones each projecting towards the auxiliary valve chamber with respect to the adjacent thinner annular zones, and said main valve body has a radially projecting flange (22) positioned adjacent to the annular surface (20), wherein a jacket (25) is positioned over said radially projecting flange, one side of which forms said first end face (13) of said main valve body (9), and wherein radially extending elastic centering arms (30) are connected between said jacket (25) and a gripping ring (31) positioned against said means forming said main valve chamber.