Air check valve for an air spring

An air check valve for an air spring of a vehicle, the air check valve comprising:

• a valve housing having a first surface;
• a valve body having a second surface;
• said valve body being mounted in said valve housing so as to cause said first and second surfaces to conjointly define a valve chamber and an interface extending peripherally around said chamber;
• an elastic valve plate having a mid portion and a peripheral portion and being clamped at said peripheral portion between said valve housing and valve body at said interface thereby placing said mid portion in said chamber;
• profile means formed at said interface for more securely holding said elastic valve plate between said valve housing and said valve body;
• said valve body having a concentric ring edge formed on said second surface within said chamber to partition said second surface into an inner surface region within said concentric ring and an outer surface region outside of said concentric ring;
• said elastic valve plate having a central bore communicating with a first compartment formed between said mid portion of said elastic plate and said inner surface region;
• said valve body having a passage formed therein at said outer surface region so as to connect the interior of the air spring to a second compartment formed between said mid portion of said elastic plate and said outer surface region;
• said valve housing having an air connection for receiving pressurized air and having a channel formed therein for conducting the pressurized air from said air connection into said chamber and through said central bore into said first compartment;
• and,
• said elastic plate being movable between a first position wherein said mid portion is in contact engagement with said ring edge and a second position wherein said mid portion is in spaced relationship to said ring edge thereby permitting pressurized air passing through said control bore to pass from said first compartment to said second compartment and through said passage into the interior of the air spring.