Step valve

Valve arrangement for a hydraulic system, constructed as a step valve (15a, 15b;

• 25a, 25b), comprising a housing (17a, 17b;
• 27a, 27b) that is provided with connections (22, 23) and is provided with a valve element (11, 31) that has two spaced apart step valves (15a, 15b;
• 25a, 24b), each associated with a flow direction, each step valve being provided with a valve seat (16, 26) and a spring actuated closing element (14, 24), whereby the closing element (4, 14, 24) has a first valve surface (d) in a closed position which is smaller than a second valve surface (D), which appears in a displaced position of the closing element from the valve seat (6, 16, 26), the two step valves (15a, 15b;
• 25a, 25b) are provided with the valve seats (16, 26) which are radially spaced apart in a valve disk (12, 32) and include leakage slits (8, 18, 28) arranged along the same axial displacement of the closing elements (4, 14, 24), and the valve disk (12, 32) includes guide elements (13, 33) arranged circumferentially about sides of the closing elements (14, 24) for guiding the closing elements (14, 24), whereby for actuating the closing element (14, 24) a compression spring (10, 20, 30) is provided having approximately equal spring force between an open and a closed position of the closing elements (14, 14, 24) to obtain a degressive opening characteristic for the step valves (15a, 15b;
• 25a, 25b).