The invention relates to a pressure limiting valve (1), in particular for a return line installed in a
common rail system of an
internal combustion engine, having a valve housing (2) with a housing top (3) and a hollow cylindrical housing housing (4), wherein there is an axial inlet (6) in the
valve seat (5) of the valve housing (2) and at least one axially spaced from the inlet (6) open outlet (7), where in the
valve seat (5) the inner seat (8) for the valve body (9) is connected to the inlet (6) and between the valve body (9) and the return spring ( Between 10) there is an axially movable valve
piston (11), the return spring (10) generating a return force against the pressure (p) acting on the inlet (6). In order to improve the functional characteristics of the valve (1), the invention proposes that the valve body (9) is constructed as a multi-stage
piston, in its first step (9a) it has on its surface facing the inlet (6) A first surface (A1) capable of bearing pressure (p) in the axial direction and a first
axial length (L1) through which, in a closed position, the multistage The
piston forms a circumferentially extending first throttling gap (14) with its outer surface (9d) and the inner surface (8b) of the
valve seat (8), and in the second step (9b) of the multi-stage piston, its has a second surface (A2) capable of bearing pressure (p) in the axial direction (X‑X), which together with the first surface (A1) constitutes the total
bearing surface (AG), and, at On the entire second
axial length (L2) of the second step (9b), a circumferential gap is formed between the outer surface (9e) of the multistage piston (9) and the inner surface (2a) of the housing cover (4). An extended second
throttle gap (15) having a second
gap width (Sw).