Hydraulic system having at least one hydraulic valve for actuating a component

1. A hydraulic system having at least one hydraulic valve for actuating a component, said hydraulic system comprising: a pilot circuit having a supply pressure source and including an actuator, wherein the actuator is an electromagnetically operated proportional valve; a pilot orifice positioned in the pilot circuit between the supply pressure source and the component; wherein the at least one hydraulic valve for actuating the component is responsive to a control pressure that is controllable by the supply pressure of the pilot circuit; and a pressure reduction device connected in series with the pilot orifice, wherein the pressure reduction device is a pressure limiting valve that is connected between the pilot orifice of the pilot circuit and the proportional valve and is operative to reduce a resulting differential pressure between the supply pressure of the pilot circuit and the control pressure, wherein the pressure limiting valve includes a spring-loaded control piston movable relative to a valve seat and having at one end a first area (A 1 ) subjected to the supply pressure and a second area (A 2 ) subjected to the control pressure, and wherein the first and second areas of the control piston are each located at a common end face of the control piston and each of first and second areas faces the proportional valve.

2. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein when the proportional valve is completely open only the first area (A 1 ) of the control piston is subjected to the supply pressure downstream of the pilot orifice, so that a resulting differential pressure in the proportional valve is reduced because of the spring force acting on the control piston.

3. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein when the proportional valve is closing, the second area (A 2 ) of the control piston is first subjected to the control pressure, whereby a pressure upstream of the pressure limiting valve is reduced as a function of the ratio of the first area (A 1 ) to the second area (A 2 ).

4. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electromagnetically operated on/off valve.

5. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the spring-loaded control piston of the hydraulic valve is the pressure reduction device.

6. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the control piston of the hydraulic valve has at least a first area (A 3 ) subjected to the supply pressure downstream of the pilot orifice, and a second area (A 4 ) is subjected to a pressure in the on/off valve in order to provide a desired pressure reduction.

7. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein when the on/off valve is open only the first area (A 3 ) can be subjected to the supply pressure downstream of the pilot orifice, so that a resulting differential pressure in the on/off valve is reduced because of the spring force acting on the control piston.

8. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein when the on/off valve is closing, the second area (A 4 ) of the control piston is first subjected to the resulting pressure in the on/off valve, so that the control piston is movable against the spring force acting on the control piston.

9. A hydraulic system in accordance claim 5 , wherein the control piston of the hydraulic valve includes cylindrical sections to apply the control pressure to at least one control conduit.

10. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section are provided on the control piston, and a middle section having a reduced outer diameter is positioned between the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section.

11. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein transitional areas between the first and second cylindrical sections and the middle section have a rounded shape.

12. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first area is an annular area that surrounds the second area at the common end face of the control piston.

13. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first area is inclined relative to a control piston longitudinal axis and the second area is substantially perpendicular to the control piston longitudinal axis.

14. A hydraulic system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the valve seat is carried by the proportional valve and includes an opening providing communication between the pilot orifice and a control pressure conduit when the control piston is moved away from the valve seat.