Patent ID: 8556382

Claim:
A nozzle plate comprising: a body; and at least one nozzle protruding from the body, wherein the at least one nozzle includes a wall having a thickness that increases the farther the wall is from an exit of the at least one nozzle, wherein a lower portion of the at least one nozzle encloses a space that has a cross-sectional area that decreases toward the exit of the at least one nozzle, and an upper portion of the at least one nozzle encloses a space that has a constant cross-sectional area and extends from the lower portion of the at least one nozzle toward the exit of the at least one nozzle, and wherein an inner wall of the lower portion of the at least one nozzle is inclined at an angle with respect to a surface of the body, the surface of the body being a top surface of the body surrounding the at least one nozzle, an outer wall of the at least one nozzle is inclined at an angle with respect to the surface of the body, and the angle formed by the outer wall of the at least one nozzle and the surface of the body is smaller than an angle formed by the inner wall of the lower portion of the at least one nozzle and the surface of the body.