Patent ID: 7735756

Claim:
An atomizer spray plate, comprising: a body having an inlet surface and an exit surface; a swirl chamber within said body and adjacent to the inlet surface; an atomizer hole extending through the body from said swirl chamber to the exit surface; and a plurality of elongated protrusions upon the inlet surface extending radially from said swirl chamber; wherein said plurality of elongated protrusions define a plurality of venturi inlets to said swirl chamber between adjacent protrusions; wherein a fluid flows from the inlet surface through said plurality of venturi inlets into the swirl chamber; wherein said plurality of venturi inlets are shaped such as to receive the fluid at a first velocity and provide the fluid to said swirl chamber at a second increased velocity in accordance with the Venturi effect; and wherein each of said plurality of venturi inlets has a first width and a second width downstream from the first width with respect to the direction of the fluid flow, the second width being greater than the first width.