Patent ID: 7198201

Claim:
A method of providing a spray nozzle, comprising the steps of: forming a swirl disk defining a thickness within the range of about 0.005 inch to about 0.020 inch from a sheet material substrate of approximately the same thickness by etching the sheet material substrate about a peripheral portion of the swirl disk and forming a peripheral edge of the swirl disk, etching a first region of the sheet material substrate spaced inwardly relative to the peripheral edge and forming a first aperture extending through the first region and defining a swirl chamber of the swirl disk, and etching a second region of the sheet material substrate extending between the swirl chamber and peripheral edge and forming a second aperture extending through the second region and defining a flow inlet to the swirl chamber of the swirl disk; forming an orifice disk defining a thickness within the range of about 0.005 inch to about 0.020 inch from a sheet material substrate of approximately the same thickness by etching the sheet material substrate about a peripheral portion of the orifice disk and forming a peripheral edge of the orifice disk, and etching a first region of the sheet material substrate spaced inwardly relative to the peripheral edge and forming a first aperture extending through the first region and defining a spray orifice of the orifice disk; providing a retaining body defining an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture; providing a retaining member receivable within the retaining body; and assembling the spray nozzle by: mounting the orifice disk within the retaining body with the spray orifice aligned with and adjacent to the outlet aperture of the retaining body; mounting the swirl disk within the retaining body upstream of and contiguous to the orifice disk with the swirl chamber aligned and in fluid communication with the spray orifice of the orifice disk, and providing at least one fluid passageway between the inlet aperture of the retaining body and the flow inlet to the swirl chamber; and mounting a retaining member within the retaining body in engagement with an opposite side of the swirl disk relative to the orifice disk, and securing with the retaining member the orifice disk and swirl disk within the retaining body.