Patent ID: 7191961

Claim:
A fuel injection apparatus comprising: a valve body that includes a valve seat, which is formed in an inner peripheral surface of the valve body that forms a fuel passage in the valve body; an injection hole plate that is arranged downstream of the valve seat and includes a wall, which has a plurality of injection holes, wherein the injection holes penetrate through the wall of the injection hole plate to inject fuel supplied from the fuel passage, and each injection hole of the injection hole plate includes: at least one first-side hole section that extends from an upstream end of the wall of the injection hole plate to an axially intermediate point of the wall of the injection hole plate, which is located between the upstream end of the wall and a downstream end of the wall; and a second-side hole section that extends from the downstream end of the wall of the injection hole plate and is communicated with the at least one first-side hole section, wherein an upstream end of the second-side hole section is covered with a cover portion, and the at least one first-side hole section penetrates through the cover portion such that the at least one first-side hole section discharges fuel into the second-side hole section in a manner that forms a swirl fuel flow in the second-side hole section; and a valve member that is reciprocably received in the valve body and is seatable against the valve seat, wherein the valve member enables fuel injection from the injection holes when the valve member is lifted away from the valve seat, and the valve member disables fuel injection from the injection holes when the valve member is seated against the valve seat.