Patent ID: 7150507

Claim:
A self-cleaning orifice for regulating fluid flow, comprising: a housing having a bore defined through said housing, said bore having an inlet portion defining a first diameter and an outlet portion defining a second diameter, wherein said diameter of said inlet portion is less than said diameter of said outlet portion, and wherein said inlet portion and said outlet portion are arranged such that a shoulder is defined by said differing diameters of said inlet portion and said outlet portion of said bore; and a movable body disposed within said outlet portion of said bore, said body defining a diameter less than said diameter of said outlet portion, said body having a first end and a second end, said body having a generally tubular shape at said first end and said second end thereof, said first end and said second end having a generally cylindrical inner surface and a generally cylindrical outer surface, said body having a flat surface extending from said first end to said second end of said outer surface of said body, said flat surface having a channel on at least one of said first end and said second end thereof, said channel extending between said inner surface and said outer surface of said body, wherein said body is capable of reciprocal motion that places said first end or said second end into engagement with said shoulder of said bore such that a flow path is defined through said channel on said first end or said second end.