Patent ID: 7013919

Claim:
A throttle device for facilitating a reduction in the pressure of a fluid flowing therethrough, the throttle device comprising: a tubular outer sleeve defining a sleeve axis and having an outer sleeve inner surface and an outer sleeve outer surface, a plurality of outer sleeve circumferential grooves being formed on the outer sleeve inner surface, a plurality of outer sleeve axial grooves being formed on the outer sleeve outer surface and intersecting the outer sleeve circumferential grooves to form outer sleeve orifices extending through the outer sleeve; and a tubular inner sleeve having an inner sleeve inner surface and an inner sleeve outer surface, the inner sleeve being sized and configured complimentary to and concentrically disposed within the outer sleeve such that a substantial portion of the inner sleeve outer surface contacts a substantial portion of the outer sleeve inner surface, a plurality of inner sleeve circumferential grooves being formed on the inner sleeve inner surface, a plurality of inner sleeve axial grooves being formed on the inner sleeve outer surface and intersecting the inner sleeve circumferential grooves to form inner sleeve orifices extending through the inner sleeve; wherein the inner and outer sleeve orifices are offset such that fluid flows into the outer sleeve axial grooves, through the outer sleeve orifices, through the outer sleeve circumferential grooves, through the inner sleeve axial grooves, through the inner sleeve orifices, and exits the inner sleeve circumferential grooves to define multiple tortuous flow paths for fluid flowing inwardly through the throttle device.