Patent ID: 7461796

Claim:
A spray nozzle comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a flow passage formed between said inlet and said outlet, said flow passage including: an inlet port section defined by an inwardly-facing, substantially cylindrical wall that extends from said inlet toward said outlet, said substantially cylindrical wall having a cylinder axis that defines an axis of said flow passage; an ejection port section defined by mutually-facing, substantially flat walls that extend from said outlet toward said inlet; and a tapered section formed between said inlet port section and said ejection port section; wherein said tapered section is defined by an inwardly-facing, substantially conical wall having a base portion that connects with said inlet port section, and an apex portion that connects with said ejection port section; wherein a cross-sectional area of said tapered section is gradually reduced toward said ejection port section; wherein said substantially conical wall has an upper half and a lower half, and each of said upper and lower halves of said substantially conical wall has a base end and an apex end; and wherein said apex end of said upper half of said substantially conical wall is offset, in a direction of said axis of said flow passage, from said apex end of said lower half of said substantially conical wall, such that said apex end of one of said upper and lower halves of said substantially conical wall is closer to said outlet than is said apex end of the other of said upper and lower halves of said substantially conical wall.