Patent ID: 6951310

Claim:
A spray device for delivering an application fluid to a substrate comprising: a centrally located application fluid orifice; an atomizing assembly surrounding said orifice and including: an inner element having a central axis and an outer frustoconical surface portion, said outer frustoconical surface portion converging toward said forward end and forming a frustoconical angle with said central axis of less than 45 degrees; an outer element with an inner frustoconical surface portion, said inner frustoconical surface portion converging toward said forward end, said inner and outer frustoconical surface portions being in substantial engagement with each other, and a plurality of flow passages between said outer frustoconical surface and said inner frustoconical surface portion, each of said flow passages extending in a spiral pattern along said one frustoconical surface toward the forward end of said one frustoconical surface portion, each of said flow passages having a cross-sectional configuration at the forward end of said one frustoconical surface portion in which the circumferential dimension of said flow passage is at least twice the radial dimension of said flow passage.