Patent ID: 7607458

Claim:
A housing for use in high-pressure fluid applications, the housing being provided with: a first passage defining a first axis (P 1 ); and a second passage defining a second axis (P 2 ); wherein: a third axis (P 3 ) is mutually orthogonal to the first axis (P 1 ) and the second axis (P 2 ); the first and second passages intersect at an opening defined by an intersection at one end of the second passage; and the intersection defines a first internal dimension (D 1 ) parallel to the first axis (P 1 ) and a second internal dimension (D 2 ) parallel to the third axis (P 3 ); the intersection being shaped so that, when sectioned on a plane normal to the second axis (P 2 ) and not intersecting the first passage, the intersection defines: an ellipse (E) in the plane and centred on the second axis (P 2 ), the ellipse having a major axis (G) equal in length to the second internal dimension (D 2 ) and a minor axis (F) equal in length to the first internal dimension (D 1 ); a rectangle (M) with a first vertex on the first axis (P 2 ), a second vertex at an end of the minor axis (F) of the ellipse (E); a third vertex at an end of the major axis (G) of the ellipse (E) and a fourth vertex outside the ellipse (E); and a diagonal (H) which passes through the first vertex and the fourth vertex of the ellipse; wherein: a wall of the intersection describes a curve in the plane, the curve passing through the second vertex and the third vertex of the rectangle (M) and a point which is outside the ellipse (E) and which lies on a line (J) which extends from the first vertex of the rectangle (M) and at an angle (L) from the diagonal (H); and the point is offset from an intersection of the line (J) with the ellipse (E) by an offset distance (K).