Patent ID: 7478767

Claim:
An apparatus for regulating fluid flow through a spray nozzle, said apparatus comprising: (a) a circular chamber defined by spaced apart end walls; (b) a peripheral side wall; (e) a central axis; (d) an inlet at or near said peripheral side wall to allow a flow of fluid to enter said chamber substantially tangential to said peripheral side wall; (e) an outlet exiting through one of said end walls wherein in use a flow of fluid entering through said inlet has a primary lower layer that substantially follows a first circular flow path which forms a vortex commencing at or near said peripheral side wall and increases in velocity and pressure towards said outlet; and (f) at least one secondary upper layer that substantially follows a second flow path radially inwardly towards said central axis, wherein said primary lower layer and said secondary upper layer interact and support each other in a non-destructive manner from peripheral side wall to said outlet.