Patent ID: 7159800

Claim:
A method of targeting fuel flow area with a fuel injector having housing enclosing a passageway extending between an inlet and outlet along a longitudinal axis, a seat and a metering disc proximate the outlet, the seat having a sealing surface facing the inlet and forming a seat orifice, a terminal seat surface spaced from the sealing surface and facing the outlet, a first channel surface generally oblique to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the seat orifice and the terminal seat surface, a closure member disposed in the passageway in one position to occlude the passageway and in another position to permit fuel flow through the passageway and the seat orifice, the metering disc including at least two metering orifices, the method comprising: locating the metering orifices outside of the first virtual circle so that adjacent metering orifices are spaced at substantially equal arcuate distances, the metering orifices extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis through the second and outer surfaces of the metering disc; flowing fuel through the at least two metering orifices upon actuation of the fuel injector so that a fuel flow path intersecting a virtual plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis defines a flow area having a plurality of different radii about the longitudinal axis, one of the radii including a maximum radius that, when rotated about the longitudinal axis, defines a circular area larger than the flow area; and orientating the flow area about the longitudinal axis so as to adjust a targeting of the flow area towards a different portion of the circular area.