Stacked spray disc assembly for a fluid injector, and methods for constructing and utilizing same

1. A fluid injector for injecting fluid, comprising:

a body;

a fluid passageway through the body and extending from an inlet to an outlet of the fluid injector;

a valve seat disposed internally of the body within the passageway;

a valve element that is selectively reciprocated relative to the valve seat to close and open the passageway to flow of fluid by seating and unseating the valve element on and from the valve seat, respectively; and

at least two disc members disposed in the passageway downstream of the valve seat in a direction of the flow of fluid through the fluid injector, the disc members being arranged in a stack of disc members with each disc member including a dimple extending in the direction of the flow of fluid and at least one orifice defined through the dimple,

wherein the at least two disc members comprises a first disc member and a second disc member, the at least one orifice of the first disc member comprises an orifice centrally located along the dimple of the first disc member and the at least one orifice of the second disc member comprises a plurality of orifices disposed along the dimple of the second disc member, and

wherein the second disc member comprises a plurality of channels, each orifice of the second disc member being located in a channel, the dimple of the first disc member covering a first portion of each channel for preventing fluid from directly entering the first portion, and the orifice of the first disc member leaving a second portion of each channel uncovered such that fluid enters each channel at the second portion thereof and travels along the channel to the first portion thereof before exiting the at least two disc members through the orifices of the second disc member,

wherein the dimple of the first disc member comprises a frusto-conical shape, and the dimple of the second disc member comprises a cone shape, each of the plurality of channels of the second disc member being defined on the cone shaped dimple, and

wherein each channel has at least two longitudinal channel ends, the at least two longitudinal channel ends located in the second portion of the channel and the orifice located in the first portion of the channel, the channels being wholly spaced apart from and unconnected to each other.

2. The fluid injector of claim 1 , wherein the dimple of each of the first and second disc members includes a concave surface and a convex surface disposed along opposed sides of the disc member, with the convex surface of the dimple of the first disc member contacting the concave surface of the dimple of a second disc member, and the plurality of channels are defined along the concave surface of the second disc member.

3. The fluid injector of claim 1 , wherein the first disc member comprises a planar portion disposed radially outwardly relative to the dimple of the first disc member, a surface of the planar portion of the first disc member is disposed against a downstream surface of the valve seat in sealing relation therewith, the valve seat comprises an orifice defined therethrough, and a diameter of the orifice of the first disc member is the same as the diameter of the orifice of the valve seat at the downstream surface thereof.

4. The fluid injector of claim 1 , wherein the orifice disposed in each channel is substantially equally spaced to the at least two channel ends of the channel.

5. The fluid injector of claim 1 , wherein each channel is substantially U-shaped.

6. The fluid injector of claim 1 , wherein for each channel, a depth of the channel at the second portion thereof is less than a depth of the channel at the first portion thereof.

7. A spray disc assembly for use in fluid injectors, comprising:

a first disc member comprising a flat portion, a dimple extending from the flat portion and an orifice defined through the dimple, the dimple including a convex surface and a concave surface disposed on opposed surfaces of the first disc member; and

a second disc member comprising a flat portion, a dimple extending from the flat portion, a plurality of orifices defined through the dimple, the dimple of the second disc member including a convex surface and a concave surface disposed on opposed sides of the second disc member, the second disc member comprising a plurality of channels defined along the concave surface of the second disc member, the plurality of orifices are located in the channels,

wherein the first disc and the second disc are coupled together such that convex surface of the first disc member contacts the concave surface of the second member and the flat portion of the first disc member contacts the flat portion of the second disc member,

wherein the dimple of the first disc member comprises a portion having a frusto-conical shape and the dimple of the second disc member comprises a cone shape, and each channel of the second disc member is disposed along the cone shape, and

wherein each channel comprises a U-shape having two end portions which comprise a second portion of the channel, the orifice located in the channel is located an equal distance to each end portion thereof, and the channels are spaced apart from and unconnected to each other.

8. The spray disc assembly of claim 7 , wherein the dimple of the first disc member covers a first portion of each channel of the second disc member and the orifice of the first disc member overlays the second portion of each channel of the second disc member leaving the second portion of each channel uncovered, and each orifice of the second disc member is located in the first portion of a corresponding channel.

9. The spray disc assembly of claim 8 , wherein each channel comprises two longitudinal ends located in the second portion of the channel, and the orifice located in the first portion of the channel is located an equal distance to the longitudinal ends of the channel.

10. The spray disc assembly of claim 8 , wherein for each channel, a depth of the first portion of the channel is greater than a depth of the second portion thereof.