Fluid injector having a director plate

A fluid injector for injecting fluid into an atmosphere, said fluid injector comprising:

• a fluid inlet which communicates fluid into said fluid injector;
• a valve seat downstream of said fluid inlet, said valve seat having a valve seat aperture extending therethrough;
• a valve member which is moveable between 1) a closed position which blocks said valve seat aperture, thereby preventing fluid communication through said valve seat aperture and 2) an open position which unblocks said valve seat aperture, thereby allowing fluid communication through said valve seat aperture;
• a director plate located downstream of said valve seat, said director plate having a first director plate aperture extending therethrough which aspirates from said atmosphere and a second director plate aperture extending therethrough which discharges fluid from said fluid injector to said atmosphere;
• and
• a fluid flow channel formed between said valve seat and said director plate and extending from an inlet end to an outlet end such that said first director plate aperture and said second director plate aperture extend through said director plate from said fluid flow channel and such that said first director plate aperture is located between said inlet end and said second director plate aperture, wherein said inlet end is open to, and proximal to, said valve seat aperture, wherein said fluid flow channel decreases in cross-sectional area in a direction from said inlet end toward said first director plate aperture, and wherein said fluid flow channel increases in cross-sectional area in a direction from said first director plate aperture toward said second director plate aperture;
• wherein said fluid flow channel includes an upper wall formed by said valve seat and also includes a lower wall which is opposed to said upper wall and which is formed by said director plate;
• and
• wherein a distance between said upper wall and said lower wall decreases in said direction from said inlet end toward said first director plate aperture and increases in said direction from said first director plate aperture toward said second director plate aperture.

A method for operating a fluid injector for injecting fluid into an atmosphere, said fluid injector comprising a fluid inlet which communicates fluid into said fluid injector;

• a valve seat downstream of said fluid inlet, said valve seat having a valve seat aperture extending therethrough;
• a valve member which is moveable between 1) a closed position which blocks said valve seat aperture, thereby preventing fluid communication through said valve seat aperture and 2) an open position which unblocks said valve seat aperture, thereby allowing fluid communication through said valve seat aperture;
• a director plate located downstream of said valve seat, said director plate having a first director plate aperture extending therethrough which aspirates from said atmosphere and a second director plate aperture extending therethrough which discharges fluid from said fluid injector to said atmosphere;
• and a fluid flow channel which includes an upper wall formed by said valve seat and also includes a lower wall which is opposed to said upper wall and which is formed by said director plate, said fluid flow channel being formed between said valve seat and said director plate and extending from an inlet end to an outlet end such that said first director plate aperture and said second director plate aperture extend through said director plate from said fluid flow channel and such that said first director plate aperture is located between said inlet end and said second director plate aperture, wherein said inlet end is open to, and proximal to, said valve seat aperture, wherein said fluid flow channel decreases in cross-sectional area in a direction from said inlet end toward said first director plate aperture, and wherein said fluid flow channel increases in cross-sectional area in a direction from said first director plate aperture toward said second director plate aperture;
• said method comprising:
• moving said valve member to said open position;
• passing fluid through said valve seat aperture to said fluid flow channel in response to moving said valve member to said open position;
• passing fluid over said first director plate aperture to said second director plate aperture and then to said atmosphere;
• and
• aspirating said atmosphere into said fluid flow channel through said first director plate aperture in response to passing fluid over said first director plate aperture to said second director plate aperture.