Fuel injection valve

A fuel injection valve, comprising:

• fuel injection holes configured to inject fuel to an outside;
• a valve body configured to open and close a fuel passage in cooperation with a valve seat, on upstream sides of the fuel injection holes;
• a valve seat member formed with the valve seat;
• and
• a nozzle plate in which a plurality of swirl passages are formed and which is connected to a distal end surface of the valve seat member,
• wherein the swirl passages each include:
• a swirl chamber for allowing fuel to be swirled to flow to a corresponding one of the fuel injection holes;
• and
• a horizontal passage which is connected to an upstream side of the swirl chamber and which supplies fuel to the swirl chamber,
• wherein the valve seat member is opened to the distal end surface to which the nozzle plate is connected and includes a fuel inlet which is connected to an upstream-side end portion of the horizontal passage and introduces fuel into the plurality of the swirl passages,
• wherein the horizontal passage includes two side-section side surfaces extending along a fuel flow direction and having a linear section, and includes, on an upstream side thereof, an end-section side surface which is formed between the two side-section side surfaces and which has a curved section connected to the linear section,
• wherein when the fuel inlet and the horizontal passage are projected onto a plane perpendicular to a valve axial center, the horizontal passage is formed such that a projected line of the linear section of the side-section side surfaces or a connection place of the linear section and the curved section intersects a projected line of an opening edge of the fuel inlet, and
• wherein a passage sectional area of the horizontal passage facing the fuel inlet and connected to the fuel inlet is larger than a passage sectional area formed at the linear section of the side-section side surfaces of the horizontal passage of each of the swirl passages.