Self flushing flow restrictor for a fluid dispensing system

A fluid flow restrictor of an associated spray pressure control system, the fluid flow restrictor comprising:

• a housing comprising a housing inlet, a housing outlet offset from the housing inlet along a fluid flow direction, and a housing channel extending between the housing inlet and the housing outlet;
• and
• a rotatable body disposed in the housing channel between the housing inlet and the housing outlet, the rotatable body having an outer surface curved about an axis of rotation, the rotatable body defining:
• a bore extending entirely through the rotatable body such that the bore defines a bore inlet at the outer surface, and a bore outlet at the outer surface offset from the bore inlet,
• wherein the rotatable body is rotatable between 1) a first orientation in which the bore outlet is offset from the bore inlet along the fluid flow direction, and 2) a second orientation in which the bore inlet is offset from the bore outlet along the fluid flow direction,
• wherein the housing has a housing body that has a first end and a second end that are offset from one another along the axis of rotation, and an outer surface extending about the axis of rotation,
• wherein the outer surface defines at least one recess that is configured to receive a seal therein so as to form a seal between the housing and an inner surface of a manifold housing of the associated spray pressure control system, and
• wherein the at least one recess includes an angled recess lying in a plane forming a non-right angle with the axis of rotation, the angled recess is angled relative to a central axis of the housing channel such a portion of the angled recess is positioned between the housing inlet and the second end of the housing body, and a portion of the recess is positioned between the housing outlet and the first end of the housing body.

A method of flushing a fluid flow restrictor of a spray pressure control system, the fluid flow restrictor comprising a housing having a housing inlet, a housing outlet offset from the housing inlet along a fluid flow direction, and a housing channel that extends between the housing inlet and housing outlet, the method comprising:

• rotating a rotatable body within the housing channel about an axis of rotation, the rotatable body defining 1) a bore that extends entirely through the rotatable body such that the bore defines a bore inlet at an outer surface of the rotatable body and a bore outlet at the outer surface that is offset from the bore inlet, and 2) at least one bypass bore extending through the rotatable body angularly offset from the bore, wherein the rotating a rotatable body comprises rotating the rotatable body about the axis of rotation from a first orientation in which the bore outlet is offset from the bore inlet along the fluid flow direction to a second orientation in which the bore inlet is offset from the bore outlet along the fluid flow direction;
• flowing fluid through the fluid flow restrictor such that the fluid flows from the bore outlet to the bore inlet;
• and
• further rotating the rotatable body within the housing channel about the axis of rotation to a third orientation in which the at least one bypass bore is arranged in-line with the fluid flowing from the housing inlet to the housing outlet such that the at least one bypass bore is in fluid communication with the housing inlet and the housing outlet, and in which the rotatable body outputs the fluid flowing to the housing outlet at a higher flow rate than when in the first orientation or the second orientation.