Generally circular spray pattern control with non-angled orifices in fuel injection metering disc and method

A fuel injector comprising:

• a housing having a passageway extending between an inlet and an outlet along a longitudinal axis;
• a 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 and contiguous to the sealing surface so as to generally preclude fuel flow through the seat orifice;
• a magnetic actuator proximate the closure member that positions the closure member away from the sealing surface of the seat when energized so as to allow fuel flow through the passageway and past the closure member;
• and
• a metering disc proximate the seat so that a virtual projection of the sealing surface onto the metering disc defines a first virtual circle about the longitudinal axis, the metering disc including a second channel surface confronting the first channel surface so as to form a flow channel, the metering disc having at least two metering orifices being located about the longitudinal axis at substantially equal arcuate distance apart between adjacent metering orifices outside the first virtual circle, each of the metering orifices extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis between the second channel surface and an outer surface of the metering disc so that, when the magnetic actuator is energized to move the closure member, a flow of fuel through the metering orifices generates an unified spray pattern that intersects a virtual plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis to define a flow area of generally uniform radii about the longitudinal axis on the virtual plane.