CN111542653A - Nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and shower head for nanofiber manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus which can be manufactured by cutting and can effectively carry molten resin in airflow, and a nozzle for the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus. A nozzle (20) of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus (1) is provided with: a raw material outlet surface (22) on which a raw material flow path (25) for discharging a liquid raw material is formed; and a gas outlet surface (23) which is disposed so as to form an angle alpha (wherein alpha is more than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees) with the raw material outlet surface (22), and the gas outlet surface (23) is formed with a gas flow path (26) for ejecting gas. The raw material flow path (25) is formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface (22), the gas flow path (26) is formed so as to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface (23), and the raw material flow path (25) and the gas flow path (26) are arranged so that the gas discharged from the gas flow path (26) is blown onto the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path (25).

Description

Nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and shower head for nanofiber manufacturing apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and a shower head used for the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a conventional nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus. As shown in fig. 40, the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus includes: an extruder 915 for extruding the molten resin, a blower 916, and a heating device 917 that heats air from the blower 916. The nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus further includes a melt blowing unit 911 serving as a nozzle, and the melt blowing unit 911 spins the molten resin from the extruder 915 into a filament shape and blows hot air supplied from the heating device 917 to the filament-shaped molten resin.

The melt blowing unit 911 is formed with a resin passage 912 through which molten resin flows, and hot air passages 913a and 913b through which hot air flows. The hot air passages 913a, 913b are provided so as to sandwich the resin passage 912 and are inclined with respect to the resin passage 912. Accordingly, hot air from the hot air ducts 913a and 913b can be blown to the molten resin spun by the resin duct 912.

Documents of the prior art

Patent documents:

patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-185153

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus, since the hot air passages 913a and 913b of the meltblown portion 911 are formed to be inclined with respect to the lower surface 911a, in order to form the hot air passages 913a and 913b by cutting with a drill, the drill needs to be inclined so as to contact the lower surface 911 a. Therefore, the drill tip may slide on the lower surface 911a, making it difficult to form the hot air passages 913a, 913b with high accuracy. In order to ensure accuracy, it is necessary to use a more expensive electrolytic processing method or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus which can be manufactured by cutting and can efficiently place a molten resin in a gas flow, and a head for use in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus.

Means for solving the problems

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path formed thereon for discharging a liquid raw material; and a gas outlet surface arranged at an angle α (where 0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees) to the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed thereon for ejecting a gas, the raw material flow path being formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface, the gas flow path being formed so as to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface, the raw material flow path and the gas flow path being arranged so as to intersect the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path and the gas ejected from the gas flow path.

Another nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path formed thereon for discharging a liquid raw material; a gas outlet surface disposed below the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed thereon for ejecting a gas; and a connection surface configured to be connected to the raw material outlet surface and the gas outlet surface and to form an angle β (where β is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees) with the raw material outlet surface, the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface, the gas flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface, an opening of the gas flow path is in contact with the connection surface, and the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are configured such that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path reaches the opening of the gas flow path through the connection surface.

The nozzle for a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by having: a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path formed thereon for discharging a liquid raw material; and a gas outlet surface arranged at an angle α (where 0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees) to the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed thereon for ejecting a gas, the raw material flow path being formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface, the gas flow path being formed so as to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface, the raw material flow path and the gas flow path being arranged so as to intersect the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path and the gas ejected from the gas flow path.

The nozzle for a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by having: a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path formed thereon for discharging a liquid raw material; a gas outlet surface disposed below the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed thereon for ejecting a gas; and a connection surface configured to be connected to the raw material outlet surface and the gas outlet surface and to form an angle β (where β is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees) with the raw material outlet surface, the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface, the gas flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface, an opening of the gas flow path is in contact with the connection surface, and the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are configured such that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path reaches the opening of the gas flow path through the connection surface.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, the raw material flow path is formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface, and the gas flow path is formed so as to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface. Accordingly, the raw material flow path can be formed on the raw material outlet surface by cutting, and the gas flow path can be formed on the gas outlet surface. The liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path can be caused to intersect the gas flow discharged from the gas flow path at the angle α either directly or indirectly via a connecting surface connecting the raw material outlet surface and the gas outlet surface. Therefore, the liquid material can be manufactured with high accuracy by a cutting method, and the liquid material can be efficiently placed in the gas flow.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a nozzle provided in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view for explaining the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a modification 1 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of variation 2 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of modification 3 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 4 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 5 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 6 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 7 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a modification 8 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 8 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a modification 9 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 9 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a modification 10 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 10 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a modification 11 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 11 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a modification 12 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 12 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 21 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 12 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a modification 13 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 13 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 13 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of modification 14 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of a modification 15 of the head of fig. 2.

Fig. 27 is a view for explaining a shower head included in a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a sectional view of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus of fig. 28.

Fig. 30 is a diagram for explaining a shower head provided in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus in fig. 28.

Fig. 31 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a modification 1 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 32 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of variation 2 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 33 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of variation 3 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 34 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 4 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 35 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 5 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 36 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of modification 6 of the head shown in fig. 30.

Fig. 37 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 7 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 38 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification 8 of the head of fig. 30.

Fig. 39 is a diagram for explaining the basic concept of the present invention.

Fig. 40 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a conventional nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus.

Detailed Description

The following describes embodiments of the present invention. Needless to say, the present invention can be easily applied to structures other than those described in the present embodiment as long as the scope of the present invention is not violated.

The present invention is used to supply a liquid raw material to a gas ejected at a relatively high speed to form nanofibers. In the present specification, when a component is referred to as "gas" without being particularly referred to, a gas composed of any component or molecular structure is included. In the present specification, the term "raw material" refers to all materials used in forming nanofibers, and the following embodiments describe examples in which a synthetic resin is used as the "raw material", but the present invention is not limited thereto, and materials of various components may be used.

In addition, the term "liquid raw material" in the present specification does not limit that the raw material should be liquid. The "liquid raw material" includes, for example, a "solvent" obtained by dissolving a solid raw material or a liquid raw material as a solute in a predetermined solvent so as to have a predetermined concentration and dissolving it beforehand. Further, "liquid raw material" also includes "molten raw material" in which solid raw material is molten. That is, the "liquid raw material" in the present invention should have a viscous property that allows the "raw material" to be supplied (ejected, discharged) from the supply port (ejection port, discharge port), and the "raw material" having such a liquid property is referred to as a "liquid raw material" in the present invention.

The basic inventive concept of the present invention is:

(I) as shown in fig. 39(a), the present invention includes: the raw material outlet surface 22, the gas outlet surface 23, the raw material flow path 25 for discharging the liquid raw material formed orthogonally to the raw material outlet surface 22, and the gas flow path 26 for discharging the gas formed orthogonally to the gas outlet surface 23, the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23 being arranged at an angle α (where 0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees) such that the axis P of the raw material flow path 25 intersects the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 at the angle α.

As shown in fig. 39(b), the (II) has: the raw material outlet surface 22, the gas outlet surface 23, the raw material flow path 25 for discharging the liquid raw material formed orthogonally to the raw material outlet surface 22, the gas flow path 26 for discharging the gas formed orthogonally to the gas outlet surface 23, and the connection surface 24 connected to the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23, the gas outlet surface 23 and the connection surface 24 being arranged at an angle β (where 0 degree β < 90 degrees) such that the plane direction R of the connection surface 24 intersects the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 at an angle α (α is 90 degrees — β).

Accordingly, the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path 25 meets the gas flow discharged from the gas flow path 26 at an angle α either directly as shown in fig. 39(a) or indirectly along the connection surface 24 connected to the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23 as shown in fig. 39 (b).

In fig. 39(a), the positional relationship of the respective components is as follows. When the positional relationship in which the gas outlet surface 23 in which the gas channel 26 is formed advances from the position toward the downstream side along the axis Q of the gas channel 26 is expressed with reference to the position of the gas outlet surface 23 in which the gas channel 26 is formed, a is the distance to the raw material channel 25, and b is the distance to the position where the liquid raw material from the raw material channel 25 intersects. Further, c is the hole diameter of the gas flow path 26, and d is the distance between the raw material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 along the direction orthogonal to the axis Q. The same applies to fig. 39(b) (where a is 0).

Here, the axis P of the raw material flow path 25 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 form an angle α, and the raw material supply tangent angle α expressed as "tan α ═ d/(b-a)" is set in the range of 0 degrees < θ ≦ 90 degrees.

As described above, the raw material supply tangent angle α should depend on the distance a, the distance b, and the distance d, and also on the aperture c of the high-pressure gas and the relationship with the pressure and temperature of the gas ejected from the gas flow path 26.

Further, nanofibers having different diameters or fiber lengths can be formed by changing the arrangement conditions of the raw material flow paths 25 or the gas flow paths 26, i.e., the number, the arrangement interval, the arrangement distance (distance a to the gas ejection ports), the arrangement angle (angle α), the flow path diameter, and the like. As described above, the arrangement conditions of the raw material channel 25 and the gas channel 26 may be selected or changed according to the type of the produced nanofibers.

(embodiment 1)

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 26.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which fig. 1(a) is a side view and fig. 1(b) is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a nozzle provided in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus of fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view for explaining the head according to embodiment 1, fig. 3(a) is a front view, fig. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a ', and fig. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B'. Fig. 4 to 26 are views for explaining the configurations of modifications 1 to 15 of the head having the basic configuration shown in fig. 2, and each of the views shows a perspective view (including an exploded perspective view) or a front view and a cross-sectional view as in fig. 2 and 3. In the following description, terms such as front, rear, left, right, upper, lower, and the like are used in some cases, but these terms are used to indicate relative positional relationships of components, and unless otherwise noted, do not indicate absolute positional relationships. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the structures having the same functions, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 is configured to: a solvent is used in which a solid material or a liquid material as a solute is dissolved in advance in a predetermined solvent to have a predetermined concentration.

As shown in fig. 1, a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a rectangular flat plate-like base 10; a solvent reservoir 11, the solvent reservoir 11 being provided on the base 10 and having a function of applying a predetermined pressure to the solvent to perform extrusion; a hose 12 for supplying a solvent from a solvent reservoir 11 to a spray head 20 described later; a gas injection part 13, the gas injection part 13 being provided on the susceptor 10 for injecting high-pressure gas; and a showerhead 20, the showerhead 20 being connected to a front end of the gas injection portion 13. When the temperature of the solvent is controlled according to various manufacturing conditions, a temperature control function (not shown) such as a heater may be provided in each of the solvent tank 11, the hose 12, and the head 20, as necessary. In the present embodiment, the solvent reservoir 11, the hose 12, and the nozzle 20 are made of metal, and products made of other materials such as resin and glass may be used according to various conditions such as the type of solvent and the form of the produced nanofiber product.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the showerhead 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a front surface 21 facing forward (leftward in fig. 1), a raw material outlet surface 22, and a gas outlet surface 23 are formed so as to be connected in this order from above to below. The front surface 21 and the gas outlet surface 23 are arranged parallel to each other with the gas outlet surface 23 shifted rearward (rightward in fig. 1) with respect to the front surface 21 by a distance t. The raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23 are arranged at an angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees), and the raw material outlet surface 22 faces obliquely downward. Further, a rear surface 27 that is parallel to the front surface 21 and faces rearward is formed at the head 20.

Further, the head 20 has: a raw material channel 25 formed orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 22, and a gas channel 26 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. The raw material flow path 25 communicates with a raw material supply passage 28 formed orthogonal to the rear surface 27 in the head 20. The gas flow path 26 is formed linearly through the gas outlet surface 23 and the rear surface 27.

In the present embodiment, the raw material flow path 25 defines a cylindrical space (i.e., a cross section perpendicular to the axis is the same circle throughout the entire range), and the gas flow path 26 also defines a cylindrical space. The raw material outlet surface 22 is formed such that its width (length in the vertical direction in fig. 3) is larger than the diameter of the raw material flow path 25 (approximately twice the diameter), and the raw material flow path 25 is disposed at the center in the width direction. The gas flow field 26 is disposed at a distance from the raw material outlet surface 22. The axis P of the source material flow path 25 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 are arranged to be included in the same plane, and the axis P and the axis Q intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the showerhead 20.

A hose 12 is connected to an opening of the raw material supply passage 28 located on the rear surface 27, and the solvent supplied from the solvent reservoir 11 flows through the hose 12, the raw material supply passage 28, and the raw material flow passage 25, and is discharged from an opening of the raw material flow passage 25 located on the raw material outlet surface 22.

The gas jetting section 13 is connected to an opening of the gas flow path 26 located on the rear surface 27, and the high-pressure gas supplied from the gas jetting section 13 flows through the gas flow path 26 and is jetted from an opening of the gas flow path 26 located on the gas outlet surface 23.

Of course, the above-described configuration is merely an example, and any configuration may be employed as long as the configuration includes the raw material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26, the raw material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 are formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23, respectively, and the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23 are arranged so as to form an included angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees), without departing from the object of the present invention. The present embodiment is configured such that: the hose 12 and the gas injection unit 13 are directly connected to the shower head 20, but the following configuration may be adopted: for example, a manifold block to which the hose 12 and the gas injection unit 13 are connected is provided on the rear surface 27 side of the head 20, the head 20 is attachable to and detachable from the manifold block, and the raw material and the gas are supplied from the hose 12 and the gas injection unit 13 to the head 20 via the manifold block.

The operations of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 and the shower head 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 supplies the solvent from the solvent reservoir 11 and discharges the solvent from an opening of the raw material flow path 25 located on the raw material outlet surface 22; high-pressure gas is supplied from the gas ejection portion 13 and ejected from the opening of the gas flow path 26 on the gas outlet face 23. Thus, the solvent discharged from the raw material passage 25 and the gas flow discharged from the gas passage 26 intersect at an angle α, and are drawn and conveyed forward, thereby producing nanofibers.

According to the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 and the shower head 20 of the present embodiment described above, the raw material flow path 25 is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 22, and the gas flow path 26 is formed to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. As described above, the raw material flow path 25 can be formed on the raw material outlet surface 22 by cutting, the gas flow path 26 can be formed on the gas outlet surface 23, and the solvent discharged from the raw material flow path 25 can be caused to directly intersect the gas flow discharged from the gas flow path 26 at the angle α. Therefore, it is possible to perform high-precision manufacturing by cutting, and to efficiently place the solvent in the air flow.

According to the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, by using a solvent in which a raw material is dissolved in a solvent, it is possible to construct a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus without using a complicated apparatus such as a heating cylinder, a motor, or a screw. Therefore, the device is more compact in size and can save space. Further, by making the structure of the apparatus more compact, it is also possible to constitute a portable nanofiber manufacturing apparatus. When the portable nanofiber manufacturing device is adopted, the nanofiber product can be prepared by blowing the nanofibers to the position where the nanofibers need to be attached, so that the application of the nanofibers is wider.

(modification 1 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 4 shows a modification 1 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "head 20 having a basic structure"). The nozzle 20A of modification 1 is formed such that the width (the length in the vertical direction in fig. 4) of the raw material outlet surface 22 is the same as the diameter of the raw material flow path 25. The other configurations of the head 20A of modification 1 are the same as those of the head 20 having the basic configuration.

(modification 2 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 5 shows a modification 2 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The showerhead 20B of modification 2 is formed such that the width (length in the vertical direction in fig. 5) of the raw material outlet surface 22 is larger than the diameter of the raw material flow path 25 (approximately 3 times the diameter), and a part of the gas flow path 26 is disposed in contact with the raw material outlet surface 22. The other configurations of the head 20B of modification 2 are the same as those of the head 20 of the basic configuration.

(modification 3 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 6 shows a modification 3 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The showerhead 20C of modification 3 is formed such that the width (the length in the vertical direction in fig. 6) of the material outlet surface 22 is the same as the diameter of the material flow path 25, and a part of the gas flow path 26 is disposed in contact with the material outlet surface 22. This arrangement allows the raw material channel 25 to be in contact with the gas channel 26. The other configuration of the head 20C of modification 3 is the same as that of the head 20 of the basic configuration.

(modification 4 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 7 shows a modification 4 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The material flow path 25 of the head 20D of modification 4 defines a quadrangular prism-shaped space having a rectangular cross section. The other configurations of the head 20D of modification 4 are the same as those of the head 20 having the basic configuration.

(modification 5 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 8 shows a modification 5 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The gas flow path 26 of the showerhead 20E of modification 5 defines a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space. The other configuration of the head 20E of modification 5 is the same as that of the head 20 of the basic configuration.

(modification 6 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 9 shows a modification 6 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The material flow path 25 of the showerhead 20F of modification 6 defines a rectangular-prism-shaped space in cross section, and the gas flow path 26 also defines a rectangular-prism-shaped space in cross section. The other configuration of the head 20F of modification 6 is the same as that of the head 20 of the basic configuration.

(modification 7 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 10 shows a modification 7 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The showerhead 20G of this modification 7 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has no front surface 21 on the front surface of the showerhead 20, and a gas outlet surface 23 facing forward (in the direction near the front of the paper surface in fig. 10 a, and leftward in fig. 10 b and 10 c) is formed on the entire front surface. The gas flow field 26 is formed so as to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23, and the raw material outlet surface 22 arranged at an angle α to the gas outlet surface 23 is formed in the gas flow field 26. Accordingly, the gas flow path 26 divides a columnar space formed by cutting a part of a cylinder along a chord. The nozzle 20G of modification 7 is formed so that the width (the vertical length in fig. 10 a) of the raw material outlet surface 22 is the same as the diameter of the raw material channel 25. The other configurations of the head 20G of modification 7 are the same as those of the head 20 of the basic configuration.

(modification 8 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 11 and 12 show a modification 8 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The showerhead 20H of this modification 8 is formed with a first portion 20a and a second portion 20b independent of each other, the first portion 20a corresponding to a portion having the front surface 21 and the raw material outlet surface 22 in the showerhead 20 of the basic configuration, and the second portion 20b corresponding to a portion having the gas outlet surface 23 in the showerhead 20 of the basic configuration, which are detachably joined to each other by a joining means, not shown, such as a tape or a screw.

The first portion 20a of the head 20H of modification 8 has a shape in which one side of a rectangular parallelepiped is chamfered, the front surface 21 and the material outlet surface 22 (corresponding to the chamfered portion) are formed so as to be connected in this order from the top to the bottom, and the first portion 20a has the material passage 25 formed so as to be orthogonal to the material outlet surface 22. The second portion 20b has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a gas outlet surface 23 formed on the entire front surface, and the second portion 20b has a gas flow channel 26 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. The head 20H of modification 8 is arranged such that: when the first portion 20a is combined with the second portion 20b, the material outlet face 22 will be at an angle α to the gas outlet face 23. The head 20H of modification 8 is the same as the head 20 of the basic structure, except that the first portion 20a and the second portion 20b are detachably coupled to each other.

(modification 9 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 13 and 14 show a modification 9 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. In the head 20I of modification 9, the second portion 20b has the same configuration as the head 20H of modification 8, and the first portion 20a is arranged such that: the angle α ' of the raw material outlet face 22 to the gas outlet face 23 when combined with the second portion 20b is different from that in the showerhead 20H of the above-described modification 8(α ' ≠ α, 0 degrees < α ' ≦ 90 degrees). The other configuration of the head 20I of modification 9 is the same as that of the head 20H of modification 8. As in modification 8 and modification 9, by preparing a plurality of types of first portions 20a and second portions 20b and forming different angles between the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23 when the plurality of types of first portions 20a and second portions 20b are joined, the angle at which the axis P of the raw material flow path 25 intersects with the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 can be easily changed by changing the combination of the first portions 20a and the second portions 20 b. Further, by shifting the first portion 20a relative to the second portion 20b in the front-rear direction, the position where the axis P intersects the axis Q can be easily changed. At this time, a space (Spacer) in which a flow path of the raw material or the gas is formed is disposed on the rear side of the first portion 20a or the second portion 20 b.

(modification 10 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 15 and 16 show a modification 10 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The head 20J of modification 10 has a first part 20a and a second part 20b independent of each other, similarly to the head 20H of modification 8, and the first part 20a and the second part 20b are detachably coupled to each other by a coupling means, not shown, such as a tape or a screw.

The head 20J of modification 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped first portion 20a, a front surface 21 facing forward (toward the front of the paper in fig. 16 a, and to the left in fig. 16 b and 16 c) is formed on the entire front surface, a material outlet surface 22 facing downward is formed on the entire lower surface, and the first portion 20a has a material passage 25 formed perpendicular to the material outlet surface 22. The second portion 20b has the same configuration as the showerhead 20H of modification 8, the gas outlet surface 23 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape over the entire front surface, and the second portion 20b has a gas flow path 26 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. The head 20J of modification 10 is arranged such that: when the first portion 20a is combined with the second portion 20b, the raw material outlet face 22 is orthogonal to the gas outlet face 23(α ═ 90 degrees).

(modification 11 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 17 and 18 show a modification 11 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. Fig. 17(a) is an exploded perspective view of a head 20K according to modification 11, and fig. 17(b) is a perspective view of a pre-machining member K before cutting of a first portion 20A of the head 20A according to modification 11 is started. The head 20K of modification 11 includes a raw material outlet pipe 29, and the raw material outlet pipe 29 is formed to protrude from the raw material outlet surface 22 and to have a raw material flow path 25 formed inside. The other configuration of the head 20K of modification 11 is the same as that of the head 20H of modification 8. Further, similarly to the raw material outlet pipe 29, a gas outlet pipe (not shown) may be provided so as to protrude from the gas outlet surface 23 and have the gas flow path 26 formed inside.

(modification 12 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 19 and 20 show a modification 12 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. As an alternative to the gas flow path 26 that defines a cylindrical space in the showerhead 20H of modification 8, the showerhead 20L of modification 12 has a recess 31 having a rectangular cross section formed in the upper surface of the second portion 20 b. In the showerhead 20L of modification 12, the first portion 20a and the second portion 20b are joined together, and the gas flow path 26 is formed by the surface of the first portion 20a in contact with the second portion 20b and the concave groove 31 of the second portion 20b, and the gas flow path 26 defines a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space in cross section. The other configuration of the head 20L of modification 12 is the same as that of the head 20H of modification 8. As shown in fig. 21, in a showerhead 20L according to modification 12, the first portion 20a and the second portion 20b may be arranged to be shifted in the front-rear direction so that the front surface 21 and the gas outlet surface 23 are included in the same plane.

(modification 13 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 22 and 23 show a modification 13 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. As an alternative to the gas flow path 26 that defines a cylindrical space in the showerhead 20J of modification 10, the showerhead 20M of modification 13 has a recess 31 having a rectangular cross section formed in the upper surface of the second portion 20 b. In the showerhead 20M of modification 13, the first portion 20a and the second portion 20b are joined together, and the gas flow path 26 is formed by the surface of the first portion 20a in contact with the second portion 20b and the concave groove 31 of the second portion 20b, and the gas flow path 26 defines a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space in cross section. The head 20M of modification 13 has the same configuration as the head 20J of modification 10 except for the above configuration. As shown in fig. 24, in a showerhead 20M according to modification 13, the first portion 20a and the second portion 20b may be disposed so as to be offset from each other such that the front surface 21 and the gas outlet surface 23 are included in the same plane.

(modification 14 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 25 shows a modification 14 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The head 20S of modification 14 includes two material flow paths 25 and one gas flow path 26 disposed between the two material flow paths 25 and 25. In other words, there is one flow path combination in which two raw material flow paths 25 and one gas flow path 26 are combined. In the showerhead 20S of modification 14, two raw material outlet surfaces 22 and 22 are formed so as to sandwich one gas outlet surface 23. The raw material outlet faces 22, 22 and the gas outlet face 23 are arranged to form an angle α (α is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees). The showerhead 20S of modification 14 includes material flow paths 25, 25 formed orthogonal to the two material outlet surfaces 22, respectively, and a gas flow path 26 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. In the head 20S of modification 14, the axes P, P of the raw material flow paths 25 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 26, which are not shown, intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the head 20S, similarly to the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. Accordingly, the solvent discharged from the two material flow paths 25 and 25 meets the gas flow discharged from the gas flow path 26 at an angle α, and is drawn and conveyed forward. In addition, in the present configuration, two types of fibers made of two different liquid materials may be simultaneously produced by the same gas by discharging different liquid materials from the two material flow paths 25 and 25, or the two types of fibers may be mixed together.

(modification 15 of embodiment 1)

Fig. 26 shows a modification 15 of the head 20 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1. The showerhead 20T of this modification 15 includes two material flow paths 25, 25 and two gas flow paths 26, 26. In other words, there is a plurality of (two) flow path combinations each including one raw material flow path 25 and one gas flow path 26 corresponding to the raw material flow path 25 as a set. The head 20T of modification 15 includes two first portions 20a and a second portion 20b sandwiched between the two first portions 20a and 20 a. The first portions 20a, 20a have the same structure as the first portion 20a of modification 8 described above. The second portion 20b has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has grooves 31, 31 formed in the upper and lower surfaces thereof. In the showerhead 20T of modification 15, the first portions 20a and the second portion 20b are joined together, so that the gas flow paths 26 and 26 are formed by the surfaces of the first portions 20a and 20a that contact the second portion 20b and the concave grooves 31 and 31 of the second portion 20b, and the gas flow paths 26 and 26 define a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space in cross section. The relationship between the source material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 in the head 20T of modification 15 is the same as the relationship between the source material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 in the head 20L of modification 12 described above. In the present configuration, two types of fibers made of two different liquid materials may be simultaneously produced by the same gas by discharging different liquid materials from the two material flow paths 25, 25 and ejecting the same gas from the two gas flow paths 26, or the two types of fibers may be mixed together. In the present configuration, two types of fibers made of two different liquid materials may be simultaneously produced by two different gases by discharging different liquid materials from the two material flow paths 25, 25 and ejecting different gases from the two gas flow paths 26, or two types of fibers may be mixed together.

Table 1 schematically shows the basic configuration of the head 20 according to embodiment 1 and the configurations of modifications 1 to 15 thereof.

[ Table 1]

(embodiment 2)

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 27. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 2 (not shown) according to embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 shown in fig. 1, except that a shower head 20U is provided as an alternative to the shower head 20.

Fig. 27 is a diagram for explaining a head included in a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which fig. 27(a) is a front view, fig. 27(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a ', and fig. 27(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B'.

In the shower head 20U included in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to embodiment 2, the raw material outlet surface 22, the connection surface 24, and the gas outlet surface 23 which face forward (toward the front of the paper surface in fig. 27 a, and to the left in fig. 27 b and 27 c) are in an absolute positional relationship in which they are connected in this order from top to bottom. The raw material outlet face 22 and the gas outlet face 23 are arranged parallel to each other with the gas outlet face 23 shifted forward by a distance t with respect to the front face 21. The head 20U is formed with a rear surface (not shown) parallel to the front surface 21 and directed rearward (toward the depth of the drawing in fig. 27 a, and rightward in fig. 27 b and 27 c).

The showerhead 20U also has a raw material passage 25 formed perpendicular to the raw material outlet surface 22 and a gas passage 26 formed perpendicular to the gas outlet surface 23. The raw material flow path 25 is formed linearly through the raw material outlet surface 22 and the rear surface. The gas flow path 26 is also formed linearly through the gas outlet surface 23 and the rear surface 27. The axis P of the raw material flow path 25 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 26 are arranged to be included in the same plane.

The connection surface 24 and the gas outlet surface 23 are arranged at an angle β (0 degree. ltoreq. β < 90 degrees), and the connection surface 24 faces obliquely upward. In other words, the plane direction R of the connection surface 24 forms an angle α (α is 90 degrees — β) with the axis Q of the gas flow path 26. When viewed in the lateral direction (the direction from the front side to the depth side of the paper in fig. 27 b and 27 c), the plane direction R of the head 20U intersects a point of the axis Q in front of the head 20U at an angle α. In other words, the "lateral direction" is a direction parallel to both the connection face 24 and the gas outlet face 23.

In the present embodiment, the raw material flow path 25 defines a cylindrical space (i.e., a cross section perpendicular to the axis is the same circle throughout the entire range), and the gas flow path 26 also defines a cylindrical space. Alternatively, the raw material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 may have a shape that divides a quadrangular prism-like space. A part of the raw material passage 25 contacts the connection surface 24, and a part of the gas passage 26 also contacts the connection surface 24. Further, a raw material flow groove 24a linearly connecting the raw material passage 25 and the gas passage 26 is formed in the connection surface 24.

Next, the operation of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and the shower head 20U according to the present embodiment will be described. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus is supplied with the solvent from the solvent reservoir 11 and discharged from the opening of the raw material passage 25 on the raw material outlet surface 22, and supplied with the high-pressure gas from the gas ejection unit 13 and ejected from the opening of the gas passage 26 on the gas outlet surface 23. Then, the solvent discharged from the raw material flow path 25 reaches the opening of the gas flow path 26 along the raw material flow groove 24a, meets the gas flow ejected from the gas flow path 26 at an angle α, and is drawn and conveyed forward, thereby producing nanofibers.

According to the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 2 and the shower head 20U of the present embodiment, the raw material channel 25 is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 22, and the gas channel 26 is formed to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 23. As described above, the raw material flow path 25 can be formed on the raw material outlet surface 22 by cutting, and the gas flow path 26 can be formed on the gas outlet surface 23, so that the solvent discharged from the raw material flow path 25 indirectly meets the gas flow discharged from the gas flow path 26 via the connection surface 24 at the angle α. Therefore, it is possible to perform high-precision manufacturing by cutting, and to efficiently place the solvent in the air flow.

(embodiment 3)

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 28 to 38. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3 has a structure in which: a molten raw material obtained by melting a solid raw material is used.

Fig. 28 and 29 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 30 is a view for explaining a head included in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus in fig. 28, in which fig. 30(a) is a front view, and fig. 30(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a'. Fig. 31 to 38 are views for explaining the configurations of modifications 1 to 8 of the head having the basic configuration shown in fig. 30, and each of the views shows a front view and a cross-sectional view as in fig. 30. In the following description, terms such as front, rear, left, right, upper, lower, and the like are used in some cases, but these terms are used to indicate relative positional relationships of components, and unless otherwise noted, do not indicate absolute positional relationships. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the structures having the same functions, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3 of the present embodiment includes: a hopper 62 for feeding a granular resin (granular synthetic resin of fine particle size) as a raw material of nanofibers into the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3; a heating cylinder 63 for receiving the resin supplied from the hopper 62 and heating and melting the same; a heater 64 as heating means for heating the heating cylinder 63 from the outside; a screw 65 as an extrusion device rotatably housed in the heating cylinder 63 and for moving the molten resin to the front end of the heating cylinder 63 by rotation; a motor 66, the motor 66 serving as a driving device for rotating the screw 65 via a connecting portion 69 (details are not shown); and a nozzle 70, the nozzle 70 having a cylindrical shape and being provided at a front end of the heating cylinder 63. A gas injection unit (not shown) is connected to the shower head 70 via a gas supply pipe 68. In the present embodiment, the heating cylinder 63, the shower head 70, and other components are mainly made of metal, and products made of other materials such as resin and glass may be used according to various conditions such as the type of resin used as a raw material of the nanofibers and the form of the produced nanofiber product.

As shown in fig. 30, the showerhead 70 has a front surface 71 facing forward (toward the front of the sheet in fig. 30(a), and to the left in fig. 30 (b)), a raw material outlet surface 72, and a gas outlet surface 73, which are connected in this order from the top to the bottom. The front surface 71 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged parallel to each other with the gas outlet surface 73 displaced rearward (rightward in fig. 30 (b)) relative to the front surface 71 by a distance t. The raw material outlet surface 72 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged at an angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees), and the raw material outlet surface 72 faces obliquely downward. The head 70 has a rear surface (not shown) that is parallel to the front surface 71 and faces rearward.

The showerhead 70 has a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 formed orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 72 and gas flow paths 76 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 73. In the present embodiment, the same number (seven) of the raw material flow paths 75 and the gas flow paths 76 are provided, and the raw material flow paths 75 and the gas flow paths 76 which are arranged in the vertical direction correspond to each other. In other words, a plurality of (seven) flow path combinations are provided, each of which includes one raw material flow path 75 and one gas flow path 76 arranged corresponding to the raw material flow path 75 as a set, and the plurality of flow path combinations are arranged in parallel in one direction such that the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76 are arranged on two straight lines parallel to each other.

In the present embodiment, the raw material flow path 75 defines a cylindrical space, and the gas flow path 76 also defines a cylindrical space. The material outlet surface 72 is formed such that its width (length in the vertical direction in fig. 30 a) is larger than the diameter of the material flow path 75 (approximately twice the diameter), and the material flow path 75 is disposed at the center in the width direction. The gas flow field 76 is disposed at a distance from the raw material outlet surface 72. The raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76 corresponding to each other are arranged such that the axis P of the raw material flow path 75 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 76 are included in the same plane, and the axis P intersects with a point of the axis Q in front of the showerhead 70 at an angle α.

The plurality of raw material flow paths 75 are connected to the heating cylinder 63, and the molten raw material supplied from the heating cylinder 63 flows through the plurality of raw material flow paths 75 and is discharged from the openings of the plurality of raw material flow paths 75 located on the raw material outlet surface 72.

The plurality of gas flow paths 76 communicate with the gas supply pipe 68 in the showerhead 70, and the high-pressure gas supplied from the gas injection unit flows through the gas supply pipe 68 and the plurality of gas flow paths 76 and is discharged from the openings of the plurality of gas flow paths 76 located on the gas outlet surface 73.

It is to be understood that the above-described configuration is merely an example, and any configuration may be employed as long as the configuration includes the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76, the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76 are formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 72 and the gas outlet surface 73, respectively, and the raw material outlet surface 72 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged so as to form an included angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees).

Next, the operation of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3 and the shower head 70 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3, a granular raw material (resin) charged into a hopper 62 is supplied into a heating cylinder 63 heated by a heater 64, melted, and sent to the front of the heating cylinder 63 by a screw 65 rotated by a motor 66, so that the melted raw material (melted resin) reaching the tip of the heating cylinder 63 is discharged from a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 through the inside of a shower head 70. High-pressure gas is discharged from a plurality of gas flow paths 76 formed in the showerhead 70. Then, in the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76 corresponding to each other, the molten raw material discharged from the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow ejected from the gas flow path 76 meet at an angle α, and are drawn and conveyed forward, thereby producing nanofibers.

According to the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3 and the shower head 70 of the present embodiment, the raw material flow path 75 is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 72, and the gas flow path 76 is formed to be orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 73. As described above, the plurality of raw material flow paths 75 can be formed on the raw material outlet surface 72 by cutting, the plurality of gas flow paths 76 can be formed on the gas outlet surface 73, and the molten raw material discharged from the raw material flow paths 75 can be caused to directly intersect with the gas flow ejected from the gas flow paths 76 at the angle α. Therefore, the molten raw material can be manufactured with high accuracy by cutting, and the molten raw material can be efficiently carried in the gas flow. Further, since the plurality of raw material flow paths 75 and the plurality of gas flow paths 76 are provided, nanofibers can be efficiently produced in a large amount in a short time.

(modification 1 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 31 shows a modification 1 of the head 70 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "head 70 of the basic structure") provided in the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. In the showerhead 70A of modification 1, the plurality of gas flow paths 76 define a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space. The other configuration of the head 70A of modification 1 is the same as the head 70 having the basic configuration.

(modification 2 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 32 shows a modification 2 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The showerhead 70B of modification 2 includes one slit-shaped gas flow channel 76 extending in the lateral direction (the left-right direction in fig. 32(a), and the front-back direction in the paper plane in fig. 32 (B)), and the gas flow channel 76 defines a rectangular quadrangular prism-shaped space. The other configuration of the head 70B of modification 2 is the same as that of the head 70 having the basic configuration. The showerhead 70B of modification 2 has a single flow path combination including a single slit-shaped gas flow path 76 extending in one direction and a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 arranged in parallel in the one direction. In the showerhead 70B of modification 2, the axis P of the raw material flow path 75 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 76 intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the showerhead 70 when viewed in the lateral direction. In other words, the "lateral direction" refers to a direction parallel to both the raw material outlet face 72 and the gas outlet face 73.

(modification 3 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 33 shows a modification 3 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The head 70C of modification 3 includes m raw material flow paths 75 and n gas flow paths 76 (where m ≠ n). The showerhead 70C according to modification 3 includes six material flow paths 75 and seven gas flow paths 76, and is disposed such that the horizontal position (the left-right direction in fig. 33 a, and the front-back direction in the paper of fig. 33 b) of each material flow path 75 is an intermediate position of the adjacent gas flow paths 76. The number of the gas flow paths 76 may be larger than the number of the raw material flow paths. The other configuration of the head 70C of modification 3 is the same as that of the head 70 having the basic configuration. The showerhead 70C of modification 3 has a flow path combination in which m source flow paths 75 and n gas flow paths 76 are grouped. In the showerhead 70C of modification 3, the axis P of the raw material flow path 75 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 76 intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the showerhead 70 when viewed in the lateral direction.

(modification 4 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 34 shows a modification 4 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The showerhead 70D of modification 4 is formed with a first portion 70a and a second portion 70b independent of each other, and the first portion 70a corresponds to a portion having the front surface 71 and the raw material outlet surface 72 in the showerhead 70 of the basic structure, and the second portion 70b corresponds to a portion having the gas outlet surface 73 in the showerhead 70 of the basic structure, and these portions are detachably joined to each other by a joining means, not shown, such as a tape or a screw.

The first portion 70a of the nozzle 70D according to modification 4 has a shape in which a cylindrical body is cut along a radius and a side corresponding to the radius of one end surface is chamfered, the front surface 71 and the raw material outlet surface 72 (corresponding to the chamfered portion) are formed so as to be connected in this order from the top to the bottom, and the first portion 70a has a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 formed so as to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface 72. The second portion 70b has a shape in which a cylinder is cut along a radius and is formed into a cylinder by being joined to the first portion 70a, and has a gas outlet surface 73 formed on the entire front surface, and the second portion 70b has a gas flow path 76 formed orthogonal to the gas outlet surface 73. In a showerhead 70D of modification 4, a raw material outlet face 72 and a gas outlet face 73 are disposed at an angle α when the first portion 70a and the second portion 70b are joined. A head 70D according to modification 4 has the same structure as the head 70 having the basic structure, except that the first portion 70a and the second portion 70b are detachably coupled to each other.

(modification 5 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 35 shows a modification 5 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The showerhead 70E of modification 5 has a cylindrical shape, and the annular front surface 71, the annular raw material outlet surface 72, and the circular gas outlet surface 73 which face forward (the direction toward the front of the paper surface in fig. 35 a, and the left in fig. 35 b) are formed in concentric circular shapes which are sequentially connected from the outer periphery toward the center. The front surface 71 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged parallel to each other and the gas outlet surface 73 is displaced rearward (rightward in fig. 30 (b)) relative to the front surface 71 by a distance t. The raw material outlet surface 72 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged at an angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees), and the raw material outlet surface 72 is formed in a tapered shape facing inward. Further, a rear surface (not shown) that is parallel to the front surface 71 and faces rearward is formed at the head 70E of modification 5.

The showerhead 70E of modification 5 includes a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and perpendicular to the raw material outlet surface 72, and a single gas flow path 76 formed perpendicular to the center of the gas outlet surface 73. In the showerhead 70E of modification 5, a plurality of (eight) material flow paths 75 are provided around the gas flow path 76. In other words, the showerhead 70E of modification 5 has a single flow path combination in which one gas flow path 76 and a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 arranged around the gas flow path 76 are grouped.

In the showerhead 70E of modification 5, the raw material flow path 75 defines a cylindrical space, and the gas flow path 76 also defines a cylindrical space. The raw material outlet surface 72 is formed so that its width (length in the radial direction) is equal to the diameter of the raw material flow path 75. The gas flow field 76 is disposed at a distance from the raw material outlet surface 72. The axes P of the plurality of raw material flow paths 75 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 76 intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the showerhead 70B.

(modification 6 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 36 shows a modification 6 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The nozzle 70F of modification 6 includes a plurality of raw material outlet pipes 79, and the plurality of raw material outlet pipes 79 are formed to protrude from the raw material outlet surface 72 and have a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 formed inside. The other configuration of the head 70F of modification 6 is the same as that of the head 70E of modification 5.

(modification 7 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 37 shows a modification 7 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. The showerhead 70G of modification 7 has a cylindrical shape, and the annular front surface 71, the annular raw material outlet surface 72, and the circular gas outlet surface 73 which face forward (toward the front of the paper surface in fig. 37 a, and toward the left in fig. 37 b) are formed in concentric circular shapes which are sequentially connected from the outer periphery toward the center. The front surface 71 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged parallel to each other and the gas outlet surface 73 is displaced rearward (rightward in fig. 30 (b)) relative to the front surface 71 by a distance t. The raw material outlet surface 72 and the gas outlet surface 73 are arranged at an angle α (0 degree < α ≦ 90 degrees), and the raw material outlet surface 72 is formed in a tapered shape facing inward. Further, a rear surface (not shown) that is parallel to the front surface 71 and faces rearward is formed at the head 70G of modification 7.

The showerhead 70G of modification 7 includes a plurality of raw material flow paths 75 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and perpendicular to the raw material outlet surface 72, and a plurality of gas flow paths 76 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and perpendicular to the gas outlet surface 73. In the showerhead 70G of modification 7, a plurality of (eight) source material flow paths 75 are provided corresponding to the gas flow paths 76. In other words, the showerhead 70G of modification 7 is provided with a plurality of (eight) flow path combinations in which one raw material flow path 75 and one gas flow path 76 arranged corresponding to the raw material flow path 75 are grouped, and the plurality of flow path combinations are arranged in an annular shape so that the raw material flow path 75 and the gas flow path 76 are arranged on the circumferences of two concentric circles.

In the showerhead 70G of modification 7, the raw material flow path 75 defines a cylindrical space, and the gas flow path 76 also defines a cylindrical space. The raw material outlet surface 72 is formed to have a width (length in the radial direction) larger than (about 2 times) the raw material flow path 75. The plurality of gas flow paths 76 are disposed so as to be in contact with the raw material outlet surface 72, respectively. The axis P of the raw material flow path 75 and the axis Q of the gas flow path 76, which correspond to each other, intersect at an angle α at a point in front of the shower head 70G.

(modification 8 of embodiment 3)

Fig. 38 shows a modification 8 of the head 70 of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 3. In the showerhead 70H according to modification 8, the plurality of gas flow paths 76 are arranged to partition a quadrangular prism-shaped space having a rectangular cross section and to be spaced apart from the raw material outlet surface 72. The other configuration of the head 70H of modification 8 is the same as that of the head 70G of modification 7.

Table 2 schematically shows the basic configuration of the head 70 according to embodiment 3 and the configurations of modifications 1 to 8 thereof.

[ Table 2]

The number of flow paths is marked in the brackets

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

For example, although the horizontal nanofiber manufacturing apparatus in which the molten resin and gas ejection ports are oriented in the horizontal direction has been described in the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this, and a vertical nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and a shower head that are disposed so as to face downward may be used. This effectively avoids the influence of gravity.

In the embodiments and the modifications thereof, the positions of the raw material flow path and the gas flow path may be switched. Specifically, for example, in the showerhead 20 according to embodiment 1, the position of the raw material outlet surface 22 may be replaced with the position of the gas outlet surface 23, the front surface 21 and the raw material outlet surface 22 may be arranged in parallel, the gas outlet surface 23 may be arranged at an angle α to the raw material outlet surface 22, and the raw material flow path 25 and the gas flow path 26 may be formed in the raw material outlet surface 22 and the gas outlet surface 23, respectively. The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the arrangement shown in the drawings of each embodiment, and for example, the positions of the raw material flow path (raw material outlet surface) and the gas flow path (gas outlet surface) may be switched upside down in the drawings of each embodiment, or the raw material flow path (raw material outlet surface) and the gas flow path (gas outlet surface) may be arranged in parallel in the lateral direction by turning them 90 degrees.

In the above description, the extrusion device is set as a screw, and although measures are required to prevent breakage of the produced nanofibers, it is also possible to feed the solution sequentially and intermittently extrude the nanofibers by a piston or the like, as in the case of die casting.

Further, the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and the shower head of the present invention preferably have a function of controlling the temperature of the raw material using a close contact heater or the like around the outer side of the shower head (not shown) as required by various conditions such as fluidity and property maintenance of the liquid raw material to be used and various conditions for fiber production.

Further, the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and the shower head according to the present invention preferably have a gas temperature control function (not shown) for controlling the gas temperature at the gas outlet, as required by various conditions for fiber production.

Description of the reference numerals

(embodiment 1)

1 … nanofiber manufacturing apparatus; 10 … a base; 11 … a solvent reservoir; 12 … flexible tubing; 13 … gas injection part; 20. 20A-20M, 20S and 20T … spray heads; 20a … first part; 20b … second part; 21 … front surface; 22 … raw material outlet face; 23 … gas outlet face; 25 … raw material flow path; 26 … gas flow path; 27 … rear surface; 28 … raw material supply path; 29 … raw material outlet pipe; 31 … groove; axis of the P … raw material flow path; axis of the gas flow path Q ….

(embodiment 2)

2 … nanofiber manufacturing apparatus; 20U … spray head; 21 … front surface; 22 … raw material outlet face; 23 … gas outlet face; 24 … connecting surface; 24a … raw material flow channel; 25 … raw material flow path; 26 … gas flow path; 27 … rear surface; axis of the P … raw material flow path; axis of the Q … gas flow path; r … is in the plane direction of the surface to which it is attached.

(embodiment 3)

3 … nanofiber manufacturing apparatus; a 62 … hopper; 63 … heating the cylinder; a 64 … heater; a screw 65 …; a 66 … motor; 68 … gas supply tube; a 69 … connection; 70. 70A-70H … spray heads; 70a … first portion; 70b … second part; 71 … front surface; 72 … raw material outlet face; 73 … gas outlet face; 75 … raw material flow path; 76 … gas flow path; 79 … raw material outlet pipe; axis of the P … raw material flow path; axis of the gas flow path Q ….

Claims (14)

1. A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path for discharging a liquid raw material formed thereon; and

a gas outlet surface arranged to form an angle α with the raw material outlet surface, wherein α is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees, a gas flow path for ejecting gas is formed on the gas outlet surface, the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface,

the gas flow path is formed orthogonal to the gas outlet face,

the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are arranged so that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path and the gas ejected from the gas flow path intersect with each other.

2. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has one or more flow path combinations each of which is composed of one raw material flow path and one gas flow path arranged in correspondence with the one raw material flow path.

3. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of the flow path combinations arranged in parallel in one direction so that the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are aligned on two straight lines parallel to each other.

4. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of the flow path combinations arranged in an annular shape so that the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are arranged on the circumferences of two circles having concentric circles.

5. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an axis of the gas flow channel and an axis of the raw material flow channel disposed in correspondence with the axis of the gas flow channel are included in the same plane.

6. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has one or more flow path combinations each of which is composed of a plurality of the raw material flow paths and one of the gas flow paths arranged in correspondence with the plurality of the raw material flow paths.

7. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the flow channel combination includes one gas flow channel in a slit shape extending in one direction and a plurality of raw material flow channels arranged in parallel in the one direction.

8. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6,

the flow path combination has one gas flow path and a plurality of raw material flow paths arranged around the gas flow path.

9. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the apparatus further includes a raw material outlet pipe protruding from the raw material outlet surface and having the raw material flow path formed inside the raw material outlet pipe.

10. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9,

the apparatus further has a gas outlet pipe protruding from the gas outlet face and having the gas flow path formed inside the gas outlet pipe.

11. The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

comprising:

a first portion having the feedstock outlet face; and

a second portion having the gas outlet face,

the first portion is removably coupled to the second portion.

12. A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that,

comprising:

a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path for discharging a liquid raw material formed thereon;

a gas outlet surface disposed below the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed therein for ejecting a gas; and

a connecting surface connected with the raw material outlet surface and the gas outlet surface and configured to form an included angle beta with the raw material outlet surface, wherein beta is more than or equal to 0 degree and less than 90 degrees,

the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface,

the gas flow path is formed orthogonal to the gas outlet face,

the opening of the gas flow path is in contact with the connection surface,

the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are arranged so that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path reaches the opening of the gas flow path through the connection surface.

13. A spray head for a nanofiber manufacturing device is characterized in that,

the shower head has:

a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path for discharging a liquid raw material formed thereon; and

a gas outlet face arranged to form an angle alpha with the raw material outlet face, wherein alpha is more than 0 degree and less than or equal to 90 degrees, a gas flow path for ejecting gas is formed on the gas outlet face,

the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface,

the gas flow path is formed orthogonal to the gas outlet face,

the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are arranged so that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path and the gas ejected from the gas flow path intersect with each other.

14. A spray head for a nanofiber manufacturing device is characterized in that,

the shower head has:

a raw material outlet surface having a raw material flow path for discharging a liquid raw material formed thereon;

a gas outlet surface disposed below the raw material outlet surface, the gas outlet surface having a gas flow path formed therein for ejecting a gas; and

a connecting surface connected with the raw material outlet surface and the gas outlet surface and configured to form an included angle beta with the raw material outlet surface, wherein beta is more than or equal to 0 degree and less than 90 degrees,

the raw material flow path is formed to be orthogonal to the raw material outlet surface,

the gas flow path is formed orthogonal to the gas outlet face,

the opening of the gas flow path is in contact with the connection surface,

the raw material flow path and the gas flow path are arranged so that the liquid raw material discharged from the raw material flow path reaches the opening of the gas flow path through the connection surface.

Images