Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
Title of Invention: DISCHARGE NOZZLE FOR NANOFIBER PRODUCTION APPARATUSES AND
NANOFIBER PRODUCTION APPARATUS INCLUDING DISCHARGE NOZZLE
Technical Field
[0001]
The present invention relates to a discharge nozzle for nanofiber production
apparatuses that produce fine fibers and a nanofiber production apparatus
including the
discharge nozzle.
Background Art
[0002]
Nanofibers are being used in various fields thanks to the properties thereof.
In
recent years, it has been requested to produce nanofibers in which fibers
having different
diameters and different lengths corresponding to the application are
complicatedly
intertwined, such as nonwoven fabrics formed of ultrafine fibers. Fine-fiber
production
technologies are disclosed in, for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2.
Ultrafine-fiber
production apparatuses disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 include
substantially the
same spinnerets for melt blowing. These ultrafine-fiber production apparatuses
include
one or more liquid nozzles that are able to discharge a heated molten resin
(Patent
Literature 1) or a polymer solution obtained by dissolving a raw-material
polymer in a
solvent (Patent Literature 2) and one or more hot blast nozzles that draw the
molten resin
or polymer solution discharged from the liquid nozzles into fibers by blowing
a hot blast
onto the molten resin or polymer solution. Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose
that the
ultrafine-fiber production apparatuses stably spin the molten resin into fine
fibers using a
small amount of hot blast gas.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0003]
1
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Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 5946569
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent No. 5946565
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0004]
However, in the case of the ultrafine-fiber production apparatuses described
in
Patent Literatures 1 and 2, for example, when producing fibers having
different
diameters, it is difficult to appropriately change the diameter or inclination
of the liquid
nozzles or hot blast nozzles so as to correspond to the different diameters.
The only
method to change such conventional liquid nozzles or hot blast nozzles is to
replace the
entire spinneret.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an
object
thereof is to provide a discharge nozzle for nanofiber production apparatuses
that allows
for an easy change to a specification of nanofibers to be produced, such as
the diameter,
and thus an improvement in apparatus variety or workability and a nanofiber
production
apparatus including the discharge nozzle.
Solution to Problem
[0006]
A discharge nozzle mounted on a nanofiber production apparatus according to
the
present invention is a discharge nozzle mounted on a nanofiber production
apparatus
that draws a molten or dissolved resin discharged from a molten/dissolved
resin outlet
into fine fibers by discharging the molten/dissolved resin such that the
molten or
dissolved resin is guided by a hot blast discharged from a hot blast outlet.
The discharge
nozzle includes a division-type nozzle unit that is provided with a
molten/dissolved resin
outlet and a hot blast outlet and can be divided into multiple units.
[0007]
In the discharge nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus
according
to the present invention, the division-type nozzle unit can be divided such
that at least
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one of the molten/dissolved resin flow path and the hot blast flow path is
divided into
multiple flow paths.
[0008]
In the discharge nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus
according
to the present invention, a division joint of the division-type nozzle unit is
an airtight
sealing plate, such as a packing structure, that is formed of a highly heat-
resistant,
pressure-resistant, and chemical-resistant metal or special material
corresponding to the
temperature of a hot blast to be used or the properties of the molten or
dissolved resin.
[0009]
In the discharge nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus
according
to the present invention, the division-type nozzle unit includes a first
nozzle unit serving
as a molten/dissolved resin inflow unit, a second nozzle unit serving as a hot
blast inflow
unit, a third nozzle unit serving as a resin/hot blast introduction unit, and
a fourth nozzle
unit serving as a discharge unit.
[0010] A discharge nozzle mounted on a nanofiber production apparatus
according to the
present invention is a discharge nozzle mounted on a nanofiber production
apparatus
that draws a molten or dissolved resin discharged from a molten/dissolved
resin outlet
into fine fibers by discharging the molten/dissolved resin such that the
molten or
dissolved resin is guided by a hot blast discharged from a hot blast outlet.
The discharge
nozzle includes a division-type nozzle unit that can be divided into multiple
units. The
hot blast outlet is formed as a single rectangular slit-shaped hot blast
outlet on a front
wall surface of the division-type nozzle unit. The molten/dissolved resin
outlet includes
multiple aligned molten/dissolved resin outlets formed on the front wall
surface of the
division-type nozzle unit and disposed along a length direction of the hot
blast outlet.
[0011]
A nanofiber production apparatus according to the present invention is a
nanofiber production apparatus that draws a molten or dissolved resin
discharged from a
molten/dissolved resin outlet into fine fibers by discharging the
molten/dissolved resin
such that the molten or dissolved resin is guided by a hot blast discharged
from a hot
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blast outlet. The nanofiber production apparatus includes a discharge nozzle
including a
division-type nozzle unit that can be divided into multiple units. The hot
blast outlet is
formed as a single rectangular slit-shaped hot blast outlet on a front wall
surface of the
division-type nozzle unit. The molten/dissolved resin outlet includes multiple
aligned
molten/dissolved resin outlets formed on the front wall surface of the
division-type
nozzle unit and disposed along a length direction of the hot blast outlet.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0012]
According to the present invention, the discharge nozzle can be divided into
multiple units. Thus, when producing nanofibers having the desired diameter,
some of
the divided nozzle units provided with the molten/dissolved resin outlet and
hot blast
outlet can be easily replaced with units provided with a molten/dissolved
resin outlet and
a hot blast outlet corresponding to the desired specification, such as the
fiber diameter.
This allows for an increase in replacement workability and a reduction in the
working
time, allowing for providing low-cost fine fibers and nonwoven fabrics or the
like formed
of such fibers.
[0013]
When producing a nonwoven fabric, a hot blast is blown from the hot blast
outlet
formed as a single slit, and the molten or dissolved resin is simultaneously
discharged
from the aligned multiple molten/dissolved resin outlets. This allows for
optimization of a
blow of the molten or dissolved resin discharged from the molten/dissolved
resin outlets
onto the hot blast, allowing for suppression of unevenness in the quality of
fibers to be
formed and thus acquisition of high-quality fibers.
[0014]
The divided nozzle units can be easily integrated using fixing means, such as
bolts.
This allows for a reduction in the time required for troublesome
assembly/disassembly
work and thus a reduction in the cost of fibers to be produced.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015]
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a division-type nozzle mounted on a
nanofiber production apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the division-type nozzle in FIG. 1 and is
an
enlarged view of a portion shown by an alternate long and short dashed line in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the division-type nozzle in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal perspective view of a division-type nozzle mounted on
a
nanofiber production apparatus as another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view along a hot blast flow path formed in the division-
type
nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus as the embodiment of the
present invention and shows an example of a sectional view taken along line A-
A in FIGS.
3 and 4.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view along a solution flow path formed in the division-
type
nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus as the embodiment of the
present invention and shows an example of a sectional view taken along line B-
B in FIGS.
3 and 4.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of main components of a fourth nozzle
unit
included in the division-type nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production
apparatus as
the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the position relationship between
molten/dissolved resin outlets and a hot blast outlet formed in the division-
type nozzle
mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus as the embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a modification of a spinneret included in
the
division-type nozzle mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus as the
embodiment
of the present invention.
Description of Embodiments
[0016]
Now, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference
to
FIGS. 1 to 9. However, the present invention is not limited to an
implementation aspect
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described in the embodiment. Addition, deletion, or design change of elements
with
respect to the embodiment made by those skilled in the art as necessary and
appropriate
combinations of the features of the embodiment are also included in the
present
invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. In the
present specification, the term "front" refers to the left side in FIGS. 3 and
4.
[0017]
Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 9, the configuration of a division-type discharge
nozzle
2 mounted on a nanofiber production apparatus 1 according to the present
embodiment
will be described. The nanofiber production apparatus 1 draws a molten or
dissolved
resin discharged from a molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 into fine fibers by
discharging the
molten or dissolved resin such that the molten or dissolved resin is guided by
a hot blast
discharged from a hot blast outlet 11. The nanofiber production apparatus 1
having the
discharge nozzle 2 of the present embodiment mounted thereon draws the
discharged
molten resin or solvent-dissolved resin (referred to as the "molten or
dissolved resin" in
the present invention) into long fibers having ultrasmall diameters by blowing
a hot blast
onto the molten or dissolved resin. A molten/dissolved resin supplier 3 (not
shown in
detail) that introduces the heated, molten resin or the resin dissolved in the
solvent into
the discharge nozzle 2 and a hot blast supplier 4 (not shown in detail) that
introduces a
hot blast into the discharge nozzle 2 are connected to the discharge nozzle 2
mounted on
the nanofiber production apparatus 1 and configured to discharge the molten or
dissolved resin.
[0018]
The discharge nozzle 2 includes a division-type nozzle unit 6. The division-
type
nozzle unit 6 can be divided into first to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d. The
first to fourth
nozzle units 6a to 6d are arranged sequentially from the right to the left in
FIGS. 3 and 4.
Sealing plates 7 for maintaining air tightness are disposed as division
joints, which are
portions adjacent to the first to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d. That is, the
sealing plates 7
are sandwiched between the first nozzle unit 6a and second nozzle unit 6b,
between the
second nozzle unit 6b and the third nozzle unit 6c, and between the third
nozzle unit 6c
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and fourth nozzle unit. The sealing plates 7 are formed of a highly heat-
resistant,
pressure-resistant, and chemical-resistant metal or special material
corresponding to the
temperature of a hot blast to be used or the properties of the molten or
dissolved resin.
The divided four first to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d as a whole are
penetrated by fixing
means 8, such as bolts, and thus are integrated. The division-type nozzle unit
6 can be
divided (can be cut in the up-down direction into nozzle units arranged in the
left-right
direction in FIGS. 3 and 4) such that a molten/dissolved resin flow path 10
and a hot blast
flow path 12 are each divided into multiple flow paths. The division-type
nozzle unit 6
may be dividable such that only one of the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10
and hot
blast flow path 12 is divided. The number of divisions of the division-type
nozzle unit 6
of the present embodiment is four. The number of divisions of the division-
type nozzle
unit 6 is determined in accordance with the implementation aspect. For
example, the
division-type nozzle unit 6 is divided d into a number of units corresponding
to ease of
formation of the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 and hot blast flow path
12 or
corresponding to the number of the functions of the division-type nozzle unit
6. In the
present embodiment, the multiple nozzle units are jointed together using the
shown
fixing means 8, such as bolts. Alternatively, rather than penetrating the
nozzle units,
fixing means (not shown) may be disposed on the peripheries of the nozzle
units in
accordance with the configuration of the nozzle units and the implementation
aspect
thereof.
[0019]
Depending on ease of formation of the internal molten/dissolved resin flow
path
or hot blast flow path 12, the discharge nozzle 2 may be divided, for example,
in the
up-down direction (may be cut in the left-right direction so that nozzle units
are arranged
in the up-down direction in FIGS. 3 and 4) (not shown in detail). In such a
configuration,
for example, the nozzle units adjacent to each other in the up-down direction
may be
integrally fastened using (band-type) heaters for the nozzle units provided
with fastening
means (not shown), as well as bolts.
[0020]
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In the present embodiment, the division-type nozzle unit 6 includes the first
nozzle unit 6a serving as a molten or dissolved resin inflow unit, the second
nozzle unit 6b
serving as a hot blast inflow unit, the third nozzle unit 6c serving as a
resin/hot blast
introduction unit, and the fourth nozzle unit 6d serving as a discharge unit.
The first to
fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d are provided with the molten/dissolved resin flow
path 10
(molten/dissolved resin flow paths 10a to 10d). Thus, the molten or dissolved
resin
supplied from the molten/dissolved resin supplier 3 is sent to the
molten/dissolved resin
outlet 9 located on the downstream side of the fourth nozzle unit (discharge
unit) 6d
through the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10. The molten/dissolved resin
outlet 9 is
disposed so as to communicate with the downstream end of the molten/dissolved
resin
flow path 10.
[0021]
The molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 is formed continuously over the first
to
fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d. The molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 of the
fourth nozzle
unit 6d is in the shape of a circle having an extremely small discharge-side
diameter.
The diameter of the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 is determined in
accordance with the
specification of the shape (e.g., diameter) of ultrafine fibers to be
produced. As shown
in FIG. 2, the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 includes multiple (12 in the
shown
embodiment) outlets 9-1 to 9-12 (hereafter referred to as the
"molten/dissolved resin
outlets 9-1 to 9-12") aligned along the length direction of a slit-shaped hot
blast outlet 11
(to be discussed later). The molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12 are
horizontally
aligned with each other on an inclined surface 22 disposed on the front wall
surface 6e of
the division-type nozzle unit 6 (FIG. 1). The inclined surface 22 will be
described later.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 5, the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 is formed as the
single
flow path 10a in the first nozzle unit 6a located on the most upstream side of
the division-
type nozzle unit 6. The flow path 10a is divided into the multiple (four in
the
embodiment) flow paths 10b and flow paths 10c in the second nozzle unit 6b and
third
nozzle unit 6c. The flow paths 10c are again merged into the single flow path
10d in the
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fourth nozzle unit 6d, which is then divided into multiple (12 in the
embodiment) flow
paths (molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12) therein. The
molten/dissolved resin
outlet 9 (molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12) formed in the fourth
nozzle unit 6d is
open in the direction of the normal to the inclined surface 22.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the hot blast flow path 12 is formed in the
second to
fourth nozzle units 6b to 6d. The hot blast flow path 12 sends a hot blast
supplied from
the hot blast supplier 4 to the hot blast outlet 11 located on the downstream
side of the
fourth nozzle unit 6d. The hot blast flow path 12 may guide a hot blast from
an air
storage 14 having a large volume to the single horizontally rectangular, slit-
shaped hot
blast outlet 11 obliquely upward (FIG. 3), or guide a hot blast from the air
storage 14 to
the slit-shaped hot blast outlet 11 horizontally (FIG. 4).
[0024]
The hot blast flow path 12 is formed continuously over the second to fourth
nozzle units 6b to 6d. The hot blast supplier 4 supplies a hot blast to the
second nozzle
unit 6b through a hot blast inlet 18. To suppress a sudden pressure variation
in the hot
blast flow path 12, the second nozzle unit 6b includes the air storage 14
having a
predetermined large volume.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 6, the third nozzle unit 6c is provided with horizontal
multiple (11
in the present embodiment) partitions 15 for rectifying a hot blast sent
through the air
storage 14 of the second nozzle unit 6b. Thus, the hot blast flow path 12 is
divided into
12 flow paths (hot blast flow paths 12-1 to 12-12) in the third nozzle unit
6c. As a result,
the sent hot blast is relatively equally divided to multiple hot blasts in the
third nozzle unit
6c. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the hot blast flow path is
represented by a
reference numeral 12c and is divided into 12 flow paths (hot blast flow paths
12-1 to 12-
12).
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 6, the hot blast flow path 12 of the fourth nozzle unit 6d is
not
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provided with any partition or the like but rather provided with a single
rectangular-
parallelepiped hot blast path space 12d that communicates with the divided hot
blast
flow paths 12 (12-1 to 12-12) in the third nozzle unit 6c. The hot blast path
space 12d
forms the horizontally rectangular, slit-shaped hot blast outlet 11 on the
front surface of
the apparatus. The hot blast path space 12d is formed from the upstream end to
the
downstream end (the hot blast outlet 11 on the front wall surface of the
apparatus) of
the fourth nozzle unit 6d. The hot blast outlet 11 is disposed so as to
communicate with
the downstream end of the hot blast flow path 12.
[0027]
As seen above, the hot blast flow path 12 is provided with the many partitions
15
for rectifying a hot blast and the single hot blast path space 12d for merging
the hot blasts
rectified by the partitions 15. That is, the single horizontally rectangular,
slit-shaped hot
blast outlet is provided with respect to the multiple resin outlets rather
than providing
one hot blast outlet with respect to one resin outlet. Thus, a uniform hot
blast discharge
flow is formed with respect to the resin discharged from the multiple resin
outlets,
allowing for production of uniform nanofibers over the entire length of the
horizontally
rectangular slit.
[0028]
While, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the fourth nozzle unit 6d is
provided
with the single horizontally rectangular, slit-shaped hot blast outlet 11 (the
outlet of the
single hot blast path space 12d) and the third nozzle unit 6c is provided with
the multiple
partitions 15, a modification as shown in FIG. 9 may be employed. In the
modification in
FIG. 9, partitions 15 are disposed so as to extend from a third nozzle unit 6c
approximately to the middle portion of a fourth nozzle unit 6d. In this
configuration, a
single horizontally rectangular hot blast path space 12d is formed from the
middle portion
to the downstream end (a slit-shaped hot blast outlet lion the wall surface)
of the
fourth nozzle unit 6d and is open to a lower vertical surface 20 on the front
side of the
apparatus.
[0029]
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The relationship between the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 and hot blast
outlet
11 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the front wall surface 6e of the
fourth nozzle
unit 6d has the lower vertical surface 20 and an upper vertical surface 21
that are parallel
with each other. The upper vertical surface 21 is disposed in a more front
position than
the lower vertical surface 20 (is displaced from the lower vertical surface 20
forward).
The lower vertical surface 20 and upper vertical surface 21 are connected
through the
inclined surface 22. The inclined surface 22 is inclined with respect to the
lower vertical
surface 20 and upper vertical surface 21.
[0030]
The lower vertical surface 20 is provided with the single rectangular slit-
shaped
hot blast outlet 11. The inclined surface 22 is provided with the
molten/dissolved resin
outlets 9-1 to 9-12 (12 outlets in the present embodiment) oriented in the
direction of
the normal to the inclined surface 22. Accordingly, by adjusting the
inclination angle of
the inclined surface 22, the direction (angle) of discharge of the molten or
dissolved resin
with respect to the discharged hot blast is changed. That is, if multiple
nozzle units
having inclined surfaces 22 having different inclination angles are prepared,
a nozzle unit
having an inclination angle (the angle at which the molten or dissolved resin
and a hot
blast intersect each other) corresponding to a desired specification, such as
the fiber
diameter, can be selected. Instead of a nozzle unit having a different
inclined angle, a
nozzle unit having molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12 having a
different diameter,
a nozzle unit having a different number of molten/dissolved resin outlets, or
a nozzle unit
having a hot blast outlet 11 having a different configuration (the shape, the
number of
partitions 15, etc.) may be selected.
[0031]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 and hot blast
outlet
11 are disposed in extremely close positions. The circular molten/dissolved
resin outlet
9 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface 22 (in the
direction of the
normal). According to this configuration, when forming the molten/dissolved
resin
outlet 9 (molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12), a drill is applied to
the inclined
11
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surface 22 so as to be perpendicular thereto and thus does not slip away. As a
result,
the small-diameter circular molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 can be accurately
formed
even using a drill or the like.
[0032]
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the position relationship between the
molten/dissolved resin outlet and the hot blast outlet formed in the division-
type nozzle
mounted on the nanofiber production apparatus according to the embodiment of
the
present invention.
[0033]
The fourth nozzle unit (discharge unit) 6d of the discharge nozzle 2 of the
present
embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is provided with the 12 molten/dissolved resin
outlets 9-1 to
9-12 from which the molten or dissolved resin is discharged and the single
slit-shaped hot
blast outlet 11 from which a hot blast is discharged. The third nozzle unit
(resin/hot
blast introduction unit) 6c is provided with the 11 partitions 15. Thus, in
the present
embodiment, the molten/dissolved resin outlets 9 (molten/dissolved resin
outlets 9-1 to
9-12) and the hot blast flow paths 12 (12-1 to 12-12) match each other in
number and
correspond to each other one-to-one in the discharge direction (the left-right
direction in
FIG. 8). Instead of this configuration, for example, the third nozzle unit
(resin/hot blast
introduction unit) 6c may be provided with 12 partitions 15, and the fourth
nozzle unit 6d
may be provided with 13 hot blast flow paths 12 (12-1 to 12-13). The
molten/dissolved
resin outlets 9 (molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12) and the hot blast
flow paths 12
(12-1 to 12-13) need not necessarily match each other in number. For example,
12
molten/dissolved resin outlets 9 and 13 hot blast flow paths 12 of the third
nozzle unit 6c
may be displaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the discharge
direction
(in the up-down direction in FIG. 8).
[0034]
As seen above, by mounting the discharge nozzle 2 of the present embodiment on
the nanofiber production apparatus 1, the nanofiber production apparatus 1 is
allowed to
draw the molten or dissolved resin discharged from the multiple
molten/dissolved resin
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outlets 9-1 to 9-12 into fibers by discharging the molten or dissolved resin
onto a hot
blast discharged from the single slit-shaped hot blast outlet 11. The
discharge nozzle 2
of the present embodiment includes the division-type nozzle unit 6 that is
provided with
the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 from which the molten or dissolved resin
is
discharged, the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 through which the molten
or
dissolved resin is sent to the molten/dissolved resin outlet 9
(molten/dissolved resin
outlets 9-1 to 9-12), the hot blast outlet 11 from which a hot blast is
discharged, and the
hot blast flow path 12 through which a hot blast is sent to the hot blast
outlet 11.
[0035]
The nanofiber production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the
molten/dissolved resin supplier 3 that introduces the molten or dissolved
resin into the
molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 disposed in the division-type nozzle unit
6 and the
hot blast supplier 4 that introduces a hot blast into the hot blast flow path
12 disposed in
the division-type nozzle unit 6. The division-type nozzle unit 6 can be
divided into first
to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d.
[0036]
More specifically, the division-type nozzle unit 6 is divided such that the
molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 and hot blast flow path 12 are each
divided into
multiple flow paths. Thus, if multiple different nozzle units that can be
applied to
different fiber specifications are prepared, some of the nozzle units can be
easily replaced
in accordance with the target fiber specification. For example, when changing
a
specification of fibers to be produced, the fourth nozzle unit 6d provided
with the
molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 and hot blast outlet 11 can be easily replaced
with a
fourth nozzle unit 6d provided with a molten/dissolved resin outlet 9 and a
hot blast
outlet 11 corresponding to the changed fiber specification. This allows for an
increase in
the workability and a reduction in the working time when producing the desired
nanofibers, allowing for efficiently providing low-cost fine fibers and
nonwoven fabrics or
the like formed of such fibers.
[0037]
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The discharge nozzle 2 of the present embodiment is provided with the multiple
molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-1 to 9-12, and discharges a resin from the
outlets and
blows a hot blast through the hot blast outlet 11 formed as a single
horizontally
rectangular slit. This allows for making uniform the amount of hot blast blown
onto the
molten or dissolved resin discharged from the molten/dissolved resin outlets 9-
1 to 9-12,
allowing for suppression of unevenness in the quality of fibers to be formed
and thus
acquisition of high-quality fibers.
[0038]
The divided first to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d can be easily integrated
using the
fixing means 8, such as bolts. This allows for a reduction in the time
required for
troublesome assembly/disassembly work and thus a reduction in the cost of
fibers to be
produced.
[0039]
While the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present
invention is not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the
embodiment
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. While,
in the
above embodiment, the four divided first to fourth nozzle units 6a to 6d are
each
provided with the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 and hot blast flow path
12, the
portions in which the molten/dissolved resin flow path 10 and hot blast flow
path 12 are
formed may be further dividable. Of course, the number of divided nozzle units
may be
reduced.,,
Reference Signs List
[0040]
1 nanofiber production apparatus
2 discharge nozzle
3 molten/dissolved resin supplier
4 hot blast supplier
(band-type) heater for nozzle unit
6 division-type nozzle unit
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6a first nozzle unit (molten/dissolved resin inflow unit)
6b second nozzle unit (hot blast inflow unit)
6c third nozzle unit (resin/hot blast introduction unit)
6d fourth nozzle unit (discharge unit)
6e front wall surface
7 sealing plate
8 fixing means
9 molten/dissolved resin outlet
9-1 to 9-12 molten/dissolved resin outlet
molten/dissolved resin flow path
11 slit-shaped hot blast outlet
12 hot blast flow path (12a to 12d)
14 air storage
partition
18 hot blast inlet
lower vertical surface
21 upper vertical surface
22 inclined surface
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-12-21
