Liquid material discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449566-B2
Application number	US-201615537604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

In a liquid material discharge apparatus, attachment/detachment of a liquid contact unit ( 2 ) and a main body unit ( 15 ) is more safely and easily performed. The apparatus includes the liquid contact unit ( 2 ) provided with a housing ( 6 ) including a nozzle ( 3 ) and a discharge member ( 5 ), and with a storage container ( 4 ) fluidly connected to the housing with the aid of a mounting member, and a main body unit provided with a holder ( 19 ) to which the housing is detachably attached, and with a drive unit ( 16 ) for actuating the discharge member that is detachably coupled to the drive unit, the apparatus further includes a movable member ( 12 ) being movable in an up-down direction along the housing while the movable member remains attached to the housing, and the discharge member and the drive unit are attachable with movement of the movable member in the up-down direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid material discharge apparatus comprising:
a liquid contact unit provided with a housing including a nozzle and a discharge member, and with a storage container fluidly connected to the housing with the aid of a mounting member; and
a main body unit provided with a holder to which the housing is detachably attached, and with a drive unit for actuating the discharge member that is detachably coupled to the drive unit,
wherein the liquid material discharge apparatus further comprises a movable member being movable in an up-down direction along the housing while the movable member remains attached to the housing, and
the discharge member and the drive unit are attachable and detachable with movement of the movable member in the up-down direction.

2. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a lower housing portion having a shoulder, and an upper housing portion having a smaller width than the lower housing portion, and
the liquid contact unit is fixed to the main body unit with the movable member and the shoulder gripping the holder therebetween in a sandwiched relation.

3. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the movable member is formed of a flat-plate member having a through-hole into which the upper housing portion is inserted.

4. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a width of the movable member is not larger than a width of the holder.

5. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein an external thread zone is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the upper housing portion,
an internal thread zone engageable with the external thread zone is formed in an inner peripheral surface of the through-hole of the movable member, and
the discharge member and the drive unit are attachable and detachable with actions of the external and internal thread zones by rotating the movable member forward and backward.

6. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the holder includes a pair of support arms, and
a width of the movable member is larger than a distance between the pair of support arms.

7. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the holder includes an upper holder portion and a lower holder portion,
a spacing between the pair of support arms has a distance, at a position present in the upper holder portion, smaller than a width of the lower housing portion and a distance, at a position present in the lower holder portion, larger than the width of the lower housing portion, and
the liquid contact unit is fixed to the main body unit with the movable member and the shoulder gripping the upper holder portion therebetween in a sandwiched relation.

8. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein each of the upper housing portion and the lower housing portion has a circular columnar shape, and
the holder includes a connecting surface that has a circular-arc shape, and the connecting surface connects the upper holder portion and the lower holder portion to each other.

9. The liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the lower housing portion has a rectangular-columnar shape.

10. An application apparatus comprising:
the liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a compressed gas source that supplies compressed gas for applying pressure to a liquid stored in the storage container;
a discharge control unit that controls the drive unit of the liquid material discharge apparatus and gas pressure in the compressed gas source;
a worktable on which an application target is placed;
an XYZ drive mechanism that moves the liquid material discharge apparatus and the worktable relatively; and
a drive control unit that controls operations of the XYZ drive mechanism.

11. An application apparatus comprising:
the liquid material discharge apparatus according to claim 2 ;
a compressed gas source that supplies compressed gas for applying pressure to a liquid stored in the storage container;
a discharge control unit that controls the drive unit of the liquid material discharge apparatus and gas pressure in the compressed gas source;
a worktable on which an application target is placed;
an XYZ drive mechanism that moves the liquid material discharge apparatus and the worktable relatively; and
a drive control unit that controls operations of the XYZ drive mechanism.

Assignees

• Musashi Eng Inc

Inventors

• Ikushima Kazumasa

Classifications

• B05C5/02 Primary

  {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work · CPC title

• B05C11/10 Primary

  Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C5/00

  Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work (B05C7/00 takes precedence; essentially involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B) · CPC title

• B05C13/00

  Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles {(B05C1/0821 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C11/11

  Vats or other containers for liquids or other fluent materials · CPC title