Nozzle and liquid supply system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to realize a nozzle and a liquid supply system capable of suppressing the generation of liquid drops due to the flow of liquid through a branch flow path connected to a liquid discharge port. A nozzle (10) is provided with a liquid supply port (20), a plurality of liquid discharge ports (30), a flow path (40) that connects the liquid supply port (20) and the plurality of liquid discharge ports (30) so that a liquid can flow therethrough, and that branches into a plurality of branch flow paths (44) at a branch site (42), and valve members (50, 150, 250, 350) that connect the liquid supply port (20) and the plurality of liquid discharge ports (30) to each other so that the liquid can flow therethrough. The valve members (50, 150, 250, 350) restrict communication between a plurality of branch flow paths connecting from the branch portion (42) to the plurality of liquid discharge ports (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a nozzle and a liquid supply system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a structure such as the branched flow path structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below, in which liquid supplied from a liquid supply port is branched in a branched flow path provided inside so as to be ejected from a plurality of liquid ejection ports.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5614740 Summary of the invention

[0006] Here, as shown in the above-mentioned patent document 1, when a branch flow path is provided so that liquid can be ejected from a plurality of liquid ejection outlets, sometimes the liquid ejection outlets provided at different positions in the height direction are connected to each other via the branch flow path. In the case of such a structure, depending on different conditions such as the viscosity of the liquid, the liquid may flow through the branch flow path connecting the liquid ejection outlets with a height difference due to the so-called siphon phenomenon, thereby generating droplets. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a nozzle that is not prone to generating such droplets and a liquid supply system having the nozzle.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a nozzle and a liquid supply system that can suppress the generation of liquid dripping due to the flow of liquid through a branch flow path connecting a liquid ejection port.

[0008] (1) The nozzle of the present invention is characterized in that it has a liquid supply port, a plurality of liquid ejection ports, a flow path and a valve component, wherein the flow path connects the liquid supply port and the plurality of liquid ejection ports in a manner that liquid can flow, and branches into a plurality of branch flow paths at a branching portion, and the valve component restricts the plurality of branch flow paths connected from the branching portion to the plurality of liquid ejection ports from being connected to each other.

[0009] The nozzle of the present invention adopts the structure as described in (1) above, so that the branch flow paths connected via the branching portion are restricted from being connected to each other by the valve member. Thus, the nozzle of the present invention can suppress the flow of liquid from one liquid ejection outlet connected via the branch flow path to another liquid ejection outlet due to the so-called siphon phenomenon, thereby generating droplets.

[0010] (2) A preferred feature of the nozzle of the present invention is that the valve member is provided at the branching portion of the flow path.

[0011] The nozzle of the present invention adopts the configuration as described in (2) above, and can reliably restrict the plurality of branch flow paths from communicating with each other through the branch portion by means of the valve member provided at the branch portion.

[0012] (3) The nozzle of the present invention is preferably characterized in that the branching portion is provided with a separate valve member, and each valve member can restrict communication between all branch flow paths connected to the branching portion where the valve member is arranged.

[0013] The nozzle of the present invention adopts a structure such as the above (3), which can suppress the number of valve components, or simplify the operation control of the valve components in accordance with the reduction in the number of valve components to be controlled, compared with the case where a valve component is set for each branch flow path.

[0014] (4) A preferred feature of the nozzle of the present invention is that the valve member can perform an opening and closing action, and is in an open state when the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection port, and is in a closed state when the ejection of the liquid from the liquid ejection port is stopped.

[0015] The nozzle of the present invention adopts the structure as described above (4) to open the valve member when the liquid is ejected, thereby enabling the liquid to be ejected smoothly from each liquid ejection port. In addition, the nozzle of the present invention adopts the structure as described above (4) to close the valve member when the liquid ejection stops, thereby enabling the generation of dripping liquid by the so-called siphon phenomenon.

[0016] (5) The nozzle of the present invention is preferably characterized in that the valve member allows the liquid to flow from the branching portion to the liquid discharge port under the condition that a predetermined hydraulic pressure is applied.

[0017] The nozzle of the present invention adopts the structure as described in (5) above, and can make use of the hydraulic pressure acting on the valve member when ejecting liquid to open the valve member, so that liquid can be supplied from the branching portion to the liquid ejection outlet. Therefore, the nozzle of the present invention does not need to be provided with a power source for operating the valve member, and the structure can be simplified accordingly.

[0018] (6) A preferred feature of the nozzle of the present invention is that the flow path branches in a plurality of stages in the interval from the liquid supply port to the liquid discharge port, and each stage has a branching portion, and the valve component is arranged at the branching portion in the stage closest to the liquid discharge port among the branching portions.

[0019] The nozzle of the present invention can suppress the generation of liquid drops through the so-called siphon phenomenon in all liquid ejection outlets by adopting a structure such as the above-mentioned (6). That is, for example, when the valve component is not provided at the branch part in the stage closest to the liquid ejection outlet in the branch part, but is provided at the branch part on the upstream side of the branch part, a plurality of liquid ejection outlets are connected via a branch flow path in the branch part on the downstream side of the branch part where the valve component is provided. Therefore, when such a structure is adopted, liquid flow may occur between the plurality of liquid ejection outlets connected at the branch part via the branch flow path. However, the nozzle of the present invention can suppress the generation of liquid drops through the siphon phenomenon in all liquid ejection outlets by adopting a structure such as the above-mentioned (6).

[0020] (7) The nozzle of the present invention preferably has the branch flow path, the branch flow path is branched in such a manner that the fluid introduced from the liquid supply port is evenly ejected from the n liquid outlets, and n relay parts are provided in such a manner as to correspond to the n liquid outlets, respectively. Each branch flow path has: n systems of supply / relay flow paths connecting the liquid supply port and the n relay parts; and n systems of relay / liquid outlet flow paths connecting the n relay parts and the liquid outlets corresponding to the relay parts, the relay parts are arranged at positions corresponding to points dividing the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts, the virtual circle being centered at a point on a plumb line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port, and the lengths of the n systems of relay / liquid outlet flow paths are respectively the same.

[0021] In the nozzle of the present invention, the relay part is arranged at a position corresponding to a point that divides the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts, and the virtual circle is centered at a point on a plumb line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port. Furthermore, since n systems of supply / relay part flow paths are arranged in a manner that connects the liquid supply port to each relay part, the length of the supply / relay part flow path is uniform in each system. Therefore, in the interval from the liquid supply port to the relay part, the fluid flows in each branch flow path with a roughly uniform pressure and flow rate. In addition, in the nozzle of the present invention, since the lengths of the relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths of the n systems from the n relay parts to the n liquid ejection outlets are respectively uniform, it is possible to achieve the uniformity of the pressure loss and the flow rate of the fluid caused by the fluid flowing in each relay / liquid ejection outlet flow path. Therefore, according to the nozzle of the present invention, the ejection amount and ejection pressure of the fluid introduced into the liquid supply port can be made roughly constant, and branched into the desired number of branches.

[0022] In addition, in the nozzle of the present invention, as long as the length of the flow path between each relay / liquid ejection outlet is uniform, there is no particular restriction on its configuration. Therefore, according to the nozzle of the present invention, the liquid ejection outlet of each branch flow path can be configured at a desired position, so that the degree of freedom in flow path design is extremely high.

[0023] (8) In the nozzle of the present invention, the relay portion is preferably arranged at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle into approximately n equal parts.

[0024] The nozzle of the present invention can further reliably make the flow rate and pressure of the fluid flowing in the flow path between each supply / relay section uniform by adopting the structure as described above (8). Therefore, the nozzle of the present invention can make the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port more uniform by adopting the structure as described above (8).

[0025] (9) The nozzle of the present invention preferably has each of the relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths having a descending portion and a horizontal portion, and a bent portion between the horizontal portion and the descending portion, wherein the descending portion is a portion that enables the fluid to flow downward, and the horizontal portion is a portion that enables the fluid to flow in a horizontal direction, the total length of the horizontal portions involved in each of the relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths is the same, the total length of the descending portions involved in each of the relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths is the same, and the number of the bent portions in each of the relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths is the same.

[0026] The nozzle of the present invention can make the pressure loss and flow rate distribution caused by the fluid flowing in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path uniform by adopting the structure as described above (9). Therefore, by forming each relay / liquid ejection port flow path into a flow path having the above-mentioned curved flow path forming part, the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port can be further uniformized.

[0027] (10) A preferred feature of the nozzle of the present invention is that each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths has a plurality of bent portions formed in the vertical direction.

[0028] The nozzle of the present invention, by adopting a structure such as (10) mentioned above, can make the direction of the horizontal portion located on the downstream side of the fluid flow direction relative to the bending portion face a direction different from the horizontal portion located further upstream than it, thereby correspondingly improving the freedom of layout of each liquid ejection outlet.

[0029] (11) In the nozzle of the present invention, each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths is preferably provided with a reduced diameter portion where the flow path diameter is reduced.

[0030] The nozzle of the present invention adopts the structure as described above (11), and can make the flow path diameter of the constricted portion substantially uniform regardless of the system of the branch flow paths, thereby making the discharge amount and discharge pressure in each branch flow path substantially uniform.

[0031] (12) In the nozzle of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow path diameters of the respective branch flow paths are equal regardless of the branch flow paths.

[0032] The nozzle of the present invention can make the discharge amount and discharge pressure in the liquid discharge outlets connected to each branch flow path substantially uniform by adopting the structure as described above (12).

[0033] (13) The nozzle of the present invention is preferably configured by overlapping plates having grooves forming the respective branch flow paths.

[0034] The nozzle of the present invention can easily and reliably form a branch flow path that meets the above conditions by adopting the structure as described above (13). In addition, when such a structure is adopted, the nozzle is easy to assemble, disassemble, clean, etc., and the nozzle is easy to set up and maintain.

[0035] (14) In the nozzle of the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply port is preferably a circle or a regular n×a-gon (a is an arbitrary natural number).

[0036] The nozzle of the present invention can make uniform the flow rate and pressure of each fluid flowing from the liquid supply port into the supply / relay section flow paths formed in n systems by adopting the above-mentioned structure (14).

[0037] (15) The liquid supply system of the present invention is characterized by comprising the nozzle of the present invention described above and a pressure feeding device for pressurizing and feeding the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port.

[0038] The liquid supply system of the present invention includes the nozzle of the present invention. Therefore, the liquid supply system of the present invention can suppress the generation of liquid drops due to the so-called siphon phenomenon, which causes the liquid to flow from one liquid discharge port connected via a branch flow path to another liquid discharge port.

[0039] (16) A preferred feature of the liquid supply system of the present invention is that it includes a control device that controls the opening and closing of the valve member.

[0040] The liquid supply system of the present invention adopts the structure as described above (16), and is not affected by external factors such as environmental conditions. It is possible to properly operate the valve member by opening and closing the valve member in consideration of suppressing dripping, etc.

[0041] (17) A preferred feature of the liquid supply system of the present invention is that the pressure-feeding device is a uniaxial eccentric screw pump.

[0042] The liquid supply system of the present invention is provided with a uniaxial eccentric screw pump as described in (17) above, and thus the supply amount of the liquid relative to the nozzle can be adjusted with high precision. The liquid supply system of the present invention is also provided with the nozzle of the present invention, and thus the discharge amount of the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port can be adjusted with high precision by preventing unexpected dripping. Therefore, according to the liquid supply system of the present invention, the supply amount and discharge amount of the liquid can be adjusted with high precision.

[0043] In addition, when a uniaxial eccentric screw pump is used as the pressure feeding device as described above, by rotating the rotor in the opposite direction to the direction when supplying the liquid, an operation (return suction operation) of drawing the liquid to the upstream side can be performed. Therefore, the liquid supply system of the present invention can achieve the drip prevention effect brought about by using the nozzle of the present invention in addition to the drip prevention effect brought about by the return suction operation by adopting the above-mentioned structure (17).

[0044] (Effects of the Invention)

[0045] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a nozzle and a liquid supply system that can solve the above-mentioned technical problems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram of a nozzle and a liquid supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a portion of the nozzle in a cutaway state in a state where a valve member is in a closed state.

[0047] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram of a nozzle and a liquid supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a portion of the nozzle in a cutaway state in which a valve member is in an open state.

[0048] Figure 3 (a) indicates the composition Figure 1 (b) is a top view of the first block of the nozzle, and (b) is a top view of the second block.

[0049] Figure 4 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of a nozzle having a valve component involved in a modified example in a cutaway manner, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the valve component and the block when the valve component is in an open state in the nozzle of (a), and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing the valve component and the block when the valve component is in a closed state in the nozzle of (a).

[0050] Figure 5 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of the nozzle cut away when the valve member according to the modification is in an open state, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of the nozzle cut away when the valve member is in a closed state.

[0051] Figure 6 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of the nozzle cut away when the valve member according to the modification is in a closed state, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of the nozzle cut away when the valve member is in an open state.

[0052] Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supply system according to a second embodiment.

[0053] Figure 8 (a) is a plan view showing a branched flow channel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a side view thereof.

[0054] Fig. 9 It means formed in Figure 8 A perspective view showing the structure of a branch flow path of a branch flow path structure shown.

[0055] Fig.10 It is a perspective view for explaining the structure of the branch flow path.

[0056] Fig.11 It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a design method of a relay section and a supply / intermediate section path in a flow path design of a branch flow path.

[0057] Fig.12 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of designing a horizontal portion of a flow path between a relay portion and an ejection portion in the flow path design of a branch flow path.

[0058] Fig.13 (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples of the pipes constituting the branch flow paths, respectively.

[0059] Fig.14 (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples of the introduction section, respectively.

[0060] (Explanation of symbols)

[0061] 10: Nozzle

[0062] 20: Liquid supply port

[0063] 30: Liquid outlet

[0064] 40: Flow path

[0065] 42: Branching site

[0066] 44: Branch flow path

[0067] 50: Valve parts

[0068] 100: Liquid supply system

[0069] 110: Pressure feeding device

[0070] 120: Control device

[0071] 150: Valve parts

[0072] 250: Valve parts

[0073] 350: Valve components

[0074] 500: Single shaft eccentric screw pump

[0075] 600: Liquid supply system

[0076] 610: Nozzle

[0077] 620: Liquid supply port

[0078] 640: Flow path

[0079] 642: Branching site

[0080] 650: Valve components

[0081] 660: Reduced diameter

[0082] B: Branch flow path

[0083] Fn: Liquid ejection port

[0084] Lnq: horizontal part

[0085] RFn: Liquid flow path between outlets

[0086] Rn: Relay unit

[0087] SRn: Relay channel DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0088] Hereinafter, a nozzle 10 and a liquid supply system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0089] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the liquid supply system 100 includes a nozzle 10, a pressure feeding device 110, and a control device 120. The liquid supply system 100 supplies liquid supplied by the pressure feeding device 110 to the nozzle 10, thereby being able to eject the liquid from the nozzle 10 toward a target of liquid supply.

[0090] The nozzle 10 includes a liquid supply port 20, a liquid discharge port 30, a flow path 40, and a valve member 50. The nozzle 10 can discharge the liquid by branching the liquid toward the plurality of liquid discharge ports 30 by supplying the liquid supplied by the pressure feeding device 110 to the liquid supply port 20 of the nozzle 10.

[0091] The liquid supply port 20 is an opening for introducing the liquid to be supplied to the nozzle 10. The liquid supply port 20 is directly connected to the pressure feeding device 110 or indirectly connected via another valve or the like.

[0092] The liquid ejection port 30 is an opening for ejecting liquid from the nozzle 10. A plurality of liquid ejection ports 30 are provided for one liquid supply port 20. The flow path 40 connects the liquid supply port 20 and the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30 so that liquid can flow.

[0093] The flow path 40 is branched into a plurality of branch flow paths 44 at a branching portion 42 provided in the section from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid discharge port (midway of the flow path 40). The flow path 40 is provided with a plurality of branching portions 42 midway. In the present embodiment, the flow path 40 is branched in two stages midway from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid discharge port 30. The flow path 40 is provided with a branching portion 42 at each stage. The flow path 40 is branched into a plurality of branch flow paths 44 at the branching portion 42.

[0094] In the present embodiment, when the liquid supply port 20 is set as the upstream and the liquid discharge port 30 is set as the downstream, the flow path 40 is divided into n stages (n=2 in the present embodiment) from the upstream side to the downstream side. In the present embodiment, the flow path 40 branches into two branch flow paths 44 (first branch flow paths 44a) at the branching part 42 (first branching part 42a) of the first stage from the upstream side. In addition, the flow path 40 branches into four branch flow paths 44 (second branch flow paths 44b) at the branching part 42 that is closer to the downstream side than the first branch flow path 44a, that is, the branching part 42 (second branching part 42b) of the second stage from the upstream side. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the two first branch flow paths 44a are configured so that their respective flow path resistances are equal (approximately uniform). In addition, the four second branch flow paths 44b are also configured so that their respective flow path resistances are equal (approximately uniform). As a result, the flow path resistances of the eight branch flow paths 44 constituting the flow path 40 are equal (approximately uniform).

[0095] The valve member 50 can perform an opening and closing action to switch between a state (closed state) in which the flow of liquid is restricted in the flow path 40 and a state (open state) in which the flow of liquid is permitted. The valve member 50 restricts the plurality of branch flow paths 44 connected from the branching portion 42 to the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30 from being connected to each other, wherein the branching portion 42 is provided in the section (midway) of the flow path 40 from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid ejection port.

[0096] The valve member 50 is disposed at the branching portion 42 of the flow path 40. The valve member 50 can restrict all branching flow paths 44 connected to the branching portion 42 where the valve member 50 is disposed to communicate with each other. The valve member 50 is in an open state when liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection port 30, and is in a closed state when the ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection port 30 stops. The nozzle 10 can be provided with a separate valve member 50 at each branching portion 42, but in the present embodiment, the valve member 50 is provided at the branching portion 42 in the stage closest to the liquid ejection port 30 in the branching portion 42. Specifically, in the nozzle 10, the valve member 50 is provided at the second branching portion 42b mentioned above. Since the nozzle 10 of the present embodiment has two second branching portions 42b, two valve members 50 are also provided. In addition, in consideration of the ejection conditions of the liquid, the generation conditions of the droplets, etc., it can also be formed so that the two valve members 50 can be separately and independently controlled by the control device 120.

[0097] As long as the valve member 50 can play the above-mentioned function, various forms of components can be adopted. Figure 3 As shown, grooves or recesses constituting the flow path 40 are formed in the blocks 12 and 14 constituting the main body of the nozzle 10, and grooves constituting a plurality of (four in this embodiment) branch flow paths 44 are formed in the block 14 in a manner radially connected to the circular recesses formed in the branching portion 42 (second branching portion 42b) constituting the flow path 40. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the valve member 50 has a cylindrical member as a valve core 52 embedded in the circular recess constituting the second branch portion 42b, and by sliding the valve core 52 in the up-down direction, the second branch portion 42b can be switched to a state of being connected to the plurality of branch flow paths 44 (see Figure 2 ) and disconnected state (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0098] The pressure feeding device 110 is used to pressurize and feed the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port 20 of the nozzle 10. The pressure feeding device 110 may be a conventionally known pump, such as a uniaxial eccentric screw pump.

[0099] The control device 120 performs opening and closing control of the valve member 50 included in the nozzle 10 .

[0100] The nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100 are configured to open the valve member 50 when the liquid is ejected from the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30. As a result, the flow path 40 provided in the nozzle 10 is in a state of communication from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid ejection port 30. Therefore, when the liquid is supplied to the nozzle 10 by the pressure feeding device 110 in this state, the liquid flowing in the flow path 40 is branched into the plurality of branch flow paths 44 and ejected from the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30.

[0101] In addition, the nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100 cause the valve member 50 to be in a closed state when the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30 stop ejecting liquid. Thus, the flow path 40 provided in the nozzle 10 is not connected at the branching portion 42 (the second branching portion 42b in the present embodiment) provided midway from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid ejection port 30. In addition, the plurality of branching flow paths 44 connected to the branching portion 42 (the second branching portion 42b) are also not connected to each other. Therefore, even if there is a branching flow path 44 having a height difference at the opening end of the liquid ejection port 30, it is possible to suppress the liquid from moving from the liquid ejection port 30 located at a high position to the liquid ejection port 30 located at a low position via the branching flow path 44, and to generate droplets in the liquid ejection port 30 provided at a low position.

[0102] The nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100 described above merely illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration of each part may be changed or omitted, or other configurations may be added without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0103] For example, the valve member 50 can be switched between a state in which the second branching portion 42b is connected to the plurality of branching flow paths 44 and a state in which the second branching portion 42b is disconnected by sliding the valve core 52 in the up-down direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The valve core 52 is a cylindrical member that is embedded in the circular recess that constitutes the second branching portion 42b. The nozzle 10 may also be configured to include a valve member 150 instead of the valve member 50, and the valve member 150 includes a valve core 52 instead of the valve core 52. Figure 4 The valve core 152 as shown. Figure 4 As shown in the cross-sectional views of (b) and (c), the valve core 152 has a cross-shaped connecting hole 152a in cross-sectional view, which can be switched to a state where multiple (four in this embodiment) branch flow paths 44 are connected by adjusting the rotation angle of the valve core 152 (see Figure 4 (b) in the figure) and the disconnected state (refer to Figure 4 (c) in the figure.

[0104] In addition, the nozzle 10 may be provided with a Figure 5 The valve component 250 shown. The valve component 250 has a valve core 252 that is inserted into a connecting hole 254 and can slide. The connecting hole 254 is formed to reach the second branch flow path 44b from a position higher than the first branch flow path 44a. The valve core 252 is formed by connecting a first valve core component 252a located on the first branch flow path 44a side and a second valve core component 252b located on the second branch flow path 44b side using a connecting portion 252c. The connecting portion 252c is much smaller than the size of the opening area of ​​the connecting hole 254. The length of the connecting portion 252c is equal to the length from the upper end of the first branch flow path 44a to the lower end of the second branch flow path 44b. Therefore, as Figure 5As shown in (a), when the position of the valve core 252 is adjusted so that the upper end of the second valve core component 252b and the lower end of the second branch flow path 44b are at the same level, the second branch flow path 44b becomes open. Figure 5 When the valve core 252 is lifted as shown in (b), the second valve core component 252b restricts the second branch flow paths 44b from being connected to each other (closed state). By replacing the valve component 50 with such a valve component 250, the nozzle 10 is expected to achieve the same effect as the above embodiment.

[0105] The nozzle 10 may also include, instead of the valve member 50, Figure 6 The valve member 350 shown in FIG. 3 includes a valve core 352 and a force member 354. The valve core 352 is disposed at a portion constituting the second branch portion 42b. The force member 354 applies force to the valve core 352 so that the valve core 352 protrudes from the outside of the flow path 40 (branch flow path 44) toward the second branch portion 42b. Figure 6 As shown in (a), when no hydraulic pressure is applied to the valve core 352, the valve core 352 is biased by the biasing member 354 and exists at the second branching portion 42b, and the communication between the second branching flow paths 44b is restricted (closed state). Figure 6 As shown in (b), under the condition that the hydraulic pressure is applied to the valve core 352 from the first branch flow path 44a side to overcome the force of the force-applying member 354, the valve core 352 withdraws from the second branch portion 42b, allowing the liquid to flow from the second branch portion 42b toward the liquid ejection port. The nozzle 10 is also expected to achieve the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment by replacing the valve member 50 with such a valve member 350.

[0106] Second Implementation Method

[0107] As described above, the pressure feeding device 110 can be composed of a pump such as a uniaxial eccentric screw pump. Figure 7 In addition, the nozzle 10 is only one embodiment of the present invention, for example, it can be used as Figure 8 The nozzle 610 shown has Fig. 9 Hereinafter, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a liquid supply system 600 (see FIG. 1 ) including a nozzle 610 instead of the nozzle 10 and including a uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 7 ) is described in detail. In the following description, the same symbols are used for the parts common to the nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100, and the detailed description is omitted.

[0108] 《About the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500》

[0109] like Figure 7 As shown, the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 is a so-called rotary positive displacement pump, and is configured such that a stator 510, a rotor 530, a power transmission mechanism 540, etc. are housed inside a housing 520. Figure 7 As shown, the stator 510 is a component assembled in the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500, and is a cylindrical body having an oblong cross-sectional shape and two internal thread-shaped holes. The stator 510 is formed of rubber or the like. The type of rubber constituting the stator 510 can be appropriately selected according to the type and properties of the conveyed object conveyed in the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500.

[0110] The housing 520 is a cylindrical component made of metal, and a first opening 522a is provided on a disc-shaped end stud 520a installed on one end side in the longitudinal direction. In addition, a second opening 522b is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the housing 520. The second opening 522b is connected to the internal space of the housing 520 at the middle portion 520d located in the middle portion of the longitudinal direction of the housing 520. The first opening 522a and the second opening 522b function as the discharge port and the suction port of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500, respectively. The above-mentioned stator 510 is accommodated and fixed in the stator mounting portion 522c, which is arranged at a position adjacent to the first opening 522a in the housing 520. The stator 510 is fixed by clamping the flange portion 510a with the end stud 520a at the end of the housing 520, and installing and tightening the support bolt 524 on the end stud 520a and the main body of the housing 520.

[0111] The rotor 530 is a metal shaft body formed in the shape of an external thread. The rotor 530 is inserted into the stator 510 and can freely rotate eccentrically inside the stator 510. The rotor 530 is inserted into the through hole 516 of the stator 510, and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 530 and the inner peripheral surface of the stator 510 are in contact with each other on the entire tangent of the two. In addition, in this state, a fluid conveying path 532 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the stator 510 formed with the through hole 516 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 530.

[0112] The fluid delivery path 532 extends in a spiral shape toward the length direction of the stator 510 or the rotor 530. When the rotor 530 is rotated in the through hole 516 of the stator 510, the rotor 530 moves forward in the length direction of the stator 510 while rotating in the stator 510. Therefore, when the rotor 530 is rotated, the fluid (liquid) can be sucked into the fluid delivery path 532 from one end side of the stator 510, and the fluid can be transported toward the other end side of the stator 510 in a state of being sealed in the fluid delivery path 532, and ejected at the other end side of the stator 510.

[0113] The power transmission mechanism 540 is provided to transmit power from a power source (not shown) such as an electric motor provided outside the housing 520 to the rotor 530. The power transmission mechanism 540 can transmit the rotational power transmitted from the power source to the rotor 530, so that the rotor 530 rotates eccentrically. The uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 can deliver fluid through the fluid delivery path 532 by operating the power source to rotate the rotor 530.

[0114] 《About Nozzle 610》

[0115] The nozzle 610 is connected to the first opening 522a which functions as the discharge port of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 configured as described above via a pipe. Figure 8 As shown, the nozzle 610 is formed by overlapping metal flow path forming plates P1 to P4 in the vertical direction and integrating them by bolts inserted through the plates P1 to P4 in the vertical direction. In addition to having an introduction portion S and n (n is a natural number greater than 2, the same below) liquid ejection ports Fn, the nozzle 610 also has a flow path 640, which has n systems of branch flow paths Bn connecting the introduction portion S to each of the n liquid ejection ports Fn, and the nozzle 610 can make the fluid introduced into the flow path 640 from the introduction portion S (liquid supply port 620) roughly equally branch to the n systems of branch flow paths Bn, and eject from each of the n liquid ejection ports Fn.

[0116] In addition to the above-mentioned introduction portion S and the n liquid ejection ports Fn, the flow path forming plates P1 to P4 are also provided with grooves forming n systems of branch flow paths Bn connecting the above-mentioned introduction portion S and the n liquid ejection ports Fn. The following further describes the configuration of the introduction portion S, the n liquid ejection ports Fn, and the n systems of branch flow paths Bn.

[0117] like Figure 8 , Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the introduction portion S is a portion of the flow path forming plate P1 disposed at the top of the nozzle 610 and having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The flow path forming plate P1 is a disc-shaped plate made of metal, and the introduction portion S is disposed substantially in the center of the flow path forming plate P1. In addition, the liquid ejection port Fn is disposed in the flow path forming plate P4 disposed at the bottom of the nozzle 610. The arrangement and number (n) of the liquid ejection ports Fn may be arbitrary, but in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , seven liquid discharge ports Fn (n=1 to 7) are formed so as to be aligned on a straight line L.

[0118] The branch flow path Bn is formed by grooves formed in the flow path forming plates P1 to P4. The branch flow path Bn forms n systems corresponding to each of the n liquid ejection ports Fn (n=1 to 7). That is, the first to nth branch flow paths Bn are formed. In this embodiment, since seven liquid ejection ports Fn are provided, seven systems of branch flow paths Bn consisting of the first branch flow path B1 to the seventh branch flow path B7 are formed.

[0119] like Fig.10 As shown, the branch flow path Bn (n = 1 to 7) is roughly divided into a supply / relay section flow path SRn (n = 1 to 7) and a relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n = 1 to 7), wherein the supply / relay section flow path SRn (n = 1 to 7) is used to connect each relay section Rn (n = 1 to 7) provided corresponding to the liquid ejection port Fn (n = 1 to 7) with the introduction section S, and the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n = 1 to 7) is used to connect each relay section Rn (n = 1 to 7) with each liquid ejection port Fn (n = 1 to 7). Each supply / relay section flow path SRn (n = 1 to 7) is connected to each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n = 1 to 7) to form a series of flow paths.

[0120] like Fig.11 As shown, the relay part Rn (n=1~7) is arranged on the virtual circle C1 which is concentric with the above-mentioned introduction part S. In addition, the relay part Rn (n=1~7) is arranged at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into n parts (divided into seven parts in this embodiment). The relay part Rn (n=1~7) can be arranged in a manner that divides the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into n parts, but if considering that the fluid is supplied to each branch flow path Bn (n=1~7) approximately evenly, it is preferably arranged at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into approximately n equal parts. From this point of view, in this embodiment, the relay part Rn (n=1~7) is arranged at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into approximately n equal parts (divided into seven equal parts in this embodiment). Therefore, each supply / relay part flow path SRn (n=1~7) is formed radially with the introduction part S as the center.

[0121] like Fig.10As shown, the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths RFn (n=1-7) are respectively provided with descending portions Dnp (n=1-7, p=1-3) and horizontal portions Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2), and are curved flow paths formed by connecting the descending portions Dnp (n=1-7, p=1-3) with the horizontal portions Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2). Specifically, each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n=1-7) is a flow path formed in such a manner that the descending portion Dn1→horizontal portion Ln1→descending portion Dn2→horizontal portion Ln2→descending portion Dn3 are connected in this order, and are connected to the liquid ejection ports Fn (n=1-7).

[0122] In this embodiment, the lengths of the descending portions Dnp and the horizontal portions Lnq are substantially the same in each system, and the inner diameters are also substantially the same. Therefore, the total length and opening diameter of the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn are substantially the same regardless of the system, and the pressure loss caused by the fluid passing through the interior is also substantially uniform.

[0123] 《About the design method of branch flow path Bn》

[0124] Next, the design method of the above-mentioned branch flow path Bn (n=1~7) is described. In the branch flow path Bn, the descending parts Dn1, Dn2, and Dn3 (n=1~7) are respectively formed by through holes with the same opening diameter, and the through holes are respectively formed in a manner of penetrating the flow path forming plates P2, P3, and P4 in the up and down directions. Therefore, the length and opening diameter of the descending parts Dn1, Dn2, and Dn3 (n=1~7) are uniform and have nothing to do with the system of the branch flow path Bn (n=1~7). Therefore, when designing the branch flow path B, the configuration of the part extending in the horizontal direction, specifically the supply / relay section flow path SRn (n=1~7) and the horizontal part Lnq (n=1~7, q=1~2) constituting the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n=1~7) becomes a problem. The following description will focus on the design method of the supply / relay section flow passages SRn (n=1 to 7) and the horizontal sections Lnq (n=1 to 7, q=1 to 2).

[0125] In the supply / relay section flow path SRn (n=1-7) and the horizontal section Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2), the horizontal positional relationship of the introduction section S, the relay section Rn, and the liquid discharge port Fn (n=1-7) is determined based on the position where they are projected onto the virtual horizontal plane H. Specifically, the intersection points of the vertical line passing through the axial positions of the introduction section S, the relay section Rn, and the liquid discharge port Fn (n=1-7) and the horizontal plane H are respectively defined as the introduction reference point s, the relay reference point rn, and the discharge reference point fn (refer to Fig.10 ).

[0126] The supply / relay section flow path SRn (n=1 to 7) is a flow path connecting the introduction section S and the relay section Rn, so the relay section Rn (n=1 to 7) needs to be defined. Fig.11 As shown, the relay section Rn (n = 1 to 7) defines a virtual circle C1 with a radius r1 as the center, with the introduction reference point s set on the horizontal plane H corresponding to the introduction section S, and the relay reference points rn corresponding to the relay section Rn (n = 1 to 7) are set at positions that divide the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into approximately n equal parts. In this embodiment, since it is necessary to form seven systems of branch flow paths Bn, the relay reference points rn (n = 1 to 7) are set every 360 / 7 [degrees] on the circumference of the virtual circle C1.

[0127] Here, the horizontal portion Ln1 (n=1-7) is formed between the flow path forming plates P2 and P3, and is a flow path extending in the horizontal direction with the position directly below the above-mentioned relay portion Rn (n=1-7) as a reference. In addition, the horizontal portion Ln2 (n=1-7) is formed between the flow path forming plates P3 and P4, and is a flow path extending in the horizontal direction with the position directly above the above-mentioned liquid ejection port Fn (n=1-7) as a reference. Furthermore, the flow path length of the horizontal portion Ln1 (n=1-7) must be uniform in each system, and the flow path length of the horizontal portion Ln2 (n=1-7) must also be uniform in each system.

[0128] Therefore, when designing the horizontal parts Ln1 and Ln2, first, Fig.12 As shown, a virtual circle C2n (n=1-7) with a radius r2 centered at the relay reference point rn (n=1-7) and a virtual circle C3n (n=1-7) with a radius r3 centered at the ejection reference point fn (n=1-7) and intersecting with the virtual circle C2n (n=1-7) are set on the horizontal plane H, wherein the relay reference point rn (n=1-7) is set on the horizontal plane H in a manner corresponding to the liquid ejection outlet Fn (n=1-7). The intersection of the virtual circle C2n (n=1-7) and the virtual circle C3n (n=1-7) formed in this way is defined as the bending reference point xn (n=1-7).

[0129] The design method of the first branch flow path B1 is taken as an example to explain in detail. When designing the horizontal parts L11 and L12, Fig.12As shown, the ejection reference point f1 is set at a position corresponding to the liquid ejection port F1. In addition, a virtual circle C21 with a radius r2 centered on the relay reference point r1 assumed in the first branch flow path B1 and a virtual circle C31 with a radius r3 centered on the ejection reference point f1 are set. A horizontal portion L11 is set at the position connecting the intersection X1 of the virtual circles C21 and C31 and the relay reference point r1, and a horizontal portion L12 is set at the position connecting the intersection X1 and the ejection reference point f1. Similarly, the horizontal portions Ln1 and Ln2 (n=2 to 7) of the second branch flow path B2 to the seventh branch flow path B7 are set.

[0130] When the relay reference point rn, the bending reference point xn, and the ejection reference point fn are specified as described above, Fig.10 As shown, the plumb lines Vrn, Vxn, and Vfn passing through these points are set. In addition, it is assumed that the horizontal plane J1 passes between the flow path forming plates P1 and P2, the horizontal plane J2 passes between the flow path forming plates P2 and P3, and the horizontal plane J3 passes between the flow path forming plates P3 and P4. The intersection of the plumb line Vrn and the horizontal plane J1 becomes the boundary between the supply / relay section flow path SRn (n=1~7) and the descending portion Dn1. In addition, the intersection of the plumb line Vxn and the horizontal plane J2 becomes the boundary between the horizontal portion Ln1 and the descending portion Dn2, and the intersection of the plumb line Vxn and the horizontal plane J3 becomes the boundary between the descending portion Dn2 and the horizontal portion Ln2. Furthermore, the intersection of the plumb line Vfn and the horizontal plane J3 becomes the boundary between the horizontal portion Ln2 and the descending portion Dn3. By designing the supply / relay flow path SRn and the relay / liquid outlet flow path RFn (n=1~7) in this way, a series of branch flow paths Bn (n=1~7) with the same flow path length and connected from the inlet part S to each liquid outlet Fn can be formed.

[0131] In the nozzle 610, the introduction portion S functions as the liquid supply port 20 in the nozzle 10 and also functions as the branching portion 42 in the nozzle 10. Here, in the nozzle 10, the valve member 50, 150, 250, 350 is provided at the branching portion 42 of the flow path 40 to restrict the communication between the plurality of branching flow paths connected from the branching portion 42 to the plurality of liquid discharge ports 30. In the nozzle 610 of the present embodiment, the valve member 650 is provided to restrict the communication between the plurality of branching flow paths Bn (n=1 to 7) connected from the introduction portion S constituting the branching portion to the plurality of liquid discharge ports Fn (n=1 to 7) in the same manner as the valve members 50, 150, 250, 350, so that the same effects as those of the nozzle 10 exemplified in the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0132] In addition, the nozzle 610 may be provided with a valve member 650 at a position downstream of the introduction portion S constituting the branching portion 642 in the flow direction of the liquid in each of the branch flow paths Bn (n=1-7), instead of providing the valve member 650, or in addition to providing the valve member 650. When the valve member 650 is provided at a position downstream of the introduction portion S in the flow direction of the liquid, it is preferred to provide the valve member 650 at the same position in each of the branch flow paths Bn (n=1-7) to achieve uniformity of the flow path resistance in each of the branch flow paths Bn (n=1-7).

[0133] Specifically, in the nozzle 610 of the present embodiment, the branch flow path Bn is bent at each relay part Rn (n=1-7) located at the boundary between the supply / relay part flow path SRn (n=1-7) and the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n=1-7). In addition, in the nozzle 610, the branch flow path Bn is also bent at the boundary between the horizontal part Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2) and the descending part Dnp (n=1-7, p=1-3) constituting the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n=1-7). In this way, each branch flow path Bn of the nozzle 610 constitutes a bent flow path. Therefore, in the case where the valve member 650 is provided in the supply / relay part flow path SRn (n=1-7), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 in the supply / relay part flow path SRn (n=1-7) in all the branch flow paths Bn (n=1-7). When the valve member 650 is provided in the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn (n=1 to 7), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 having the same flow path resistance at the same position in all the branch flow paths Bn (n=1 to 7).

[0134] More specifically, when the valve member 650 is provided in the descending portion Dnp (n=1-7, p=1-3), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 having the same flow path resistance in the horizontal portion Lnq having the same p value. Similarly, when the valve member 650 is provided in the horizontal portion Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 in the horizontal portion Lnq having the same q value. In addition, when the valve member 650 is provided in the relay portion Rn (n=1-7), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 having the same flow path resistance in all the relay portions Rn. Similarly, when the valve member 650 is provided in the boundary portion between the descending portion Dnp (n=1-7, p=1-3) and the horizontal portion Lnq (n=1-7, q=1-2), it is preferable to provide the valve member 650 having the same flow path resistance in the curved portion constituting the boundary between the horizontal portion Lnq having the same p value and the horizontal portion Lnq having the same q value.

[0135] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which a branch portion 642 is provided at the introduction portion S as the starting point in the interval of the flow path 640 from the introduction portion S to the liquid ejection port Fn, but the branch portion 642 may be provided at any portion of the interval from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid ejection port Fn.

[0136] The sum of the lengths of the descending portion Dnp and the sum of the lengths of the horizontal portion Lnq in the nozzle 610 of this embodiment are the same and have nothing to do with the system of the branch flow paths Bn. In addition, the sizes and cross-sectional shapes of the various parts of the nozzle 610 that constitute each branch flow path Bn, specifically, the pipes that constitute the supply / relay flow path SRn and the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn, are roughly the same. Furthermore, the total number of curved portions formed at the boundary between the horizontal portion Lnq and the descending portion Dnp in each branch flow path Bn is the same. Therefore, the pressure loss and flow distribution generated by the flow of the fluid in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn are roughly uniform and have nothing to do with the system of the branch flow paths Bn, and the ejection amount and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn can be made uniform.

[0137] The branch flow path Bn shown in the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the horizontal portion Lnq and the descending portion Dnp are bent at the boundary portion instead of being sharply bent, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the nozzle 610 of the present embodiment forms each branch flow path Bn by overlapping the flow path forming plates P1 to P4 formed with grooves, so that the boundary portion between the horizontal portion Lnq and the descending portion Dnp can be continuous without being sharply bent. However, for example, in the case of bending the copper pipe to form each branch flow path Bn, the boundary portion between the horizontal portion Lnq and the descending portion Dnp has to be sharply bent compared to the case shown in the present embodiment. Therefore, the branch flow path Bn may also be as follows. Fig.13 As shown in (a) in the figure, the boundary portion is curved with a larger curvature than that shown in the present embodiment.

[0138] In addition, even when the boundary portion is greatly curved as described above, the flow path design needs to be performed in such a manner that the branch flow path Bn has substantially the same overall flow path length, the total length of the descending portion Dnp, the total length of the horizontal portion Lnq, and the number of curved portions regardless of the system, regardless of the system. As long as these conditions are met, the ejection pressure and ejection amount of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn can be substantially uniformed, as in the case illustrated in this embodiment.

[0139] In the nozzle 610, each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths RFn has a bent portion, and the direction of the horizontal portion Lnq on the downstream side can be directed to a direction different from the horizontal portion Lnq on the upstream side (upper side) relative to the bent portion. In addition, the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn is configured to have bent portions at multiple locations in the up-down direction. Therefore, the nozzle 610 can make each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn reach any position in the horizontal direction according to the layout of each liquid ejection port Fn, so that the degree of freedom in the flow path configuration is high.

[0140] In the nozzle 610 shown in this embodiment, the opening diameter of the flow path constituting each branch flow path Bn is uniform regardless of the location, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to set the following in the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn of all systems. Fig.13 The portion (reduced diameter portion 660) where the opening diameter of the flow path shown in (b) is reduced. In addition, conversely, a portion (expanded diameter portion) where the flow path diameter is enlarged compared to other portions may also be provided in each branch flow path Bn. Furthermore, as one of the portions constituting each branch flow path Bn, a portion where the cross-sectional shape of the flow path is different from other portions may also be provided. In addition, in the case of providing the above-mentioned reduced diameter portion 660 and other portions where the flow path diameter and cross-sectional shape are different from other portions, it is preferable to provide the reduced diameter portion 660 and other portions at the same position in each branch flow path Bn, so as to achieve uniformity of the pressure loss, the flow rate of the fluid, etc. caused by the flow in each branch flow path Bn. In addition, it is preferable to make the flow path diameter and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the reduced diameter portion 660 and other portions provided in each branch flow path Bn roughly uniform regardless of the system of the branch flow path Bn. In this way, even when the reduced diameter portion 660 is provided, the pressure loss in each branch flow path Bn and the balance of the fluid flow rate can be further uniformized, and deviations in the fluid discharge amount and discharge pressure in each liquid discharge port Fn can be prevented.

[0141] The nozzle 610 forms each branch flow path Bn by overlapping the flow path forming plates P1 to P4 formed with grooves, so that the branch flow path Bn designed by the above-mentioned design method can be easily and reliably formed. In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is illustrated in which each branch flow path Bn is formed by overlapping the flow path forming plates P1 to P4, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the branch flow path Bn can also be formed by appropriately bending a metal tube or a resin tube. In addition, the nozzle 610 can also be formed in advance as a nozzle composed of a plurality of common parts, and the common parts can be appropriately combined to form a branch flow path Bn of a desired configuration or shape. Furthermore, the nozzle 610 can also be configured such that the part constituting the flow path SRn between the supply / relay section and the part constituting the flow path RFn between the relay / liquid ejection port are different parts, and each branch flow path Bn is formed by connecting them. In addition, for example, parts constituting the descending portion Dnp and parts constituting the horizontal portion Lnq may be separately prepared, and the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn may be constituted by appropriately connecting them.

[0142] The nozzle 610 shown in this embodiment bends each branch flow path Bn at a position corresponding to the horizontal plane J1 to J3 assumed to be the boundary of each flow path forming plate P1 to P4, so each branch flow path Bn bends at the same height, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the condition that the total length of each branch flow path Bn is the same is satisfied, each branch flow path Bn may be bent at a different height. In the case of forming a structure in which each branch flow path Bn is bent at a different height, it is easy to avoid the branch flow paths Bn from interfering with each other, and the degree of freedom of layout of each branch flow path Bn or each liquid ejection port Fn can be further improved.

[0143] In the present embodiment, each branch flow path Bn connected to the introduction part S does not branch in the middle and constitutes a series of flow paths, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each branch flow path Bn can also be formed to further branch into multiple systems in the middle. In addition, when each branch flow path Bn is branched in the middle, it is best to make the number of branches of each branch flow path Bn the same. In addition, even when each branch flow path Bn is branched in the middle, by following the above-mentioned flow path design method for flow path design, the pressure loss and flow rate caused by the flow of the fluid can be uniformized, and the ejection pressure and ejection amount of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn can be uniformized.

[0144] In the nozzle 610 of the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the introduction portion S is circular, and is connected to each branch flow path Bn at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the fluid introduced into the introduction portion S from the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 can be supplied to each branch flow path Bn approximately evenly. In addition, the introduction portion S is not limited to a circular cross-sectional shape, and the cross-sectional shape can also be a polygon. However, from the viewpoint of approximately evenly supplying the fluid to each branch flow path Bn, the cross-sectional shape is preferably an approximately regular n-gon, or an approximately regular n×a-gon (a is a natural number). Specifically, in the case where, for example, three liquid ejection outlets Fn are provided and three systems of branch flow paths Bn are formed, it can be as follows Fig.14 As shown in (a), the cross-sectional shape of the introduction portion S is formed into an equilateral triangle, or as shown in Fig.14 As shown in (b), it is formed into a regular hexagon (n=3, a=2, n×a=6). By adjusting the shape of the introduction portion S in this way, the fluid introduced into the introduction portion S from the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 side can be supplied to each branch flow path Bn substantially uniformly.

[0145] In the present embodiment, the supply / relay section flow path SRn has only a portion extending in the horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may also have a portion extending in the up-down direction (vertical direction) like the descending portion Dnp of the relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn. Even in the case of such a configuration, by designing the flow paths of each supply / relay section flow path SRn in a manner that connects the relay section Rn provided at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle C1 into n parts to the introduction section S in the same manner as described in the design method of the branch flow paths Bn, the fluid can be supplied from the introduction section S to each branch flow path Bn in a substantially uniform manner.

[0146] The nozzle 10, 610 and the liquid supply system 100, 600 of each embodiment described above have characteristic structures shown in (a) to (q) below. Thus, the nozzle 10, 610 and the liquid supply system 100, 600 can achieve unique effects that cannot be achieved in the prior art.

[0147] (a) The nozzle 10, 610 has a liquid supply port 20, 620, a plurality of liquid ejection ports 30, Fn, a flow path 40, 640 and a valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650, wherein the flow path 40, 640 connects the liquid supply port 20 with the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30, Fn in a manner that liquid can flow, and branches into a plurality of branch flow paths 44, Bn at a branching portion 42, 642, and the valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 restricts the plurality of branch flow paths connected from the branching portion 42, 642 to the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30 from being connected to each other.

[0148] By adopting the configuration as described above (a), the nozzle 10, 610 can be in a state where the branch flow paths 44, Bn connected via the branching portion 42, 642 are restricted from being connected to each other by the valve member 50, 150, 250, 350, 650. Thus, the nozzle 10, 610 can suppress the flow of liquid from one liquid discharge port 30, Fn connected via the branch flow path 44, Bn to another liquid discharge port 30, Fn due to the so-called siphon phenomenon, thereby suppressing the generation of liquid drops.

[0149] (b) The valve member 50 , 150 , 250 , 350 , 650 of the nozzle 10 , 610 is provided at the branching portion 42 , 642 of the flow path 40 , 640 .

[0150] The nozzle 10 , 610 adopts the configuration (b) above, and can reliably restrict the plurality of branch flow paths 44 , Bn from communicating with each other via the branch portion 42 , 642 by means of the valve member 50 , 150 , 250 , 350 , 650 provided at the branch portion 42 , 642 .

[0151] (c) The above-mentioned nozzle 10, 610 is provided with a separate valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 at the branch part 42, 642, and each valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 can limit all branch flow paths 44, Bn connected to the branch part 42, 642 configured with the valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 to be connected to each other.

[0152] The above-mentioned nozzle adopts a structure such as the above-mentioned (c), and compared with the case where, for example, a valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 is set for each branch flow path 44, Bn, the number of valve components 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 can be suppressed, or the action control of the valve components 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 can be simplified accordingly as the number of valve components 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 that are controlled objects is reduced.

[0153] (d) The nozzle 10, 610 can perform opening and closing operations of the valve member 50, 150, 250, 350, 650, and is in an open state when liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection port 30, Fn, and is in a closed state when the ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection port 30, Fn is stopped.

[0154] The nozzles 10 and 610 adopt the configuration (d) above, and when the liquid is ejected, the valve members 50, 150, 250, 350, and 650 are in an open state, thereby enabling the liquid to be ejected smoothly from the liquid ejection ports 30 and Fn. In addition, the nozzles 10 and 610 adopt the configuration (d) above, and when the liquid ejection is stopped, the valve members 50, 150, 250, 350, and 650 are in a closed state, thereby enabling the generation of dripping due to the so-called siphon phenomenon to be suppressed.

[0155] (e) The valve member 350 of the nozzle 10 allows the liquid to flow from the branching portion 42 to the liquid discharge port 30 under the condition that a predetermined hydraulic pressure is applied.

[0156] By adopting the structure as described above (e), the nozzle 10 can open the valve member 350 by utilizing the hydraulic pressure acting on the valve member 350 when ejecting the liquid, thereby supplying the liquid from the branching portion 42 to the liquid ejection port 30. As a result, the nozzle 10 does not need to be provided with a power source for operating the valve member 350, and the structure can be simplified accordingly.

[0157] (f) The flow path 40 of the nozzle 10 is branched in a plurality of stages from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid discharge port 30, and each stage has a branching portion 42. The valve components 50, 150, 250, 350 are disposed at the branching portion 42 in the stage closest to the liquid discharge port 30.

[0158] The nozzle 10 adopts the structure as described above (f), thereby being able to suppress the generation of dripping due to the so-called siphon phenomenon in all the liquid ejection outlets 30. That is, for example, when the valve member 50, 150, 250, 350 is not provided at the branching part 42 at the stage closest to the liquid ejection outlet in the branching part 42, but is provided at the branching part 42 on the upstream side of the branching part 42, the branching part on the downstream side of the branching part where the valve member 50, 150, 250, 350 is provided becomes a state where a plurality of liquid ejection outlets 30 are connected via the branching flow path 44. Therefore, when such a structure is adopted, there is a possibility that a flow of liquid may occur between the plurality of liquid ejection outlets 30 connected at the branching part 42 via the branching flow path 44. However, by adopting the structure as described above (f), the nozzle 10 can suppress the generation of dripping due to the siphon phenomenon in all the liquid ejection outlets 30.

[0159] (g) The flow path 640 of the nozzle 610 illustrated in the above-mentioned second embodiment has a branch flow path Bn, which branches in a manner so that the fluid introduced from the liquid supply port 620 is evenly ejected from the n liquid outlets Fn, and the flow path 640 is provided with n relay parts Rn in a manner corresponding to each of the n liquid outlets Fn, each branch flow path Bn has n systems of supply / relay flow paths SRn connecting the liquid supply port 620 and the n relay parts Rn, and n systems of relay / liquid outlet flow paths RFn connecting the n relay parts Rn and the liquid outlets Fn corresponding to the relay parts Rn, the relay parts Rn are arranged at positions corresponding to points that divide the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts, the virtual circle being centered at a point on a plumb line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port 620, and the lengths of the n systems of relay / liquid outlet flow paths RFn are respectively the same.

[0160] In the nozzle 610, the relay part Rn is arranged at a position corresponding to a point that divides the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts, and the virtual circle is centered at a point on a plumb line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port 620. Furthermore, since n systems of supply / relay flow paths SRn are provided in a manner that connects the liquid supply port 620 to each relay part Rn, the length of the supply / relay flow path SRn is uniform in each system. Therefore, in the section from the liquid supply port 620 to the relay part Rn, the fluid flows in each branch flow path Bn at a substantially uniform pressure and flow rate. In addition, in the nozzle 610, since the lengths of the n systems of relay / liquid ejection outlet flow paths RFn from the n relay parts Rn to the n liquid ejection outlets Fn are uniform, the pressure loss and fluid flow rate caused by the fluid flowing in each relay / liquid ejection outlet flow path RFn can be uniformized. Therefore, according to the nozzle 610 , the ejection amount and ejection pressure of the fluid introduced into the liquid supply port 620 can be made substantially constant, and the fluid can be branched into a desired number of branches.

[0161] In addition, in the nozzle 610, as long as the lengths of the flow paths RFn between the relays / liquid ejection ports are uniform, there is no particular restriction on their arrangement. Therefore, according to the nozzle 610, the liquid ejection ports Fn of each branch flow path Bn can be arranged at a desired position, thereby providing a high degree of freedom in flow path design.

[0162] (h) The relay portion Rn of the nozzle 610 is disposed at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle into approximately n equal parts.

[0163] By adopting the configuration (h) above, the nozzle 610 can further reliably make the flow rate and pressure of the fluid flowing in each supply / relay section flow path SRn uniform. Therefore, by adopting the configuration (h) above, the nozzle 610 can make the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn more uniform.

[0164] (i) Each relay / liquid outlet flow path RFn of the above-mentioned nozzle 610 is a flow path 640 having a descending portion and a horizontal portion Lnq and a bent portion between the horizontal portion Lnq and the descending portion, wherein the descending portion enables the fluid to flow downward, and the horizontal portion Lnq enables the fluid to flow in a horizontal direction, the total length of the horizontal portion Lnq involved in each relay / liquid outlet flow path RFn is the same, the total length of the descending portion involved in each relay / liquid outlet flow path RFn is the same, and the number of bent portions in each relay / liquid outlet flow path RFn is the same.

[0165] The nozzle 610 can make the pressure loss and flow rate distribution caused by the fluid flowing in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn uniform by adopting the structure as described above (i). Therefore, by forming each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn into a flow path 640 having a curved flow path forming portion as described above, the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn can be further uniformized.

[0166] (j) The nozzle 610 is characterized in that each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn has a plurality of bent portions formed in the up-down direction.

[0167] By adopting the structure as described above (j), the nozzle 610 can direct the horizontal portion Lnq located on the downstream side of the fluid flow direction relative to the bend portion in a direction different from the horizontal portion Lnq located further upstream than the bend portion, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the layout of each liquid outlet Fn.

[0168] (k) The nozzle 610 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 660 in which the diameter of the flow path is reduced in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn.

[0169] The nozzle 610 adopts the configuration (k) above and makes the flow path diameter of the reduced diameter portion 660 substantially uniform regardless of the system of the branch flow paths Bn, thereby making the discharge amount and discharge pressure in each branch flow path Bn substantially uniform.

[0170] (1) The flow path diameters of the branch flow paths Bn of the nozzle 610 are equal regardless of the branch flow paths Bn.

[0171] The nozzle 610 adopts the configuration as described above (1), thereby making it possible to substantially equalize the discharge amount and discharge pressure in the liquid discharge ports Fn connected to the branch flow paths Bn.

[0172] (m) The nozzle 610 is formed by stacking plates on which grooves constituting the branch flow paths Bn are formed.

[0173] The nozzle 610 can easily and reliably form a branch flow path Bn that meets the above conditions by adopting the structure (m) described above. In addition, when such a structure is adopted, the nozzle 610 is easy to assemble, disassemble, clean, etc., and the nozzle 610 can be easily installed and maintained.

[0174] (n) The cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply port 620 of the nozzle 610 is a circle or a regular n×a-gon (a is an arbitrary natural number).

[0175] The nozzle 610 adopts the configuration (n) above, and thus can make uniform the flow rate and pressure of the fluid flowing from the liquid supply port 620 into each of the n-system supply / relay section flow paths SRn.

[0176] (o) The liquid supply system 600 is characterized in that it includes the nozzle 610 and a pressure-feeding device (single-axis eccentric screw pump 500) for pressurizing and feeding the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port 620. In addition, the liquid supply system 100 includes the nozzle 10, and a single-axis eccentric screw pump 500 can be used as the pressure-feeding device 110 for pressurizing and feeding the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port 20.

[0177] The liquid supply system 100, 600 adopts the configuration (o) above, thereby preventing liquid from dripping due to a so-called siphon phenomenon that causes liquid to flow from one liquid outlet 30, Fn connected via the branch flow path 44, Bn to another liquid outlet 30, Fn.

[0178] (p) The liquid supply system 100 , 600 includes a control device 120 that controls the opening and closing of the valve member 50 , 150 , 250 , 650 .

[0179] The above-mentioned liquid supply system 100, 600 adopts the structure as mentioned above (p), and is not affected by external factors such as environmental conditions. It can appropriately operate the valve components 50, 150, 250, 650 by opening and closing control of the valve components 50, 150, 250, 650 based on considerations such as suppressing dripping.

[0180] (q) The liquid supply system 600 is characterized in that the pressure-feeding device is the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500. In addition, in the liquid supply system 100, the pressure-feeding device 110 may be the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500.

[0181] The liquid supply system 100, 600 can adjust the supply amount of liquid relative to the nozzle 10, 610 with high precision by including the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 as described in (q). Since the liquid supply system 100, 600 also includes the nozzle 10, 610, the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection port 30, Fn can be adjusted with high precision by suppressing the occurrence of unexpected dripping. Therefore, the liquid supply system 100, 600 can adjust the supply amount and ejection amount of the liquid with high precision by including the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500.

[0182] In addition, the liquid supply system 100, 600, by having the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 as described above, can perform an operation (return suction operation) of drawing the liquid to the upstream side by rotating the rotor in the opposite direction to the direction when supplying the liquid. Therefore, the liquid supply system 100, 600, by adopting the above-mentioned structure (q), in addition to the drip prevention effect brought about by using the nozzle 10, 610, can also achieve the drip prevention effect brought about by performing the return suction operation.

[0183] The nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100 illustrated in the present embodiment have the characteristic structures involved in (a) to (q), but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is also possible to omit any one of the structures involved in (a) to (q), or to have other structures on the basis of or instead of the structures involved in (a) to (q), or to replace a part of the structures (a) to (q) with other structures or to omit them. In addition, in the nozzle 10 and the liquid supply system 100, structures other than the structures involved in (a) to (q) may be appropriately changed or omitted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0184] For example, the nozzle 10 according to the above embodiment is provided with two branching parts 42, and the flow path 40 is branched into four branching flow paths 44 at each branching part 42, thereby the flow path 40 as a whole is branched into eight branching flow paths 44, but the number of branching parts 42, the number of branches of the flow path 40 at each branching part 42, the number of branches of the flow path 40 as a whole, etc. can be appropriately changed. Specifically, the nozzle according to the present invention may be a nozzle having only one branching part 642, such as the nozzle 610 described above.

[0185] In addition, the nozzle 10 of the first embodiment described above shows an example in which the branching portion 42 is provided at the middle position of the section of the flow path 40 from the liquid supply port 20 to the plurality of liquid ejection ports 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the branching portion 42 may be provided at the position of the liquid supply port 20 which is the starting point of the flow path 40, as in the nozzle described above in the second embodiment. In contrast, the nozzle 610 of the second embodiment describes an example in which the branching portion 642 is provided at the introduction portion S which is the most upstream (starting point) in the section of the flow path 640 from the liquid supply port 620 to the plurality of liquid ejection ports Fn, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the branching portion 642 may be provided at the middle position of the flow path 640 from the introduction portion S to the liquid ejection ports Fn, as in the nozzle described above in the first embodiment.

[0186] In addition, the nozzles 10 and 610 involved in the above-mentioned embodiments show an example in which, as shown in (b) above, by providing a valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 at the branching portion 42, the connection state of multiple (four in the nozzle 10 and seven in the nozzle 610) branching channels 44 and Bn can be changed by one valve component 50, 150, 250, 350, 650, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the nozzles 10 and 610 may also be formed as follows: instead of providing the above-mentioned valve components 50, 150, 250, 350, 650, a valve component that can be opened and closed is provided for each branching channel 44 and Bn, and the liquid ejection outlets 30 and Fn are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the valve components.

[0187] The nozzle 10, 610 can restrict all branch flow paths 44, Bn connected to the branching part 42, 642 from being connected to each other by providing a separate valve member 50, 150, 250, 350, 650 at the branching part 42, 642 as shown in (c) above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the nozzle 10, 610 can also provide a plurality of valve members at the branching part 42, 642, and the branching flow paths 44, Bn can be restricted from being connected to each other by these valve members.

[0188] Any valve member may be used for the nozzle 10, 610 as long as it can be opened and closed as described in (d) above, and is in an open state when the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection port 30, Fn, and is in a closed state when the liquid ejection from the liquid ejection port 30, Fn stops. Specifically, the valve member used in the nozzle 10, 610 may be a member that can be opened and closed by direct control, such as the valve members 50, 150, 250, 650, or a member that can be opened and closed by indirect control according to the applied hydraulic pressure, such as the valve member 350.

[0189] The valve member 350 shows an example of allowing the liquid to flow from the branching portion 42 to the liquid discharge port 30 under the condition that a predetermined hydraulic pressure is applied as shown in (e) above, but the present invention is not limited to the structure illustrated in the above embodiment, and the structure can be changed appropriately.

[0190] The nozzle 10 shows an example in which the flow path 40 is branched in multiple stages from the liquid supply port 20 to the liquid discharge port 30 as shown in (f) above, and in the nozzle having a branching portion 42 at each stage, a valve member 50, 150, 250, 350 is provided at the branching portion 42 closest to the liquid discharge port 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as described above, the nozzle 10 may also be formed as follows: a valve member that can be opened and closed is provided for each branch flow path 44, and the liquid discharge port 30 and the valve member are provided in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0191] The nozzle 610 shows an example in which the relay portion Rn is arranged at a position corresponding to a point that divides the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts as shown in (g) above, and the virtual circle is centered at a point on a vertical line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port 620, and the lengths of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths RFn of n systems are respectively the same, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the nozzle of the present invention may not evenly supply liquid to each liquid ejection port Fn as in the nozzle 610, and in such a case, it is not necessarily necessary to form a structure as in (g) above.

[0192] The nozzle 610 is arranged at a position where the relay portion Rn divides the circumference of the virtual circle into approximately n equal parts as shown in (h), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, even if the configuration as (h) is not formed, the configuration as (h) may be omitted if the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid in each liquid ejection port Fn can be made uniform, or if the flow rate and ejection pressure of the fluid do not need to be made uniform.

[0193] The nozzle 610 shows an example in which, as shown in (i), in the flow path 640, the sum of the lengths of the horizontal portions Lnq involved in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn is the same, the sum of the lengths of the descending portions involved in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn is the same, and the number of the bent portions in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn is the same, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the nozzle of the present invention does not need to be configured as having the configuration (i) as in the nozzle 610, when it is not necessary to make the pressure loss or flow rate distribution uniform due to the flow of the fluid in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn, or when other configurations to achieve such effects are provided.

[0194] The nozzle 610 does not necessarily need to have a plurality of bent portions formed in the vertical direction in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn as described in (j) above, and may have only one bent portion in the vertical direction or no bent portion.

[0195] In addition, the nozzle 610 can be provided with a reduced diameter portion 660 for reducing the flow path diameter in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path RFn as described in (k) above, but it is not necessary to include the reduced diameter portion 660.

[0196] The nozzle 610 has the same flow path diameter regardless of the branch flow paths Bn as in (1) above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the case where the nozzle 610 does not need to make the ejection amount and ejection pressure in the liquid ejection outlet Fn connected to each branch flow path Bn substantially uniform, or achieves uniform ejection amount and ejection pressure through other structures, the flow path diameter of each branch flow path Bn may also be non-uniform.

[0197] The nozzle 610 is formed by overlapping plates having grooves forming each branch flow path Bn as shown in (m) above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The nozzle 610 may also form the branch flow path Bn by appropriately bending a metal tube or a resin tube as described above, etc.

[0198] In the above embodiment, as shown in (n) above, an example is shown in which the cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply port 620 of the nozzle 610 is a circle or a regular n×a-gon (a is an arbitrary natural number), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when it is not necessary to make the flow rate and pressure of the fluid flowing into each supply / relay section flow path SRn uniform, or when the flow rate and pressure of the fluid flowing into each supply / relay section flow path SRn can be made uniform by a structure other than the liquid supply port 620, the cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply port 620 can be an appropriate shape such as an ellipse or a star.

[0199] The above-mentioned liquid supply system 100, 600 is not limited to having a pressure delivery device 110 (single-axis eccentric screw pump 500) for pressurizing and delivering the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port 20, 620 as described in (o) above, and may also not have a pressure delivery device 110 or a single-axis eccentric screw pump 500 such as a device for pressurizing and delivering liquid.

[0200] In the above embodiment, as the liquid supply system 100, 600, an example of a control device 120 that controls the opening and closing of the valve components 50, 150, 250, and 650 as described in (p) above is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case where a valve component that does not need to be controlled to be opened and closed is provided as in the liquid supply system 100 having the valve component 350 described above, the control device 120 can be omitted. In addition, the control device 120 described above is illustrated as a device that controls the opening and closing of the valve components 50, 150, 250, and 650, but a device equivalent to the control device 120 may be provided as a part of the configuration or function of the control device for controlling the entire liquid supply system 100, 600, for example.

[0201] In the above embodiment, a liquid supply system 600 is illustrated in which a pressure feeding device adopts a uniaxial eccentric screw pump 500 as in the above (q), or a case where a uniaxial eccentric screw pump can be adopted as the pressure feeding device 110 is illustrated, but the liquid supply system of the present invention is not limited to the pressure feeding device being constituted by a uniaxial eccentric screw pump. Specifically, the liquid supply system 100, 600 can have a positive displacement pump such as a uniaxial eccentric screw pump or a gear pump, a vane pump, etc., or a reciprocating pump such as a piston pump, a plunger pump, or a diaphragm pump as a pressure feeding device. In addition, the liquid supply system 100, 600 can have a non-volumetric turbine pump as a pressure feeding device. Specifically, a centrifugal pump such as a vortex pump or a diffusion pump, a vortex diagonal flow pump, a diagonal flow pump such as a diffusion diagonal flow pump, or an axial flow pump as a pressure feeding device.

[0202] The invention of this application is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and design changes can be appropriately made within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the invention of this application. The constituent elements of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications can be arbitrarily selected and combined to form. In addition, any constituent element of each embodiment or modification and any constituent element recorded in the technical solution, specific implementation method, etc. for solving the problem or the constituent element that concretizes any constituent element recorded in the technical solution, specific implementation method, etc. for solving the problem can be arbitrarily combined to form. With regard to these, it is intended to obtain patent rights in this application or in a divisional application based on this application, etc.

[0203] (Industrial Applicability)

[0204] The nozzle and liquid supply system of the present invention are applicable to all nozzles that branch liquid supplied from a liquid supply port and discharge the liquid from a plurality of liquid discharge ports, and liquid supply systems including the nozzle.

Claims

1. A nozzle, characterized in that: have: Liquid supply port; Multiple liquid spray ports; a flow path connecting the liquid supply port and the plurality of liquid ejection ports in a manner that liquid can flow therethrough and branching into a plurality of branch flow paths at a branching portion; and A valve member restricts communication between the plurality of branch flow paths connected from the branching portion to the plurality of liquid discharge ports.

2. The nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that The valve member is provided at the branching portion of the flow path.

3. The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A separate valve component is provided at the branching portion. Each of the valve members is capable of restricting all branch flow paths connected to the branching portion where the valve member is arranged from communicating with each other.

4. The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The valve member can perform an opening and closing operation, and is in an open state when the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection port, and is in a closed state when the ejection of the liquid from the liquid ejection port is stopped.

5. The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The valve member allows the liquid to flow from the branching portion to the liquid discharge port under the condition that a predetermined hydraulic pressure is applied.

6. The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The flow path branches at a plurality of stages in a section from the liquid supply port to the liquid discharge port, and has a branching portion at each stage. The valve member is provided at a branching portion at a stage closest to the liquid discharge port among the branching portions.

7. The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The flow path includes the branch flow path that branches so that the fluid introduced from the liquid supply port is uniformly ejected from the n liquid ejection ports. n relay parts are provided so as to correspond to the n liquid ejection ports, respectively; Each branch flow path has: n systems of supply / relay section flow paths connecting the liquid supply port and the n relay sections; and n systems of relay / liquid ejection port flow paths connecting n relay portions and the liquid ejection ports corresponding to the relay portions, The relay portion is arranged at a position corresponding to a point that divides the circumference of a virtual circle into n parts, the virtual circle being centered at a point on a vertical line passing through the axis of the liquid supply port. The lengths of the flow paths between the relays and liquid ejection ports of the n systems are respectively the same.

8. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that The relay portion is disposed at a position that divides the circumference of the virtual circle into approximately n equal parts.

9. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that Each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths is a flow path having a descending portion and a horizontal portion, and having a bent portion between the horizontal portion and the descending portion, wherein the descending portion is a portion that enables the fluid to flow downward, and the horizontal portion is a portion that enables the fluid to flow in a horizontal direction. The sum of the lengths of the horizontal portions involved in the respective relay / liquid ejection port flow paths is the same, The sum of the lengths of the descending portions involved in the respective relay / liquid ejection port flow paths is the same, The number of the bent portions in each relay / liquid ejection port flow path is the same.

10. The nozzle according to claim 9, characterized in that Each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths has a plurality of bent portions formed in the up-down direction.

11. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that Each of the relay / liquid ejection port flow paths is provided with a reduced diameter portion where the flow path diameter is reduced.

12. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that The flow path diameters of the respective branch flow paths are equal regardless of the branch flow paths.

13. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that The nozzle is formed by overlapping plates on which grooves constituting the branch flow paths are formed.

14. The nozzle according to claim 7, characterized in that The cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply port is a circle or a regular n×a-gon, where a is an arbitrary natural number.

15. A liquid supply system, characterized in that: have: The nozzle according to claim 1 or 2; and A pressure feeding device is used to feed the liquid supplied to the liquid supply port under pressure.

16. The liquid supply system according to claim 15, characterized in that: A control device is provided for controlling the opening and closing of the valve member.

17. The liquid supply system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The pressure-feeding device is a uniaxial eccentric screw pump.

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