Spray head device for electrostatic spinning and electrostatic spinning device

Abstract

The invention relates to a nozzle device for electrostatic spinning and an electrostatic spinning device. The nozzle device comprises an outer shell, a rotating body and a nozzle. And the outer shell is fixed on the base. The outer shell comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and an annular flow channel is formed in the inner surface. The rotating body is connected with the outer shell through a bearing and can rotate relative to the shaft. A fluid channel is arranged in the rotating body, and the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the annular flow channel. The nozzle is in fluid communication with the fluid channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electrospinning, and particularly to a nozzle device for electrospinning and an electrospinning device. Background Art

[0002] Electrospinning technology is a fiber manufacturing method that forms Taylor cones at the tip of a needle by applying high-voltage static electricity to polymer solutions or melt droplets, and forms a fiber bundle film through solvent evaporation / fiber solidification. It is widely used in fields such as biomedicine, construction, energy, and food engineering. In recent years, researchers have continuously improved the nozzle components of electrospinning equipment in an attempt to achieve more precise control of fiber morphology. However, during the traditional multi-nozzle electrospinning process, the fibers are difficult to interweave as expected and instead randomly deposit on the receiving device individually. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the present application provides a nozzle device for electrospinning. The nozzle device includes: an outer housing, the outer housing including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface being formed with an annular flow channel; a rotating body, the rotating body being connected to the outer housing through a bearing and being rotatable relative to the outer housing about a rotation axis, wherein a fluid channel is provided in the rotating body, and the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the annular flow channel; and a nozzle, the nozzle being in fluid communication with the fluid channel.

[0004] In some embodiments, the outer housing is formed with a radial fluid channel communicating between the inner surface and the outer surface, and the annular flow channel is in communication with the radial fluid channel. Preferably, the outer housing includes a plurality of annular flow channels, and the plurality of annular channels are arranged at intervals in a direction parallel to the rotation axis. Preferably, the plurality of annular flow channels are formed as a plurality of corresponding grooves provided along the circumferential direction of the inner surface.

[0005] In some embodiments, the nozzle device further includes a wire connected to the nozzle for transmitting electricity to a corresponding tip of the nozzle. Preferably, the nozzle includes a plurality of bent needles, each of which includes a bent portion bent toward the rotation axis and an extension portion parallel to the rotation axis. Preferably, the plurality of bent needles are arranged circumferentially symmetrically about the rotation axis.

[0006] In some embodiments, the nozzle device further includes a motor, the motor being coupled to the rotating body, and the motor being configured to drive the rotating body to rotate relative to the outer housing. Preferably, the outer surface of the outer housing and the outer surface of the rotating body are both coated with an insulating material to prevent electrostatic discharge.

[0007] According to another aspect, the present application discloses an electrospinning device. The electrospinning device includes: the nozzle device described above; a liquid supply device coupled to the nozzle device, the liquid supply device being configured to supply a spinning solution to the nozzle device; a power supply device, the power supply device being configured to supply power to the nozzle device; and a receiving device, the receiving device being configured to receive a composite fiber bundle formed through the nozzle device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The following describes various embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram and a partial enlarged view of an electrospinning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an electrospinning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 3 is a top view of the fluid connection between the nozzle device and the liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-channel rotary joint according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0013] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a left view of the bent needle of the nozzle device shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0014] It can be understood that, in addition to the described exemplary embodiments, the components of the embodiments generally described and shown in the accompanying drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different settings. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments represented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following more detailed description are only representatives of the exemplary embodiments and do not limit the scope of the embodiments claimed.

[0015] References in this specification to "one embodiment", "another embodiment" or "an embodiment" (or similar terms) mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" etc. appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0016] In addition, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the relevant art will realize that various embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, some or all known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail to avoid confusion.

[0017] The present invention provides a multi-channel nozzle device provided with a plurality of bent needles, which can realize the formation of a composite fiber bundle with a spiral winding layout under the action of rotational motion of multiple spinning solution jets. The nozzle device includes components such as a multi-channel rotating body or a rotary joint, bent needles, a slide moving device, a motor, and a coupling, etc., to achieve the efficient production of a spiral winding type composite fiber bundle, and has advantages such as being easy to adjust and maintain.

[0018] The present invention provides an electrospinning nozzle device, which realizes the manufacture of a spiral winding type composite fiber bundle containing different fiber materials through a multi-channel rotating nozzle device provided with bent needles. The nozzle device of the present invention can realize the winding of single / multiple fiber bundles and the control of the fiber bundle morphology and winding characteristics, so as to achieve the efficient production of electrospinning. Compared with the traditional electrospinning device, the nozzle device can effectively solve problems such as the poor interweaving and combination of multiple fibers, and further make the fibers wind around each other through rotational motion to achieve the efficient combination of fibers, thereby manufacturing a spiral winding type composite fiber bundle. In addition, the electrospinning device of the present invention is combined with the traditional electrospinning liquid supply and receiving devices, so as to achieve a significant improvement in the electrospinning device.

[0019] Reference Figure 1 , according to one embodiment, the present invention provides a nozzle device for electrospinning, and an electrospinning device 50 having the nozzle device, for manufacturing a spiral winding type composite fiber bundle. The electrospinning device 50 includes a base 92, a nozzle device 100, a liquid supply device 200, a conduit 210 communicating between the nozzle device 100 and the liquid supply device 200, a power supply device 300 for supplying power to the electrospinning device 50, and a receiving device 400 for receiving the composite fiber bundle formed by the nozzle device 100. One or more spinning solutions are provided from the liquid supply device 200 to the nozzle device 100 through the conduit 210.

[0020] Specifically, the nozzle device 100 includes a housing 110, a rotating body 120, and a plurality of nozzles. The nozzles can be Figure 1The hollow bent needle 130 shown. The outer housing 110 includes an inner surface 112 and an outer surface 114. The outer housing 110 is fixed to the base 92. Multiple annular flow channels may be formed on the inner surface 112 of the outer housing 110. The rotating body 120 is rotatably coupled to the inner surface 112 of the outer housing 110. The rotating body 120 can rotate relative to the outer housing 110 about the rotation axis 70. For example, the rotating body 120 is connected to the outer housing 110 through a bearing, and the bearing allows the rotating body 120 to rotate circumferentially 72 relative to the fixed outer housing 110 along the rotation axis 70. The corresponding outer surfaces of the outer housing 110 and the rotating body 120 may also be coated with an insulating material to prevent electrostatic discharge. The nozzle device 100 further includes a motor 98. The motor 98 can be coupled to the rotating body 120 to drive the rotating body 120 to rotate relative to the outer housing 110. The power supply device 300 can supply voltage / high voltage electricity to the hollow bent needle 130. By transmitting the high voltage electricity to the needle tip 136 of the bent needle 130, the tip droplets form a Taylor cone and are ejected from the tip 136 of the bent needle 130 in the form of a jet. The jet 80 volatilizes with the solvent, gradually solidifies under the action of the rotational motion, and intertwines and winds with each other to form a helically wound composite fiber bundle, which is finally deposited on the receiving device 400.

[0021] Multiple fluid channels 122 are provided inside the rotating body 120. Each fluid channel 122 is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the multiple annular flow channels 116, so that each fluid channel 122 forms a fluid communication with the corresponding annular flow channel 116. The bent needle 130 can be provided as a hollow needle, so that a fluid channel is formed therein. Each bent needle 130 is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the multiple fluid channels 122. That is, each bent needle 130 forms a fluid communication with the corresponding fluid channel 122. The multiple fluid channels 122 and the corresponding conduits 210 form multiple independent fluid communications between the multiple bent needles 130 and the multiple annular flow channels 116. In this way, the liquid supply device 200 can supply the same or different spinning liquids to the respective bent needles 130 of the nozzle device 100 through the respective conduits 210.

[0022] The bent needle 130 may include an extension portion 132 disposed along the rotation axis 70 and a bent portion 134 bent from the extension portion 132 toward the rotation axis 70. The nozzle device 100 may further include a wire connected to the plurality of bent needles 130 for transmitting electric power from the power supply device 300 to the corresponding tips 136 of the plurality of bent needles 130, thereby realizing electrospinning. In some embodiments, the number of the plurality of bent needles 130 is the same as the number of the plurality of annular flow channels 116 and the number of the plurality of fluid channels 122. In some specific examples, the nozzle device 100 may include eight bent needles 130 and corresponding eight fluid channels 122 and eight annular flow channels 116. The plurality of bent needles 130, such as eight bent needles, may be circumferentially symmetric and spaced apart about the rotation axis 70, and corresponding circumferential intervals are formed between the respective annular flow channels 116 about the rotation axis 70. Among them, the plurality of annular flow channels 116 may be formed as grooves provided circumferentially on the inner surface 112 of the housing 110.

[0023] The outer housing 110 is formed with a plurality of radial fluid channels 118 connecting the inner surface 112 and the outer surface 114. Each annular flow channel 116 is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the radial fluid channels 118, and each annular flow channel 116 forms a fluid connection with the corresponding radial fluid channel 118.

[0024] Figures 2 to 5 An electrospinning device 50 according to a specific example is shown. The electrospinning device 50 can be used to manufacture a helically wound composite fiber bundle. As Figures 2 to 5 shown, the electrospinning device 50 includes a multi-channel rotary joint 105, a bent needle 130, a support 90, a base 92, a slide moving device 94, a spacer 96, a motor 98, a coupling 99, and a rotary joint 106. Specifically, the multi-channel rotary joint 105 includes an outer housing 110, a rotating body 120, a mandrel 140, a ball bearing 150, an O-ring 152, and a snap ring 154.

[0025] Reference Figure 2, the electrospinning device 50 includes an electrospinning nozzle device 100. The nozzle device 100 includes a multi-channel rotary joint 105, a bent needle 130, a slide table moving device 94, a motor 98, and a coupling 99. The nozzle device 100 is connected to the liquid supply device 200 and is used to inject multiple or single types of spinning solutions into the multi-channel rotary joint 105 through a conduit 210 and a connector 106. The motor 98 controls the rotation of the multi-channel rotary joint 105 through the coupling 99. The outer housing 110 of the multi-channel rotary joint 105 is threadedly installed and connected to the connector 106. The spinning solution is injected into the connector 106 through the conduit and is transported to the bent needle 130 along the radial fluid channel 118 of the outer housing 110, the annular flow channel 116, and the L-shaped axial channel 122 of the rotating body 120. Under the action of a high-voltage electric field, the droplets at the tip of the bent needle 130 will form a Taylor cone and be ejected in the form of a jet. Then, under the rotational movement, they will gradually solidify and intertwine to form a helically wound composite fiber bundle, which is deposited on the receiving device 400 of the electrospinning equipment. Installing the multi-channel rotary joint 105 on the slide table moving device 94 can further expand the size and morphological range of the formed composite fiber bundle.

[0026] Reference Figure 3 , in some examples, the nozzle device 100 for electrospinning is connected to the liquid supply device 200 through a conduit 210 and a connector 106, and can inject multiple or single types of spinning solutions into the multi-channel rotary joint 105 to achieve precise control of the liquid supply rate, thereby achieving the consistency and efficiency of the produced fiber bundle. The nozzle device 100 includes a multi-channel rotary joint 105, a bent needle 130, a support 90, a base 92, a slide table moving device 94, a spacer 96, a motor 98, a coupling 99, and a connector 106. The multi-channel rotary joint 105 is fixedly connected to the support 90 and fixed on the base 92. The base 92 provides support for the multi-channel rotary joint 105 to maintain the stability of the device. Among them, the slide table moving device 94 is fixedly installed below or at the bottom of the base 92 to precisely control the left-right horizontal movement of the nozzle device 100. The spacer 96 is placed below the motor 98 and fixedly placed above the side of the base 92 to keep the rotation axis 70 of the motor 98 horizontally aligned with the rotation axis of the multi-channel rotary joint 105. The motor 98 is connected to the multi-channel rotary joint 105 through the coupling 99. The multi-channel rotary joint 105, the motor 98, and the coupling 99 can be assembled through mechanical cooperation and mechanical connection methods, so that the motor 98 can provide rotational power for the multi-channel rotary joint 105.

[0027] Such as Figure 4As shown, the multi-channel rotary joint 105 according to some examples includes a fixed outer housing 110 and a rotating body 120 that can rotate relative to the outer housing 110. The outer housing 110 and the rotating body 120 are coupled by a ball bearing 150. The ball bearing 150 may include a front bearing 151 and a rear bearing 159. An elastic retaining ring 154 is provided outside the rear bearing 159 to axially fix the rear bearing 159. The mandrel 140 that is tightly fitted with the rotating body 120 is connected to the coupling through mechanical cooperation and mechanical connection, so that the motor 98 can drive the multi-channel rotary joint 105 to perform a rotational motion. The outer surfaces of the outer housing 110, the rotating body 120, and the mandrel 140 may also include insulating materials to prevent electrostatic discharge, thereby improving the safety and stability of the electrospinning process.

[0028] Inside the outer housing 110 of the multi-channel rotary joint 105, a plurality of (for example, 2 to 8) independent radial fluid channels 118 are also arranged, as well as corresponding annular flow channels 116 that communicate with the radial fluid channels 118. The inner diameter of the annular flow channel 116 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the radial channel 118 connected thereto. To prevent leakage of the feed liquid, O-ring seals 152 may be provided on both sides of each annular flow channel 116. The other end of the radial fluid channel 118 of the outer housing 110 is connected to the adapter 106, for example, by a threaded connection, to transmit the high-pressure spinning solution through the radial fluid channel 118 to the bent needle 130.

[0029] An L-shaped axial fluid channel 122 is arranged inside the rotating body 120. One end of the axial fluid channel 122 is in fluid communication with the annular flow channel 116 on the outer housing 110. The other end of the axial fluid channel 122 is in fluid communication with the bent needle 130, for example, by a threaded connection, so that the spinning solution can be transmitted from each fluid channel of the multi-channel rotary joint 105 to the bent needle 130. The number of the radial fluid channels 118, the annular flow channels 116 of the outer housing 110, the L-shaped axial channels 122 of the rotating body 120, the bent needles 130, and the adapters 106 are all kept consistent.

[0030] As Figure 5 shown, the bent needles 130 may be circumferentially distributed about the rotation axis 70 of the rotating body 120 or circumferentially symmetrically arranged about the rotation axis 70. In some specific examples, the diameter of the bent needle 130 may be 0.01 mm to 1.5 mm, and the bending angle may be 0 degrees to 90 degrees.

[0031] In some examples, both the support 90 and the base 92 are made of plastic materials. The slide moving device 94 can be connected to the base 92 by bolts, and its left and right moving range can be adjusted between 20 cm and 100 cm.

[0032] In order to improve the rotational speed control accuracy of the multi-channel rotary joint 105, plastic spacers 96 and a servo motor 98 with a matching height can also be used, and a coupling 99 is used to key-connect the rotating shaft of the motor 98 and the rotating shaft of the rotary joint 105. Preferably, the accuracy of the key connection can be that the length accuracy is less than 0.1 mm and the width accuracy is less than 0.01 mm.

[0033] In some specific examples, two syringes 202 can be provided on the liquid supply device 200. Two pre-configured spinning precursor solutions are respectively injected into the syringes 202. Through the polyethylene conduit 210, the spinning precursor solution is injected into the transmission channel of the multi-channel rotary joint 105 through the metal adapter 106. The metal adapter 106 is threadedly connected to the multi-channel rotary joint 105, which is convenient for installation and disassembly.

[0034] Preferably, the multi-channel adapter 105 can be made of stainless steel material to meet the requirements of conductivity and corrosion resistance. Among them, the corresponding outer surfaces of the outer housing 110, the rotating body 120 and the mandrel 140 can also be sprayed with an insulating coating material to prevent static electricity. The insulating coating material can be a polyurethane coating, a polyurethane-sulfide oxide coating, a high-density polyethylene coating, etc. The outer housing 110 is connected to the rotating body 120 through a ball bearing 150. The inner diameter of the inner ring of the ball bearing 150 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the rotating body 120, so that the rotating body 120 can be firmly connected to the ball bearing 150. The outer ring of the ball bearing 150 is in transitional fit with the outer housing 110, so that the rotating body 120 can rotate relative to the outer housing 110.

[0035] In some specific examples, the diameter of the radial fluid channel 118 of the outer housing 110 of the multi-channel rotary joint 105 may be 2 millimeters. The width of the annular flow channel 116 communicating with the radial fluid channel 118 may be slightly greater than 2 millimeters. The inner diameter of the L-shaped axial channel 122 in the rotating body 120 communicating with the annular flow channel 116 may be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the annular flow channel 116. For example, the inner diameter of the axial channel 122 may be about 1.5 millimeters to prevent leakage of the spinning solution. The bent needle 130 communicates with the other end of the L-shaped axial channel 122 of the rotating body 120. The inner diameter of the bent needle 130 may be, for example, 0.5 millimeters, and the bending angle may be, for example, 45 degrees. The bent needle 130 may be made of stainless steel. When two kinds of spinning solutions pass through the polyethylene conduit 210 and the adapter 106 and reach the tip of the bent needle 130 along the respective fluid channels provided in the multi-channel rotary joint 105, the power supply device transmits high-voltage electricity through the flow channel to the tip of the bent needle 130 through the wire connected to the adapter 106, so that a Taylor cone is formed at the tip of the liquid droplet and ejected from the tip of the bent needle 130 in the form of a jet. The jet volatilizes with the solvent and gradually solidifies, intertwines, and winds with each other under the action of rotational movement to form a helically wound composite fiber bundle, which is finally deposited on the receiving device 400. By this method, composite fibers with consistency, high strength, and high quality can be manufactured.

[0036] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly stated, the singular "a" and "an" may be construed to include the plural "one or more".

[0037] The disclosure is for illustrative and descriptive purposes and is not exhaustive or restrictive. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The example embodiments selected and described herein are for the purpose of explaining the principles and practical applications, enabling those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the various modifications suitable for the various embodiments of the disclosure to achieve the desired specific technical effects.

[0038] Therefore, although illustrative example embodiments are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the description is not restrictive, and those of ordinary skill in the art can make various other changes and modifications without departing from the scope or creative concept and implementation of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A nozzle device for electrospinning, characterized in that, The nozzle device includes: A housing body, the housing body includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and an annular flow channel is formed on the inner surface; A rotating body, the rotating body is connected to the housing body through a bearing and can rotate relative to the housing body about a rotation axis, wherein a fluid channel is arranged in the rotating body, and the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the annular flow channel; and A nozzle, the nozzle is in fluid communication with the fluid channel.

2. The nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing body is formed with a radial fluid channel communicating between the inner surface and the outer surface, and the annular flow channel is in communication with the radial fluid channel.

3. The nozzle device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing body includes a plurality of annular flow channels, and the plurality of annular channels are arranged at intervals in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.

4. The nozzle device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of annular flow channels are formed as a plurality of corresponding grooves provided in the inner surface in the circumferential direction.

5. The nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a wire connected to the nozzle for transmitting electric power to a corresponding tip of the nozzle.

6. The nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle includes a plurality of bent needles, each of which includes a bent portion bent toward the rotation axis and an extension portion parallel to the rotation axis.

7. The nozzle device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of bent needles are arranged circumferentially symmetrically about the rotation axis.

8. The nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a motor, the motor is coupled to the rotating body, and the motor is used to drive the rotating body to rotate relative to the housing body.

9. The nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surfaces of the housing body and the rotating body are both coated with an insulating material for preventing electrostatic discharge.

10. An electrospinning device, characterized in that, It includes: The nozzle device according to claims 1 to 9; A liquid supply device coupled to the nozzle device, the liquid supply device is configured to supply a spinning solution to the nozzle device; A power supply device, the power supply device is configured to supply electric power to the nozzle device; And A receiving device, the receiving device is configured to receive a composite fiber bundle formed by the nozzle device.

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