Multi-nozzle pump for application of viscous solution

Abstract

To provide a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution, which dispenses the viscous solution through a plurality of nozzles with high resolution.SOLUTION: The multi-nozzle pump for applying the viscous solution has advantages of being capable of narrowing intervals between the nozzles and reducing a total size while capable of simultaneously or individually applying the viscous solution through the plurality of nozzles. In addition, according to the multi-nozzle pump for applying the viscous solution, the intervals between the plurality of nozzles may be formed to be narrow as compared with the entire size and the pressing force, and thus, the viscous solution of high viscosity may be applied with high resolution advantageously.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution, and more particularly, to a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution with high resolution through a plurality of nozzles.

Background Art

[0002] Dispensers that supply a fixed amount of solutions in a liquid state, such as water, oil, and resin, are used in various fields such as semiconductor processes and the medical field.

[0003] Recently, attempts have been made to use a dispenser in the form of applying a viscous solution through a nozzle even in the process of applying a sealant or exterior paint in the manufacturing process of automobiles.

[0004] In the case of the automobile manufacturing process, a dispenser with a structure that can easily adjust the shape in the figure, the thickness (width) of the line, various patterns, etc. while applying a solution with a relatively high viscosity over a large area is required. In order to apply such a large area in a short time, a pump with a structure having a plurality of nozzles is required. Further, in order to apply a viscous solution with high resolution to an accurate position, a dispenser with a structure in which the interval between a plurality of nozzles is narrow and the discharge of the viscous solution from each nozzle can be individually adjusted is required.

[0005] In addition, in order to apply a large volume of a viscous solution with a high viscosity to a relatively large area, the driving pressure of the pump must be increased, so the size of the pump itself becomes large. However, in order to apply a viscous solution with high resolution while moving the pump using a robot to the internal structure of an automobile having a complicated shape, the driving force of the pump must be strong while the size of the pump must be small. Also, the interval between the nozzles must be narrow.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution in a form that can have a small size and a narrow interval between nozzles while strongly discharging a highly viscous solution through a plurality of nozzles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present invention includes a pump body, a lever rotatably provided with respect to a hinge shaft installed in the pump body, a valve rod connected to the lever so as to move up and down in accordance with the rotation of the lever, and a piezoelectric actuator whose end contacts the lever and is installed in the pump body so as to pressurize the lever and rotate the lever about the hinge shaft while increasing in length when a voltage is applied, and a plurality of pump units including the piezoelectric actuator; A pump support member to which the plurality of pump units are coupled and fixed in a state where at least a part of the plurality of pump units is arranged such that the interval between the other adjacent pump units decreases as they proceed in the direction in which the valve rod is located; and A valve body including a plurality of storage portions into which the ends of the valve rods of the plurality of pump units are respectively inserted and in which a solution is stored, and a plurality of nozzles formed to communicate with the plurality of storage portions respectively so that the solution in the plurality of storage portions is discharged as the plurality of valve rods move forward and backward with respect to the plurality of storage portions by the plurality of levers.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present invention has the advantage that it can apply the viscous solution simultaneously or individually through a plurality of nozzles, and can narrow the interval between the nozzles and reduce the overall size.

[0010] Further, the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present invention can be configured such that the interval between a plurality of nozzles is narrower than the overall size and the pressing force, so that there is an advantage that a highly viscous solution can be applied with high resolution.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of pump units 100, a pump support member 200, a valve body 300, and a control unit 600.

[0015] Each of the plurality of pump units 100 includes a pump body 110, a lever 130, a valve rod 140, and piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172.

[0016] The lever 130 and the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 are installed and supported on the pump body 110. In the case of the present embodiment, in the pump unit 100, a pair of piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 are installed on the pump body 110. The piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 are composed of piezoelectric elements. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the length of the piezoelectric actuator increases or decreases according to the potential of the applied voltage. A hinge shaft 150 is installed on the pump body 110, and the lever 130 is rotatably provided with respect to the hinge shaft 150. At both sides centered on the hinge shaft 150, the ends of the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 are installed so as to contact the lever 130. When a voltage is applied and the lengths of the piezoelectric actuators alternately extend, the lever 130 is pushed into the piezoelectric actuator and rotates with respect to the hinge shaft 150. When voltages are applied to the pair of piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 in opposite directions, the lever 130 sequentially performs a reciprocating rotational motion with respect to the hinge shaft 150. In the present embodiment, multi-stack type piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 composed of a plurality of stacked piezoelectric elements are used.

[0017] The valve rod 140 extends vertically and is connected to the end of the lever 130. When the lever 130 rotates with respect to the hinge axis 150, the valve rod 140 moves up and down with respect to the valve body 300 by the lever 130.

[0018] In the case of this embodiment, five pump units 100 configured as described above are provided. Such pump units 100 are arranged radially at equal angular intervals from each other as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the pump units 100 are arranged such that the distance between adjacent other pump units 100 decreases as the lever 130 advances toward the valve body 300, and are coupled to the pump support member 200. The pump support member 200 is configured to fixedly couple and support the position and direction of such pump units 100. By arranging the pump units 100 in this way, it is possible to configure the distance between the valve rods 140 to be narrow.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the valve body 300 includes a plurality of storage portions 310 and a plurality of nozzles 330. The number of the storage portions 310 is the same as the number of the pump units 100. In the case of this embodiment, five storage portions 310 are formed in the valve body 300. A viscous solution is stored in the storage portion 310. Also, the lower portions of the valve rods 140 of the pump units 100 are respectively formed to be inserted into the respective storage portions 310. In conjunction with the reciprocating rotational movement of the lever 130, the valve rods 140 respectively perform a reciprocating forward and backward movement with respect to the storage portion 310. The plurality of nozzles 330 are formed in the valve body 300 so as to communicate with the respective storage portions 310. In response to the operation of the valve rod 140, the viscous solution stored in the storage portion 310 is discharged to the outside through the nozzle 330. In the case of this embodiment, five nozzles 330 are formed in the valve body 300 so as to be arranged linearly at equal intervals.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 5, in the case of this embodiment, five springs 350 are installed in the valve body 300. The springs 350 are each installed so as to push the valve rod 140 in a direction away from the nozzle 330. The springs 350 serve to assist the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 in raising the valve rod 140. Due to the pressing force of the springs 350, the valve rod 140 rises and moves away from the nozzle 330, whereby the valve rod 140 opens the nozzles 330 respectively.

[0021] The storage portions 310 may be formed independently of each other or may be formed so as to communicate with each other. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the storage portions 310 are formed so as to communicate with other adjacent storage portions 310. Further, an inlet 301 and an outlet 302 are formed in the valve body 300. The viscous solution is supplied to the storage portion 310 through the inlet 301. When the viscous solution is not discharged through the nozzle 330, the viscous solution in the storage portion 310 returns to the storage tank through the outlet 302 and circulates.

[0022] The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to this embodiment can discharge the viscous solution in two modes according to the configurations of the pump unit 100 and the valve body 300. When discharging the viscous solution in the continuous mode, the valve rod 140 serves to open and close the corresponding nozzles 330. When the valve rod 140 is in contact with the nozzles 330, the nozzles 330 are in a closed state. When the valve rod 140 is lifted by the lever 130 and the spring 350, the nozzles 330 are opened and the viscous solution is discharged through the nozzles 330. In order to discharge the viscous solution at an appropriate pressure, the viscous solution is supplied to the inlet 301 at an appropriate pressure. When discharging the viscous solution in the pulse mode, the viscous solution is discharged through the nozzles 330 in a so-called jetting method. When the valve rod 140 descends toward the nozzles 330 at a high speed and then rises, the moment of the valve rod 140 is transmitted to the viscous solution and the viscous solution is discharged through the nozzles 330 in the form of droplets or a similar form. At this time, according to the characteristics of the viscous solution or the characteristics of the solution application, the valve rod 140 may also descend to a position where it contacts the nozzles 330 or rise after descending to a position where it does not contact the nozzles 330. Such a stroke of the valve rod 140 is adjusted by operating the pump unit 100 by the control unit 600.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 5, an inflow channel 410 is connected to the inflow port 301 of the valve body 300. A pressure pump 450 is installed in the inflow channel 410 to pressurize the solution and supply it to the inflow port 301 with sufficient pressure. Various types of pumps can be used for the pressure pump 450. In the case of this embodiment, a pressure pump 450 in the form of a gear pump as shown in FIG. 7 is used. The gear pump has the advantage of being able to transmit a highly viscous solution to the inflow port 301 of the valve body 300 with sufficient pressure. In the case of this embodiment, a pressure pump 450 having the structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 is used. The pressure pump 450 includes a servo motor 453 and a gear box. The control unit 600 controls the operation of the servo motor 453. The drive gear 451 rotates by the servo motor 453, and the driven gear 452 meshes with the drive gear 451 and rotates. Due to the rotation of the drive gear 451 and the driven gear 452 installed in the gear box, the viscous solution is pressurized and transmitted to the inflow channel 410.

[0024] A pressure sensor 411 is installed in the inflow channel 410 between the pressure pump 450 and the inflow port 301. The measured value of the pressure sensor 411 is transmitted to the control unit 600. The control unit 600 receives the feedback of the measured value of the pressure sensor 411 and controls the operation of the pressure pump 450 and the pump unit 100. When the control unit 600 operates the valve rods 140 of the pump unit 100 individually or simultaneously, the pressure in the storage unit 310 changes according to the opening of each nozzle 330. The pressure sensor 411 measures such a pressure change, and the control unit 600 adjusts the operation of the pressure pump 450 so that the viscous solution is supplied at an appropriate pressure according to the application of the viscous solution. The control unit 600 controls the operation of the pressure pump 450 so that a preset constant pressure is maintained in the storage unit 310. Although the pressure in the storage unit 310 may decrease according to the number of nozzles 330 opened by the valve rod 140 and the spring 350, the control unit 600 operates the pressure pump 450 to compensate for such a pressure drop.

[0025] An outflow passage 420 is connected to the outflow port 302 of the valve body 300. The viscous solution that has not been discharged from the storage section 310 via the nozzle 330 returns to the storage tank via the outflow passage 420. An outflow valve 430 is installed in the outflow passage 420. The control unit 600 also controls the operation of the outflow valve 430. When all the nozzles 330 are closed by the valve rod 140, the outflow valve 430 is opened, and the viscous solution circulates while continuously returning to the storage tank. By circulating the viscous solution through the outflow valve 430 and the outflow passage 420 in this way, hardening of the viscous solution can be prevented. Also, the valve body 300 may be heated to increase the temperature of the viscous solution due to the discharge characteristics of the viscous solution. In such a case, by circulating the viscous solution through the outflow valve 430 and the outflow passage 420, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the viscous solution from rising unnecessarily or the viscous solution from hardening.

[0026] Next, the operation of the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to an embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0027] First, the control unit 600 operates the pressure pump 450 to supply the viscous solution to the inlet port 301 of the valve body 300 through the inflow passage 410. At this time, the control unit 600 receives feedback of the measured value of the pressure sensor 411 installed in the inflow passage 410 and operates the pressure pump 450 so that the viscous solution can be supplied at a predetermined pressure.

[0028] When using the pressure pump 450 in the form of a gear pump, even a highly viscous solution can be pressurized with sufficient pressure and supplied to the inlet port 301. In the case of this embodiment, the gear connected to the servo motor 453 is driven to pressurize the viscous solution. The control unit 600 controls the pressure pump 450 by adjusting the angular displacement and angular velocity of the servo motor 453 so that the viscous solution reaches the target pressure.

[0029] The viscous solution supplied through the inlet 301 is supplied to the storage unit 310. At this time, the control unit 600 closes the corresponding nozzle 330 by operating the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 to lower the valve rod 140. Also, by the control unit 600 closing the outflow valve 430 as well, the viscous solution is in a state of being confined in the storage unit 310.

[0030] In such a state, the control unit 600 operates the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 to raise and lower the valve rod 140. When the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172 rotate the lever 130 in the direction of raising the valve rod 140, the valve rod 140 rises with the help of the pressing force of the spring 350 to open the corresponding nozzle 330. When the nozzle 330 is opened, the viscous solution is discharged through the nozzle 330 due to the pressure of the viscous solution stored in the storage unit 310.

[0031] When the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to the present embodiment is installed in a separate conveying device or a conveying robot and discharges the viscous solution through the nozzle 330 while moving, the viscous solution can be discharged in various forms such as curves, straight lines, and dotted lines. In the case of the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present embodiment, since it is configured to include five nozzles 330, when the control unit 600 discharges the viscous solution while individually raising and lowering each valve rod 140, it is possible to apply the viscous solution to the target material while drawing various patterns similar to the printing method.

[0032] Also, as described above, since the pressure pump 450 in the form of a gear pump is used to pressurize the viscous solution at a high pressure and discharge it through the nozzle 330, the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present embodiment can apply a highly viscous solution precisely and delicately, and can also accurately apply the viscous solution to a target product at a relatively long distance.

[0033] Also, as described above, since the five pump units 100 are arranged at equal angular intervals from each other, even if the volume of the pump unit 100 is relatively large, the interval between the nozzles 330 can be configured to be smaller than the interval between the pump units 100. Therefore, by finely arranging the intervals of the nozzles 330 of the valve body 300 so that the intervals between the plurality of nozzles 330 become narrow, it is possible to accurately and precisely apply the viscous solution in various patterns with a relatively high resolution.

[0034] As described above, the valve body 300 of the present embodiment is formed such that the five storage portions 310 communicate with each other. Therefore, the viscous solution can be simultaneously supplied to each storage portion 310 through one inflow port 301. With such a configuration, there is an advantage that the valve body 300 can be miniaturized.

[0035] On the other hand, the degree of pressure drop in the storage portion 310 can vary depending on the number of nozzles 330 that are opened when the control unit 600 raises and lowers the valve rod 140 simultaneously or individually. At this time, the control unit 600 receives the transmission of the measured value of the pressure sensor 411 installed in the inflow channel 410 and operates the pressure pump 450 to compensate for the decreased pressure. By such a method, the control unit 600 can keep the discharge characteristics of the viscous solution discharged from each nozzle 330 constant.

[0036] In some cases, prior to generating an operation signal for opening the nozzle 330 by each valve rod 140, the control unit 600 can operate the pressure pump 450 to increase or decrease the pressure of the viscous solution in advance for a predetermined time. The control unit 600 can consider the number of nozzles 330 opened by raising the valve rod 140, calculate the resulting pressure drop, and operate the pressure pump 450 so as to compensate for that value. Also, considering the difference between the time it takes for the pressure in the storage unit 310 to increase or decrease due to the operation of the pressure pump 450 and the time it takes for the valve rod 140 to move up and down by the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172, the control unit 600 can operate the pressure pump 450 in advance regardless of the measured value of the pressure sensor 411.

[0037] When the valve body 300 does not apply the viscous solution, all the valve rods 140 are lowered and all the nozzles 330 are in a closed state. In such a case, the control unit 600 opens the outflow valve 430 so that the viscous solution supplied to the storage unit 310 by the pressure pump 450 returns to the storage tank. When the outflow valve 430 is opened, the viscous solution circulates while continuously returning to the storage tank. By circulating the viscous solution in this way, it is possible to prevent the viscous solution from hardening and sticking around the nozzle 330 or the storage unit 310. Also, when the valve body 300 is heated, circulating the viscous solution can prevent the temperature of the viscous solution from rising unnecessarily.

[0038] On the one hand, as described above, when the valve rod 140 rises to open the nozzle 330, the viscous solution is discharged in a continuous mode. Different from such a continuous mode, it is also possible to discharge the viscous solution in a pulse mode (jetting method). In this case, the control unit 600 causes the pressurizing pump 450 to supply the viscous solution at a relatively low pressure. In this case, even when the valve rod 140 is in the raised state, the viscous solution is not discharged through the nozzle 330. In the case of the jetting method, when the valve rod 140 rapidly descends due to the piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172, the viscous solution around the lower end of the valve rod 140 is discharged through the nozzle 330 due to the moment of the valve rod 140.

[0039] The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to the present embodiment can be selected and used in either the continuous mode or the pulse mode according to the characteristics including the viscosity of the viscous solution, the purpose of discharging the viscous solution, or the characteristics of the target product.

[0040] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to preferred examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the forms described and illustrated above.

[0041] For example, although it was described above that the pump unit 100 has a structure including two piezoelectric actuators 171 and 172, the number and arrangement structure of the piezoelectric actuators can be variously deformed. Although the case of a structure using the spring 350 for the rise of the valve rod 140 has been described and illustrated above, it is also possible to configure a pump unit having a structure that uses only piezoelectric actuators without using the spring 350. Further, it is also possible to install a spring so as to apply a pressure in the downward direction of the valve rod instead of the rise of the valve broad and use it. Further, it is also possible to configure the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution of the present invention by installing a displacement detection sensor on the piezoelectric actuator, the lever, or the valve rod and adjusting the behavior of the valve rod by the control unit.

[0042] Also, although it has been described above that five pump units 100 are arranged at equal angular intervals and installed on the pump support member 200, the number of pump units and the arrangement relationship between the pump units can be variously deformed as required. The interval and positional relationship between the plurality of nozzles of the valve body can also be variously deformed as required.

[0043] Also, although it has been described above that the valve body 300 is configured such that the plurality of storage portions 310 communicate with each other, it is also possible to configure the storage portions to be isolated from each other without communicating with each other.

[0044] Also, the structure of the pressure pump 450 installed in the inflow passage 410 can be deformed into various other forms of pumps in addition to the gear pump form described above. In some cases, it is also possible to implement a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution having a structure without a pressure pump. It is also possible to perform a multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution having a structure in which a pressure sensor is not installed in the inflow passage.

[0045] Also, although it has been described that the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution in the above-described embodiment can be used in both the continuous mode and the pulse mode, in some cases, it is also possible to configure the multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution to operate only in either the continuous mode or the pulse mode.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0046] 100 Pump unit 110 Pump body 130 Lever 140 Valve rod 150 Hinge shaft 171, 172 Piezoelectric actuator 200 Pump support member 300 Valve body 310 Storage portion 330 Nozzle 301 Inlet 302 Outlet 410 Inflow passage 411 Pressure Sensor 420 Outflow Channel 430 Outflow Valve 450 Pressure Pump 451 Driving Gear 452 Driven Gear 453 Servo Motor 600 Control Unit 350 Spring

Claims

1. A plurality of pump units, comprising: a pump body; a lever rotatably provided with respect to a hinge shaft installed in the pump body; a valve rod connected to the lever so as to move up and down in accordance with the rotation of the lever; and a piezoelectric actuator having an end portion thereof in contact with the lever and installed in the pump body so as to pressurize the lever and rotate the lever about the hinge shaft while increasing in length when a voltage is applied. A pump support member to which the plurality of pump units are coupled and fixed in a state where at least a part of the plurality of pump units are arranged such that the distance between the other adjacent pump units decreases as they move in the direction in which the valve rod is located. And A valve body including: a plurality of storage portions into which end portions of the valve rods of the plurality of pump units are respectively inserted and in which a solution is stored; and a plurality of nozzles formed to communicate with the plurality of storage portions so that the solution in the plurality of storage portions is discharged as the plurality of valve rods move forward and backward with respect to the plurality of storage portions by the plurality of levers. A multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution.

2. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pump units are arranged at equal angular intervals from each other.

3. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pump units are arranged such that the distance between them decreases as they approach the valve body, and are coupled to the pump support member.

4. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 3, wherein the valve body has the plurality of nozzles arranged in a straight line at equal intervals.

5. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is formed such that the plurality of storage portions communicate with each other.

6. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: an inlet through which the solution is supplied to the plurality of storage portions; and an outlet through which the solution in the plurality of storage portions is discharged.

7. An inflow channel connected to the inlet of the valve body; The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 6, further comprising a pressurizing pump installed in the inflow channel so as to pressurize the solution and supply it to the inlet.

8. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 7, further comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the plurality of pump units and the pressure pump.

9. Further comprising a pressure sensor installed in the inflow passage connecting the pressure pump and the valve body for measuring the pressure of the solution, The control unit controls the operation of the pressure pump upon receiving the transmission of the measured value of the pressure sensor. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 8.

10. In the valve body, the plurality of nozzles are individually opened and closed according to the advancement and retraction of the plurality of valve rods, and the solution is discharged. The control unit operates the pressure pump so as to compensate the pressures of the plurality of storage parts by the individual opening and closing of the plurality of nozzles according to the individual operations of the plurality of valve rods. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 9.

11. The pressure pump is configured in the form of a gear pump. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 8.

12. The plurality of pump units operate to discharge the solution through the plurality of nozzles in a jetting manner as the plurality of valve rods advance and retract with respect to the plurality of storage parts. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 6.

13. An outflow passage connected to the outlet of the valve body for returning the solution from the plurality of storage parts to the storage tank, and An outflow valve installed in the outflow passage, further comprising, The control unit controls the operation of the outflow valve. The multi-nozzle pump for applying a viscous solution according to claim 9.

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