Nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and method of manufacturing nanofibers

Abstract

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus ( 100 ) which produces nanofibers ( 301 ) by electrically stretching a solution ( 300 ) in space. The apparatus includes: an effusing body ( 115 ) having effusing holes ( 118 ) for effusing the solution into the space, a tip part ( 116 ) in which openings ( 119 ) are arranged at given intervals, and two side wall parts ( 117 ) provided so as to extend from both sides of the tip part so that the effusing holes are located between the side wall parts and the distance between the side wall parts increases with the distance from the tip part; a charging electrode ( 121 ) disposed at a given distance from the effusing body; and a charging power supply ( 122 ) which applies a given voltage between the effusing body and the charging electrode.

1 . A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus for producing nanofibers by electrically stretching a solution in space, the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus comprising:
 an effusing body including a tip part having an elongated flat face, a plurality of effusing holes terminating in openings in an outer surface of the elongated flat face, and two side wall parts extending along both sides of the effusing holes, the side wall parts rising from the tip part such that the distance between the side wall parts increases in a direction away from the tip part, wherein the openings are disposed at given intervals to form a one-dimensional array and the tip part has a width that is larger than a diameter of the openings;   a charging electrode disposed at a given distance from the effusing body; and   a charging power supply for applying a given voltage between the effusing body and the charging electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the effusing body further includes:
 a supply unit for supplying the solution to the effusing holes at a given pressure; and   a storage tank connected to the effusing holes, the storage tank storing the solution supplied from said supply unit, and supplying the solution to the effusing holes.   
     
     
         3 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip part has a rectangular shape having a width which is larger than a diameter of the openings provided in the tip part. 
     
     
         4 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising;
 an accumulating unit on which the nanofibers produced in the space are accumulated; and   an attracting unit configured to attract the nanofibers to said accumulating unit.   
     
     
         5 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a moving unit configured to move at least one of the effusing body and the accumulating unit relative to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the effusing body has a structure which allows (i) disassembly of the effusing body into parts to expose surfaces forming the effusing holes and (ii) re-assembly of the parts into the effusing body. 
     
     
         7 . The nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip part has a smooth surface which fills the intervals between the openings.