Electrospinning apparatus

Abstract

An electrospinning apparatus capable of: forming a buffer section between the respective units of the electrospinning apparatus and installing a vertically movable adjustment roller in the buffer section to adjust the transfer speed and time of a long sheet, which passes through the respective units, for each section and prevents the crumpling, sagging, snapping, breakage, and damage of the elongated sheet, avoiding abnormal transfer of the elongated sheet due to electrostatic attraction during electrospinning and, in a nanofiber production step, disposing an apparatus for detecting the sagging of the elongated sheet before and after a spinning zone, detecting the sagging of the elongated sheet, and transmitting the signal to an apparatus for assisting the transfer of the elongated sheet so as to adjust the transfer speed of the elongated sheet. This automatically improves the sagging of the sheet and thereby effectively prevent the problem caused by the sagging of the sheet.

1 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; a case is provided in the unit and comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; a nozzle block is provided in the case, in which a plurality of nozzles in pin form are arranged; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet is located between the nozzle block and the collector, and is moved in desired speed, on which polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated; an auxiliary belt for moving the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller for supporting and simultaneously operating the auxiliary belt; and thereby jetting spinning solution on the elongated sheet in upper side of the collector through the nozzle in each of the units,   further comprising an elongated sheet carrying speed adjusting system, including buffer section formed between each of the unit, a pair of support roller supporting the elongated sheet on the buffer section, and one or more of adjusting roller provided between a pair of the support roller, movable between upper or lower side, winding the elongated sheet, thereby the carrying speed of the elongated sheet according to each of the unit is adjusted.   
     
     
         2 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated sheet carrying speed adjusting system further comprises a sensing sensor for sensing carrying speed of the elongated sheet inside each of the unit, and a main control device which controls movement of an adjusting roller according to sensed carrying speed of the elongated sheet in each unit by the sensing sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein in the case sensed carrying speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of front-end is faster than sensed carrying speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of rear-end by the sensing sensor, the main control device moves the adjusting roller provided between a pair of the support roller to lower side, so that carrying speed of the elongated speed located in the unit of front-end and the carrying speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of rear-end are modified and controlled to the same level. 
     
     
         4 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein in the case carrying speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of front-end is slower than speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of rear-end by the sensing sensor, the main control device moves the adjusting roller provided between a pair of the support roller to upper side, so that speed of the elongated speed located in the unit of front-end and the carrying speed of the elongated sheet located in the unit of rear-end are modified and controlled to the same level. 
     
     
         5 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; a case is provided in the unit and comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; a nozzle block is provided in the case, in which a plurality of nozzles in pin form are arranged; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet is located between the nozzle block and the collector, and is moved in desired speed, on which polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated; an auxiliary belt for moving the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller for supporting and simultaneously operating the auxiliary belt,   wherein the auxiliary belt roller comprising a roller with low friction coefficient so that assists the carrying of the elongated sheet without separate driving device.   
     
     
         6 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary belt roller is provided with one or more the auxiliary belt rollers. 
     
     
         7 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary belt roller is selected from the group consisting of low friction coefficient rolling bearing, oil bearing, ball bearing, roller bearing, sliding bearing, sleeve bearing, hydrodynamic journal bearing, hydrostatic journal bearing, pneumatic bearing, air dynamic bearing, air static bearing, or air bearing. 
     
     
         8 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein nanofiber discharging amount staked on the elongated sheet is adjusted by adjusting the auxiliary belt roller upper and lower level. 
     
     
         9 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; provided in the unit, a case comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; provided in the case, a nozzle block which arranges a plurality of nozzles in pin form; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet located between the nozzle block and the collector, moves in desired speed, and polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated on; an auxiliary belt which moves the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller which supports and simultaneously operates the auxiliary belt,   further comprising a sheet slacking sensing device which senses slacking of the elongated sheet in front and rear side of each unit; and an auxiliary belt driving device which receives signal from the auxiliary belt driving device and controls the speed of the auxiliary belt roller in each unit.   
     
     
         10 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the sheet slacking sensing device is one among optic sensor, ultrasonic sensor, image sensor, or tension meter. Also, the auxiliary belt driving device is motor. 
     
     
         11 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; a case is provided in the unit and comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; a nozzle block is provided in the case, in which a plurality of nozzles in pin form are arranged; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet is located between the nozzle block and the collector, and is moved in desired speed, on which polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated; an auxiliary belt for moving the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller for supporting and simultaneously operating the auxiliary belt,   further comprising the sheet slacking sensing device for sensing the slacking of the elongated sheet in front and rear side of each of the unit.   
     
     
         12 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sheet slacking sensing device is one among optic sensor, ultrasonic sensor, image sensor, or tension meter, and the auxiliary belt driving device is motor. 
     
     
         13 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; a case is provided in the unit and comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; a nozzle block is provided in the case, in which a plurality of nozzles in pin form are arranged; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet is located between the nozzle block and the collector, and is moved in desired speed, on which polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated; an auxiliary belt for moving the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller for supporting and simultaneously operating the auxiliary belt,   further comprising air permeability measuring device for measuring air permeability of nanofiber laminating formed on the elongated sheet of each unit is installed, so that carrying speed of the elongated sheet laminating forming nanofiber is controlled, or the nozzle block discharge amount is controlled, or the voltage generating device voltage is controlled.   
     
     
         14 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the elongated sheet carrying speed control or the nozzle block discharging amount control or the voltage generating device voltage control is based on deviation between air permeability measured from the air permeability measuring device and desired goal air permeability. 
     
     
         15 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the air permeability measuring device measures air permeability of nanofiber laminating forming on the elongated sheet by ultrasonic wave. 
     
     
         16 . An electrospinning apparatus for producing nanofiber, comprising:
 one or more in series arranged unit; a case is provided in the unit and comprising electric conductor or non-conductor; a nozzle block is provided in the case, in which a plurality of nozzles in pin form are arranged; a collector collecting spun and jetted polymer spinning solution which is located and installed over the nozzle block with a predetermined distance apart; a voltage generating device which connects minus terminal to the nozzle block and plus terminal to the collector; an elongated sheet is located between the nozzle block and the collector, and is moved in desired speed, on which polymer spinning solution nanofiber discharged from the nozzle block is stacked and laminated; an auxiliary belt for moving the elongated sheet in desired carrying speed; and an auxiliary belt roller for supporting and simultaneously operating the auxiliary belt,   further comprising a thickness measurement device for measuring thickness of nanofiber laminating forming on the elongated sheet in each unit, so that carrying speed of the elongated sheet laminating forming nanofiber is controlled, or the nozzle block discharge amount is controlled, or the voltage generating device voltage is controlled.   
     
     
         17 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the elongated sheet carrying speed control or the nozzle block discharge amount control or the voltage generating device voltage control is based on deviation between thickness measured from the thickness measuring device and desired goal thickness. 
     
     
         18 . The electrospinning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the thickness measurement device measures thickness of nanofiber laminating forming on the elongated sheet by ultrasonic, longitudinal wave and transverse wave.