Head unit, electrospinning head, and electrospinning apparatus

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electrospinning head includes a plurality of head units and a coupling structure, and the plurality of head units are coupled to one another through the coupling structure. Each head unit includes a unit main body and a nozzle. Inside the unit main body, a hollow storing a raw material liquid is formed along a longitudinal axis. The nozzle is formed of a conductive material and provided on an outer circumferential surface of the unit main body. The nozzle ejects the raw material liquid supplied through the hollow of the unit main body. The coupling structure connects the plurality of head units in a state where the hollows of the unit main bodies communicate with one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A head unit comprising:
 a unit main body in which a hollow configured to store a raw material liquid is formed along a longitudinal axis of the head unit; and   a nozzle formed of a conductive material and provided on an outer circumferential surface of the unit main body, the nozzle being configured to eject the raw material liquid supplied through the hollow of the unit main body, and   the head unit further comprising:   a coupling structure capable of coupling another head unit to the head unit on at least one side in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the head unit,   wherein the coupling structure couples a unit main body of said another head unit to the unit main body of the head unit, in a state where the hollow of the unit main body of the head unit communicates with a hollow of the unit main body of said another head unit, so that a head flow passage is formed along the longitudinal axis by the hollow of the head unit and the hollow of said another head unit which communicates with the hollow of the head unit.   
     
     
         2 . The head unit according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 plural of the nozzle,   wherein the plural of the nozzle includes a first nozzle and a second nozzle provided so as to be shifted with respect to the first nozzle around the longitudinal axis of the head unit.   
     
     
         3 . An electrospinning head comprising:
 a plurality of head units arranged along a longitudinal axis of the electrospinning head; and   a coupling structure that couples the plurality of head units to one another;   each of the plurality of head units including:
 a unit main body in which a hollow configured to store a raw material liquid is formed along the longitudinal axis; and 
 a nozzle formed of a conductive material and provided on an outer circumferential surface of the unit main body, the nozzle being configured to eject the raw material liquid supplied through the hollow of the unit main body, 
   wherein the coupling structure couples the plurality of head units in a state where the hollows of the unit main bodies communicate with one another, so that a head flow passage is formed along the longitudinal axis by the hollows communicating with one another.   
     
     
         4 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 3 , wherein the nozzles in the plurality of head units are electrically connected to one another and come to have an identical electric potential to one another by application of a voltage. 
     
     
         5 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 3 , wherein the coupling structure is provided on an inner circumference side with respect to the outer circumferential surface of each unit main body and each nozzle of in the plurality of head units. 
     
     
         6 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 5 , wherein in each of the unit main bodies of the plurality of head units, a hole is formed along the longitudinal axis, on the inner circumference side with respect to the outer circumferential surface,
 the coupling structure includes a fastening member to be inserted into the hole, and   the plurality of head units are coupled to one another by fastening of the fastening member.   
     
     
         7 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 3 , wherein the coupling structure is provided away from the respective nozzles of the plurality of head units around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a sealing member provided between the head units adjacent to each other in a direction along the longitudinal axis, the sealing member being configured to maintain a space between the head units adjacent to each other in a liquid-tight manner so as to prevent the raw material liquid from flowing out of the head flow passage at a coupling face of the head units adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         9 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of head units includes plural of the nozzle,
 in each of the plurality of head units, the plural of the nozzle include a first nozzle and a second nozzle provided so as to be shifted with respect to the first nozzle around the longitudinal axis,   the first nozzles of the plurality of head units form a first nozzle row in which the first nozzles are arranged along the longitudinal axis, and   the second nozzles of the plurality of head units form a second nozzle row in which the second nozzles are arranged along the longitudinal axis, at a position shifted with respect to the first nozzle row around the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         10 . The electrospinning head according to  claim 9 , wherein the first nozzles in the first nozzle row and the second nozzles in the second nozzle row are arranged in a zigzag manner,
 the first nozzles and the second nozzles are alternately arranged in a direction along the longitudinal axis, and   a coupling face of the head units adjacent to each other in the direction along the longitudinal axis and a normal line direction of the coupling face are respectively inclined relative to the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         11 . An electrospinning apparatus comprising:
 the electrospinning head according to  claim 3 ;   a supply source configured to supply the raw material liquid to the head flow passage of the electrospinning head; and   an electric power source configured to apply a voltage to the electrospinning head.