Electronic spinning apparatus

• US 6,991,702 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Finetex Technology Global Ltd. (The InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance)
• Original Assignee: Jong Cheol Park, Nag-Yong Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Hag-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): YAO, SAMCHUAN CUA
• Application Number:
  US10/363,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 156/167, 156/379.6, 425/166, 425/174.6, 425/174.8 R, 425/174.8 E, 425/461, 264/10, 264/465
• US Class Current: 156/379.6
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/06 Feeding liquid to the spinning head constructions of pumps F04
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0069 characterised by the spinning section, e.g. capillary tube, protrusion or pin
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0084 Coating by electro-spinning, i.e. the electro-spun fibres are not removed from the collecting device but remain integral with it, e.g. coating of prostheses

Abstract

An electrospinning apparatus including a spinning dope main tank, a metering pump, a nozzle block, a collector positioned at the lower end of the nozzle block for collecting spun fibers, a voltage generator, a plurality of units for transmitting a voltage generated by the voltage generator to the nozzle block and the collector, said electrospinning apparatus containing

• • a spinning dope drop device positioned between the metering pump and the nozzle block, the spinning dope drove device having
  • (i) a sealed cylindrical shape,
  • (ii) a spinning dope inducing tube and a gas inletting tube for receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter aligned side-by-side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device,
  • (iii) a spinning dope discharge tube extending from the lower portion of the spinning dope drop device and
  • (iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube formed at the middle portion of the spinning dope drop device.

Claims

1. An electrospinning apparatus comprising a spinning dope main tank, a metering pump, a nozzle block, a collector, positioned at the lower end of the nozzle block for collecting spun fibers, a voltage generator, a plurality of units for transmitting a voltage generated by the voltage generator to the nozzle block and the collector, said electrospinning apparatus containing

a spinning dope drop device positioned between the metering pump and the nozzle block, the spinning dope drove device having

(i) a sealed cylindrical shape,

(ii) a spinning dope inducing tube and a gas inletting tube for receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter aligned side-by-side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device,

(iii) a spinning dope discharge tube extending from the lower portion of the spinning dope drop device and

(iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube formed at the middle portion of the spinning dope drop device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles are aligned in block units having at lest two pins or injection needles.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of pins of one nozzle block ranges from 2 to 100,000.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle pins have circular or different shaped sections.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle pins are aligned in a circumference shape, a lattice shape or a row line.

6. A method for the preparation of a non-woven fabric by electrospinning a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin spinning dope on a collector from a nozzle block and consecutively embossing a spun web, which comprises

passing a spinning dope from a spinning dope main tank through a metering pump and quantitatively supplied to a spinning dope drop device where the spinning dope is dropped;

the spinning dope is then provided supplied to the nozzle block provided with a voltage, whereby the nozzle block discharges the spinning dope onto the collector, said spinning dope drop device having

(i) a sealed cylindrical shape,

(ii) a spinning dope inducing tube and a gas inletting tube for receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter aligned side by side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device,

(iii) a spinning dope discharge tube extending from the lower portion of the spinning dope drop device, and

(iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube formed at the middle portion of the spinning dope drop device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the nozzles are aligned in block units having at least two pins.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein air or an inert gas is introduced into the spinning dope drop device.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the spinning dope is a melt or a solution.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein an endless belt is used as the collector.