# US 11,110,481 B2 · Liquid material discharge device, and application device and application method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,481 B2 - Document ID: US11110481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/304,819 - Filed: 2017-05-25 - Published: 2020-10-08 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-31 - Assignees: Musashi Engineering, Inc. - Applicants: Musashi Engineering, Inc. - Inventors: Kazumasa Ikushima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110481B2 ## CPC - B05C 5/02: {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work - B05C 5/00: Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work (B05C7/00 takes precedence; essentially involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B) - B05C 5/0225: {characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet (B05C5/0258, B05C5/0275 take precedence; supply valves upstream the coating head B05C11/1036)} - B05C 5/0237: {Fluid actuated valves} - B05C 11/10: Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} - B05C 11/1034: {specially designed for conducting intermittent application of small quantities, e.g. drops, of coating material (B05C5/0225, B05C11/1026 take precedence)} - B05C 11/1047: {Apparatus or installations for supplying liquid or other fluent material comprising a buffer container or an accumulator between the supply source and the applicator} - B05D 1/26: performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface - F16K 1/42: Valve seats (for double-seat valves F16K1/44) - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} ## Abstract A liquid material discharge device and method capable of remedying the problem of liquid leakage caused by a closing failure that may occur in a negative pressure environment. The liquid material discharge device is used in a negative pressure space, and includes a storage container, a compressed-gas supply source pressurizing the storage container, a nozzle having a discharge flow path, a reciprocating valve rod, an actuator driving the valve rod, a valve seat having a communication hole that is communicated with the discharge flow path, and a discharge control device controlling the actuator to open and close the communication hole by a tip of the valve rod. The device can further include a resin film disposed at a lower end of the valve rod, or a resin film disposed on an upper surface of the valve seat and having a through-hole communicating with the communication hole. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid material discharge device used in a negative pressure space, the liquid material discharge device comprising: a storage container storing a liquid material; a compressed-gas supply source pressurizing the storage container; a nozzle having a discharge flow path; a reciprocating valve rod; an actuator driving the valve rod; a valve seat having a communication hole that is communicated with the discharge flow path; and a discharge control device controlling the actuator to open and close the communication hole by a lower end of the valve rod, wherein the liquid material discharge device further comprises a resin film disposed and fixed in a replaceable manner at the lower end of the valve rod or a resin film disposed and fixed in a replaceable manner on an upper surface of the valve seat, the latter resin film having a through-hole that is communicated with the communication hole, the valve seat is constituted in a replaceable manner by a valve seat member having a planar upper surface and being fixed to the nozzle in a replaceable manner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat member is made of a material not deforming when pressed by the valve rod. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the resin film has a thickness of 10 to 1,000 μm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the valve rod or the upper surface of the valve seat member comes into plane contact with the resin film. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the lower end of the valve rod has a planar surface, and the upper surface of the valve seat member is planar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the resin film is made of engineering plastic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the valve rod and the valve seat member are each made of metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the resin film is 1/10 or less of a thickness of the valve seat member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the nozzle is constituted by a nozzle attachment member having a recess into which a lower end portion of the storage container is fitted, and the resin film is mechanically fixed by the valve seat member attached to the recess of the nozzle attachment member and a tip of the storage container. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge control device is configured to control an acceleration time Au in rising of the valve rod by the actuator to be held within a range of 2 to 300 [ms]. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 10, wherein the discharge control device is configured to control a target speed V1 in the rising of the valve rod by the actuator to be held within a range of 0.2 to 30 [mm/s], and/or controls an acceleration time Ad in lowering of the valve rod by the actuator to be held within a range of 2 to 300 [ms]. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the valve rod is connected to the actuator via a slide member, and the liquid material discharge device further comprises a position detection mechanism which includes a sensor mechanism detecting that the slide member is at a predetermined position, and which detects, by detecting a position of the slide member, that the lower end of the valve rod is at a position contacting the valve seat. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The liquid material discharge device according to claim 12, further comprising a rod conjunction member connected to the valve rod and arranged in contact with the slide member in a separable manner; and an elastic member wherein, when force acting to further advance the valve rod is applied by the actuator after the valve rod has come into contact with the valve seat, the slide member is moved downward away from the rod conjunction member, and the lower end of the valve rod being at the position contacting the valve seat is detected by detecting the downward movement of the slide member with the sensor mechanism. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An application device comprising: the liquid material discharge device according to claim 1; a worktable on which a workpiece is to be placed; a driver moving the liquid material discharge device and the worktable relatively to each other; a cover constituting a negative pressure space in which the liquid material discharge device, the worktable, and the driver are arranged; a depressurizer producing negative pressure inside the cover; and a drive control device controlling the driver. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The application device according to claim 14, wherein the depressurizer is a vacuum pump. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) An application method comprising steps of: providing the application device according to claim 14; and applying the liquid material onto the workpiece while the workpiece and the liquid material discharge device are moved relatively to each other in a state that an inner space of the cover is held under negative pressure by the depressurizer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The application method according to claim 16, wherein the inner space of the cover is substantially under a vacuum.