Nozzle unit, liquid dispenser comprising such a nozzle unit, and methods for producing such nozzle units

A method for producing a nozzle unit for a liquid dispenser, the nozzle unit including a plastic carrier traversed by a nozzle channel from an inlet side to an outlet side, a nozzle channel wall defining the nozzle channel, and a nozzle plate arrangement having a multiplicity of nozzle openings, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an assembly tool having an outer contour, the outer contour being oversized in relation to the nozzle channel, and an end face larger than an outer contour of the nozzle plate arrangement;
• bringing the plastic carrier into a defined assembly position;
• inserting the nozzle plate arrangement and then the assembly tool in a joining direction into the nozzle channel from the inlet side;
• progressively inserting the assembly tool into the nozzle channel in the joining direction and applying force to the nozzle channel wall with the assembly tool to partially elastically expand the nozzle channel wall outwardly from an initial unexpanded starting position to bring the nozzle plate arrangement to an end position within the nozzle channel at an elastically expanded area of the nozzle channel wall;
• pulling the assembly tool out of the nozzle channel counter to the joining direction and permitting the elastically expanded nozzle channel wall to move back inwardly towards the initial unexpanded starting position, wherein the nozzle plate arrangement remains in the end position at the elastically expanded area of the nozzle channel wall;
• and
• completely removing the assembly tool from the nozzle channel, thereafter the nozzle plate arrangement being held at the end position by the elastically expanded area of the nozzle channel wall as a result of the movement of the nozzle channel wall back inwardly towards the initial unexpanded starting position.