Air bleeder and method for bleeding air

A method for bleeding air using an air bleeder configured to remove air out of a lubricant supply conduit, the air bleeder comprising:

• the lubricant supply conduit through which a lubricant is supplied to a mixing valve located in a machine tool;
• a lubricant tank in which the lubricant is stored;
• a branching portion located along the lubricant supply conduit;
• and
• a return conduit connecting the branching portion and the lubricant tank to each other,
• wherein the lubricant supply conduit comprises
• a first supply conduit connecting the lubricant tank and the branching portion to each other, and
• a second supply conduit connecting the branching portion and the mixing valve to each other, and
• wherein at the branching portion, an upper-stream end of the return conduit is located above an upper-stream end of the second supply conduit,
• the method comprising:
• opening the return conduit to form a circulation conduit comprising the lubricant tank, the first supply conduit, the branching portion, and the return conduit;
• and
• causing the lubricant to circulate through the circulation conduit with a flow of the lubricant in the second supply conduit stopped by the mixing valve.

An air bleeder comprising:

• a branch;
• a lubricant supply conduit via which lubricant stored in a tank is to be supplied to a valve provided in a machine tool, the lubricant supply conduit comprising:
• a first supply conduit connecting the branch and the tank;
• and
• a second supply conduit connecting the branch at a first connecting position and the valve;
• and
• a return conduit connecting the tank and the branch at a second connecting position higher than the first connecting position in a height direction along a height of the air bleeder to return lubricant to the tank and to remove air from lubricant in the lubricant supply conduit.

A method for bleeding air, comprising:

• supplying lubricant stored in a tank to a valve provided in a machine tool via a lubricant supply conduit, the lubricant supply conduit connecting the tank and the valve and comprising:
• a first supply conduit connecting a branch and the tank;
• and
• a second supply conduit connecting the valve and the branch at a first connecting position;
• opening a return conduit which connects the tank and the branch at a second connecting position higher than the first connecting position in a height direction along a height of an air bleeder;
• and
• flowing lubricant in the lubricant supply conduit to return to the tank via the return conduit and to remove air from lubricant in the lubricant supply conduit in a state where supply of the lubricant to the valve via the second supply conduit is suppressed.