Patent ID: 8511331

Claim:
A process liquid feed mechanism for feeding a process liquid stored in a container, the container including a container body and a lid closing a top opening of the container body, the process liquid feed mechanism comprising: a fixed cylinder with a thread formed on a peripheral surface, the fixed cylinder projecting from the lid upwardly of the container body; a movable cylinder provided coaxially with the fixed cylinder and screw-engaged to the fixed cylinder; a process liquid feed tube passing through the lid, the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder so as to be axially movable relative to the fixed cylinder, the process liquid feed tube being fixed in an axial position relative to the movable cylinder; an operating rotator including an annular portion provided coaxially with the movable cylinder; and an engaging portion and an engaged portion provided in the movable cylinder and the annular portion respectively, the engaging portion and the engaged portion being configured to rotate the movable cylinder through engagement therebetween when the operating rotator is rotated and to release the engagement therebetween as a torque applied to the movable cylinder increases, wherein when a rotation of the operating rotator brings a lower end of the process liquid feed tube into abutment with a bottom of the container body, the engaging portion and the engaged portion release the engagement therebetween, thus idling the operating rotator; and wherein the longitudinal axes of the process liquid feed tube, the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the container body and the lower end of the process liquid feed tube abuts with a peripheral portion of the bottom of the container body.