Patent ID: 7918180

Claim:
A film forming apparatus to form a coating film by applying a coating material to an outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical object to be coated, comprising: a material applying device having a nozzle unit to apply the coating material to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical object and a material supplying unit to supply the coating material to the nozzle unit; and a moving device configured to move the nozzle unit relatively to the cylindrical object such that the coating material is applied uniformly to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical object, wherein the moving device includes an object holding unit configured to hold the cylindrical object, a nozzle moving unit configured to move relatively the nozzle unit with respect to the cylindrical object holding unit along a longitudinal axis of the object holding unit, and a guide unit configured to guide the nozzle unit along the object holding unit such that an interval between the nozzle unit and the cylindrical object is maintained constant as the nozzle unit moves along the object holding unit, wherein the guide unit includes a nozzle guiding portion which is fixed on the nozzle unit and movably disposed with respect to the object holding unit along the direction of the axis of the object holding unit, and wherein the guide unit further includes a nozzle carrying portion configured to carry and movably support the nozzle unit with respect to the nozzle moving unit in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the object holding unit.