Patent ID: 7101518

Claim:
An apparatus for supplying liquid for generating plasma to a reaction chamber ( 1 ) to sterilize and disinfect an item wrapped in a packaging material ( 10 ) in the reaction chamber ( 1 ), comprising: an automatic feeder ( 20 ) for automatically feeding a fixed amount of liquid for generating plasma via a first discharging pipe ( 40 ) by controlling a rotational speed of a DC motor ( 31 ); a vaporizer ( 24 ) connected to the first discharging pipe ( 40 ) of the automatic feeder ( 20 ) and having a first heater ( 26 ) for vaporizing the fed liquid; a second heater ( 22 ) surrounding a second discharging pipe ( 23 ) connected between the vaporizer ( 24 ) and the reaction chamber ( 1 ) to prevent any condensation of the vaporized liquid in the second discharging pipe ( 23 ); and a temperature controller ( 25 ) electrically connected to the first and second heaters ( 26 and 22 ) to control temperatures thereof; and wherein the automatic feeder ( 20 ) comprises: a DC motor ( 31 ) having a retarder ( 32 ) of which a speed is feed-back controlled by a proportional control circuit ( 42 ); a feeding screw ( 36 ) connected to a rotating shaft of the DC motor ( 31 ); a supporting member ( 35 ) engaged with the feeding screw ( 36 ) to be moved back and forth along the feeding screw ( 36 ) by rotation of the feeding screw ( 36 ); an injection piston ( 45 ) coupled to the supporting member ( 35 ) to be linearly moved together with the supporting member ( 35 ); an injection cylinder ( 46 ) supported by two fixing plates ( 37 and 39 ) and receiving the injection piston ( 45 ), the injection cylinder ( 46 ) being provided with a feeding valve ( 43 ) adapted to be opened at the time of retraction of the injection piston ( 45 ) and an exhaust valve ( 44 ) adapted to be opened at the time of extension of the injection piston ( 45 ); a liquid supplying container ( 48 ) connected to the feeding valve ( 43 ) of the injection cylinder ( 46 ) for supplying liquid for generating plasma to the injection cylinder ( 46 ); and a displacement sensor ( 49 ) provided at the fixing plate ( 37 ) to detect a position of the injection piston ( 45 ).